Chapter 6: The Alicorn Princess
Hello again everybody,
So, the speech between Luna and Shiva got some upgrades courtesy of OPOmniGodEmperorDOOM. Thanks very much for the feedback and offers, though sorry it wasn't completely like your original speech. Shiva's just not in the right mindset to be that angry at Luna...
Yet. 
But, thank you all so much for your feedback and critiques, and I look forward to seeing what you think of this latest chapter.
Until next time,
With a flash of light, Shiva found herself in a room that had to belong to Celestia. A desk sat on one side of the room, complete with a stack of scrolls, quills and inkwells. Books adorned the far end of the room; tomes that Shiva knew Skippy would’ve died to get his paws on. Various contraptions, instruments and other objects decorated the rest of the room. And a bed that took up almost half of the far side of the room looked like a patch of sunlight that someone could sleep in.
But none of those things interested Shiva. She lowered her head, and focused on her pack link.
“Shiva!” Luke was barking. “Shiva, please; are you alright!”
“I’m okay, Luke,” Shiva assured him. “I’m okay.”
At least, she hoped she was okay. Lifting her head, she found herself staring into the curious pink eyes of Princess Celestia, still as tall and imposing as ever before. Yet, the kinder light in her eyes was more prominent, and she settled herself in a couchant position that kept Shiva from having to stare up at her.
“You know,” Celestia noted, a touch of teasing in her voice. “If you had been more patient the first time you were here, we could have talked. I would have made your stay more pleasant.”
Shiva’s ears flattened, the memory of her time in Canterlot’s cells coming back to her.
“It’s a little hard to be patient when an unfamiliar pink mare with no sense of personal space suddenly drops in from nowhere, chatters at you like a crazed squirrel and then chokes you with sugar,” Shiva noted dryly.
Celestia’s smile flickered, but she managed to maintain her composure.
“Sugar choking you?” she commented, almost sounding horrified, though the amused light in her eyes gave away her act. “How horrendous. Sugar is supposed to be sweet and tasty. How could someone turn it into such a horrible weapon?” She perked. “I daresay a horror story could be written from such a concept.”
Shiva glowered at her. “Are you really trying to crack a joke at my expense?” Shiva asked.
“Oh, no, of course not,” Celestia replied. “The joke’s yours for free,” she added with a smile.
Shiva’s irritated frown didn’t fade. Celestia sighed.
“Shiva, please try to relax,” Celestia asked. “I'm not like Blueblood or his posse. I fully understand you’ve returned ready to re-join Equestria as a friend and ally. Surely, there’s no reason…”
Shiva’s ears flattened. “I’m not here to be friends, Princess,” she warned. "And I'm not staying."
Celestia’s face fell, yet her voice remained casual. “Oh,” she noted. “So… Luna’s suspicions were correct? You have come to break faith and invade? Because you’re not exactly in a good position for that.”
Shiva chuckled darkly. “Your ponies broke faith with me after they locked me in a cage,” she reminded the princess. “After they whipped me bloody; after they forced me to watch my fellow prisoners get tortured, and then blamed their suffering on me.”
Celestia face fell at Shiva’s words. She sighed in regret.
“Beast Breaker,” Princess Celestia admitted. “Was an evil stallion. What he did went against every value and moral I’ve built Equestria on.” She bowed her head to the diamond dog. “On behalf of Equestria and pony-kind, I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against you and everyone else who suffered under him.” She looked back up. “And I beg you not to judge the whole of Equestria for his despicable deeds.”
Shiva breathed, but nodded.
“I don’t hold you guilty for his crimes,” she assured the princess. “But I am not beholden to a vow that I never had the option to make. Especially when it’s with ponies willing to believe I’d want to come back here without very good reasons.”
Celestia’s ear flicked. “Then enlighten me: what are these ‘very good reasons’ that have brought you back?”
Her eyes narrowed. “The changelings.”
