Long Live the Queen

by QueenChrysalisForever

Into the Heart of the Diamond Dog’s Lair Part 1

Canterlot Castle- Shiny Whistle

I struggled to come up with a song to write as chaos brewed around me. Discord and Velvet were in and out of our temporary front room Celestia had given us to stay in while at the castle. Flash kept explaining to somepony what had happened, though they talked softly enough that I was unable to determine who. Twinkleshine tried to come check on me, but Velvet led her away with a whisper. The persistent whirling of discussing, worrying, and planning around me drowned out my thoughts.

“Enough!” I tossed my quill onto the desk. I couldn’t write a new song like this. Colt, it wasn’t even just the background noise. Whenever there was a lull, my imagination took hold of all the horrors that might befall Chryssy. Had Hope already killed her and all her changelings? Was she sprawled in a heap somewhere -exhausted and so low on love she was dying? I held a hoof to my forehead and groaned. This panic wasn’t helping anypony. I needed to calm down. Was there anything I could do to prove Chryssy was wrong about me? Was it even worth trying to prove her wrong, if she didn’t care? If work on a new song couldn’t calm me, what could? I sighed and just shook my head between my hooves. No, she was right. I wasn’t the right type of pony for her. She needed somepony strong, sure of themselves, with the ability to lead. Not a whiny foal like myself.

I pushed back in my chair, stood and then trotted toward the door. I mumbled about taking a walk to Velvet as I pushed the bedroom door open. He was the only one currently in sight. Discord and Flash had followed those they had been talking to downstairs not too long ago.

He sat up from his chair just outside of our room. “You sure that is a good idea, bro?”

“I can’t concentrate. I need to do more than just sit here!”

Velvet stood and stepped in front of me. He put a forehoof to each of my shoulders and frowned at me. “Shiny, the Princesses are doing all they can to help,” he said softly. “After seeing the note−“

“NO!” I growled and pushed him away. “What can they do, huh Velvet? How can they stop this?” My breathing grew labored as I tried to control my temper. Be calm Shiny. No emotions, no emotions.

Velvet took a step back and rubbed a hoof against the back of his head. “Well, I don’t know entirely. They sent the Wonderbolts to her known hive location to see what is happening. Other than that though I- I don’t think there is much they can do right now.”

I gazed up at Velvet at the mention of the Wonderbolts. Had he gotten a chance to talk with Soarin’? Probably not. Even in my current state, I was sure my brother would have told me if he had talked with his old coltfriend. Before I could ask, I felt a hoof fall onto my shoulder.

“Thy brother is right, young Shiny,” Princess Luna said. I jolted, looking up as she stepped gracefully over to us. When had she gotten here? “We know it be not much, but our own subject’s safety must come first.”

“How can we be safe if such a killer is on the loose?” I asked. “Isn’t Hope one of your subjects?” Well okay maybe that would more fall under Cadence’s rule, but she was here! “What is to be done?”

“That is what we are trying to figure out.” She lifted a wing and placed it around me. “We know thy feelings for the dark queen are… strong,” she murmured. “Such makes times like these hard.”

“No kidding,” I huffed. “Have you heard anything?” I looked up at her hopefully.

Luna shook her head. “Not yet, though we do have other news for thou and thy brother.”

“Did you find Dew?” Velvet asked as he stepped up beside me.

She shook her head. “No, but thy parents are here to see thee.”

“Buck,” I cursed and shook my head. “Any chance I can just hide away from them?”

“We think it wiser if thou talk to them,” Luna frowned. “Does thou not want to calm their worries?”

I sighed and shook my head. “After running away again, I’m almost afraid of what they’ll say.”

Luna put her wing around me closer and smiled softly. “The consequences of the choices we make may be hard to bare, but bare it we must.”

“You’re right,” I nodded. At least it would be a distraction. Maybe I could think of what to write as we went along? “Er… sorry about earlier, by the way.”

Velvet gave an embarrassed chuckle beside me. “Shiny wasn’t in on that little prank. It was all my and Discord’s idea.”

Luna turned to him and nodded. “We are well aware of that, but as no lasting harm was done, what shall be done about it can wait. There are more pressing matters at hoof.” She turned and trotted toward the door. “Thy parents await thee in the throne room. Follow us.” Velvet and I trotted after her — though with slight reluctance on my part.

The activity in the castle was by far more active than it had been that morning. We passed by multitudes of soldiers decked out in armor as they hurried from place to place. They paid us little heed except to nod to Princess Luna as we passed them by.

“So, who all has been told what… happened?” I asked.

“Very few so far I think,” Velvet whispered. “Most know Chrysalis was seen here, above the castle, thanks to that panic earlier,” he rolled his eyes. “Much is being kept under hoof though.”

“That is perhaps for the best,” I whispered and continued along behind Luna.

I remained lost in my thoughts until a wing curled around me and I jumped. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Velvet smiled softly. “Just wanted to let you know I’m here for you bro. Might not have had as long as you to get to know the Queen, but she seems to have… changed from two years ago.”

“What are you trying to say?” I asked as I turned to look at him.

“Well, just… maybe dad was wrong. Sure some changelings are obviously bad, we’ve seen that just in the last few days! Yet, maybe not all of them are.”

“No species is all bad,” Luna nodded and paused in her hoofsteps. “Since we’ve returned, much of that has been seen in our travels. Negotiations with the Yaks have already begun, though an actual visit to Equestria is likely far in the future.”

I bit my lip and turned away from Princess Luna for a moment. “Well, do you think that could ever happen with the changelings?”

Luna pursed her lips in thought. “Perhaps, but it will take far more for ponies to accept them than our neighbors from the frozen north.” She turned back around and continued down the hallway. “Come, it is late and we’ve kept thy parents waiting long enough as it is.”

Velvet and I nodded and followed silently behind her. Colt, what was Dad going to say this time? He probably thought me a horrible son, after all, both my siblings had now followed after me in the times I ran away from home. Maybe even worse.

I jumped as somewhere near us a grandfather clock let out a loud gong and began to count off the hours. My ears twitched at each gong as our pace increased slightly. It was only as the twelfth gong fell that my heart returned to its normal pace. Midnight then. No wonder it was Luna who came to get us. Celestia was probably asleep.

Princess Luna pushed the throne room door open a few minutes later and led the way inside. Velvet followed quickly and I stepped in after him. The throne room was nearly empty. The only guards being Flash Sentry and a younger looking mare, who was almost short enough to be a filly, with azure blue fur and a periwinkle mane. Beside them stood Velvet and my parents. Their expressions were as different as night and day− father watched both Velvet and me carefully, eyes narrowed and his ears twitched slightly, while mother had her infamous grin upon seeing us.

“Velvet! Shiny!” she yelled and raced over to us. She enveloped the two of us within her honey-colored wings and hugged us close. Her cheeks were wet where she rubbed them against us and her eyes looked a little bloodshot. She pulled away a moment later and smiled softly at us. “I’ve been so worried, especially after the panic earlier today. Is it true the changeling queen attacked somepony?”

“What?” I gasped and then immediately shook my head. Curse those stupid rumors that spread like wildfire! “No mom, no. She didn’t try to hurt anypony.” Or had she? Chryssy had been upset about somepony dying when I last saw her. She even seemed to think she’d killed them. No, I can’t be that wrong about her. I can’t! Could I? There was a chance. After all, how well did I really know her? I’d been with her hive less than a month, and in that time interacted with her even less than that. Before our journey, I perhaps saw her a few minutes each day.

Oh colt! She did try to kill Lucky! If I hadn’t been there…. I held a hoof to my forehead and shook it. Was everypony right about her? Was I a foal for falling for her? Did I have some sort of death wish?

“Then what happened dear?” she asked.

“Well I-I don’t know all the details,” I admitted, “but she got a note about her hive burning, and raced off.”

My dad snorted. “So somepony decided to finish off those murderers while their Queen was away, did they?”

“Solo!” my mother snapped and swatted one of his ears. “That is uncalled for.”

Father scrunched up his muzzle at the swat and narrowed his eyes. “Uncalled for? After what they did? Shiny himself told us ponies died from their actions at the wedding!”

“That was only a few of them dad,” Velvet said. “Not the whole hive.”

“Doesn’t change anything,” father huffed, “ponies still died. Those bugs stole the lives away from so many. There are still some ponies missing who were replaced beforehoof, and who knows if they will ever be found?” He looked down at the floor, ears lowered and a scowl on his lips. “Their queen lied, she surely knew and helped plan the whole thing.”

“No, dad,” I sighed. Or was he right? Ugh, why were things getting so complicated? How could I know for sure, when I had ran when Celestia confirmed the deaths? “Dad, I-I just trust her word.She never showed me ill while I was in the hive.” Though for missing ponies, that I couldn’t deny. Star Bright had even said her family knew nothing of where she had gone. Why not others?

He turned to glare at me and took a step forward. “Trust her word, do you? How could anypony trust the word of a creature that hides their true nature?” he took a few steps closer to me. “Unless you are one of them!” He stomped his hoof on the ground.

“What?” I gasped as my mouth dropped open in surprise. “Dad, it’s me! I’m not a changeling.”

Mother looked between the two of us uncertainly. “Well, er, Shiny… y-your father does have a point,” she whispered and took a step closer to him. “T-they are all good at hiding.”

Colt, was mother scared of me? I thought her reaction to Discord had been bad, but now this? I shook my head in disbelief. They really couldn’t tell the difference?

“Of course he’s Shiny, Mom!” Velvet snorted. “I’ve been with him all this time. I think I’d know my own brother.”

“Unless he’s been in disguise this whole time,” Father hissed. “Our poor colt is probably still stuck back in their castle, or even worse, dead now!” he growled. “Thanks to you fiends!” He yelled as he pointed a hoof at me.

