Minty Image

by mintgreenconspiracy

Chapter 7-2: To the badlands!

"Forgive the intrusion, majesty, " the guard, a purple crystal pegasus (a rarity among the crystal ponies, who almost universally descended from the original earth ponies that had originally settled in the crystal valley), with a purple mane and tail, who was wearing an elaborate suit of glass armor exclaimed, tentatively as he bowed low before the royal couple, face first to the point that he almost looked flat against the polished solid crystal floors. "But I have a letter from your aunt, the Princess of the Sun," he said, presenting a scroll, sealed with the royal crest of the senior most of Equestria's four princesses. "It has the words 'non-urgent' written on it, majesty, however the presence of your aunt's seal marks it with some urgent, majesty..." he said. Presenting the letter, being held with utmost care, in his mouth.

"Thank you, good sir," Cadance replied, grabbing the letter from his mouth using her magic. "But I can take it from here," she said, releasing the seal.

"Of course, majesty," the guard said, giving another bow. "Just let me know if you require anything else," he said, taking a step backward, his posture remaining in a half bow.

"I shall, " Cadance replied, with a chuckle -- those lessons Celestia was giving her in proper procedure were finally paying off. She still was getting used to being treated this way, but she only barely gave that off.

She took a moment to center herself, and dove into the letter. Her eyes darted up and down the letter, as her face began to drop further, becoming ever more stern, as she read towards the bottom of the scroll.

Finally expression changed, and her eyes turned to pinpricks. "Honey?" Cadance asked, turning to her husband, a concerned expression on her face, and a letter held in her magic. "Could you take a look at this for me, please honey?" She asked, levitating the letter over to her husband to read, a look of disbelief on her face.

The white unicorn with the shield cutie mark gave a shrug, and his eyes began to move up and down the page, his lips moving with the text.

His face took on a sour expression like he'd been sucking on a lemon as, after a couple of minutes he stopped to read it again.

And then again...

And then again...

"It doesn't make any sense does it, Shiney?" Cadance asked, with a befuddled expression. "I feel like I'm not reading it right, or I'm missing something"

He nodded, with a distant expression as his wife ripping the scroll from his magic, before he could give himself any more of a migraine by re-reading the document for the thousandth time. "I'm sure it's from Twily though..." He said, his voice trailing off.

"But..." He said, being interrupted by his wife, who stuck out a hoof, and softly placing it over his muzzle.

"Yeah I know, Shiney," she said, with a shrug. "Twily says that she and spike are fine," she said, with mixed relief. "And, apparently, she's taken a student on, as well, but..."

Shining armor gave a knowing nod. "If Spike's still back in the library?" Shining armor, asked, as the pair simultaneously turned their heads to meet each other's gaze. "Then who's the dragon we have in the visitor's chambers?" They asked, in unison, their faces turning pale. Did they just invite a changeling into their midst?

Cadance shook her head. "I don't not really sure, Shiney," she replied, giving him an affectionate nuzzle. "But at least we know that Twily, and Spike are ok," she said, with a fair amount or relief. "After that odd Spike showed up, I was as worried as you were, constantly imagining the worst!"

"I suppose that's true," her husband said, with a blush, as his normal smile beginning to creep out from it's hiding place, and the realization that he hadn't been exactly acting like the 'perfect prince', that that weird Spike was trying to 'train' him to be.

He took a moment to savor the relief, before suddenly interrupting the tender moment, his body going stiff, as a nagging thought tugging at his mind. "But why does that dragon look like a blue Spike?" He asked, his eyes turning back to pinpricks.

Cadance shook her head, and gave a shrug, no words came out of her mouth this time. Though she didn't seem as concerned about it as he did, her face having that kind of 'we'll figure it out Shiney' expression.

His face grew cold, and his tone conspiratorial. "But how, or why did this imposter spike end up here at the Crystal Empire? You think Chrysalis is up to something again?"

She frowned, hating it when he started over thinking things like this -- it was like that ghost hunt he and Twily went on all over again! "Shiney!" She protested. "We don't know yet!" She said, firmly, causing her husband to stop and look. "For all we know this is the real spike, and Twily's is the imposter!" She said, raising a hoof to remind his of the situation. "Remember: this Spike doesn't respond to Changeling detection magic," she cautioned, having attempted a changeling detection spell earlier that day. "And we don't find any residual traces of any other conventional kind of magic!"

"You don't think he could be from that alternate universe do you?" Shining asked, curiously.

"perish the thought," Cadance replied, in dismay, a hint of panic crossing her mind, as she contemplated the possibility, even momentarily. "Remember what happened last time!" She exclaimed, reminding him of the time that Twilight and her friends went to that other universe, almost resulting in the collision (and destruction) of both worlds. "Besides," she commented, with a shrug. "We won't know until Celestia gets back from her diplomatic mission in Unicornia."

