The War of 1002

by Fireheart 1945


Chapter 62; A new monarch

James, Shining, Metamorphosis, and various Equestrian and Changeling soldiers sat around Camilla's bed in the royal hospital. She was still breathing, and her face appeared peaceful, as if all she had done was fall asleep.

The fighting had only ended an hour ago The drones from Chrysalis' hive had felt her "death" and their severance from her control, which had immediately fallen to former Princess Amalda. The drones had immediately stopped whatever they had been doing and had stood where they'd been when Chrysalis had been taken down, as if unsure what to do. They hadn't responded much when allied troops who had been fighting them minutes before came to take them prisoner. A couple had put up a half-hearted struggle, but most had come quietly. Actually, "coming" was a bit overstating it, as they made no attempt to move and often had to be dragged, albeit without resistance.

Since her ascension to Queen, Amalda had given orders to her people that the victorious allies were not to be attacked in any way, and that no further efforts at resistance, direct or indirect, was to be undertaken against them. She had also given instructions to begin gathering the slain and wounded of both sides, and for her subjects to treat them with respect. No reports, from either Changelings or ponies, had indicated any effort to break these new decrees, although, realistically, hardly enough time had passed for them to be tested whatsoever.

Chrysalis was also in the hospital, a bit further away and under heavy guard. She had been clinically dead for several minutes, but her own people had managed to get her heart and lungs working again in time to keep that from becoming permanent. She was also unconscious, though the Equestrians hadn't taken any chances; the former Queen was chained to her bed, incapable so much as moving anything other than her head if she did revive. The doctors and medics, Changelings all, had said, with one accord, that there was little point to this; her horn couldn't be expected to grow back. The bullet that had severed it had cut it off too far down to allow it to recover. The former Queen could still ingest emotions, but she wouldn't be able to use the power from those to cause any further harm. Her powers were broken.

"We've done all we can for 'er Majesty Queen Camilla," said a doctor from her hive, in something not far removed from a normal accent. "Only thing we can do now is wait."

James looked down at Camilla's head; her pillow was covered with green blood that she'd coughed up. She was in critical condition, though the combined efforts of nurses, doctors, and medics had succeeded in stabilizing her. The attack that had come so close to killing her had nearly reached her heart. Had been even a shade more powerful, none of them would be here. None of the doctors could say with certainty whether or not she would live, but most predicted that her survival was probable. James sent up a silent prayer that she would live.

Many had not. Their former enemies had thrown themselves at the allied forces without regard for their own lives and safety. The enemy had suffered far higher casualties than the allies had, partly due to that reckless self sacrifice, but that didn't mean the allied forces had gotten off unscathed. An hour didn't give him or anyone else enough time to count how many had gone, but the number would be significant.

The attack had been launched with one of the goals being to save lives in the end. This hadn't worked out as James had hoped for, but at least some of the hive was still standing - literally as well as metaphorically - whereas it likely wouldn't have done if their assault hadn't proceeded the way it had. Still, the blame for the losses both sides had suffered could not be laid entirely at the hooves of Chrysalis, though much of it did.

I hope I don't lose all value for life as a result of this war. It's going to drive me mad if this keeps up.

Peace had definitely come to the west. No more threats of Changeling attacks on Equestria. No more wondering whether one theater of the war would succeed, but the other would fail. That was gone. The defeat of Chrysalis' hive meant one of the two big opponents was out of the war. That was something that James found difficult to recognize. Of course, the injury Camilla had sustained distracted him, to be sure, but that wasn't the only reason.

Perhaps it was that, having been at war for ten and a half months, he had trouble expecting anything more than the same.

Amalda was standing with them. They'd briefly questioned her; apparently, Chrysalis wanted to hide the fact that she had an heir, in case one of her acquired "vassals" tried to assassinate her, or the heir. Without clear knowledge whether Chrysalis had an heir or not, it would have been difficult for anyone to know whether or not the rule over the Changeling hives would continue. As it was, Amalda had been brought up by her mother in secret, and being taught to be as cruel and heartless as her mother. Clearly, these teachings had not sunk in. Amalda had kept her true feelings a secret. Beyond this, little was known about her, except for her age - approximately fourteen - and that her current coloration was natural for youthful hive princesses; only after they had grown up did they acquire the color black, as did every other Changeling.

