• Published 30th Mar 2013
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Galaxia's Equestria - pchn00



Queen Galaxia has returned and remade Equestria in her image. The ponies need a hero! They need...Discord? The reformed draconequus must collect the Elements of Harmony with the help of his young niece in order to return a fallen friend.

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Chapter 16: Preparations

Chapter 16: Preparations

Cadence settled in the room she’d claimed for herself in the Citadel, gazing down at the Ponyville refugees in the courtyard below. She recognized the look on Jubilant’s face when she’d returned. It was the same one she herself had when she realized she couldn’t help the Crystal Empire. If she had remained behind, would more of her subjects be safe? Aunt Celestia had told her time and again that a ruler couldn’t second guess herself, but she was finding it hard not to at the moment.

Her ear flicked towards the door as she heard the hoofsteps of her husband approach. She allowed herself a small smile at that. He always made her feel better, no matter how bleak things had gotten over the past few years. “Umbra’s people are getting prepared, Cadence. Everypony has their orders and understand what to do. Even Discord seemed oddly cooperative.”

She turned from the window to let Shining Armor see her smile. “He’s really not so bad. I don’t know what he was like when he ruled Equestria, I’ve only known him since all this started. He seems like he truly wishes to help. He definitely cares about Jubilant.” The mention of the missing Jubilant Surprise brought a faint frown to the Princess’ lips.

Shining picked up on it immediately. “We’re going to be fine. It’s a good place, Cadence. By this time tomorrow, we’ll be sitting in our old room in the Crystal Palace.”

The youngest Princess of Equestria sighed softly and rose to her hooves. “I hope so. My concern is, what comes after? We don’t have any means to protect ourselves should Galaxia decide she wishes to take the Empire back. The reports say Sombra refuses to allow any guards in the Empire outside those crystal golems of his. Resistance should be minimal, but once we’re there I don’t doubt the Queen will turn her attention to us.”

Shining was about to open his mouth to reassure her, until she pressed on. “Then there’s the Lord Whiteskull. If Sombra’s forces put up more of a resistance than expected, Whiteskull Fortress is only half a day’s march from the crystal capital.”

Heaving a deep breath, Shining Armor came forward and rested his chin against his wife’s neck in a comforting embrace. After a slight hesitation she closed her eyes and returned it. “Deep breaths honey. Moon Dancer and Umbra were talking about that exact thing.” He stepped back, relieved to see Cadence looking calmer. Of course, he was sure that wouldn’t last. “They want to go to Whiteskull Fortress and, er… ‘deal’ with the lich.”

“No! No absolutely not! We’re already missing Jubilant and Trixie. Two of our strongest members. We can’t afford to let the next two go as well! Not to mention that sounds dangerously like they’re suggesting an… an… assassination!”

Shining’s ears splayed at the word. “Well… This is war, Cadence. And that’s exactly what they’re suggesting. I don’t like it any more than you do, but Whiteskull is a monster. An unnatural abomination. Even Discord had his place in the world when he was making everypony’s life miserable. This lich monstrosity goes against harmony itself. His very existence is… wrong.”

Looking more troubled than ever, Cadence shook her head slowly. “But to willingly take another pony’s life? That is what he is… Or was. A pony. Like you or I.”

“No. A pony like you or me would never have done what he did. Even in life, he killed dozens of innocent ponies for his experiments to find immortality. That creature may have been a pony once, but he stopped being one a long time ago. He’s tormented Umbra her entire life, Cadence. She deserves a chance to find some closure, don’t you think?”

Cadence sighed. It was hard to forget the tale Umbra told her of her hometown’s destruction at the lich’s hands. “But both she and Moon Dancer?”

“And Tak. The three of them are already preparing to go. They’re all very powerful, dear. Even Moon Dancer—weakened as she is—still has centuries of experience and magical aptitude. And the way she was talking about this… I have a feeling she has experience in this very situation.”

Slowly Cadence shook her head, eyes closed. “So who does that leave us? Fancy Pants, Discord, and Echo?”

“Applejack and Pinkie have both volunteered to come too. Though I think at least one of them should stay behind and offer the refugees a face of authority and familiarity. I’d say you should stay here, but I know that’s not going to happen.”

“You’re right about that!” Cadence sighed. “Come on. Let’s go see Moon Dancer and her filly off. I’d like to have Umbra get me in contact with her brother before she’s gone anyhow.”

The pair started downstairs toward the courtyard, many things weighing heavily on Cadence’s mind. Though the foremost of which was what could possibly be so important that Jubilant decided now was the time to disappear?