Celestia ear flicked. “Fellow denizens of Beast Breaker’s fighting pits, if I recall Twilight's report.”
“Whether it’s for the pain her drones went through, or something more nefarious,” Shiva explained, “Chrysalis wants Canterlot overthrown, and you in chains. She attempted to recruit my aid, but I rejected her. Based on how she reacted, I can safely assume that if she succeeds in beating you, she will come after us next.” She stepped closer. “My hope is that together, we’ll keep her from hurting anyone again. Then, we leave each other alone; no diamond dog crosses into Equestrian territory, and we don’t even smell an Equestrian near our territory for the next few centuries.”
Celestia pouted, but her ears didn’t flatten. “Your reasons are… odd,” she admitted. “But your actions are still welcome. I am grateful for your aid.” She inclined her head.
“I’m afraid I’m going to need your word,” Shiva said. “That after Chrysalis is dealt with, you will leave my pack alone, just as I will leave you and your ponies alone.”
Celestia still looked nervous about the idea. “Shiva,” Celestia said, in a tone that implied she was seeking a better deal. “You said you didn’t judge everypony for Beast Breaker’s sins…”
“I don’t,” Shiva said. “But even without him, we’ve still got baggage between us.” Her tail tucked as she continued. “What I did to Beast Breaker… I won’t say that I regret it. But I do recognize that it was far beyond self-defense. And while I understand the Stare was just a measure your ponies had to take after his death… it doesn’t mean I have to like how it humiliated me.” Shiva’s gaze hardened. “And what Luna did in my cell certainly wasn't called for.”
Celestia winced. “She’s been gone for several centuries,” she tried to justify. “She's still trying to integrate with...”
“Whatever her reasons,” Shiva replied bluntly, "She dug through my mind like it was her own personal filing cabinet, and made me relive one of the worst experiences of my life."
She stepped forward.
“Your word, Princess,” she said. “Once this is over, we will leave each other be.”
“Without even a chance of reconciliation later down the road?” Celestia almost pleaded.
“Your word,” she repeated.
The alicorn and the wolf stared each other down, before Celestia sighed in defeat.
“Very well,” she said, putting a hoof over her heart. “As Princess Celestia, Sol Invictus and Diarch of Equestria, I solemnly vow that after the threat to Equestria has been lifted, we will part ways and never darken each other’s doorsteps until we are ready to repair the damage done to the friendship we could have had.”
Shiva glared at her skeptically, but her vow did sound solemn enough. With a reluctant sigh, Shiva nodded.
“Alright then,” Shiva straightened. “Now, that guard with the purple armor…?”
“Shining Armor,” Celestia confirmed. “The Captain of the Royal Guard.”
“And ‘Cadence’s fiancé?”
Celestia nodded. “They are to be married in a fortnight.”
Shiva flinched. “If they have that kind of history, I’m not confident that your changeling sweep will catch her. Chrysalis – or Cadence, as she’s going by - had Shining Armor right by her side. Likely as not she has him under some kind of spell.”
Celestia winced.
“Oh, Shining Armor, you love-struck foal,” Celestia muttered, before her ears perked. “Well, at the very least it got the nobles out of the way.”
Shiva tilted her head. “Meaning…?”
“I deal very often with Blueblood and his fellow ‘nobles,’” Celestia explained. “I have to find ways to humble them as often as I can.”
Shiva chuckled. "At least I'm not the only one irritated by him."
"Indeed," Celestia replied with a chuckle. Her expression turned serious. “But if Chrysalis has taken the form of my niece, then…”
“Then we expose her,” Shiva said. “We bring her forward, expose her, then...”
Celestia chuckled. “I’m grateful for the enthusiasm, Shiva, but even with her believing her cover is sound, she won’t come forward if you just tell her to. We’re going to have to be subtle about it.”
Shiva’s ears flattened at the light in Celestia’s eyes. “Define ‘subtle.’”
