Nobles
It took some time for Glitter to manage to get away from her changeling kin during the party and corner both of her friends at the same time. Most of the challenge lay in it being her birthday celebration, and as such she was the ‘guest’ of honour; others would keep finding reasons to talk with her over this or that, adding to her irritation.
At long last she managed to get both Sandy and Doublestep alone in her room, cornering them on her bed. She couldn’t help but notice how nervous the pair looked, sitting on her bed and looking anywhere but at her. It hurt her heart to see them so uneasy around her, and the only sound in the room as she approached was the soft sound of her hooves against the carpet.
Still, now that she was here, she found herself unsure how to break the ice. Internally she sighed; this would be an awkward and uncomfortable conversation regardless of what she said. She could see the heavy blush and nervous fidgeting of the pair on the bed, almost cowering from her as if they were her foals and she’d caught them with their hooves in the cookie jar.
“So…” She muttered, internally slapping a hoof to her face as the discomfort in the air seemed to triple at the utterance. She sighed, taking the plunge. “Look, we need to talk about… whatever that was back there. I honestly don’t know what to think about it all, and I want your views on it. Do you- am I…”
Doublestep squeaked in a manner that made Glitter think of a rubber duck, and Sandy looked down at the bed in a vain attempt to hide her blush before speaking.
“I… Double and I had been planning this for when you finally grew up,” she managed to say, “we were hoping that you’d have… maybe… had the same feelings. We certainly didn’t expect you to grow into… this.” She gestured with her hooves at Glitter vaguely.
The changeling blinked at her. “And what’s wrong with this?” She asked, gesturing at herself.
Sandy giggled a little, “We, you, I… We thought you’d grow to be like your mother, you know? A normal, if monochrome, changeling mare; green eyes, white chitin, but instead-“
“You’re gorgeous!” Doublestep blurted, before slapping a hoof over his mouth as his whole head turned red. As the other two turned their eyes on him, one in irritation and the other in stunned surprise, he overbalanced and fell down the far side of the bed, landing in a heap.
Sandy sighed, “Quite,” she huffed, “it made things… harder, seeing what you’ve grown into. Not because you’re different, we know you’re still the same changeling that we grew up with, but, well…”
Doublestep managed to get back to his hooves, “We kinda thought, together, that you’d… not want us.” He suddenly shook his hooves at her, fright on his face and a new stammer in his voice. “N-not that we don’t- I mean, I, we –this is harder than I thought.” He breathed with a sigh, plopping his chin onto the bed and looking dejectedly up at her. “Look, Glitter, we like you; that much is obvious from our… earlier behaviour. We’re just not sure why you might like us back; you’re built like a model, and I’m sure you’re going to get heaps of attention from the richer, more powerful, and better looking ponies in Canterlot. Why would you give up, say, a herd with Prince Blueblood for us?”
Sandy nodded. “Yeah,”
“We’re noponies; the daughter of a weathermare, and the son of a pair of musicians. What could we possibly-“
Glitter had, during his self-depreciation spat, walked around the bed to where he sat and cut him off, pressing her lips to his own. Glitter sighed as she pulled away from him, sitting on her haunches to regard the now quiet young stallion. It was impressive what could be done with actions alone, she thought.
“Step, a few things; one, you’re hardly from nopony families. Sandy’s mother is the captain of the extreme weather team, and your parents are part of the Royal Canterlot Symphony Orchestra; I recall you being ecstatic that you met Octavia Melody when you were younger, what do you call her now? Auntie Octavia, wasn’t it?” She paused to let him nod, before continuing, “Secondly, have you met Prince Blueblood? He’s a sleaze! He tried to proposition me, thought that us informing him that I’m thirteen meant thirteen hundred, and called mom a bug.”
“Eesh, I know what that does for you lot…” Sandy commented.
“He’s meant to be the most eligible bachelor in Canterlot…” Doublestep mumbled, to which Glitter barked a laugh.
“He’s only the most eligible bachelor because he’s a Prince; Granna’s said that she’d rather have relations with a Manticore. But anyway, thirdly…” She sighed and smiled at them, “thirdly, what if you’re the ones that I choose too?”
Sandy and Doublestep’s jaws dropped open, and the pair of them began to perform their best imitations of goldfish before one of them could find their voice, in this case being Doublestep. “W-what..?”
“Oh, come on, Double, we’re awesome, why wouldn’t she like us back?”
Doublestep sighed and grumbled under his breath, “I already gave a couple of reasons…”
“How long have I known you both? Eight years..? In all those years, has anypony else shown even the most fleeting interest in me, in any way? Come on, we’re thirteen, and I have two friends: you.” She struggled to maintain a smile in their direction, moisture filling her eyes and blurring her vision. “You think it’s hard to accept that you might like me in that way? No, that’s easy to grasp. The only thing I find hard to understand how this would work, I mean, Booker is married to Inky; he doesn’t have a whole bunch of mares sharing time with him…”
Sandy shuffled her wings as she rested on the bed, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “Right, not a native Equestrian, I keep forgetting there are things you’ve not picked up… Equestrians, we… over the years we’ve picked up on other nations’ customs and practices, but one thing that stays with our nation is the birth-rates between genders. Step’s parents really lucked out getting him; ponies are five times more likely to get a filly than a colt, we’ve never really discovered why.”
“Sure made my family turn each of my birthdays into a celebration, I’ll say that much.”
“Anyway, Ponies, and sometimes Gryphons, have polygamous relationships called a ‘herd’. Typically it’s a group of mares and a stallion in a group relationship. I’m pretty sure I remember hearing one of mom’s old gryphon friends talking about his flock, so that might be the word they use. I’m… a little iffy on the details of herding, I’m sure we can ask Miss Bloom in school next week.”
“That’s going to be an awkward conversation. ‘Hey, Miss Bloom, could you tell us about Herding in detail?’” Step mumbled under his breath, but not loud enough to not be heard.
Glitter huffed, her eyes narrowing at them slightly. “Okay, so explain how this works; we three would form a herd because both of us,” she gestured between herself and Sandy with a hoof, “like Step?”
“Buck no, that wouldn’t work. Any relationship like that would fall apart in a week, a few months, tops.” Sandy retorted snippily. “There has to be something between the mares, too; are you suggesting that you don’t like me?”
“That’s an argument I refuse to start, and you know it. You’re my oldest friend, Sandy, why would you think anything else?”
“Maybe because I’m a three hooved cripple who couldn’t walk to save her life, and everypony is too busy being ‘polite’ to just address the issue like adults and move on?”
“Where in the name of Canterlot’s spires did that come from, seriously, are you just picking a fight, or-“
Unnoticed by the girls, Step had leaned across the bed and moved a hoof behind each of their heads as they steadily got closer and closer to one another in their argument. Just as the argument was getting heated enough, he pushed their faces together in a kiss that cut them off. After a moment’s confused shock at the sensation, they pulled back, staring at one another before looking across at Step, who shrugged.
“Proof it’ll work; you didn’t just continue yelling at one another after that.”
