Canterlot
Celestia sat along in her study, piles of paperwork stacked before her. However, before long a knock on the door stole her attention.
“Come in!”
Luna poked her head through the door. “Are you busy, sister?”
Celestia smiled warmly. “Actually, I would prefer company. In the last thousand years paperwork has never ceased to be dull.”
Luna nodded, and entered the room. Moving towards the piles of cushions in front of a marble fireplace as ancient as the castle itself, she took the time to examine some of the artifacts dotted around the room. They ranged from priceless works of art, to a painstakingly preserved child's drawing of a flower, with two smiling young alicorns sat either side, a drawing Luna herself had made when she was but a filly all those many winters ago.
Celestia also moved from her desk towards the cushions, plonking herself down with a thud.
“Tia, art thou well?”
“Dialect Lulu,” Celestia teased as Luna accidentally slipped back into the ancient equestrian dialect.
“My question still stands,” Luna sighed, with a role of her eyes in a very un-regal manner.
Celestia’s face fell into a frown. “No Luna, I’m not.”
“Twilight Sparkle?”
“It’s just… I consider her a daughter, I always have. I had intended for her to take her place alongside us, an equal… a princess.”
“Technically, she is a princess…”
“But not of Equestria…”
“Tia, what Twilight is hasn’t truly changed your perception of her has it?”
“What! Never! I will always care for her; I still remember a young lavender filly scurrying around the halls, trying to steal the odd cookie while she believed I wasn’t looking.” Celestia smiled at the fond memories, and Luna draped a loving wing over Celestia.
“And I truly believe, Tia, that Twilight feels the same way. She’ll come back to us, and even if she ultimately decides to stay at the hive I know she will always be there for Equestria, and for you.
Celestia internally sighed before giving Luna a sisterly nuzzle. “Thank you Luna, I don’t know how I survived without you for so long."
“Neither do I,” Luna chuckled. “Neither do I…”
Everfree Forest
Several Solar Guards, alongside civilian volunteers, roamed about their hidden cave hideout performing various tasks. Some were performing logistical analysis, some were simply moving around crates filled with both supplies and weapons, while the rest were spending their free time training.
As far as Broad Sword was concerned, everything was going perfectly to plan.
As Broad Sword approached the raised command platform at the center of the large cavern he was approached by a unicorn guard bearing the rank of lieutenant. “Sir!” The guard saluted. “What brings you to out to our cosy little home?”
“At ease Lieutenant, I’m just inspecting the troops as it were.”
“Well as you can see everything is in order, training the civilians is coming along smoothly and they should be combat ready in no time, once that’s finished our entire force will be ready to mobilise on your command.”
“Very good.”
The guard had a flash of nervousness as he spoke up again. “All due respect sir… but we are only thirty two versus Celestia knows how many changelings. My question is, how can we possibly win against those odds?”
“It’s simple really, all we need is a situation where the princesses have no choice but to resort to military action against those chitin clad freaks.”
“And… how exactly will we create such a ‘situation’ sir? “
“Leave that to me, Lieutenant. You are dismissed.”
The guard gave once final salute, and left to continue the dull and unenviable task of sifting through logistics.
Broad Sword looked down at the gathered ponies, giving a small smirk at the fruits of his labor.
“Now for what I really came here for,” Broad Sword muttered under his breath.
Leaving the command platform, Broad Sword made sure he wasn’t spotted by anypony, and slowly slunk his way to a small corner at the very back of the cave. The corner was a dead end, or at least it would seem that way to anypony else, as was the intention of the perception filter surrounding a small crack in the wall. It was just big enough to allow Broad Sword passage. The crack led through into another cavern that the Commander had placed countless charms around, from sound proofing spells to proximity charms, all there to make sure the cavern's sole contents remained undiscovered, and unable to escape.
Should the sole contents escape it would spell doom for his plans, ruin all his hard work and preparations.
For within this cavern, chained to a rocky alcove with his wings strapped down to his side, was the real Commander Broad Sword.
The exhausted Pegasus weakly looked up at the individual wearing his face. “What do you want now you changeling fuck?”
