• Published 9th Apr 2014
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My Secret Life as an Evil Insect Overlord - LordBrony2040



I find myself inserted in Equestria! WOOOOHOOO-wait, oh great I’m a changeling prince(ss). So much for love and tolerance. Time for world domination!

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Chapter 7

Chapter 7: I Become A Musical Centerpiece

Now, before you start trying to crucify me for toying with Twilight’s emotions, or worse, just think to yourself that I really did fall in love with her or something, let me stop you there. On the first, I point back to how broken she would have been if I had just been honest with her from the get go. On the second…sorry to burst your bubble, but love really doesn’t work like that.

Think about this, some stupid little child deliberately does something to make you angry. Your first natural urge is to beat the shit out of them, it’s a primal response ingrained into all living creatures when a younger being challenges its elders in certain ways. But, we don’t. So how can this not work for the opposite end of the emotional spectrum as well?

Sure its harder to resist because giving into such emotions not only gives oneself pleasure, but makes the object of affection happy as well when such emotions are reciprocated and increases the amount of happiness produce since making the object of one's desire is the end goal of seeing that pony happy.

…What?

I read a book on this shit okay? I spend most of my time in a library, what do you think I’m going to read, Daring Do?

…Yes, I plan on reading Daring Do too since it’s technically historical fiction now and not a rip-off of about half a dozen other adventure series. Okay, it kind of is, but…hell, ponies have cities like Fillidelphia and Manehattan, so…why not?

Anyway…while heading back on the train to Ponyville, I managed to get an update on what else was going on in the world that I had missed. The PU (Pegasus Union) was apparently gaining a lot of support around Equestria, with several young pegasi who were just entering the workforce afraid of not getting even a temporary job, they had gone up to the Crystal Empire to protest their use of magic to control the weather. This in turn spread throughout the rest of Equestria practically overnight.

From what I could figure, the emotions didn’t spread when the changelings were the ones protesting because they weren’t really genuine. But with a few hundred more pegasi grumbling about this ‘fake tribe’ and protesting their unnatural means of controlling the weather…there was plenty of animosity brewing. And that soon spread to the rest of Equestria.

Hell, we weren’t even behind the movement that sprung up in Canterlot the day I got back to Ponyville. That came about all on its own. Should have seen it coming with how many pegasi were in the royal guard and all.

Thankfully, whatever the effect was, it hadn’t hit Ponyville yet.

No, what I found when I got there was much worse…soooooooooo much worse…


“Something wrong Flash?”

I looked up from the paper I was reading that we had snagged during the train’s last stop and shook my head at the alicorn‘s question. “No…it’s just…I didn’t think this whole Pegasus Union thing would actually catch on,” I lied. Okay, half-lied. I did think it had a chance, but I was certain that Chrysalis would have done something to mess it up by now. The problem was, she did have another plan to mess it up and it was actually a pretty good one that would cause more damage to Equestria than I wanted.

The fact I hadn’t heard from her last night did have me a little curious as to what she was doing though. Even if it isn’t a full report, we usually give the telepathic version of a hi when we connect to the hive mind. I would have looked into the mind itself to find my answer, but it had been strangely active when I had gone to sleep, and thought better of peering into its experiences.

It wasn’t as if Chrysalis was going to do anything the day after we decided to sit around and wait.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I know…I read the front page. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Well…weather is important to the pegasi, I mean…how many talents revolve around it? One in three?” I asked rhetorically. “It’s like when those brothers Applejack told me about came around with their cider machine.” Which was a boldfaced lie, I had just watched the episode. Me and AJ didn’t talk much thanks to her being Honesty and all. I didn’t want to know if she really could detect lies.

The comparison didn’t seem to sit well with Twilight. She frowned at…well, not me directly, but there was still a frown on her face. Probably because her sister-in-law was the one running the cider machine this time. “I wouldn’t say that,” she countered. “I mean…the Flim Flam brothers cider was awful.”

“Really?” I pressed her, knowing for a fact that was complete bullshit. “Applejack said they didn’t take the time to make it with care, but then she said they had enough cider for everypony in Ponyville. That means you had to have used some of the product they produced to meet the demand, so it couldn’t have been that much worse.

“All the PU is really asking is for Cadence to do the same thing for them that you did for the Apple family. Sure it would be easier, but how many centuries of tradition would it kill, not to mention livelihoods ruined. If every city in Equestria switched to non-pegasus weather control, then they’d all be out of a job and I doubt Cloudsdale would even be able to support itself since its entire economy runs on weather production.”

