Long Live the Queen

by QueenChrysalisForever

To Our Fates

Changeling Castle- Apatelodes

Hooves pounded the ground all around me, throwing up dust and clumps of dead grass. I heard a pony scream somewhere behind me, cut short. I stood among a sea of black and blue, with the occasional pastel running past in bright gold armor. A bolt of bright red magic lanced toward me, but before I could even dodge something pushed me out of the way. I turned to see a young changeling drone, his backplate violet, and eyes a piercing light purple. “You need to be more careful Hayfeather,” he said shooting a bolt of pale purple magic back in the direction the red had come from. Then he was off, running into the dust and sound of the pounding hooves.

Calm was around me, though it wasn’t the kind that brought peace. Bodies lay all over the battlefield, both of colorful ponies and the dark bodies of changelings. Most of the dead changelings had backplates of red or orange, but there were plenty of blue and purple among them. I recognized the changeling that had saved me before among them, his eyes open, now a grey-purple in death.

A cry of anguish came from behind me and turning around I gasped at what I saw. Queen Chrysalis of the Emerald hive stood next to Queen Julodinae, who had collapsed on the ground. Tears fell from their queen’s eyes as she laid a hoof gently upon her friend's royal purple mane. I hurried toward them, only to slide to a stop at the sound of cackling laughter.

The battlefield around me melted away, shadows surrounded me, and the flutter of wings filled my ears as eyes appeared from the shadows, most of them white with trails of smoke leaking out around them, but then from right in front of me a pair of bright red eyes appeared. They stared deep into my soul coming closer and closer. The laughter filled my ears, and I covered them trying to block it out. Blood covered fangs appeared below the red eyes, and it opened its mouth wide, blood dripping down onto me as it reared up to strike-

A hoof pounded on my door. I groaned, holding a hoof to my head. Opening my eyes, I looked around to see the light in my room had shifted. I must have fallen asleep again. History of the Crystal Empire lay open beneath me, its last page bent from where I must have fallen asleep on it. The only words near the bottom –continued in part two. The knock sounded again. Shaking my head, a pounding headache radiating from somewhere behind my horn, I stood and groggily made my way toward the door.

“What is it?” I growled out, baring my fangs as I opened the door. Upon seeing a young changeling colt standing there, ears flat against his head and trembling, I sighed and smiled at him. “Sorry, you woke me up. Is there a problem?”

“N-No sir, I was just sent to get you for lunch,” he stammered, looking towards the stairs to the right of my room. It was then I recognized the young colt. The entire right side of his face and muzzle were taken up by a blue spot, only a ring of black standing out thinly around his eye. His parents had thusly named him Spot. Why they had decided to go against the traditional naming style, I have no idea, but it sure hadn’t helped the poor foal make friends. Even more so when they both died at the invasion of Canterlot.

I sighed and patted him on the head. “Thanks, Spot, I’ll be down shortly.”

“Okay Appy!” he beamed, grabbing a book about half as tall as he was from his saddlebag and plopping down on the floor next to my door. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Spot, what have I told you about calling me Appy?” I sighed, shaking my head.

He shrugged, opening the book and starting to read. “That I should only say it in a private setting?”

“No Spot, no. Just… please don’t call me that okay?” If anyling else heard him call me such, they’d never take me seriously again.

He sighed. “Okay Appy,” he beamed and turned back to his book.

I facehoofed, but simply sighed and trotted back into my room, closing the door. I grabbed out a cloth and a jar of polish, walking over to my armor. Wouldn’t have time now to make it look perfect, but getting most of the dust and ashes off of it shouldn’t take too long. After all, couldn’t go down looking dirty!

That dream from before swirled around in my brain. After having read the last few pages of Hayfeathers book, which denoted when the hive that had taken her in finally joined the fight among the other changelings, I didn’t know what to think. Was it for real? Had there been other changeling hives? I scrubbed the armor hard, the caked ash and dust falling away.