The two mares blinked at him, each digesting what he’d just done in their own time, before they turned back to one another. As they continued to stare at one another what could only be described as an ‘evil smile’ spread across their lips.
“Remind me, Sandy; which type of pony was known for endurance?”
“I do believe it was Earth Ponies, Glitter.”
Their slightly manic gazes turned on their male companion, each grinning like hyenas. “And Step has us all to himself, huh Sandy?”
“He does, Glitter, he does;” Sandy assured, sliding closer to the colt, “perhaps we should test his endurance now, hmm?”
“Uh, girls, I don’t think—“
Glitter slid forward and interrupted him with a kiss. “You’re not supposed to think right now.”
Chrysalis’ voice cut through the air sharply, making all three jolt and turn to her in the doorway. “As cute as this all is, I’m going to have to tell you all that kissing is as far as you three go. Your parents would be very angry if you went any further, and I will not have ponies of your age doing such things under my roof. Is that understood?”
“M-Mrs Chrysalis w-” Sandy stammered, blushing crimson.
“Is that understood?” Chrysalis growled angrily, glaring daggers at the trio.
The three young ponies nodded furiously at her, earning a smile in return, and she left the room as silently as she had entered, closing the door behind her.
Glitter huffed at the door once it had shut, turning her attention back to her companions. “Well, that killed the mood.”
“I think that was the point,” Doublestep said, his breathing slightly heavy.
Sandy, however, put a hoof on Double’s chin and quickly kissed him. “Who said we were going to stop though?”
Glitter grinned and gave him a kiss herself before breathing into his ear. “Let’s see if you’re up to the challenge, hmm?”
With that the two mares dove on him, punctuated only by him uttering “Oh buck,” as he toppled off the bed backwards.
*
“I don’t really care what you were doing, Glitter, honest;” Flitterwing snapped as she wrapped gauze around Step’s head, “I’m just glad you came to me when he started bleeding. You did clean up the floor, yes?”
“Yes, mom,” Glitter sheepishly mumbled, “I made sure to clear up the pencils too.”
“Praise the sun that Earth Ponies have such strong skeletons, you could have seriously hurt him.”
Doublestep grumbled under his breath, “I didn’t think spending time with mares would be so dangerous.”
Flitterwing gave her daughter a sideways look, her eyes thinning to slivers. “Oh, something you do care to tell me, Glitter?”
“We weren’t doing anything! Honest; Granna already walked in on us and told us off, we knew our limits!” Glitter protested, recoiling from her mother’s glare. She’d not been under this intense a glare from her mother in a while and it was unnerving her.
“That I did;” Chrysalis smugly affirmed from where she sat, holding Sandy down with her hooves while her magic ran a brush through her mane, finding and undoing knots likely left for longer than they should have been, “gave them the scare of their lives.” The brush caught on a particularly unruly knot and Sandy yelped, making Chrysalis tut. “When was the last time you saw a brush, young lady? Honestly, not even Slithoof’s got this bad, and he was horrible at doing this.”
Sandy, continuing to struggle to be free of Chrysalis’ grip, practically snarled her response, “I’m only going to mess it up flying later, what’s the point?!”
“I know a pegasus in Ponyville who would agree with you wholeheartedly,” the monarch chortled, “as well as a unicorn who would be shocked to tears at your lack of mane care. I’m pretty sure I have one of her designs in my wardrobe, actually… Anyway; you’d find you have less drag with no knots in your mane, less for the air to catch on.”
“I take it,” Inky Swirl began with a cruel smile, “you enjoy their gifts, Glitter?”
Glitter could only groan and lower her face to the table.
*
Soon after that, the night wound to a close and, with final farewells and tidings of happy birthdays, guests left. Doublestep’s parents, of course, were initially worried about him when they arrived to find their colt with bandages wrapped around his head, but upon reassurances from Flitterwing, and insistence from both Glitter and Sandy, they accepted that it was an accident and left as non-confrontational as they had arrived.
Her gifts put away for the night –and the baked goodies from Celestia stowed in the fridge- Glitter clambered into bed. Her grandmother had taught her a spell shortly after her friends had left, while she ran a brush through the albino’s pearly white mane.
“It’s something that I learned from Princess Celestia, actually;” Chrysalis had said warmly, placing the brush to one side and starting to plait her granddaughter’s hair, “it’s a simple two-part spell. First we neaten up this mane of yours, there we are…” Finally managing to wrangle Glitter’s mane into a neat plait, she bound it tight and spun her in place, “if you hop onto the Hive Mind, I’ll share with you the spell’s Codex.”
Glitter nodded and connected, twitching a little at the multiple voices that greeted her all at once, before opening her mind and allowing her grandmother to give her the spell. With another twitch she disconnected, blinking at nothing as she digested the knowledge given to her.
“Really, so simple..?” She mumbled to herself, before shaking her head. “I had a feeling that it would be something complex and convoluted…”
“That’s what I thought, too. Supposedly Twilight Sparkle created it for Princess Cadance; she’s good at removing excess fluff from spells. Anypony else would have added nonsense about cleaning and healing the mane it’s cast on, but she was succinct and to the point on what she wanted. In any case, use the first part of this spell now, and the second part tomorrow morning, and it’ll return your mane to its current state without needing me to brush and plait it again.”
And so, after casting the first half of the spell, she lay back in bed and pulled the covers over her shoulders, fidgeting to get as comfortable as she could before looking over at her mother already asleed in the other bed in the room fondly.
“Love you, mom.
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The sun rose anew, as it must every day, and its light awoke the denizens of Equestria, each stirring to greet it in their own way. Some rose cheerful and embracing the day, others looking forward to the activities they would encounter in their waking hours.
Then we have Glitter. She is not what some would call a ‘morning pony’.
Groggily she arose from her slumber, her grumbling causing her mouth to be in constant motion as she wandered to the bathroom and began her usual morning rituals. Her back and neck ached furiously, and she was certain that something had pinched off the nerves that allowed her to feel her tail. Frankly she felt like a wreck. Faintly recalling what her grandmother had instructed the night before, she applied the second half of her mane-care spell while she brushed her sharp teeth.
A black figure sidled up next to her and joined her in the morning task of dental care, and Glitter nodded at the reflection in the mirror. She waited until she’d cleared her mouth before speaking.
“Morning, Granna.”
The elder mare nodded before clearing her mouth out, “Good morning to you as well, Glitter; sleep well?”
Glitter shifted her tail as she regained feeling in it. “Not really, Granna.”
Chrysalis hummed amusedly, starting to apply her usual makeup. “Let me guess, back pains, unable to feel your tail, a weird tingling feeling in your hind hooves?”
“Y-yeah, how’d you guess?”
“Because I went through the same thing; it’s your bed, your mattress specifically. We’ll pick up a new one on our way home, alright?”
“Why would my bed be the problem?”
“You’ve been sleeping on the same mattress for a fair few years now, and it’s no longer able to comfortably support your new weight. The springs will be all warped and shaped to your previous, smaller size.”
Something having had a few moments to properly analyse her grandmother’s words, something clicked in her head, prompting a worried question. “Wait, ‘on our way home’? Where are we going?”
