The Chimera

by Scarheart

Chimera 9: The Art of Meddling

My Dear Son,

Yesterday I, your glorious and beautiful mother did score for herself and her allies a magnificent victory against Queen Alzaera. You remember my stories about her when I was a filly, don't you? Well, she proved to be as cunning and resourceful as I thought she would be, but what changeling is a match for me? Hmm?

As much as I would love to declare this a victory (and I assure you, it is the first significant win for the good guys), it will be but a brief respite as now our enemies are aware I am again roaming about the world. No doubt there is a great gnashing of teeth and punishments abound. I grow giddy at even the mere thought I have ruined some poor sod's day.

Your changelings fought well. You should be proud of them. They have been remarkable and irreplaceable assets under my command. I will be needing them a bit longer.

Celestia's indifference with her own government has a name. It is Battlesinger. One lurks within the walls. I shall seek this dragon out. I have a few ideas I wish to try, but right now I have eyes and ears searching for confirmation to my suspicions. I fear Celestia's magic will be needed and soon.

As to the notes regarding this strange book you found in Flamespyre's former lair, there is nothing as of yet from Celestia's expansive library. However, there are many other books still to go through. An army of sharp eyes seek the forgotten shelves of Canterlot's knowledge. You will be surprised to know this is one thing that has not affected Celestia's curiosity for ancient knowledge. She has sequestered herself in her quarters with volume upon volume of old works coming in and out. I get with her when I can and we compare notes. The similarities between her symptoms and what mine had been are eerie. There can be no coincidence.

Oblivion is something from our legends, my little morsel. It is the name of a great spell Flamespyre attempted to create to feed upon the emotions of the world. Changelings were to have brought these feelings and magic to this Oblivion as sacrifices. This is all we have been able to discover at this point.

Currently there is a sense of victory as the news of the battle has swept like wildfire. We know it is but a breather, but it was also one we needed badly. Hopefully it will buy me time to figure out how to break this spell our resident Battlesinger has upon the world's 'most beloved' princess.

May my love sustain you through all the miles.

Your Loving Mother

Chrysalis

Silent Wing read the letter over several more times on the observation deck on board the Aurora. Spike had just delivered the letter courtesy of Princess Celestia. The letter was a mix of good and bad news. It was nearing sunset, the nose of the airship aimed at the point where Celestia's charge touched the horizon. Luna would be up soon to raise her namesake. This was the one responsibility she held to every day still even though she was no longer home. She might be interested in this letter. The prince held it up for a moment, then rolled and tucked his mother's letter under his wing. He noted the clouds building up. It would rain tonight.

Next to his hooves on the deck was the wooden case containing one of the ship's spare sextant Gilda had lent the prince as he prepared to study the stars and plotting the ship's course through charting. Next to that was his personal log beneath a smaller notebook. A quill pen rested on small wooden holder with a glass inkwell. Already the first stars of the evening were beginning to twinkle in the gleam of on setting twilight.

Behind him, four ponies were busy swabbing the deck. They had been discovered as stowaways just a few days ago. Even now Applejack supervised their labor with scrub brushes and buckets of soapy water. Lightning Dash, Red Apple, Green Apple, and Unique had been found out while attempting to raid the ship's kitchen two nights ago. The adults had all been upset, of course. Captain Gilda was incensed at having young ponies sneaking on board her ship. The fact they were all minors had her banging her head against the palm of her open talon. Currently one of the crew was supervising the group with a half-hearted glower.

The phrase, "Why me?" became her mantra for a good minute. Finally, she had decided to let the respective parents handle their offspring in their own way, declaring they would work just like the rest of the crew the remainder of the voyage. By now, they were far out over the ocean and deep into unknown waters. Luna declared it was too late to turn back.

Nopony was going to argue with the Princess of the Moon. She had the final say as she was leading the expedition.