Hayfeather didn’t seem like the type to lie or to make up stories. But those last three pages hadn’t made any sense! Not only did they say nothing more about the Alicorn amulet, but they had mentioned at least three other hives beside our own.

Then there was that ending, those eyes, those fangs… I shuddered. What did it all mean? Why did I remember this dream so vividly? All I knew was I had to know more. I couldn’t tell the others about more hives, not until I knew for sure. Was this ‘part two’ in our library, or was it part of the collection of whatever hive Hayfeather had joined? Wherever it was, I would tear our entire library apart searching for it. I sighed, levitating over my cleaner breastplate and wiggling it on; if I ever found the time to search for it.

About ten minutes later I opened my door. I had done what I could with my armor, and it at least looked passable. Though my mane was still a mess. Spot hopped up upon seeing me, stuffing the book back in his bag. “Come on, I’m starving Appy,” he giggled, skipping down the hallway toward the stairs. I followed at a more leisurely pace, not all that hungry for once.

---

Ponyville Hospital- Twinkleshine’s Room- Shiny Whistle

Cadence and I had finally calmed Twinkleshine down when Shining Armor and Helping Heart arrived at the door together, stepping inside. “The train will be ready to leave in about an hour,” Heart said, ears twitching as she noticed the three of us sitting on the bed, Twinkleshine breathing heavily between us. “You okay dear? Injuries healing well?” Heart trotted over, and I moved out of her way as she knelt to check on Twinkleshine’s injured flank. “Hmm yes, seems it has healed up well.”

“Y-yeah I am fine, Discord was just here and-”

Heart lifted a hoof, nodding in understanding. “Say no more, you’re not the only pony he… intimidates. Well then if that is all, I think we can safely release you. Please sign the release forms as you leave.”

Twinkleshine nodded, standing and trotting toward the door, though she paused, looking back at us. “S-so do you still plan on taking th-that creature with you to Canterlot?”

I shrugged, “depends on what my sister wants to do.”

“And if you can go at all,” Heart snorted, turning her attention back to me. “I think it would be safe for me to do one last check on you. I just wouldn’t feel right sending you off in the condition you are in, not with those changelings running amok.”

“It’s okay Heart, he’ll be safe with me,” Cadence said, grinning at her. “I can protect him and his… sister.”

“Shiny is a tough stallion, he’ll survive,” Shining chuckled, punching a hoof against my shoulder. I winced slightly but nodded.

“With these two all will be well.”

Heart sighed, ears drooping slightly, but nodded. “I’ll trust your judgment then, Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor.” She bowed to each of them. “But if he needs it, don’t be afraid to stop in at the Canterlot North hospital, they know me there and can continue any treatment he may need.”

“Of course Heart, we’ll take care of him,” Cadence assured her. “But feel free to do one more check.”

“Come here then Shiny,” Heart said, putting a wing around me. I followed her over to the corner of the room, where she pulled down a little screen and tapped it. It buzzed to life, a mana battery inside of it allowing even a pegasus like Heart to be able to use it. She pressed one button on it, and a beam of red light ran over my body a few times before the device beeped. “Hmm…” she said, eyes gazing at the screen as words appeared on it. “Heavy bruising around the barrel and back, shallow cut on the cheek-easily taken care of-, and a hairline fracture in the third rib on the left.” She lifted the screen again, looking over at me.

“Well,” I said. “I can still go, right?”

“Against my better judgment, yes you can go. We can give you medicine that should have that fractured rib fully healed in a few days, but until then avoid using a saddlebag as that will only make the healing process take longer. As for the bruises, they should heal fine on their own but avoid laughing too hard, and apply a cold compress when you settle down for the night.” She took out a notepad and holding it in her wing, grabbed up a pencil in her mouth and jotted something down on it. “Give this to the mare at the front and she’ll give you the things you need.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking the piece of paper up in my magic as she handed it over to me.

“I’m here to serve,” she beamed, nodding goodbye to each of them and leaving the room.

I turned to Shining and Cadence, “thank you for your help. If it wasn’t for you two, she’d probably have made me stay here.”