By the end of my speech, Twilight sat there with her mouth hanging open. Ten seconds after I stopped talking, she finally closed it. “That’s um…I really didn’t think about it like that,” she mumbled before her head drooped. It didn’t surprise me. Cadence was a genuinely good pony, so I doubt Twilight would have even bothered to entertain the other side of an argument that came up against her.

Then she raised her head and let out a small chuckle. “You really are smart, you know that? Coming up with all that just from a paper.”

No, I’ve just had five weeks to find the linchpins of Equestria and figure out how to pull at them, I thought to myself. There was a reason I choose this one in particular, it was a legitimate concern and would becoming self-sustaining if allowed to grow a few weeks. Even if Chrysalis was found out, the problem wouldn’t just go away, and I could focus on other matters. And while I hardly wanted the pony country to fall apart, being its biggest enemy meant I didn't want it at 100% either in case we did come to blows.

“Guess it’s my hidden talent,” I replied with a smirk. “Quick reaction calls for quick thinking after all.” Then my face turned serious and I cleared my throat. “But frankly, you really do need to start paying attention to these things in greater detail. I mean, if you are a princess, shouldn’t you be getting a kingdom of your own some day?”

Twilight let out a loud groan and actually managed to slump in her seat, going from doggie sitting position to Lyra style. “Please don’t remind me about that, I managed to beg off any official duties during the Princess Summit at the Crystal Empire because I need to stay connected with my friends, but now that the Elements have been put back in the Tree of Harmony…that excuse isn’t going to cut it anymore.”

The mention of the Tree of Harmony got my ears twitching. From what Twilight had said when I asked her about some box diagram in the library on the first day in Ponyville, it was apparently the source of the Elements of Harmony, and also had the sisters’ cutie marks emblazoned on its crystal trunk. It had also produced some magical box that required six keys to unlock it. I didn’t need three guesses to figure out where that was leading to.

“Well, since Rainbow Dash is trying to get into the Wonderbolts section of the military, you can always have her transferred to your personal guard, and since you’ll probably be getting a castle of your own in the near future, you’ll need your own seamstress, pastry chef, a pegasus to manage your menagerie…I’m sure you could find a reason to rope in Applejack too.”

Twilight held up a hoof to stop me before I could work in the rest of the population of Ponyville. “Okay, first off, that is a total abuse of power. It would kill Rainbow Dash for me to take her out of the Wonderbolts when she eventually makes it in, and Applejack has a farm to run, Rarity…well, I suppose she wouldn’t mind where she lived as long as…no!” the alicorn told herself with a shake of her head. “I’d be happy to have them visit, and if they wanted to…I guess finding Pinkie a place in the kitchens wouldn’t be such a bad idea…but…ugh. Please, I don’t want to think about things like that right now."

I shrugged at the pony’s reluctance to use her authority to keep herself happy. “Well, you do want to stay with your friends, so I just thought-”

“And it’s sweet Flash,” she said with a smile. “But I won’t do something like that to my friends just so I can feel more comfortable.” Then, the smile dropped, and she looked away from me for a moment. “No matter how much I want to.”

The look on Twilight’s face made me grit my teeth and cross my forelegs. “It’s not fair. Celestia practically keeps you in a box your whole life, just sends you to Ponyville to make friends, then barely a year goes by and you're supposed to just say goodbye to them because you’ve got some wings?”

Twilight shook her head and met me eye to eye. “I choose not to make friends in Canterlot, and…Flash, you really shouldn’t talk about Princess Celestia like that.” The emphasis making me realize that I had forgot to include the sun tyrant’s title.

“I’m your royal guard Highness. Which means my first and foremost concern is to you, not her,” I replied, matching her stare for stare before my expression softened considerably. “And even if I weren’t in the guard at all, I see a mare I care for hurting and I just want to wrap my wings around her and make the pain stop.” I also added in some soothing changeling hypnosis magic via my eyes to try and defuse the situation before Twilight started defending Celestia again. Apparently changeling emotional magic was good for making our prey become lax, and soothing irate females.

The final half of comment got a gulp from Twilight, followed by a blush before she broke eye contact. “Um…right…so, you know what happened to Rainbow Dash? I haven’t seen here since I woke up at the last station.”