Half a month had gone by since then. The newly impressed crew members did their chores, resigned to their punishment. They felt bad for sneaking on board, wanting to be a part of whatever adventure was to come. Silent suspected they felt bad for getting caught, but their stomachs had betrayed them. Instead they found work, more work, and even more work after that. Every waking moment they were doing something. Captain Gilda decided - after discussing over dinner with their parents - to educate the youngsters in how to maintain an airship. They were engaged in day-to-day operations of the ship, cleaning schedules, maintenance schedules, duty rosters, weather reading, mapping, and kitchen duties. Like most ponies, the four took to their duties with interest. Eventually the chores became a daily tedium and they had yet to see any adventuring at all. This freed up time for others to train.

The routine on board the ship for Silent Wing was simple; in the morning he would get up from his bunk, have breakfast with his changelings and begin morning workouts. Then he would go about the ship and see where he was needed, helping out. Then it was lunch. After eating, he would spend time with the captain and learn how to pilot an airship. This meant some evenings on the observation deck with the sextant and learning about how to navigate by the stars. Luna would add her own observations as she herself studied the colt with curiosity and a slowly growing sense of frustration as she tried to figure out what triggered his sudden loss of confidence around mares such as herself. He was fine one minute, then would change and become a stuttering foal.

She was becoming more determined to figure him out despite those frustrations. It was clear he liked her, still uncomfortable. The distance from home did not prevent her from shirking her duties. The dark Alicorn still raised the moon and guarded over the dreams of the sleeping ponies. Distance meant nothing in the Dreamscape. She once made a comment to Silent Wing one morning on how strange changeling dreams were, adding she was pleased to see he had been dreaming of her. The colt blushed furiously and mimed Fluttershy perfectly the duration of breakfast. If his mane was long enough, surely he would have hidden himself behind it!

Perhaps the Queen's little proclamation at the farewell dinner had something to do with the renewed shyness, she surmised. Luna had that supposition spot on. Silent Wing was now a nervous wreck because he felt his mother expected him to have a working relationship by the time he returned. He was putting too much pressure on himself. Was Chrysalis also expecting Luna to be with foal when this journey was over and done with? The colt was putting an impressive display of overreacting even Twilight would give pause to note. As perplexing as this had become, Luna also saw the merits of humor within the folds of this irrational behavior.

They followed a line marked by the magical map in Silent Wing's possession, stopping at the few islands they came across appearing to have at least fresh water to top off their tanks. The enchantment on the ship to make her travel faster had worn off long ago, requiring a daily charging by several powerful casters with a specialized acceleration spell. It was not available when the book containing the spell mysteriously disappeared. Now the Aurora simply moved by conventional means, her engines managing with a strong tailwind to push her along at almost seventy miles per hour.

Silent paused from his musings to glance again over his shoulder at Lightning Dash and his other new friends he had made shortly after arriving in Canterlot. It was nice being around others near his age who did not judge him immediately by his appearance. If anything, Silent Wing would look just like them if not for his fangs and two changeling legs. He had offered to help them numerous times with their punishment detail, but he had been politely but firmly rebuffed, especially by Applejack. He wanted to help, but the others seemed sullenly resigned to finishing out their punishment.

The prince sighed, feeling bad for them. His wandering thoughts switched to his own guard, his warriors. Frakas was currently leading the other changelings on reconnaissance patrols. They were in groups of two, flying overlapping oval patterns linking each other in a mile radius around the ship. They would not be back for several hours as they were also using the opportunity to get their long distance wings. Flying in unknown territory had every pony a little bit leaning towards the nervous side.

Then there was that dark book found in Flamespyre's abandoned lair. Two days after leaving Canterlot, the ship arrived at the marked spot on Silent's wondrous magical map. It was a large plateau in the middle of a mountain range. It was all wilderness, on the border of Equestria and not far from the border with the Dread Wastes and the Emerald Kingdom. They were very close to the front. They had trouble finding the entrance and spent several fruitless hours searching.

