Chapter 1: Queen Aurum
Starlight Glimmer gave a pleasant smile to the last of the ponies slowly packing up their shops. The tranquility of the evening was her favorite part of the day. The ponies were in their beds and the town was nice and quiet. No nightclubs playing loud, obnoxious music, no bored colts or fillies wandering around and looking for trouble...everything was still, and everypony was going to be well rested for the next day.
Already she was going over tomorrow's activities. Crops needed harvesting and food had to be stored. It was tiring labor, but everypony did their part for the good of the community, even if some ponies had never worked a field in their life before moving here. Starlight had personally drawn up a work roster so that everypony would get an equal chance to perform each job. It was the best way to ensure...
Starlight paused in the doorway of her house, her horn glowing softly as she surveyed the room. Something was off. Somepony had been in here. An untrained eye might have missed it, but her belongings had been shifted around, moved ever so slightly from where they had been before.
She doubted it was anypony from the town. They respected her far too much to intrude into her house without permission, and the special mark of sameness made it equally unlikely that any would have the motive or motivation to do so.
The soft light coming from her horn grew brighter, filling the room with a pale glow. “Show yourself!” she demanded to the room, pushing the light to the darkest corners. The shadows of one particular corner seemed to briefly resist the glow, twisting and dancing in the light before finally melting away and revealing...herself.
Starlight Glimmer stared open-mouthed at an exact double of herself, right down to the painted equals sign on her flank. “Who are you? As the leader of this town, I demand you answer me!”
Her duplicate chuckled, her voice sounding strangely dual-toned as if another deeper voice was talking right alongside a perfect imitation of her own voice. “Come now, Starlight, there's no need for that. I'm a simple admirer of your work. These ponies are almost as malleable as my drones, and your mark? Lovely piece of magic.”
Chuckling, her double walked past her, throwing open the door to the house and stepping outside, the stillness of the night suddenly broken by the sounds of buzzing, as if a swarm of insects were descending on the village. Outside the house were dozens more copies of her, each one looking the exact same with an equals sign cutie mark on their flank, and up in the air she could make out dark shapes moving through the night sky. There had to be at least a hundred.
“What do you want?” growled Starlight Glimmer, barely containing her rage. “Are you here to feed?”
“Hardly. It would be a repulsive meal at best with the fear you've managed to inspire. I have a different goal in mind.”
Starlight didn't wait to hear what that goal was. Her horn glowed and her Equality Curse streaked towards the doppelganger, but a shield was already in place. More changelings appeared, shielding the leader and charging at Starlight. She flung one away and blasted another, but two more were behind them, ramming into her side and sending her to the ground. Hooves flailed and magic lashed out wildly, but each changeling she knocked away was quickly replaced with another until she was pinned to the ground under several bodies.
Casually, the leader turned back to her, approaching Starlight with a small smile, her horn glowing an eerie amber color. “There's no reason to fight us, Starlight. In a changeling hive, everyone is equal, thrall and drone alike. Well, aside from myself of course. You could say I'm a bit more equal than the rest.”
With the last of her energy, Starlight attacked one last time, determined to wipe the smug grin off of the disguised changeling's face. Her vision was getting hazy and unfocused, the tendrils of the amber-colored magic reaching out towards her and digging into her very mind. The last thing she heard before unconsciousness claimed her was a deep, unsettling dual-toned laugh and the cries of distant ponies as the changeling hive invaded.
---
I hated overcast days. They always felt like the weather team wasn't able to make up their minds, leaving things in a limbo between sunshine and rain. However, it was a necessary precaution for the arriving...guests.
Trying to ease the tension I was feeling, I looked around at the procession that had gathered. The royal guard was out in force today, with two full squads lining the path. Several of the guards were wearing the amulets I'd designed, their gems glowing softly in Chrysalis' presence, and while I couldn't see them, I had little doubt a Wonderbolt squad was watching through the cloud cover.
There was a palpable feeling of nervousness in the air. It was fairly common knowledge by now that Celestia had essentially forced these negotiations at horn-point, and nopony was quite sure how the coming changeling elder was going to act.