“Mr. Solo,” Luna said softly and trotted over beside me. “I understand your fears, but yelling at Shiny isn’t going to solve the problem.”

“No, no, you're right,” he growled, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “There is a way though, isn't there?” Father chuckled darkly as he looked up at her. “I’ve heard of spells one can use to check. Or those inhibitor rings, they block all magic, right? So if he is one of them he’ll turn back.”

“Really Father?” I growled softly. He’d really make somepony put an inhibitor ring on me? “All of those are still highly experimental, and even Princess Twilight has admitted them not always effective.” I’d done my research well before I left to find the changelings. Sure, he didn’t know about my research but to want to use a spell on me was ridiculous! This wasn’t like father. He wasn’t usually this quick to jump to conclusions. Was it my fault he had changed?

“As for the inhibitor ring, I’m sure there are less cruel ways.” I just couldn’t believe he would suggest such a thing. Only unicorns that committed a deadly crime were usually given those. It was like someone cutting off one of your limbs, after all. The newspapers had even said the changelings didn’t get one slapped on them until after their true forms were revealed. I guess one couldn’t entirely trust the papers though, now that I had learned what secrets the Princesses had kept from us.

“There is a more reliable way, Mr. Solo,” Luna said and Father whipped his head toward her at her words.

“I’ve not heard of any others,” he turned to look at Mother, “have you?”

Mother shook her head. “No, but if the Princess says there is another way I believe her.”

“What is it?” Velvet asked.

“For those who do not live near a zebra, it is not so well known,” Luna said softly. “Each zebra has their own type of talent, similar to our own, though theirs tend to focus on similar aspects. The reason I mention so, is there are some zebras that can see through illusions, such as those used by a changeling.”

My ears perked up and I nodded, “yes, I remember Chryssy saying as much. We ran into one on our trip to Canterlot.” I looked back to Luna. “She is much too far away to help though.”

“There is another that is part of our staff,” Luna smiled.

“So you want me to rely on the word of some stranger?” Father spat. “How can we know she isn’t one of them too? Or worse, in cahoots with the changelings?”

Ugh, why must my Father be so paranoid? I groaned, facehoofed, and then shook my head.

“She is quite trustworthy, Mr. Solo,” Luna said. “In the past two years, she has helped reveal dozens of changelings.”

“I-I don’t know, Princess,” Mother murmured. “They are always speaking in riddles, and I heard about that one zebra down near Ponyville cursing Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”

You too Mother? “Please Dad, Mother,” I sighed. “Let her come and prove to you I am who I say I am.”

“It is unwise to believe everything you hear, Mrs. Mystery,” Princess Luna said softly. “Twas not Zecora who cursed Twilight and her friends, simply poison joke flowers.”

Mother gazed from Luna to me for a moment, her ears slightly tilted downward, then with a nod turned to face Father. “Please honey,” she sighed and nuzzled against his neck. She whispered something into his ear, and I saw a tremble run through him. What had she said?

“Fine,” he growled and rolled his eyes, but put a hoof around Mother and held her close. Was he trying to protect her from me or something? “This won’t be the same as the wedding, I will get my son back.”

“W-what?” my mouth fell open at his words. At the same moment, his eyes grew wide and he turned away from us. “Dad, what do you mean?” I asked. “Velvet and I are here.”

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “Just… somepony go get that Zebra!”

“I can go get her, if you like, Princess?” the filly sized mare squeaked. Something seemed familiar about her, though I don’t think I’d met her before. One of those faces maybe?

“I’ll come too!” Velvet volunteered, and trotted over to the mare. “If that is okay?” I didn’t blame him for wanting to get away, Father was acting weird.

Princess Luna nodded to the two of them. “Very well, and be sure to apologize for waking her at this late hour.”

“Of course Princess,” the mare nodded.

“Er, may I be excused for a moment as well? I forgot my things in our room.” Maybe I could get away as well. At least until Dad was ready to explain himself.

“The castle staff can send them to you later,” Dad snorted. “How can we be sure you won’t switch out when you leave?” I swear there was something… different about his voice, as if he… had a frog in his throat perhaps. Was he about to cry?

“Come on Solo. Let him get his stuff,” Mother soothed. “He’ll be right back, right honey?”

I nodded. “Of course, Mother.”

“I can go with him, if you like?” Flash offered. “If he tries to run I won’t let him,” he saluted and stood up straight.

“Yes please,” mother nodded. “Is that okay with you, Solo?”

Dad let out a deep sigh, but nodded. “Hurry up then.” I was sure he was still not happy about it, but glad he agreed. Perhaps if I showed him my whistle though, that would help prove who I was?

“See you soon bro!” Velvet grinned, then turned to face the other guard. I waved a hoof his way, and with Flash taking the lead, stepped once again out of the room.

---

Over Leota Forest - Queen Chrysalis

It was late into the night as I continued flying. I wasn’t sure how late, as clouds had covered the moon and stars, once in awhile they let the light shine through, but for the most part the shadows covered the land. I could feel the weariness in my bones and wings as I continued westward. My chitin felt scorched from the heat of the flames of the fallen changeling castle, but my pain wasn’t important. Forging onward and keeping my promise to Chrys was.

Forests of different biomes and sizes passed below me as I flew. Was I surprised? No, not after everything else I had seen so far in this world. Why not have a jungle right next to your everyday forest? A river cut through all of them. Tributaries shot off in each direction and looked like they eventually would wind around to return to the normal parts of Equestria.

Shrieks, growls, and hisses echoed up from the ground below and made me extra glad I could fly. After all, the ponies didn’t control the land around here, and — much like the Everfree forest — I was sure something down there would love to make a snack of me if I wasn’t careful. I saw the flickering shadows of long, lithe beasts racing past between the trees and wondered what exactly was down there. Sure Twilight and her friends had traveled through them in the comics when they were coming to rescue Applejack and Rarity’s sisters, but as most comics go, there was still much left out.

I hadn’t been flying for long before the strength to keep going left me. My wings cramped from the strain I’d already put them through in the last day and refused to keep buzzing behind me. Spots floated before my eyes as I plummeted toward some forest below. I caught myself, barely, before I fell into the river. Instead, with deep, gasping breaths I landed on the riverbank and plopped onto my belly.

“Not good,” I rasped, my mouth dry and scratchy. If I couldn’t fly, how was I to make it through these woods? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then looked back at the river. The water flowed pass me at a rapid pace, probably a waterfall somewhere nearby. As I rose to my hooves I stepped closer to the water and licked my lips. Might not be very ‘queenly’ but I needed water somehow. It wasn’t until I dipped my muzzle into the water and gulped down large mouthfuls that I realized this was the first time since being here I drank water like a ‘normal’ equine. I snorted at the irony.

I swiveled my ears to face behind me as I heard something whispering through the grass. With my muzzle raised just above the water I stood still and listened. My heartbeat quickened when a twig snapped. A low snarl escaped my lips as I twisted around to see a pair of bright green, predatory eyes staring out at me from the long grasses. It surprised me for a moment that I could actually see anything when it was this dark. Of course, we are a predatory species. Makes sense that we’d be able to see in the dark. Nights on the road with Shiny had been well-lit by the moon, so how was I supposed to have known before now?

“Great, as if this day wasn’t bad enough,” I groaned. I hissed at the creature and bared my fangs. “Go away, or I’ll tear you apart!” A soft moan escaped me as I swayed a little. The water had helped a little, but I was still bone-tired.

The creature must have sensed my weariness, as it took a few more steps forward and out onto the bank. Surely it was the strangest creature I had yet seen in Equestria. It seemed to be a meld of two different creatures. The front half seemed feline or maybe canine, blue-black fur covered its face and back, accompanied by a poisonous green nose and fangs. The latter half and all four of its clawed legs were dark lavender colored scales with purple colored spines running down its back that led to a long, thin, snake-like tail. It licked its lips and stepped closer. Those eyes almost glowed as it stared me down.

“Y-you’re not going to scare me that easily, you f-fiend!” I gulped and took a step back. My hoof dipped into the river as I did so. What could I do against this beast? I was low on energy, both physical and the love I feed on. Without Chrys, I was pretty much powerless. “Oh Chrys, why did you have to leave me so soon?” I moaned.

The ground below me trembled for a moment; then again, as if something heavy had fallen to it nearby. Great, now I’m about to meet some other beast who hungers for my flesh like this one. The trembles of the ground grew almost constant and nearly tossed me to the ground as the intensity rose.

Mr. Cat-wolf-lizard took a few steps back and looked around, his ears splayed back. Why is he so scared of this thing? I heard a roar come from some nearby trees and finally fell over onto the damp bank as a huge creature came into view. All I could think of when I saw the grey-green, humanoid creature -lit by a hole in the cloud cover- was of a giant, as it easily towered above all but the tallest trees.

“LEAVE PONAY ALONE!” he yelled and swiped a hand at least twice my size at the furry, scaled beast. It let out a loud hiss at him and raced off with its tail tucked between its legs.

My hooves trembled below me with eyes wide as the giant thing dropped to the ground. The resulting boom sent me, nearby rocks, and even a few trees a few feet into the air before settling back into their respective places. Ooooh colt. There’s no way I can stand up against something that size! My ears splayed backwards as I craned my neck to look up at him.

He wore little clothing — just a brown loincloth and what looked like patches of grass as shoulder pads. A single fang rose out of his severe underbite of a mouth. His head was bald with a ridge going down the middle. Upon his right arm was a heart tattoo with an arrow going through it. A sagging beer belly covered much of his loincloth.

“Er… hello,” I mumbled. Please don’t eat me, please don’t eat me!

He leaned down over his bulging belly and smiled at me. “Jim no eat ponay’s,” he grinned, reading my thoughts. Not that it was particularly difficult. My face said it all.