An amused chortle rumbled from her grandmother in response, “We are headed to the castle today, sweetheart; there are questions that the public would like answered, and we have a press conference to attend so that we can quiet rumours before they start. You know what the Canterlot rumour mill is like, it’ll be best if we settle minds sooner rather than later.”
Glitter’s mouth almost vanished as she pursed it dangerously thin, evidently not liking the answer. For at least a minute she stood there staring into the mirror, not noticing in the least as her grandmother retrieved and began to apply sheen to her chitin with a micro-fibre cloth. Just as Chrysalis finished her ministrations, polishing her granddaughter to the look she had when she had moulted the day before.
“We’re stopping to pick up Sandy and Step on the way.” Glitter said finally, blinking out of her stupor and noticing her shiny coat. “Granna please stop doing things like that when I’m not paying attention, it’s really off putting.”
“And ruin all my fun? Why, are you trying to make me boring, Hon?” Chrysalis asked, smirking amusedly. “And why do you want to fetch your friends? Trying to get some snogging done while we’re in the palace?”
“Granna!”
Chrysalis could only laugh and dance away from Glitter’s hoof as she attempted to swat at her. “Oh, you’re going to make today so much fun.”
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An hour later and the group of six, including Sandy and Doublestep, were strolling into the main halls of Canterlot Castle, being watched warily by guards on all sides. Shred strode alongside Chrysalis, reading through paperwork handed to him by a lieutenant; it seemed that the new recruits he was scheduled to train were going to be placed not within the Royal Guard, or even the Night Guard, but under the ‘unique’ branch of guard that he himself was placed within. It would mean that more attention would be required of him to train them, as his own skills would be brought into question if they weren’t up to snuff.
And he hated it when the other guards questioned his skills.
A few courtiers skirted around the group, scurrying from one royal to another. One or two would skid to a halt every now and then and talk to Chrysalis, giving her messages or paperwork to read or sign, before hurrying off again. Pegasus messengers flew hurriedly overhead, each of them barely out of schooling age and into their working years, young and full of energy as they were. Such young messengers were important for a couple of reasons, firstly it gave young pegasi a stable job until they could get work with their special talent. Secondly their youth came with a lot of excitable energy and fidgety nerves, meaning they often performed their given tasks in record time. No young pony wanted to be stuck at work for long amounts of time when they could be out having fun with their friends, after all!
The group came upon one such messenger sitting on a bench to the left of the hall they strode down, staring down a corridor opposite him. He appeared to be attempting to psyche himself up for his task, but the way he shook and breathed unsteadily betrayed his frayed and unsteady nerves. Chrysalis sidled up to him, the pegasus appearing totally unaware of her until she poked his shoulder.
“Is everything alright, Swift Squall?” She asked him, making him jump and yelp as if she’d just bellowed in his ear.
“D-Duchess, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there! I-I can find a different seat if—“
Chrysalis shook her head at him, holding him down with a hoof. “Stay, Swift Squall, you have nothing to apologize for. You look nervous, is something the matter?”
He opened his mouth, possibly to spout some sort of refute, before his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “I-it’s this message I’ve been tasked to deliver; only one of the day, they’re even paying me a full day’s pay for it!” He said, sounding eager and excited about the last statement before slumping again. “But it’s about the change in the Nobles’ titles and privileges and stuff, and it’s addressed to Prince Blueblood, and, well…”
“I know of the review and reassessments of the Noble stations, and I also have knowledge of what the message you hold entails in regards to the Princeling. I am unsure as to your unease regarding your task, however; you are not at fault for what news you deliver him. ‘Don’t shoot the messenger’ is something that I take quite seriously, in fact; I’m sure the Princeling has similar thoughts.”
The pegasus, Swift Squall, huffed. “Tell that to my friend he nearly lamed when she delivered a message telling him he was getting a cut to his stipend for slandering Princess Luna in parliament.”
Chrysalis’s eye twitched and she appeared to be grinding her teeth in her effort to keep herself calm at this titbit of information. “I see,” she said sharply, before pointing to a pair of guards opposite her in the hall, “you two,”
“Sergeant Heavy Hoof and Corporal Firm Lance, my Queen,” Shred informed, not bothering to look up from his paperwork.
“Yes, yes, Heavy Hoof and Firm Lance-” she paused, having said the stallion’s name and gave him a questioning look, “’Firm Lance’..?”
The stallion shuffled in his place awkwardly, “Let’s just say that my wife is a very happy mare, Duchess.”
Chrysalis blinked at him for a moment before sighing, “What you get up to in your own time is your own business, corporal; right now I would like you and the sergeant to accompany messenger Swift Squall on his duty. You may return to your posts after, of course, but I want you to report anything foul that might befall him, understood?”
The pair saluted at her after getting a confirming nod from Shred. “Yes, Duchess.”
“If the Princeling gives you any grief, Swift Squall, tell him to talk to me, alright? You are not at fault for the news you bring to any of us.”
The colt nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “Thank you, Duchess.”
She smiled and stood from the bench. “No problem, Swift Squall. Now get to work, we’re not paying you to sit around, hmm?”
He laughed and after being joined by the two guards, began his walk towards his goal. Chrysalis watched him walk until he turned a corner and out of sight, and she gave a wistful sigh. “Never a dull moment in this place, is there?”
“You are hardly guilty of making this place quiet for once, my Queen.” Shred commented, still nose deep in his leaves of paper. “If anything, your recent behaviour has only made the palace more unruly.”
Chrysalis grumbled under her breath as she rose from the bench and urged the group to walk on, continuing her stroll towards the throne room.
“Glitter said something last night about Prince Blueblood being horrible… surely not all of the nobility are like that?” Sandy asked worriedly.
Chrysalis tittered. “No, Sandy, not all of them are horrid; parliament is a constant struggle for supremacy to get your views seen over those of others. Some refuse to lower themselves to such tactics, such as Fancy Pants and the Twilight household. The Fire family are vicious in political circles, but know where to draw the line as well as the Dos.”
“Fire family? The Dos..? Who are they?”
“Ah, the Fire family is the name of the household that commonly use ‘fire’ in their names somewhere. Spitfire of the Wonderbolts is the current matron of the household, and her brother Firewing is the patriarch, however if she weds then Spitfire’s husband would take that role, but not the political power. And the Dos, well, they are an old pegasus noble line from Private Pansy’s bloodline. Daring Do’s name is derived from this family, and A.K. Yearling is actually of the Do household. She generally leaves all of the high-society and political gaming to her father though; Count Doocoonut is rather skilled in both these regards.
“Conversely we have others who don’t seem to know when to draw the line with their silly power play, with Prince Blueblood, the Pearl household, and the Avian family.” Chrysalis paused a moment to turn to the receptionist that they’d approached outside the throne room, a white unicorn with a dark brown mane in a bun, brown eyes behind large glasses, and a ruffled cravat in a vibrant red. “No offense of course, Miss Raven.”
