The Crystal Empire
The wondrous glow of the moon weaved its way throughout the shimmering crystalline structures of the Crystal Empire, illuminating Luna’s night sky. The stars twinkled down onto the planet’s surface, the far away celestial bodies forming complex and fascinating patterns which ponies and changelings, like Twilight Sparkle, loved to discover and map.
And Princess Luna would have sworn all those stars laughed when Vladimir Vespertilio crashed head first into a large dumpster.
“It’s getting away!” Vladimir shouted at his colleagues, grumpily swiping a banana peel off of his muzzle.
Shining Armor and Broad Sword shot past as Scarlet Snow briefly stopped to levitate the lunar captain out of his predicament.
“Thanks,” he muttered.
“Don’t mention it,” Scarlet smirked as she took off after the others, Vladimir following closely behind.
All four ponies were armoured up in their usual gear, the three visitors to the empire having taken their armors with them. Shining was in his old purple and gold Guard Captain’s armor, Broad Sword in his all golden Solar kit, Vladimir in his blue Night Guard armor and Scarlet in her silver standard issue EUP combat armor. Scarlet however, did not wear a helmet like the other three, having never particular used one due to it potentially obstructing her spell casting.
After ducking and weaving through several alleyways they managed to catch up with the Captain of the Solar Guard and the Crystal Prince, both of whom were mere metres behind the fleeing black figure of a changeling drone.
In desperation, Soronis lit up her horn and grabbed onto a slightly out of place, but well enough hidden in the alley, ventilation box. She tore the device off the wall and flung it at the pursuing ponies.
“Watch out!” Shining Armor shouted as he lit up his horn to form a protective shield around himself and Broad Sword who were right in the path of the falling ventilation box. The pink bubble blinked to life just as the box hit, shattering into a few dozens of pieces on contact.
As Vlad and Scarlet skidded to a halt to check on their friends, all four ponies saw the young changeling flick her wings to do a ninety degrees turn into yet another alley.
“Blast!” Broad Sword shouted, his wings ruffling in annoyance. “This is getting ridiculous!”
Panting slightly, Shining Armor examined the two ponies who just caught up with himself and his successor in the Solar Guard.
“Hey? Where are the others?”
Vladimir looked over his shoulder with a sheepish grin and a shrug. “I think they fell behind.”
Shining groaned. “Extra drills for the lot of them! I swear it!”
“We need a plan,” Broad Sword said.
“What we need, is divine alicorn intervention. Why isn’t Cadance helping?” Vladimir asked.
“Um…” Shining Armor rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. “Baby alicorn tantrums.”
“Ah,” Understanding showed on the Thestral’s face. “In that case then I think her hooves are full already.”
“Her sacrifice will be honoured!” Scarlet giggled.
“I hate to burst your bubble but… the changeling?” Broad Sword interrupted.
“Right!” Shining Armor exclaimed. “Vladimir and Broad Sword, you two skulk around the exits to the alleys. While you do that myself and Scarlet will try and flush it out, understood?”
“You got it boss!” Scarlet stood at Shining’s side while Broad Sword and Vladimir nodded and took off to do their part.
Scarlet turned to Shining, “So… things usually this exciting around here?”
Shining chuckled, “Not usually. Don’t tell Cady but… I kind of missed this.”
“Love the thrill of danger huh?” Scarlet smirked.
“You’re the EUP officer, you should know,” Shining shot back.
“True enough.”
Shining Armor’s smile fell as he took on a far more serious expression. “In all seriousness though. I want you to take it easy. No overexerting yourself, that is an order.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“You’re with child are you not? It may not be showing yet but that is no reason to be reckless about things.”
Scarlet gawped at the prince of the crystal empire. “How? How did you know that?”
“To be honest, it was Cadance. She saw the way you looked at Flurry, and how you were acting around your husband,” Shining Armor smirked. “And when she told me about it she was practically squealing like a filly in a sweet shop. She really is a sucker for all things love and relationship related.”
