Welcome to Ponyville's first Changeling War Reenactment. Everpony is welcome to join in the festivities, just as long as you don't forget to bring your costume.
Welcome to Ponyville's first Changeling War Reenactment. Everpony is welcome to join in the festivities, just as long as you don't forget to bring your costume.
Walking out of the book store, Twilight bore a huge smile on her face as she levitated a newly bought book in front of her.
The book was an ancient spell book, a vintage and a rare one, containing a large collection of spells that were used by of unicorns’ ages ago. She used to have the exact same book in the Golden Oaks Library, but after the incident with Tirek, her copy, as well as countless amounts of other valuable books, was destroyed. So she was very glad to have stumbled upon one during her weekly trip to the bookstore.
She had begun visiting the bookstore every week, in hopes of refilling the valuable books that she lost. So she was really happy to see that these weekly missions were working, as she started to find copies of some of the books that she thought she would never see again.
Excited of having another copy of the rare book, she trotted through the streets with the book open, feeding her eyes with the words written while she made her way through town towards her home.
Thanks to the help of her friends and the addition of more homey things inside the large castle, the place was starting to feel like a true home, instead of an empty structure that she used to be afraid to stay in. With the addition of the books that she kept on buying in a weekly basis, she knew that it would only be a matter of time before the place ended up as an upgraded version of the tree library.
Trotting through the street while scanning the book that was levitating in front of her, she made her way through town towards her Crystal Castle.
As she trotted through town, she received some friendly greeting and remarks from the local residence. who were now technically her subjects. Giving polite and cheerful greeting, they waved the hooves as they smiled at their newly appointed and all powerful sovereign leader.
In response to their friendly greetings and remarks, Twilight tried to return it by mumbling a response or giving a nod or two. She would have liked to have given a more decent and friendly reply, but her attention was too focused on the book to care about those around her.
Despite having read them before, the spells written were just too fascinating for her to ignore. Like an urge that was too difficult to explain, she kept on reading, giving little consciousness to the world around her.
But as she made her way, passing by the town market, there was one strange and confusing detail that would soon bring her back from the realm of reading.
Passing by two ponies who were heading the opposite direction, she heard the two greet her with a friendly ‘Hello’ as they crossed each other. Twilight returned the greeting with a small nod and some mumbling, not really caring at the moment who they were, as she was reading a spell that was said to have trace its routes from the famous Star Swirl the Bearded.
But as the two ponies went by, something on her peripheral vision caught Twilight’s attention, as she stopped and gently lowered the book. Surprised, she slowly turned her head to see if her mind was playing tricks on her.
But with a turn of her head, she saw and learned that her peripheral vision was not lying.
Staring behind her, she gazed towards one of the ponies who passed her and felt dazed with amazement. She just couldn’t believe it.
Right there, trotting away, was a lavender colored unicorn, with a sapphire blue and dark pink mane, which was similar to her own. Giving the pony a strange look, Twilight’s eyes soon fell upon the pony’s flank, where she spotted a crude looking version of her own cutie mark. Despite some errors on the shape and color, the cutie mark still held a slight resemblance to her own, which made her confused and stunned. Having lived at Ponyville for more than a year, she had already known everypony who had lived there and she didn’t remember anypony who had a cutie mark that resembled hers.
As a matter of fact, she didn’t remember anypony who not only had a similar looking cutie mark, but also held an appearance that was similar to hers.
Sure, there were some differences, with a slightly different build and mane cut, but the fact that the pony looked almost alike to her was a stunning and shocking sight.
How could this be? What does this mean? Why was there an almost similar looking pony of her? All of these questions circled her head, as she panicked internally. Her gaze was glued towards the pony, who was trotting farther and farther away till she was lost through the distance.
But despite losing visual range, Twilight gaze continued to look afar, with her unmoving and her mind racing to seek answers.
This left Twilight standing with her face blank in the middle of the market place, with ponies passing by and giving her strange looks.
She continued to hold this statue like position till a familiar voice called to her.
“Oh, hey Twilight.” She heard somepony call, snapping her out of her trance.
Turning to see who it was, she looked in front of her to see her reliable and number one assistant, Spike.
Immediately, Twilight began to explain to him what she just saw, hoping that the young dragon would understand. But as she got a longer look at him, she began to notice that there was something odd and off with his look.
Wearing silver colored armor plating, the young dragon stood in front of her, stiff and seemingly uncomfortable. From top to bottom, Spike was plated with this armor, with a helmet protecting his head, and platting that covered the rest of his body. Brightly polished and reflecting under the sun’s gaze, the armor would have looked magnificent if it weren’t for Spike’s small and stub build. All in all, with all the metal plating, he looked like a walking can of soda, a bright and shiny can of soda.
“Uhh…Spike…” Twilight began, staring at the dragon. “…what exactly are you wearing?”
“Oh you mean this?” Spike asked, gesturing to his armor. “You like it? I just got it today, just in time too.”
“Just in time, in time for what? She asked, pondering why Spike would need to wear a costume. Especially one that looked uncomfortable and hot. “You do know that it isn’t Nightmare Night yet, right? Besides, I thought you said you were going as that sidekick from one of your comics.”
“He’s name is Hum Drum.” Spike informed her. “And no, this is not my Nightmare Night costume. Also, this isn't a costume, but a replica uniform.”
“A replica uniform?” Twilight asked staring at him and raising her eyebrows.
“Yup…” He said, giving a proud pose. “…this uniform here is a replica of the armor worn by the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Solar Guard.” He then finished it off by tapping the chest plate, giving off a solid thud.
“Okay then…” She trailed, still confused why he was wearing that. “…so why do you need that replica uniform thing?”
“Why, for today’s reenactment of course!” Spike exclaimed, pulling out a sheet of paper and holding it in front of Twilight.
Staring at the paper, she read the large bold letters written in front of it.
Letting out a frustrated groan, Bon-Bon plopped herself on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. The sound of frantic hoof steps and bumping could be heard emitting from the second floor, as her best friend and house mate, Lyra Heartstrings, rushed around, doing some ‘last minute preparations’.
“Lyra, you have been up there for at least half an hour!” Bon-Bon shouted, not really having the patience to wait anymore. “Would you just stop your fiddling and get down here!”
“Now, Bon-Bon, don’t forget what the doctor said about controlling your temper.” A voice called back from upstairs. “If you get hot headed again, you’re blood pressure will rise.”
“I wouldn’t be so cross down here if you would just stop worrying about every single minute detail and get down here!” Bon-Bon shouted.
“Alright, alright, I’m going, I’m going.” The sound of hooves trotting down the stairs echoed, bringing Bon-Bon’s towards the direction.
There, going down the stairs in a quick pace, was a lavender colored unicorn with sapphire blue and dark pink stripped mane. Staring at the pony, Bon-Bon couldn’t help but be amazed at how her friend managed to change her coat and mane color from mint green and white to the colors that were present now. It must have taken a lot of dye or some kind of special spell to be able to do that, but no matter what method she used, she did it and made it look pleasant.
She continued to admire her friend’s work when her eyes fell upon the flank to see the terribly made cutie mark that was drawn upon it.
“Is that supposed to be her cutie mark?” Bon-Bon asked, not really able to interpret what it was. “Because I’m pretty sure I can draw better than that.” Which was saying much, since an earth pony like her, who only had the use of their mouths for use, endured great difficulty on trying to draw a straight line.
Frowning, Lyra turned towards the cutie mark and sighed. “I know, it’s terrible isn’t it? I’ve been trying to work on it for that past hour, but I just can’t seem to get it right.” She then levitated an image of Princess Twilgiht’s cutie mark, from the saddle bag she wore, and presented it to her friend. “But can you blame me; this thing is a beast to copy!”
“I don’t even want to know where you got that…” Bon-Bon said, staring at the image, observing the intricate design on it.” But, yeah I can see where you’re going.”
Shaking her head, Bon-Bon returned her gaze towards her friend and saw that she looked good enough to play as a pre-princess Twilight Sparkle. Aside from the different mane cut and atrocious cutie mark drawing, she could be easily confused as the lavender pony.
“Maybe I should try and fix this…” Lyra began, starting to turn around and head back up the stairs. But knowing that it would just take up more time and accomplish nothing, Bon-Bon immediately stopped her friend before she could take another step up.
“No! That’s enough preparing. You look like her and its good enough.” She stated as she turned around to pick up a large bag.
“Besides, I don’t know why you’re fussing so much about this…” She huffed, knowing Lyra wasn’t one of those ponies who worried about looks. “…it’s only a stupid contest for a tiara.”
“It’s not just a tiara, Bon-Bon…” Lyra stated. “…but an exact replica of the Element of Magic which was used by the respective element bearer. Besides, that’s not the only thing at stake. There is also that prized book about ancient spells and rituals. It’s a rare book Bon-Bon, so rare that I doubt Princess Twilight has one. From a source I have, I heard that there is one left in existence and it’s the one that they’re going to give away to the winner, which is going to be me!”
Bon-Bon stared at her friend and saw the genuine excitement and determination that was plastered on her face.
Ever since Lyra heard about the contest and prize, she had been doing nothing but prepare herself for the day. Held as part of ‘Changeling War Reenactment’ event, the Elements of Harmony look-alike contest was a challenge given to ponies, in which they would try their best to create a look that was almost identical to any of the Element Bearers they had chosen. Since the Element Bearers were prominent participants during the short war, they were the perfect models to be chosen for the contest.
The rewards for each pony was different and respective to which pony they were trying to copy. In the case for those who were trying to play as Twilight Sparkle, the reward was a replica of the Element of Magic and the prized book.
As a unicorn who shared the same love for magic and had an almost similar build to a certain lavender unicorn. Lyra decided to join the contest and play as Twilight Sparkle, Element of magic.
“So, why do you want this book?” Bon-Bon asked, fearing the answer.
“Why, for the possibilities of course!” Lyra exclaimed, jumping in glee. “Just think about it Bon-Bon, an entire book of spells and special rituals. Maybe, just maybe, it might even contain a spell that would enable the summoning of a human! A human, Bon-Bon! I have been searching far and wide for a book like that, but so far, I have met nothing but failure. But this book might be different and I’m determined to win to see if it is.”
“I should have seen that coming.” Bon-Bon sighed, her hoof on her face. With her friend’s obsessing with these strange mythical creatures called ‘humans’ then it should have been expected that she was doing it for them.