The receptionist shrugged. “None taken, Baroness Chrysalis; I know my father and brother are thoroughly unappealing individuals. Only took being kicked out of my home and sent to Ponyville for me to realize how bad they really were.” She looked down to her paperwork and marked something on a sheet. “Your party are due to see the Princess in half an hour, from which point you are the only appointment for much of the day. Please find seats and wait for your party to be called, and thank you for visiting the castle.”
“Raven, you don’t need to do the tourist line with me, we work together.” Chrysalis said reprovingly yet smiling warmly. “But thank you all the same.” She added, before leading her group over to some provided seats. “That was Raven, the youngest of the Avian family. They’re named as such due to their habit of using bird names for their family. The current eldest, Robin Crest and Ostrich Feather, are rather unpleasant individuals. The Pearls, called so for their pearl heirlooms dating back to the days of the Three Tribes, are currently led by Jet Set and Upper Crust. They, also, don’t seem to know when to stop playing the game and will often do so with the general public.
“Many of the lower court nobles are much the same; I don’t see their attitudes as being attacks on my person, but rather attempts at political gain. There will come a time, Glitter, when you may be a part of political proceedings, and I will do all I can to prepare you for this. I won’t have my own family become a target for those who seek only to gain for themselves.”
“Noble sentiment, to be sure,” A deep yet smooth male voice said, the owner of which stepped over and dipped his head, “Duchess Chrysalis, a pleasure to see you so well today.” He was a tall Earth Pony stallion, heavily built, with a well combed and styled moustache and mane of a rust colour, and his fur, while hidden mostly beneath a suit jacket and tie, was a soft tan. On his flank the image of a palm tree could be seen.
“You as well, Count Doocoonut, we were just discussing the noble houses and their attitudes, something I know you’re well versed in.” She motioned to the others sitting with her. “Glitter, Sandy, Doublestep, and Flitterwing this is Count Doocoonut, patriarch of the Do household. Count, these are my daughter in law,” she motioned to Flitterwing, who offered a hoof which he shook, “my granddaughter Glitter,” another hoofshake followed, “and my granddaughter’s friends, Sandy and Doublestep.”
“A pleasure to meet you all,” the count said warmly. “Whatever are you doing here this morning, Chrysalis, your office doesn’t usually open on a weekend?”
“I could ask the same of you, Count; not that I find your presence unwelcome, of course, but don’t you and your wife visit the market district this time on a Saturday?”
The count chuckled, “Yes, well, as of being informed yesterday that the titles and Noble system was undergoing a change, I inquired as to who was being changed in larger steps than others; it’s how I know of your Duchess title, my dear.” He smiled in what Glitter considered a sadistic manner. “You honestly expect me to not be here when the Prince is given his new restrictions?”
Chrysalis cackled. “Oh, Count, I just told these younglings that you were one of the nice nobles, whatever am I supposed to do now that you’re showing a cruel streak?”
“Showing a ’Cruel streak’, Chrysalis? You wound me so!” He said, feigning offense with a smile. “That little twit has had me against him for years, ever since he tried to claim that my dear daughter is a deviant for the more violent parts of her novels and for turning him down romantically.”
“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” Flitterwing hissed angrily. “Does he have a taste for bookish mares or something?”
“Seeing as he approached Princess Twilight Sparkle just after her ascension to an Alicorn, I don’t think so.” The count said, now with a slight frown. “If anything, I think he saw it merely as a means to an end.” He sighed after this comment, taking a moment to recover his thoughts before smiling back at Chrysalis. “In any case; Duchess, you didn’t answer my initial question, though I must compliment you on your diversion.”
Chrysalis sighed. “Thank you, it is important that we test the waters of the Game regardless of the place, but you know as well as I do that I loathe it outside of parliament. For your information, we are here to hold a press conference regarding the incident yesterday afternoon.”
“Ah, the magic geyser at Lower Canterlot School I take it? Do tell, was anypony hurt by that ugly business, the media is rather tightlipped about it.”
“Nopony was harmed, Count, I assure you.” Chrysalis replied pertly. “Were they, Glitter?”
Glitter shifted uncomfortably as the count turned his gaze on her disbelievingly, only for her friends to lean closer and practically sandwich her between them. “That was you, dear?”
Glitter turned her face away from him. “I… I didn’t have much choice in the matter, sir.”
“If you stick around long enough, Count, you’ll hear exactly what we tell the press.” Chrysalis said. “Only about half an hour, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long.”
“Actually, Chrysalis, it would be good of you to follow me in now.” A female voice cut in. The group turned to see Princess Luna, of all ponies, standing patiently nearby with a pair of her bat-like Thestral guards flanking her. The gathered group gave a courteous bow before rising from their seats and following her into the throne room, where they found Princess Celestia sitting upon her throne with what looked like a slice of cake, and Princess Twilight Sparkle reading a clip board of paperwork to one side.
“Good morning, Princesses,” Chrysalis began, leading her little procession in a group bow, “from what I heard from one of the weather ponies, it’s looking to be a rather fine day.”
“Cut the smarm, Duchess, you know better than to do that with us.” Luna hissed at her as she sat alongside her sister.
Chrysalis sighed. “So much for small talk; very well then, Princess Luna, we’ll keep this cold, sterile, and slightly hostile tone in your presence, does that suit you better?”
“Are you trying to be smart with me, Duchess? How did that work out for you last time, do you recall?”
“I recall a prissy pony princess prancing preciously away from me as if she’d won some sort of prize, only to find fake scorpions in her bed.”
“What’s with the cake?”
The arguing royals stopped and, together, looked over at the pegasus that had just blurted out her question. She, in turn, appeared to not notice the new attention she had garnered herself. Princess Twilight Sparkle stared at her with her mouth wide open, and Princess Celestia giggled as she took another bite.
She chewed thoroughly and swallowed before responding. “This, Miss Sandy is something that I had my chefs create for me centuries ago; the nobles know me as a notorious sweet tooth, and this cake is actually made of breakfast. Waffles, muffins, syrup, a little cream, and some strawberries are what go into it, and it’s actually rather healthy.” She smiled over her cake at the surprised pegasus. “You have your Wheat-O Crunch, I have Breakfast Cake.”
“I am so getting a copy of that recipe for my next birthday.” Glitter blurted out.
“In any case; Changelings, you know what we are here for?” Celestia asked, continuing only after she’d swallowed her next bite of breakfast and they had nodded to her. “Well, once I have finished my meal, we will be enjoying the company of numerous reporters,”
“Or as I call them, ‘Vocal Vultures’,” Chrysalis interjected with a giggle.
Celestia gave her a firm stare to which she wilted slightly. “Quite; anyway, we are going to inform them of the events that occurred yesterday at Lower Canterlot School, as well as a few additional questions that will likely arise from this. I ask that you at least attempt to keep your cool regardless of the questions asked. If you require time to do so, please indicate; royal press conferences are regulated under strict guidelines, and we, too, need to adhere to them.
“Reporters from multiple news outlets will be here, including the Canterlot Times, Equestrian Daily, and Written Script newspapers; they are all reporters that my sister and I have requested before due to their integrity and trustworthiness in their journalistic ethics, some of whom are the same reporters that were present last time you were interviewed after the assaults in Canterlot.