"Is there..."

"...No," Metamorphosis sighed. "There's nothing more you can do."

"Or any of us, really," one of the medics standing by added. "My Changeling colleague was right; only thing we can do is wait and see whether she gets better."

"In that case, we have work to do," Shining said, standing up. "We have to alert the Princesses to our victory here and make the peace official."

Amalda stared out the window. James wondered if she'd even heard. She had to have a lot of things on her mind right now, the future of her hive and her sudden ascension to a throne that might not hold any real power much longer being among them.

Apparently, she had heard, as, after a long silence, she turned toward Shining. "I will sign this peace, but I will not let my hive become a puppet state, nor allow my people to suffer for my mother's past crimes."

"You don't really have any options other than what the Princesses and your fellow Queens have to say about it," the Guard stallion answered.

"Wrong. I can start the fight again if the terms are too harsh. I would prefer not to, and it would be a... costly decision, but we will not be your slaves."

"Like you people don't deserve it, after all you've done to us," one of Metamorphosis' subjects muttered angrily.

"The terms haven't been decided on yet," James said, standing up as well and raising a hand in an effort to stop a potential fight. "But right now, we're not trying to kill each other, and for the time being I'll take that." He nodded toward Shining Armor. "I think that letter would be a good idea though."

"I'll get started right away."

James watched as the stallion walked away, then turned back toward Camilla. He wasn't sure what course the next few days would take, but he would see it through to the end.

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Silver Shield walked through the half-ruined Changeling city. The battle had torn much of the place to pieces, and even what was left intact looked decrepit, though that could have just been the state of mind he was in.

He was in yet another Changeling hive. This time, though, instead of being a liberator, he was a conqueror and occupier.

The difference was significant.

Many of the Changelings he saw were occupiers as well. However, they were allies, helping to maintain security. They could also be identified by the bands they wore on their heads and forelegs.

The ones without bands had eyes on them almost everywhere they went. They had caused no trouble since the battle had ended, but one could never be too careful. They walked almost as if in a daze, not looking at the occupying troops, indeed hardly watching where they were going, with the little attention they did have being focused on their tasks.

Most of them were hauling the dead away for burial. They carried both friend and foe with respect, and didn't seem to have any prejudices against one or the other. In fact, it was as if they had no emotions whatsoever left after their defeat.

It puzzled him. How could those who had so recently been so dead-set against Equestria suddenly flip to submissive, just like that? Yes, there was the whole needing to obey the Queen thing, but none of the drones he saw seemed to harbor him any ill will, and even the Changelings on his side had some measure of independent action and thought. He'd expected occupation, for however long it lasted, to be dangerous, to have to deal with open hatred and perhaps even resistance and rebellion. What he got instead was troubling in a whole different manner.

"Stinking beasts," he heard a member of a patrol of nearby allied Changelings say disdainfully. "Ought to put 'em under seven years occupation of our own... and go hard, real hard, on any defiance."

"Not our orders," his companion replied. "Our Queen just said to watch them."

"She didn't say anything against roughing them up a little, either."

"...No, but I get the idea that such an unauthorized crackdown would have serious repercussions."

The first Changeling just shrugged. The two patrols passed without comment to one another.

A small group belonging to Chrysalis' - no, Amalda's - hive were standing nearby; they'd certainly heard the brief conversation. They just watched the patrols pass by; one, a male, looked like he would have protested, but another, a female, next to him shook her head, and he desisted.

It was odd, Shield reflected, to have any sort of feeling for their former enemies other than hostility. And yet he could definitely feel a small - just a small, but very real - sense of pity for his former opponents. They'd fought the war as long and hard as they could... and lost it. Now, they had virtually no choice but to bow to the allied occupation of their home.

I wonder if the ponies of Trottingham felt the same way these guys do when we lost the town to the Griffons. From all accounts, the Griffon occupation of Equestrian lands hadn't been pleasant; though the enemy had avoided committing atrocities - to an extent, anyway - they had gone out of their way to show that they were the masters, as mercifully short as that period was. So far, the allies hadn't done that, but then again, the fighting hadn't even been over a day. No one would have had time to come up with an official policy yet toward the conquered population, other than the patrolling that was designed to prevent any attempt at an uprising.