#
Shiva glowered at Celestia from under the massive amount of chains covering her body.
“This is not what ‘subtle’ brings to mind,” Shiva noted.
“Don't worry, it's only temporary,” Celestia replied, just before the crowd of nobles sauntered into the throne room, eyeing Shiva with triumph. The Mane Six and Spike stood alongside them, their expressions more fearful and angry.
“Ah, excellent,” Blueblood demanded. “Is the creature going to be banished publically?”
“Princess Celestia, please…” Fluttershy whimpered, even as Shiva winced away from her exposed eyes. “You can’t…”
“You don’t tell a Princess what she can and can’t do,” a noble mare chastised the yellow pegasus. “She decides things for this country.”
“Very right, Upper Crust,” Celestia said with a nod. She turned back to Shiva. “And as Princess of Canterlot and Defender of Equestria, I must protect my subjects from those that would threaten my home and my friends.”
The nobles nodded smugly.
“But Shiva’s not yer enemy!” Applejack protested. “She came to help!”
“Quiet, peasant,” Blueblood demanded. “Let the princess do what she does best.”
The mares gave Shiva pained looks, but the wolf didn’t look at them. She focused on Cadence, who was watching the whole thing with an expression of both relief and smugness. The diamond dog turned back to Celestia as her horn began to glow.
“You stand accused of threatening Canterlot,” Celestia declared. “You stand accused of the imprisonment of Princess Cadence.”
“Mí Amore Cadenza,” Cadence corrected quietly from the back, but Celestia glanced at her with a grin.
“How do you answer these charges…” Celestia asked, her grin widening as her eyes didn’t leave Cadence. “Queen Chrysalis?”
Every noble’s face twitched in confusion, but Cadence’s ears flattened in horror. Before she could move, Celestia’s horn fired. But not at Shiva.
With a burst of pink and gold light, Cadence was yanked forward and burst into a shower of sparks. From the sparks, a changeling was flung to the floor before the nobles, looking up and around like a cornered animal.
Except – Shiva’s gut twisted – it wasn’t Chrysalis. It was Thorax! The small changeling waved sheepishly at the other nobles.
“CHANGELING!” Blueblood screamed. The nobles danced away from the changeling, shrieking like little foals. The Mane Six, however, jumped to action, surrounding Thorax with pawing hooves and glowering expressions.
Thorax forced himself back up, facing Celestia as the alicorn stared her down.
“Clever,” he admitted. “But not clever e…”
He didn’t get the chance to finish before a tendril of lightning shot through the air and snagged him around the neck. Rarity gasped and jumped out of the way as the tendril shot by her.
“What?!” Thorax cried, staring in shock as Shiva shrugged off the chains and rose, her own fur glowing and turning her and Celestia into twin suns. “How…?!”
“Fake chains,” Shiva declared. Celestia grinned.
“Even Princesses know how to have fun,” she commented.
Thorax’s eyes bugged out of his skull in anger and fear, but he didn’t get the chance to try and attack. With a sharp intake of breath, Shiva absorbed the changeling’s magic. Thorax flailed and cried as his magic was drained, bit by bit, into Shiva’s link.
In seconds, Shiva had Thorax hanging limply in her tendril, any magic and energy sucked out.
“Guards,” Celestia called. The Royal Guards jumped, too shocked at Thorax’s sudden appearance to move, and quickly surrounded him, taking the Mane Six’s place. Celestia nodded at Shiva, and the white diamond dog released her grip, letting Thorax fall into the waiting hooves of the guards.
“Escort…” Celestia started to say, before Shiva cut her off.
“Thorax,” she said, before noticing Celestia’s surprised look. “Apologies, Princess, but his name is Thorax,” she explained.
Celestia nodded. “Guards,” she said in a softer tone. “Escort ‘Thorax’ to a cell. Shiva will be helping us find out what he knows, and where we can find the real Princess Cadence.” She noticed Shiva’s confused look. “If the changelings are bold enough to take the form of an Equestrian alicorn princess, they must have her in their custody. Rescuing her will draw out Chrysalis for sure.”
