Chapter 84
Amie and Tailslide passed together through the tunnel entrance, and out before the full might of Commander Path's changeling isolation force.
They formed a semicircle in what had once been the gift shop. Unicorn magic or simple muscle had extinguished all the flames. Plush toys, snack freezers, and displays of old mining tools now lay scattered. Ponies formed a circular rank around them, with only the pair of unicorns and Path himself in the center.
Unlike Amie and Tailslide, they were all armed and armored. They might very well just attack them any second.
Except that Amie could still read their thoughts. Path had kept many of his feelings suppressed well in the past, but apparently that technique required a kind of calm that wasn't present here. Either that, or Amie's own powers of perception were just stronger now that she was a queen.
"Even now, you wear that deception. Do you think it will make me more vulnerable to your lies? We know what you are. We have already captured your kind. Your move on my own house was thwarted. If you thought that would make me turn aside this attack, you are dead wrong. I am now more certain than ever in the justice of our cause. There is no end beneath you, no evil you will not seize upon."
Amie had enough experience dealing with this man to know how it worked. When he got into the mood to lecture, she could really just wait for him to finish. So, she waited in silence, eyeing Tailslide pointedly as she did so. They needed a unified front, or else this brief truce would turn into a proper assault.
The pony army had numbers, and who knew what magical resources to turn against the little shelter of bugs. Even not understanding their foes, Equestria still had adults trained for this, and experience in previous conflicts with changelings. Amie's only real edge was the secondhand technology from her home, much of which was now crushed under camp buildings leveled in cannonfire.
"Princess Luna summoned our queen to Canterlot for judgment. She is already there, in the princess's tower. Before she left, the queen ordered her bugs to remain where they were and not fight. All you have to do is send a message to her. Luna will confirm this. We are ready to surrender to Equestria."
Commander Path's usual confidence faltered at her words. He fell briefly silent, glancing between the two of them. "You are incapable. Surrender implies an enemy faction—a nation with the same wants, the same drives, the same needs. Changelings aren't griffons or dragons. You don't want land; you want the souls of ponies. Coexistence is not possible. We tried it for these last few months. We left you to your mountain, and it was not enough. You intruded into Equestria, sent spies and assassins and hunters. As you always must, because it is your nature. You are parasites, without souls of your own. You know only hunger, hunger so powerful it overcomes all other drives."
"That's not true," Tailslide shot back, puffing out both wings. "Commander, they aren't like that. These bugs aren't from Chrysalis. They didn't attack Canterlot, they don't kill ponies. They just want peace."
"Killed at least two ponies I know of." The pegasus flicked his tail backward, where a medical tent already stood in the parking lot. Several others rose up as the seconds passed, and larger groups of ponies moved back and forth from the airships.
All the more evidence of the futility of this war if it became open conflict. Amie had a population of mostly children, all untrained, fewer than the people of a single city. Her eggs would make for hundreds more—but they needed to grow. They wouldn't be part of this battle, or any that followed in the next few years. If she got her way, they would never see violence.
It didn't matter if they had firearms and their enemy didn't. Even without the Equestrian unicorns to even things up, they would still be hopelessly outmatched. Amie's only hope came from delay, not triumph.
"I begged them to stop," Amie said flatly. "Your stallions charged to their deaths. If you attack this nest, many more will die. Please, send a message to the princess. Surround this camp and wait for Canterlot's reply. We're ready to surrender."
He was barely even watching her anymore. "Tailslide. You should have left these lands when you had the chance. They compromised you months ago. Was this maneuver your idea? It wasn't enough to argue that we should consider a different approach. You had to betray your nation instead. Many more will die here because of you."
Tailslide looked to the commander with defiance plastered to his face. "I know you have no reason to trust me. Maybe you think I've been replaced by a changeling by now, or mind controlled, or worse. None of those things happened. I'm telling you, telling all of you here, that Stella Lacus is different. They aren't like the other bugs who attacked Equestria. They won't hurt you or me or anyone else, if you give them a chance. But they aren't going to roll over and let you slit their throats either. We can coexist."
"Do we lose anything with a delay, commander?" one of the unicorns asked. Amie didn't know either one, but from their uniforms she knew they were both decorated officers. Not simple bodyguards, though they might be here on that duty.