He heard a commotion ahead. "Let's go," he urged his squad, and increased his speed to that of a fast trot.

Half a minute later, they rounded a building and found the source of the disturbance. A squad of Changelings under Queen Camilla was busy shouting at a group of Amalda's subjects. One of the latter was on the ground and looked as if he'd been struck.

"Ya do wha' we say, where an' when we say it," of Camilla's soldiers was yelling. "Ya go when we say ta go, ya do what job we tell ya to withou' question, and ya don' show us any lip in tha doing, or yer all due fer a black eye, got it!?"

"Why are you doing this to us?" a female Changeling asked. "We never di-"

The soldier backslapped her in the face. "You bleedin' bitch! Neva did nothing ta us, ya say?" He closed in on her. "Me own brother was murdered by yer damned soldiers, and that bastard neva got his. Ya held us underhoof fer years, slavin' us ta death, and now ya say ya neva did nothin' ta us, or our hivemates?"

"I didn't know-"

"Too daam bad. Now ya ge' ta feel wha we did fer the past seven an' a 'alf years. Maybe if I'm lucky, you'll get twice that.," the soldier added spitefully, looking almost pleased at the idea.

"Enough!" Shield shouted as he approached.

The squad of Camilla's soldiers turned. "You stay out o' this, Pony," said the soldier who had been slapping the civilians around.

"I'm here to keep the peace, as are you."

"An' it was going fine 'til this one," the soldier said, indicting the male Changeling he had hit, who apparently had been knocked out cold, "hadn't been shootin' off 'is mouth."

"The only ones I see disturbing the peace are you guys. Clear off. Now."

"We only take orders from 'er Majesty, Queen Camilla, who, I migh' add, is in tha hospital, thanks to the tyrant bitch."

"And these people had nothing to do with it; Chrysalis did. Now, are you going to clear off on your own, or am I going to have to bring you all in by force?"

"You'd neva do it."

"Try me."

One of the Changelings in the squad whispered something to the soldier in charge, who snapped something back. The second one tried again, speaking longer this time and in earnest.

With a reluctant sigh, the soldier in charge muttered something in Changeling to the rest of the squad. They all turned around and began marching away, though the leader snapped something fierce at the civilians before departing.

"Thanks," the female said.

"..." Shield just nodded, not sure what to say to someone who would have been ready to kill him just hours before. Before any of them could speak again, he nodded to his squad, and they moved off.

The rest of the patrol went on without any further incidents. Still Shield was conflicted on how to feel as he went back to the palace, which was where a number of Equestrian units were stationed; the authorities in charge had at least figured that out in the time they'd had. He went to the bed he'd been assigned. Of course, his personal belongings hadn't been brought up, but they would be soon enough.

He put down his weapons, got out of his armor, then laid down on his back on the Changeling-built bed, staring at the ceiling as his squadmates talked to one another.

The war in the west was over. But what would happen now?

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James looked out the window of the room he'd been given. The entire hive was devoid of much activity. There were patrols, true enough, but there was little point; tied to Amalda's will, the Changelings here could not, with few exceptions, take action against their conquerors. In fact, there was more danger to the defeated than the victor; numerous squads of allied Changelings kept trying to assert their authority and bully the conquered population. Seeing as they'd all been under control of this hive for a number of years, it was natural that they'd want revenge. He'd ordered a couple squads asserting themselves so thrown in the palace dungeon, and made it clear that he wasn't going to tolerate such behavior from Equestrian troops. The Queens under whose command those units had been had freed their subjects, and told him he'd had no authority to jail anyone. Even direct evidence of the bullying didn't persuade either of them. Only after all the Queens of the allied hives had gathered were there rules set to deal with such abuses of power.

Amalda had silently sat through it, angry about the incidents, but virtually powerless to protect her people. She seemed somewhat mollified by the results of the meeting, but the melancholy she'd been displaying since the hive's surrender had increased. He wondered if she'd ever be able to get over it.