“Hey, Bon-Bon…” Lyra said, looking at her friend. “…where’s that uniform that you bought? You know, that Solar Guard uniform thing. Shouldn’t you be wearing it already? You know the rules, anypony who isn’t in uniform or costume is not allowed to enter.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Bon-Bon said, waving it off. “But don't worry, I have it right here.” She then patted the large bag that was cradled on her back. “I decided to put on later, seeing that it’s really hot to wear. Like seriously, that thing needs a fan or something!”
“You couldn’t have went as Applejack, like I suggested, instead of wearing a cumbersome thing like that.” Lyra informed her.
“And risk the awkwardness at running into my cousin while looking like her? I don’t think so.”
Lyra thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Yeah…I guess that would be awkward. Well, anyways, that’s enough blabbering. I have a prize out there that’s waiting for me to claim it!”
With that, the young mare raced towards the door and trotted outside.
“But if we run into Princess Twilight, don't go looking at me and expecting me to explain it all to her.” Bon-Bon mumbled, as she excited the building and closed the door behind her.
“Wait; tell me again how many bits did you spend on that?” Twilight growled, staring at Spike, who could only give a sheepish reply as he tried to cower under his metal suit.
“It wasn’t my fault that it all cost a hundred fifty bits!” Spike replied, trying his best to defend himself. “Well, the armor itself only cost a hundred bits, but I still had to pay the shipping fee which added fifty more bits to the expense. Shipping stuff from Manehattan isn’t cheap you know.”
“Yes, I know.” Twilight huffed. “But if it was so expensive, then why didn’t you just ask Rarity to make you one, instead of buying one from Manehattan. She would have made you a uniform for half the price, if not lesser. Where did you even get the bits to pay for all that?”
“Twilight, Rarity is a fashion designer not a blacksmith.” Spike said, rolling her eyes. “She would never be able to make a piece of armor that is as fine as this. As for the bits…” A nervous smile soon came upon his face, as he decided to look away from her and break eye contact. “…let’s just say that I found a jar somewhere inside the castle.”
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, staring dagger at the young dragon. The frustration she was feeling right now was indescribable, as she was shocked that he would do such a thing. Huffing and trying her best to go all out with her anger, she glared at him as he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. “Those bits were reserved for a rainy day.”
“Well…uhhh…there was a light drizzle in the weather when I took the bits.” Spike said, trying to remember. “Does that count?”
Twilight planted a hoof on her face the moment she heard that, not knowing whether he was joking or completely serious with the remark. Despite the fact that Spike was a helpful dragon who was there when she needed, there were still times that she gets really angry at him because of his careless actions.
“Spike, you have no idea how frustrated and angry I am at you right now.” She said, sighing. “If we weren’t out in public right now, I would have most likely drowned you in the wave of my anger.”
“Awww…come on Twilight, don’t tell me that this armor isn’t worth the bits I spent on it? He said, desperately trying to save himself as he gestured to their surroundings. “Just look around, nopony who is going to the reenactment has armor as good as mine.”
By now, the amount of ponies who were wearing Royal Guard uniforms had increased. Passing by the town market, they made their way through town, heading towards the area of the reenactment as they wore their uniforms proudly. Wearing different types of armor, from golden plates to silver, all of them worn by ponies who wanted to attend the event.
There were many good looking pieces that shone under the sun and there were bad ones that were rusty and bent. Some sported homemade plates of armor, while other wore fine and expensive ones that were bought from afar. And although it could be said that Spike’s armor is one of the best looking ones, it surely wasn’t the best of the best.
Glancing around before bringing her attention back to Spike, she was about to tell him that having one of the best set of armor wasn’t a valid excuse to use their rainy day funds. But before she could say a word, a certain pink pony bounced towards them, giving them both a warm and cheerful greeting.
“Hi, Twilight. Hey, Spike.” Pinkie said in her ever cheerful tone, as she stopped in front of them. “Nice armor by the way, it’s so shiny.” She then began looking down towards him, as she used his shiny helmet to play a game of silly faces with against her own reflection.
“Hi, Pinkie.” Twilight replied, trying her best to dissipate the anger she had built up earlier. Looking towards her friend, she noted the saddlebag she was carrying and grew curious towards it.
“Hey, uh, what’s with the saddle bag? Planning to go somewhere?” She asked.
“Oh, this.” She said, turning her attention from the helmet. “Yeah, I’m planning to bring some treats to today’s Changeling War reenactment. I decided to bring some cupcakes and muffins for everypony, because no event would be complete without sweets.” She said, with a genuine smile on her face.
“Wait, but if you’re planning to go to the reenactment, then where is your uniform? You know that they won’t allow anypony enter without a uniform or costume.” Spike informed her.
“Oh, don’t be silly Spike, I do have a costume.” She said bouncing up and down. “Can’t you see, I’m playing as myself!”
“Wait, you’re playing as yourself?” Spike said, raising his eyebrows.
“Yup!” She chirped. “Why should I bother buying a costume, if I can just play myself? With that, I can not only enter the event without wasting money on a costume, but I can also enter the look-alike contest and win the award. I heard that the best Pinkie Pie look-alike would win a cake and I’m determined to be that winner.”
“But isn’t that technically cheating?” Spike asked.
“Of course not.” She said, pulling out a flyer from her saddlebag. “The rules never said anything against it, so I think I should be fine.” She then threw away the paper and started bouncing up and down once more. “Now, if you two excuse me, I have to go and register. See you later!”
With that, the pink pony bounced away, heading towards the same direction the uniformed ponies were heading.
Picking up the flyer that Pinkie tossed away, Twilight levitated it in front of her and read the text.
‘Elements of Harmony Look-alike Contest’ it read in capital letters. Reading the flyer, she learned that it was just like any look-alike contest ever made. The only thing that seemed interesting was the fact that the ponies who would join were going to try their best to look like her and her friends. At least that explains why she ran into a Twilight Sparkle look-alike.
Continuing her scan, she found nothing else interesting about the flyer until her eyes fell upon the awards that were listed for each pony look-alike. Once she glanced over it, she found it impossible to move her eyes away as she was shocked and amazed at what she saw. She read it over and over again, mentally at first, but verbally later on. Reading it out loud, she made sure that she was not dreaming as she found it too good to be through.
“The award for the best Twilight Sparkle look-alike would be the rare and one of a kind Book of Arcane Magic: Spells and Rituals!”
Eyes widening, she stared at it and couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When her brain finally processed what it mean, she threw away the flyer and snapped her head towards the young dragon with her.
“Spike, I need to join this contest!” She told him.
“Huh, wait, you want to join the contest?” He asked, confused at her sudden enthusiasm. “But why?”
“Because I need that book!” She told him. “It’s says it the only one in Equestria and if that is so, then shouldn't I, the Element of Magic, have it?”
“Well, I guess that makes sense.” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. He found it surprising that Pinkie had somehow unintentionally influenced Twilight to joining the contest. “But what makes you think that you’ll win.”
“Because I’m Twilight Sparkle.” She said, putting a hoof on her chest in a pose. “Who better to play me than myself?”
Blunt blades, flags, music, uniformed ponies, and many more, these were the things Twilight saw as she and Spike arrive at the sight of the event, bombarding her with the mood of the activities. Filled with re-enactors from all over Equestria, the ponies who were there came so that they relive history or watch it unfold in front of them.
With tents surrounding the entire event area, the place was basically another community that was located right next to the town. Designed so that they could replicate a camp during the Changeling War, the event managers did their best so that the ponies who were there could be immersed with the environment that they were trying to replicate.
“So this is it?” Twilight asked, amazed at how intricate the entire set up was. With camp music and realistic uniforms, it really felt like they were in an army camp posted in the Badlands.
“Yup!” Spike said, nodding as the made their way. “Isn’t it cool? The best part of this all is we get free food!” The smell of food being cooked by the camp fires were flowing through the air and entering his nostrils, exciting him for the buffet to come.
“Hey, Spike, is that Big Mac?” Twilight asked, with a curious look on her face, as she glanced towards a familiar looking farm pony.
Turning his glance towards the direction Twilight pointed, Spike saw the large pony and smiled.
“Hey it is him.” He said before calling the farm pony’s attention. “Hey Big Mac, over here!”
“Me and Big Mac are in the same reenactment community…” He explained to Twilight. “…in fact, he was the one who suggested I get this type of armor.”
“So I guess I should be thanking him for all those bits that you wasted.” Twilight muttered as she shook her head.
“Hey there, Spike.” Big Mac greeted with his deep voice. He then turned towards Twilight and gave a short bow. “Hello, Princess. That’s one fine costume you got there.”
“Uhhh…your costume is quite nice too, Big Mac.” Twilight just gave a small awkward smile, as she stared at the big stallion and saw the intriguing uniform he was waering. Despite wearing the same bulky set of armor like most of the ponies were wearing, Big Mac also sported a piece of clothing that looked very similar to that off a skirt. Looking at it, she gave him a weird glance, unsure why a though looking pony like him would be wearing a skirt.
“Hey, nice kilt you got there.” Spike said, pointing towards the skirt that Twilight was glancing at. “Good material too.”
“Kilt?” Twilight questioned.
“Eyup.” Big Mac said, nodding.
“Yeah, Twilight, a kilt.” Spike said. “You know, the ones worn by Royal Griffon Legion? These things helped them fight battles, due to the fact that it was easier to kick an enemy behind you wearing a kilt, rather than wearing a heavy flank guard.”
Twilight stared at him, completely clueless at what he was talking about. Despite knowing the events that happened during that Changeling War, Twilight was no expert to every single everything about the war. All she knew about the war was that there were two phases, the invasion phase, where Queen Chrysalis tried to invade Canterlot, and the mop-up, where the Equestrian Army was mobilized to sweep the Bad Lands for the remaining Changeling forces that were flung there. Aside from that small details like what the Griffon soldiers of Equestria were completely unknown to her.
“I’m sorry, Spike, but not all of us are experts on these things.” She told him.
“Then why did you go here if you lack the knowledge?” Spike asked, forgetting the reason.
“The contest…remember?” She said, trying to remind him.
“Oh yeah, that.”
“You mean the look-alike contest?” Big Mac inquired.
“Yeah, that one.” Twilight said, nodding.
“Well, the managers of that contest are taking applications over there.” He said, pointing towards the general direction of the area where the contest would be held.
Twilight looked towards the direction and saw a small stage with ponies gathered below it. Smiling, she looked back towards the two.
