The Changeling Wars

by Alkonium

Epilogue

[youtube=0Snbjr-sRFg]

Canterlot, Prison
Three Weeks Later

Princess Luna approached Larva's cell, flanked by Twilight and the Doctor.

"Ah, Princess Luna. It's so good of you to drop by. Where's your lovely daughter and her oh-so trigger happy husband this time?" Larva asked.

"Helping with the repairs to Ponyville. We didn't come here just to chat. We want information, starting with where Chrysalis fled to." Luna inquired.

"Very well. She fled to the deepest part of the Everfree Forest, to recuperate from her losses in Ponyville." Larva explained.

"You're certainly more forthcoming than last time." Twilight commented. Based on what she had seen of the Changeling Prince before, this was most confusing to her.

"My mind was not my own. It is now." Larva elaborated. Instinctively, Luna turned to face the Doctor, as if silently asking him a question.

"He's telling the truth. The psychic interference I sensed before is gone." The Doctor answered, having little difficulty interpreting the gesture.

"How?" Twilight asked the Changeling, still unsure of what effect this development would have on the war.

"When you destroyed Chrysalis's horn, you did not strip her of all her magic, but you did weaken her enough for me, and other changelings like me, to regain our free will." Larva explained to them.

"And that benefits both our races, does it not?" Luna surmised.

"On the contrary. Without a dominant monarch, the Changelings of my level will turn on each other, vying for total control of the Hive Mind, each one commanding an equal portion of Chrysalis's forces. Once one emerges from the civil war victorious, you'll be back where you started." Larva elaborated. "Chrysalis may even regain control. Release me, and if I become King of the Changelings, I promise you, all of my race's hostile action against yours will cease."

"Why do you want to help us, Larva?" Twilight inquired.

"Have you ever thought about the problem with a race that feeds on love declaring war on a race that's so full of it? By attacking you, Chrysalis was effectively poisoning our food supply. Look at yourself, Commander. Your hatred for Chrysalis is so intense, that no disguise could get past it." Larva answered. "On the other hoof, an alliance between ponies and changelings will provide use with all the love we need, with no harm done to the ponies involved."

Luna thought for a moment, and then cast a spell to unlock and open Larva's cell. "I have one additional condition for form this alliance: all pony prisoners in your hive must be released, starting with Princess Celestia."

Stepping out of the cell, Larva said, "That is acceptable, but we do not have Celestia."

"You said the Changelings were feasting on her!" Twilight rebuked.

"And in doing so, they brought forth a monster they could not control." Larva explained, angering Twilight further.

"Celestia is not a monster!" She shouted at him.

"How well did you know her? There's nothing feeding brings forth that the pony isn't already capable of." Larva asked, glaring back at Twilight.

Seeing the tension growing between Twilight and Larva, the Doctor cut in, saying, "If you don't mind, Prince, I'd like to discuss a few things in private with my colleagues."

The Changeling Prince nodded, and the three ponies stepped out of the cell block. Once of out earshot of Larva, the Doctor asked, "Do you really think it's wise to be antagonizing him like that, Twilight?"

"Do you really think it's wise to be allying ourselves with him? He spent three months sabotaging our efforts!" Twilight answered.

"He wasn't acting of his own accord; we can't judge him now based on that." Luna pointed out. "Besides, there are other threats to Equestria, and we need all the allies we can get."

"Such as?" Twilight asked. While she had seen the threats posed by both Nightmare Moon and Discord before this, she hadn't seen any serious threats, beyond the Changelings, of course, that took more than the Elements of Harmony to stop.

"I'm sure you understand why the Changelings left the city of Whitetrot alone." Luna started.

"It's one of the northernmost cities in Equestria, and Changelings can't survive in that cold a climate." Twilight explained.

"Not all of our enemies have such a weakness. A thousand years ago, there was another city that far north, known as the Crystal Empire. Its king, a unicorn named Sombra, had gone mad with power and enslaved the population. Celestia and I combined our power, and were able to banish Sombra into the shadows, but he managed to take the city with him. A month into the war with the Changelings, it resurfaced, but I felt we couldn't devote the necessary resources to securing it, so Sombra reclaimed it with little effort." Luna elaborated.

"You think that if we have Changelings helping us in the more temperate parts of Equestria, we'll be able to retake the Empire sooner." Twilight surmised. "I still don't trust Prince Larva, but I do trust you, and it's your call, Princess."

Ponyville
Two Years Later

Today was a good day. Ponyville had been restored to its former glory, and in a matter of hours, the peace treaty between ponies and changelings would be signed. King Larva had been true to his word, and put a stop to all Changeling aggression after he killed Chrysalis and established himself as the dominant Changeling. As the Doctor predicted, Luna had her seat of power moved from Canterlot to Ponyville once the restoration efforts had gotten underway.

Twilight looked back on the last three years and everything she had seen and lost in that time. Spike, her Number One Assistant was gone, and it was likely she would never see Princess Celestia again. She knew it meant she could never complete her studies, or become the princess Celestia had intended her to be, but somehow she also knew that from here on out, everything was going to be just fine.

Comments

[DreadedCandiru2]

Well, at least there wasn't the musical number at the end. That always bothered me about how Season Three of ReBoot ended.

[Alkonium]

2255382 That was one of my favourite parts, but I don't see a good way incorporate a musical number into a fic like this.

[DreadedCandiru2]

2255433
Especially since everything is NOT alphanumeric. There's a lot of crap left over from the war and there is no way to reboot Equestria back to normal.

[Alkonium]

2255443 This is true. I never had any intention of reverting Equestria to its canon state.

[aajjww121]

This needs a sequel, and it was amazing. You go, man. (Stargazer says hi)

[Alkonium]

2258299 I have two in mind, both of which were hinted at in the Epilogue.

[Alkonium]

865585>>935981 I found this long after finishing the fic, but it's as good an explanation as any.

[Nightingalehound]

THank you good sir for your support of my group. May the lords of chaos, time, and space smile upon you and your descendants!!!

[Alkonium]

3792309 Given that he was quoting Megabyte directly at the start of Chapter 10, I'd say no.

[MysticStoryThePegasus]

.....A brilliant piece of work.
I rate this 10/10 mustaches.