Perhaps just as dispiriting as that powerlessness was the urge by the other Changeling hives to enforce reparations; even most of those who were against abusing Amalda's subjects demanded them. Her defiance during the meeting hadn't made anything better. One allied Queen had wondered out loud whether her temperament - her personality - was any different from that of her mother. The implications were obvious. Another had suggested imprisoning Amalda until their hives got their fair compensation, thereby forcing her subjects to do as they wanted until then.

James forced himself to calm down. This bickering over the scraps wasn't going to go away until the terms of the peace were settled. Celestia and Luna would on their way as soon as they got the notice of the surrender. It would also be quite possible that Cadence would be coming as well, which struck him as a bad idea; the very Princess the hive had wronged coming here would make them feel like their defeat was being rubbed in their faces, and it might trigger something very bad.

The defiance Amalda showed - a willingness to pay reparations, but refusing in all manner of ways, some of which were very rude indeed, to become a puppet ruler - stirred outrage among the conquerors, not all of them Changelings. Some Equestrian soldiers were calling for her to be dethroned and imprisoned, and the hive made a subject state of Equestria. Some were shouting for outright annexation and permanent occupation.

"The Eagle must bear it's wings," he murmured. That was what the new Queen's name meant in German; Eagle. Amalda, like her namesake, would have to learn to fly - metaphorically, for physically she seemed a decent flyer - very quickly.

The lights around the hive glowed brightly. The white lights, which a few green piercing the dark, were comforting. But by their light he could easily see the damage done. If reparations were forced, he failed to see recovery coming very quickly. It felt odd, feeling pity for the people he had fought, but the feelings were real. He pulled his small cross out of his pocket and stared at it for a couple seconds, wondering what he should be feeling, and how he ought to proceed.

Oh, God, please help me now.

There was a knock at the door. Sighing, he replaced the cross in his coat pocket as another knock came. "Yes?" he called.

The door opened. There, looking nervous but also determined, stood the very person he'd been wondering about.

"May I come in?" Amalda asked.

"It's your castle."

"But you're the conqueror." The strangely light and benevolent-sounding voice was sorrowful.

James shook his head. "I don't intend to rule over anybody. I just want peace here."

"Perhaps, regarding your own feelings. But others don't feel the same way you do." Amalda sighed. "My mother's first act, upon regaining consciousness a few minutes ago, was to try to bite the doctors attending to her. They've muzzled her, and she's now being moved to a cell deep in the dungeons. This will only increase the urge by the other Queens to force us into the mud and put their hooves on our necks. They'll be prepared to stomp, and hard, if we try to resist their measures."

James stood silently for a moment. "Well, your mother did try to conquer Equestria, and she's committed numerous war crimes. Not to mention that she's tyrannized over the other hives for over seven years, with policies of execution and beating the inhabitants of those hives."

"I know that. It's been made abundantly clear by the other Queens. Only Metamorphosis is showing much impulse to be merciful, with a few more uncertain and a couple, Queen Nocturnal among them, angling for vengeance."

She looked away for a moment, then turned back toward him, eyes blazing. "Whatever my mother did, I have not assumed leadership of this hive for my people to become slaves. I will not allow that to happen."

"What power do you have to resist that possibility, though?"

"We can continue to fight, as I've threatened before. We'd probably die, but that would be better than living as the abused servants of other peoples. And some of us might escape to rebuild our home somewhere else."

Amalda breathed deeply as she finished. "I don't want to continue the war. We've lost, and I'm willing to admit that fact. But if it's a choice between being stomped into the mud for a hundred years and going on with the battle..."

"I understand." James scratched his head, thinking, trying to reconcile the rights of the victors with those of the defeated. "You'll probably be required to pay some form of reparations, probably in the form of energy and money, as well as building materials."

"Yes. I'm willing to accept those, provided that they do not leave my subjects starving."

"And made to accept that your hive, and mother, were responsible for the suffering of many over an extended period of time."

Amalda nodded. "I'm willing to accept that, too."

"You'll probably have your military limited."

She sighed. "I guess I cannot expect anything better. I'd be willing to accept that as a term, as long as our military is not abolished altogether."