"What about Luna?" He asked his wife, the suspicion creeping back onto his face. "I mean, it all seems to convenient! Spike suddenly shows up, and he's blue, and he wants to 'train me to be a prince', and the next thing you know -- "

Cadance gave a stern frown back, he was thinking too much again. "Shiny," she replied, softly. "I'm just finishing another letter for Luna," she said, a quill hastily scribing a scroll, held by her magic. "Give her some time, I'm sure if it's important, she'll respond quickly."

Her husband gave a defeated sigh. "I suppose, " he said, breathing out. "But -- "

"Roarrr!" Exclaimed the blue pest, as he shouted, causing both ponies to practically jump out of their skins. "I'm so glad I could find you, Prince Armor!" He said, eagerly, his face lighting up, having finally gotten hold of the prince he'd been trying to hard to contact. "I'm pleased that I found you so quickly!" He exclaimed, waltzing right past the princess, seemingly unaware of her presence. "Come now Prin-- !"

"Please don't call me 'Prince Armor'!" The princess exclaimed, hiding his agitation. "I'm not a stuffy, stuck up, title seeker prince, like Blueblood!" He said, a drop of sweat coming down his brow, not just in frustration at the title being thrust upon an everypony like him, but also because the drake still didn't seem to know who he was. "Just call me Shining Armor, or just Sh -- "

The blue drake gave himself a face claw. "Prince! Prince! Prince!" He tutted, shaking his claw. "Rule number seventeen!" He said, with dismay. "Now repeat after me: " he said, motioning for the white unicorn, his claw opening and closing in a 'come on' motion.

Shining armor gave a mischievous expression, as he began to lip sync the words along with the drake.

"A prince is never addressed in informal titles, except by drinking buddies, political rivals, his wife, his mistress... or the media!" The dragon chanted, not noticing that the prince wasn't playing along.

Shining Armor's wife gave a chuckle, if not for the drama of the situation then this would all be pretty funny.

"There! Now that wasn't so hard!" The drake exclaimed, with a snooty chuckle. "Now come along! We're late for your prince training!" He said, getting stern. "We have much to -- "

"Actually I thought we might have some bro-time or something," the prince said, politely. "You know, to make friends or -- "

"Bro-time?" The drake asked, getting stern again. "I have no idea what this 'bro-time' is!" The drake responded, sounding stuffy as a Prench waiter. "But the only time a prince has time to chum around in whatever this 'bro-time', you're going on about is: when he's young, drunk, or seeking political favors!" He said, shaking his claw again -- the guards at this point had begun to tire of that burdensome gesture, and rumblings had begun to pass through the guard, of what they would do if he didn't...

"Are you sure?" Shining asked, informally. "I think -- "

"Of course!" The drake re-iterated. "Now come along! We have work to do, and so many things to learn still!" He commanded, readjusting his grip around 'the prince book', so that the prince could get a good look.

"Like what?" Shining Armor asked, curiously -- other than constant political maneuvering, and the occasional works project, Equestrian Princes usually enjoyed a fair amount more time to themselves than most ponies did, and Blueblood was the perfect example! A stallion whose only official function was as an understudy-diplomat in case the princesses were too busy to perform their duties.

"Well, for one thing..." Said the beast, putting one of the talons on his right claw onto a talon on his left claw, lowering them one at a time. "There are plenty of things..." He said, contemplatively. "Like jousting practice, archery, reading, writing, lawmaking... Oh! And we still have to meet with your royal advisers!" He said, making like the prince actually wielded some political power -- princes didn't normally in Equestria! Normally a female was elected or appointed, due to her merit, to serve as princess, and if none could be found, then one was chosen out of the royal line according to birth order.

The beast gasped, a thought occurring to him. "And the dance!" He shouted, in fear, having realized something. "That ... gala... you keep going on about!" He muttered, apparently as unimpressed with the stuffy event as most ponies unfortunate to attend it had been, though Shining was sure it was because the event wasn't stuffy enough for the drake!

Shining sighed. "That's my guards, and it's the Grand Galloping Gala! It's a bore, and I don't plan to attend!"

The drake gave a shocked sigh. "You don't plan to attend!" He said, making a tutting motion with his voice, and shaking his head. "This simply won't do! We have to get you dressed properly for the ball!" He shouted, already planning the -- presumably pointless, and formal -- affair. "Now come along!" He said, proceeding to grab the unicorn by the horn, and dragging him slowly away.

"Help me!" Shining armor begged, under his breath, praying to his wife to give him some kind of miracle.

One never came... Instead, she gave a giggle, and mouthed something of her own: maybe this would be a good opportunity to learn the truth behind the strange drake.

Shining turned to his guards, who all looked away, a look of shame on their faces.