“Oh, i-is that your name?” I grinned and carefully stood up.

“Yes, I Jim,” he beamed, showing off a few scattered teeth to go along with his fang. “Ponay okay?”

I nodded, not bothering to explain what I really was for now. “Thanks to you. I think that… thing wanted to make me his dinner,” I laughed hesitantly.

He nodded. “Kitay usually eat goats, but if no goats, eats ponay’s.”

Kitty? Goats? Ah! So the beast must have been a Chupacabra! I had forgotten they existed in Equestria. “Well, thanks for saving me Jim. I would have been kitty- er kitay chow without you.”

“Ponay is welcome,” he grinned and lifted a hand to pat me on the head. I grimaced as his pat knocked me from my hooves and back to the sand.

“Why did you rescue me?”

“Jim like ponay’s”, he said, then frowned, “most ponay’s.” He sniffed, and I had to dodge a teardrop the size of my barrel. I slipped back a few steps as more tears followed. “Pointy ponay and puppay’s steel Jim’s home,” he sobbed.

“Where did you live?” I asked. My hooves itched to continue on and find Citheronia, but I couldn’t leave my rescuer sitting there sobbing.

“Vewy biiiiiig caves,” he blubbered. “Jim live there many years, then pointy ponay and puppay’s enter caves and chase me way.”

I frowned, it couldn’t possibly be…? “Was the pony purple with a bluish mane?”

Jim nodded. “Ponay vewy mean. Her eyes glow redded and puppay’s bited me.” He held out his left leg, showing claw and bite marks all up and down the lower half of it. “They kill Jim’s Fwuffy’s and stweal my ponay’s!”

Poor guy, I sighed. Seems Hope wasn’t concentrating on just us changelings, she was hurting so many more creatures as well for her evil deeds. “Did the pony have shadowy creatures with her as well?”

He nodded with a shiver. “They scary. Fly around my hwead like mothies and laugh bad laughs.”

Yep, no doubt it was Hope then. I sat up as an idea came to me. “Hey Jim, could you take me to these caves they chased you from? I’ve actually been looking for them.”

The giant — or was he a troll? Would a giant live in caves? — blinked owlishly at me. “Puppay’s tear ponay apart. So many bad nwauty puppay’s.”

Well in my current condition, he wasn’t wrong about that. Not like I had anyone to feed from though.

If I even could anymore. Without Chrys, would I die of starvation? I couldn’t even cast a simple levitation spell. Surely the spell for draining love would be the same? If I could find a willing host to try it on….

I looked back up at Jim. Would he go for it? No, I couldn’t ask that of him, not after he saved me from the chupacabra. “Well, yes, they probably would,” I nodded.

A yelp escaped my lips as he picked me up between two tree-stump-thick fingers and hugged me to his cheek. “No want ponay to die too. Jim need fwiends.”

“Gah, well, careful then or you might crush me,” I gasped and pushed against his cheek.

“Oh, Sowwry,” he mumbled and placed me in the palm of one hand instead. He brought me up to his face and looked at me closely. “Ponay be Jim’s fwriend?”

“Uh, sure we can be friends,” I nodded. Well, if he wanted to be friends, maybe I could ask him for some love? But with his… childlike mindset explaining what I wanted would be hard.

“YAY!” he yelled pounding his legs against the ground and making everything around us shake like an earthquake.

“Woah, calm down,” I yelped and held onto his hand as well as I could. Didn’t want to fall and get crushed by his legs after all. I couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief when he stilled his legs. “Hey Jim, I think I might have a way to get your home back.”

“Ponay can help get home?”

I nodded. “Yes, I think so, but I’ll need your help.”

“What Jim need do?”

“Well, Jim I am not… your average pony. I’m… special.” Might as well stick with the pony thing. Who knows what he thought of changelings, if he even knew of us.

“So Jim have spwecial ponay friend?” he grinned and wiggled in delight.

I nodded. “Yeah, right.” Colt, how to explain feeding to a creature with such a puerile brain? “You see Jim… I need a special diet to keep big and strong.”

He turned his head sideways and rubbed his chin with his free hand. “Spwecial?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “While I can eat fruits and veggies like normal ponies, there is a special... vitamin so to say, I can’t get from them.”

“Jim find viteemeen for ponay?”

“Oh no, you don’t need to find it. You kind of already have it,” I grinned sheepishly.

He rose his eyebrows and gasped. “I have already? Where? Where?” he looked around him, his free hand pulled rocks and trees up from around him as he looked for it.

“Not there,” I said and held tighter to his hand again. “It is in you.”

“In Jim? P-Ponay need to EAT Jim?” he gasped.

“No, no, no, no, no, not exactly,” I shook my head and patted his cheek. “I ‘eat’ it with my magic,” I said and lit up my horn to emphasize the point. Huh, so it was working, for now.

“Like shot? Jim’s mummy make Jim get shots when little troll. Shots badbadbad,” he cringed.

“Well, kind of, but it shouldn’t hurt like a shot.” So he was a troll then. “Shall I demonstrate? You trust this ponay right?” I grinned. My lower lip puckered and I gave him the best puppy dog eyes I could muster in my exhausted state.

He scrunched up his face as he thought, but then nodded. “Jim trust ponay.”

“Okay, hold me up to your neck please,” I said and held onto his fat thumb as he raised his hand to his neck. My gaze ran over his neck, or what little neck he had among the rest of his bulk. I stepped off his hand and to his grass covered shoulder, feeling his slow, even breaths as he watched me. Please let me still be able to feed! I thought as I climbed up his shoulder and perched upon him. I guess if this doesn’t work I can just feed by fang. Sure Chrys had explained to me how to do so during one of our late night chats, after Hope first appeared, but I had yet to actually do so. Besides, I told Jim this wouldn’t hurt, and if I bit him, that very much would hurt!

I closed my eyes and lowered my horn to his neck. Here we go. I mumbled the spell beneath my breath and sighed in relief as my horn glowed and the pulsing light fell against his flesh. I blinked in surprise when it came out tasting like rock candy, so sugary sweet one might lose a tooth. Huh, that’s kind of ironic.

Before I could get more than a taste, howls rose through the air, and Jim stumbled to his feet. I rolled off his shoulder and had almost reached the ground before he caught me in his massive hand. “Sworry,” he mumbled. “Puppay’s scare me.”

I held a hoof to my head, nausea making my head swirl. “I-it’s okay,” I groaned and closed my eyes. “H-how about this Jim, take me to your home, and I’ll eat just before we get there. For your help, I will do all I can to get your home back for you, okay?”

“B-but puppay’s…” he shivered.

“You don’t have to go far enough for them to see you,” I said and patted his palm. “We’ll stop just before we get there, and then you can take a nap while I go in.”

“Ponay sure she want to do that? No want ponay to die too,” he sniffed.

“I must, Jim. She has m-my daughter. I have to rescue her.” Colt, was that a lot to think on! What was I saying she was Chry’s daughter, not mine! Sure I might be in the body of her mother, but what had I done for her really? How could I call her my daughter when I never felt her growing inside me. The wait as a mother eagerly watches her egg and waits for it to hatch. Colt, even the act of making her!

The gentle troll turned to me and tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. “S-she not kill ponay’s dawter?”

“I hope not, Jim. I really hope not.” She better not. If Citheronia was dead, then I had failed in all my queenly duties. Our home destroyed, the hive’s population decimated. How many were even still alive? I didn’t know. I wasn’t there when they really needed me. Every death was on my shoulders because I was too stupid to be a good ruler. Why did you think I was the ‘perfect replacement’ Discord? Everything I do is wrong. If I can do this one thing, if I can rescue Citheronia, maybe I won’t be as complete a failure as Chrys said I was. If I could at least protect one little filly, maybe I could start doing better.

She deserved to one day be Queen more than I, right? I was an imposter, a poser. She was supposed to inherit the throne and yet here I was. I’d stolen that chance from her. Her real mother had given me everything, made me the mare I was today, and this was how I repaid her? NO! This little spell would end with me. If I could just save Citheronia, I’d do my best to raise her to be a better Queen than I could ever be.

I took a deep breath and looked back up at Jim. “You ready?”

He stood and nodded. “Okay. Les go. Then Jim have more ponay fwends!” With me in the palm of his right hand, he stepped over the river and into the woods on the other side. The ground trembled beneath us at every step, but for the first time on this long day, I felt safe. Sure Jim might be a gentle giant of a troll, but I doubted the majority of creatures in the forest would mess with him. I had a lot to make up for, all the wrongs I had done, but I wasn’t ready to quit! Even if Citheronia wasn’t technically mine, I still cared for her. I might never be able to replace her real mother, but I would do my best.

As I got used to his lumbering steps, I felt my eyelids flutter closed. Apatelodes had said it was half a day’s flight away. Even with our speed it would probably still take a few hours to reach the caves. Perhaps… a little sleep would be a good idea.

The forest around me had disappeared, replaced by a cool fog that surrounded me. I could feel a dirt path beneath my hooves, but besides that had no idea where I was. ”Hello?” I called and followed the dirt path, the sound of my hooves muted by the thick fog. A flash of green raced by in front of me. I paused in my hoofsteps and glanced around to find where it went. I heard a high pitched giggle and turned to the right, only for the green light to rush out and away before I could make much out.

“Stop hiding, whatever you are,” I muttered and groaned as it giggled again, but didn’t appear. Try as I could to just ignore it, as I continued up the path, it kept appearing out of the corner of my eye, only to disappear when I turned to look. “This isn’t funny,” I growled.

The sound of a river reached my ears as I continued on, somewhere close to a waterfall as it pounded against the rocks. It was then the fog fell to the side of my vision and revealed a bright full moon above me. Upon the path, bathing in the moonlight, was a green fox. It’s coat shimmered as if on fire with green flames, the flow down its back and to its tails — yes, more than one tail — which it wrapped around its small paws.