Shiva nodded, even as Blueblood gagged in alarm.
“Y-You’re going to trust this…?” Blueblood stammered. But Princess Celestia gave him a triumphant smirk.
“Make sure Ex-Prince Blueblood has a cell near the changeling,” Celestia said to the Royal Guards. As the shocked stallions moved to obey, Celestia grinned at a dumbfounded Blueblood. “For it seems that he encouraged the abuse and mistreatment of one of our new allies.”
Blueblood squeaked in fear, but the nobles quickly abandoned him. One even shoved him towards the guards.
“Y-Yes!” she cried, “Punish him for hurting such a-a marvelous hero!”
The other nobles joined the chant of praise for Shiva in earnest, even as the guards converged on them as well. But the white diamond dog paid them no mind. She followed closely behind Thorax, keeping an eye on the guards as he was led from the chamber.
“That was amazing, Shiva,” Twilight gushed as she walked by the mares. “See? I told you Princess Celestia was better than the nobles! Didn’t I tell you?”
Shiva walked right by her without talking. The mares smiles slowly faded as Shiva exited the throne room without a word. Applejack and Spike glanced at the others before racing after the white diamond dog.
However, another mare was waiting for Shiva outside the throne room.
“Greetings, Howlite Howler,” Luna said, a smile across her face… but one that didn’t reach her eyes.
Shiva walked by her without a word. Undeterred, Luna fell in line behind her. The Mane Six gave each other nervous looks, before following after them.
“I just saw Blueblood,” she said, her voice still neutral, but trying to remain positive. “Well done.”
“Uh-huh,” Shiva said. Luna’s smile began to fade at the diamond dog’s utter lack of interest in her.
“Y-You know,” Luna insisted, “You’ve made a good start, but the road of atonement is a hard one. I should know; I’ve traversed it myself for some time.”
“Really,” Shiva mumbled, only half into the conversation.
“Yes,” Luna’s face fell with regret. “I have… made mistakes in the past. But I strive to prove that I am no longer to be feared or hated. And I am more than happy to aid you in redeeming yourself to Equestria.”
“Redeem?” Shiva demanded. She stopped in place, waiting until Luna faced her. “Why should I need redemption?”
Luna’s ears flattened and she stepped back. “Well, why not?” she asked. “You’re here now, aren’t you? Clearly, you’ve recognized your own short-comings and forgiven our own.”
Shiva narrowed her eyes at her, resisting the urge to claw the alicorn across the face.
“My short-comings?!” Shiva demanded. “Your ponies enslaved me and tortured me!”
Luna gaped as if Shiva had slapped her.
“W-Well?” Luna demanded. “You murdered a… well…” she stumbled over the term ‘innocent,’ which Shiva was quick to jump on.
“What?” she demanded. “An ‘innocent’ is now anyone that’s a pony? It’s a crime to defend myself? Besides…” her voice lowered. “We both know you’ve done far worse.”
“Whoa, nelly, hang on!” Applejack’s voice cried.
“Yeah, slow down, you two!” Spike called after her.
Shiva sighed as the Mane Six galloped between her and the dumbfounded Princess of the night.
“H-How doth thou…” Luna stammered, falling into Old English.
“Skippy found plenty of books on Equestrian History,” Shiva replied darkly. “I heard plenty about Nightmare Moon. How you kick-started a civil war. Nearly plunged the land into an eternal night. An action that – might I add - would’ve sentenced everyone to a slow, cold and starvation-riddled death. And for what? Because you were jealous of your sister?”
“No, it’s more complicated than that,” Twilight insisted. “Luna wasn’t thinking clearly. She was possessed by a dark force that magnified her negative feelings.”
“A dark force?” Shiva asked, biting back a chuckle. “Was Beast Breaker possessed by a 'dark force' as well? Is Blueblood possessed by a 'dark force' right now?”