His wife waved him goodbye, a mischievous expression on her face. It was probably mean of her to do this to him, but this might be a great time to get to the bottom of this

**********

"Shiney?" Cadance asked, in surprise, having just found enormous stallion, that was her husband cowering, desperately, under the table, shaking like a leaf. "What are you doing down there?"

"Hiding!" her husband exclaimed, as quietly as he could, quickly closing his mouth, and giving a pucker, like he had just sucked on a lemon, as his eyes glancing around in case the blue menace was around, and heard him whispering to his wife.

"'Heathspike' giving you a lot of trouble?" She asked, pulling him out from under the table, by his hoof, with her magic.

"You have no idea!" He loudly lamented, the tears coming slowly, as his body shook like a leaf. "He won't leave me alone!" The prince moaned, into his hooves, his lip quivering like a bruised child. "And even posting a guard didn't help." He whined, remembering a couple weeks back, when he stationed a guard outside the drake's room, only to end up when he woke up in the middle of the night to the drake somehow escaping and ambushing him, with some 'princeing lessons', in the middle of the night. Not just once, but four times, in four distinct nights.

"Let me guess?" She asked, tenderly. "He keeps telling you all the things you can't do?" She asked, remembering the long list of rules that she had been subjected during her thirteen year mentoring period under 'the terror twins': Pomp and Circumstance (didn't they eventually end up pushing them onto Luna, as her 'royal advisers'? Though she had hoped, along with Luna, that Celestia would have assigned them to be ambassadors to Yakyakistan, though she suspected Equestria were never likely to be that lucky.)

"Worse!" He stated, sternly, the light around his face almost totally disappearing, except for a very bright light, right around his nose. "He won't stop going on...

and on....

and on...

About all the things I need to be doing." He said, with a frown, still sore about all the pointless tasks the dragon kept incessantly bugging him about... Like archery? Or should he say non magical archery? What use did he have with archery? Especially without his precious magic! Wasn't his magic more accurate, and effective, then a bow, and regular, non-magical, arrows? Heck! How can a pony even use arrows, especially using only their two front hooves, like Spike wanted him to?

"Oh come on!" She exclaimed, playfully, using her horn to turn back on the lights. "Did you try to make your point to him by 'doing unprincely things'?" She asked, with a mischievous chuckle. "Maybe Heathspike will get the point, " she stated, giving a wink.

He nodded, in frustration. "Of course," he replied, already remembering his conversation with the drake earlier in the day.

"And what was his response?" She asked, curiously, taking a seat next to her husband, as he reminisced.

Earlier the same day!

The prince eagerly approached his oppressor, putting up his best show of faux bravado. It was time for the beast to finally be slain! "I want to talk about this prince thing!" The prince exclaimed, eagerly, to the drake, as his eyes a little twitchy, as he pretended to have 'come to a realization'. "I just want to be me!" He exclaimed, trying to sound as crazy as he was able (a skill learned by 'observing' his sister's occasional freakouts.)

"Prince! Prince! Prince!" The drake said, wagging his talon condescendingly. "Hold a royal feast! You'll feel better," he said, calmly, stopping suddenly at the end. This sounded strangely familiar... Where had he heard this before? "No wait! I sound like my father!" He gasped, in horror, taking a breath to regroup, and tried again. "Oh, you don't know what you want right now, you're tired!" He announced, stopping and shaking again. This sounded eerily familiar... Didn't he say this already to someone? "Ack! Now I sound like my mother!" He finally shouted, realizing, to his utter horror, that he sounded like the grumpy, grouchy old curmudgeon he actually was.

"Well, big boy, " the prince said, his face getting mischievous, his ear twitching 'uncontrollably', as he talked, taking on a cheshire cat look. "I don't want a feast, and I don't need to sleep!" He exclaimed, with a smirk. "What do you think of that?" He asked, putting his arm around the drake.

"Oh?" The drake asked, curiously, putting his claw to his face. "Do go on?"

The prince's expression dropped like a stone. Dang it! He resisted the urge to shake his head, and simply continued with his plan as planned. "What if I want to sniff the flowers, huh?" The prince asked, going over, to a vase of flowers that the help had put in the room to liven it, and gave a good, long sniff. And got a muzzle full of what smelled like death mixed with formaldehyde... Yuk! "They smell..." He bluffed, trying to hide the fact that his eyes were not violently watering -- yup, he definitely needed to find a closer source for his nation's flower arrangements. "... uh... de....lightful!"

"Oh, of course!" The drake said, nodding his head in agreement, a content smile creeping onto his face. "How else are you going to know whether or not the flowers are poisoned?" He said, waving his claw, back and forth, holding his other claw behind his back, as his chest puffed out. "And then there's the matter of finding the perfect flower for your princess!!!" He exclaimed, his face growing a little catty, as he gave the prince a couple good nudges, in the side, with his shoulder.