A wide grin spread on the fox’s muzzle, and she let out a high pitched giggle and hurried down the path in front of me. “So it’s you I’ve been seeing!” I whispered and hurried my pace to keep up. “Where are you leading me?”

She said not a word, just flicked her tails back and forth behind her as she continued on her way. The fog continued to lift as the sound of the waterfall grew closer. The fox sped up her pace, glancing up at the moon every few minutes. I followed her gaze to see the moon darken. It was no longer a bright white and blue, but slowly turning the color of fresh blood.

The fox let out a little bark, and my gaze fell from the moon to see we had arrived at the river. I gasped, my heart pumped faster and my eyes widened as I took in the scene before me. Surrounding the river were the bodies of hundreds of ponies, their blood staining the dirt path and seeping into the river. None of them were ones I recognized, but then the bodies were pretty mangled and it was even hard to tell the unicorns from the earth ponies at times. I looked away to a waterfall just to the left of the path, gurgling as it sent its load down the steep cliff. Yet, it didn’t flow with water, but thick, boiling blood.

With her gaze turned back to me, the fox let out a piercing scream that ran down my spine and raced away.

“We here, ponay.”

I jumped, my eyes snapped open and I shivered in Jim’s palm. What the hay kind of dream was that? An omen? With my hooves wrapped around me I shivered. The sight of all that blood stained my eyes. I took in deep breaths and looked around me to see the woods were almost pitch black.

“W-where is it, Jim?” I asked.

He pointed a finger ahead of us. “Not far, but puppay’s scare Jim, can’t go anymore.”
I took in a deep breath and stood up in his palm, shaking my body to try to rid myself of that horrid dream. “That’s okay Jim, you came as far as you could. Let me eat and then you can get some sleep.”

“Okay,” he nodded and held me to his neck once again.

“Now, I can’t promise you will get your home back right away,” I said as I settled in on his thick shoulder. “But I will get it back as soon as possible. Just stay safe until then, okay?”

“Okay, ponay,” he nodded.

“Just… call me Chryssy okay Jim? After all, friends should call each other by their names, right?” I grinned as I laid my horn against his neck.

“Yes, better than name ponay,” he chuckled. “I call you Cwyssy.”

“Close enough,” I grinned, the nightmare already starting to fade as my horn lit up and I began to feed. It didn’t come as easily as usual, I couldn’t stop to think of anything else or the flow would stop, but at least I wouldn’t die from starvation. Death in other ways though, I wouldn’t count myself out of just yet.

I jumped off of Jim’s shoulder a few minutes later as he fell to the ground, passed out. “Thanks for your help, Jim,” I whispered and patted a hoof against his cheek. “Rest well, for I will soon return.”

The rest, even with that nightmare, had done me well. With Jim’s love I felt almost my old self again, just with a lack of a certain someling. I left my companion to sleep and trotted down the path he had pointed out. It was only a few minutes later that I reached the edge of the trees and saw a dark abyss ahead of me. “I’m coming for you Citheronia,” I whispered. “Mommy won’t let you down.”

---

Outside of Sage Grove- Spot

We were all going to die. I was sure of it! I stumbled along beside Crambus as we raced away from our home. Everyling that had been in the hatchery with us followed close by. I might not be the fastest with my short legs, but I did my best to keep up with the rest. The smell of smoke filled the air — as well as other things I didn’t even want to think of. Had all my friends made it out? Tears streaked down my cheeks as I continued. Hopefully they all made it out, not just my fellow changeling friends, but all our ponies as well.

A howl echoed from somewhere nearby and I froze in my hoofsteps. No, no where were they? I felt a hoof against my back push me forward. “Don’t stop! We have to get as far away as we can,” Crambus growled. I heard cries of pain and terror behind us and whipped around to see a few Diamond dogs on our tails.

Crambus groaned and drew his sword. “Keep going Spot. Stick close to the others. I’ll take care of these furry mutts.” He shot into the air and sped toward the back of the group.

“Come on Spot,” Polingii, a changeling only a year or two older than me, said as he caught up to me. “We don’t want to be dogfood!”

“C-coming!” I gulped and hurried on. The sound of fighting reached my ears as Crambus and a few others took on the dogs tailing us. Soon that faded as we galloped further and further away. “W-why don’t we just fly?” I asked Polingii as I came up to him again. “The dogs couldn’t hurt us then?”

“Ugh, you’re thinking like a pupa Spot!” he snorted. “Too many are injured to fly. Do you want them to die too? Plus we’d have to leave our supplies behind if we flew.”

I cringed, the tears flowing again. “No! Of course not.” I sniffed. All I wanted was for us to be safe and happy. Was that too much to ask?

A scream pierced through the air from behind us making me jump about a foot in the air. Silence besides the pounding of our hooves filled the air after. What had made that scream?

“It’s okay everyling,” Crambus grunted as he flew over our heads a few minutes later and sheathed his sword. Just before the blade disappeared from sight, I could swear I saw a few bloody tufts of fur stuck to the cross guard. “The diamond dogs are taken care of. I’ve sent a few others out to look for stragglers, but I don’t think Hope is sending anymore after us.”

I let out a deep sigh of relief. We were safe then! As I looked around at the others, they all seemed pretty glad about it too. A few of them even collapsed to the ground and put their hooves to the side to rest them.

“We ran faster than them Polingii!” I grinned and plopped down on the ground myself. Polingii just sighed and sat down next to me.

“Yeah I guess so,” he muttered.

“Do you think our parents made it out okay?” Ceylon, another changeling colt around our age, asked as he stepped up and settled in next to us. I winced at his words. “Oh! Er- sorry Spot! I-I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s okay,” I sighed. Few seemed to remember what had happened to my own parents. Neither had returned from the invasion of Canterlot. At least I had the hive though. We were all close, like family! Appy had been especially good to me since my parent’s deaths. He might not show it to everyling, but he was the best, nicest guard ever! “I just hope Appy made it.”

“Appy?” Polingii asked.

I nodded. “Yeah Appy. Our Queen’s Royal Guard.”

Ceylon smirked. “Does he know you call him that?”

I nodded then gasped as my eyes went big. “B-but don’t tell him I told you! He hates the nickname,” I blushed.

“Your secret is safe with us,” Polingii nodded. He looked around us and out into the night. “Where are we anyway? This is, well… only my second time out of the hive.”

My gaze fell to the trees around us, dark and kind of spooky looking. An owl hooted somewhere nearby and the wind blew the smell of smoke our way. There was little light around us, what with the moon hidden behind some clouds. Yet, I could see a little with our night vision, and it seemed familiar.

“I think I remember reading about this place,” I said. “Just a mile or two ahead of us a whole lot of sage should be growing along the path. Then, a little further after that, should be the pony town Sage Grove!”

“Isn’t that were many of our ponies come from?” Ceylon whispered.

“Yep!” I nodded. “Appy tells me that besides the Crystal Empire, the tastiest love comes from there. Though I don’t think I’ve had a chance to nibble on any of those ponies.”

“Hopefully we will,” Polingii huffed, blowing a lock of his long frill out away from his muzzle. “If all of them died in the fire−”

“Hush you three!” Someling growled from nearby. I turned to look and saw Junon, an older changeling stallion that had more scars than anyling else I knew. He glared back at me. “Did you not hear Crambus say to try to get some sleep?”

Had Crambus said that? Huh, guess we missed that. “Sorry,” I whispered. With a nod to the others we curled up next to each other to try to keep warm. Sure it was summer now, but the nights could still be cool when you didn’t have any fur! Junon snorted and turned away from us.

“Mean old coot,” Polingii whispered.

“I-I’m not t-tired at a-all,” he said as he let out a huge yawn.

“Me either, but he is right,” Ceylon whispered back. “We have a lot to do now. What are we going to do? Where we going to go? I’m not very good at disguises yet, what if a non-hive pony sees me?”

“I’ll protect you,” Polingii said and patted Ceylon’s muzzle sleepily. “We lost a lot: our home, our toys, maybe even our p-parents.”

“Books too,” I sighed. “I was able to save so few of them. Appy helped me, but I wish I could have fit more in my saddlebag.” I jolted up and the other two hissed in annoyance at me as I looked around us.

“What’s wrong, Spot?” Ceylon murmured.

“My saddlebag, where is it? Zeuxidia had it last. She was carrying it for me.”

“We’ll find it later,” Polingii groaned. “It’s with the hive somewhere.”

“Okay,” I sighed and rested my head on my hooves. Was it wrong of me to want my books? Whatever, they were right. My books were safe somewhere. Perhaps a little sleep would be good. “Let’s get some sleep,” I whispered. “By the time we wake, I’m sure Appy will have caught up with us and tell us what we should do.” The two nodded and closed their eyes to either side of me. I looked once more up at the sky to see a small patch of stars and a bit of the moon peeking out from a hole in the clouds. “Stay safe Appy, Vidi,” I whispered and snuggled in closer to my friends.

It was sometime later I awoke to voices whispering nearby. I rubbed a hoof over my eyes and yawned as I wiggled out from between Polingii and Ceylon and trotted toward them.

“I don’t know if either of them are going to make it,” I heard Chioides whisper and hurried closer. I hid behind a boulder nearby and peeked over it. A blood splattered group of adults, Chioides and six other changelings, as well as one yellow-green pegasus stallion, stood before Crambus.

Crambus sighed and lowered his head. “Were their injuries that severe?”

“His horn was cut clean off! I can’t think of much worse than that,” Chioides hissed and stamped a hoof. He cringed downward as Crambus shushed him. “He was bleeding pretty badly too,” he said softly.