I couldn’t stop from chuckling, remembering that while also feeling a pang of guilt. The two day trip by train that we were taking back to Ponyville wasn’t much different than the trip up to Vanhoover, with one little difference, I was feasting on Twilight every night before bed during a passionate bout of kissing in her private royal car. It wasn’t as much as the night in the camp, but it still had her taking a nap in the afternoon. Aside from that, I didn’t see anything in the way of side effects and since I had no intentions of mind raping her, Twilight wouldn’t be turning into a green-eyed zombie like Mom had made of her brother.

Although the chuckle was more for the bit of drool she left on my coat than any villainous mirth from draining the poor girl’s energy like some cheesy vampire feeding on his lover’s blood. Because we weren’t in that type of relationship in any way, shape or form.

“Um, Dash woke up and decided flying to Ponyville was faster than waiting on the train to do it for her,” I told her. “Also wanted to tell everypony there that I wasn’t dead.”

Twilight’s face became absolutely serious. “We never thought you were, not for a second.”

“Yeah, that’s why Rainbow said you caused an earthquake, lifted a pyramid with your magic, turned those Sun Valley earth ponies into shrubbery, melted all that sand into glass, and turned that Ali-guy into a glorified cockroach,” I said with a smile.

“Please don’t mention that to anypony,” Twilight begged, killing my mood. The look in her eyes was pained. Apparently, the memory of being a badass wasn’t a pleasant one for her.

The smile dropped from my face, and I leaned in closer to the princess. “Twilight, what’s wrong?”

“I…I lost control,” she mumbled hesitantly. “The first lesson Celestia taught me when I was a child is that a unicorn must always be in control of herself and her magic. I…I knew about the second ever since I got my cutie mark, but…the first…I never understood what she meant until I thought I saw you die! I was just so angry. I wanted to kill those ponies Flash! I wanted to make them hurt a much as I was hurting, I wanted to make Ahuizotl suffer for what he did to you and those foals ten times worse than anything I did to the rest of his henchponies! That’s why I kept him around like I did, for when we…if we found your body…I was going to feed him to piranha and use my magic to keep him alive until every last bite was eaten and digested!”

By the time she was finished, Twilight was trembling and I reached forward to pull her into an embrace before she rested her head on my shoulder and nearly sent us tumbling backwards. Then I kissed her on the cheek and waited for the princess to get the memory and all the emotions associated with it out of her system.

It was a good five minutes before Twilight was able to speak again. “I’m such a horrible pony.”

A part of me wanted to tell her yes. It was the part that identified this as a moment I could easily back out of our faux-relationship before we got in too deep, transfer out, get rid of this Flash Sentry disguise, then replace her next bodyguard and be able to keep Twilight at arms length. But that would also involve breaking her heart, so I quickly shut that little voice up with a boot to the head.

“You’re not anything of the kind Twilight,” I assured her. “You’re kind and loyal, honest, and brave. If anything…what happened, it just shows how much you care about…other ponies.” Barely avoided saying me there. I really didn’t need to add any fuel to an already out of control fire. “And if you feel bad about something, then use it as motivation to make sure nothing like that happens again.”

I broke the hug a few moments later and stepped back to sit down while moving my hooves down to hold hers. I still had no idea how that worked by the way, I just touched something and wanted it to stick, and it did, only I could loose my grip on things too if my mind wandered too much. “Feeling better?”

Twilight looked down at me and cracked a smile. “Maybe a little,” she told me. “You know, when I first got pressured into getting a personal guard, I thought it would just be a huge headache, and I’ll admit it has a few drawbacks, but…I like you…being around.”

“Well I am an expert on all our duties, from saving the princess, defending her honor…okay, I guess I need a little more practice in keeping her eyes from getting too puffy from crying but…nopony’s perfect. Except you, of course.”

Another blush started to creep its way onto Twilight’s face, and it was then that the cartoony kind of fate that Equestria ran on decided to rear its ugly and unexplainable head again. The train came to an abrupt stop, making Twilight stumble and collapse right on top of me.

I moved my forelegs around to help support her and keep the princess from ending with her head resting on the seat to find my hooves grabbing her flank a little bit past the area where her cutie mark showed and more than a little into the territory that said we should be doing more than just a bit of innocent kissing.

Twilight moved down to look at my hooves on her butt, then back up to my face before she smiled. “I’m not sure, but I think we should wait until after the first date before we get that grabby Flash.”

“Ummm…” Was all I managed to get out before Twilight shifted to theoretical mode.

“Unless we do follow the long-established companion romance model, in which case our physical relationship would be on a much faster track than the three date testing phase to see if we’re compatible,” she reasoned.