"And don't forget that a warrior can learn so much from the flowers! Just ask the samurai of Japan," the drake said, sticking his talon up, talking about a place Shining Armor had never heard of before, and had probably never been to. Also, where was this 'Japan' he was talking about? Did he mean to say Neighpon where they speak Japaneighse? The drake continued, oblivious to the confused banter in the prince's head. " -- you know, putting your mark on the battlefield, and all that -- " The drake pontificated, effortlessly. Well, at least Shining Armor had heard the adage already, and now was beginning to get a feeling that it was going to be another one of those conversations. "And then there's the matter of making your family bloom..." He said, with a smirk.

"Well..." The prince said, his ears lowered, his will unfaltering. "I want to water my plants!" He said, his head twitching, slightly... He meant to do that... no really he did! As he started over towards the bundle of 'live' flowers from earlier, and trying to water, or rather overwater, the plants, in an exaggerated motion. "What do you think of that?"

"Why naturally!" The drake said, with a smile, shaking his opened claw in approval. "A proper prince always knows when to open the floodgates of the public dole. And then there's the lost art of watering the royal wallet!" He said, with a smile, wiping a tear from his eyes, which were closed proudly. "I'm so proud! And, of course, with proper care, attention, and watering is required for friendship, and family growth, after all! Speaking of which, how goes princely chore 550?" He asked, with a catty smile, dropping the third hint now. "Have you finally obtained a little heir for the royal garden? We want your dynastic seed to take root, after all!" He exclaimed, ribbing the prince, in the side, with his elbow, a few times, in rapid succession.

"Quite..." The prince said, his voice growing soft. "And..." He said, his voice trailing off. What was he going to do now? What else could he suggest that would be any less princely?

"Yes?" The drake asked, looking ever more proud. Excellent! The question was drinking up his profound, and worldly knowledge of the inner workings of royalty! At this rate, he could return to Ponyville by morning!

Shining Armor's face picked up, as his resolve restored. He knew what he would suggest! He would suggest the least 'princely' thing possible! "I want to dig in the dirt!" He exclaimed, confidently, the twitching feeling a little less manufactured right now, as his eyes darted from side to side, along with his head -- let's see what the drake has to say about that?

"Excellent!" The drake said, with glee. "All the better to dig up dirt on your enemies with!" He said, speaking in metaphors, wagging that cursed claw again, his eternal lecturing never ceasing. "And we also want to make sure the ground is ready for your little sprout!" He said, reminding the prince of his duty, with a pompous smile. "After all, you and the princess aren't getting any younger!" He joked, demonstrating his lack of knowledge of Alicorn... ahem... physiology...

The prince's hoof lowered slowly... The words finally escaping him...

"And don't forget the process of weeding your garden!" The beat reminded the prince, his face going stern. "After all, it is a supreme necessity for a prince to weed out corruption, and opposition!" He said, either not realizing, nor not caring about the prince's long list of 'unprincely' tasks, seemingly taking everyone of the prince's statements as a metaphor.

"ARRRGGG!!!!" The prince shouted in frustration, why wouldn't the new weird Spike listen to reason? He was dropping the drake all the hints he could think of! He didn't want the drake's 'advice'!

The drake shook his head, wagging his hoof, seemingly unable to process the prince's hints. "Tut! Tut! Tut!" He tisked, his lips making a rapid smacking sound. "Prince! Prince! Prince! You're yelling at the wrong time!" Heathspike exclaimed, in utter shame. "A prince only shouts at his enemies, or his bumbling subjects!" He continued, his voice steeped in disappointment, as he turned away, a look of failure on his face. "And we were so close to a breakthrough too!" He said, lowering his head, in shame, as he started to pace the room. "Oh well!" He exclaimed, rapidly approaching the prince, his countenance picking back up in an instant. "Don't worry, my prince! We'll keep trying, until we get it right!"

Shining looked at him sideways. What the heck was going through that drake's head, anyway? And why did he get the impression he didn't want to know?

The drake shrugged, nonchalantly. "Now!" Heathspike said, clapping his claws together, turning to the prince. "There's no time to be sad now!" He replied, with a smile. "For one thing, there's the matter of all the cathedrals that you're supposed to be building!" He continued, putting a claw around the prince's withers. "And, for another thing!"He said, with a wink. "We need to do something about that horrible outfit!" He exclaimed, taking a look a Shining Armor's current look (why had Shining chosen to wear his uniform to this meeting? Maybe because he was foolishly hoping to intimidate the drake.)

"What's wrong with my look?" The prince responded back in indignation, he'd never got complaints before, and for that matter, this dress uniform was the pride of Equestria, designed by some of the princessipalities' best designers!