“And Videre was missing one of his wings,” the pegasus stallion whispered. “Oh colt it was horrible! Th-those demon dogs killed my whole family!” He sobbed and wrapped his wings around his head.

My eyes widened at his words. If Videre lost a wing, how was he supposed to fly? What about Appy? Was he the one who lost his horn?

“Everyone lost someone tonight er…” Crambus paused.

“Lemon Zest, sir,” the pony mumbled. “I know, so many are gone. H-have you counted yet our numbers?”

Crambus shook his head. “Too dark to do so accurately. There are still some here I doubt will make it through the night. Peazan and the guards that went with him to purchase food a few days ago have not returned yet either.”

“Have you heard anything from them?” Chioides asked.

“Nope, that is why I’ve been leading us toward Sage Grove. It was their turn to provide us our food supply.” He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. “I’m hoping to find them still there. We could really use the extra food.”

“So what would you have us do then, sir?” the youngest changeling of the group asked. I wasn’t sure of his name, but I thought he might be Ceylon’s older brother.

“Rest for now. This is as good a place as any to await any other survivors. If noling shows up by morning, we will move on.” Crambus stretched out his wings and yawned.

“Who will take charge if−” Chioides started but was stopped by Crambus’s hoof to his muzzle.

“The loss of a horn is serious, but it can be managed. Don’t count Apatelodes out just yet.”

I gasped and ducked back behind the rock before anyling could see me. No! Appy can’t die! He’s too strong, too brave, the best ling in the hive – other than our Queen of course. What would we do without him?

“Spot?” I jolted at the sound of my name and looked up to face Crambus’s stare. “Spot, what are you doing over here?” he whispered. “Why aren’t you asleep with the others?”

Colt was I in trouble. “I-I sir I heard you all talking and wanted to hear…”

“Spot,” he sighed and held a hoof to his forehead. “Sometimes adult talk is not meant for the young to hear.”

“Is Appy- Apatelodes… is he really dead?” I whimpered as tears fell down my cheeks.

“He was still alive when we left him kid,” Lemon Zest said. He rubbed a hoof through my frilled mane and smiled down at me.

“Y-you don’t get to be a Queen’s guard without being strong,” Chioides said softly. “It looked bad, but things can turn out well.”

“I h-hope so,” I sniffed and rubbed a hoof over my wet eyes.

“We probably won’t know until morning, so why don’t you get some more sleep, okay?” Crambus said. He lit up his horn and wrapped his magic around me, then deposited me on his back. “Shall I take you back to your friends to get a few more hours sleep?”

I nodded and rubbed my eyes. “Okay.” As we walked, I snuggled up against his neck and closed my eyes. Appy would be okay. He had to be! I was sure of it.

---

Queen Chrysalis- Diamond Dog Ancestral Home

My wings fluttered behind me as I took the first steps from the edge of the woods and into sandy soil. Scraggly plant life was scattered here and there, but most of it was yellowed and dead. It felt… strange how everything living stopped at the trees. Something similar to how the ‘deadlands’ used to be? Whatever it was, a dark abyss lay before me and it took shape with every step I took. It was more than just a natural cave opening, this one was clearly carved as it was a perfect rectangle. A stone frame was carved around it and some runes were written into it, but I couldn’t make out what they might say in the night light.

I took a deep breath and tried to light my horn, only for the magic to set out a single spark then fall away. “Great,” I grumbled. “Going into the dark unknown without a light source, this should be fun.” I really hoped I’d figure out a way to use my magic again reliably after this, otherwise I’d be even more useless. Sure I could still feed, and fly, but could I even transform if I couldn’t even do simple spells like levitation or make light each time? Maybe I’d never be able to hide again, not that hiding had done me any good so far.

At a snap underhoof, I jumped and looked down to see bones sprawled around the entrance. Some of them were snapped and broken while many of them remained whole. As I drew closer, what I supposed to be a border of boulders against the mountain’s base, became a row of skulls. Pony skulls, changeling skulls, and what looked like a griffon or two stared back at me with their pitted, empty eye sockets.

“Gee, you would think they were trying to scare me,” I muttered. Regretfully, I couldn’t repress a shiver as it ran down my spine. Well, it worked. I wasn’t turning back though! No matter my ill thoughts, no matter how much I felt like I wasn’t worthy to be a mother to Citheronia, I was all she had.

“I might just be a stupid human,” I snorted. “No, there is no doubt of that. I have been stupid. Even if Ch- Chrys didn’t stop me from doing so.” I stepped around the bones best I could, though I still heard some of them snap when I misjudged my hoofsteps, as I lowered my head and stepped inside the entrance.

“Oh, that was so you could learn, dearie,” I crooned, put a hoof to my chest, and frowned. “It’s not my fault it all went to Tartarus when someone decided to ruin everything!”

“Oh, but I was only doing what I thought right, and then here I was, a huge fan who thought she knew everything!” I stuck a hoof out and hit it against the stone wall just inside the entrance. “How was I to know Sombra’s marefriend would return and wreak havoc on us? She was never in the show!”

I let out a light chuckle and picked up a pony skull a few feet into the dark tunnel. “Ah, dear Yorick, how could I not know?” I murmured to the skull. Its lower jaw fell off and thumped to the ground. “Oh? You are shocked too? Tsk, tsk, you should know better. Of course, those silly comics were canon as well.”

I shattered the skull against the wall. “Well, it doesn’t matter now does it? Here we are, walking down a dark tunnel possibly to our doom, to rescue a young nymph whom I took over her poor mother’s body from.”

“Perhaps I should stop talking to myself, and just concentrate on that, yes. Just think, WWCD! What would Chrys do? No, that would be sacrilegious. Does it matter though? Heh, not like any of that matters here.” I paused and rubbed a hoof against my forehead. A slight headache was forming. “Did I perhaps take too much love from Jim? Colt, I don’t know! Long as it gets me through this task that is all that matters.”

The sound of claws as they scraped against stone came from before me and made me pause in my hoofsteps. Of course, of course. Diamond Dog home, who knows how many are in here? Those Umbrum too. I shuddered at the thought.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the dark as I drew further and further from the entrance. My night vision was nothing like I had always pictured it in the books I’d read, all green and showing more so patches of body heat; rather, it gave me fair warning of a stray rock before I tripped over it, and a box next to another path with a sign over it. The letters were faded and hard to read in the dark, but I could just make out “RED GEMS ONLY: Red like Jungle Burning Bright.”

Though other tunnels like the red gem box one turned up every so often, I never wavered from the path I was on. Somehow, I knew it had to be the right one. It tilted at a slight angle downward as it took me deeper underground. I heard the sound of claws scraping a few more times, but nothing ever came close enough for me to see it. Probably want to follow me to make sure I go the ‘right’ way.

Right way it seemed to be too, for after I had trotted downward for a while, I heard screams and laughter in the distance. “Well, this is it.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I can do this, I can do this. Maybe, hopefully, I must! I’ve come this far, I’d feel even worse if I don’t at least try. I must do my best not to cower. This is my life now.

“No matter what happens,” I said and stomped a hoof to the ground. “Discord believed in me, Chrys did too –I think. Whatever changelings are left, they need a strong Queen to care for them.” I looked down at my hooves and shook my head. “Apatelodes never should have had to hold that weight on his shoulders. We should have stayed with them and sent someone else after Leptostales. Maybe then he would still be alive, she would still be alive….” I shook my head and looked back down the long tunnel. “I might not ever be that Queen they need, but if Citheronia can be that queen for them one day, then I will go to Tartarus and back if it means bringing her back for them!”

The screams grew louder as I continued. Grunts and growls joined them. I blinked once, twice, as I turned a corner and the glow of light fell over me. How is there so much light this far underground? It grew brighter and brighter. The rough, rocky walls then easy to make out. With one last turn, I spotted a few diamond dogs race pass through a side tunnel. Huh, a lot… furrier than I remember them from the show. Smaller too.

As I followed silently behind them, my eyes widened at the view before me. The tunnel expanded out into an enormous room. No, more than a room, some kind of game arena? I stood in what seemed to be a box seat. The diamond dogs I had been following had taken a ramp up to a stadium of seats surrounding us. “Oh,” I whispered as I took in the other diamond dogs sitting in the stands. They were far larger than the others. I was following their puppies! Colt were the adults huge!

The adults in the stands were laughing and joking with each other. A few tall, lanky ones were walking around with a satchel around their waist, a notepad and pencil in their paws. As they went up to each dog in the stands, they would write something down on their pad and take a pawful of gems or bits from them, then move on.

A group of maybe eighteen sat in the lowest most seats on the side opposite that the pups had gone up. For what I could tell, most of them looked fairly young and feminine, the youngest being maybe two feet tall. None but the youngest looked all that happy and were far quieter than the rest of the crowd. They were also the only dogs I saw wearing clothing, even if it was only simple white robes. Close to them two bulky, pure white males stood and watched the area around them. Some type of Royalty? With guards? Colt I didn’t know. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in ancient history classes, as this place looked like it was right out of some ancient Roman city, just underground. Then I looked up.

My eyes widened to see gems embedded in the ceiling, mostly some type of white gem- perhaps diamonds- with reds and oranges mixed in a symmetrical array. Some creature with magic had infused light into them, and it glittered around the arena like firelight.

“Our next contender against Blackie,” a loud voice reverberated around the arena, “is Fang! Step on up dogs and make your bets, the fight will begin in five minutes!”

Wait, they are fighting each other? I gaped in surprise and watched as the bids rolled in, even some of the pups got in on the bidding, one with a bluish gem as big as his fist. The bid-takers hurried away a few moments later and I heard the screech of metal below.

I turned my gaze to the arena, where two gates were opening to either side. A firmly packed, sandy floor covered the ground, darker spots of sand here and there. On the right stepped out a beast of a diamond dog, charcoal black with shredded ears. He bared his fangs at the crowd and let out a spine-chilling howl. The crowd simply ate it up and cheered for him.