“If photos are to be taken, no youth may have a photo taken without an adult in the same image, unless otherwise consented to by both the ponies in question, adult caregivers, and by myself, my sister, or Twilight Sparkle. Anything said may not be taken out of context when finally reported, and your language should be befitting ponies in polite company.” She gave Chrysalis a wary glare, her eyes thinning. “Understood?”
The gathered group nodded, Sandy and Doublestep shrinking back a little from her tone. “G-geez, I didn’t think Princess Celestia had a mean bone in her whole body.” Step muttered.
“With centuries of heading the Equestrian parliament and the den of wolves it often turns into, I am honestly surprised that common ponies don’t know about it more.” Chrysalis told him amusedly, and then turned back to the Princess. “We shall respect the rules that you have given us, however you need be aware that family is a touchy subject that I doubt any of us want muddied hooves trodden all over.”
Celestia finished polishing off her breakfast, giving the plate and fork to a steward who hurried off before replying. “Of course, Duchess; personal attacks on one’s family are always out of order.” She waited for Chrysalis to nod before urging them forward while several courtiers started hurrying in and placing seats around the room, several of which were at the base of the throne dais. “Now, if you could take your seats, we can get ready. Ah, Count Doocoonut, if you could take a seat within the press area so as to avoid being questioned yourself?”
The changelings and ponies all filed into their seats, with Chrysalis and Glitter sitting next to one another, Flitterwing on Chrysalis’ other side, and Shred alongside her, and finally Doublestep sitting on Glitter’s left, followed by Sandy.
Glitter shifted in her seat. “This is going to be really awkward.” She said irritably.
“Get used to it, Glitter; there’ll likely be more of this in the future.” Chrysalis responded.
Twilight Sparkle, pleased with the information she had been reading through, took a sheet from her clipboard and magically levitated it down to Chrysalis, who took it in her magic and began to look through it.
“What exactly am I looking at here, Princess Sparkle?”
The mare in question sighed. “These are the facts that we know and are running with, Duchess,” she said, slipping into a lecturing tone, “such as the size of the pillar, the scale of the magical burst, damage caused, and ponies affected. We shall be discussing actual punishments over this incident as well, however that will fall to Princesses Celestia and Luna. The invasion you and your changelings managed to avoid serious legal repercussions over due to the near extinction of your entire species as a direct result, anything that the legal system could throw at you after such a catastrophe would have been token in comparison –not that I’m trying to be harsh here or anything, Duchess, just honest.”
“Honesty hurts sometimes, Princess Twilight.”
“Pain is important Duchess,” Twilight replied softly, “it shows us we are still alive. It shows us our limits, and gives us something to strive to push beyond. When such a thing stops hurting, we have lost that which makes us equine, and it would take another disaster to bring us back to our moorings.”
“Ponies still hold a grudge against changelings because they don’t see you having suffered any punishment for the invasion,” Count Doocoonut said from his seat, “not often do they see the pain that you all still suffer from it. Not a single family walked away whole, really Chrysalis and Flitterwing are lucky that they share even an in-law familial connection.” He sighed and lowered his head faintly. “I know that if anything happened to my family I’d be devastated, so I at least can understand.”
“Sandy, your leg was lamed during the invasion; do you recall how it happened?” Flitterwing asked the younger mare.
“I… not really,” Sandy replied, “I remember my mom saying something about it happening just after the invasion swept up our street; something about me being startled and falling out a window, if I can remember right.”
“That’s actually right, Sandy; the squadron I was assigned to had just gone up the street outside your house, and I watched you fall out of the window and hit the pavers. I told the others to keep going while I attended to your injuries, but was interrupted from doing anything more intensive than simply splinting your ankle and finding you a safe place away from the main road; I was chased away by a guard.” She chuckled listlessly. “Ironic that one trained to heal would suffer some of the worst wounds that day.”
“Do you hate Flitterwing for your injured ankle, Sandy?” Twilight asked. “It was her brethren that caused it, after all.”
Sandy gave a sarcastic laugh. “If I hated her or the changelings in general, why would I be here?” She asked, “It was an accident, technically, so I don’t have anypony to blame. She already said she did what she could, and I believe her.”
“Thank you, Sandy,” Flitterwing sighed, “you ease my heart more than you can know.”
A sudden harsh slamming threw their attention to the far side of the room, where Prince Blueblood came storming in flanked by the guards that Chrysalis had ordered earlier. The guards looked like they had attempted –and failed- to dissuade the prince from his current course of action and had resigned themselves to escorting him.
The prince stomped right up to Chrysalis, glaring daggers at her the whole time, and snarled in her direction. “What have you done you stupid insect?!”
“Prince Blueblood explain yourself this instant!” Princess Luna demanded spreading her wings to their full majesty in a display of her anger.
“A messenger just arrived with some ridiculous notion about the noble titles and system being revised, and that I’m now below this creature in status! I don’t care what size country you used to lead; you have no right to-”
“The changes, nephew, were made with my knowledge and input. Duchess Chrysalis had no further input into the changes than you did.” Celestia informed the enraged princeling. “It was carefully managed, placing those who abuse their power below those who do not, with careful attention paid to those who have been granted greater status. Your position as a Sovereign Prince, nephew, can be considered your punishment for your horrendous behaviour. Your assault of staff, the complaints from staff and other nobles alike, and your attitude are ill befitting somepony of your station, and my sister and I have had enough.
“Our staff worked hard to earn their positions, and of the staff that have been placed wherever you frequent, or your suites, I receive the most requests for transfer or to be allowed to find work elsewhere. Ponies would rather work somewhere else than within the castle, earning high incomes, simply because of your attitude and behaviour. You are not alone in what you see as having power stripped from you, nephew. Some of the ponies from parliament have had their positions taken from them entirely, and other families are being given the right to earn the position that they fell into by virtue of birth, given by the hard work that their ancestors toiled so hard to earn their titles.”
Blueblood grit his teeth, grinding them before glaring daggers at Chrysalis. “So why then does this witch hold a title higher than a prince of the realm? After the invasion she led, and the recent nonsense she’s gotten up to with her family,” he all but spat the word, “how can she not be removed from parliament?!”
“Duchess Chrysalis would hold a Princess title like ourselves, but cannot be given such a title without massive political backlash due to how the public opinion of her. At the same time, she has been given dominion of large amounts of the Badlands, and to legally and politically hold that amount of land, which she and her kind gave to Equestria as part of their unconditional surrender, she must be given a high title. She is willing to atone for her past mistakes, and works toward such goals through her actions. Putting her in charge of the rebuilding of Canterlot after the invasion was one such incident of punitive action, as she had to oversee and often physically examine the chaos wrought by her actions, and to endure the public dislike of her person as she continued the tasks of her office.
“Her recent behaviour is not without punitive measures either; however that will be discussed later. Now,” Princess Celestia leaned closer, her eyes reduced to slivers, “please return to your day.”