With a sinister laugh green flames enveloped Broad Sword's doppelganger as the Pegasus’ form was stripped ways to reveal an incredibly smug looking changeling that still wore Broad Sword’s armour.
“I have questions pony, questions I will have answers to.”
“Not that I have much of a choice I suppose?”
“No.”
“Right. Before you get to the extracting part, perhaps you could quell some… confusion I have on your ever so glorious master plan.”
The changeling's wings buzzed with slight irritation. “It depends on what is confusing you.”
“OK, how about… why? In your last few visits you gloated about how you have been slandering my name, making me seem to be a massive bigot and killing innocent changelings that had nothing to do with the attack, but why kill your own kind? What could you possibly have to gain?”
“It’s not about what I have to gain, it’s what Chrysalis stands to lose. My Queen is rather hoping that you ponies can do the dirty work for her and rid us, and our benefactor, of yet another rival.”
“So your hive seeks dominance over the rest, correct?”
“Not dominance, complete annihilation. It’s a cruel world out there where only the strongest survive, and we will be the strongest.”
"Stronger even than these apparent benefactors?"
"If I have anything to do with it, yes."
“You’re insane, I may not be able to do much, but others will stop you. Whether it’s the guard, the princesses, the elements or even your fellow changelings. Villainous scum like you never succeed.”
“Well isn’t that nice, I think I will be taking those memories now.”
The changeling surged forward, aiming his horn for the unfortunate commander’s forehead. On making contact, Broad Sword’s muscles tensed and he shouted out in agony as the changeling’s horn glowed a sickly green as he forcibly entered his mind, extracting everything the commander knew about Celestia’s protégé.
When all was finished, the changeling pulled away and Broad Sword’s body went limp as he tried desperately to catch sweet breaths of fresh air.
The changeling lightly hummed to himself as he processed the gathered memories and collective information from Broad Sword’s brain. “My my, hasn’t she been a busy changeling.”
“Twilight Sparkle?” Broad Sword croaked out questioningly.
“Yes, while my Queen and I had of course heard of Twilight and her exploits, our factual information on Chrysalis’ daughter had been severely lacking. Good thing I put an end to that, for if I interpret these memories correctly she will be a big threat to us, should she continue to draw breath that is…”
“Don’t you harm a hair on that mare’s head you piece of-”
“Now now,” the changeling interrupted. “You don’t want to exert yourself now do you, I mean look at you. You’re not going to last much longer now are you at this rate.”
“I would rather die than continue being your personal database!”
The changeling smiled sadistically. “Well, we better make sure you live then!”
With a flash of his horn the changeling cast a sleep spell on Broad Sword, who was much too exhausted to even try and resist it. With a heavy heart at being unable to help the innocents suffering because of the Changeling before him, Broad Sword drifted off into an restless sleep.
Satisfied with his handiwork, the changeling cast a few more charms around Broad Sword himself to make sure to prolong his currently miserable life as long as feasibly possible, before re-donning his disguise and leaving the secret cavern.
“My Queen, I assume you saw what I saw?” Broad Sword pinged over the hive mind.
“I did, good work infiltrator, you are quickly proving to be my best agent.”
Puffing up with pride, Broad Sword stopped just short of the command platform. "Thank you my Queen, how do you wish me to proceed?”
“Chrysalis is rather fond of her daughter, what better opportunity is there to stir up trouble between her hive and Equestria? Kill Twilight Sparkle, and make sure it’s one of those in that little ‘rebellion’ of yours that is the one to do it.”
“And once, my queen, that Chrysalis sees a pony killed her daughter…”
“War will almost certainly follow, a war Chrysalis will almost certainly lose.”
“She may even soften Equestria up for us.” Broad Sword grinned. “It will be done my Queen.”
Focusing back on the here and now, Broad Sword did final checks on the pony bigots that were foolish enough to have followed him, and then left the cave without another word.
‘If what I saw in the Commander's memories about Twilight are true, she will return to Equestria soon enough. Right into my waiting hooves.’