//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 // Story: Crown of Winter // by CartoonNerd12 //------------------------------// Apple Jewel looked out the window and then back to see her aunt sleeping on the cot. She wondered if there was some way to convince her to come with them when they would go to meet their cousins. Of course, it was unsure where they were now, so she couldn't send a message to them saying they found Rainbow Dash and a mirror shard. The cousins in the Canterlot throne room had their mothers, aunts -including Sunset Shimmer, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo - and grandmother gathered around to show the mirror shards. Snow Pea and LB were thrilled when they saw their mother again, if not surprised by what she was. Sweetie Belle and her friends were equally shocked to find out they were supposed to be adopted into the royal family and have children of their own. The royal sisters were just as shocked to find their long-lost sister and were happy. Things were coming together for them. Celestia had seen the life before her was not what was supposed to be. Her grandchildren were their only hope of ever restoring the proper timeline so she could have her husband, her daughters, and her whole family together again. The only daughter who was missing was Rainbow Dash… She sighed. She had no idea where her tough daughter could be. Screw Ball said to her cousins. "Guys, we should try to reach out to the others to see if they found any mirror shards yet." "But how?" Star questioned. Screwy closed her eyes in concentration. It was going to be difficult for her, but she knew how important it was for her to locate her cousins. Her powers gave her super sight that flew out of Canterlot to Pony-Ville, where by luck she spotted Apple Butter and the twins going into Town Hall. Then she zoomed her vision across Equestria until it stopped in Fillydelphia and into Dragon Town, where she found Apple Jewel looking out a window. She knew Dignity and Cotton had to be close by to her. She felt exhausted as she opened her eyes. "The twins and Apple Butter are in Pony-Ville and Apple Jewel is in Dragon Town." She panted before she felt faint and started falling over. Moth Ball quickly moved in to catch her. Fluttershy questioned in concern, "What happened?!" Star answered, "It's her powers. Uncle Discord is far more powerful than her, so she is only able to do some of his powers, but sometimes the bigger stuff requires a lot of her energy…" She turned to the changeling still holding her cousin, "Moth Ball, can you please take her to her room to rest?" He nodded in determination, "I will." He buzzed out while carrying her. Applejack said, "It's still hard to believe that everything here is all wrong…" Apple Bloom said, "I just can't believe we ended up being princesses!" Sweetie Belle pointed, "Or me marrying a king!" LB gestured, "Technically, Daddy was still a prince when you married him." Pinkie held her head and rubbed it, "This time-travel stuff is giving me one big headache!" The rest of her sisters agreed. Apple Butter and the twins were in an office and stopped in front of a desk, where a revolving chair was facing away from them. Apple Butter cleared her throat, "Excuse me. Are you the assistant mayor?" Pip turned around, wearing a business suit, "Yes, I am." AB's eyes watered at the sight of her father, but then she kept a straight face. "We're writing a report for the newspaper and we would like to ask you a couple of questions." "Very well, but you'll only have fifteen minutes. I have a meeting to attend." Skater asked, "First off, how did you become the assistant mayor?" "It happened a long time ago. I was trying to raise money for my aunt's inn and I managed to land a job as an office boy at Town Hall. Over the years, I kept getting promoted until I became assistant mayor as of last year." "So you never went to Canterlot Castle to become a personal escort?" Roller questioned. "Why would you ask that? I don't recall a job offered at Canterlot Castle for personal escorts." Apple Butter muttered, "Which means you never got to meet Mom…" Then she asked, "Are you married?" "Nope. I never found the right pony to marry." That was a bit of a relief for Apple Butter. Of course, now she was worried about where her mother was. She took a deep breath and addressed him, "What if we were to tell you that you supposed to marry a princess by becoming her personal escort?" The twins looked at her in confusion as to why she would reveal their secret. Pip looked on in confusion, too. "I'm not sure how this has to do with a newspaper interview…" "We're not working for any paper. We just said that so we could see you…Dad." "Dad?" "See this spot on my eye? Doesn't it look familiar?" He squinted his eyes until they widened and he quickly checked a nearby mirror. Sure enough, the spots were nearly identical! He turned back to them. "Who are you?" "Brace yourself. It's a long story." said Skater. "One second." he quickly called for his secretary to cancel the rest of his appointments for the day and then he turned his attention to the three ponies. Shining Armor and Twilight were walking down the hallway together as he voiced his concerns. "Twilight, are you sure we can trust the changeling? He could actually be a spy trying to get on our good side and then when we least expect it, he'll have the entire changeling army attack us!" "I know, but this timeline is different and I must put my trust in the ponies that are my children." "That's another thing. How do we know those ponies are true?" "I suggest you go talk to them. They know so much about us that they have to be from another time." "Alright. I will. But only to prove they're lying." Moth Ball watched Screw Ball rest in the bed. She looked so peaceful, but he knew better when she was awake. She was anything but peaceful. But he didn't care. He ended up stroking her curly