The mares glanced at each other. “Well… no,” Twilight admitted. “But… well, they didn’t do anything that bad, right?”
Applejack nearly kicked Twilight into the wall, but the damage was done.
“I-I meant in terms of ‘Blueblood did something,’” Twilight stammered, as Shiva face palmed. “Not… what happened in the pits…”
Shiva shook her head in disgust. She glared back up at Luna.
“If these are the kinds of ponies you’re trying to ‘redeem’ yourself for?” Shiva growled at the midnight alicorn. “Then you clearly have no idea who needs to atone for their actions.”
“And doth that make thou actions justifiable?” Luna demanded.
“No,” Shiva admitted. “But neither are yours. So, stop acting like a high horse.”
"She's not acting like a high horse; she doesn't have any..." Pinkie started to reply with a giggle, before the collective glares of the others forced her down. "Sorry," she whimpered. "Trying to lighten the mood..."
“B-But anyway, we said we were sorry!” Twilight jumped back into the argument. “And we are; all of us, we’re very sorry…”
“Twilight,” Shiva snarled. “If you keep lying to me…”
“I’m not LYING!” Twilight shrilled.
Applejack jumped in before Shiva could argue back.
“How about this, then,” Applejack offered, looking Shiva in the eye. “Pinkie is sorry for what she did. Fluttershy is mighty sorry for what she did.”
Shiva glanced over at the two. Pinkie was nodding vigorously, though Shiva didn’t see how Fluttershy was reacting; the dog’s head still wouldn’t turn in the yellow mare’s direction.
“Please, Shiva,” Fluttershy whimpered, the pain evident in her voice. “I wish I never had to use the Stare in the first place. I’m so-so-SO sorry.”
Shiva’s hostile stance faltered, and she sighed.
Applejack grinned, turning back to the others. Twilight was stammering, looking back and forth between them.
“W… but how… why…?” Twilight whispered
“We kept saying we’re all sorry,” Applejack whispered back. “She ain’t inclined to believe all of us are sorry. But some of us are.”
Twilight gasped in realization. But just then, Pinkie tried to give Shiva a hug. The white diamond dog kept the pink mare at arm’s length.
“I believe you’re sorry and want forgiveness.” She nodded at Fluttershy and Pinkie. “But I’m not ready to accept it yet.”
“So, you’d rather stay with diamond dogs over us?” Luna asked, sounding disturbed by the action.
“I’ll show her ‘some diamond dogs,'” Luke grumbled through the link.
Shiva smiled softly at his words, but didn’t let any other signs show that she was still in contact with her pack.
“I’d rather stay with my pack,” Shiva corrected. “The people whom I have actually developed bonds with. My friends. My family.”
“B-But you could have that with us too!” Twilight protested.
“I don’t believe you,” Shiva said, pointing at Twilight for emphasis.
Twilight gaped, wanting to speak, but only small squeak escaped her.
“What about us?” Applejack asked sadly. Shiva looked towards Applejack, Pinkie and even Fluttershy with a sad look. “Can’t we still…?”
Shiva moaned in frustration.
"I'm not..." Shiva sighed. "You and Spike have been nothing but kind to me," she assured them. "And I appreciate it." She turned to PInkie and Fluttershy. "And I appreciate how hard you guys are trying.” She blinked hard, and her face hardened. “But I need my space right now.” She nodded at Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “Some of you need your space from me.” She gave one final disgusted look at a glowering Luna. “And some of you need to figure out what you did wrong in the first place.”
She looked over her shoulder. The Royal Guards had paused, but were trying to keep an eye on Thorax. Though the changeling looked just as invested in the argument as they were, and made no attempt to escape.
“And before any of us can have our space,” Shiva concluded. “I need to figure out where Queen Chrysalis is, so I can keep her from hurting any of my pack.”