Across from him stepped out a diamond dog that was taller than the first, but less bulky and a dirty grey color. Yet he stood out from the other by his long canines, which looked about half as long as the pictures I remembered seeing of saber-toothed tigers. This dog didn’t even look at the audience but instead crouched forward and whipped his short, stubby tail back and forth, his gaze glued to his opponent.

“Alright bidding is now closed,” the voice continued. Where exactly the announcer was I had no idea, or who. All I knew was it sure didn’t sound like a diamond dog, it talked far too well to be one, at least from the few I had seen on the show. “Be sure to stick around until the end, folks, as after this battle, we have a special surprise for you!”

Why had Hope sent me here? I wondered as I looked around. Across from me was another box seat, this one with a fancy, high-backed chair placed in it with a violet colored cushion on the seat. It was empty, but I growl softly upon seeing what must have been Radiant’s VIP seat. If not her than some Diamond dog royalty? That is, if the ones beside me were not royal, were they?

The entire colosseum had an underlying scent of blood and death, with a floral miasma that tried to mask the odor to little avail. Besides the smell though it was relatively clean for such a place. That for sure couldn’t be the dogs doing as they didn’t seem the tidy type, so I was sure Hope had made them clean things up. That would be such a pony thing to do.

I turned to the side as the warm, buttery scent of popcorn hit my nostrils and looked to see another set of dogs had begun to walk the stands. In place of the ones that took bets, a few chubby dogs with thin, mottled grey fur now walked the stands. Each of them had a strap around their necks and stomachs, a large box in their front paws that each contained treats like popcorn, cotton candy, peanuts and what looked like hot dogs. This is all just a game to these stupid mutts.

The bell rang and my attention snapped back to the two dogs in the arena as they charged each other. Fang reached Blackie first and swiped a paw at the black dog’s shoulder, barely missing as he dodged. As Fang tried to turn back around, Blackie whipped his own paw around and sliced against the taller dog’s upper thigh, making him yelp in pain.

Fang backed a few steps away, growled at Blackie and bared his fangs as he circled. He lunged again and went for the throat. Blackie let out a grunt as the fangs swept against his coat but once again miraculously missed.

The next move came from Blackie as he dove forward at the smaller dog as Fang slipped backwards, but Blackie’s own fangs sank into the grey furred shoulder. A swipe of his paw against Blackie’s nose made the larger dog release and take a step back.

An itch against my skull distracted me away from the fight and I lifted a hoof to scratch at it. Following the itch though, came something… different. It almost felt like the connection I had with Chrys, a presence of sorts perhaps? Couldn’t be Chrys though, she’d be yelling at me for sure if she had returned, or at least make her presence known. “Hello?” I thought to it. Why not? See if that works, maybe?

The presence seemed to grow… excited or agitated, at my words. Hmmm, very interesting. What could it be? I looked around at the crowd around and above me, but none of them seemed to be looking my way, far as I could tell. Of course that would have been silly. Not like the diamond dogs had psychic powers… wait, psychic powers! Could it be? No, Chrys and Apatelodes both had said it was mostly gone. I have to know though, especially if it leads to Citheronia! Or well, could be another changeling the dogs captured? No, I couldn’t think that. The idea they might subject one of my changelings to the kind of horror below me was not something I would even consider. It was too horrible.

The presence pushed harder against me, an urgency in it, now that I had acknowledged it. “I’m coming to find you,” I told it, and the push lessened. Okay, now just to figure out how to find it, whatever it is. The only question was, where to start. If I went back, I might get lost in the tunnels as I searched. Yet, I sure couldn’t follow the path the diamond dog pups had taken. That would just lead me into the crowd, and then I would be caught and perhaps never find what I was sensing.

I turned to look ahead at the other box seat across from mine. If it was Hope’s, she had yet to show up. From what I could see, a dark tunnel led out from behind like my own. If it was Citheronia I was feeling, that was the most likely place to find her. How to get there without being seen though would be the problem. The best way I could see would be to fly across. It would be the least likely option for the dogs to have a chance at grabbing me. Long as I got high enough.

What would you do Chrys? I groaned and rubbed a hoof against my forehead. For sure I couldn’t ignore the one calling for help — at least it felt like it was. I steeled my gaze at the other box seat and stepped up onto the ledge of my own. Whatever it was I had to help. If Hope had hurt her, oh she would regret it!

I lifted off the ledge and curved upward to avoid the still fighting dogs in the arena. The sound around me lessened as I reached the middle of the arena, but I didn’t hear any of them shout or anything about seeing me. Odd, really. With the arena around me quieting, I heard another sound not too far away. I swiveled my ears forward and bared my fangs in a low hiss as I realized it was a baby screaming at the top of its lungs.

My eyes burned with green flames and my blood boiled at the sound. Citheronia! It had to be her! I sped forward toward the box seat and dived down to step into it, only to be stopped. My hooves rested on air maybe five feet above the ground, and as I tapped a hoof against it I noticed it shimmer from the spot my hoof had disturbed it. A shield, of course. I growled and skittered around on it as I tried to find a hole, a way past the shield, but to no avail.

“RADIANT HOPE!” I yelled and stomped on the shield once more. My fangs bared as I continued my barrage at the shield, the sound of the baby’s wail drawing nearer. “I KNOW YOU ARE THERE!” I yelled again. Why did she not come out?

“I see where your daughter gets her lungs from,” Hope snorted as she trotted through the entryway and paused below me. My breathing quickened when I saw Citheronia in a bubble of magic that followed behind Hope. Her little legs flailed against the bubble as she continued to wail. She seemed fine besides being upset, thankfully. “I’ll never get rid of this headache!” she moaned.

“A headache will be the least of your problems when I get ahold of YOU.” I snarled and glared down at her. “GIVE her back to me!”

“Oh? You want this?” she crooned and moved the bubble in front of her. As if she sensed my presence, probably did, Citheronia quieted and gazed up at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers. She held her forehooves up at me and let out a soft whine.

The presence returned again, this time I could feel the ripples of joy that were coming from her. How? Wasn’t the hive mind gone? Well, didn’t matter right now. I could figure it out later. “Yes, you little thief, you foalnapper!” I snapped as I turned back to Hope. “Now, please return her to me.” Maybe asking nicely would do the trick? Colt who am I kidding, Hope didn’t play ‘nice’, but I still had to try.

Hope puckered her lips at me and gave me a pompous look. “You thought all you would need to do is come to my bidding?” The pompous look turned into a smirk. “What would be the point of that? If you want your daughter back, you’ll have to earn it.”

I jumped as a scream of pain came from behind me and I turned around. While I had been distracted, the battle had raged on. Blackie had Fang pinned to the ground, his own fangs buried in the other dog’s neck as blood pooled around them. Fang struggled against the pin, but each struggle lessened until he finally dropped to the ground and fell still. My eyes widened at the sight. Sure I had seen the dead and dying changelings, I had seen Apatelodes… but this brutal murder right before my eyes well… wasn’t pretty to say the least. Colt, what was I getting myself into?

Blackie removed his fangs and stepped away from the dead Fang to cheers from the crowd around him. A faint, bluish, misty smoke rose from the dead dog, wavered in the air for a moment, then sped toward us. It sank through the barrier and was sucked into the amulet around Hope’s neck.

“Ahh, that feels good,” she sighed. “Fang wasn’t the strongest, but his power will still aid me,” she grinned.

“How can you sic your own army on each other like that?” I snapped. “If they kill each other, you’ll lose your army.” Colt, there I was ‘helping’ the ‘enemy’ again, wasn’t I?

Hope laughed and shook a hoof at me. “Oh my dear Chrysalis, have you forgotten the art of war? It is better to have a warrior strong enough to take on many enemies, rather than a bunch of weaklings who can’t survive a single enemy. Besides,” she huffed, “this is how diamond dogs are. You don’t think I built this for them to fight in? It does help me though, as I grow stronger.”

“You are one mad pony,” I growled. How could she not care about those in her army? Was her only want with all this bloodshed the power gained from casualties? What in the hay did she plan to do with all that power?

“Perhaps, but at least I still have an army behind me.”

I glared down at her, let out a growl, and stomped my hoof on the shield.. “You WILL pay for that, painfully. Rid yourself of this shield and I’ll show you what pain I can cause.” Sure, I may have been bluffing, I hadn’t fought anyone as strong as she yet, but she didn’t know that.

Hope gave a haughty laugh. “Believe me, you pathetic excuse for a queen, you are not strong enough to face me. You come here all alone, when I have an army behind me. Do you really think you can take them on too?”

Well, she was right about that. Sure I had a little help from Jim’s love, but that would not last long enough to face them all. My ears twitched at her words, but I tried hard not to show any other signs of how they got to me. “Then what is your ‘plan’ for me to ‘earn’ my daughter back?” I hissed. How dare she insult me like that! Act brave, girl, maybe we can get through this if we don’t let our fear show.

She pointed a hoof behind me, and I turned to see it faced Blackie. Fang’s corpse was being dragged away by another set of dogs, back into the tunnel he had come from. “Fight my champion in this exciting arena.”

I wrinkled my nose at her and frowned. She wanted me to take on her champion? Fine! I’d fight him and get out of here. If that is what it took to get her back. “Let’s do this then!” Once I get her back though, you are going down for all the Tartarus you’ve put me through. I snarled and looked to Citheronia for a moment. “Mommy will save you dear,” I thought to her. A small smile was on her muzzle, her tears abated. Yet, I could sense her fear still. With the way her little body trembled whenever one in the crowd coughed, or held a hoof to her stomach and looked back up at me with a little tremble in her lower lip. Wouldn’t take much for her to start crying again. Not that I blamed her, our situation was dire. I was even surprised by my own bravado. Sure I could put on a brave face, but inside I quivered like a leaf.

