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The changeling invasion of Ponyville and the events preceding it were witnessed by many. However, how and why did it happen? Who were the key players involved? Through the eyes of General Carbon, High-General Double, and even Queen Chrysalis herself, these questions and more shall be answered in a series of tales that go as far back as the first changelings and the tragedy that created them...
A side-story compilation companion to Smoke and Mirrors.
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These side stories shall please me greatly...
No thumb for you just yet, need more chapters before you receive a yea or nay.
/)
(\ Already gained a useless thumb because I know you shall not fail to impress.
Yes, this pleases me.
And we will wait for Double story ?XD
1898473
Yep, after Carbon's story, which is luckily almost finished for the most part.
Crikey, that was a fast reworking.
First grazehunter starts writing again, then you - tis excellent, it's almost like it was when I first signed up for FimFic.
1898658
Eh, truth be told, I didn't actually do that much reworking. Just cutting the story down to a manageable number of words per chapter and changing the breaks and ending a bit. Hence why I got it out so quickly.
ooh, a Smoke and Mirrors Side Story! can't wait to see how things went down from Carbon's, Double's and Chrysalis' POVs!
1899535
Changeling designations are a complicated thing. The lower numbers are partially attributed to them both being adults, but most likely, it's because the changelings who previously had those designations died before they were born. It's not something to really think about too deeply, I guess, though I could change it, maybe...
When I saw this, my brain did a backflip!
(My whole body would have done one, but then I'd be in a hospital)
But now there's more, and I'm happy again! 
The silence had lasted too long...
Just some minor corrections, though:
Carbon dropped his lisp.
Carbon is a changeling. Either "practically" is unnecessary, or I misunderstand what changelings can and cannot sense.
Forgot a space.
The paragraph two before this one starts with almost the same phrase. The repetition is a bit jarring.
Other than that, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see this continued. Smoke and Mirrors was one of the first stories I read on this site, and it's still one of my favorites. (and the one I hold all other changeling fics up against) When can we expect an update?
1899797
Just this one. Smoke and Mirrors is officially completed now.
1899922
I noticed that you kinda removed half of the content that was posted on the other story. Any reasons? Cuz most of us who read this chapter before you moved it here will have a head start next time
1900516
Mostly because I wanted to cut the chapters down to a more manageable size, so I decided it would be easier to split Generals' Game into three chapters of 8-9k words instead of two chapters of around 15k words.
Don't worry, the other half of that chapter will be up within the next few days.
1899705
Thanks for noticing those errors. They're fixed now.
HOW DARE YOU MAK US WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER... im sorry; i let my emotions take the better of me there... keep it up dude!!! You left me hungering for more!
1899705 Did you read Love Mine, too?
1903873 No, I haven't. And now I have 2 more stories on my read later list. I don't know whether to thank you or curse you. (I now have 242 stories clamoring for attention)
1903968 two more? And that's nothing. I got through 463 books and fics in only two months.
Is Carbon going to be executed?
1903984 It had a side story listed. And I don't read very fast. I like to think that I get more out of stories than faster readers tend to, though.
Yay for side story! Can't wait for more
1904841 Meh, I've always aced any book quiz, and I always read fast.
I looked at Spike being worried about 12 books in one weekend and laughed my ass off. I could do that in a day, if I didn't stop reading to do anything else.
read this already, but this was still fucking awesome
followin'
1905897 My sister is like that. I get a little irked about how she has a different book every time I see her, even if it's the same day.
1900560 You're welcome.
And how long was this up on the original story that I missed it? 
1906103
Only a day or two. Not very long, really.
1906167 Ah. Probably that one day I wasn't online. I forgot about that day, so I guess nothing important happened on it.
1906103 Then you'd hate me, because I'll read-- and swap between-- five books at a time, on some days.
1906335 I may find someone irritating, but I don't hate anybody unless they clearly express such feelings for me first.
1906441 I hate you
sitting over there, thinking slow-reading's more efficient.
1906542 You do?
Oh, wait, I'm not sitting, I'm lazing on my bed. You must be referring to someone else. I'm safe!
And though their hatred opens the doors for mine, mine my choose not to walk through it.
I'm getting awfully close to incoherent in my statements. I think I'll stop lazing on my bed and use it properly now.
1906868 lol, yeah. At least one mess up of grammar in there.
Also, I hate people that hate things that aren't harmful.
Like PETA. Fuck those bitches.
1906890 Can you point out the mistake? I don't see it.
Yes, I'm still up. I get distracted easily.
Also, since PETA isn't harmful, you're being a hypocrite. And if that was on purpose, it is after midnight where I live, so I have an exuse for not being able to tell.
I'm actually going to sleep now. I hope. 
1907049 Yeah, sarcasm's my special talent.
Anyways!
Mine may choose
to being incoherent in my statements.
1907313 I can't believe I missed those. Which is why sleep is important.
And here's the second part of what was first published on the original Smoke and Mirrors story! Which means the part after this, and the last part of Carbon's story overall, will be new content!
Anyway though, school's starting back up again in two days, meaning the next chapter will come more slowly than this one. It's still mostly finished, though, so it shouldn't be longer than a week before it's up, though. Look forward to it!