“Well, I have a contest to register for.” Looking towards Spike. “I’ll meet you back at the entrance by sundown, bye.”
“A commendable costume of my sister, if I don’t say so myself. But if I may make a suggestion, Celestia has white fur, not lavender.”
Only seconds after leaving Big Macintosh and Spike, Twilight now found herself in new company, in the form of her friend Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna, who she ran into as she was trotting towards the registration area.
Twilight was actually surprised to see the two of them there, more so for Rainbow Dash, as she had never shown any love for history, no matter how recent it may be. But after a quick scan and seeing that the young pegasus was wearing a Wonderbolts uniform, she quickly understood why. She would gladly take any excuse to wear the Wonderbolts uniform, even if it meant going to an event like this.
Luna on the other hoof was a completely different story, as Twilight had a difficult time interpreting the costume the Princess of the Night was wearing.
With badly colored cardboard wings, stuck to her own wings, and a mishmash of black paint that made her look like an innocent pony caught in the crossfire of a paintball fight, Luna looked like she needed a little more money to make her costume work. If not for the fact that Luna had turned her mane and tail from blue to teal and that this was a Changeling War Reenactment, Twilight would have never guess that she was supposed to be Queen Chrysalis.
“Wait…” Twilight said, thinking about Luna’s remark. “…I’m not dressed as Princess Celestia. What would make you think I’m playing as her?” Luna shrugged as she gave an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I just thought that with you formerly being her faithful students, I just assumed that you would be playing as her during today’s event.”
“Umm…alright…” Twilight said, accepting the answer. But deep inside, she was eluded by the fact that Luna managed to confuse her to be playing as Celestia.
“So….uhh…Luna, what brings you here?” Twilight asked, wanting to move forward towards another topic.
“Why to enjoy the festivities of course.” She said, with glee in her voice. “We may have missed the first invasion by the Changeling, but we will not miss its reenactment. So excited was I, that I even made my own costume of the Changeling Queen. A beautiful job, don’t you think?” She said, taking a pose to display her costume.
“Uhhh…” Twilight trailed, not sure if she should be honest or not. “…yeah….it’s…umm…amazing, Luna.”
Smiling, Luna gave a confident nod as she commended herself for her achievement.
“So, Twi, how about you, what brings you here?” Rainbow Dash said, glancing at her friend.
“Oh, well, I’m here to join the contest.” She said, pointing towards the nearby registration area.
“Cool. I heard the prizes there are awesome. I would have joined in as myself, but the only prize I would have gotten would have been a Daring Do book that I already have. So I decided to skip that contest and dress up as a Wonderbolt instead.” Rainbow Dash said with a smile, proudly showing her costume.
“So..uhh…who are you going as?” She asked, looking at Twilight was a baffled expression on her face.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Twilight asked. “I’m going as me.”
“Oh, really?” Rainbow Dash asked, clearly surprised by this revelation.
“Yes…” Twilight said. “…and I’m determined to win it.”
“Huh…” Rainbow Dash said. “…well, good luck, because you’ll be needing it.”
Having left Twilight and making their way through the camp, Spike and Big Mac passed through the crowds of finely dressed and uniformed ponies who enjoyed the day. Blending in with the mixture of ponies, they passed through the paths; complimenting others and being bombarded with complimented themselves.
Spike, proud of his expensive suit of armor, stood tall as he could he wobbled in his stiff suit. Despite the memory of Twilight’s earlier scolding still fresh in his memories, Spike was sure that all the bits spent were totally worth the cost. Surely the amount of compliments that were being given was a great compensation for the hundred and fifty bits he spent?
Passing through the camp, they saw the dozens of camps that littered their path. From vendors who sold replica armor to those who sold memorabilia of the war, the vendor tents were packed with anything that had to do with the Changeling War.
Stopping by one of the tents, Spike couldn’t help but drool over a certain sword that was presented to him. Shining brightly and looking sharp, despite its now blunt edges, the swords was complimented and designed with a finely crafted crystal handle, which attracted the young dragon’s attention.
Said to be the actual sword wielded by an officer who served in the 1st Crystal Empire Regiment, the sword was a valuable piece, with history that placed it in many of the War’s important battles. But despite its interesting background and fascinating stories behind it, Spike could not care less to any of them, for he was more interested at the jewels that decorated it.
Just by looking at it, Spike knew that the handle had a delicious combination of crystals, as he couldn’t stop his mouth watering from the thought of its flavors. From red, blue, and white, the crystals christened the handle and called to him, as he started at it like a predator stalking its prey.
Spike felt the need to buy it, and he almost did, if it weren’t for Big Mac, who quickly pulled the young dragon away from the vendor’s booth. Costing over two hundred bits, Spike did not have enough money to buy the sword. Knowing Spike, he would probably do something foolish or trade something important just to get what he wanted, so it was best to separate the dragon as soon as possible, before he got any ideas.
“Now Spike, from what you told me, Princess Twilight is already sore at you for spending her money and I don’t think you want to anger her any more than that’s needed…” Big Mac said, as he pulled the dragon away. “….besides, it would be a waste if that swords fell under your claws, cause you’ll just end up eating it.”
Seeing no problem with the logic and disappointed at the fact that he couldn’t get the sword, Spike tried his best to move along, giving one last glance to the delicious crystal handled sword.
Reaching the center of the camp, where various displays of weaponry were placed all over, the two moved towards a large and eye catching piece of war that seemed to attract the attention of most ponies there.
Made out of bronze and placed on top of a finely crafted wooden carriage, the weapon displayed was a large bore canon that was used during the Changeling War. The piece was large and bulky, so much that it made Big Mac look like a dwarf under its presence.
Brought out from Canterlot by the Royal Guard, the canon was said to be a veteran of many battles during the Changeling War, a true weapon that has seen combat. Graciously given by Princess Luna, as her contribution for the event, the canon stood proudly, attracting the attention of those who see it.
Looking up at it, Spike gazed at the weapon with great awe, as this powerful piece of warfare fought in the many battles he has read about. Similar to Pinkie’s party canon, the battle canon was a piece that was far larger and deadlier than the innocent version.
Capable of logging cast iron projectiles to great distances, the canon had brought fear and destruction to the enemy. It was no wonder that the Changelings were defeated only months after their invasion, as a weapon like this, fielded in battle, was a weapon that even a swarm of bugs could not defeat, especially when it switched to canister shot.
Reading the plaque that was attached to the carriage, Spike saw the battles that this canon took part in, from the opening shots at the outskirts of Appleloosa to the major engagement at Bedrock Plateau. Scrolling to the names of the battles, there was one battle that caught the dragon’s eye, as he brought all his attention to it, the battle of Red Sand Fields. The day when the Changelings just disappeared.
The battle, which took place in the last months of the war, was the last known engagement of the conflict. The Changelings were outfought and outgunned; their forces were on the verge of total annihilation. Surrounded and with no place to go, the Equestrian forces sent a demand of for their surrender, but no reply came. After two hours of waiting, the Equestrian canons were ordered to pound them to bits, while the troops were ordered to wait for the signal of advance, so that they could mop up the remains.
Yet, when the bombardment ceased and the forces advanced, they found no bodies and no remnants of the Changelings. It was as if they just disappeared. Weeks of searches proved fruitless and they soon gave up.
After the searched was stopped and no trace of the Changelings found, Equestria declared a victory over the Changelings, as the enemy faced no more threat to the nation.
But for some reason, despite the security the nation assured them, Spike couldn’t help but feel that the Changeling were still there, lying and waiting.
A pair of green eyes glowed within the thick forest, as Queen Chrysalis wore a sinister smile on her face. With wings twitching in glee, bussing in excitement, and body ready for a fight, the Changeling faced her drones, who waited for the command of their Queen.
Despite the fact that their numbers were thinned down, during the disastrous war against the ponies, Chrysalis was certain that this new plan of hers would work, as she had a sufficient number of drones with her to create a victorious day for her hive. With at least three dozen drones with her, she calculated that this force, no matter how small, could mount a quick strike upon the nearby village, enabling them to replenish in their supply of love and strengthen themselves, before retreating and hiding once more.
She knew that she didn’t have enough Changelings to start a new war against her enemy, but if she did quick strikes, raiding small places before falling back, then by the end of the year she would be able to grow a force that could once more bring fear to her enemy’s.
But before all of that, she must test if her ambitious plan would work. So she brought her Changelings here, to Ponyville, where she could try out her plan and filter out the possible mistakes that could occur.
Despite being the home of the newest Princess of Equestria, Chrysalis was determined to gain success here, as there were no members of the Royal Guard posted in this area. Even with a Princess in the vicinity, the only real threats to Changelings were the fierce fighters of the Guard. The Guard nearly destroyed her hive in the war and she was determined to avoid them as much as possible. But luckily for her, her scouts have reported that there was no Guard post in Ponyville.
With no Guards in the town, then they had fewer things to worry and cower about. With that fact known, she predicted that she could be able to mount the raid, get as much love as they can, before needing to pull out of the town.
Turning her gaze towards the eager, yet tired, Changelings who have gathered around her, she saw that they were ready and were just as determined as her, despite their weak state.
Having just arrived at the forest that was on the outskirts of the town, the Changelings were hungry and wanted to feed on love. Having deprived of their source of nourishment for weeks on end, her Changelings could barely fly to the designated zone, let alone transform and change to their disguises.
She herself had lost the ability to change form, as the teleportation spell she cast upon all of them to escape annihilation had taken all of the energy that was left within her. Weak and hungry, the Changelings were at risk of just disappearing and dying from starvation.
But with the new plan in hoof, Chrysalis was determined to bring nourishment back to her drones, as they would suck up as much love as they can during the raid. Gathered all around her and waiting for her order, the Changelings were ready to attack.
Seeing that her force was ready, she moved her gaze and brought her attention towards the town, their target. Moving towards the bushes and peeking out, she looked across the field to see their objective.
But instead of the town and its wooden structures alone, her eyes also fell to an odd set of tents that she saw, which were separating her and the town. The tents formed a wall of canvas between her and the town, as she found it odd and strange as to why they were there. Her scouts never told her that there was a camping sight here, so it must have meant that those tents have been recently pitched.
Staring at it for a good while, she shook her head in disbelief.
She didn’t know what these tents were and thanks to its wall of canvas, she could not see through it. The sounds of ponies were evident and loud, but on what the ponies were doing, she didn’t know. If she was to figure out what was behind them, then she would have to go up close. But with no energy to create a disguise, it would have been impossible to just walk up there and spy on them. No, she would need to sneak in and keep to the shadows.