locks as he smiled until that smile went away when he felt a cold shiver down his spine. He remembered having that shiver a long time ago. He would always have it whenever his mother was around. No… not here… Anywhere but here… He looked down at Screwy and knew he had to keep her away from his mother. He whispered, "I'll be back…" He kissed her cheek and gave a final glance before he flew out the window. He went to the edges of Canterlot and could sense his mother nearby. He went to the waterfall next to Canterlot and went behind it. There was a cave and he went deep into it. It was dark and spooky, but he pressed forward until he felt his hooves getting stuck in something sticky. Then, he heard buzzing all around him and bright green lights landed on him. The changeling army had their horns lighting the cave as the queen of them stepped forward. "Well… this is a pleasant surprise… Here I was setting a trap for Queen Celestia, and lo, I catch a prince!" "Hello… Mother…" Mothy said wearily. He tried to free himself from the goo beneath his feet, but when he couldn't, the queen blasted it away. "Thanks…" "Why so down, Moth Ball? Aren't you glad to see your dear mother?" she said in sickly sweet tone. "Depends… Are you glad to see me?" "But of course I am! Do you know how anxious I have been for your return?!" "Really?" he was genuinely surprised. "Yes! You are my heir! The future king of the Changelings! When you didn't return from your first hunt, I assumed you got caught by the ponies and was locked away somewhere! Without you, who will take over when I am gone?!" He sighed, Still the same mother I always had… Seeing me as a commodity and not the son she gave birth to… "But your return couldn't be more perfect. Already, I feel the spirits of the ponies lifting, which means their love will grow and once they do… we will drain them and rule over Equestria!" She gave out a cackle. "Seriously?! I disappear for fifteen years and you don't even ask me what I have been up to since then?!" "You mean to say you haven't been captured and now have escaped? If that was so, then why didn't you return to complete your training?" She slit her eyes. "I've been in hiding." he gave out that one detail, not daring to tell his mother about not being able to drain Zecora's love. "It was too risky for me to return." "And yet it was just as risky to live among the ponies." "I wasn't living with the ponies. I stayed hidden in the Everfree Forest. As you know, no pony would dare go in there." "Hm. That is true… Very clever, my son." "So, this is what you been up to? Planning to take over Equestria?" "It has always been my plan to take over! Have I taught you nothing?!" Her commanding officer came up to her, "You mustn't be so hard on yourself, Your Majesty. You're an excellent teacher. It's not your fault your son learned nothing." Moth Ball glared at the officer, "I learned plenty. And in case you have forgotten, I am the prince. And I demand respect." Chrysalis gave a sickly sweet smile, "Well said, my son… And that's why you are destined to be king." "But as king, it'll be hard for me for produce more of the species." "Not if you had a queen…" "Oh, no…" "Oh, yes. You are now of age, Moth Ball. It's time for you to take a wife." "You never married…" "I'm an exception. I didn't need to worry about settling since I was able to provide for the Hive already. You however, must have a queen." "Can I pick her for myself?" "You can… There are hundreds of eligible females in our swarm. Pick any one you like." "But… does it have to be a Changeling? Can't it be…" he cringed, knowing he was about to ask a big thing, "…a pony?" The queen and the changelings blinked for a bit before bursting out in laughter. "Moth Ball, what a foolish thing to say!" she exclaimed. "I'm serious! I know royal changelings are made by another creature, so why can't I have a mare for a queen?" "Because… that pony would have to be turned into a changeling!" "What?!" he gasped. "Changelings can only produce changelings. No other species can do it! That's the way it is, son." "But if I love someone…" "'Love'? What do you know of love? We need it to survive! We feast on our victims' emotions! Granted, there hasn't been much of that since Celestia cleverly put her daughters in arranged marriages, so I had to think of a contingency plan. Over the years, Celestia has caused despair for her ponies, leaving us to starve! But now… hope has risen… and once that hope has increased greatly, we shall strike! And Equestria will be ours!" There was buzzing around her. She faced her son, "Why would you say you would love someone? You cannot love. Changelings have never loved. We feed on love, but we have never once felt it!" He muttered under his breath, "Obviously…" Then he said, "Is that why we don't have hearts? So we can't feel the love?" "Of course that's the reason!" "But say… one of us did have one… then… could we?" "Perhaps… if it was possible… but since it's not… Besides, I'm glad we don't have them. The important thing right now is to wait when the ponies are feeling their happiest. Then… we take Canterlot!" This is not good… if Mother tries to take Canterlot now… then Screw Ball and her cousins can't find the other shards and… He shook his head. He knew he had to prolong his mother's quest for power as much as he could. But how? "Moth Ball, I will need your help knowing what the ponies are up to. You have managed to live near them, so you should be able to spy on them and find out what is making their hopes rise." Moth Ball didn't like the idea of spying, but if he could warn Screwy and the others about the pending attack, then maybe they could stop his mother before it was too late! "Very well, Mother." Then he left the cave. However, the queen knew better than to trust her wayward son and turned to her commander, "Follow him. Make sure he follows through…" "Yes, my queen." he saluted and went out.