Then Pinkie Pie, who had somehow learned a little chant only dragons knew sang a little poem and a cave appeared before the group. When asked about it, she simply grinned and said her second best dragon friend had taught her the song in thanks for showing him how to pretend to be a rooster. Within they found an empty cave, with signs of it once being a dragon's lair. Silent Wing heard a strange song in his head and followed it to its source. He came across a book with two arcane words scrawled across it. It was very old. Yet the colt understood it. Several dead forms lay around it, burnt and charred from the wards guarding it.

The words upon it were roughly scrawled 'For Oblivion'.

Silent believed his immunity to magic was intended for him to reach through the wards and to the chagrin of his companions, he did just that. Upon taking it in his hooves, the image of Flamespyre appeared, a magic spell left there to be activated upon the touch of Silent's hoof upon the book. Luna had been very much put out with him over his rash disregard for the dangers of magic. Luckily his hunch had proven him right and the wards did nothing to him.

The illusion spoke a single sentence, "Come to Kahsoon, my son." Then it was gone, along with the ward guarding the book.

For some reason, only Silent could make out the words in the book, but only a few. The pages swirled and changed, the letters dancing like spiders if he tried read it. It was as though the book was only allowing him to see certain phrases and carefully selected words. He tried to show Luna the words, but she could not make them out and suggested he write down the ones he could make out. Magic was structured carefully in this book, she believed to prevent unwanted eyes from deciphering its secrets.

So far, he had one sentence. It confused him. It lay on the first page of his notebook, still closed as his golden gaze settled upon it.

One must die to complete the other or it cannot come to pass.

It was opened again, unbidden by his desire to understand what he could not. His hoof held the thin book open. Silent did not recall pulling it towards him and flipping the cover over. He realized his handwriting was rather sloppy and uncharacteristically so. The colt still had issues writing with his mouth. His fangs tended to get in the way. Still, this was unusual even for him to have mouth writing like a foal's.

His headaches had returned, like when he was having the nightmares. Since leaving Equestria, they had returned. It had been hard to concentrate lately, his mind drifting off to Creator knows where. The colt was remembering them now, these dreams. A different dragon was in his them now, one vaguely familiar and equally as frightening as his father if not more so. This one was black as the shadows and had golden eyes. It said nothing to him, but stood upon a mountain of bones with tattered banners flapping on the winds of death. Great wings like a death shroud hung loosely about his body, swathed in magic similar to what the Alicorns Celestia and Luna had with their manes and tails. It uttered nothing, save for one word he could not make out quite yet just before waking up.

The dragon was... waiting for him?

Somepony nudged him gently. Startled, Silent Wing snapped his muzzle to his left and found Luna looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"Thy thoughts are adrift," she said gently, taking a seat next to him. Luna maintained a bit of space between their shoulders, preserving some of his personal space. She had learned there was a certain distance she could draw to before he started acting jumpy. His right side seemed to be his 'secure' side. Silent Wing was strange when it came to this. For some reason, she felt archaic speech put the colt more at ease around her. "What troubles thee, my friend?"

Silent shook his head and offered a weak smile. "I've got a lot on my mind, Luna. I'm sorry, what were you saying before?"

"I asked thee if thou art well," she replied with a upturned twist in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes flickered to his wing, noting a feather out of place. Then another. And another. Luna frowned. "Thy grooming needs attending, young prince. Whence didst thou last preen thy wings?"

Silent glanced down at himself. "I forgot to," he said lamely. With his research and additional duties he placed upon himself, he had started to neglect his own appearance. Flight had been the last thing from his mind. The prince wanted to fly, but he felt his own responsibilities weighed him down.

Luna sighed. "Present unto me thy wing, Prince Silent Wing," she commanded, holding out a hoof.

He flipped his wing out and wrapped it around his chest, hugging it protectively with both hooves. "I'm not used to others touching my wings," he said nervously. There was a squeak as Luna leaned forward.