“I’m telling you, brother; we can’t go back to Equestria. It’s a mad house! Zebrica may not be the most hospitable of countries to two entrepreneurs such as us, but it’s a good deal better than dealing with that lunatic Queen.”

Flam snorted softly as his brother shot down his idea to go back to Equestria once again for who knows how many times in the last five years. “Well we’re not exactly in great shape here, Flim! The only folk who are less interested in what we have to offer than the ponies are the zebras!”

Flim crawled out from under their transport, wiping some grease from his forehead. “Well we could try across the sea. Maybe the ponies of Prance or Saddle Arabia would be more interested?”

Taking the hammer from his brother, Flam passed him a wrench as he slid back under their vehicle. “That’s a possibility. The temperature in Prance has to be more comfortable than here.”

“Ha! The temperature in Tartarus is probably more comfortable than it is here!”

Both brothers shared a laugh at that. But it didn’t last too long. Thoughts of their home country being terrorized by a madwoman made it hard to be of good cheer for any length of time. About to join his brother in the repairs, Flam’s ear twitched suddenly. “Flim, do you hear that?”

“Little busy down here, brother! Hear what?”

The bewildered stallion cast about. It was the strangest sound, like nothing he’d ever heard before. “I have no idea what it is. But it’s…” He trailed off at the sudden appearance of a large blue box slowly fading into view in front of him. It grew more solid by the moment before it sat some twenty feet from him, solid as can be.

“Flim! Flim get out here! There’s a box!”

“… A box? Who cares? Somepony probably just threw it away.”

With an annoyed grunt the unicorn seized his brothers’ tail in his magic dragging him out from under the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy. Flim gave an annoyed yelp and rolled to his hooves. “Whats’s the big— Where did that come from?”

Flam shrugged helplessly, approaching it cautiously, his brother at his side. Both stallions leapt back in alarm as the doors swung open. And out stepped a very familiar pony. “Well, well! Look who it is, brother dear! And making a grand entrance as per usual!”

Flim grinned at the sight of the pony who had saved their lives in the Badlands years ago. “If it isn’t Miss Jubilant Surprise! What a… Well… Surprise!”

Grinning ear to ear, Jubilant stepped out of the TARDIS, blinking at the sudden bright sunlight. “Wow! That was a rush! Bit of a rough landing, you should really learn how to fly this thing.”

Ignoring the indignant ‘hey!’ coming from within, she focused on Flim and Flam. “Hey guys! Good to see you again! Remember when you said you could never repay me for saving your lives?”

A sudden look of apprehension dawned on both stallions’ faces. “Er… Yes?”

Her grin if possible, widened further. “Well I thought of just the way you could do it!”

Cadence watched the trio depart for the exit tunnels. “Good luck! Stay safe, and hurry to the Empire as soon as you’re finished!”

Moon Dancer spared her sister’s adopted niece a look back, nodding once before she, her daughter, and her son-in-law were gone into the darkness.

Unable to quiet the unease she was feeling entirely, Cadence turned back to the courtyard. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were busy helping to settle the refugees from their home town, and she felt no need to interrupt them just yet. Umbra had sent a runner with a message for Prince Spinner, so until he arrived, all she could do was wait.

The two mares were openly wearing their Elements of Harmony too. While unsure if they could do any actual good without all six being present, they felt it might help boost morale for the ponies to see the original bearers sporting their returned magical artifacts.

Turning toward the Citadel’s main doors, she was nearly bowled over by Echo as the night pony raced around the corner. Yelping in alarm, the Princess leapt aside as the excitable mare flashed by her in a blur, screeching to a stop. “There you are!”

“Honestly, Echo! It’s like having a bat-winged Rainbow Dash tearing around here! What’s the matter with you!?”

Echo was too excited to even attempt to pretend to be ashamed. “No time! You have to come see what I found!” She was already streaking off before Cadence seized her in her magic.

“I’ll come along, but at a reasonable pace if you don’t mind? I’d rather not be half dead from exhaustion before our enormous assault on the Crystal Empire. You know, the one we’re leaving for within the hour?”

Snatching her tail out of Cadence’s aura, the mare landed. “Yeah, yeah alright fine. But just hurry okay? This is big!”

Rolling her eyes slightly, Cadence fell into step with Echo. Shining was off planning something or other with Discord and Fancy Pants, so she had little to do as it was. “What’s this all about, Echo?”