"I understand the whole military junta look," the drake responded back, shaking his head, in disapproval. "But it's not exactly the look I would have chosen for you..." He said, shaking his head. "But... Nothing we can't fix!" He exclaimed, sending a shiver up Shining Armor's spine. "First! We need to get you looking more like a general, or a warrior king them some silly line soldier, or 'captain of the guard'," He said, turning to breezies, unimpressed with mere military titles for the prince! No! The prince needed to look the part instead! No! Only one look would work do! The visage of a true warrior king! "Oh ladies in waiting! Wait no longer!" He exclaimed, summoning the bizarre micro-ponies that he called 'the breezies'.

The prince shook in fear as he took a few steps back. Why did those vacant smiles on those mini-pixie-ponies face fill him with fear?

"Oh goody!" One of the breezies said, to the others, making an enthusiastic corkscrew. "I can't wait!"

"I'll help!" Exclaimed another, flying over next to the prince. "You can count on me, prince!" She exclaimed, holding her front legs out wide.

The prince replied, with a loud gulp, and quickly turned to make a gallop for it. However, his flight only made about two gaits before he was quickly caught by the tiny monsters, who were surprisingly quick for such tiny ponies. And before Shining Armor could say 'shucks', he was surrounded, on all sides, by the mini pony pests, who proceeded to manehandle him!

"Excellent!!" The drake exclaimed, with a proud smile, to 'the breezies', his eyes beginning to look for something. "Please help the prince into something more spartan!" He said, eyeing a particularly shiny golden set of armor, which looked more like it was intended for a bipedal ape, then a pony prince. And he didn't mean to borrow an expression from his sister's friend Rarity, but it was the only way to describe the 'garish' golden helmet that the breezies began to pull towards him menacingly.

"Unhoof me now!" Shouted Shining armor, angrily, his voice quivering, as the pests slowly carted him away into the inky blackness to dress him in that horribly uncomfortable (and extremely garish) suit of armor. "Somepony! Help!" He cried out, his cries being unheard.

Back in the present...

"That was horrible!" The prince said, shivering slightly. "I'm lucky that undersized golden monstrosity didn't squeeze the circulation off from my head," he said, in dismay. "I've just about had enough of him!" He shouted, angrily.

"Tell me you heard back from Luna!" He begged his wife, on all four of his knees. "Please tell me Celestia's back from Unicornia!" He said, his hooves stuck together as he waved them forwards and backwards, an expression of utter desperation.

Cadance nodded silently, a forlorn expression on her face. "Yes, Shiney, I did..." she said, softly, her head darting around so as to avoid eye contact with her husband.

Shining gave a gulp, that wasn't a good sign. "Please tell me Celestia responded back with some answers to this enigma!" He said, futilely attempting to look his wife in the eyes as he hoped, beyond all hope, that he was misreading his wife's hints.

"Well.. actually... " she said, blushing slightly, her face finally softening as she looked for the right euphemism.

"Let me guess..." he replied, with a sigh. "She's back, and doesn't know anything..." he said, the whine in his voice slowly being replaced with the sound of futility.

"Well... She kind of..." Cadance replied back, her voice hesitating as she explained the situation. "-- refuses to talk about it..."

"What do you mean, 'she refuses to talk about it'?" He replied back, his eyes noticeably twitching. "Why --?"

"Just that..." she replied back, sternly. "Celestia doesn't want to talk about it, and won't say the reason, " she continued, with a silent frown. "That's all Luna said!"

"But you're a fellow princess of Equestria, and this might be vital for Equestrian security, why would she be hiding something like that from you?" He asked, incredulously, he exclaimed, loudly, hesitating for a moment. "... She's your adopted aunt!"

Cadance subtly frowned. "It's hard to say, Shiney!" She replied, calmly. "I'd love to tell you more, but I don't know anymore. For all we know, she may not think we're ready for the answer, or she might think we can't handle the answer, " she said, raising her hoof. "Or maybe she's afraid we'll find out about another one of her worst moments, one of her past failures... " she said. her her breath, looking down sadly.

"What was that last part?" Her husband asked, cleaning his ear with his hoof.

"What?" She responded back, pretending to be oblivious.

"What did you say?" He asked back.

"Nothing Shiney!" She replied, with a mischievous smile, hiding it behind her back, as she turned around to 'get the guards'.

**********

Pinkie looked up from her bed, propping herself up by her front left arm, and giving a loud yawn, as her eyes proceeded to shoot daggers at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, are you going to pace like that all night long?" She asked, tiredly, futilely using her hooves to rub the sleep from her eyes. "I don't mean to be mean, Rainbow, but some of us are trying to sleep here," she chastised her friend, her voice growing more stern than normal.