Silent Wing really did not have anypony helping him learn how to take care of his wings while growing up. He had to figure it out on his own since no other changeling had feathers. The last time anypony had touched them was at the military academy when three bullies tried to bully the smaller prince. They tried to pluck his primary feathers out, sending Silent Wing into a furious rage. A tremendous battle of epic proportions erupted in the middle of the hallway, disrupting classes and sending students pouring out to see the fight. No winner was determined as the headmaster separated the combatants, but Silent Wing inadvertently kicked the bigger stallion in the shin trying to get one last shot at one of his antagonists. Mother had been amused at the incident, only asking if he had won the fight that very night.

"Oh, bother!" Luna reached over and gently grasped his wing with a hoof. "You are going to take a break from your work and relax this evening! You are as bad as Twilight in your work." She had dropped her archaic tongue and focused solely on the wing now in her grasp. Starting with the outer primaries, she set her teeth to the first feather and gently began cleaning.

Silent could only squeak again.

---

Later that evening, five ponies and a dragon were gathered together in the converted parlor now serving as the main ship's galley. Soon another nightly meeting would begin to discuss the day and go over a few things. Before the official business would begin, the friends already there discussed family and social issues they were currently interested in. The theme had already been decided. Gathering together like a pack of conspiring diamond dogs, the friends had serious business on their agenda that night requiring their utmost attention. The subject of the evening's discussion was a certain adopted child of a certain changeling queen recently given permission to court a certain princess of the moon. The problem? Nothing was happening. At all.

Before them lay the remnants of a chocolate cake, baked by Pinkie Pie earlier for just this occasion. One slice was slowly working its way before the pink pony as her friends appeared indifferent to the slow pilfering.

"All right, girls," Applejack said at the table where her friends were now gathered. "Ah'm normally not the sort of gal who'll stick a hoof in somepony's business but that Silent Wing is drivin' me plum loco with his shyness."

"I think it'...cute," said Fluttershy quietly, offering a small smile. She was sipping on a glass of mulberry wine, her little cheeks already rosey. Nestled in the corner between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, she was blissfully buzzed.

"He's a good kid," added Rainbow Dash, already on her third mug of hard cider. "He's adorkable. Any of you girls notice that squeak of his?" She grinned into her mug as she took another pull. Heads generally bobbed in agreement with her noticing The Squeak.

"Dashie, dear," Rarity piped up, smiling as she sipped her own glass of wine. "Since when is 'adorkable' a word?" She tossed her mane, idly reaching over to scratch Spike behind one of his ears. He responded by grinning like an idiot. The Unicorn was currently using him as her personal couch. He'd grown large enough to comfortably accommodate the fashionista, his cool scales perfect in the summer and his body heat more than adequate for the winter nights. "I would think the application of such a word would not apply to a prince."

"Blueblood," reminded Applejack openly with a grin.

"Oh, such a harsh thing to do to poor Silent Wing, comparing him to that cretin!" Rarity waved off the mention of the Unicorn prince's name. The last time she checked, the nephew of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna was still painfully single. For some reason, it made her smile just to think about it. "For one thing," she purred, snuggling into Spike, "he has manners, is very polite. Though he does have a rather wild streak to him."

"His technique is sloppy," blurted Pinkie Pie at the receiving end of a large slice of cake. "Leaves himself wide open. He needs to close his stance and stay lower to the ground. His balance is way, way, waaaaay off. One mean punch and his kicks are solid. He can't block to save his life. I think I may have to have words with that blind bird teaching him. Though Tseng Tzu is a really, really, really neat griffin, I'm sure he can't see the technique needs refining. I mean, that form of griffin-do jujitsu is soooooo outdated. And yes, I love Silent Wing's squeak." She opened her mouth wide and shoved the slice into her awaiting maw.

Rainbow blinked at Pinkie, covering her face with a hoof. "How do you know that stuff, Pinkie? I've never even seen you even practice any martial arts. You're not an assassin pony! You're a party pony!"