“I can imagine,” Scarlet deadpanned.
Shining Armor laughed, and before he could stop himself he said. “You have no idea; she had an entire secret room dedicated to matching up individuals she would love to see as couples.”
“Wait, what?”
Shining’s eyes widened in slight panic. “I really shouldn’t have told you that… oh she is going to kill me.”
Now it was Scarlet’s turn to laugh. “I promise not to tell a soul.”
Shining sighed in relief. “Thanks. Anyway, have you told Broad Sword yet?”
Scarlet grimaced. “No. I’ve been trying, I swear! It’s just… I always either get cold hooves or something interrupts!”
Shining Armor shot Scarlet a sympathetic smile. “I know what you mean. Cadance had the same problem trying to tell me. Something would always get in the way and in the end just blurted it out in the middle of court.”
Scarlet raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes, really. And she was so nervous about telling Twilight that we ended up inviting my little sister for a get-together in Ponyville and then sent her on some elaborate treasure hunt. It is a good thing Pinkie Pie can keep a secret.”
“Never a dull life in Equestria, huh?”
“Point is,” Shining continued. “Just take your time. Tell him when you are ready.”
“Or send him on some elaborate treasure hunt?” Scarlet grinned.
“Or send him on some elaborate treasure hunt,” Shining jokingly agreed. “Speaking of a hunt, we really should get moving quicker.
“Right.”
Vladimir and Broad Sword found themselves in one of the Crystal Empire’s many streets. No other ponies were about and all was quiet.
“Where did that changeling get to?” Vladimir asked to nopony in particular.
“Keep sharp,” Broad Sword said. “Stop anypony you spot looking shifty, it could disguise itself as a crystal pony.”
“Or even one of us,” Vladimir pointed out.
Broad Sword conceded his point, with a slight scowl on his face. “Don’t remind me. Stick together.”
“Understood, I suppose we better do the same with Scarlet and Shining if we see them?”
“Just to be safe.”
“Then I hope you brought the stuff,” Vladimir motioned towards a couple of pouches Broad Sword had attached to his gleaming golden armor.
Nodding, Broad Sword opened the pouch and conjured a small container of a green paste like substance.
Vladimir examined the container. “That paste is able to dispel a changeling’s disguise, right?”
“Right,” Broad Sword nodded in confirmation. “Given to us by Queen Chrysalis and the original formulae improved upon by a zebra shamaness living in the Everfree Forest. Any changeling that comes in contact with it is immediately identified as one.”
“Improved by a shamaness? Improved how?” Vladimir asked.
“Apparently before it took up to two minutes to work. Now it is instantaneous.”
“Well,” Vladimir pointed to a nearby alleyway. “Seems we will get to put it to the test.”
Two crystal pony guards came cantering out of the alley. One was a mare and the other a stallion, both spun around when they spotted the captains of both the lunar and solar guard regiments.
“Captains!” Both began to approach.
“Hold it there you two!” Broad Sword ordered. “Who are you?”
The two ponies stopped and looked at each other nervously.
The stallion spoke, “I’m Private Valiant Shield, and this is Private Crystal Strike. We were with you when the changeling fled.”
Broad Sword handed Vladimir the container with a nod. “Hold for a moment, the group split and we need to verify you’re who you say you are.”
Vladimir opened up the container and placed some of the paste onto his hoof, which he in turn then placed onto the faces of both Valiant and Crystal, much to their chagrin.”
They waited for a few moments, and when nothing happened the two crystal ponies were able to breathe a sigh of relief.
“They’re clean,” Vladimir called out to Broad Sword.
“Not anymore we’re not, that stuff smells disgusting!” Cried Crystal strike.
“Hold on,” Valiant interrupted. “What about you two, how do we know neither of you aren’t the changeling?”
Vladimir smiled. “Good catch private,” He praised the young crystal guard.
Vladimir took out more of the paste and placed an adequate bit on his own face before chucking the pot over to Broad Sword, who did the same.