Normally, this task would have been given to one of her drones. But seeing that they already have done much for her, she would have felt ashamed if she asked for them to do more. They had risked their lives for her, every single one of them, and now, the remaining drones were here, standing beside her.
Now it was time for her to repay their duty by doing a simple yet important task for them. So instead, she viewed it as her task to do the scouting, to scout and do her duty to make sure that the path she led them was clear for her Changelings. Like what she did in Canterlot, she would go ahead of the main force, making sure that it was safe for them,
Turning her head and looking back towards her drones, she saw the loyalty in their eyes and she couldn’t help but be proud of them.
“Stay here…” She ordered them. “…I’ll be back in a while. For its time for your Queen to do a little scouting of her own.”
Reaching a tent and hiding behind it, Chrysalis found her journey towards it unmolested. With nopony noticing her, the journey towards the cluster of tents proved to be an easier task than she thought. In fact, it seemed a little too, leaving her to grow suspicious as to why that was so.
As she took cover behind the tent, the sound of buzzing activities on the other side reached her. Although she couldn’t see what was going on, from the amount of sound she was hearing, she could tell that there were a lot of ponies on the other side. It was as if somepony relocated the town center to this group of tents and decided to throw a party.
Moving off to the side, the Changeling Queen decided to risk more of her luck by leaning over and taking a peak on the activities on the other side. Gazing towards her front, she saw a flurry of activity inside the place which she presumed was a camp.
What she saw was something she didn’t quite expect, as she was confused to what it was.
In the camp, were dozens upon dozens of ponies, gathered around and enjoying some kind of festivity that she didn’t know about. They trotted around with happy faces, as some gathered in one corner to chat with one another. It was like a fair, where ponies gathered and enjoyed the day.
Thinking about it, Chrysalis concluded that the small festive fair didn’t seem to cause any problems to her plan. In fact, it might actually prove to be a helpful thing for her and her Changelings.
With her first scan of the camp, it seemed that a large portion of the town was inside this makeshift camp. This meant that it would actually be easier for her and her Changelings to collect victims, as they were gathered in one area, instead of a town where ponies can find refuge and hid inside the attics of houses. Here, the only refuge the ponies could find where flimsy tents that brought little to no protection.
Thinking the plan over, she nodded to herself as a grin formed on her face. Yes, she thought, a perfect area to round this little ponies and collect their love. All they had to do is surround them then tighten the noose.
Since crossing the small field proved to be an easy to her, with the clueless ponies too busy with their activities to not notice her, then a couple dozen Changelings sneaking through the field in intervals might prove to be an easier task than most would think.
But as she rearranged her plan, to fit the new strategy she had wanted to apply, a small sparkle caught her eyes, causing her to squint towards it. It was a quick flash that caught her eyes, but she only had a vague image as to what it was.
Hoping to get a better view by moving up, she moved away from her position towards a stock of crates that was pilled between two tents. Studying it as a suitable place to take cover, she nodded as she saw that the crates were piled high enough to shroud her from sight.
Moving up towards it, she lifted her head to look out towards the earlier direction that had caught her attention.
Now with a better position, she had a clear view of what it was. But as she looked towards it, she began to stand stiff as she felt her heart sink. What she saw was something she didn’t like.
With wide eyes, she looked towards a parade that was marching by, but it wasn’t just any ordinary parade, for the ponies who marched by wore bright golden armor that reflected the sun’s light, making them shine as they moved up.
Making their way through a make shift path within the camp, the line of armored ponies marched to the beat of the drums, as they were led by their magnificent colors, which moved like silk in the air. The clanking of metal mixed with the music and the sound of hooves on the ground, creating a sound that Chrysalis was very familiar with.
The Royal Guard!
There was no doubt about that, those ponies there were the Royal Guard. With their vibrant uniforms and strong armor, Chrysalis knew that these were the ponies they had fought time and time against during the past war.
Continuing he gaze towards them, she noticed that the line of marching Guards were about to pass in front of her small barricade of crates. Acting quickly, she immediately hid behind the boxes, as she felt the ground beneath her shake as they passed near her.
Her mind screamed at the thought of them being here, as she found it difficult to believe. They weren’t supposed to know of their presence here, yet the Royal Guard was here, seemingly prepared to wage was once more. They must have also arrived here recently, for her scouts didn’t see them in their earlier mission.
Somehow, the ponies must have tracked their movements and called the Guard to protect themselves against them. Now it made sense on why there was a camp her and why there were so much ponies gathered. They must be throwing a party to celebrate before the battle. Gathering the local ponies, they invited them to celebrate for a last feast before the confrontation.
With their presence in Ponyville, her plan was totally ruined. Now, her only goal was to escape, to get out and lead her Changelings away from possible distraction.
She needed to get back and inform her Changelings. She must sneak away and get her hive away from this place before it was too late. Once the line passed, she would make her move. She would race back to them and get them out.
So she waited for them to pass by.
When she felt the beat of the hooves lessens and hearing the sound of the drums fading, she knew that it was the perfect time to make her get away.
She was prepared to make her move and race back towards the forest when suddenly, as she stood up, she felt a hoof grab her by the neck and hold her still where she stood. Whether the pony behind the hoof was strong or that she was too weak to escape, she didn’t care, for she now knew that she was caught.
Feeling a sense of dread overtake her, she brought more worry towards her Changelings then towards herself. With nopony to warn them, then her Changelings were left vulnerable towards the trap. They could get slaughtered in the upcoming battle and it would be her fault, her failure to warn them.
Annoyed at herself, she also felt great anger to the pony who caught her, If this pony didn’t notice her, then she could right now be with her Changelings, making their escape.
Slowly turning her head, she made an effort to see her captor, wanting to confront him or her.
But as she turned to face the pony, she began to feel her anger bring swept away and replaced by fear, as she met the pair of glowing teal orbs that were staring at her with all the anger that could be found in Equestria.
Right there, holding her in place, was Princess Luna, co ruler of Equestria and the Guardian of the Night. Staring at the alicorn in front of her, Chrysalis’s eyes wondered towards the odd and weird paint and cardboard wings that she displayed. With all those accessories, Princess Luna looked more of a fool than a menacing captor. She found it as an interesting and slightly funny sight, as the Changeling Queen tried to prevent a stifle of laughter from emerging, knowing that insulting her captor would do her no good.
“So…” Luna began, anger clear in her voice as she continued to glare at her with her cold stare. “…you think you can hide from me? You also probably think that you have a better costume than me, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?” Chrysalis asked with confusion, as she stared at the alicorn with a lost expression on her face.
Chrysalis expected the anger in the greeting, but what she didn’t expect was the context of the sentence. She didn’t understand what it meant and was totally baffled by the meaning. What did she mean by, ‘better costume’?
“Oh, don’t play games with me.” Luna said, as she gave a powerful tug, bringing Chrysalis up to eye level. “You and I both know what I mean. Obviously you came here to challenge my position as the reenactment’s Changeling Queen. Look around you…” She said, as she waved her free hoof towards the center of the camp. “…there is no other pony dressed as the Changeling Queen. It’s only you and me. But guess what, there can only be one!” She said slamming the hood on the ground, huffing with anger as she considered her as a threat to her role in today’s reenactment. “So, I’ll cut you a deal, either you change your costume or challenge me for the position.”
“B…but…but…” Chrysalis stammered, not knowing how to respond to all of this. The crazy pony in front of her wasn’t making any sense. “I can’t just change from…well from this!”
Gritting her teeth, she shook her head. “So, you want to do it the hard way then, very well.”
With her great strength and Chrysalis’s weak state, Luna managed to pull the changeling out of her cover and drag her away from there. Feeling the dirt scrape against her skin, Chrysalis groaned in pain, helpless to change anything about her current situation.
“W…where are you taking me?” Chrysalis managed to say, as she tried to get up, only to fail as she was dragged across the camp.
“To the stall that sells cider, hard cider.” Luna responded. “You dare challenge me for my title, so I shall honor this challenge with a proper contest, a drinking contest, just like in the old days. This will be a fight for honor and rights. A fight that will decide who which one of us has the rightful title as Queen of the Changelings!”
The sound of armor clanking echoed throughout the camp, as a column of re-enactors passed through the lane, moving through the crowds as they paraded themselves in front of them. Passing by the stage, the column caught the attention of anypony who saw them, attracting the attention admiring ponies, as the re-enactors looked like real life members of the Royal Guard.
Twilight watched as the parade passed by in front of her, showing off their bright armor and accessories as they made their way. Marching to the beat of the band’s drums and humming to the sweet tunes, column went by in front of her, with their colors leading, while the ponies followed in rhythmic march, one hoof step at a time.
Keeping her eyes on the armored ponies as they passed by, she had to admit that despite the fact that they were just pretending to be members of the Royal Guard, the re-enactors looked really realistic and life like, they could have easily fooled anypony who wasn’t aware of today’s festivities.
Turning her attention away from the line of marching ponies, she turned her eyes and moved her eyes towards the stage.
There, placed on a table with the other prizes was the Book of Arcane Magic: Spells and Rituals, the prize that she had set her eyes on.
Standing here and looking at it, she could feel the book drawing her to take it, wanting her to read every word on its ancient pages. She could already imagine the spells and secrets hidden within, as well as imagining herself study them and find a way to cast them.
If she could, she would have made her way to the officials and demand the book itself. And if they didn’t agree to it, she would have taken in a galloped away.
But she didn’t, because she knew that she was a princess now, and princesses had to set examples. If a princess like her just stole a book, because she didn’t want to go through a competition, then it would teach the wrong lesson to ponies everywhere.
So she must win it fair and square, which she believed was an easy task.
“Oh, they’re starting! They’re starting!” The pony to beside her said, and Twilight’s gaze moved away from the book and towards the far end of the line she was on.
Looking towards the direction, she saw the three judges of the competition move up to the first pony who signed up for the look-alike contest of Twilight Sparkle. Despite the distance of the end from her, she was still able to hear the voice of the first contender, as the judges filled up in front of her.
“Be amazed at the sight of the great and powerful Tri…I mean…Twilight Sparkle!” The voice said in a boastful and confident tone, while a puff of smoke appeared and rose to the sky.
Hearing the familiar voice, Twilight tried to get a better look of the first contestant and as she did, she finally began to realize why the voice sounded so familiar.