"Yeah!" Minty exclaimed, angrily, joining in. The mint green earth pony with the pink and light pink striped mane sounding kind of tired herself. Her complaints, however, were hard to take seriously considering that she was still wrapped in some tinsel, that she'd somehow managed to scrounge up in the smoldering rubble of what used to be their town, that she'd been using as a project of some kind, the idea of that makeup Christmas still undoubtedly still dancing around in her head. "Some of us want to sleep too!" She shouted, glaring at both of her friends.

Rainbow nodded, hesitantly, her friends had a point. "I'm terribly sorry about that, darlings..." she said, apologetically. "I didn't mean to keep you darlings up, " Rainbow continued, with a soft sigh. "I'm just having the worst trouble sleeping, darlings! My mind is just aflutter with anxiety! " She announced, the black outlines around her eyes betraying the fact that she hadn't slept much in the last couple of days.

"I'm sorry too, Rainbow Dash, " Pinkie said, her voice softening, slightly. "I've actually been having some trouble sleeping myself, " Pinkie admitted, her tone softening. "I mean, it's kind of hard to sleep when you find out that your house got magically transformed into a stinky pile of black powder by nasty, mean, bug ponies!" She replied, looking down, motioning her front hooves, jazz hands style, as she mouthed the words 'magically transformed'. The pink pony with the light pink mane sat for a moment silently, before slowly opening her mouth again, her body shaking noticeably. "Rainbow, " she said, finally, a tear trickling down her face. She shook her head, and took another moment to correct herself. "No! Mama Pie..." she said, her voice growing ever more vulnerable. "Please tell me it's going to be ok!" She pleaded, the tears beginning to flow more quickly. "I'm scared, Mama Pie!"

Rainbow took another lap. "I'm sorry Pinkie, I can not, darling, " Rainbow replied with a frown as she slowly turning away from her friends, the tears started to muss up her pristine cyan coat. "I'm terribly sorry for keeping you darlings up..." The cyan pony with the rainbow mane and tail replied, trotting off, her eyes slowly watering as she grew ever more distant. "But I just can't promise that!" She muttered, to herself, quietly.

"Rainbow! Wait..." Pinkie said, getting up quickly, and chasing after Rainbow, her voice quivering softly, stopping her friend when she wrapped the invisible palm in her hoof around her friend's wither. "You don't have to go Rainbow!" She said, softly, her grip becoming ever so slightly firmer. "I didn't mean to get mad about your loud pacing!" She pleaded, apologetically, putting a hoof around her mother's friend's withers.

"Oh, but I do, darling..." Rainbow said, turning her head back, and shaking her wither, softly at first. "You and Minty really need to get your rest, and I shall be pacing like this, all night, darlings..." Rainbow said, with a sigh, the shaking of her wither becoming more vigorous. "And I worry that you two darlings are picking up on my moodiness!" She stated, fatalistically, struggling to free her wither away from her friend's grip.

She didn't mean to be mean, but she had to go! She had so many things to think about since that odd, yet familiar, pony had triggered so many of her lost memories -- both Rainbow Dash's, and Lady Rainbow's... And then, there was the matter of her being forced to endure the burning wreckage that had previously been their home, and her kite shop. And, as a result, it all just left her mind a tizzy with so many burning questions, like, for one thing, where were they going to go now? They could stay in Ponyville, but being ugly love eating bug ponies, she, and Minty, would, most likely, starve, sooner rather than later...

Pinkie looked at her friend, well aware of the pain in her eyes, as the cyan earth pony. sadly, began to slip out from her hoof, and continued on again, trotting into the distance. Leaving Pinkie standing there watching sadly, as her friend started to trail. What was she going to do? What in the heck was she going to do to restore Rainbow's formerly good spirits? 'No!' She thought to herself, resolutely, it didn't matter that she didn't have a special ability to bring merriment like that strange other Pinkie did! And it didn't matter that she had a gift, or passion, for being a class clown like poor Minty inadvertently did! But she still had to try! Rainbow was dealing with some very hard things right now, and it was Pinkie's duty to do her best to help the cyan earth pony. She shook her head, and gave chase, breaking into a gallop trying to catch her cyan friend, who already had, herself, broken into a gallop.

"I'm sorry, darling," Rainbow said, with a frown, having turned back for a mere moment, noticing that her friend was, already, galloping close behind her. She continued galloping along, as fast as she could, like she was being chased by bad fashion. "But I really should be going somewhere to clear my head," she shouted, her friend, who was still close behind, shouting back in response.

"But Rainbow!" Pinkie shouted, sternly, the concern in her voice was, at this point, palpable. "Flash Sentry said that we weren't supposed to leave the campsite without permission!" She shouted to her friend, at the top of her lungs, as she continued to chase the pony through the deserted streets to what used to be the Celebration Castle, which now stood as little more than a hole in the earth, having been utterly destroyed by the bug ponies, for some unknown reason.