"Equestria might - although this is only a theoretical scenario - demand that Changelings from your hive remain unhidden in their land as long as they are there."

"I'd fight that at the peace table if it comes up, but if its absolutely necessary for peace, I'd agree to it. Of course, they might demand that of the other hives, which would give all us Queens something to agree upon, which is to say a unanimous refusal."

"I see. I think those are the more reasonable terms you'd be asked, if not demanded, to accept."

"I'm not willing to go much, if any, further than that. That last one, theoretical as you say it was, would be crippling. The love would go out of ponies the moment they cast their eyes on us, and emotional energy would be very difficult to harvest properly. That goes for any Changeling hive, by the way, not just ours."

James was quiet for a moment. "Why did you come to me, someone who, very recently, was fighting, even killing, your... combatants?"

Amalda sat down on the floor. "I'm not a hundred percent sure," she sighed, looking away. "Perhaps its because you're not a member of the Changeling hives who hate us, nor are you one of the ponies, who want us all muzzled and kept under control."

She turned to look at him once more. "Now Celestia is coming, and now doubt the other Princesses will likely be close behind. Most of my subjects believe already that their doom is upon them, or close at hoof, and the rest will surely believe it soon."

"I promise you-"

"Can you?" the teenage Queen asked, her eyes boring into his, and James knew his initial assumption that she was no fool was a correct one. "Princess Cadence in particular has every reason to bear a grudge against us. How can you be absolutely sure she does not? And how can I expect her husband, brave as he is, forgive the country that kidnapped and impersonated his wife and attacked his home?"

"How can they be sure you won't do it again?" James countered. "I personally don't think you will, but that's what they would answer you. And in retrospect, they have the right to ask. Your people have been accustomed to being tyrannized over, to the point where many have become almost as savage as your mother. Some of those almost killed me on many battlefields. I've seen their willingness, indeed, inclination, to cruelty before and during the liberations of the first two hives. They'll need time before they can become anything like normal Changelings again, assuming there is a normal standard."

Amalda held his gaze challengingly for a time, then finally broke contact. "I know. But all they did, they did because my mother said to do so. No Changeling, save deviants, can defy their ruler's will. Even so, some nations will not be so forgiving as others. I despise the situation I am in right now, but I see no way out; it is like the hatchling that desperately tries to escape its egg, but lacks the strength to break the eggshell."

"Some - not me - would say your country deserves no better. I'm sorry, but, realistically, that's what some people feel."

"I'm aware of it. Too aware of it. And I hate it, but as I said, there is no way out."

"No way out, eh?" James felt for the cross in his pocket. "You know, when there's no way out you can see, there's Someone who can see a way out."

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It was nice to be back on the surface, James thought to himself as he watched the Equestrian delegation arrive by flying chariot.

It had been a week since his talk with Amalda. It had taken time for the message of victory to reach Equestria, but the response had been quick.

The chariot came down onto the hard, dusty ground. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence stepped out.

Shining Armor, who was standing next to James, looked inquiringly at Celestia. The alicorn nodded, and the Guard stallion an to his wife, the two embracing one another in front of all. One or two of the Changeling Queen snickered, but the Royal Guards didn't. They kept to their jobs, professionally, though perhaps with a spring of pride in their hoofsteps.

The regular soldiers of the Equestrian army weren't so well composed. With loud cries and cheers they met their Princesses with a tumult of voices. Celestia nodded once again, and waved to the soldiers, who redoubled their cheering. Blue hats were soon flying through the air en masse.

It's like they've forgotten that we still have to finish the Griffons, too, he thought. But perhaps the cheering soldiers had a point. One of the main threats to Equestria was down, unlikely to pose a problem for the next generation. And the majority of the soldiers here had been stuck fighting Changelings during their enlistments. They probably thought that the Changelings were the only enemy worth mentioning.

Perhaps they're right. But I'm not letting my guard down... yet.

Metamorphosis stepped forward. "I welcome you, Princesses of Equestria," she said, quietly and with a firm voice. "Today, we shall end the state of war that has existed between Changeling and pony since the Canterlot affair."

"I greet you, Queen Metamorphosis," Celestia answered. "I'm pleased to hear that."