The stallion shook in his place, glaring at Chrysalis while barely suppressing a growl. “If you think this will stop my plans to stripmine the Badlands ruins, you are sorely mistaken, witch. You think you’ve won, but you don’t deserve the Equestrian soil that you’ve been given, and it’ll be a bright day in Tartarus when I see your hold of our land as legitimate!”
Chrysalis stared back at him before looking down the row of changelings to her side at her guard, who appeared to be holding his own fury back with careful application of biting his own lip until he bled. She tilted her head until her neck loudly cracked, and her gaze turned onto the stallion before her with a glare that made Glitter recoil.
She snarled angrily as she spoke, “You dare threaten my ancestral home, colt? You dare threaten the graves of hundreds, thousands, of my kin, both within the last two decades and four centuries? You would tell me that you would willingly wipe the last remaining samples of my culture from this world, all for your own greed? You have no idea who you truly toy with, foal, and I sorely hope you do not give me cause to show you.”
“Your threats are as empty at the ruins you abandoned, and I find myself unafraid of anything you say.”
Chrysalis shook with rage for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a long, calming breath, turning to look at Celestia. The regent of the sun, for her part, only nodded. She, too, looked furious at the Prince’s behaviour. With another calming breath, Chrysalis turned back to the stallion.
“Sovereign Prince Blueblood,” she began, her voice calm yet firmly echoing throughout the room, “should your aims come to fruition, I myself will fly down to my old hive and destroy your every effort. Ponies shall be teleported home, tents razed, tools destroyed, and a shield placed which will hold out every living being except Changelings. Then, I will fly to your mansion in the Nobles district and, brick by brick, take it apart. You would dare to threaten the home in which thousands of my kin lived and died? You would dare to threaten to uproot the dead? I would string you up by your mane and lash you until you couldn’t cry any longer!” She hissed at him at a volume that was far louder than a creature of her size should have been able to manage. “You disgust me!”
“Sovereign Prince Blueblood, I feel I need to warn you of your current intentions upon the Old Hive within the Badlands,” Twilight Sparkle began in a firm lecturing tone, “the area designated and identified to contain the Old Hive ruins have been placed on the Cultural Heritage protection list. Attempts to access or disturb the site without royal approval face heavy legal repercussions including fines, community service, and imprisonment, regardless of noble stature or title.”
Chrysalis growled at him as his shoulders slumped slightly. “I have done many wrongs in my life, Princeling, seen many atrocities, some of which were of my own make. I’ve buried sons, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I faced a dragon with only one hundred changeling soldiers and walked away alive, all to protect my changelings. You have lived within Canterlot with plenty to spare, while my changelings went without for the last century. You know nothing of the hardships we have endured; you know nothing of the pain of loss that we have shouldered.
“We changelings are not perfect, but since the invasion we have been treading as lightly as we can, rolling with the punches that Equestrian society throw us. You will find, colt, that we are willing to take this abuse because we want a better life for ourselves and for our next of kin, and one does not get that by being antagonistic whenever somepony insults us or we are dealt a poor hoof. This does not mean, however, that we are without teeth. Shadows know that if you were any child of mine I would have backhooved you across the room for how you’re behaving.
“If you desire to spit on our ancestors, on our culture, do it in private, not where your words and actions will harm others. You are not above the law simply because you are of Princess Celestia’s bloodline. No, you should be showing an example to others how to behave, and earn their respect for doing what’s right, not what’s convenient. If you want the power that Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle have earned, you should prove yourself and show you are worthy.
“Now, if you are quite through humiliating yourself in front of your aunts, I suggest you leave, and don’t let the door hit your flank on the way out.”
Blueblood growled one last time, before turning on his heel and stomping out, his hooves clopping loudly on the marble tiles until the doors slammed shut, leaving the room in an awkward silence. The courtiers, who had been standing idly at the sides of the room, returned to their work and placed a row of tables along the row of ponies and changelings, covering them in tablecloths before bowing and hurrying out. A final small group of maids hurried in and placed water carafes and glasses on the tables.
“Now that the entertainment is over, perhaps we should get to the interview?” Chrysalis said, filling a glass and taking a sip. “I have the feeling that that is not the last I will have to defend the Hive from Prince Blueblood…”
“We can discuss that at a later occasion, Duchess,” Twilight Sparkle said, motioning her head towards the doors, “for now, let’s get through this interview with as little antagonism as possible.”
“For once, Princess, we are in agreement.” Chrysalis huffed, “Very well, bring in the vultures.”
~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~(0)~
Chrysalis tried to adjust the collar around her neck, the new piece of silver and jade jewellery resting uncomfortably close to her chitin and sitting in an awkward spot. Next to her, Princess Twilight Sparkle watched her with a wary eye.
“Stop fiddling with it, Duchess, you need to get used to it.” She said for the twentieth time that hour.
“It itches, and I’m not used to wearing something this heavy!”
The lavender alicorn sighed, “Then perhaps you’ll keep that in mind next time you plan to do something reckless.”
Chrysalis pouted, “I hate this thing; rings are so much less uncomfortable.”
“You know full well that a standard magic inhibitor ring would risk you magically starving, not to mention that your shape shifting abilities would render it pointless.” The princess pointed out, “And it’s not like you can change your shape to remove your neck.”
“It can still be removed in case of emergencies, my Queen.” Shred commented from beside her, his eyes forever on the room around them, watching for problems. “Should your magic be required for any dire need, somepony need only say the unlocking word and remove it.”
“It’s still really awkward~!” Chrysalis pined.
“Granna, my friends and I just announced to the entirety of Equestria that we’re dating, I announced that I was the focal point of a magical explosion the likes of which have not been seen since the invasion, and then I was publically made a baroness to legally protect me and my friends from harassment. I’m pretty sure you can put up with an uncomfortable neckpiece as punishment for causing said magical explosion for six months.” Glitter huffed, glaring daggers at the elder changeling across the table between them.
It had been an odd thing for Glitter, the press conference. Almost two dozen reporters from assorted news outlets across Equestria had been sent in, and after the facts had been provided and Chrysalis’ new neckpiece fitted to her, questions had been asked that baffled Glitter’s sense of personal business. One reporter, however, had clearly spoken to an angered Blueblood before coming in and had asked what her intentions with the Prince were.
Her first response was to laugh, her second to tell the stallion how little she thought of Blueblood, and the third to ask for a real question.
Now, at the after-interview gathering, Glitter had been talking with a few of the nobles from parliament. One in particular, a unicorn stallion called Night Light, had been remarkably friendly, and had gone off to fetch something to eat. She’d taken the moment to catch her breath and mingle with her family a little bit before her returned.
“Ah, here you are, Baroness;” his cheerful voice cut through the air, announcing his return with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres, “I apologize for my distraction, but my wife can never get these spinach puffs cooked quite as well as the royal chefs can.”
“It’s quite alright, Count Night light; it gave me a chance to catch my breath.”
“I’ll let mom know what you think of her spinach puffs, dad; I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.” Twilight said cheekily, grinning at him inanely.
“Don’t you dare, young lady; you’re not too old for me to confiscate your books.”