Celestia herself was in attendance along with Luna, their eyes following the distant carriage and escort that was slowly drawing closer. Beside me, I could feel Chrysalis shift restlessly. It was clear she would have preferred not to be here, but Celestia had insisted her presence was going to be a necessary gesture of support that the elder needed to see.
“You look like you're ready for a fight,” I murmured softly. “You don't seriously think she's going to attack you here, do you?”
“I have spent dozens of years hearing horror stories about the elders,” Chrysalis grumbled irritably. “One does not simply discard the trauma of their foalhoods.”
That much I could sympathize with. Stupid quesadillas...
More minutes passed in silence while I worked on mentally beating back my own foalhood trauma. Finally, the carriage pulled up in front of the castle gates, drawing to a stop and allowing one of the unicorns to pull open the door. “Presenting her majesty, Queen Aurum.”
Unconsciously, I held my breath. This was it, the changeling elder who had suppressed her entire culture as its secret ruler. The one who had isolated her kind from every race in Equestria. I probably wouldn't have been surprised to see some horror from Tartarus emerging from the carriage. Instead, the being that emerged could only be described as...elegant.
Her soft white carapace was immediately noticeable, with the softer middle rings a light, sky blue. Her mane was a brilliant golden color, and unlike Chrysalis, there didn't seem to be any holes in her legs. Instead of a jagged horn, hers was a graceful curve, and her very presence seemed to radiate authority.
Her red eyes immediately fixed upon our group as she strode forward, two similarly colored changelings exiting the carriage after her. Unlike their queen, they seemed far more wary of the crowd surveying them. It was hard to blame them. Any changeling brought up in a secretive environment probably loathed the idea of being at the center of attention.
Their approach was silent. All of the guards were wearing carefully blank expressions, but it was impossible not to notice them tense as Aurum finally stood in front of Celestia. A moment of silence seemed to stretch out to minutes before finally, Aurum lightly bowed her head. “A pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Princess Celestia.”
With a smile, Celestia lowered her head as well, matching Aurum's bow. “The pleasure is mine. I'm quite pleased our people can meet without any subterfuge between us.”
“Far be it from me to resist a summons from the sun tyrant herself.”
I sucked in a breath at the blatant insult, but Celestia didn't flinch, nor did her smile waver. “My, is that the impression I've left upon your race? Perhaps we can change that perception over the next few weeks.”
Queen Aurum made a small 'hmm' of appraisal before she turned her gaze to Luna. “Princess Luna, you look rather well for a mare who has been isolated for a millennium.”
Luna simply smiled. “I've found that getting out and socializing with others has helped with that.”
I had to hold back a chuckle at that. If this was some sort of probe or test, Luna had reversed it masterfully. She seemed to be moving down the line, though, and Chrysalis was next.
“Queen Chrysalis. It's a pleasure to meet our unofficial ambassador at long last.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I'm happy to meet my unofficial elder as well.”
My eyes widened slightly. That might have been pushing things a bit too far, but I didn't dare say anything aloud.
“It's a day of firsts for many of us. I, for one, am rather happy our entire race didn't go the way of the gryphons after your reckless actions.” It was a sharp barb, but it was delivered in that same calm tone she'd used since first speaking.
“Really?” said Chrysalis with feigned surprise. “I'm rather surprised Azure and Crimson are still breathing after the stunt they pulled. How fortunate that things have turned out so well.”
“An unfortunate decision they made rather recklessly under pressure. I'm sure you could sympathize,” came the calm, measured reply.
Chrysalis' eyes narrowed and I was certain that the next words out of her mouth were going to be less than diplomatic. Carefully, I opened up my connection with her and tried to send feelings of calm, though it was hard to tell if I was getting through.
Thankfully, Chrysalis didn't rise to the bait and Aurum moved on to the final pony in the line. “Twilight Sparkle, I've heard quite a bit about you. Researcher, strategist, magical prodigy...and perhaps even part changeling. An impressive array of talents, though I hear your interrogation techniques could use some work.”
I had been bracing myself for that low shot, but it still stung. “It has been a learning experience. Much like you'll have to learn diplomacy tactics that don't revolve around thinly veiled insults if you want to accomplish anything.”