“Of course Shiny,” Cadence said. “Your sister needs you after all.” She turned to look at her husband, trotting over to him and nuzzling against his neck. “Though honey, I’m afraid you won’t be joining us for the rest of the trip.”

“W-what?” Shining gasped, pulling away from her. “I must go! That devil of a Queen might be heading to Canterlot. I couldn’t bear to lose you to her again.” He put a hoof to her cheek, gazing into her eyes. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened before.”

I trotted over to stand next to Twinkleshine, watching the two of them converse. “Wonder why she doesn’t want him to come?” Twinkleshine whispered to me, leaning back against the doorframe.

“Who knows,” I whispered back.

“Shinikins, neither do I,” Cadence sighed. “But there is something I need you to check on back in the Crystal Empire. It can’t wait until this is all over.” She leaned over and whispered into his ear. Shining jolted, ears going flat against his head as his eyes grew wide. “You understand dear?”

“You’re right,” Shining nodded, snorting. “That can’t wait. Very well, Cady, I’ll catch the next train to the Empire.” He planted a kiss on her lips, and I felt Twinkleshine tremble beside me. Looking over at her, she had a slightly goofy look on her face, eyes unfocused and the tip of her tongue sticking out.

“You okay?” I asked her.

Twinkleshine shook her head, blinking and sticking her tongue back in. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Don’t they make a cute couple?”

“Sure, I guess?” I said, turning to see Cadence wrap her hooves around Shining in a quick hug, then he left.

Cadence sighed, watching him go. Then, taking a deep breath and putting a hoof to her chest, she let the breath out, holding the hoof out in front of her. She did this a few times before she dropped the hoof to the ground and turned back to us. “So, you’ll be joining us on the trip to Canterlot, Twinkleshine?”

Twinkleshine groaned, rubbing her head with a hoof. “Very well Princess, I will join you.”

---

Ponyville Train Station- Queen Chrysalis

Discord wiggled in delight beside me as the Friendship Express slowly pulled into the station. Princess Cadence stood in front of us all, ears twitching slightly. Shiny stood next to Discord’s other side and Twinkleshine on my right as far from Discord as she could get. “How did I let you talk me into this?” She groaned, glaring at Discord when he wiggled his ears at her.

“Oh come now, you know we’ll have a great time!” Discord grinned, snapping his fingers and producing little cameras around each of our necks. “We’ll have the best vacation ever and maybe get a photo op with the princesses…”

“Stop fooling around Discord, this is a serious visit,” I snorted, removing the camera and tossing it back at him, which he made disappear with another snap.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it. I for one would love to get a picture of the two lovers reuniting,” he crooned, putting an arm around me and hugging me close.

“If we do,” Chrys sighed. Cadence stepped forward as the train hissed to a stop. Nodding to the conductor, he opened the door to the car we had been in before and ushered us inside. Shiny grabbed up Lucky and Fire’s bags they had left on the train and hoofed them outside.

“These belong to the two stallions that were with us, they are at the Ponyville hospital now,” he said.

“I’ll make sure they get them,” the conductor said shutting the door behind Twinkleshine, who was the last one inside.

Discord curled up on the top of a seat near the center, paw and claw under his muzzle as he watched the rest of us settle down. I sat back down near Shiny, while Cadence took her seat across from us again. Twinkleshine went to the far side of the car, levitating a book out of her saddlebag and nestling down to read, yet her ears were turned toward Discord.

The train lurched beneath us a few minutes later and we were off. A yellow-orange sign passed by us. Canterlot: 14 Miles. That would take hardly any time at all. I hadn’t reckoned on having Discord with us when we met with Celestia. Would he help us with our plea, or just make things worse?

“I sent a letter ahead of us, to tell Auntie we were coming,” Cadence said.

“W-what?” My eyes widened in fear as I stood up on my seat. What had she told Celestia? Did she tell her everything? Oh, colt oh colt oh colt, we really were riding into a trap, weren’t we?