Slightly offended, the pink pony sat up, placing a hoof on her chest. "I'll have you know I do exercises every morning to prepare for a long day of planning parties, going to parties, setting up parties and making ponies happy. Do you think I just wake up and get limbered up straight into doing those things? Nope, nope! I practice the arts to loosen up and get ready for my day! It's great exercise and gives me energy. I did a lot - and I mean a LOT - of research into the right martial art to practice for maximum cardiovascular endurance and griffin-do jujitsu was perfect for somepony as active as I am. And you know parties have to be made. They don't just happen!" She grinned, her lips covered with chocolate crumbs and icing. "Besides, when you got kids, you gotta be in shape! Yep, yep! If you're not in shape, your kids will make drag you down like a pride of lions on a wildebeest. And that's no fun! Especially when there's a bunch of cameras filming you for a documentary and you have to get your part down just right and just perfect or they gotta wait for days or even weeks for the next perfect hunt and even then all sorts of other things can go wrong!"

The room went silent as all eyes stared at the random pink party pony.

"What?" she demanded, returning their stares.

"I believe it," muttered Spike, rolling his eyes as he smirked. "Trust Pinkie to find something utterly random to surprise ponies with."

"Stay on topic, girls," Applejack thumped the top of the table with a hoof, making her own mug of cider bounce a couple of times. "What are we goin' to do about Silent Wing? We'll start out by our own personal observations of this colt. Let's be honest, we don't know him all that well but we like him. Luna's also taken a shine to him and he's done the same to her, even if he ain't noticed it yet. Agreed?"

All but two bobbed in agreement. Spike was shaking his head, mouthing his preferred phrase when something ill advised was being planned.

Fluttershy placed both her hooves on the table and leaned forward wearing a mask of concern. "Um, I don't think I like where this is going. We should let things happen naturally and in their due time. If you don't mind me saying."

"Yeah," Rainbow grunted as she rolled her eyes. "Naturally slow. If we let nature take its course, then nothing is going to happen. The kid's too timid! I don't know how he got to be like that, but I'd probably be like him too if my mom was Chrysalis. How can you get confidence around females when your mom is her?"

"Interesting point," Rarity said as she narrowed her brilliant blue eyes and contemplated her wine. "If his mother is indeed the cause of his shyness, then how do we pull out the stallion within him for Luna's benefit?"

"Chrysalis is intimidatin', that's fer sure," Applejack added, adjusting her hat as she scrunched her nose. "Ah'm goin' to make a proposal of attackin' the problem aggressively, but honestly. I think we should - whatever we plan to do - be forward and up front about it to the boy. If we tell him what we're tryin' ta do for him, it might get him to relax."

"Too much alcohol," muttered Spike under his breath. A sober Applejack would never suggest such a thing and mind her own business, he believed.

"What was that, Spikey Wikey?" Rarity asked him archly.

"Nothing."

"This isn't just about the kid," Dash slammed her now empty mug on the table. "This is about finding Luna that special pony every good mare deserves! We don't know if Silent Wing has what it takes to make her happy, but I think as friends of the princess, it is our duty to find out personally if he's got what it takes to make her a happy mare. We'll have to explore everything about him. His personality, his strengths, his weaknesses, what he likes, what he hates. That sort of mushy stuff I don't have interest in!" Her grin suggested otherwise. "Besides, Luna's been a good friend to us and we need to make sure Silent Wing isn't some sort of spy working for Chrysalis."

Everyone at the table deadpanned at her last statement, knowing she was only half meaning it. There was something about the kid that made him likable. His little battle against the Diamond Dogs had endeared him even just a little in their hearts and the tale of his dash to get to his stricken mother's side against the odds (even if they were only weekend guard ponies) had stirred tinges of affection in his direction. This was the sort of thing ladies read in romance novels, causing hearts to flutter and breaths to sigh wistfully. All their hero needed was a mare to fight for. Luna had been selected and the girls had naturally bought into the idea. Nothing wrong could come of this! It was as if it had been ordained. Why, Princess Celestia herself had consented to the relationship.

Signed, sealed, just needed to be delivered!