"Assuming they don't have some clever strategy in play. Wait too long, and they might burrow out another way. If we strike now, we could burn them out before that happens. Equestria's infestation will not have a chance to spread."
We're already outside, Amie thought. Of course, she didn't tell them that—the less Path knew, the better.
"That infestation is a thousand children," Amie said. "From twelve to eighteen. When you get past my guards, you'll find corridor after corridor of terrified groups, huddled and begging for mercy. If you order your troops, it will be to commit genocide. They will spend the rest of their lives having nightmares filled with screaming children, clinging to them and begging for mercy while their innocent blood drips from their spears."
Her words did little to the commander—but behind him, many watching ponies lowered their weapons. Others just looked down in shame, faltering under the pressure.
"Will you submit yourself as a prisoner?" Commander Path demanded. "You, and the traitor. If any strike came from inside this shelter, your lives would be forfeit. Both of them."
Before she could answer, the ground started to shake. Amie looked up through the broken ceiling, along with many observing ponies. They all saw the same shape appearing there, a light that first joined with the sun, but soon shone brighter, briefly blinding them.
Amie shielded her face with her hoof, and she wasn't the only one. Many ponies did likewise, hiding from the growing brilliance until it finally faded to something more reasonable.
When it did, it left a single creature in its place—the glittering white body of an Alicorn. A pony that Amie had yet to see in person, though of course she recognized her instantly. It could only be Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria.
"It seems your delay will not be necessary after all," Path said, settling onto his haunches with a sudden, powerfully smug expression. "Whatever deception you intended is undone. The princess will burn you from this mountain and sterilize Equestria of your corruption. Your lies will get you no further."
Amie took one step closer to Tailslide. As she did, she directed her attention backward, through the opening. Her soldiers had sandbags piled up to waist level now, about as far as they could want for shooting purposes. She focused her mental energy backward, in a general transmission that would probably be received by a dozen different bugs. Keep your weapons down. Don't even point them at this pony. If the white one comes in, surrender instantly. She's more powerful than you can imagine.
Amie had no time to listen and see how many bugs had received the message—Princess Celestia was already there. She landed before them, closer to the semicircle of armed ponies. That put the little negotiating party between her and the mine entrance.
Her glory was beyond even Amie's first glimpse of Princess Luna. So much magic radiated from her that a bug could probably feed just by standing in the same room. All that compassion she felt for her ponies, true parental love. This pony was more than just a ruler—she was borderline divine.
She was also much larger, as significant a difference as Queen Kaya was to the ordinary changeling drones. Her wings opened as wide as several ponies, and her mane flowed backward through the air as an iridescent rainbow of light and warmth.
As she touched down, every pony in attendance lowered their heads into a bow. Those who still carried weapons lowered them now, not daring to point them anywhere near her. Her arrival brought comfort from the army—but also its own feeling of fear.
So, she had that much in common with a changeling queen. That left only one who didn't bow—Amie herself. Instead, she changed, abandoning the pony disguise in a flash of magic. Otherwise, she kept all her hooves firmly planted, movements slow. If those unicorns got a little overzealous, if they decided she might be too much of a risk to their princess...
But whatever smug confidence boiled in Commander Path, it would soon be disappointed. "Commander Bravo Path," the princess said. Her voice was like so many other aspects of her—impossibly graceful and confident, loving and powerful. Everything a queen ought to be. Something for Amie to aspire to.
"I have inquired with the Office of Military Intelligence. I can find no evidence suggesting you were ordered to this offensive. Why are there ponies on this mountain?"
The pegasus kept his head down, both wings closed. Despite the princess's words, he still seemed confident. "Princess. We received a message from Canterlot. They attacked my household directly. Their infiltrators were discovered in the castle. When I heard this, I—"
"Ordered an attack without confirming it was authorized," Celestia interrupted. In an instant, the love and compassion in her voice hardened to a knife's edge.
"Spent the lives of your soldiers, and inflicted who knows how many casualties. Apparently, it did not occur to you that Equestria might have other intentions. Did your orders not clearly specify that you were only authorized to make a counterattack against the mountain if Agate itself was threatened? During my flight over, I saw no fires, no casualties—only ponies cowering in terror in their homes, fearing that we have become embroiled in another war."