With splatters of purple paint on her fur and a card board cut out of the tiara of the Element of Magic, which had gold paint sprayed on it, Trixie Lulamoon, self-proclaimed greatest unicorn in Equestria, stood in front of the judges, boasting the she was the only pony in the competition who managed to copy Twilight in every bit of detail.
Normally, conversations from such a distance would be impossible to hear. But with Trixie’s loud booming and arrogant voice, anything she said seemed to be amplified, as if she was using the Royal Canterlot voice.
Twilight actually found it quite funny that Trixie would actually attend such a competition, as it meant that she would have to make herself look like the pony she despised the most. Maybe this was a sign that she wasn’t jealous at her anymore?
Listening to Trixie’s explanations on why her form was spot on, Twilight couldn’t help but shake her head at how wrong she was.
Despite the distance, she could tell that the shade of paint on Trixie’s fur was too dark. Glancing towards her own coat before turning her attention towards Trixie, Twilight knew that there was no chance that Trixie would be able to convince the judges that she managed to look just like her.
The judges most likely had a reference picture and once they saw the difference of color, they would probably strike out a point. Maybe Trixie was boasting so that the error would go unnoticed? What if she succeeded into talking the judges and convincing them the she in fact was the one who had the best look?
The thoughts rambled in her head, making her heart beat faster in panic. All this possibilities and with no chance of her altering it.
She suddenly remembered Rainbow Dash’s apprehensive look when she learned that she was participating in this contest. Was she trying to tell her something? Was that a sign that she would lose?
Her mind soon wondered towards the chances of Trixie winning and gaining the book, as well of the possible effects of that event. Images of the last confrontation between the two flashed before her eyes, as she feared the worst.
But when she saw the judges move away from Trixie and towards the next contestant, Twilight shook her head.
‘You’re Twilight Sparkle!”’ She told herself. ‘There is nopony out there who can claim that she is you! You are the only pony who can be Twilight Sparkle and there is nopony out there that can defeat you! You can win this and receive that book!’
“Yeah, well, not in that costume.” A voice said to her. Twilight’s eyes went wide, when she suddenly realized that she was saying all of it out loud, for everypony to hear.
“Excuse me?” Twilight said, turning towards the pony who contradicted her.
Staring at the pony, she saw a decent looking Twilight look-alike, with a terrible recreation of her cutie mark. But besides the cutie mark, the pony seemed to have copied everything right, it was as if Twilight was looking at a mirror that displayed her old unicorn self.
“The wings…” She said, pointing her hoof towards her sides. “…your wings are ruining the look you have right now. If you ask me, you look like a perfect copy of Twilight Sparkle, except for the fact that you put on wings.”
“Huh?” Twilight asked, still a little confused.
The pony rolled her eyes before shaking her head. “It’s a Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, look-alike contest. Not a Princess Twilight Sparkle look-alike contest.”
When Twilight heard that, she felt her body go stiff and eyes go wide in realization. How could she have been foolish? Why didn’t she realize it sooner? Was she so ignorant that she had managed to miss the simple fact?
Her wings, of course her wings!
The judges would surely notice and realize that she doesn’t look anywhere near the reference pictures they have brought. Since this was a look-alike contest for the Element of Magic, then the references would surely be pictures of her as a unicorn, not an alicorn.
What was she to do now? There was no way for her to be able to remove the wings, except for cutting them off, which was not an option that she would want. A spell would have helped, but as far as she knew, there wasn’t any spell that could hide her wings.
So was she doomed to lose the contest, as well as the precious book? Her panic mode had returned once more as things seemed hopeless. The possibility of her loosing now seemed more logical than her first worries, as her mind told her to just leave and spare herself from further embarrassment.
But her panicked thoughts were soon cut off, when the hoof of the pony who was talking to her waved in front, attracting her attention.
“Hey, are you alright?” She asked, a little worried. “Do you need somepony to help you or something?”
Somepony to help…
“That’s it!” Twilight cried out, as an idea popped into her head.
She needed somepony to help her, help her win.
She may not be able to win the contest herself, but she could still ask a friend to do it for her, to take her place and possibly win.
But who would she ask in such a short notice? Most of the ponies she knew would have most likely joined this contest or other contest just like it. And she doubted that anypony she knew who joined this exact contest would be willing to just give away the prize they worked hard for. So who would be generous enough to accept the offer of dressing up as her and compete in a contest?
A smile soon formed on her face as the options narrowed down to pony.
Taking a glance towards her number, she tried to calculate if he had enough time to conduct the makeshift plan she had laid out. ‘42’ Her number read. With a quick glance towards the judges, she saw that they were currently with the third contestant. She had a perfect amount of time.
So in a quick flash of bright light, Twilight was gone. Having teleported away from the competition and towards the pony who would hopefully offer her some help.
As she was dragged on the ground by the Princess of the Night, Queen Chrysalis, found herself in a tour of the camp, getting to see this vast complex that threatened her plans.
From what she observed from the ground, she was able to see that this was a well-armed and sizable force, with hundreds of ponies, armor, and weapons that she was all too familiar with. She remembered seeing them before during their fight in the badlands and she still shivered in fear at the sight of some of them.
All she wanted to do was to warn her drones, to tell them to get away. But any hope of that was impossible, as she was too weak to escape the grasp of her enemy. She looked on in dismay, as she was dragged and displayed upon the ponies who she once threatened in her first and failed invasion.
Passing by the ponies, she noticed them giving her glances, as they all stared at her and her captor. No doubt that they were joyful at the fact the she was captured, as she was now the victim of Princess Luna who, she assumed, was the leader of this force.
Suddenly, the dragging stopped and she soon felt herself being lifted up from the ground.
With a swift and rough toss, Chrysalis was plopped onto the chair and forced to stay on it. Groaning in pain, she felt the great and sudden after effects of being slammed on top of a seat by a deranged alicorn princess.
Rubbing the back of her neck, she closed her eyes and tried her best to remove the pain. Having just been dragged across the camp, under a firm and painful grip, Chrysalis’s neck felt sore, while her entire body felt tired and stiff, due to both the dragging and lack of nutrition.
Slowly opening her eyes and looking around her, she found herself sitting in front of a make shift tent, where a group of wooden boxes were placed one next to the other to form a long table. Behind the table, was an orange earth pony who was cleaning a glass mug as she gave the two strange looks, as his gaze shifted to her and to the lunar princess who brought her here.
Piled behind the pony were rows and rows of bottles, filled with contents the Changeling Queen was well aware off, alcohol.
Finally composing herself and training her eyes trained on Luna, her face turned into a smile, as if she finally recognized who it was.
“Well, howdy there, Princess Luna, how can I help you on this fine day?” She asked in a cheerful tone.
“Why, fair Applejack, you can help me and my friend over here…” She said, roughly patting Chrysalis on her back. “…by serving us some drinks.
Because you see, the two of us ran into a disagreement and we would like to settle it the old fashion way, with a Royal Drinking Contest.”
“A drinking contest you say?” Applejack said, a grin plastered on her face. Turning around, she used her hoof to pick a certain bottle before presenting it to the two.
“Well, may I suggest this drink over here?” She said, placing the bottle on top of the long table. “This is one of the finest and strongest drinks I have and the perfect one for a drinking competition. I call this one, the Buck Cider. You know why?”
“Because whenever two ponies drink it, they find themselves under the sheets of the same bed?” Luna guessed.
“Ummm….uhhh….well, no…well, it only happened a couple of times…” Applejack said, blushing lightly as some thoughts entered her mind.
Shaking her head to remove any other thoughts, she returned her attention towards the cider.
“You see, I call this thing right here the Buck Cider, because once you get one swig, you’ll feel like you’ve been buck right on the face.”
“Oh, I see, very good, very good indeed.” Luna said, nodding her head in glee as she now understood the drink’s label. “That would do as very well.”
“I’m glad that you agree, Princess.” Applejack said, pouring one mug and putting in in front of Luna before pouring another one for Chrysalis.
Looking at the drink in front of her, Chrysalis could smell the heavy and strong scent of the drink, as it entered her nostrils. So far, she could tell that the drink was living up to its name, as the smell alone felt like a buck to the face.
“Alright, you…” Luna said, pointing a hoof at Chrysalis and poking her. “…we’re going to use the usually rules, no pausing that is longer than five seconds, no spitting, and no regurgitation. The last one sitting up straight wins, you got that?”
Chrysalis gravely nodded, knowing all too well that she would at least do one of those things.
She didn’t know when was the last time she ever drank anything as strong as this, but she did know that something this strong would mostly likely bring shock to her body. And from the description she was given, this thing would surely buck her in the head.
“Well…” Luna said, as she drank her mug in one big swig, some of the fluids spilling on the side. “…what are you waiting for? Drink up.” She said, as Applejack poured more of the drink into Luna’s mug.
Contemplating her options, Chrysalis tried to think of the possibility of running away. But being too tired, she knew that she wouldn’t get far, as the alicorn beside her would just pull her back with her magic. The only option now was to try her best and stay sober from the contest.
Giving the mug in front of her one last weary look, before slowly lifting it up towards her mouth. Angling the cup so that its contents moved towards her lips, she began to taste the sweet cider on the tip of her tongue.
Closing her eyes, she tilted the cup to a greater angle and soon, the hard cider was pouring down her throat.
The next thing she knew, everything turned dark, as a loud thud hit the long table, while a knocked out Chrysalis lay on top of it, cup toppled and spilling out its contents.
“Hmmm…” Luna said, holding her mug. “….I guess I win.”
Shrugging, she drank the rest of the cup’s contents before looking towards Applejack. “Charge this on my sister’s card.”
“Twilight…” Rarity whined as she looked down at her now lavender coated fur. “…I look ridiculous with this color. Lavender is no color for a unicorn!”
“Hey, what does that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked, clearly offended by her friend’s remark. “You do remember that I used to be a unicorn too, with ‘lavender’ fur.” She said, emphasizing the last part.
“Well yeah…” Rarity admitted with a sight. “But it’s not like I was going to offend Princess Celestia’s personal student and my friend back then. Besides, you’re an alicorn now and lavender totally suits alicorns better.” She added, with a sheepish smile.
“Right….” Twilight said, shrugging it off, as she knew that there were more important things to talk about. “So, you remember the plan right?”
“Of course I do.” Rarity said. “I dress up as you, pretend to be you, and win this silly book for you.”
“Hey! That book is not silly.” Twilight told her.
“Whatever you say, Twilight…” Rarity said, rolling her eyes.
