I'm a Lich and I know it!

by Dream Seeker


Plan Execution

Sombra dropped his shield, but before the Changelings could enter Twilight began projecting negative thoughts directly into every Changeling through the hive mind, before putting up a temporary mental barrier to disable the Changelings' communication. Winter teleported the magical cherry-bombs she had made into key locations she had noticed while searching for the prison, destroying several shoddily-constructed towers and causing chaos throughout the Changeling base. The three of them walked out, glancing around at the chaos they had caused while heading for the nearest exist. Already, however, the Changelings were recovering, and a stray Changeling flung itself at Twilight. She flinched back, only for the Changeling to fly away, stunned by a blast of arcane lightning from Sombra's horn.

Twilight glowered at him. "I was about to hit it, I swear!"

Sombra just chuckled and shook his head. "Should have been faster, then."

Twilight fired a bolt of energy, knocking away a Changeling that was sneaking up on Sombra from behind, causing Sombra to leap back in surprise. A cheeky grin swept over her features. "I guess you should have been faster."

Winter cast a glare at both of them, and they turned to her sheepishly. "Do I have to keep you two in line now? I'm supposed to be the filly here!"

Twilight and Sombra exchanged grins, and followed Winter to the exit. Meanwhile, Winter cast another spell she had learned from Sombra, disguising their presences to nearby Changelings. Unfortunately, due to her inexperience, in addition to the Changelings' means of detecting them other than sight, the spell's effects were greatly lessened, but it helped stop Twilight and Sombra from being overrun by the Changelings, more of which were recovering every minute. The three friends soon left the area, leaving disgruntled and injured Changelings behind. However, soon after leaving, Twilight's good mood plummeted as she realized their mistake.

"What do we do now?" Twilight asked, frustrated with the rescue's failure. "We're no closer to finding Cadence, the Changelings will undoubtably move their base's location, and Chrysalis may even be involved!"

"I left a tracking beacon on a few of the Changelings, so with luck we can find their next base," Sombra replied. "It's probably best if we return to Calypsion to report. As for you, Winter... Tonight, we need to talk," Sombra's voice was stern. "You didn't listen to me, and in the process put our entire mission in jeopardy. You were captured, and died a second time."

"Wouldn't that be my third time?" Winter muttered.

Sombra's voice softened. "Winter, you only die when your entire body is destroyed. The first time, as you call it, when you were hit by the carriage... You didn't truly die, at least not by a Lich's standards. Every time you visit the Astral Plane in order to reform your body is a death."

Twilight cleared her throat nervously. "So, if I were to be vaporized, I would have to reform my body through the Astral Plane as well?"

Sombra nodded. "Very likely, you'd reform in the place you first died at, unless your soul was bonded to a separate location. My soul, for example, is currently bonded to a jar in the inside of my house at Calypsion. If I were to be vaporized now, that's where I would go."

"If I went to the Astral Plane when I ascended, does that count as a death?"

"Yes, Twilight, it does. So sorry for your loss," Sombra apologized jokingly.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "Surprisingly, I'm not actually that upset at my death."

"That's because it didn't feel like a death. It probably still doesn't, even knowing that it technically counted. Besides, any negative feelings you may have had about the experience were cancelled out by the joyous occasion of your coronation."

"True, I guess," Twilight replied. The three fell into a companionable silence as they continued their journey back to Calypsion. As they passed the Crystal Empire, Twilight gazed in sorrow once more at the large dome, wishing she had managed to convince her brother of Winter's innocence. Sombra, on the other hoof, was gazing in the opposite direction, a look of fear on his face.

"Twilight. Scan for Dark Magic in that direction," Sombra pointed.

Twilight scanned the area, eyes widening as she realized what she had forgotten a few days ago. "I remember now! When we were looking for you, I sensed Dark Magic from you, Winter, Calypsion, and a third source along the train tracks leading to the Crystal Empire! There must be a group of Dark Magic users making a camp next to the rails. I wonder what they're doing here?"

"I fear I might, Twilight. You know how Calypsion was created as a collective of individuals outcast due to fear over their powers?"

"Yes," Twilight replied, confused.

"Well, there's a matching group located in Equestria- except that the fear of them is justified."

A look of horror stretched across Twilight's face. "They're that evil?"

"I wouldn't say evil necessarily, most of them are merely misguided. However, I would definitely classify them as 'hostile' to the Crystal Empire, and maybe even Calypsion. I don't know why they're here, but it's certainly not good. We definitely need to hurry back."

The group of friends galloped back to Calypsion as fast as they could, arriving at the gates just as the sun was setting.

"HALT! WHO GOES THERE?" a guard demanded.

"SOMBRA, TWILIGHT, AND WINTER!" Sombra replied.

The suspicious Changeling guard lit up his horn to get a good look at the three of them, before opening the doors. "Welcome back, sir. There is much you need to be informed of that has occurred in your absence."


"Hello, Mother," the Changeling Princess's voice sounded like a snake.

"Well, if it isn't Princess Schadenfreude," Queen Chrysalis said with a smirk, evoking a snarl from the Princess. "Or, what do you make your drones call you these days? 'Best Princess', or something silly like that? What do you want, anyway?"

"I'm here to give you this," Princess Schadenfreude (Best Princess) snarled, pitching a presumably paralyzed pretty pink pony princess pretentiously to the ground. Chrysalis's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"You captured her?"

"Right out from under her foolish husband's nose!"

"Do you have the Heart?"

"I didn't think it was important. It's just a chunk of crystal infused with love."

"Foal! The Crystal Heart is the single most important relic to all of Changelingkind! The sheer amount of love it contains..."

"I can take all the love I want from ponies," the Princess spoke arrogantly. "What I value... is revenge..."

"I see that you are just as foalish as you were all those years ago. No, I will not allow you to have your revenge on your brother for this meager offering."

"WHY NOT!" she snarled. "REVENGE FOR REVENGE! THIS IS A FAIR TRADE."

Chrysalis shook her head sadly. "Revenge will be the death of you. Now go, before I must capture you for crimes against all Hives. Cadence has bought you your life today, but come back with the Crystal Heart, and then we'll talk."

"Don't worry, mother. I will have my revenge on you, too, for refusing me today," Schadenfreude's voice was cold as she stormed out of the building, back to her base. She knew she would have to take the Crystal Empire and the Crystal Heart, and then, just to spite Chrysalis, destroy the priceless relic in front of her very eyes. Pleasure filled her mind, just imagining the scene before her, an emotionally broken Chrysalis at her mercy, forced to watch as she tortured her oldest enemy: Her brother. Thinking about her enemies in pain just made her feel so good...