Wings twitching at her barely contained excitement, Echo had to visibly force herself not to rush ahead. “How much did Jenny ramble at you about that book of hers? Because before all this went down, she wouldn’t shut up about it. I know every little thing about that dumb journal of hers.”

Cadence shrugged. “She didn’t tell me much, just that she was trying to learn about the Order of Harmony. Why?”

Echo started leading her down a flight of stairs she hadn’t bothered to explore before. “Well. I remembered the story of how they built the Citadel. Of what they used to make it fly.”

Now Cadence’s curiosity was piqued. “What did they used to make it…” Her question died in her throat as they reached the bottom of the stairs, coming to the very heart of the Citadel of Harmony. Literally… The heart of the Citadel. Darkened and laying on its side was a crystal heart, easily three or four times the size of the one used to protect the empire. The destruction of the Citadel seemed to have dislodged it from its proper place, but the heart was undamaged. Cadence could feel the powerful magic it radiated from where she stood across the room.

Echo turned a proud smile on the baffled Princess. “So? Whaddya think? Am I awesome, or am I awesome?”

Feeling the first genuine smile she’d felt in a long time coming on, Cadence nodded. “You’re awesome.” She looked around the heart’s chamber slowly for a moment. “How are we going to get it out? It’s way too big to fit through the door.”

Echo shrugged. “I dunno. You’re the big magical alicorn Princess. Blow a hole in the ceiling and just float it up?”

After a brief moment of consideration, that’s precisely what Cadence did.

“Where is Gilda!? And if you say on the front lines again I’ll have you plucked, stuffed, and cooked for the evening feast!”

The young griffon scout paled at his furious Emperor’s words. Licking his beak, he silently reminded himself he was a proud warrior, and to show fear would be inviting his ruler to actually follow through on his threat. “I’m sorry My Lord, but that’s where she is. She says she won’t come back until she finds who she’s looking for.”

The massive griffon on the stone throne bristled, wings flaring and talons flexing in his fury. “She is by far the greatest embarrassment I’ve ever had to suffer! My other children fight proudly to bring glory to our name! And what is she doing!? Hunting for some… some…. pegasus!”

The scout straightened up, trying to keep his voice steady. “My Lord, isn’t this exactly why you sent her and several other youngsters to learn in the pony lands? To attempt at forming a stronger bond with our neighbors?”

“Yes! When they had a reasonable, sane ruler! I never thought I would miss that infuriating rainbow maned marshmallow of a Princess, but I’d give my right wing to see her fat flank back on the Equestrian throne! Celestia understood diplomacy. Celestia understood give and take. This Galaxia is a lunatic! A voracious conqueror who doesn’t care one whit how many of her subjects are slain in her moronic attempts to oust us from our eyries. Why does she even want our lands!?”

The advisors and courtiers of his court were silent. That had been the question on all their minds, and the only answer they kept coming to was simply because ‘she didn’t own them yet.’ Which wasn’t a terribly satisfactory answer.

The bold scout didn’t back down. “Well I think Lady Gilda did learn the lesson well, My Lord. This pony she seeks is obviously one of great importance to her.”

The Emperor glared down at the young scout before him. The lad looked to be his youngest daughter’s age, now that he thought of it. Good strong beak, sharp talons, impressive wing span. “What’s your name, boy?”

The scouts’ eyes widened. “E— er… Swiftwing, My Lord.”

This brought a faint smile to the emperors’ face. It’d been a long time since a hatchling was named using the old ways. “Fine. Swiftwing, go find my daughter. Bring her home. Tell her… Tell her that her father simply wishes to speak with her. If she agrees to come home for a day or two, she can resume her search, with an entire scouting party at her side.”

Nodding rapidly, the young fellow turned and bounded into the air, completely unaware of his Emperor’s designs to match him up with his daughter. The sharp-eyed old griffon watched the scout depart before turning to his war advisors. “Galaxia continues to push further into our territories. The pegasus cities are nearly unassailable with the lightning and tornadoes they can throw at us. We need some way to strike at the Queen directly. Cut off the head, and the body will fall.”

Before his highest ranking general could respond, the strangest sound began to fill the room. Every pair of golden eyes looked to the center of the Emperor’s throne room. As the large blue box began to manifest, the guards snapped to attention, leveling their spears.

The doors swung open, and out stepped a green coated alicorn mare. An annoyed looking one at that. “This better be the right place! And I swear to all that’s holy if we’re in the future, past, or an alternate reality, I’m going to stuff that screwdriver of yours right up your—” She blinked at the spears trained on her. “Oh! Hello! I ah… This is the court of the griffon Emperor, right?”