Sighing, Twilight shook her head and mentally shoved aside the argument so that she could focus on the important task of making sure that everything was ready and perfect.
Examining her friend and scanning her from head to hoof, Twilight made sure that every detail, even to most minute one, like the last hair on her fur, was exactly the same as hers. Seeing that the fur color on her friend was on satisfactory term, she made a mental note to herself before moving to the next part of her inspection.
Fur, check.
Bringing her attention towards Rarity’s eyes, she then made sure that the contacts they hastily bought were already on, so that the normally blue eyes of her friend were now changed to the dark violet of her own.
Eyes, check.
Moving away from the eyes and to the mane, Twilight made glances towards the details done to the hair, hoping that the combination of colors made on Rarity’s hair, so that her mane matched hers. Twilight had presumed that the judges would be strict to such detail, so she wanted everything to be perfect. So with a help of a coloring spell and Rarity’s quick yet amazing mane styling tactics, the two managed to recreate Twilight’s mane on Rarity.
Mane, check.
So far, things were looking great. But there was still one important detail the Twilight wanted to make sure. An important detail which she hope is perfect.
Moving to the side and glancing towards the side of Rarity’s hip, Twilight focused her attention as her eyes scanned the highly intricate and detailed copy of her cutie mark which was now adorned on her friends flank.
Made with the help of a simple copying spell and done with great ease, the cutie mark on Rarity’s flank had replaced her old triple diamond one with Twilight’s sparkling purple star cutie mark, which was what made Twilight what she was.
Cutie mark, check.
“Well…” Twilight said, as her eyes continued to unconsciously scan for imperfections. “…everything seems to be looking great.”
“Of course it is.” Rarity said with a gleeful smile. “Sure, lavender isn’t the best color for a unicorn…” Her words trailed for a while before she continued. “But I think we did a really good job on making me look like you.”
Using her magic to levitate a small mirror from the saddle bag they had brought, Rarity examined her reflection and smiled in satisfaction. “In fact, I think we did too much of a good job.” She giggled. “Ponies might start to believe that I’m your lost twin sister or something.”
“So does that mean you’re a sure win for first place?” Twilight asked. “So that you can win that book for me?”
“Darling…” Rarity said. “…once they see me, I they’ll be giving more than just books as a prize. Such dedication to detail deserves more than a silly book. Now come on, I want to see the reaction of other ponies when they see the two of us walking together.”
“Excuse me, Princess Luna.” A young light brown mare said, looking up at the towering Princess she was facing.
“Please, subject.” Luna interjected, looking down at the mare. “We are all in character here. So call me, Queen Chrysalis.”
“Uhh…okay Pr…I mean…Queen Chrysalis.” The mare said, correcting herself.
“Good, good.” Luna said, please at her new temporary title. “Now…what news do you have for your Changeling Queen?” She said, trying to do her best to look menacing.
“Well…uhhh…my Queen…” The mare said. “…I just wanted to say that the reenactment for the Battle of Bedrock Plateau is about to start fifteen minutes from now and we have one slight problem.”
“And that is?”
“Well, we’re having a small problem on looking for the Changeling re-enactors.” The mare admitted. “Now, we’re not sure whether it’s because of a lack of re-enactors who choose to be Changelings or because all the re-enactors who chose to be Changelings all gathered to a place where we can’t find them…but wither way we can’t start the reenactment without them.”
“Hmm…this is a problem.” Luna said, nodding gravely. The battle reenactment was one of the main reasons she went here, to experience the glory of the fighting in the Changeling War. With such accurate costume and realism all around her, it would have been the perfect way to immerse herself in the Changeling War.
But with this new bit of information she just received, she feared that this immersing might be cancelled, due to the fact that you can’t have a battle were the forces are all in one side only.
“Thank you, subject, for informing me of this dilemma.” Luna said, dismissing the mare. “Do not worry yourself, for your Queen shall find the Changelings needed to fill the ranks of her army!”
Not knowing whether this was a good sign, on which Princess Luna would help her, or not, the young mare nodded and trotted away.
“Hmm…now where are those Changelings.” Luna said, thinking to herself, as she wondered where she can find the re-enactors needed to continue the reenactment event.
Planning the task, she knew that this would be harder than it seemed, for this was a wide and open area, where anypony could be anywhere. If she wanted to succeed, she knew that she would need help. But where would she find this help?
As she stood there thinking, a bouncing mass of pink caught her peripheral vision, as she immediately moved her head to turn towards it. Looking at it, she soon felt a smile form on her face, as she recognized this as the help she needed.
“You…pink one!” She called, failing at that moment to remember the name of ones of the Element Bearers. “Come over here.”
“Why, hi there, Queen.” The pink mare known as Pinkie Pie said, bouncing toward Luna and calling her by her given title for the day. “How may I serve the Queen of the Changelings today?”
Smiling, Luna looked down at the gleeful pink mare and bestowed upon her the task. “I need Changelings, Changeling for my army. Can you find some for me?”
“Changelings you say…” Pinkie said, rubbing her chin with hoof. “Well, I don’t know where to find Changelings at this time of hour, but I’ll do my best.”
“Good, very good.” Luna said nodding. “Then I want you to seek them out, find as many as you can, and bring them here within fifteen minutes. The continuation of today’s reenactment depends on it!”
“You know, the Queen has been gone for a while now.” One of the Changeling drones said, looking towards his comrade. Should we go out and look for her?”
“No.” The drone he was talking with said in a stern tone, as his wings buzzed to emphasize the importance of what he was saying. “We had strict orders to stay here, so we must do what are Queen says.”
“Yeah, but how would we know if the Queen is safe? Another drone in the back said, piping up. “The Queen had never left us for this long before.”
“I know, I know…” The Changeling drone said. “But the last time I had the same thought and went out looking for the Queen, it turned out the she was alright and I had to spend an entire month nursing the newly hatched larva, and trust me, that it is not a fun experience.”
“So what are we going to do?” The first Changeling said. “Are we just going to stay here or are we-“
But before he was able to finish, a grinning pink mare popped her head through the bushes, staring at the crowd of Changelings who had gathered there. At first, the Changelings thought that she would scream and call for help, leading to their destruction from the nearby Guards, but instead, the mare’s grin grew bigger till her smile covered almost the entirety of her face.
“There you are.” She said in her upbeat tune. “I’ve been looking all over the place for you, only to find out that you’re all just hanging out here. You know, your Queen has been looking for you too and told me that she needs you immediately.”
“The Queen?” The nearest Changeling said, in a frantic tone when he realized their Queen needed them. “She needs us now?”
“Yes.” The pink mare said, nodding. “As in now, now.”
“Then we must act quickly!” The Changeling said, taking command, as he looked back at ragtag group of Changelings. “Please lead us to our Queen.”
“Now this is what I call a re-enactment!” Spike exclaimed, excitement evident in his voice.
Standing with Big Mac in an open field and gazing at their surroundings, Spike stared with awe at the sight before him, marveling at their bright pieces of armor, blazing battle flags and banners, and the realistic props and materials. To him, and to most ponies who attended the event, this was the highlight of the day, the reason why most of them came here. Re-enacting the famous Battle of Bedrock Plateau, re-enactors and staff gathered around the large open field and began transforming the area to a battlefield that resembled the actual site were the battle was fought.
Carpeting the field with a magical spell, event officials managed to temporarily turn the grassy field into a barren rocky area, with red sand and large boulders that were strategically placed in certain areas. Basing out of pictures of the actual battle site, the teams in charge of recreating the battlefield did their best to create an accurate copy of Bedrock Plateau.
And what a job they did! Spike thought, as they moved around the site, touring the area.
Actually feeling the sand beneath his scaly feet, Spike was amazed on how the spell worked. Not only was it able to change the look of the area, but it was also able to make it feel that they were actually at Bedrock Plateau. Even a veteran who had served at the actual battle would have most likely mistaken the area as the actual place, for it looked far too real.
The key to any good re-enactment was to actually feel what the actual ponies who were there felt, to immerse oneself to the actual event. And with these amazing effects and props, Spike was sure that he would be having a great time through the entire thing.
Making their way towards their assigned area, where the re-enactment group was gathered, Spike looked out and stared at the ponies that represented the Equestrian forces. Grouping the re-enactors according to their uniform, the event officials managed to form decent size groups to represent the units that were present in the actual battle.
“Oh, look over there!” He said, pointing his claw towards a group of ponies dressed in silver armor. “It’s Noteworthy and his group. And it looks like their playing as the 20th Volunteer Battalion. The Silver Warriors!”
“Eyup.” Big Mac said, nodding in reply.
“And look over there!” Spike exclaimed, pointing towards another direction. “Isn’t that Bulk Biceps, with the ponies from the local gym? Seems like they’re dressed as grenadiers from the 3rd Solar Guard. Very fitting if you ask me.”
“Eyup.”
“And there’s you’re unit over there!” Spike said, pointing toward kilted ponies, who were joined by a couple of Griffons. “Just next to mine.” He added, as he looked towards the golden armored ponies that represented the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Solar Guard.
Stopping by a large cannon that acted as a prop, the two decided to take a short break, as they shared their thoughts on how the re-enactment would turn out.
Patting the metal prop, Spike smiled and shook his head in excitement. “With props like this-“ He said, before tapping his golden armor. “-and armor like this, it’s hard to imagine why ponies won’t sign up to re-enact in the Equestrian side. This force is just awesome!”
“Don’t you think that with all the ponies favoring the Equestrian side and re-enacting as them, there would be a high lack of Changeling re-enactors?” Big Mac questioned.
“Nah, I doubt it.” Spike said, shrugging it off. “Just look over there.” He said as he gestured towards the far end of the field, where a large crowd of dark figures gathered. “I bet those are the Changeling re-enactors.”
“Well I’ll be...” Big Mac said in surprise, not really expecting to see that many Changeling re-enactors. When they were roaming the event earlier, he saw little to no Changeling re-enactors. To be honest, the only ponies he saw dressed as Changelings were Princess Luna and that weird friend she was dragging around. So he was quite worried that the re-enactment would be cancelled due to lack of re-enactors on the other side.
But now, as he watched the crowd of dark figures form on the opposite side of the field, Big Mac found that his fears were wrong.
“See, what did I say?” Spike said. “There are plenty of re-enactors on the other side, well, slightly smaller than our numbers, but still a decent size for a re-enactment, I guess.”
“Eyup.”