Glitter blinked at the pair of bickering ponies, her mind doing a little mental juggling to catch up. “You’re Princess Twilight Sparkle’s father? You’re the patriarch of the Twilight household?”
The stallion nodded. “Well, yes, I thought you knew that? Why did you think I announced myself as Count Night Light?”
Glitter blushed and looked away. “I’ve not met the nobles, other than you, Doocoonut, Prince Blueblood, and Vidame Spitfire.”
“You’ve already met the best ones then,” the count said, “And, I suppose, the Prince, of course. Don’t let him get under your skin, err, chitin. Most of us in parliament don’t listen to his nonsense, if we did there wouldn’t be anypony left in Equestria other than the families of whom he approves. Doocoonut is elder and wiser than most nobles give him credit for, and he represents Stalliongrad so he’s thicker skinned than most. I hear his second daughter lives in Ponyville, actually; Twilight, do you know anything about her?”
“The only Do family member in Ponyville is Ditzy ‘Derpy’ Do; she's one of Ponyville’s storm wranglers and mailmares.” Twilight said calmly. “She’s a nice enough mare, and her daughter is a treat, but she’s a little clumsy. Can’t blame her, really, with her eye condition and all…”
The count sighed and his face slid into an irritated frown. “Some days he doesn’t stop talking about his granddaughter.”
“Don’t look at me, Count, I cursed mine with immortality.” Chrysalis said good-naturedly.
“You say that like you regret it,” Glitter huffed.
“Hey, this one got given her immortality for making new magic,” Chrysalis said, motioning to Twilight Sparkle, “and what about your little dragon, Spike? Has he grown his wings yet?”
“Not yet, but he is starting to get a pair of hard lumps on his back.” Twilight said with a sigh. “At first we thought they were something more sinister, but after a magic scan I affirmed that they’re the first signs of his wings. With any luck he’ll be flying within the year.”
“Good luck to him, learning to fly hurts.” Glitter said as she craned her neck to look over the count’s back. “Has anypony seen Sandy or Doublestep? I’m not sure if they’re used to this sort of event…”
“Over by the table I remember seeing a young pegasus and earth pony trying to look small, could that be them?” Night Light asked.
“Must be; if nopony minds, I’ll just go make sure that they’re alright.”
Without waiting for anypony to respond to her, she walked away and into the throng of ponies around her. An impressive number of were ponies here, mostly nobles if the expensive looking clothing was any indication, and she weaved through them as easily as a fish through water. Approaching the table holding the food and drinks, she noticed her friends were indeed all but cowering down one end, the pair being talked to by a mare she didn’t recognize.
As she got closer, she realized that they were actually being talked at.
“… and furthermore, that you two delinquents managed to sneak past the royal guard and get into this private function is so appalling, why I should call a guard over right now and-”
Glitter slid up next to the mare, just out of her field of vision, and spoke loud enough for her to jump. “Hello, ma’am, I’m trying to meet all of the nobles here and I’ve yet to get your name?”
The mare, a yellowish unicorn with a purple and white mane, pink pearl earrings, a green pearl necklace, and three currency marks for her cutie-mark sighed and turned, holding her eyes shut and her nose high. “Ugh, new nobility, how droll; I am Baroness Upper Crust, matriarch of the Pearl household, and owner of the best jewellery stores in Equestria. Who might I ask are you?”
Glitter strode into her field of view and stood between her two friends, head held high and eyes glaring down at the elder mare. “I believe that the Princess gave me the title of Baroness Glitter, grandchild of Duchess Chrysalis of the Badlands Hive. I take it, Lady Upper Crust, that you have issue with the presence of these two ponies?”
Upper Crust huffed, “I fail to understand why they have yet to be taken away by the guards, as commoners do not belong in the castle other than to see the Princesses for whatever pointless things they ask.”
Glitter’s eyes narrowed, “Baroness, these two ponies are both my best friends, and my special someponies; I invited them here, and they will not be removed by guards, no matter your order.”
“Nobility consorting with commoners, and foals at that..? Oh, what a scandal; do I need to get the guard to look into your behaviour?”
Glitter snorted angrily and leaned closer, almost nose to nose with the mare; “I’m trying to be polite here, but you’re pushing the wrong buttons for that. Lady, I am 'consorting' with two wonderful ponies of my own age who I love dearly. If you want to start a fuss over something you know nothing about, you can get lost.”
“Ah, I see you’ve met Upper Crust, Lady Glitter.” Count Doocoonut’s voice cut in from her right, “And I can see she’s made the same impression on you as she does to most common ponies she meets. Upper Crust, my dear, is that some mayonnaise on your necklace, or did you not heed my advice on how to get rid of dandruff?”
Upper Crust snarled at him. “What do you want, Doocoonut; can’t you see we were having a private conversation here?”
“Oh yes, my dear, so private half the room heard you accosting a thirteen-year-old, our youngest royally accepted noble no less, about the company she keeps with her own peers. That should not be important enough to warrant your time compared to your constituents; tell me, how is Vanhoover doing? Last I heard there was an unemployment issue. Has that been solved, or are you still struggling to let ponies create businesses based on their special talents and instead forcing them into making jewellery?”
Glitter blinked as the conversation had not only derailed but became more barbed than she thought it could with otherwise polite and worried words. She connected to the Hive Mind and singled out her grandmother.
‘Granna, can you hear this?’
‘Oh yes, Glitter, I can hear it from here. Dare say, I think the whole room can hear Count Doocoonut on his warpath. He’s impressive when he’s cutting somepony down to size, isn’t he?’
She blinked and stared at the two ponies practically bickering back and forth. ‘He does this often…? But he was such a gentlestallion earlier!’
She heard Chrysalis titter over the Mind. ‘This is how one plays the Game, Glitter, with those who are not very good at it. Count Doocoonut has seen the lowest unemployment rates and best budget surplus of any city in Equestria for the majority of his time as their representative; he picks the right ponies for the right jobs and isn’t afraid of paying money to fix a problem for his constituents. Upper Crust and her husband Jet Set, conversely, have some of the worst unemployment rates in the country in Vanhoover. Most of us tend to roll our eyes at her poor attempts to fix these issues, as they’re always hollow things meant only to stroke her ego; the Count and I have been working for a while on a portfolio to present to the Princesses to have her and her husband removed from their positions, but until it’s ready, the Game is played.’
‘It’s like they’re children fighting over who has the best lunch in school; is this really all it is?’
Again Chrysalis’s laugh echoed through the Mind. ‘Typically? Yes; it’s just a grand game of posturing and tearing down one another’s ego. Those with greater egos tend to take the blows harder, such as Blueblood earlier and the Baroness now.’
Glitter stared in wonder as Upper Crust huffed and stomped off, nose held high in offense as she disappeared into the throng. ‘What is Prince Blueblood in charge of, which city?’
‘Initially it was Ponyville, but recently Princess Twilight Sparkle has taken dominion over that little slice of chaotic heaven. We discovered that he’d been withholding taxpayer’s bits and town funding, and currently he’s in charge of only one pony, himself. Really, Ponyville hasn’t been this prosperous since its founding days. At least, that’s what the princess keeps saying whenever she looks at the town records.’ She felt Chrysalis smile over the Mind, ‘Now, you have some special someponies to be with, don’t you?’