If anything happened, it would be my fault. I had come here alone, should have realized her entire army would be here− speaking of, where were the umbrum? With the fear they lived off, wouldn’t this be the perfect place for them? Though I wouldn’t want to fight one of them now, not when my magic ability was so poor without Chrys.

As I turned to jump down, I heard Hope cough softly. “Oh, but there is one tiny thing.”

“What?” I snapped. My horn and eyes burned with anger. Good to know anger could still bring out some type of magic. An excellent resource for fighting. Hopefully not the only way I’d be able to use it though.

“Well, we want things to be even, don’t we?” she crooned. “So no flying is allowed in Pugg’s Pit.”

“What?” I gaped at her in shock. Flight was what I was best at so far, I’d be able to flit around his head like the bug ponies thought I was and avoid most of his moves. “Without my flight, how do you expect me to fight this bonehead?” I heard the mutt snort behind me at those words. Colt, had I said that out loud? Great, now she would know how much confidence I lacked.

Hope rolled her eyes. “You have your fangs, your hooves, and your horn,” she smirked at me. “You have your ‘Celestia-beating magic’ as well, even if you are so low on it right now. I think those sufficient weapons, don’t you agree?”

Not really, but I guess I need to play by her rules as long as she had Citheronia. “Very well, and then I get my daughter back.” That was all that mattered after all. I had to get her safe. If I couldn’t take Hope down straight away, I’d show her I wasn’t just someling to push around, or try to at least.

“Of course, of course,” she purred and lit up her horn. “Now, a little spell a Sphinx friend of mine taught me long ago.” I felt her magic wrap around my wings and let out a grunt as they were snapped tight against my barrel. I struggled to move them, to spread them out, to the sound of Hope’s laughter. “Go ahead and try, your wings won’t spread again until I say so!”

“Go to Tartarus!” I hissed.

“Why go there when we are having so much fun here?” she cackled.

My confidence of even having a chance in this fight dwindled. My façade of bravery wavered as I realized just what I had gotten myself into. Here I thought Chrys was the hot-headed one. Guess I’m taking after her. Jumping in without thinking has kind of been my thing, hasn’t it?

She then turned to the crowd around us. “Now, who is ready for a REAL fight?” she yelled.

I had to cover my ears as they cheered. Was this crowd that anxious to see me fight? Or was it more to see me fail? Whatever it was, I just prayed instinct, if I even had any, would help me where my knowledge could not. Or would it be better to just hope I was lucky? Whatever the case, this fight was going to happen. For Citheronia’s sake, I had to survive, no matter what.

---

Shiny Whistle - Canterlot Castle

The walk back to our rooms was quiet as Flash led the way in front of me. My shoulders sagged and head lowered nearly to the floor. Other ponies still raced around us, but I ignored them. I couldn’t believe my father’s stubbornness. How could he not see who I was? All I hoped was when this zebra came she could calm my fathers fears.

Whatever happened though, it was pretty much useless arguing with my father. We might calm his fears for now, but I doubted he would ever truly believe me again. Should I even bother going home with them? Well, at least Donut Joe’s was closer to our home than the castle, so I would be able to get plenty more donuts. Not that they could really fill that empty spot in my heart.

“Um, Shiny?” Flash said softly as we neared the suite. “Look, I know you don’t agree with my actions against the Queen, but you know I was just doing my job, right?”

“Oh?” I mumbled and looked up.”To find a way to make her look even worse?” I snorted.

He shook his head. “No, keeping an eye on her in case she tried to harm anypony. You understand that, right? Protecting the Princesses is my first concern. I’m sorry if this hurts you, but well...” he let out a sigh and turned back to me. “Even if she wasn’t involved in the deaths that occured at the wedding, her army was.”

I nodded. “I understand, Flash. When you saw Hope, you reacted how a guard should.” I paused in my hoofsteps. Even if she had said time and again she wasn’t involved, he was right that as a leader she should have taken more responsibility for her armies actions. “How did you know what she looked like, anyway?”

“Princess Celestia briefed us after her meeting with Chrysalis, of course. One of the reasons I was out flying that night. She wanted to make sure Hope didn’t get too close to the castle.” He rubbed a hoof against his forehead and sighed. “Colt, did that not go as planned.” He stomped a hoof on the ground and let out a snort. “Shiny, I do wish we could have helped, believe me, but we can’t trust her. Even if all Hope did was talk with Chrysalis.”

“Threatened her, not just talked,” I snorted.Them not trusting her I could understand, even if I didn’t like it.

“Yeah, that,” he nodded and twitched his wings closer to his barrel. “I know what it is like Shiny, to lose those you love and care for,” he whispered. “I had friends die at the wedding attack, and even more that were scarred enough from it they retired early. I don’t know if this Hope has really killed off her hive, or what she plans to do with the Queen’s daughter, but I do have an idea of how she feels.”

I looked away from him and watched the tile below us as we continued walking. That was something I had little idea about. Though with Dew missing, I very well could know the feeling if she never turned up. “I’m sorry about your friends Flash,” I whispered. “I know there is nothing I can do to bring them back, but I’m still sorry.”

“It’s not your fault Shiny.” He let out a deep sigh and turned to look at me. “How about this, if the Queen returns to us, I’ll do better next time. By that time we should know the truth of her words.”

“When, she does,” I grumbled. Though, that did give me an idea. “So when she returns, you’ll take care of her?”

Flash nodded. “Of course. From what we have gathered so far, she was telling the truth, but we still need to confirm on that. None of the Wonderbolts have returned just yet, but a fire that big happening when it did? Perhaps we were wrong, but only time will tell. If Hope killed them to punish the Queen for not securing our Princesses though− ”

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that,” I sighed and hugged Flash.

“Wha?” he squawked at the hug, perked up his ears and cocked his head at me. “What do you mean?”

“She’ll need somepony to help her. I’m glad she’ll have somepony strong and who can find the truth of her words.” The words tasted almost bitter in my mouth, but if she didn’t want me then what did it matter?

“You mean since you’ll be back with your folks?”

I nodded and released him from the hug. “Y-you’ll keep me informed, right? I-I’ll be fine… long as I know she is safe.” I lowered my ears and sighed. I was fooling myself with that, but maybe I could feel different in time. With a father like mine though, who knew? After all I’d done, could he ever forgive me? Trust me again? Could I trust him? After all, he didn’t believe me, thought me a liar. How could he not see the truth!

Flash bit his lip and rubbed a hoof down his right wing nervously. “Well, I can try Shiny, but I can’t promise anything. The Princesses might deem it need-to-know. If they do, I can’t tell you.”

I closed my eyes tight and held a hoof to my chest as it felt like a cold grip tightened around my heart. “I-I understand,” I whispered. “Just, take care of her, please? At least promise me that?” I pleaded.

“I’ll treat her well as I can,” he said and trotted forward. “Come, we should continue. It is already very late and I’m sure your parents need their rest. Plus, your brother and Sergeant Twist will return soon with Zenovia. ”

I nodded, followed him, and stepped inside when we reached our rooms. Twinkleshine lay on the couch with a book in her hooves, but flipped it closed and got up as we entered

“Everything okay?” she asked. “When everypony disappeared, I grew worried.”

“Yep, just peachy,” I grumbled. “Parents are here. Velvet and I are going home. Also my Father thinks I am a changeling.”

“What?” she gasped and blinked twice. “How the hay does he think you a changeling? You are obviously pony,” she snorted and shook her head. “Home?” she asked a moment later and blinked twice again as she stared at me. “What about Chrysalis? She has been gone a long time already. Aren’t you worried? How about the girls?”

“She doesn’t want me anyway, Twinkleshine,” I sighed. “Of course I’m worried, but I am just one pony. How can I help her, if nopony else can?” I just hoped with all hope she was still alive. It had been long enough the Wonderbolts had likely made it to the castle by now. Did they find her? Did they find anyling else?

“As for the girls, well, who knows where Discord has stashed them. They’ll just have to have their goodbyes at another time. But yeah, he thinks that I am a changeling.” I said and stepped past her toward our rooms.

Flash stood silently by the main door as I trotted past Twinkleshine and into the room Velvet and I had shared with Discord. I’d miss it and the time spent with Chryssy, but what could I do? “Thanks, by the way,” I said as I heard the hoofsteps of Twinkleshine follow me inside.

“You’re welcome,” she whispered and stepped up beside me. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help. I think you two would have made a great couple.” She put a hoof to my shoulder and gave me a remorseful look.

“If only,” I said and turned away toward our saddlebags. “Perhaps pony and changeling were just not meant to be together. Maybe we’re just too different.” I wrapped my magic around the ink and scrolls on the desk and stuffed them into the bag.

“Too different my flank!” she snorted and stomped a hoof on the floor. “Somepony or ling on either side is just too stubborn to see how much the same we really are! It can happen, and be a beneficial relationship on both sides. Not just as food for the changeling.”

I paused with my saddlebag in the air above me and turned around to face her. “How would you know? Have you ever loved a changeling?”

“Well, no, but I do know somepony who cares deeply for one. Besides you of course,” she said and poked my shoulder.

“Right,” I huffed and placed the saddlebag on my back, but took care to place it high enough to avoid my bruised ribs. I rummaged through the bag until I came out with the sack of bits we’d been given by Gold Dust, back at the Peach’s farm. Colt that felt like so long ago. I tossed the bag to Twinkleshine, who caught it with her magic. “Not much left, but should be enough for a ticket back to Ponyville.”

She stared at the sack for a moment. “You don’t need to pay me for my help,” she said quietly.