Smiling and rubbing his hands together, he then looked up towards his friend with an excited look in his eyes. As if all the waiting and anticipation were sealed within him, waiting to be released.
“Now, we better get to our groups. The re-enactment would probably be starting at any moment and we best be ready.”
“Are you sure our Queen is here?” The lead Changeling drone asked, not liking where they were going.
Following the pink mare, the drone and the rest of the Changelings made their way out of their hidden spot and into the open, hoping to regroup with their Queen. But rather than going towards the clusters of tents, which their Queen said she would be inspecting, they instead headed towards an open field, a field which was starting to differ with each step they took.
At first, the field was green and grassy, nothing odd with it for it was a common looking field for the area, but as they got further the texture of the ground beneath them began to change, turning into a sandy like composition, uncommon for a place like this. Not liking this at all, the lead drone was beginning to have doubts what they were doing, feeling that there was something wrong.
“Of course she is.” The pink mare chipped as she bounced up and down. “Look, there she is right now!”
Folowing the direction the mare was pointing at, the drones gazed out to see a tall dark figure standing on the sandy field, gazing out in the distance. Immediately recognizing this figure, the drones wasted no time, as they excitedly made their way towards their Queen.
“My Queen!” The lead Changeling called out as they got nearer. “My Queen, we are here! What is wrong, why did you call us so urgently? And why did you use a pony to do so.”
“Ah, my subjects…” Their Queen said, in a voice that seemed off and different. But most of them just shrugged it off, believing that it was only the effect of lack of nourishment in these tiring times. “Is see the pink one has found you all.”
“Yes, my Queen.” The lead drone said, doing all the talking for the rest. “But why did you summon us. Did you find something troubling in your scouting mission, my Queen?”
“Hmm…already in character, I see…” Their Queen mumbled, but before any of them question it, their Queen suddenly burst out in loud booming voice, addressing all, near and far.
“Loyal subject, I have called you all here because we face grave circumstances!”
“Grave circumstances?” One drone questioned.
“Yes, subject, grave circumstances.” The Queen replied with a nod. “Our faith now lies on the balance, us we have a problem that will determine whether we live or die.”
“Live or die?” The lead drone exclaimed, gulping in obvious fear. “My Queen, what threat do you mean.”
“Why, the ponies of course! The enemy!” Then, lifting her hoof, she turned around to point towards the distance, where dozens upon dozens of armored ponies gathered, setting up their positions and seemingly preparing their weapons of war.
Changeling drones all around gasped at the sight, not believing what they were seeing. The plan was supposed to be a simple raid on a defenseless town, but now it seemed that the town wasn’t as defenseless as they originally thought. They didn’t how the ponies managed know that they were going here or learn when they would arrive, but somehow they did and now they were hear in full force.
Terrible memories of the battles of the past flashed before the eyes of the drones, as many began to cower in fear. They didn’t want to fight, they couldn’t. All of them were too tired and had no energy at all to do battle, none were in any condition to battle an enemy force. These scared thoughts were soon reinforced, when the Changelings began recognizing the enemy right in front of them.
Seeing the armor and banners, most Changelings suddenly turned stiff and numb, as they identified old rivals they had fought against with.
They saw the golden armored 3rd Battalion, of the 2nd Solar Guard, the ones who fought hard and brought battered the Changelings during the Battle of Canterlot. They saw the shining silver plates of the “Silver Warriors”, the infamous unit that nearly shattered their force at the Battle of Bedrock Plateau, when they made the nearly suicidal charge on their flank, shattering the Changeling line and encircling most of their force. They even saw the some grenadiers of the 3rd Solar Guard, the merciless force that stopped at nothing till every Changeling in front of them were eradicated.
And that was only a portion of the enemy force gathered before them, for there were even more infamous enemy units gathered at them. Not to mention the fact that they also had cannons emplaced and ready to fire. Weapons that wreaked havoc to the Changelings many times before, because of its sheer power and range.
Seeing the sight, many Changelings began to understand why their Queen had gathered them. But they soon began to wonder, why bring them here, in front of the enemy where they can be seen? Why not retreat now before the enemy could catch them?
“My Queen, I think we should fall back.” The lead Changeling said, attracting the attention of their leader. “We have lost the element of surprise…. The enemy is here now in strength and I doubt we can fight them in our current state.”
“You doubt our capability?” Their Queen asked, making the drone flinch in terror. “Do you doubt our ability to do battle with the enemy? Who do you think we are? All of you, what are we?”
“Changelings…” The crowd of drones mumbled.
“What was that, I didn’t quite hear that.”
“Changelings.” The crowd said, slightly louder this time.
“One more time, what are we?”
“Changelings!” The crowd screamed, as their voices echoed in the air.
“There we go, much better.” Their Queen said, determination now plastered on her face. “We are Changelings! And let us not forget about that. And let us also make sure that the enemy does not forget about it also. They might look though, but that is only because they’re trying to compensate. They wear their armor because they knew that their fur cannot match the strength of our exoskeletons! They use their cannons because they know they cannot compete with our battle spells. They are here because they fear us, so let us show them something to be feared about!”
The crowd of Changelings cheered after hearing their Queen’s speech, as they felt the fire within them being reignited. Despite the suffering and the seemingly powerful enemy before them, their suddenly burst up to a new time high. For some, they haven’t felt this excited and determined for battle since they were at Bedrock Plateau.
“Let us follow the Queen to battle! We’ll follow you my Queen, lead us and we shall be there!” The lead Changeling shouted, to the roaring agreement of all the other Changelings.
“Good, good.” Their Queen said with a smile. “Now we shall do battle and show the enemy who we are.” With that, she then stared at the enemy force and struck a dramatic pose.
Most of the Changelings stared at her with awe, admiring this sudden determined spirit their Queen now had. But as they stared, one Changelings notice something odd lying on the ground beside their Queen.
“Uhh…my Queen, your left wing has fallen off.” The Changeling said.
“Hmmm?” Their Queen reacted, before looking towards the fallen object. “Ah, you’re right, my subject. Thank you.” With that, their Queen levitated the fallen piece, engulfing it with a blue hue, before attaching it on her side once more.
“Now then, to battle!” She shouted, which was followed by cheer from the Changelings, who, with all their hype, didn’t seem to find anything odd about the fallen wing.
Twilight feverously scanned Rarity, making sure that every detail was perfect as she conducted last minute preparations. Quickly glancing towards her side, she could see the contest judges writing down their scores for the pony before them and knew that they would soon be next.
“Relax, darling, you’re worrying too much.” Rarity said, trying to come down Twilight, as the alicorn circled her. “Everything will work out, just trust me.”
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked frantically, as she stopped circling the unicorn. “Because we could be missing something, something very important! Everything must be perfect! Perfect I say! Now let’s go through the checklist again. Hmm...let’s see. Fur, check. Eyes, check. Mane…”
Rolling her eyes, Rarity sighed, knowing that she could do nothing to stop Twilight now. The best thing she could do was to let Twilight wear herself down. Always anxious about preparation and wanting things to always go her way, Twilight tended to fall back to her check list as a piece of reassurance.
But as Twilight went through her checklist, Rarity managed to catch a quick glance towards the judges and noticed that they were already heading towards them. Knowing that it was her
“Twilight, I think it’s best if you calm yourself down now. Unless you want to scare the judges away that is.” Rarity said, informing her of the approaching ponies.
“The judges?” She asked before turning to see three ponies heading their way. Immediately after sighting them, she became frantic and quickened her pace on reading the check list, while carefully staring at Rarity to check her appearance.
“Oh, no the judges are here, the judges are here.” Twilight exclaimed, as she hoped in place. “Alright, Rarity, don’t panic, don’t panic at all. We can do this. You can do this.” She then began hyperventilating, as she began worrying about the possible bad outcomes that might happen.
“Twilight, the only pony panicking here is you.” Rarity said, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Now, just try to calm yourself down by doing that breathing exercise thing, Princess Cadance taught you.”
Following Rarity’s advice, Twilight did as she was told and began breathing slowly. Soon, her haggard and frantic breaths became calmer as she began to sooth herself down.
“Good.” Rarity said with a smile. “Now, why don’t you go relax and have a bite to eat? You’ve already done enough to help and now it’s my turn to do my part.” She said, adding a confident smile to what she said.
“Alright-“ Twilight said nodding. “-I guess I’ll just meet up with you later?”
Rarity nodded. “Yes, darling. And I’ll have that book of yours with me when we meet.”
Twilight smiled and trotted away, just as the judges arrived and stood in front of Rarity.
“Contestant number 42…” The first judge greeted with a smile. “…you’re the last pony for the day.”
“Please…” Rarity said in her most charming tone, as she gave them a wide smile. “…call me Twilight Sparkle.”
“Alright then, Twilight Sparkle.” The first judge said as he began circling Rarity, followed by the other two judges. Inspecting her, they began comparing Rarity with a picture of Twilight they carried with them. Nodding their heads and noting every detail, Rarity could see the pleasant looks on their faces as they muttered to themselves throughout the inspection.
Keeping still and silent as she gave a regal pose, she stayed in that position even after the judges finished their inspection and reconvened to start talking among themselves.
“Fur color seems to be good.” The first judge said.
“Yes, as well as the eyes and mane.” The second judge said in agreement.
“Yeah, although don’t you think she’s a little plump?”
After hearing this remark, all the stillness and composure Rarity held vanished, as she gave the third judge a sinister look after he gave that remark.
“Plump?” She spat, feeling insulted for not only being accused of such a thing, but also having the pony who said the remark say it in front of her face.
“Uh, I didn’t mean to offend you, mam.” The judge said, sweating in nervousness as he saw the rage in the pony’s eyes. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way; it was more like plump like a marshmallow.”
Rarity snorted, as she gave the pony a disapproving frown. “A marshmallow, what is this, a joke?”
“Now, now, mam, please do not take one of our judge’s comment too seriously. It was nothing more than a rude remark.” The first judge said, glaring at the third judge who just looked away, embarrassed.
“Besides, mam, I can assure you that what he said will have no affect on your final score. In fact…” Glancing towards the clip board he had, before turning towards the clipboards of the other two judges, he looked up and gave Rarity a broad smile. “…from the rough estimate of your scores, it seems like we have a clear first runner up.”
Rarity’s mood evidently brightened when she heard this, as her frown turned into a small smile. ”Oh, why that is great news! Although, I knew it all the time that I would win and-“ She then paused as she processed what she heard.