That was definitely pushing things too far, but to my surprise the changeling elder simply chuckled. “And here I thought Ambassador Chrysalis would have been the first to bite back.”
“If I bite anywhere, it'll be around her throat,” came Chrysalis' thoughts over the link. I did my best to ignore them.
“You were invited here for negotiations, not taunting and insults, but if you want to play that game instead...” I let my words trail off, staring into her eyes with what I hoped came across as determination.
Queen Aurum simply smiled and turned back to the celestial diarchs. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I am in your care. I hope good fortune follows these talks and an accord can be reached among our races.”
I slowly let out a breath as Aurum's attention turned elsewhere. Chrysalis was much less subtle, her neutral look quickly turning into a glare. It was hard to blame her. However indirectly it came about, it was Aurum's actions that had led to her mother's death.
“We have quarters set aside for you and your retinue,” said Celestia as she began to walk alongside the changeling elder. “We've provided for your needs as best we can, but do not hesitate to ask if you find anything lacking. Our palace staff...”
Celestia's voice faded into the background as the guard detail disappeared along with the changelings, though only when they left the edge of my senses did I finally relax. “I really don't envy Celestia's job,” I muttered, just loud enough for Chrysalis to hear.
“Yes, I suppose planning around the next changeling invasion would be tiring,” said Chrysalis with a scoff. “The only thing that would surprise me at this point would be if Aurum genuinely desired peace.”
While I didn't outright disagree with her, things had changed a fair bit since Chrysalis had invaded. “She's going to be monitored at all times. When she's not negotiating or in her quarters, she'll be under a constant shield. I looked over all the security arrangements and I don't think there's anything more we can reasonably do.”
“We could just attack her.”
“Chrysalis...”
“I'm not serious, just a little grumpy,” she conceded quickly. “It'd be foolish to think she doesn't have something planned, but there's little we can do until she actually makes a move.”
A small rainbow contrail breaking through the cloud cover caught my eye. “That's not entirely true,” I said, smiling as I waved a hoof at the approaching pegasus.
The rainbow trail twisted suddenly and sped up, the remaining guards around us getting nervous as the streak didn't seem to be slowing down. At the very last second, Rainbow pulled up, sending a rush of air across the group before landing softly on her hooves.
Even though it was a reserve uniform, Dash wore the Wonderbolt colors really well. Then again, she was practically born to wear that uniform. “I didn't see any explosions. How'd it go?”
“About as well as could be expected,” I said with a sigh. “Aurum's got a lot of trust issues and even Celestia can't really shift public opinion after three attacks in one year. Any luck on your end?”
“We'd need about a hundred more pegasi to be sure of the Badlands, but all of our sweeps of Canterlot and the surrounding areas have turned up nothing. She's either got her hive really well hidden, or it's far away from here.”
“Give my thanks to Spitfire for her work, then,” I said with a nod.
“Gonna have to give it to her yourself. I'm escorting you back to Ponyville, remember?”
Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten that her duties to me (and by extension, Chrysalis) outweighed whatever commitment she had to the Wonderbolts. Even after a month, it still felt odd knowing that I could order her around. “Then by all means, my most excellent of guards, escort us at once to yonder station of trains.”
Rainbow grinned and saluted with her wing, quickly ordering our escort into formation before we set out.
“She's still planning something,” said Chrysalis as we walked. “It may not even involve her hive, but she's definitely playing a game of some kind.”
“Maybe, but it's up to Celestia to see through it. The best we can do is give her as many tools as we can.” Part of me hoped that the peace offering was genuine, but between Azure, Crimson, and the late queen Terranim, it seemed like Chrysalis had been the exception, not the rule.
---
Returning to the library gave me another reminder of how things had changed in the last month. Stationed just outside my treehouse were a pair of pegasus guards. To their credit, they were doing as much as they could to blend in, but even without the flashy golden armor, it wasn't hard to recognize them as a security force.
Undoubtedly, that meant Dusk was around too, patrolling Ponyville with more of Chrysalis' hive. It was all very low key, and the guards picked out by Dash had done a good job of integrating themselves into Ponyville, but it was still a bit irksome that this was necessary in the first place.