Silence reigned in the hall for a time. The Emperor himself finally broke it. “Uh… It is?”

“Good! And would it be the year 1537… A.C. that is. If this is B.C. again, so help me…”

Waving a talon sharply, he cut her off. “Yes! That is the year! Who in the blazes are you, and why shouldn’t I have my men skewer you and turn you into tonight’s supper!?”

Despite the direness of her situation, the mare only smiled. “My name’s Jubilant Surprise, sir. And I’m here to see if we can’t help each other out a bit. We both seem to have a bit of a ‘crazy evil Queen’ problem on our uh… hooves and claws.”

The Emperor was an old griffon. Older than most of his warlike race grew to be. He’d survived by not only being stronger than any other, but smarter. He trusted his instincts, and right now they were all screaming that this bizarre alicorn could be just the answer he’d been waiting for. “Alright then, Princess Jubilant Surprise. I’ll hear what you have to say.”

A grimace flashed across her face. “Commander Jubilant, actually. Definitely not Princess.”

“Commander? That’s a military title, young lady.” His eyes drifted to the odd sword and shield she wore openly on her foreleg. Not something one generally saw a pony doing, at least before Galaxia. And this pony didn’t have the dull eyed look that most of her fellows did under Galaxia’s reign.

“Well it’s my title if we’re going to insist on using them, sir. Personally I prefer Jubilant.”

The Emperor stared down at her from his throne for a long, silent moment. Then he smiled. Then he laughed. “Well then, Jubilant. Welcome to the Empire of Griffonia! Let’s hear what you have to say. If I like it, maybe I won’t eat you after all.”

She just smiled a wide, very pony-like smile in his opinion. He was surprised to find he’d missed seeing that smile from time to time. “Well I certainly hope you like what I have to say.”

“Your plan is very simplistic, Princess. I understand the role I and my men will play in it.”

Cadence grimaced at the spiderkin’s description of her plans. “If you think it so simplistic, perhaps you have a better idea?”

The strange creature’s face betrayed no emotions. All eight red eyes focused on her calmly. “I apologize if my words seemed an insult. Often times the best strategies are the simplest ones. Your plan is sound, to the point, and has very few complications. While I share your sentiment of wishing my sister had not rushed off on whatever fool’s errand she has gone to, we will succeed. While your hand picked group assaults the Keep, my people will see to the… golems… watching over your subjects in the mine. Our workers have already prepared tunnels into the crystal mines.”

Taking a deep breath, Cadence forced herself to relax. “No, I apologize Prince Spinner. You and your people are risking your lives for my own, with little to gain. I’m just a bit on edge, I’m afraid.”

“You are unused to war and military action. Queen Neela is much the same. She does not care for combat. It is her wish that by assisting you, we will be able to forge a stronger alliance and perhaps bring some amount of peace to our people.”

Cadence smiled now. “Well if everyone comes out of this alive, I can promise at the very least, your people will be welcome in the Crystal Empire for as long as I rule it.”

Spinner nodded once. “I should return to my men and make the final preparations. I wish you victory in the coming battle, Princess Cadence, cousin of my sister.”

Cadence watched him go, the same way Moon Dancer had left. Shining Armor stepped up to her side. “Technically that means you and he are cousins right?”

Huffing softly, Cadence turned away. “Is everypony ready?”

Shining nodded. “They are. Pinkie agreed to stay behind. She’s been doing a surprisingly good job of keeping everypony’s spirits up. Though I suppose given who she is, that’s not too surprising.”

Now his wife laughed softly. “No. Not surprising at all. Come on then, let’s go see to getting ready ourselves.”

Shining grinned playfully, nudging his wife’s side. “Are you going to be wearing your armor? Because you have never looked se-”

Cadence thumped him solidly on the head before he could finish. Though as she trotted ahead, she called the armor gifted her by her Arm of Harmony over her body, throwing in an exaggerated sway to her flanks as she went.

Shining Armor was not displeased.

“My Queen, what you shared with the hive has helped, but…”

Scowling Chrysalis cut the drone off. “I’m aware that it wasn’t enough.” She was feeling exhausted again. The second she’d returned to the hive, she’d given all but the smallest drop of love Jubilant shared with her to the hive.

The drone bowed his head silently and scuttled back out of her chambers. Her consort invited himself in without permission again. For a moment she thought about disciplining him, but the more independence he began to show, the more enticing she was finding him. “My Queen, I bring news of the ponies.”