"No, darling, this is something I need to do!" Rainbow announced, running along. "Alone!" She said, making sure to put extra emphasis on the word 'alone', as she galloped along.

"Are you sure, Rainbow!" Pinkie shouted back. "It's not safe with all the nasty bug ponies, and I'm worried that you might get hurt!" She pleaded, her pleas falling on deaf ears. After a few more precious moments of pursuit, Pinkie sighed, and opened her mouth to shout once more. "At least let me come with you, Rainbow Dash!"

"Carolinae NO!" Rainbow shouted, sternly, breaking to a cold stop, the word 'darling' not passing her lips once... "And as your mother!" She shouted, getting the attention of a very surprised Pinkie, who was forced to dig in her hooves to stop just before running into her friend. "I command you to stay here!" Rainbow shouted, angrily, giving her daughter a stare that would be a rival even to Fluttershy's infamous one.

"B... But..." Pinkie stuttered, twiddling her two front hooves, her body in the famous 'anthro' position that characterized her, and her friends. "Rain-- "

"No buts, young lady!" Rainbow shouted, stamping her hoof. "Return to the camp, and be safe!" She commanded, pointing a hoof back down the streets of what used to be Ponyville, back to the camp site. " I need some air!" She shouted, continuing her slow trot, as her daughter stood, in place, sobbing to herself.

Rainbow sighed... That was probably uncalled for... She just didn't feel like herself there, for a moment. Instead feeling like her other self... Nevertheless, she thought to herself, sadly, that darling, Pinkie, deserved an apology. "I'm sorry, darling..." Rainbow said, to herself, sadly. "But I have to think about this, darling..." She thought to herself, already setting her mind to the conundrum... "I just don't feel this would be safe for you, and I want to make sure you're safe, darling," she said, with a frown.

"B -- " Pinkie stuttered, being sent along with another stiff gesture by her friend.

'I'm sorry, darling, but this is something I just need to do, myself!' Rainbow thought to herself, sadly. The thoughts were already beginning to cascade into her mind. What was she going to do about her niece? How would she deal with a pony that had gone completely mad, like Chrysi had! Did she dare challenge the queen of the hive though? Especially considering that she hadn't even realized she was a changeling, let alone visited the hive, in decades! And how would she do it without putting her daughter, and great niece in trouble? But knowing the hive, was there anywhere safe in all of Equestria that she could stow them? She guessed she could bring them along, but would they even be able to survive the battle between two beings of supreme changeling magic, like her and her niece? Did she --

Her thoughts got interrupted, when she noticed that nice Flash Sentry, and those nice two really real for real pegasus stallion guards, standing next to what used to be Celebration Castle, gathering a few things, including a suit of armor, that they had obviously got from somewhere. Did something happen? Were they dropping off their things, already? Rainbow asked, herself, curiously.

Rainbow steeled her resolve. These questions, unlike those involving her niece had answers. She simply just had to ask Flash!

She slowly trotted up to flash, and opened her mouth, practically causing the pegasus to jump out of his skin. "Are you going somewhere, Flash, darling?" Rainbow asked, the orange stallion, with the blue mane and tail.

"Yes," Flash replied, bluntly, regaining his composure. "But didn't I tell you to remain back at the camp?" He asked, sternly, his head remaining fixed on the chariot as he began to fiddle with some items that had been placed into it, by someone.

"Maybe, darling, " Rainbow said, clearly. "But I believe that I asked you first," she said, cattily, waving her mane from side to side. "And I'd really appreciate it if you answered, first, Flash, darling! If it wouldn't be too much trouble, of course!"

Flash scoffed, lowering his head, in defeat. He had really thought about being a hard-plot, and pressing his authority to silence the mare, but he was always a sucker for a pretty mare, and couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he stamped his hoof, futility, and finally turned to the cyan earth pony. "I'm sorry, guys, but I've been ordered by Princess Luna to personally lead the search for one of your friends, Skywishes, " he said, looking away, unwilling to face the cyan pony's face when she put two and two together.

"Skywishes?" Rainbow asked, nervously, hearing the name of her pink, special wishes granting, earth pony friend. "What happened, Flash, darling?" She asked, terror beginning to creep onto her face. "Did something happen to that darling, Skywishes?"

"I'd rather not say," he said, with a frown, his hoof quivering like a leaf as he spoke. "But the good news is that Luna believes that she'd been able to contact with your friend via her dreams, and that she is ok... For now..." He said, his voice trailing off...

"What was that, darling?" Rainbow asked, nervously, Flash was hiding something, and she didn't like it already... If she found out that this had something to do with Chrysi... "Tell me again!"

"Nothing..." He said, nervously, his eyes darting around from side to side. "I just need to leave as quickly as possible... so that I can.. make... your reunion happen sooner!" He lied, pathetically, a phony smile on his face, which was still unseen as he forgot to turn around again.