“Calm down Dew,” Shiny said, standing and wrapping his hooves around me. “I’m sure Cadence just wanted to make it easier on Princess Celestia. That and don’t most need a notice sent anyway to have an audience with her?”

“That’s right.” Cadence nodded. “Don’t worry Dew, everything will be okay.”

“Hmph, that’s what she thinks! And here I thought she wanted to help us? Colt were we being foals.” Chrys snorted.

The door to our train car opened, and a tall pegasus stallion, blue-furred with a pale green mane stuck his head inside. “We were told one Shiny Whistle could be found in this car.” He said, looking around and spotting Shiny next to me. “Ah yes, there he is.”

“Shiny!”

“There he is!” Two young pegasus fillies burst the door open around the stallion, running into the car. One was a dark purple with a cornflower mane and tail, the other was a dark blue with a bright pink mane and tail. The purple one jumped up beside us and tackled Shiny in a hug, wrapping her little hooves around his neck.

“What in the hay?” Twinkleshine said, putting her book down as I jumped down from the bench and out of the way as the dark blue filly grabbed onto Shiny’s left forehoof and hugged him.

“Er… do-do I know you?” Shiny mumbled, adjusting his back legs so he didn’t fall over. He winced slightly, adjusting the fillies hold on him. Probably those wounds of his?

“Aw, Shiny has the fillies all over him, hmmm?” Discord chuckled, taking in the sight.

“Girls, what did I tell you?” Another pegasus stallion, this one red with a silver mane and tail pushed past the blue one and stomped into the room. “Get off him now!”

“Sorry,” they mumbled, ears drooping as they hopped to the floor and walked over to the red stallion.

“It’s okay sir, they weren’t causing any trouble.” Shiny grinned at him.

The red stallion snorted. “Perhaps, but they know better.” He looked around the room while the blue stallion slowly stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His eyes fell on me, and he smiled. “We met one stormy night,” he said.

“Ah, been a long time since I heard that,” Chrys sighed. “It’s our hives code phrase for finding each other amongst ponies. These four must be the ones who came to find us. Tell him “in a dark, dusty barn.”

I nodded, turning to look at him. “In a dark, dusty barn.”

“I knew it,” he said and turned to the others. “We are right where we need to be, find your seats.”

“Excuse me, but who are you?” Cadence asked, looking between the red stallion, the fillies, and me.

“Just…. a friend coming to help,” he said simply, groaning as the two fillies plopped themselves down beside Shiny.

Cadence raised one eyebrow and turned to look at me. I nodded, and she took a deep breath, sighing. “Very well, you may all stay.”

“Thank you,” the red stallion said, then turned back to me. “May I talk to you privately for a moment?”

I looked to Shiny, who was occupied with the two fillies as they pulled out a pair of penny whistles and began to play for him. Discord simply watched it all with glee, chuckling to himself from his perch on the back of the bench. Twinkleshine had gone back to her book, but one eye still watched the newcomers, especially the blue stallion, who had taken the seat next to her.

“Sure, but make it quick,” I said and we walked from our car into the next. It was surprisingly empty. The red pegasus quickly trotted over to the opposite door, throwing the blinds over the window and locking the door, then doing the same to the door we had entered from.

With a flash of green fire, I looked to see Morpheus standing in front of me. I followed suit, dropping my own disguise. I stretched out my wings, glad to have them back again, sighed, and looked down at him. “So, you came to check on me, I assume?”

“Yes my Queen,” he said, bowing. “When we couldn’t contact you through your emerald, we feared the worst.”

“Yes, the fire destroyed it.”

“We figured as much.” He pulled a bag from the compartment above down with his magic, opened it, and placed a new emerald before me. “This is for you. It already has both mine and Apatelodes casting emeralds coded into it.” I took it and placed it in my bag. “Has everything gone well, my Queen? That pony hasn’t tried anything? Their little princess in there didn’t capture you?”

“No, everything is okay Morpheus.” At least I hoped it still was. “Who are the others that came with you?”