Commander Path met her eyes. There she saw the first real sign of defiance, strong enough that her emotional senses could read it. "Somepony had to protect Equestria. My brave mares and stallions were prepared. Give them leave, and they will make Equestria safe forever. This one here admitted that her troops are unprepared. It will be an easy battle. We can finally have peace."
The princess's horn flashed, and the commander vanished from his place. The teleport was so brief that even the soldiers staggered back, confused. "I am now in command of this army," the princess said, raising her voice to carry back towards the more distant parts of the formation. "All of you, weapons down."
Those few ponies who still carried their spears all set them down. Swords slid back into sheaths, and crossbows fell limp against their straps. Ponies who had been watching attentively for the battle to stop were now entirely still.
Only then did the princess turn towards her. "I am told to expect one among your kind, changeling. Her name is Amie Blythe. Can you find her for me?"
She nodded. "I am her voice, princess. Her body is in your sister's tower. We can speak there, if you prefer."
The princess scratched her chin once, as though considering. Then her horn glowed again, and light filled the broken gift shop.
When it faded, it left several ponies behind—Beth and Ivy Path, settled beside a resting bat. Amie's real body.
"Better to have it here," Princess Celestia said. "We have seen enough bloodshed over delegation today. Is there anywhere we could have tea?"
Amie released the worker and stood up as a bat. She transformed again, growing into her full size. A few ponies gasped, reaching for their weapons. But any who did got a sharp glare from the princess and lowered them again.
"You may come inside. I'll show you the people Commander Path wanted to massacre."
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I just can't take it anymore. I skipped through most of Path's bullshitery and jumped straight towards the latter half of the chapter. Now that I know the Princess showed up in time after all, I'm finding myself even less inclined to watch that massive bigot showing off his bigotry. May he rot in Tartarus.
11696450
Loved the way Celestia addressed Path's insubordination: instantly removing him both from command and the location.
Think how pissed off she must be about this unauthorized assault, specially given her perspective: Amie's hive is NOT the only one operating in Equestria, yet their queen unlike the others has agreed to engage in peaceful diplomacy. That means finally being able to learn about changelings and maybe even persuade the other queens from sending infiltrators against her subjects as a mean for survival.
And Commander Bravo nearly running ruined that chance over zealously and being emotionally compromised.
Bravo Path will soon be a dishonourably discharged ex commander. It's not surprising that he launched that attack without permission his prejudice doesn't allow him to see the changelings as anything other than monsters.
I honestly half-believed Amie really would be taken straight out of her negotiation like 11690556 predicted. It would have fallen fully in line with how everything keeps conspiring against her, but I'm glad that's not how it went.
Taking control of matters herself really isn't in Celestia's nature, but things really would have taken a dark turn if she hadn't. It's pretty clear that Path wasn't going to be convinced. Now I just hope we're nearing the end of this rollercoaster.
hum Commander Path is now privet Path and guarding a latrine in the frozen north for the next 20 years.
i can hope
a amazing chapter.
Ah yes. Sol ex machina
Phew I am glad the princess showed up in time. Now they are going to actually learn about changelings instead assuming that they are all like queenie and her bunch.
i hope commander path got teleported to the moon
11696486
Deus ex Machina: "Plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence".
Celestia teleporting into the area to prevent her troops from acting against her orders is anything but unexpected.
perfect set up for Path toget recruited by the purple.
i reeeally wanna know which emperor those buggers came from.
Dark thought - What if that order Path received wasn't fake? The way he spoke about it made it sound like it was, but what if there was an actual order that he was obeying? Who did it come from?
It could've been Shining Armor if he has learned about Stella Lacud, but I think it's a more sinister source. I think the purple Roman bugs sent it to eliminate Amie and her hive, but with Celestia out of Canterlot, they have a potential opening to attack with one princess away.
Looks like Commander Path will soon become second assistant to the assistant of the Ambassador to Yakyakistan. If he survives Celestia's questioning, of course.
Perhaps it's a good thing Celestia was the one to come. Luna's reprimand would have likely been a bit more... public.
So if it wasn't Luna coming over, what is she doing instead? Still checking in on our hospitalized love bug?
Great, now Amy has to come up with refreshments right after being hopped up on adrenaline. Let's hope the kids inside can contain themselves.
11696486
"you expected the moon, but it was me! Tia!"