I resisted the urge to groan. “Uh, Twilight?”

“Which we are, compatible I mean,” she continued. “I mean, we have so many discussions about history and magic. I can’t believe you’re so interested in magic! I've never met a pegasus so interested in unicorn magic as you.”

“Twilight?” I repeated as my arms started to feel strained.

“Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “Does that mean you were attempting to show an interest in me from the third day we met? It makes sense…although I wonder why you didn’t just ask me about my astronomy studies since it might actually be something we could share.”

Because Equestrian astronomy makes no sense to the point that it’s scary! I mentally shouted. If Luna made the stars every night, then that mean…what? She created whole worlds? The hell with Celestia’s talent of moving the sun, if there was even the tiniest bit of human science in this stupid place then Luna made God himself look like a slow amateur. It took him thirteen billion years to make our night sky, she did it every night in about five minutes.

It was then that I realized she was actually taking the time to wait for a reply from me, and I cleared my throat. “Oh…um…well, it just seemed like you were into magic more, and read so many books on the subject, and um…were more excited about it is all. Now can you please stand up so I can take my hooves off your plot? I think I’m starting to loose my grip.”

Twilight glanced back down to where my hooves were still on her ass, then braced herself on the bench I was sitting on and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s a royal guard’s duty to support his princess.” Even if that support was from down below.

A second later, we had managed to get out of get out of Twilight private car…which was a bit of a misnomer since we shared it with Rainbow Dash for most of the ride over. Considering what I think was a growing fear of isolation within Twilight, I doubted she’d ever make a private or personal anything actually live up to its name.

Unfortunately, the second I dropped my guard while imagining Twilight and her friends using her private airship (if she had one) to go on a much needed vacation, the cosmic horror attacked.

In my defense, none of the doors to the outside had been opened, and it came at us from behind. As in from the car we just came from. Twilight’s personal train car. The magically protected box, with walkways built around the outside so ponies could go to and fro without having to disturb the princess. The thing with half a dozen magical enchantments to stop things from levitating it, taking it apart magically, or just teleporting in. THAT TRAIN CAR!

So when Pinkie Pie just shows up and screams “HEY FLASHY YOU’RE OKAY!” in my ear from behind me, screaming like a little girl and jumping into Twilight’s arms WAS A PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE REACTION!

GOT IT?

And I just trembled a little bit in those forelegs because…my magical pegasus protection from the cold somehow went on the fritz!

Twilight was just a merciful angel and let out a small chuckle before kissing me on the forehead instead of commenting on my Pinkie phobia. “Yes Pinkie, he’s okay,” she said before looking down at me. “So, he’s ready to let go of my neck now, right?”

“Um…yes,” I told the princess before she put me down. “Good work princess, I was just uh…okay, I have nothing to say that will save my image from what it just went through.” The pinkie pony just scared the shit out of me, and that was that.

Thankfully, nopony called attention to that little spectacle…which disturbed me for some reason actually. Although they were friends, the Mane Six always did like to laugh at each others embarrassing moments…and Spike’s. I couldn’t forget about the little dragon, slave labor and comic relief was all his life consisted of.

“So Dashie showed up a little early and told everypony that Flashy was alive,” Pinkie informed Twilight. “Then Princess Celestia decided we should have a-” was about as far as I got before a chill running down my spine caused a loss of hearing for a few seconds. Princess Celestia? What the hell is Princess Celestia doing here?

“-so you need to get in place!” Pinkie finished.

I looked over to Twilight with wide eyes and panic in my voice. “Princess Celestia? What is she talking about Princess Celestia for? What did Princes Celestia decided about having?”

Twilight cleared her throat nervously. “Well, um…the correspondence I’ve been having with the princess since you went missing. You were going to be awarded a medal and promotion for your actions…posthu-”

“But now you’re not dead so we’re going to have a big parade instead!” Pinkie said before Twilight could finish. “Now come on!”

Earth pony strength and…Pinkieness seemed to make the world zip by, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on some pillows on top of a…palanquin?

Yes, I was on a palanquin being supported by four royal guards. “Okay…what just happened?”

“It’s Pinkie,” Twilight told me as she flapped her wings to float in the air alongside me. “Just don’t question it, and you’ll avoid the brain aneurism.” I couldn’t stop the terror on my face from hearing that. “Okay, have fun!” she finished before disappearing in a flash of purple light that filled my vision and made me wish I was wearing sun glasses.