"Really?" Pinkie Pie looked at her wide-eyed and innocent. Those blue eyes narrowed as she grinned at her chromatic maned friend. "I've seen the way you look at his wings. You want to race him!"

"He's a bit on the small side," shrugged the pale blue mare indifferently. She nearly sobered herself as she followed it with, "But you girls haven't seen his muscle structure on those wings. The tone is better than anything I've seen!" Rainbow Dash was nearly drooling at the mere thought of flying with the colt. She loved competitions and winning them.

"Dashie," said Applejack sternly. It was a poor attempt at being serious. "Don't you be goin' cougar on us now. He's just a little older than your own colt. Half your age. You'd best be keepin' that in mind." She had always been bad acting out something she didn't feel.

"What are you implying?" demanded the blue mare. "That I'd go chasing a kid for casual bucking? I'd never do something like that, AJ." She glared at her friend, the corner of her mouth twitching at a smile.

"Your blushin' face suggests you were thinkin' it," the plump Earth pony teased.

"Um, really Luna is handling it fine." Fluttershy leaned back, her eyes darting between her friends as she shrank into her corner. "And Dash wouldn't do anything to upset Luna. I don't think she would. I think that would be bad if she did. Very bad." She shrank further back into her corner, her eyes darting back and forth apprehensively.

As Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared each other down and argued the merits of openly ogling young colts and being a bit more respectful than that, Spike was pondering something else.

"You know, he's got dragon in him, if I remember reading that correctly," he said to Rarity, whose eyes darted between her verbally sparring friends as if she was following a pinpoint of light without moving her face.

"I beg your pardon, dear?" she shook her head and snuggled again. "You were saying?"

"If he's got dragon in him, do you suppose he can breathe fire?"

Pinkie had leaned over to hear the dragon. Her eyes went round. "Do you really think he can do that? A fire breathing pony?" She stood up straight in her chair, contemplating the ramifications of this possibility, should it be true. "Oh, he'd be great at parties!"

Oddly, her happiness died right there as if she was seeing a vision appear right in front of her eyes.

"Oh, no, I suppose it wouldn't go the way I'd expect it to. Nevermind. Super-duper bad idea." She plopped back down, her face suddenly pale as if she had seen a ghost. Her poofy pink hair went flat. Rocking back an forth while hugging her legs to her. "Really bad. Definitely bad. Super not fun bad."

All talking ceased as every eye at the table was drawn to this very strange and disturbing display. Worred expressions were exchanged until Spike's tail lifted up and tapped the wigging pink pony cautiously on the shoulder. "Um, Pinkie?" he asked as he instinctively clutched Rarity protectively. "Are you all right?"

Her eyes had gone to pinpoints now, going askew of each other. "Cupcakes," she giggled with a touch of insanity in her laugh. Then she shook her head, hair poofing back up to normal. "Sorry everypony!" she chirped gleefully. "Must have zoned out right there. I just remembered I made cupcakes for everyone, too! Be right back." With that, she hopped to her hooves and bounced towards the kitchen, humming her famous smile song.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head as she and the rest of her friends stared after the daparting pony. "I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but for some reason I really want to change the subject now."

None of the girls or the dragon objected to that.

"Ah'm fine with that," agreed AJ with a cough. Just then her husband trotted in from the hall and made a beeline for her once his eyes spied her out. She saw him coming and scooted over, patting a spot next to her. "We'll discuss it later. For now, let's just put it on the back burner."

Blazing Cruise needed no invitation as he greeted the girls and Spike for the old friends they were. They had fifteen years to figure out the old Pegasus was a very solid and sensible pony with a twisted sense of humor when it could be coaxed out of him. The old military veteran's first meeting with Applejack had been during the unnatural hurricane fifteen years ago when he had cast his wing over her in the driving rain and howling winds.