11696472
Splash of water, cessation of communication with the host drone, any number of things that would have resulted in an inability to help without another connection and time wasted to do so. Glad Natane and her Queen's pessimism has been proven excessive so far. Even if only slightly.
Bravo Path is getting his name changed to Get Off The Stage You Hack Path.
11696495
One: we expected Luna.
Two: its a play on the ‘deus’ part meaning ‘God’ and ‘Sol’ means Sun, so Sun of the Machine is basically what I said.
Anyways, have a R/Woooosh
Yesss, thank you Celestia for removing the jerk! Now to start proper negotiation
FINALLY. Time for a nice, chill tea with the goddess-empress.
We don't yet know of Celestia's thoughts of changelings. But whether good or ill, influenced by Luna or not, she is certainly more impartial in her actions than Path. She's the pony everyone needs right now.
The negotiations can now begin.
Truly his bigotry knows no bounds. His mind has nothing but negative thoughts on changelings. Amie said there's only children not a thousand strong unprepared, full-blown, fully equipped veteran force. Only a thousand children.
I hope she court martials him for unnecessary use of deadly force, insubordination and reckless conduct. Though I don't think he'll be in prison, but Private Path does have a nice ring to it, I must say.
11696517
What are the chances Bravo's name becomes a cautionary tale/dreaded term for turning traitor like Turbo in Wreck-It Ralph? Can I vote for 'Off-Path'?
11696625
You. I like the way you think.
Well, that worked.
Now that there's a rational adult on both sides of the conversation, maybe we can actually have one. There is the question of where probably-former-Commander Path ended up and how quickly he can get back, but given that Celestia brought three targets over from Canterlot, that probably isn't an issue.
Probably. I'm not ruling it out. Still, things are definitely looking up. Here's looking forward to the next step.
I do not trust Celestia. Not one bit. This feels like a trap.
Path is still a murderer many times over as well as a warmonger and genocidal maniac. I sure hope Amie remembers those who tried to leave early on and Path murdered. He is a monster and no mistake. I would put him in the same category as Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin, or Adolph Hitler.
About time one of the Princesses finally showed up and took Path out of military command!! I am curious as to what Celestia's views on the humans turned changelings will be and hopefully it will not be negative otherwise they are screwed.
11696608
oh he is going to prison. because of his unlawful actions ponies under his command died
Well, that went well! This should all end fairly smoothly, since it seems Celestia knows what's going on.
I'll be sad to see this fic go. Still, Wes has his adventure to complete...
This story is laying it on thick with Celestia's power level and abilities. I mean, Celestia as demigoddess is a thing in some fics, sure. I personally never imagined her in that light, and I think it makes her a less interesting character.
11696701
No chance of that now. She trusts Luna completely, and Luna personally witnessed the truth of things. What little chance there was of a bad end died when Celestia started her rebuke.
11696804
Well that's very good to know.
11696796
This story is displaying how amie sees celestia, not how powerful she actually is. and righ now i can imagine having such a impression is normal.
I bet they’re confused. But this should be a fun sequence of events, and-
Wait, what’s Ivy going to do when she finds out her Dad’s been court marshaled?
Player Bravo Path has been banned from server (Reason: RDM)
11696675
na on that last part they are without a doubt worse I mean at least he has a leg to stand on from his perspective of ya this is the same race that launched an invasion he is still an idiot
Techniiiically, her fur is light pink.
Can't wait to see Queen Kaya's (technically Natane's) face during the peace talks. I'm half-expecting her to be in denial and insist that this is some kind of trick.
I can see where officer Path is coming from. I understand where he’s coming from a lot.
11699129
I bet she is not the only one who hoped Stella Lacus becoming a lesson for any Queen who ever considered playing nice with ponies.
11699813
I don't think she's hoping for Hive Stella Lacus to be destroyed. I just think she views the possibility of peace with pony-kind as childish fantasy, and moreover as an extremely dangerous notion; a danger she feels it would be incredibly stupid for any Queen to expose her hive to. She was so certain of that, that to see it succeed, especially for a Queen who she's deemed as young and foolish (even though she likes her), would likely be a blow to her pride, and Pride is her hive's entire thing, they LITERALLY live on it. It's going to be a very hard pill for her to swallow, but I don't think she's an enemy or will become one.