Glitter sighed with a smile and disconnected from the Hive Mind, then turned to Count Doocoonut. “Thank you for that, Count, it was certainly interesting to see how the Game is played.”
The count smiled. “No problem, my dear; she was stepping beyond her grounds harassing guests. Have a good day, and I hope to see you again later.”
Glitter dipped her head to him before he walked off, and she smiled in his direction before turning to her friends. “Are you two alright?”
“Y-yeah, she just caught us off guard.” Sandy stammered, shifting awkwardly in her spot. “This is all really weird, Glitter, these are nobles, and we’re just nopo-”
Glitter silenced her with a quick kiss. “Sandy, if you and Step are noponies, then I’m a potted plant. If they don’t see in you two what I do, then that’s their loss.”
Sandy blushed lightly and looked away, giving Step a moment to peck her cheek.
“That’s better;” Glitter said with a pleased smile, “now, have either of you tried the spinach puffs? I’ve heard they’re really good.”
With a laugh, the three turned to the table and filled some plates, before hurrying off to a corner to eat and mingle amongst themselves; Chrysalis and Celestia watched from a distance, smiling warmly at their antics.
“The house of parliament is going to enjoy her presence, I think.” Celestia commented to her changeling company.
“You say that like the uppity nobles have a choice, princess.” Chrysalis replied, smiling inanely. "They're going to welcome her and they're going to like it."
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IT LIVES!
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Great work on this chapter, Especially the way you obliterated Blueballs and the setting of Equestrian Parliament.
-Thumbs up x10-
Huzzah! An update! I approve, another!
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And then Chrysalis.
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Firm Lance... Hahaha! Bet you had fun writing that one.
6586081 You ignore that attempted subjugation of a sovereign nation is an act of war no matter how you dress it up.
6585950 Not one to be proud of. I'm hoping that's just a nickname, as giving a baby a sensual name at birth would be - and is - a very low act by the parents.
Not a bad chapter. Stuff like this makes me glad America has no nobility.
Also, thanks for not calling the princesses deities in this chapter. Not that I'm an atheist. My reasons are, in fact, contrary to atheism.
Cryssi interrupted fun time
Heh, Count Doocoo, now I read all of his lines in Christopher Lee's voice.
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The name of said guard, Firm Lance, was something that simply rolled off of my fingertips while typing; initially I had no intention of using said name, but after ten minutes of sitting here holding my head in my hands and asking myself 'what the flying f*ck is wrong with me today?' I just sorta rolled with it.
Hell, I have some character stuff for him sitting in my head too. His parents did call him Firm Lance; Firm, after his great-grandfather Firm Shield who had been a captain of the guard, and Lance is his family name (like Twilight, Fire, etc.) He prefers to be called just Lance by others, however. He's adept in fencing and shields, which got him his position in the guard ranks.
And yes, his wife is indeed a happy and lucky mare; some things just happen to fit the naming stereotype.
Count Doocoonut I came up with because I needed a 'Do' name to go with a noble title, and it just, well, came to me...
I can't wait to see you introduce Trixie into this. Now that would be funny. Even after all this time you still haven't lost your touch at writing. I love how the nobles keep getting humiliated at every turn.
Bluey is a royal douche.
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I... how the f*ck did I miss that during my proofreading? I shall fix it first thing in the morning; thanks for pointing it out.
I just discovered this story and I am enjoying it very much. Thank you for working so hard on it. I am looking forward to future installments.
6589344 Better question. That was like 3 chapters ago, and posted on 5th Jan 2014, a year and a half ago.
How am I the only one to notice this and point it one?!
Not going to lie, it's been long enough that my recollection of this AU didn't kick in until about halfway through. This is the one where the changelings have a mansion-hive in Canterlot, right?
Overall this was pretty fun, though lots of exposition .
Now to get back to school and be stared at, right?
Keep going! ;)
from one author to another: don't worry about the time between chapters; if folks like it, they're willing to wait I've found.
Hmm. Still waiting for real balance.
Chrysalis can talk about making amends all she likes, the problem is still in presentation. Plus, it's still everypony who dares being even a little bit unhappy with the situation immediately made into the worst scum of the earth and now possibly being removed from power as punishment.
I'm actually rooting for the antagonists a little. Things are just so... one-sided. I want for them to break out of this. I want to see Blueblood redeem himself without bending over backwards to kiss Chrysalis' hooves. Why is kowtowing to her the only measure of goodness?
I honestly want them to break out of the strictures the narrative puts on them here.
You mean like when your daughter slapped him and absolutely nothing happened in return? Yeah, no. Not buying it. Nevermind that you have no leg to stand on to talk about deserving one's station considering you led your own people into a hostile invasion that ended with them threatened to go extinct, and the nation you invaded now made you a member of the highest nobility.
This came to mind.
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Someone commented this to me after seeing a pic I posted in another comments section. Ehem.... ' I busted a gut laughing my ass off when I saw that pic.'
This applies to this situation, and I've decided to 'tag' you with saying you busted a gut laughing your ass off to another picture you see in the comments section.
Damnit.. I ran out of story...
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It's Ponyville; they have world-shattering disasters every second week. A crashed wedding is small biscuits, really.
6985109
That... is an excellent point.
And speaking of weddings... How are you going to handle Cranky's old friend that showed up to his and Matilda's wedding? One of the residents of Little Hive? An Invasion survivor who never reconnected with the Hive Mind and struck out on his own? A one-off descendant of those crossbreeding experiments mentioned oh so many chapters ago? Given that `Tia and Luna were also in attendance means that news of his existence will reach the members of Little Hive shortly thereafter.
but grandma...
derpicdn.net/img/2013/7/18/377755/large.png the cake is a lie
lol
I repeat s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/9e/2d/90/9e2d90df4aeedfeaedfc0c94c109a07e.jpg
Would love to see more. Hope you will continue this series.
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That story actually inspired me to write this. Love it.
count Dooku?
"Count Doocoonut"
I sense a disturbance.
I think that's the point buddy.
congrats. Now I want more.
Clearly, this colt has been spared the dire fate that is actually meeting the brainless buffoon. Or even hearing the stories of his interactions with the various changebuggies.
Most merciful at the time, Glitter, but ye hath created this silly doubt by thine own omissions.
Wait... is that the same spell Twilight tried to use to reverse Discord’s chaos that very first time he escaped?
Oh dear. Keep an eye on that one. He might have once been a student of Starswirl’s Harmonic magic, but I heard a rumor he’s taken to perusing more... insidious works, in recent years.
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I honestly believe that Celestias decision was based off the very real factor that without representation in parliament of their kind by their kind they may well have been annihilated, very quickly, and they were still loyal to Chrysalis. And you want an example of how they've suffered since the end of the invasion? How about the memorial grounds that keep getting desecrated, the assault on a helpless filly and their medic with little to no combat training.
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I don't see how those point connect to what I wrote all those years ago. Perhaps if you explain?