He was firm and gentle with his children and fair. It was hard for him to show them affection, but he found other ways to show his appreciation for what he had. Applejack was very good to him and he did his best with who he was to return the love she gave him. Over the years, the two had become the typical vision of a country couple; hardworking and loving life together through good times and bad. Applejack's plumpness from bearing four children had done nothing to change how the military veteran saw her. When they were together, those who did not know they were husband and wife might have confused them for father and daughter at first glance.

Cruise joined his wife, grinning at his friends until his eyes settled on Rarity and Spike. "You two need to just get married and be done with it," he said.

"All good things," Rarity answered, batting her eyes at him. "Besides, Spike makes a fine couch."

Spike blushed and cleared his throat. "Yeah, we're working on that. And I am a comfortable couch."

"Is Gilda coming to join us?" Rainbow Dash asked hopefully.

The older stallion nodded. "She said she would."

Unexpectedly, Spike asked a question no doubt in the back of every pony's mind. "I wonder how Twilight's doing? I mean, is she okay? Is Star Journey okay? We don't know what's happening to them right now."

"That's why we all agreed to come on this trip," Rarity reminded him. "We all want them back and home."

"We've just got to be patient, sugarcube," Applejack told him. "Ah tell myself that every morning when I wake up and remember Ah'm on this ship." Her voice was sympathetic and understanding. "We know she and Star are in a bad spot right now. Keep in mind that colt travelin' with us has a sister who's with them. He's in the same burnin' barn we are."

"I know," Spike said sullenly. "It's just that it feels like this trip is taking forever. I think about her every day and keep thinking I should have been there to protect her."

"You would have been but another victim," Luna called out firmly as she appeared at the doorway. Behind her was a freshly preened Silent Wing toting a bag fill of everything he had up on deck. He had also managed to fetch his map. "Flamespyre is nothing to be trifled with, friend Spike."

Outside it began to rain. The pitter patter of drops striking the ship could be heard throughout the length of the lighter than air hull. The room had gone eerily quiet until a certain chromatic mare chased away the silence.

"Just a squall," Rainbow announced as she studied the drops glistening off the soft glow emanating from the enchanted skin of the Aurora. "Should make for a nice sleeping weather."

Scattered throughout the ship were little electronic speakers in wooden boxes where announcements were made. It was normally done from the communications room. In this case, the announcement almost echoed the former weather pony's assessment of the weather. The speaker's voice was tinny through the system, sounding almost bored.

Room was made for the newcomers. Another table was scooted a short distance and joined with the current one. Silent began pulling his map out and rolling it on the table. "Hey guys," he greeted them as he did so. "Are we missing somepony?"

"That old blind griffin and Gilda," said Rainbow Dash. "Why don't you head on up to the bridge and get them, kiddo?"

The changeling prince nodded with a smile. "I'll be back with them soon." He turned and trotted out. Before exiting, he paused and asked, "What about Lightning Dash, Red, Green, and Unique?" Hope was on his features.

"Still on punishment and confined to their rooms," answered Applejack firmly.

Crestfallen, the colt sighed and went to fetch the griffins.

Inquiring eyes followed him out, leaving Luna, Spike, and Blazing Cruise staring at them in puzzlement. Spike knew what was going on and covered his face with a paw.

"This will not end well," he muttered to himself.

By now Pinkie Pie returned, bouncing along as she carried a tray of cupcakes in her mouth. The pink pony set it carefully on the table, just as Luna deftly snatched the map out before the tray was set on top of it.

The same inquiring eyes suddenly rested upon the dark blue Alicorn princess. She was completely oblivious as she had in her magic grasp Silent's letter from his mother. "I have new which might please you all," she announced with a smile. "Our armies have earned their first victory of the war."

The small group cheered and leaned forward as she waved the letter in the air before them.

"Our forces were led by none other than," - Luna paused for effect - "Queen Chrysalis herself!" She was rewarded by gasps of disbelief.

"No bucking way," rasped Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were as wide as everypony else. "Why would she do that? I mean, she's Chrysalis!"

Fluttershy leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I think it's because she's fighting for her daughter. Don't mind me."