Queen Amalda - practically as white as Celestia - stepped forward as well. "My hive will hear your conditions of peace," she said. Her voice was still young and sweet-sounding, but there was an undercurrent of firmness underneath; her statement wasn't a promise to end the war so much as it was to agree to hear out the conquerors.

He could see that Celestia took it as such, though her smile didn't change one iota. "I would be most pleased to discuss the terms in question," she answered. "Preferably, I would like for us to discuss the treaty in privacy, between the rulers and commanders of the two belligerent sides, and perhaps a few guards to ensure that the discussion remains orderly."

"I can offer the throne room in my palace as such a place," Amalda answered. "However, I must ask, if politely, for all media to remain outside while we discuss the peace terms." James wasn't surprised to hear that; a number of ponies with cameras and holding clipboards had followed the royal procession.

Celestia nodded. "I agree. We can spread the news after our business together has been concluded."

"I have a more conventional way into my hive than those your soldiers blasted through our walls," the youthful Queen said.

"We'd be pleased to take you up on your offer," Celestia replied.

That didn't speak for everyone. By "we," Celestia had probably meant her fellow Princesses. The other Changeling Queens clearly weren't happy, about either the arrangement or the fact that Amalda was still taking a somewhat hard stance. Some of them were muttering to one another in their own language, which the ponies in the army had barely begun to translate, let alone understand. But they didn't openly object.

"Please follow me," Amalda said, turning around. "Oh, and watch out for scorpions. I have a hard time believing the world will forgive us if a member of the delegation should die on this day of peace."

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It was about half an hour later that they all reached the throne room. In the past couple of days, Amalda's subjects had cleared the place up, and had covered the gigantic hole in the roof, although they hadn't begun repairing it yet. A table had been set up in the middle of the room, and it was here that the party sat down.

"We should get started as soon as possible," Celestia suggested. "I see no reason to put off the main cause for our being here."

"I agree," Queen Cocoon said. The other rulers nodded and voiced their assent.

"Queen Amalda, are you ready to receive the terms Equestria offers?" Luna asked, speaking for the first time.

Amalda reluctantly nodded. "Yes."

"She's threatened to go on fighting if the terms are too severe," one of the Changeling Queens said, very conspicuously. "I'm not so sure how far to trust her."

"I will not allow my people or myself to become slaves or puppets to the victors of this war," Amalda insisted.

"And what were you doing to us these past seven years!?"

"Please, be calm, all of you," Celestia said gently. "I and my fellow Pricnesses do not seek to intrude on the sovereignty of our former adversaries. There will be no annexation or puppeting here."

There was some muttering in answer to this, but there was no out and out protest.

"Item one," Celestia began, raising a set of papers in front of her muzzle, but she was interrupted by the doors opening.

"Sorry I'm late," came the voice of Camilla, who came walking through the doors. "Doctors kept trying ta stop me." She sat down next to Metamorphosis.

"You shouldn't be walking around," Metamorphosis hissed audibly to her.

"I ain't gonna miss the end o' that war," Camilla snapped back. "Got shot fer me trouble. Not gonna miss this, after all tha trouble I went through ta get here."

Celestia cleared her throat. "Item one. Amalda's hive will give the former Queen Chrysalis up to Equestrian custody."

"I think she'd be better off in one of our own prisons," Metamorphosis answered. "After all, her first victims weren't ponies; they were fellow Changelings."

"But how would we decide which hive to imprison her in," Luna asked her, "seeing as she has oppressed all of you?"

"We can make arrangements," Cocoon said. "I say the first hive to suffer under her hoof be the one to take and sentence her."

"And how can you be sure that justice would be done in that case?"

"Futter justice," Nocturnal said rudely. "She's oppressed us all, in ways you can't imagine. She dealt harsh justice to us for the slightest provocation; I say that's what we give her."

"Hmm. I see this is a topic of contentious value," Celestia said, looking slightly discomforted, but still strong. "Very well. I will change that term to simply be to give Chrysalis over to allied custody."

"For the sake of my hive, I accept," Amalda answered, bowing her head.