Now she sat up fully. “Go on.”

“They prepare to depart for the Empire. The spiders march with them. A force large enough they could very well take the Crystal Empire back. Should we inform Queen Galaxia or King Sombra of the impending attack?”

Chrysalis sank back in her cushiony throne, pondering the question. She knew this was possibly the most important moment in the history of her race. If she informed her allies in the coup against Celestia, there was a chance Galaxia would reward her by letting her children feed on a few of her unicorns. Then there was always the chance that Princess Cadence’s little rebellion would fail. If word got back that Chrysalis knew of their plans and she didn’t tell anyone… She doubted she would be about long enough to regret her doomed people’s lack of a future.

On the other hoof, Galaxia seemed to genuinely fear this Order of Harmony. Chrysalis remembered seeing the girl, Jubilant in action in the Empire. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Then there was Cadence and her husband, Shining Armor. By all accounts, he was now counted among the Orders ranks too, which from what she’d been told meant he had a considerable increase in his magical power. If Cadence and Jubilant were true to their word, her people could very well be in a position to improve their lot in life considerably.

There were too many ‘maybes’. Too many ways for it to go wrong. She regarded the patient male before her. Several moments stretched by in silence while she considered her choices. Finally she sighed. “No. No, they will not be informed of the attack. The ponies are our best chance for survival. We just have to hope they’re strong enough to do what needs to be done.”

To her surprise, the drone grinned toothily. To her further surprise, he was engulfed in emerald flames, and a changeling Princess stood before her. Perhaps a head shorter than she herself, this young female’s chitin was a dark forest green. Her mane and tail crimson red. Large blue eyes that sparkled with delight gazed back at her. “Whew! I was worried for a sec you were gonna let me down, and I woulda been totally bummed.”

“What?” Was all that Chrysalis could think to say.

“What what? Oh! Oh this! Right.” Her horn flared again and Chrysalis was looking at the pony form of Jubilant Surprise. “Yeah sorry about that. Had to make sure, y’know?”

“What?”

Smiling cheerfully, she reached into her now visible saddlebags. When her foreleg came back out it had a silver charm bracelet on it. “My new friend took me to my grave to dig this up. Man that was kinda creepy, lemme tell you.” She pressed a hoof to the small alicorn charm and Chrysalis felt the mare’s changeling magic vanish.

“I… You… What!?”

“Sorry. I feel really bad about, y’know, sneaking around like this. But this is too important to take a chance that you’d let us down. But you didn’t! I’m glad I was right about you, by the way. I was kinda looking forward to seeing your hive… Very cool, I have to say. A little spooky, has kind of an Alien vibe going on, but I like it.”

Chrysalis was working hard to quell the fury building inside her. If she were being completely honest with herself, she couldn’t blame the mare in the slightest. It was exactly what she would have done were their positions reversed. Now that she thought about it, if the girl ever got sick of playing pony, she’d probably make an excellent changeling. “What are you doing here!?”

“Weeeell… Besides testing your loyalty?” Seeing the Queen not returning her smile she sobered a bit. “I was thinking about how starved you look… And uh… Look now, actually. And if your people are going to be helping us take back Equestria, a bunch of half-starved changelings probably wouldn’t be the most impressive fighting force.”

She was walking now, and Chrysalis—almost against her will—was following. More than a few surprised drones and warriors snapped to attention, looking ready to attack the intruding pony, but their Queen waved them away. “Where is my consort?”

“Oh! The guy I was impersonating? He’s with my friends. He’s fine really. Might have a little headache when he wakes up.”

Rolling her eyes, Chrysalis decided not to hold it against her. “I’m sure.”

“Anyway!” She stopped before a large blue box tucked away in a shadowy alcove. Rapping on the door with a hoof, it swung open as another pair of mares stepped out. A wall eyed pegasus and a timidly smiling young unicorn. “Meet Ditzy and Dinky Doo! Probably the nicest, love filled ponies in all of Equestria! We’re here to give a donation!”

Chrysalis could actually feel the good cheer and warm feelings radiating off of the two new mares. Not to mention Jubilant herself seemed more than full of love, friendliness, and happiness again. The Queen smiled faintly, feeling a warm stirring in her own heart. “Well come along then. Let’s get you lunatic ponies to work.”

The three of them—Dinky with slight hesitation—followed along behind the changeling Queen on their way to rejuvenate an entire race.

Author's Note:

Not a lot happens in this chapter I'm afraid! Mostly just setting up for the finale.