Rainbow Dash tried to find fault with the statement. "Oh," she said, a bit abashed. "Well, good for us!"

Luna then spent the next several minutes going over the details of the battle from the report her sister Celestia had sent her. She avoided making any mention of her sister's strange enchantment, having forced herself to allow the queen to deal with this problem. An internal disaster in Canterlot had to be avoided at all costs. The only pony powerful enough to deal with it was Silent Wing's mother. It was extremely difficult for the Alicorn to put faith in an old enemy. But she trusted her sister's letter.

The news called for a fresh round of drinks.

"So," Dash was smiling at Luna. "How would you say things are going between you and Silent Wing?"

Blazing Cruise sprayed his drink, engaged in a coughing fit. Applejack pounded on her husband's back, throwing a shocked look of amazement at her friend's audacity. "Rainbow Dash!" she breathed, her green eyes wide at the rudeness.

Unruffled, Luna looked at the chromatic maned mare. "Do you understand what a courtship means for royals, especially for changelings?" she asked as she selected a cupcake from the tray.

"Something about working towards an engagement, isn't it?" asked the blue mare.

"Yes, but it does require a lot of formality. And there are certain rules. Oh, my yes there are always rules concerning these things." Luna carefully peeled the paper from her cupcake, revealing the chocolate cake beneath it. "You see, my friends," she said, casting her eyes around the table, "The changeling royals do not understand love the way we do. They are aware of it, understand it, but have a completely different point of view. For them, it is a source of strength from which they get power to their magic. It is even a food to them, as you are all aware. They could have not a scrap of food, yet if there is a pony upon which they can consume love from, then there is no need for physical sustenance. A very curious ability, would you not agree?" She nibbled her treat, taking a bit of frosting with the first bite. "This is very good, Pinkie Pie."

"Thank you!" gushed Pinkie happily. She began passing out more cupcakes.

"As I was saying, with courtship and changelings, it's not so much as falling in love as the hopeful intention you might think," she went on, delicately licking a bit of frosting from her lip. "But it's with the intention the intended get alone with each other and don't try to kill each other in the long run. It is completely allowable in changeling culture for the female to assume the dominating role between the couple. Queen Chrysalis is a prime example of that, in case you have not noticed. Why, it is even rumored she devoured the father of her own daughter soon after conceiving the little princess."

Luna helped herself to another bite as startled gasps echoed around the room. After waiting for the din to die down, she continued, having them completely hooked. "For changelings, there is never a king. There is always a queen. Males in changeling society are almost always dominated and have always been so. By entering into a courtship with Silent Wing upon Queen Chrysalis' invitation, I can by rights kill him if he displeases me. By changeling law, I would not be held responsible for his death due to my own status as royalty. In short, this courtship is not so much in pursuit of love, but simply for compatibility."

"You mean," Applejack stammered, "you kin, if you find you don't fancy Silent Wing..." She drew her hoof across her throat and made a sound.

"Yes." Luna took another succulent bite.

Silent Wing returned with Tseng Tzu and Gilda behind him. "Found them!" he sang out.

Everypony in the room was staring at him, save for one confused captain and a blind old teacher who seemed to know exactly what had been said and discreetly slid away from the colt.

There was a sudden butter yellow blur with pale pink weaved with it. "Nooooooo!" Fluttershy cried out, suddenly engulfing Silent Wing in a massive hug after leaping over the table from her corner of seclusion.

Silent Wing could only squeak through the hug.

Luna grinned and finished her cupcake. She did so love to hear that squeak.

Author's Note:

Just to make this perfectly clear: No hearts were broken in the writing of this chapter.

I had been dying to find a way to get my head canon for this story on changeling society woven in in ways that would be entertaining and not a lecture. I hope you enjoyed it!

Comments

[FaleYur]

Oh Fluttershy,

[kyubbiman]

you are so mean. I love it. Poor poor Silent Wing

[Razzy]

I love how Chryssie's letter is basically "how're you?I'm fine, making a literal killing."

Hah ,poor Silent .