“I don't care for it either, but until all of the elders are accounted for, they're here to stay.”
I gave Chrysalis a sheepish look, realizing I'd probably been broadcasting my annoyance rather loudly if she'd picked up on it.
“I don't get it,” cut in Rainbow Dash before I could respond. “Aurum is supposed to be the big bad elder queen, right? Why can't she just pull the other queens into line?”
“Likely because she's encouraging them to make trouble,” replied Chrysalis immediately.
“It could be that she doesn't have as much control as we think,” I murmured, the comment drawing stares from both of them.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You don't really believe that, do you?”
“Well...a little bit,” I said weakly. “Just look at what happened when Chrysalis came to Celestia. I know changelings societies are of one mind on a lot of things, but you can't tell me there wouldn't be dissent from a decision this big.”
Chrysalis looked thoughtful at that. “I suppose I am the exception that proves the rule in this case,” she said finally. “Put that way, it would be far more suspicious if all of the elders had agreed.”
Letting out a sigh, I put on my best smile for the guards as they saluted, my eyes briefly moving toward two of the newest structures to grace Ponyville. The first was the new changeling embassy. It was one of the larger buildings in Ponyville, just barely beating out the town hall, and staffed by ponies and changelings working with other towns and villages to settle those of Chrysalis' hive that wished to openly travel Equestria. Not many had done so just yet, but the number was slowly increasing.
Floating just above my treehouse was a much more familiar building. As my new head of security, Rainbow Dash had to remain nearby at all times. I'd compiled a list of residences where she could stay, only for my plans to prove irrelevant when she simply moved her entire house closer to mine, even going as far as to convert the lower floor into a barracks for the other pegasi guards.
“Evening, Miss Sparkle,” said one of the guards in greeting, drawing my attention downward. “All quiet in Ponyville.”
“Good to hear. Boring days are good days. Did the shipment arrive on schedule?”
“Right down to the minute. They know better than to be late with your orders.”
Behind me, Chrysalis and Rainbow snickered. “Thank you Tempest, have a nice evening.”
Pushing the door open with my magic, I looked at the plain box that awaited me inside, filled with various folders and memos. “Spike?” I called out, “We're going to need some coffee. The strong stuff.”
---
It took exactly one hour of debate before I was rubbing a hoof over my head in frustration. “Alright, what's wrong with this one?”
“She cheated on her stallion,” said Chrysalis plainly. “Pretty flagrantly, too. And before you ask, no, it wasn't one of mine.”
“This time,” I grumbled beneath my breath.
Rainbow shook her head. “Anypony who gets too loose-lipped around a pretty stallion or mare ain't worth taking a risk on. Just imagine if it was some other changeling besides Chrysalis pulling these strings.”
Problem was, I could imagine it. At the same time, though, I couldn't help but think that these 'tests' were weighted a fair bit in Chrysalis' favor.
“We're running out of options,” I said finally, tossing the folder onto the precariously stacked 'NO' pile. “If you can't find somepony perfect, then we're going to have to settle on a step below perfect. I can't do this alone, and I've just about exhausted all of the theoretical research I can do without practical experimentation!”
I stopped abruptly, realizing that my tone had nearly risen to a shout. Slowly, I took a deep breath and let it out before giving Rainbow and Chrysalis an apologetic look. “Sorry...it's just, with Aurum here, I feel like I've got a ticking clock over my head now.”
Chrysalis and Rainbow shared a look before the Changeling Queen subtly nudged the pegasus forward with a hoof. “Um...truth is, Twi, Chryssy and I do have someponies in mind. I mean...when it comes to ponies you can trust completely, can you think of anypony better than the Elements of Harmony?”
Dumbfounded, I looked between Chrysalis and Dash, trying to determine how serious they were. “You mean to tell me we've been going at this problem for days and my friends were the best ponies for the job all along?”
“Well yeah, kinda,” said Rainbow Dash with a shrug of her wings. “Surprised you didn't include them in the first place.”
“I...had my reasons,” I said evasively. “It's not like I could ask them to dedicate their time and energy to this. They have jobs and responsibilities.”