Once they were all confirmed to be who they said they were, they could finally get back to business.
“What happened back there?” Broad Sword demanded to know. “Where did all of you go?”
Crystal and Valiant shared a glance. “We all got separated in the alleyways. We stuck together but I don’t know where Flash Sentry and the others ended up.”
Vladimir chuckled. “Well just to give you fair warning, Prince Armor is going to be having you do extra drills.”
“Aw crap,” Crystal muttered under her breath.
Soronis peaked gently over the edge of the alley where she was hiding. In the street just beyond four pony guards stood talking.
The changeling groaned to herself. She had been so close to getting back to her sister, she was nearly at the cellar when she stumbled right into a crystal pony who raised the alarm, and thus the chase began anew. The past couple of days had been spent diving in alley after alley with barely any sleep. She was starving too. She had stolen physical foods here and there but she absolutely refused to consume any of the love energy she was storing within her, despite what her instincts were screaming at her to do.
The energy was meant for Puellula.
And now she was trapped here, unable to return to her starving sister. At least there had been no sign the ponies had found her, which was about her only comfort at this point.
Soronis mentally weighed her options. She could go through the ponies in the street and into the other alleyway on the other side, though she couldn’t disguise herself to get past as they had that accursed green paste that could reveal changeling infiltration. She could also just try to run right past them, though that meant starting the chase all over again. And she doubted she could keep getting chased and get away forever.
Her second option was to double back into the alleys. However, there was a good chance of running into Prince Armor and the other mare that had split off from the rest and had been searching for her.
Her choices weren’t great.
But in the end she decided to go for door number two, deciding her chances at slipping by her two pursuers was still greater than the chances of escaping yet another chase with the city guards.
Luckily it turned out to be the correct choice. If she had tried option one and got past those in the street itself she would have run into Flash Sentry and two other guards coming down the very alley she was planning on slipping into, right into her own capture. On doubling back, despite a close call on an intersection she was just able to sneak past unscathed.
However, if one thing was certain it was that once again Soronis would be unable to head back to the cellar. And that Puellula would still be alone.
Fire.
Screaming.
That was all the young nymph could see and hear as her mother and older sister ushered her through the destroyed hallways of their hive. The hive mind was silent, dead along with their queen as she fell right before their very eyes. Now they ran.
Puellula didn’t know where.
She didn’t really understand why.
But they had to run.
Changelings in blue and red armor tried grabbing at them, only for her mother to lash out in desperation, stunning the changelings and allowing them a few seconds to continue running.
The exit was in sight. And they were the only three to make it there.
But it was not alright, as those changelings in red and blue were just behind them.
Puellula saw her mother and sister speak briefly. Soronis seemed distressed, tears fell down both their faces.
Puellula’s mother picked up a weapon from a fallen changeling nearby.
“I love you,” She uttered as she turned to bravely face their pursuers.
“Mama no!” Puellula screamed as Soronis levitated her up and flung her onto her back.
The clash of steel could be heard along with spellfire as Soronis ran out of the hive’s exit and into the open day on the surface.
Soronis ran until her legs finally gave way, Puellula tumbling from her back and onto the grassy surface below.
And they were alone.
…
Puellula wakened with a scream, tears flowing out of her glowing blue eyes as she looked around desperately for her mother.
Only to see a decrepit old wine cellar.
Her thoughts remained on her family. She missed her mother and her father terribly.
‘I even miss my brother. He was kinda mean, but I loved him. He was always there to protect me.’
Her stomach grumbled violently, and she weakly reached over to grab a few stale biscuits from a packet. She sniffled when she saw that she was almost out. That, combined with the near depleted love energy within her and the lack of a hive mind connection, was becoming unbearable. She knew she would have to leave soon, even if Soronis had asked her not to.
She began to cry. Soft sobs echoed throughout the cellar, and yet they went unheard.
She wanted her sister.
Where was she?