Once again, Lady Rainbow began to stir from wherever she was hiding, in the depths of Rainbow's psyche, and a cascade of senses started to seep into her head, betraying the nature of the pegasus' feelings! He was hiding something, and the tastes of his emotions started to betray what it was! She sensed guilt, and reticence in him, a mix that kind of tasted like garlic, and ginger...

Rainbow's face scrunched, like a prune, as the frustration, and concern, started to bubble to her face. "What happened?" Rainbow asked again... That feeling... This had to do with her... What had Chrysi done this time? "Is this about Chrysi?" Rainbow asked, sternly, demanding an honest answer from the pegasus pony who had, up until now, dodged all her questions.

The pegasus, nodded his head, and flew off in a hurry. He was sorry, he really was. He felt bad to disrespect, and mistreating a mare, let alone a pretty mare, like that, as it went against everything he believed in. But he had no choice! He simply couldn't bring himself to tell her that her friend had been captured by changelings and would soon be either a changeling drone, or a pony mummy... Depending on the mood of the queen... He shook violently as he flew away, hoping that he was out of eyeshot... Chrysalis would pay! So help him Celestia! The changeling queen would pay!

Rainbow could taste that last feeling, and it made her ill... There was only one feeling it could be, and she feared it...

Fear...

And the cyan changeling turned earth pony had just hit the nail on the head...

She stamped her hoof down, angrily... That cinched it! It was time that someone confronted that monster! Her little cousin was no longer the innocent Starshine Glimmer who desperately missed the friends Celestia stole from her! She was now the wicked monster Queen Chrysalis... And, heaven willing, she was going to slay the dragon... Well... Metaphorically speaking, of course...

Rainbow broke into a gallop trying to catch up with the fleeing pegasus only to be stopped after only a few feet by the wings of the two guards positioned in an x shape to block. "Excuse me, stallions, darling," Rainbow asked, politely, attempting to walk through the two stallions. "Could you please please escort my great niece, and my daughter back to ponyville, I -- "

The guards shook their heads, sternly. Every ounce of their rippling muscles screamed one thing 'you shall not pass!' "Negative! We're sorry, ma'am," one of the guards replied, almost robotically.

"But we are not to let you leave until morning," both guards said in unison.

Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, only to be hushed by the second of the two guards. "So, please, go back to bed," the second commanded, as politely, as he could. "It's not safe now!" He pleaded, his expression softening.

"But darlings!" Rainbow replied, only getting the initial protest out before being hushed by the guards.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Dash!" The first guard said, his voice growing soft, as well. "We'll leave in the morning, please leave the search for Mrs. Skywishes to Commander Sentry!" He pleaded.

Rainbow shook her head. "I suppose, darlings, " she said, turning around to go back to the campsite -- she didn't want to get those nice men in trouble, after all, and her niece probably wasn't going anywhere, fast. So she'd just retreat, for now, and then plot a new plan in the morning.

"Umm... " Pinkie said, approaching nervously, approaching Rainbow, and the guards, from the shadows. "I don't mean to be a bother, sirs, but would it be ok, if someone told me what is going on, and why did Mr. Sentry just flew off?" She asked, with dismay.

"How much did you see, Pinkie, darling?" Rainbow asked, nervously, previously unaware that her daughter friend had been eavesdropping on them.

"Enough!" Pinkie said, looking down. "I'm sorry, Mama Pie!" She said, sadly.

"All is forgiven, " Rainbow said, putting on a motherly smile. "It's going to be ok, darling!" She said, reassuringly.

"But is it going to be ok for Skywishes?" Pinkie asked, turning to Rainbow. "I mean, from everything I've heard those bug ponies are pretty mean!" She continued, a nervous expression growing on her face.

"Umm..." Rainbow said, doing what she was mentally chastising Flash for, just mere moments before: dodging the question. "Let's see if Minty's up, darling," Rainbow said, with a frown. "We have many things to discuss, darling." She said, her back to her daughter, as she sauntered back towards the camp.

Pinkie gave a soft sigh, a hint of frustration creeping into her countenance as she trotted along. She hated to admit it, but she hated it when people acted like this. And it didn't help that her mother was the one doing it to her, even if she still wasn't used to calling the darling of Ponyville, mother...

"Are you coming, darling?" Rainbow asked, kindly, turning her head back, for a second. She could tell Pinkie was upset, but was unsure what to do about it? Afterall, could she tell Pinkie that some horrible fate had already befallen the pink earth pony... or would shortly...? She shook her head, and pushed along.

"I'm coming, Rainbow," Pinkie replied, gently. "Later it is!" She said, sarcastically, eagerly awaiting an overdue discussion with her friend mother