“Is that really the only reason, Twi?” asked Rainbow pointedly. “You're telling me that you couldn't schedule around them?”
“Well, it wouldn't be that hard...”
“And you really think they couldn't make time for you?”
“No, but-”
“But you're afraid you might buck up again,” finished Chrysalis.
I closed my mouth, my body stiff as Chrysalis cut to the heart of the issue. Stiffly, I nodded my head, avoiding her gaze. Sure, there were issues with involving my friends. Interfering with their jobs and responsibilities, making them potential targets, the very thought of seeing what was inside of Pinkie Pie's mind...but the real reason I hadn't put them on my list of potential helpers was because I couldn't be one hundred percent certain of their safety...or my ability.
“Twilight, you know that as long as I'm helping you, that isn't even a possibility, right?” asked Chrysalis gently.
Mutely, I nodded.
“And they passed my tests as well.”
My head shot up. “You tested them?”
“Just out of personal curiosity, really. Rarity was very selective of her gossip, and even convinced my subordinate to buy a dress. Applejack was able to sense the deception almost immediately. Fluttershy's animals wouldn't even let my agents get close to her, and Pinkie...” The queen trailed off.
“What? What happened?”
“She was halfway through a musical number before he passed out from love overdose. I'm not sure if she even figured out he was a changeling. My point is, they're trustworthy and careful.”
Blinking away the mental image of Pinkie's affection overwhelming a changeling, my eyes turned to the stack of rejected dossiers. “I'm still not sure this is a good idea. You did sort of kidnap Rarity and Applejack's sisters.”
“Yeah, but she helped save them, too, so shouldn't those cancel out?” asked Rainbow. “Scootaloo and the others seem to get on fine with Chrysalis' changelings.”
“It's a little more complicated than just that,” I murmured weakly, but I could already see I wasn't going to win this debate, especially with no better alternative. Slumping back onto my cushion, I blew a bit of mane from my eyes. “I'll talk to them,” I said finally. “I can't promise anything, but I'll at least give them the option.”
“Great, I accept,” said Rainbow suddenly.
“What?”
“Uh...pretty sure I'm one of your friends, too.”
“Yes, but you're also the head of my security detail.”
“And?”
“And I shouldn't be doing anything that might endanger or incapacitate you.”
“But I'm not going to be in danger. Chrysalis said so,” replied the pegasus, folding her forehooves over her chest.
“And you've lost this argument once already,” added Chrysalis. “Or have you forgotten how things turned out when she decided to move next door?”
I winced internally at the verbal one-two kick. When Rainbow had her mind set on something, nothing short of an order from a princess was going to deter her. Still, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. My friends covered a wide range of magical ability and social environments. For a small sample size, it'd be hard to find a more diverse group.
“I'll pay a visit to our friends tomorrow,” I said finally. “And for the record, don't think you're going to keep getting your way just because I'm outvoted.”
“Wouldn't dream of it,” said Rainbow innocently. “Just ask Luna.”
---
“Okay, I have to know, just how many different teas do you have?” I asked Rarity as I sipped from the cup she'd given me.
“My dear Twilight, the clients who come here have tastes almost as varied as the fashion world itself, and it's far easier to charm a client that has a sweet taste on their tongue. I even have Celestia's favorite blend, just in case she happens to drop by.”
Chuckling lightly, I sipped delicately from my cup. I had no idea what the blend was, but just like with dresses, I'd learned long ago to simply trust Rarity's judgment when it came to tea. “So, Twilight, as much as I enjoy your company, you seem like a mare with a purpose today.”
“You're not wrong,” I admitted. “There's...no real easy way to say this, so I'll be direct. I'm researching a very controversial, potentially dangerous, and ethically dubious field of magic involving the mind, and I need ponies I can trust to help me.”
Rarity gave me a long look, taking a sip of her tea to extend the silence as she thought over what I'd said. When she brought her napkin up to wipe away an invisible smudge on her muzzle, I knew she was giving this some serious thought. “You've already taken my lack of magical talent into account, yes?”
“It isn't really a question of raw magical ability. In fact, magic is only the first part of it. I fully intend to include our other friends as well.”