#
As Thorax was led away, followed by Shiva, he watched the mare’s reactions: Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie glared at Rainbow Dash and Rarity, who only glared right back at them. Twilight and Luna looked like they had been sucker punched, while Applejack and Spike just turned to each other with shakes of their heads.
Thorax looked away, and his spirits lifted as he saw one guard wink at him, his eyes flashing green in a mixed signal before she turned away.
The ponies noticed nothing; Shiva herself only caught enough to give the guard a suspicious look as he left. But even she couldn’t translate the message the ‘guard’ gave Thorax.
#
Meanwhile, deep down in the Canterlot Mines, most of the diamond dogs were gleefully pulling gems and jewels from the stone walls. But there were a few diamond dogs who weren’t happy with the bounty of treasure they were finding.
Luke paced fitfully, watching their links vanish into the rock above.
“This is stupid,” Luke growled. “Shiva having to play nice with these ungrateful horses. We should beat some sense into them.”
“Right now?” an Iron Paw asked, hefting his axe.
Luke glanced at the axe, before looking up at the ceiling.
“As tempting as it is,” he finally grumbled. “Shiva’s still Alpha; we wait for her signal.”
The Iron Paw glowered up at the rocks before hefting his axe. “Hope she gives the signal soon,” he replied.
Luke nodded. “Me, too.”
#
Skippy watched as Luke went back to pacing. He only watched his pack mate for a moment before turning to the two changelings watching the diamond dogs as well. Thankfully, even if the other changelings noticed Skippy, they just thought he was one of them. He looked just like them now; equine and insectoid, with the same holes in his legs, even if his normal form didn’t need them.
“Diamond Dogs,” the larger one mused. “Quick tempers. Slow minds.” He chuckled. “Maybe the Queen’s old plan isn’t such a bust after all.”
“Force another fight?” the second changeling asked. “All the way down here?”
“All we need is the right bait to drag them out,” the first one replied. He glanced up as a flurry of green lights flashed in the darkness. A signal. “And we’ve got the perfect bait to do it.”
Skippy narrowed his eyes. What does that mean? He thought.
Carefully, cautiously, he followed the changelings as they retreated further into the mines. However, he failed to notice the diamond dogs noticing the scuttling, skittering sound of the changeling’s wings.
For as he followed the changelings, taking care not to stand out, he found them already setting their bait in place.
What they planned to use for bait made Skippy’s eyes widen in horror.
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Cliffhangers are evil, but fun
Can SOME of the changlings rebel? Or at least make Skippy be the redeemable villain? Also the equine are totally in the wrong but am hoping Shiva will give fluttershy , pinkie pie, and mainly applejack a chance. Great story by the way.
(Also it seems that twilight is stuck in the mentality that her rulers can do no wrong as well as most of her race. It seems that her racial views need to be shattered! And BIG time.)
((Also racisism is the worst!))
10234645
im just hoping fluttershy will talk and aploigise for the stare
Well at first I was suspicious of "Skippy" but he seems to be a re-formed changeling
10234645
Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm glad you're enjoying.
Skippy's an interesting case. truenorth14's backstory for him dives into some really challenging lore for the changelings, and I can't wait until the next chapter is ready, as Skippy gets the chance to explain it a bit more. I don't want to spoil anything, but for now, just know that Chrysalis doesn't have a hold on every changeling in Equestria.
10234777
Fluttershy has been saying how sorry she is. Shiva is technically hanging onto a grudge here, though the ponies' racism and suspicion isn't going to help with her forgiving Fluttershy.
I'll try to find a way for them to talk it out one-on-one though. Thanks again for your comments; they really help me with improving the story.
Hah! Real glad Blueblood got some comeuppance!
Also I freakin' called it regarding Skippy! HAH!
10234645
To be fair, Twilight didn't really outgrow that mentality (the Princesses can do no wrong) in canon, at least up until I've watched (up until 5, bits of 6, and 7-9 through second hand knowledge).