By the time I could finally see again, there was a somewhat large group of royal guards in front of me, spread out in a square marching formation…with Pinkie at the lead. I felt a weird tingle in the air, and there was the sound of a flugelhorn before the soldiers started marching and ponies started just hanging out their windows to see what was going on, as if they could have missed the large group of royal guards assembling in front of their town.

“Make way! Make way we say!” the leader of the guards cried out before they started marching, bells started ringing, and a few instruments I wasn’t aware were even around started playing. “Make way for Flash Sentry.”

For some reason, this feels disturbingly familiar… I thought to myself while Pinkie danced in front of all the guards on her hind legs for an impossible amount of time for a pony.

And then the singing began.

With Pinkie singing the lead.

Hey clear the way I know it’s kinda bazaar

Hey you let us through it’s our bright new star

Oh come be the first on the block to meet his eye

Make way here he comes

Ring Bells bang the drums

OH YOU’RE GONNA LOVE THIS GUY

Flash Sentry Fabulous he, just Flashy to me! (Wait a minute)

Gentle mares, enough with the stares listen and see

Do your best to stay calm, get out of that salon

Come and meet this spectacular friend in deed (Is this a Disney song?)

Flash Sentry, Mighty is he, just look and see!

HOW THE HELL IS SHE SINGING A DISNEY SONG? I asked myself before Pinkie somehow tossed six barrels of apples at me that I managed to catch and balance into two stacks of three on each hoof. Don’t ask me how it happened, I just reacted.

Strong as ten unicorn horns definitely!

A second later, I saw #666 and #619 come up from behind a group of Earth ponies to switch off singing one line apiece, starting with the male of the duo.

He’s faced galloping hordes!

A hundred bad guys with swords!

Who sent to goons to their lords?

Our Flash Sentry! (They have to be lying)

Then again, I probably have killed about one hundred changelings. As the parade and the (ugh) song, continued, the guards that made up the majority of the parade took up the chorus.

He’s raced seventy five golden camels (How would that even work?)

Purple peacocks he’s saved fifty three (Is that even a real species on this planet?)

Then the two changelings disguised as guards jumped over to another group to continue the song.

When it comes to exotic type mammals

The things he’s seen could fill a zoo

I’m telling you! A world-class menagerie!

The next singer to trot by made my draw drop as Rarity took a place behind the flower ponies as if she was spreading gossip. Seriously, what the fuck is going on?

Flash Sentry handsome is he Flashy indeed!

That physique!

How can speak?

Just so unique! Oh!

Now go on down to town square

Adjust your manes and prepare

To gawk and whistle and stare

At Flash Sentry!

I mean, Pinkie I’ll buy busting out into song…but the WHOLE TOWN? I mentally screamed as Rarity hurried Rose, Lilly and the other flower pony off and over the hill while the guards took up the song.

He’s caught ninety-five white purring monkeys

And after some fun he just set them all free!

He’s freed slaves, fought minions and flunkies!

(We’re proud to serve with him)

A second later, the Cakes popped out of Sugarcube Corner to join in the singing.

He may cry on a whim (NO I DON'T!)

But we love feeding him

All different kinds of cookies

Almost in slow motion, the group I was with crested the hill, and the sight of the ponies on the stage in the middle of town chilled me to the bone. Hell, I didn’t even react when the platform I was on was tilted so violently, it practically turned into a catapult and set me flying through the air as Pinkie took up the song again.

Flash Sentry, amorous he, Flashy to me!

I landed on my belly and stared up at the three princesses standing in front of me. The purple one, I was expecting of course, the big white one was unnerving…but my nervousness of being around Celestia paled in comparison to the terror that the presence of the pink pony princess and her husband would mean.

“P-Princess Cadence?” I squeaked as I gazed at the pretty pink pony princess.

The pink mare, and I think every other pony in the town as well as the guards gave me a confused look and the music that was coming from nowhere just died. “Um…yes, Lt Flash?” she said before looking over to Princess Celestia. “That is still his proper rank, right? We haven’t promoted him yet af-”

“W-What‘re you doing here?” I whimpered out in terror while finding my way to my feet…hooves, whatever. “You and Shining Armor should be in the Crystal Empire!”

A second later, Pinkie just came up behind me and whispered into my ear. “Uh, Flashy, I know this is your first musical number and all, but your line is: Princess what a sight, lovely to see. And then you bow and kiss Celestia’s hoof so she can blush,” she said before looking back behind me. “Fluttershy, get ready for those birds to warble on key!”