“Danaus, Acronicta, and Nemoria,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“What? Why did he bring those two? It’s not safe out here for a changeling, let alone some of our only females!” Chrys growled.

“Why did you bring Nemoria and Acronicta?” I asked, ears twitching.

“See, I knew you wouldn’t want them coming along!” He huffed, swatting a hoof in the air. “It was all Apatelodes idea, he wanted to ‘give them a chance' but no, I knew you would rather them stay home. Why did I listen to that fool-” I placed a hoof to his mouth.

“Calm down Morpheus. True we would have preferred them to stay home where it is safe, but they are here now. Have they done well while out in the field?” I removed the hoof, placing it back on the floor.

He rolled his eyes but nodded. “Better than many of their hatchmates did on their first time out of the hive actually. Just those blasted flutes!” He groaned, pulling his ears down.

“Well then, perhaps everything will be okay.” A train horn blew, and the light coming from the windows around us grew dark as we passed under the mountain. The only thing I could see in the dark train car was Morpheus’s bright blue eyes. “Now, we are almost to Canterlot. All Tartarus could break loose if we are not careful. Celestia already knows we are coming. I don’t know in what way she knows, be it my disguise or as myself, but be careful. Guard those little fillies well. If something is to happen to me, they as well as my daughter are our future.”

“Of course my Queen,” Morpheus said. “I’ll guard them with my life if need be.”

“Good,” I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.

“All we have prepared for is at our hooves. You CAN do this, no matter what may be ahead of us” Chrys said. “If anything, at least Celestia can be warned of this threat of Radiant Hope.”

I blinked as sunlight pierced through the windows around us again, and I got my first look at Canterlot. It looked a lot bigger than I had imagined, and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I quickly changed back into Dew Song’s form, feeling Morpheus change back into his red pegasus form beside me. The time had finally come, we would be pulling up to the train station in a few minutes, and our fate would be decided.

Author's Note:

After about 2 months, we have a new chapter, wooo! Sorry about the long wait everypony, this has been a much harder semester than I thought it would be. That and having a full time job as well has just killed me recently. Most nights it is either 1) Work, homework, sleep or 2) Class, homework, sleep with little time for anything fun in-between. Spring Break is FINALLY here, which means between the days I work I finally have some time to relax. With the start of that time, I was able to finish this next chapter.
And so now we are almost to Canterlot, next chapter we will have arrived at our destination that took over a year to reach (in non-story life at least ). The next few chapters are some I have been waiting a LONG time to work on because so much happens. So I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do writing them.
For those who read the comics or like anime you might spot a few references in here to such things. At least two should be fairly obvious and if anyone can spot them, you win a virtual cookie! *note* for the comic one you need to pay attention to more than just what is being said and notice things in the background (of the comic). Just a little clue for you.
We have several guest appearances in this chapter (heh or I guess one could be called a new side character, since I plan on them sticking around for awhile.) First we have Spot, a young changeling stallion bookworm owned by MuckyHusky. Next is Helping Heart, also owned by MuckyHusky, who we have seen before and comes at us again to give our heroes one last checkup before they head out into the insanity of the world again! Lastly is 'Twinkleshine', or Meep the Changeling, owned by Meep the Changeling. She shall be with our heroes for some time still.
And with that, I will state the usual in that I would love to hear your comments, critiques and ideas of what you think will happen when they arrive at Canterlot.
P.S if you would like to see an OC of your own appear in the story, feel free to send me a PM or comment below about them and I can see if any of them will work for what I have planned. I could especially use some Canterlot ponies for the next few chapters (so we don't just have the usual ones we see all the time.) Note: Sending me info about them either in comments or in PM doesn't guarantee they will show up, but can give them a chance.
Pre-Read By Meep the Changeling
Little Edits Done 7/7/21

Comments

[Interdimensional cable34]

Later it should have Phemi or a number of OCs you know of mine

[QueenChrysalisForever]

8169166
Hmmm perhaps, if I find a good place for them, Even if it is just a cameo or small role or something.