Rarity blinked in surprise. “Forgive my ignorance, but wouldn't magical research at the very least require a horn?”
“That’s one question I intend to answer,” I replied. “But the smart bits are on ‘no’. Projecting magic externally is exclusive to unicorns, but everypony can use magic in some form, and the mind should be consistent between all ponies no matter their race.”
Rarity frowned. “You make it sound as if even somepony like Applejack could perform this type of magic. I find it difficult to imagine her capable of doing anything close to what Chrysalis did.”
Rubbing my forehead with a hoof, I pondered how best to try and explain a complicated magical theory that the greatest minds of Equestria had spent centuries refining and testing. Fortunately, I had a practical example at my disposal.
“Do you remember the Flutterpony spell I cast on you when we went to go see Rainbow perform?” I asked. “The one that gave you wings?”
Rarity shuddered. “Please, don't remind me. I haven't been that embarrassed since the time I was commissioned for an outfit that combined stripes and spots.”
Leave it to Rarity to equate a near-death experience with a fashion disaster, I suppose. “Think of it like that. Using a ton of magic, I was able to imitate the magical properties of what a pegasus can do naturally, but even my best work couldn't give you Rainbow Dash's speed.”
“And what does that mean exactly?”
“It means that even though I can't match what Rainbow Dash does, it shows the overlap between unicorn and pegasus magic. Same with earth ponies. Part of the research I'm doing in the field of mental magics is finding each pony’s capability and aptitude with it.”
Rarity chuckled. “Well, far be it from me to question your magic theories. What do you need from me specifically?”
“A few hours of your time each week should be sufficient. I don't need you to do research or anything, just help me with the practical side of things. Since it's government work, you'll be compensated.”
“Really, Twilight, compensation is the least of my concerns.”
“Well good, because there's one other thing I should tell you.”
“Oh?”
“Since we are dealing with the mind, it's likely that some private thoughts might get...revealed,” I said awkwardly. “Not intentionally, but there's a definite possibility of it happening.”
Rarity seemed to mull that over for a bit. “Well, I can't really think of anything I'd be ashamed of you knowing. A bit embarrassed, perhaps, but-”
The tinkling of a small bell filled the shop, signaling the arrival of a customer. “I think I can give you a tentative ‘yes’ at this point,” she concluded. “Let me go take care of this.”
“Of course,” I said quickly, a bit grateful for the reprieve. This was a rather delicate topic and I didn't want Rarity to feel pressured into a decision one way or another.
Idly, I listened with one ear as Rarity gave her greeting, taking a moment to distract myself with the surroundings. Maybe it was because her shop doubled as her home, but I'd always admired how neat and orderly she kept everything. When I'd asked about it, she'd been happy to tell me in painstaking detail on how everything was placed carefully to provide the best visual appeal possible.
“Oh dear, please, let me take that ratty old cloak off your hooves. Take one of mine, no charge. I wouldn't use this thing as a dust rag.”
I smiled and shook my head as Rarity's 'alarmed' voice floated through into the kitchen. Rarity never had much patience for shoddy clothing, although sometimes her displeasure was a bit harsh. Still, I had little doubt that her customer was going to walk away satisfied.
Moments later, my head turned as Rarity's hoofsteps grew louder. “Finished already?” I asked, puzzled.
“Er...no. Twilight, do you think you could take a look at my guest? Something doesn't seem to be right.” Her concerned look immediately put me on guard.
“What's wrong?” I asked, quickly following her into the shop area, my eyes finding the other occupant. “Wow...you really weren't exaggerating.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, but the ragged, well worn, scratchy-looking cloak did indeed look better for cleaning than protection from the elements.
The unicorn beneath looked almost as worn as the cloak. Dirt and mud caked her hooves, implying she'd walked a fair distance. Her purple mane was done up in a traditional looking bun, and her tail looked like it had been hacked to a certain length rather than cut.
But that wasn't what worried me.
“Rarity...Discord is still imprisoned, right?” I murmured.
“I don't think I've seen any buildings upside down recently,” came her quiet reply.