“I have no use of it,” I muttered. “I’m sure you have family or friends who miss you though. I’m sorry I dragged you into this whole mess.” I tightened the straps on the saddlebags and headed toward the door.

“You didn’t drag me into it. I wanted to help. I guess if you want to leave though, there is not much I can do.” She put a hoof to my shoulder and patted it gently.

“Say goodbye to the girls for me, at least?” I asked. “Whenever Discord decides to show his smug face.”

“Someone calling me smug?” Discord said and popped into view before us. “Aw, dear Shiny. Leaving so soon?” he frowned and patted me on the back. “I thought I heard a little bird whistling in my ear,” he poked a claw into his ear and pulled out a grey starling, which flew out of the room.

“Yes Discord, parents are here so I have to go,” I said and rolled my eyes at his antics. “You’re taking good care of the girls, right?”

“Nemoria and Acronicta? Of course I am, dear Shiny,” he chuckled and ruffled my mane with his lion’s paw. “They are having the time of their lives in ‘Discordland,’ he held his paw and claw out and wiggled them in excitement. “Been far too long since I had visitors. Why, I haven’t even invited Fluttershy to my humble abode yet, but that is an idea!”

“Wait, what?” I gasped and my mouth dropped open. “You… why would you take them THERE?”

“Why, because there is no safer place, of course! If anypony wants to get in, they need my permission, and I’m not about to let anypony in who shouldn’t be there.” He folded his arms and scowled down at me. “Chryssy is my friend, do you really think I would cause her pain like that?”

“Well, no I guess not,” I sighed.

“Your chaos might be a bit… much for the fillies though Discord,” Twinkleshine whispered and stepped away from him.

“Oh you ponies are such worrywarts,” he grumbled and rolled his eyes. “I’ve put them in the ‘low chaos zone’. All I have there is a roller-coaster and a barnyard full of baby animals. They’ll love it.”

“Just keep them safe,” I said. “They are good changelings.” With that I continued walking toward the door. “Goodbye Discord, Twinkleshine.”

“Goodbye, Shiny,” the unicorn mare sighed. “Good luck.”

“See you again soon Shiny!” Discord chuckled and popped away once more.

“You better not be on your way to my home!” I yelled and pointed a hoof where he had been. The only response I got from him was laughter.

“You ready?” Flash asked as I stepped out of the room.

“Ready as I’m going to be,” I sighed deeply and followed him out the main door.

We stepped back into the throne room a little while later to see Velvet talking with the small, blue unicorn guard. Princess Luna stood in the middle of the room, the zebra mare from our ‘castle tour’ beside her, and my parents leaned against the far wall as they talked.

Velvet looked up and nodded me over to him. “Everything okay bro?”

I nodded. “For now, you?”

“Better than I’ve been in a while, actually. Shiny, this is Periwinkle Twist,” he said with a gesture to the guard.

“Hello,” she chirped and waved a hoof at me. “So, you are the famous Shiny Whistle.”

Me, famous? “Er, yeah, I guess so?” I mumbled. Even if my Father doesn’t think so. “What’s up Velvet?” I asked. I couldn’t remember the last time he introduced me to some mare. He better not be trying to set us up, I was in no place to be dating.

“Oh, well remember that mare I told you about with Soarin’?” he whispered, a blush crept up his neck as he did so.

“Her?” I asked and pointed a hoof. Yet he was talking with her like nothing was wrong. What the hay? What happened on their walk to find the zebra mare?

“Yeah, me,” she said and lowered her muzzle.

“I thought she looked familiar, so I asked her…” Velvet said, his blush crept up to his cheeks. “In short, it was all a big misunderstanding.”

“What?” I blinked in surprise. “You said they were… well… doing things…” Now it was my turn to blush. “How can that be misunderstood?”

“Ugh, I was drunk, okay?” Periwinkle yelled and covered her face with her forehooves. “I had a very bad day and was drunk as a griffon. Soarin’ was well,” she sighed, “he was just being a good friend. Everything was my fault.” She turned to look toward Velvet. “He really misses you.”

“Velvet misses him too,” I said.

“Shiny!” Velvet yelled as the blush reached the tips of his ears. He shook his head and turned back to the mare. “Well, I guess depending on how things go we could try again. If a war is about to begin though…”

She nodded and placed a hoof to his muzzle. “I understand, believe me I do. When he returns with the other Wonderbolts, I’ll let him know.”

“Thanks,” he grinned. “Was good talking to you.”

“Heh, same!” she chuckled.

Colt, if Velvet got his second chance, did that mean I could too? No Shiny, don’t give yourself false hope! Soarin’ was a pony, not a changeling. The likelihood of them working out their problems was much better than my own. I turned away from the two of them and looked to the zebra. Flash had called her Zenovia, right? “Well, let's get this test over with,” I sighed and trotted over to where mother and father had come to stand near the others.

I looked at Zenovia, who wore a pale blue cotton nightgown with yellow ducks all over it, and smiled at her. “Hello.”

“Hello again,” she yawned and covered her mouth with a hoof.

“Now that all are here, this is Zenovia,” Princess Luna said as she smiled softly at the zebra. “Please, calm Mr. Solo’s fears young one.”

Zenovia nodded and turned to my father. “So you think your son is a changeling, is that it?”

“If he is a changeling, he is no son of mine!” he snorted.

Oh Dad, I facehoofed and let out a sigh.

“Well, you can rest easy sir, nocreature in this room is a changeling. Everyone is pony,” she grinned. “Well, except me being a zebra and all,” she said and let out another yawn.

Father huffed and turned away from the mare as he paced the floor. “How can I know you are correct? Is there a test you do in your country?”

Zenovia sighed. “Well if there are none with my talent around, then yes. It is a difficult mixture to make though. You would need a shaman to make it.”

“So then I’m just supposed to believe in your word, is that it?” Father snapped. “Get us one of these shaman’s then so we can learn the truth for real.”

“Every time... “ Zenovia groaned and put a hoof to her forehead.

“We do have a shaman in our employment,” Princess Luna said as she turned to gaze at father. “Yet, he is out of Canterlot at this time.” She spread out her wings and stared down at my father. “We give thee our word, Mr. Solo, that Zenovia’s talent and gift are valid. Though if you still doubt, Shiny is welcome to stay in the castle until our shaman returns.”

Velvet followed behind me as I nervously stopped in front of our father. “May we go home now, Dad?” he said as he put a wing around me. “All of us.”

Father frowned but looked around the room as everypony waited for his answer. “You have all your things now?” he asked as he turned to look at me. .

“Yes, father. I have everything.”

“Fine, let’s go home, for now.. We have a lot to talk about when we get back. You’re lucky I have no appointments for tomorrow, as we’ll be up quite late.” he huffed and led the way toward the door. “One wrong move though, one forgotten memory my son would remember, and it is to the dungeons with you!” He yelled and poked a hoof into my chest.

“Greaaat,” I grumbled and rolled my eyes. All I wanted to do was sleep, maybe get some more eclairs from Donut Joe’s. Mmmmm yes that did sound good. I’d prove to him who I was. Then he would be sorry for doubting me.

I turned back to look at Princess Luna, who smiled back at me and nodded a goodbye. At least she seemed to handle this well. Would I ever be able to have that kind of control? After all, that was part of why I failed Chryssy. Whatever, if I could get through tonight and my Father’s anger, that was all that mattered right now.

Mother kept mostly silent as she trotted along the paved path outside beside father, while Velvet kept a few paces behind me. It was as we were passing the turn off to Donut Joe’s I paused and licked my lips.

“What’s wrong Shiny?” Mother asked and trotted over to me.

“Can we stop at Joe’s before going home?”

“Are you serious?” Father snorted. “Shiny, it is almost one AM in the morning! Joe’s will be closed until five!”

“I’ll get you a big box of donuts first thing in the morning, sweetheart,” mother soothed and wrapped a wing around me. At least she seemed to believe I was who I said I was now. She leaned in closer and nuzzled my mane. “I think I know a little of what you ‘forgot’ to tell us,” she whispered. “Your Father suspects as much as well.”

Colt, no wonder father was so peeved! Besides thinking me a changeling, he had figured out my feelings for Chryssy! Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to go home? “Er… yeah?” I mumbled. Was it too late to run?

She squeezed her wing tighter around me. “I know how you feel Shiny, even if I don’t know why you feel that way,” she smiled at me. “I wish you would love some real mare though. Right now, you are the only one I can count on to give me grandfoals. We can talk about that later though.” Mother looked ahead of us at father and sighed. “Your father and I, well, I suppose we babied you all a little more than we should have.”

“Just a little,” I grimaced. Yep far too late to run.

“Oh Shiny,” she chuckled and hugged me close. “I’ve missed you, my son. Please, please stay close for a little while, okay? Don’t go back even if that mon− ” she paused and cleared her throat. “Even if she returns, stay with the family?”

“I’ll do my best mother,” I sighed. So Mother thought Chryssy a monster as much as Father. She might be nicer about it, but I still wished they could accept my feelings for her.

We continued on, the streets mostly silent this time of night, though there were the occasional drunkard tossed out of the nearest bar as we trotted on by.

With our house in view a few minutes later, I looked around to see if Discord really had ‘followed me home’ but saw no sign of him. Hopefully he stayed away. I had enough chaos to deal with tonight.

Author's Note:

I am SO, SO, sorry for taking so long to get this out to you all. I really have no good excuse for taking 20 months to get this published. Still, I hope you can forgive me, enjoy the chapter, and eagerly await the next one! (I promise this time it won't take nearly 2 years. Won't likely be until sometime after Bronycon 2019, but I *plan* on it not being too long after that.
As always: read, comment, like, and enjoy my wonderful, patient fans! May the wait not have turned you away from my story, now that I am back!
(One last thing: Some art I did of Spot awhile back, that I can finally share!)