"Item two. Amalda's hive will pay for forty percent of the damage done to Canterlot during the initial invasion, as well as paying a tenth of the cost of the destruction wreaked in Appleloosa and its orchards, with the cost to be paid in building materials or actual money."

"I accept."

"Item three. All prisoners held captive by the hive will be given over to allied custody."

"I accept, but notice that we already freed them, on the day we were defeated, in fact."

"Noted. Item four. Your hive will undergo methods to root out any cruel intentions and instincts in your subjects, as witnessed by allied forces during the war and your occupation of the other hives."

"I accept. I've already started such a program."

"Very good. Item five. Your hive will promise not to use warfare as a means to expand in the future, though this does not abolish your right to an army, nor your right to self defense."

Amalda nodded. "I accept."

"Item six. Your hive will not attempt to genetically mutate or alter its own citizens for battle or for other purposes."

"This is the first time I've heard of that," James said, surprised.

"I found a few brawlers, as Amalda called them, in the basements under the palace," Shining explained. "Changelings biologically or genetically changed to be larger than normal, with very, very thick chitin, akin to armor, and smaller eyes, which I assume was meant to keep those eyes from being so easy a target. I'm assuming she just didn't think to unleash them, or maybe she just didn't have the time."

"Yeah, I'd have hated to have gone up against those," James said, trying to think of the being Shining had just described.

"This is one term I gladly accept," Amalda replied. "I hated the project, but my mother never listened to anyone but herself."

"In addition to these terms, Equestria would like to extend a non-aggression pact, a pledge for each country not to attack the other. In exchange, your hive's harvesters will be allowed to continue in their current function without harassment if discovered."

"I am willing to discuss such an arrangement, provided the agreement doesn't lean toward one side or the other."

"It would not." Celestia lowered the paper. "Those are Equestria's terms for peace. I am very pleased to hear that you accepted each of them in turn."

"Well, we haven't had our full say yet," Metamorphosis put in.

"What would you add to these terms?" Luna asked her, looking at her intensely.

"I'd like to say this." The Queen raised herself up. "That Chrysalis made the lives of every member of our hives as miserable as she could, not even shying away from abusing us, her peers, whenever she felt like doing so. I am not one for vengeance, but we've discussed amongst ourselves the minimal requirements for peace between us and Amalda's hive."

"Go ahead," Celestia replied.

"Similar to the Equestrian demand for repayment, we demand material for rebuilding our homes, as well as enough energy to reimburse our hives for that we lost within the past two years to your hive. We acknowledge that we will not be able to receive this at once, but we want it done within a ten year period. This should give your people enough energy to feed themselves and provide lighting while giving ample time to repay us in full."

Amalda looked at Metamorphosis for a moment, then bowed her head. "I accept this demand."

"Furthermore, we demand that your army be limited to the size of that of one of the three smallest hives, to ensure that no further acts of aggression will be coming henceforth."

"I... I accept," Amalda sighed. "But I want a pledge that you will not take advantage of our army's reduced size to attack us within the ten years you mentioned previously."

"...You're in a poor position to be making demands, but I find that to be reasonable to agree to. In addition, we'll have the right to keep inspectors in your hive to make sure our demands are met. They will not be allowed to give orders, as Chrysalis' councilors were, but they will inform us at once if any breach of our demands is detected."

"I accept, but I will not tolerate them telling my subjects what to do."

"As I said, they'll be forbidden from doing that. They'll only inform you if they believe that you're not fulfilling the terms of this treaty. To wrap up, we also demand that your hive pledge itself to gathering emotional energy, including love, by peaceful ways, and not through force."

"I am willing to accept that."

"Those are our minimum demands. And believe me, you're getting the best you can hope to expect. Several of our number wanted to impose harsh - very harsh - terms upon your hive, but the rest of us talked them down."

"As I stated, I accept all your terms."

"Very good. We'll discuss the amount of building material and energy to be transferred in a later meeting." Metamorphosis sat back down. She sighed, before a smile lit her face. "At last, it's over."

James also breathed a sigh of relief. Next to what various Axis powers had received at the end of the Second World War, these terms were relatively light. There would be no occupation, no harsh amounts of tribute demanded, only the assurance of a peaceful order and a reasonable demand for repayment.

The war in the west was over.