I looked over to glare at Pinkie. “Look, just stop with the song!” I said before looking back at Cadence. “And answer the question!”

All in all, I think it was just her surprise that kept me from getting smacked down for addressing royalty in such a manner; or the fact they were ponies and probably didn’t do that sort of stuff. “Well, we got a letter from Princess Celestia saying that a stallion Twilight cared for was missing, most likely dead, and then Rainbow Dash showed up a few hours ago.”

Twilight frowned and looked over to Cadence. “What? But, I sent a message to Princess Celestia the morning after we found Flash Sentry! Stormy Weather isn’t nearly as fast as Rainbow, but he should have made it to Canterlot at least a day before we did!”

“I never received such a letter,” Celestia told the other princesses.

Oh no nonononononononono!

I didn’t waste time with the question of what happened to Twilight’s messages. We had changelings in the castle after all, it could have been snatched up before making it to Celestia, if something hadn’t happened to the pegasus who was carrying the missive before that.

My mind raced to connect just how bad this all was. If Shining Armor and Cadence were here, then Chrysalis was in the Crystal Empire, alone. Although I doubted the ability of a bunch of sparkling earth ponies would be able to stop her from just taking the heart, she could have just snagged Cadence’s form before the princess left, and walked right up to the damn thing in the middle of the day after her train took off!

Hell, I half expected Chrysalis to just show up right then and there to put the three alicorns standing around me in traction. Did the fact that the sky wasn’t turning blood red mean her plan had failed? That we couldn’t use the Crystal Heart? How long would it take her to subdue a country anyway? How long had she been at it already?

I hadn’t talked to her since the night I slept with Twilight, and that was two days ago. Although the Crystal Empire was further away, they actually had a rail line straight to Ponyville, while the one we used at Vanhoover wasn’t as direct so with that and the possibility Cadence’s freaking crystal train might be faster than the normal model made it fall within the realm of possibility they hadn’t been gone any longer than what it took for us to get back.

But, then I realized everyone was just stood around looking at me in confusion because I had broken up their magical musical number.

“Sorry…um…I’m just a little nervous, you know…meeting the princesses and all,” I apologized with a gulp while trying to keep my knees from shaking.


What’s really kind of weird about the song was, Flash really had been stationed in Equestria’s Saddle Arabian embassy before his transfer to the Crystal Empire…go figure.

But, as for more important matters…well…

You know those times when you see a horrible accident about to happen, but you just can’t bring yourself to look away? Or you see a way to stop it, but just sit there paralyzed with indecision, because if you do, you might end up a part of the whole thing? That was pretty much my life at that very moment.

For a moment I even thought that maybe I had lucked out and Chrysalis had been blown to smithereens when she tried to use the damn thing, or actually was sitting around waiting for me to show up for some big flag presentation that had to do with the Equestria Games that we could use as a distraction to nab what we needed.

But my Daring Do escapade had pretty much guaranteed my place as the unluckiest bastard in Equestria that fate just LOVED to kick in my now nonexistent balls. So, I’m pretty sure just by thinking to myself ‘nothing bad is really going to happen’ I started the countdown to the pony apocalypse.

In the end, I decided to do the smart thing and I kept my damn mouth shut. It wasn’t like telling them Chrysalis might very well have access to an ultimate power-up would have done anything at the time, right? No reason for me to unmask myself and pretty much guarantee that Celestia would throw a bug barbecue.

After the ceremony, Pinkie had a party set up, and Celestia left to check on the correspondence problem. Apparently, all her letters went through her multiple of advisers to organize them and investigate any requests fully before bringing them to the princess. The fact one of those advisers was now a changeling meant we could snag any bit of information we wanted and control how much the Sun Goddess heard.

If my nerves weren’t shot enough with the fact that this whole Daring Do thing might have brought about the end of the Crystal Empire, I had another big problem. Since Cadence and Shining were there, Twilight decided that we should all have dinner together.

You know…like a date…with her brother sitting across from me at the table…and the Alicorn of Love there to examine and meddle in a relationship that was pretty much a pile of lies, deceit, and…well, you get the point.

Yeah, really should have just come clean with Celestia and begged for mercy. It would have been less nerve-racking.

Author's Note:

*sigh* So much for rushing with one chapter written a day. Ah well, here's the original version of the song from Disney's Aladdin if you want music and lyrics in the background.