1917763 I knew I had read this before. Can't wait for the next chapter.
1917763
Wha- What? You lucky bastard, I already had to be in school yesterday.
Considering I'm a big fan of the original 'Smoke and Mirrors', as well as the other story with Ditto (can't remember the name of the story, at least not right now), I am finding this story to be entertaining.
C&C: "You two were there at the battle sight, weren't you?"
> ‘Sight’ should be ‘site’.
Can't wait to see more, keep up the great job!
It is a pleasure and a joy to have finally read this.
I would have done so sooner, but, well, life happened, as it sometimes does. 
I did notice a few errors:
This last is less of an error than it is just, well, a bit awkward. I would recommend revising in some way to prevent the use of the word "changeling" twice in one sentence.
The next chapter will be out soon, you say? I do look forward to it! Unless, of course, it's approaching from ...behind!!!
1991970 I think it's the contraction, but I wouldn't know, as I'm not the author. Speaking of...
1917763
It seems you have forgotten the most important acronym that I have ever made up: SODIAT- Speaking Of Deadlines Is A Trap.
A TRAP!
y'know what? this is good... great? excellent? fantastic? ITS BETTER THAN ALL THOSE!!! keep it up!
Can't wait to see the continuation of this and the upcoming sequel! Oh and shout out to Transparence and Reflect Fury's escape!
I've been meaning to read this for a while.
I'm not sure if I should be happy that it hasn't gone far before I could catch up, or sad that there isn't as much to read. Either way, do update soon, please.
1917763
13 weeks later...
...Yeah, I have no excuse. I took three months to type up a couple thousand more words, so I have no excuse. I figure now I just won't say anything on when the next update will occur. Maybe I'll actually get something written that way.
Anyway, concerning the story, Carbon's ultimate fate is deliberately left open-ended like that. Does he die, does he live as a disgraced prisoner? You can decide for yourselves on that regard.
High-General Double is up next, with 20% less copied scenes from the main story! If anyone is still reading this, look forward to it!
YAY! I want to see things form Double's perspective...especially if it includes things from her time with Twilight way back when!
This was really great!
I liked it!
Can't wait to see Doubles side of the story.
I think I just now realized, Double is insane.
Yes she's got the right idea that changelings and ponies should join together in friendship, but she has spent her whole life scheming and chasing after a past that she's too deluded to see has long since faded. Even if Twilight did regain the her memories of their shared foalhood, her entire life now was built on her thinking she was alone for all those years and suddenly discarding that belief, which is what would have to happen for Double to get what she wishes, could cause unforeseeable damage to her current relationships. Not to mention that if it came down to that choice, a foalhood companion she remembers never having or the six best friends she's ever had, Twilight would probably choose to stay in the present rather than risk burying it trying to dig up the past. Once that happens, I don't think even Discord himself could predict how the high-general will snap. The only certainty is that she will snap.
Then there's the fact that she seems to have mentally (and physically?) forced herself to remain childish. It's like she's afraid that if she lets herself grow up Twilight wouldn't want her back, and yet to reach the point she's at now she still had to advance like any other changeling, if not more so. The result is, for all intents and purposes, a psychopathic child with way too much knowledge and experience under her belt to not be scary as hell, especially since she's also a magical prodigy on par with Twilight and apparently knows Draco Meteor.
So basically if Discord wants someone to mess with real good in the sequel he need look no farther than Queen Chrysalis' right-hoof changeling, High-General Double
.
I call exile! Broken horn, broken connection to the swarm, and considering his ambitions etc. it's quite the punishment. Plus it may cause him to interact with the ponies/griffons/etc. he disdaned, leaving the possibility of change.
Seeing an update, reaction #1: Am I hallucinating?
You're alive! 
Reaction #2:
Reaction #3: Ooh, a new chapter to read.
...Yes, that was my actual chain of thought.
I'm glad to see an update. Especially because it involved High-General Double being insane. Crazy characters are the best characters!
I noticed a few errors. They tended to be clustered together. I'm not sure whether that had something to do with when the sections were written, or if my attention just varied while reading. Oh, I'm rambling, aren't I? Haven't had a good sleep in days, don't mind me...
There is a pattern to my color choices. But I'm not saying what it is.
Seeing the same events from different viewpoints can, admittedly, get a little... Well, repetitive, but it adds a feeling of depth to the story which cannot be achieved with a single perspective. There is the impression that the world is so much larger than what the story focuses on. I love it.
I find it extremely satisfying that Angel is the first to land a blow on General Carbon during the invasion, even if he is knocked unconscious for his efforts. Go, Angel, go!
I shall wait for the chapters from Double's perspective to make a final judgement, but even though I like her, if Carbon and Double were fighting right now, and there were no innocent Ponies involved, I would be rooting for Carbon.
Also, do I sense slight unidirectional shipping between Carbon and General Portrait? Poor mare, things don't work that way with Changelings...
)
(If that was totally off the mark, in my defense, it's almost one in the morning where I am.
Take as long as you like with the next chapter. I will be here when you are ready.
It lives! And it's still as awesome as always.
I wanted to write a longer comment, but then job happened
Either way, this was a great chapter! A few mistakes here and there which were already pointed out, but really can't wait for the next chapter