Slowly, I approached the customer, my horn glowing softly as I tried to detect if there was any chaos magic about. There was something twisted and wrong in the air, but it didn't feel like Discord, even though the lack of color in her coat and mane was eerily similar. She also seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings, staring blankly at a lineup of ponnequins outfitted with Rarity's work.
“Miss?” I asked cautiously, approaching her from behind. Closer now, I could see her body shaking slightly, almost as if she were struggling to stay standing. “Are you alright?”
“Twilight...Sparkle...” The mention of my name almost made me take a step back.
“Yes, that's me. Have we met?”
With alarming speed, the unicorn suddenly turned, fixing me with blank, expressionless eyes. Her horn flared brightly, the sudden buildup of magic making my fur stand on end. “Rarity, get down!” I managed to call out right before I summoned my most powerful shield.
The concentrated beam of raw magic hit a fraction of a second later, slamming into my shield and fragmenting outward, punching several holes in the walls of the shop and reducing a few of the dress stands to ashes. The color-drained mare was pouring everything into her attack, hammering against my shield, her body shaking violently as she burned through her reserves and the natural magic in her body. She was killing herself trying to get through my shield.
Hurriedly, I made sure that Rarity was out of the way before teleporting, wincing as I heard the beam of magic travel past my previous location and cause destruction in the kitchen, but with her target no longer in sight, the beam was quickly cut off as she turned to look for me again. Plans quickly formed in my mind, ways I could disable her or her magic-
CRASH!
Rarity's front door flew open with a bang, giving way to Dash's kick. In a split-second, she had the situation assessed and was moving. The unicorn’s second attack couldn’t even take shape before the pegasus crashed into her, sending her to the floor with Dash on top.
A strong, unfocused blast skimmed Dash's mane right before a cyan hoof struck the base of her horn with a loud crack, making me wince. I'd only ever taken a blow like that once, and trying to use magic immediately afterward had been incredibly painful.
That expression of pain was visible on the unicorn's face now as she repeatedly tried to get her horn to glow. It was clear that even the attempt was agonizing, but no words came from her mouth as she struggled. Trying to push Dash away was an exercise in futility, though, and a second strong blow followed the first, knocking her unconscious.
“Rarity, grab something to bind her with and tell one of the other guards to get Chrysalis. Twilight, are you okay?”
It took me a moment to respond as I turned my attention away from the destruction that the mysterious unicorn had caused. “I'm fine. She didn't even crack my shield.”
Dash let out a sigh of relief, quickly taking the offered rope from Rarity, pulling aside the unicorn's cloak to get at her legs.
“What on Equestria...” murmured Rarity. “Twilight, do you have any idea what this is?”
Cautiously, I moved over to where Rarity was standing, looking at what she'd uncovered. My eyes widened as I saw the mark on her flank, two solid black parallel lines in the place where a cutie mark was supposed to be.
“No, I don't...but it's starting to feel like another giant mess.”
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Thanks for this Mr. ClanCrusher! Finally continuation of the best TwiChrys story in my (admitably biased) opinion. Best surprise ever!
Its here
Yes finally this got a sequel. That cliff hanger really bugged me.
Discord imprisoned?
Haven't read Winds of Change in awhile but this looks to be after season 3?
8152068
I was under the impression that the Village of Equality was in existence for at least a few years before the episode that featured it, so it's reasonable to think that this fits in mid-S03 or earlier. Discord was released and reformed only a little before (episode-wise) the S03 finale.
Good thing Twi's working on mind magic! Aurum's playing for keeps.
Hell. Yes.
Had the first chapter ready for nearly a year before releasing it?
It seems so obvious, except for that mystery tag.
Now I find myself wondering if I know what the twist is, or if you knew I would think I knew what the twist was, or if you knew that I knew that you knew that I think I know what the twist is.
In any case, good start. I've been hoping for a follow-up to this story for a while.
Yay!! More Triangles!
Also time to reread previous story.
Before I read this story, will celestia x chrysalis happen or not? I'm bucking serious, I am not going to read a fourty long story again just to reach the end where it's the wrong ship!!! I don't care for spoilers!!!
Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh OHMIGOSH
*explodes*
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Judging from the first comment here, it's Twilight/Chrysalis
So glad to see the sequel at last.
Oh god Oh GOD IT'S HAPPENING
I have been waiting for this for so, so long... This is such a good day
Yay, sequel to one of the best Twisalis stories I've read!
I knew it! I knew it that the original_character_do_not_steal_lings are evil!
There have to be better ways to assassinate someone.
Rainbow Dash is Robocop.
I'm so happy.
"Coming from a race that abducts innocents from other nations to feed from and then attempts a surprise invasion without any formal declaration of hostilities... you seem just a tad more hypocritical than ponies who claim to oppose tyranny by, say, beating members of the opposite side and burning buildings to the ground."
See, that's how you put down such pathetic cheap shots at yourself.
You know, if the cherngelerngs don't wise up, you can just install that yellow sticky-tape all over Equestria. Or bug zappers.
Ya know, there are almost no pictures of such obvious sight gags. For shame. You all fail at comedy.
Two years, for two years we have waited!!!
Now moar cuddles. I wanna see a lavander-black-cyan pile, stat!
So excited for this one.
It's been a good while, and it's very nice to read your writing again.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Ah, the only chrysalis reforms story I have ever liked
Really appreciated the angle played in winds of change, with chrysalis being wise enough to angle twilight as a student instead of just roll over and play dead for celestia.
8152717 There's actually quite a bit of this story written already; posted, reposted, edited, re-edited, and generally put through the wringer. While I am quite satisfied with how Winds of Change turned out, there a few mistakes I made that I don't want to repeat this time around. If all goes well, I should have semi-consistent updates with polished chapters. Hopefully, it will have been worth the wait.
8152224 Winds of Change, the previous story, diverged before the end of Season 3 and this is a continuation of that. In brief, Discord is still imprisoned, Twilight doesn't have wings, and the library is intact.
Is this a ChryLight fimfic?
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Yeah, that's basically what I figured. I was suggesting that The Village could easily have existed during Season 3. :) Granted, some authors will timeskip and handwave in some canon stuff when starting sequels. How long after Winds of Change is this?
Sequel! Yay.
But it was soooooo long ago, that i don't remeber anything about first story. But it's in my favourite! So, i assume it was good?
Maybe this fic need some short summary before first chapter?
Took me a while to remember stuff about the previous story, but it's definitely good to see a sequel
Yes, Twi, it is another giant mess. Adventure awaits!
Sequel? Yesyesyesyesyes
A strong first chapter, but I'm going to need to re-read the first story. I've forgotten much it seems.
YAY! SEQUEL!
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I know it mentioned a time in the chapter... I think it's set about a month after the epilogue or something like that. I know it wasn't a huge time jump or anything like that, but it was more than a week or two. I can't remember off the top of my head and I'm too lazy to go look it up...
Well shit, this is bad. This is REALLY bad if they are forced to burn enough magic to kill themselves.
It looks like Starlight's effects on her little town have made them ripe for easy programming from the changelings, to the point where they are able to give over 100% of themselves. This is setting up for one messed up story.
Oh hey! This series is back! Or, rather, its a series now that there's a second entry. But hey, great! I'm pretty sure this was the only TwixDashxLis ship I've seen as well.
Well, now this is a great start already. What happened to Starlight and Our Town? Is Aurum behind it? Does she have a different plan? Or is she actually trying to achieve peace? And furthermore, will our OT3 succeed!? So much to look forwards to!
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So a month, roughly. Could be three weeks and still be "in the last month"... or she could be including changes that occurred during the end of the previous story.
8153209 based on the prequell, it's more a ChryLightDash in that regards.
I pity the foal that tries to see inside Pinkie Pie's mind!
imgflip.com/s/meme/Mr-T-Pity-The-Fool.jpg
holy shit season six
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I know exactly how it fells to read a history with the wrong ship. Never bought a boat from that store again
DON'T DO ME LIKE THIS, MAN!
Wait, Queen Aurum is a pig? O___o
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It’s full of cotton candy!
I know it's most likely not the Tempest I'm thinking of... But I can't stop thinking about it.