“…wait…” She said, staring at the judges with a confused look. “…did you say first runner up?”
“Yes…” The judge said with a nod. “…it’s only a rough tally of the scores, but it is quite obvious that your scores are higher than the other ponies by a significant margin. So it is most likely that you’ll be the first runner up.”
“But, but…” Rarity sputtered in reply. “…if I’m the first runner up, then who won? I mean, who got a score higher than me?”
“Why, that fine chap over there.” The judge said, pointing towards the distance.
Staring towards the direction of the pointed hoof, Rarity looked to see a unicorn stallion adorned in the same colors and hair style she was bearing. From what she saw, she had to admit that she was quite impressed, yet she failed to see how this pony managed to beat her. His looks were mediocre to say the least, nothing compared to what Rarity had to show.
“Wait a minute…” Rarity muttered to herself, suddenly recognizing the distant pony. “…no, it can’t be.”
But giving him another full look, the suspicions within her head were cleared and confirmed as she soon recognized who that pony was.
“It’s…its Prince Blueblood!” She cried out in dismay, not believing what she was seeing.
“Here they come!” Somepony shouted, as the clatter of armor and swords echoed in the air.
Staring across the open field, Spike could see their enemy moving up, a black mass of Changelings all galloping through the sandy ground. Looking fierce and angry, the Changeling forces charged up towards them as if they were real Changelings who were hungry for battle. Seeing the site, Spike couldn’t help but feel his heart rate race and muscles tense, as the site was very fearsome and threatening.
Props go to those Changeling re-enactors. He thought to himself, noting how realistic their costumes looked. Aside from their Queen, who was wearing an obviously fake Changeling costume, all the others had a very impressive and life like look.
Seeing the approaching enemy and hearing the preparations of the Equestrian lines before him, Spike couldn’t help but feel a sense of thrill overcome him. It felt like he was in an actual battle or at least what Spike thought a real battle would feel like. With surrounding that looked like a battlefield, props, uniforms, and costumes that made each player of this complex act, the re-enactment felt like a complete immersion of the real battle.
“Alright, everypony, if you pay attention to the center of the field, you can see the Changeling forces advance through the open field and towards the Equestrian.
Well, almost a complete immersion… Spike thought as he sighed.
Glancing towards his left, Spike got a clear view of ponies gathered in bleachers, as they sat to the side of the field and watched the re-enactment. Viewing the event from the sidelines and guided by moderators, who spoke on loud speakers, on the happenings of the battle, Spike found their presence as a distracting one.
With every word that emitted from the speakers, Spike felt the immersion disappear. But, not wanting this slight nuisance to ruin his fun, he did his best to blot them out and ignore their voices, concentrating solely on the nearby ponies.
“Okay, everypony, remember what we practiced.” The pony who acted as the commander of his group said. “Just wait for the cues and do your best.”
“Roger that.” Spike said excitedly, as the other ponies of the group acknowledge what they were told.
Returning his attention towards the cluster of Changelings which were now a lot closer than they were before. Getting a closer look of them,
Spike noted that most of the members on the Changeling side looked a little tired. He also noticed that they were moving slower as they went on, which puzzled him at first.
But remembering how Changeling costumes were basically rubber suits, he concluded that the reason for their tired and slow state was merely because of the inconvenience of what they were wearing. Being in a rubber suit, under the hot sun, he presumed that the ponies were just getting tired.
Those ponies must have good endurance to carry on like that. He thought, impressed at how far they already have gone. Spike continued to watch the advancing enemy when suddenly, from behind him, a loud voice boomed, making him turn around to look.
“I want all regiments to close up! No gaps, no spaces, I want one straight line.” Called our Mr. Cake who was adorned in a special type of armor, that was a mixture of gold and silver plate with a brilliant red cape on the back.
As the head of the re-enactment organization of Ponyville, Mr. Cake had the honor of playing as the commander of the army, which was Major General Rook, the unicorn general who led the Equestrian Army of the Badlands. Although the pony he was playing was a unicorn, while Mr. Cake was an earth pony, the small problem was quickly resolved by adding a fake horn on his forehead.
Despite getting the role because he was the head of the organization, Spike believed that it was only proper for him to receive the role. Remembering how Mr. Cake was during their practice sessions and watching him now as he gave orders, Spike had to admit that he was the perfect pony for the role. It must have something to do with his managerial skills in the bakery, for Mr. Cake gave commands as smoothly as a real officer.
Following his orders and shuffling around so that all groups were formed up as one line, with only one group, which were the Silver Warriors, who were held back as a reserve for the later part of the re-enactment.
Placed in the second row of his group’s section, Spike was still able to see a portion of the approaching horde through the gap between the ponies in front of him. From what he could see now, he easily tell that the Changelings were close, really, really close.
As they got closer, Spike began to hear the sounds of their hooves as the galloped on the ground, as well as their shouts and cheers as the force urged themselves forward.
“Go, my Changelings! Let us show Tia…I mean, Celestia, what we Changelings are made off!”
“My Queen, your wing fell off again.”
“Thank you once more, loyal servant.”
These fellows are really into it. Spike internally said as he grinned, thinking that he too should show as much eagerness to counter theirs.
Feeling excitement rush through him as they got nearer, for not only was he going to have a front row seat view of the battle, but he was also going to be a part of it. Sure, it may have been a re-enactment, but for him it was just all too real. Ignoring the moderators and focusing on the field, he had somehow immersed himself.
“This is going to be so epic!” He exclaimed to himself as he tried to control his excitement.
Getting himself ready, he flexed his muscles as a show of strength, hoping to intimidate the Changelings actors. Although he very much doubted any of them saw this, as he was only a small sight behind the ponies in front of him.
“Shields!” His group commander then shouted.
Immediately a response was conducted after this order, as the ponies in the front row drew their shields and slammed them in front of them, locking it with the shields on their sides and ultimately creating a wall of steel. Viewing it from the front, it was an impressive sight, as it created a blocking force against the rushing Changelings. But from the rear, it was nothing but an obstruction that hindered the view of the front. Especially for Spike, who, lacking in height, was unable to see what was happening in front of them.
“Aw, come on! Really?”
From his excitement to finally start the re-enactment, he had totally forgotten this phase of the battle, where the Equestrian forces created a wall of shields to hold off the enemy. Now, as it was performed in front of him, the view of the battle he once had was now destroyed as he tried to peer through the shields, but to no avail.
Hopping up and down, he tried his best to see. He thought of leaving his position to go and search for a box or crate to step on, for surely such an object would give him proper elevation. But he decided against this, since he knew anypony who moved away from their respected positions would be reprimanded.
With all his attempts failing and with no other choice but to wait, Spike just stood there in disappointment as the battle unfolded away from his view.
“Go forward my Changelings, go forward!” The cries of their Queen urged them onwards and, despite their weak state, the Changeling drones followed the order and pressed on.
Like the loyal drones they were they went on without question, but as they got closer to their target, some Changelings began to realize that they might be heading for the jaws of death and into complete annihilation. Charging head on towards a well-defended position, soe even began to question the sanity of their Queen.
Had their Queen finally gone insane after all these weeks of deprivation? Surely the lack of nourishment was getting to her and making her act rashly. Or was she making a last stand, a last valiant charge? Maybe she knew that they were somehow doomed either way and decided to fight one last time, instead of running away again. Whatever the reason maybe, she was doing it and she was taking them with her.
Staring at what lay ahead of them, the Changelings could clearly see the shimmering wall of shields that blocked their path. Interlocking and formidable, the Changelings who moved forward felt an increasing sense of fear, as they knew from first hoof experience that suck formations could not easily be broken.
During the Battle of Bedrock Plateau, the Changelings had encountered this type of formation for the first time. On that terrible day, they learned that a wall of shields could not be easily broken, no matter how thin in may be. The ponies during that they had found a war winning tactic and right now, as the Changelings charge to war once more, it was clear that the ponies were reverting to their old yet effective tactic.
Yet it seemed their Queen had forgotten or chose to ignore what they learned during that day, for they now repeated the same course of action they did before, charging head on towards the center. They couldn’t break that wall when they were at full strength, so what made them think that they could do it when they had barely any strength at all?
Getting closer to the shields, the Changelings feklt that they were hanging on their last string, their nerves ready to break as it was only held together by their Queen relentless coaxing.
But their thin nerves where soon about to break, as a loud and monstrous roar echoed throughout the field, shattering the momentum that had been built up within the Changelings.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
These and many more explosions echoed from the pony side, as thick white smoke created a heavy fog in that vicinity. Immediately realizing what it was, a good portion of the Changelings stood still in fear, realizing that not only were the enemy formed in a wall of shield, but also wielded cannons that could lob shots at them.
Having bad memories of cannons through previous encounters, thee frightened Changelings just stood still and stared, not wanting to get nearer to the cannons, even when their Queen was shouting and scolding them.
With a large portion of the Changelings halting, the attack began to flounder, as Changelings stopped in their tracks while other began to back away from the awful sounds of the cannons. As they did so, they began to receive taunts and jeers from the enemy, who called out from their shields.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Aren’t you all supposed to slam into our shields first before halting?”
“You know, this is what happens when you trust a foreign re-enactment group.”
“Come on, stick to the script!”
But the taunts and jeers didn’t come from the ponies alone, as their Queen trotted each one of them and began shouting, hoping to entice them to move once more.
“Come on you coward, keep moving! You’re embarrassing me and my ability to handle you all!”
“My Queen, it’s too dangerous to continue!” Cried out the closest Changeling. “We’ll be massacred if we do so.”
“I’ll massacre you all myself if you don’t do so…” Their Queen mumbled under her breath before facing this Changeling. “Who are you to question my judgment? You are a mere drone, while I am your Queen! Now as your Queen, I order you to attack. Can’t you see, the enemy fears us and we must press this advantage.”
Hearing this, the Changeling just stared at his Queen in disbelief. From his perspective, the enemy didn’t seem to be disheartened by their presence. Nor did it seem that the Changelings were in any advantage.
Convinced that their Queen was delusional and not wanting to risk her safety and the safety of the remaining members of the hive, the Changeling motioned nearby drones to help him and together they grabbed their Queen and began pulling her back. For a Changeling who had been weak from weeks of starvation, they were surprised at how strong she was as she tried to resist their efforts.
“Stop this, go back to the battle!” She would yell, as she tried to pull herself free.
But trying their best, they managed to keep her in their grips, as they slowly moved away from the sight of the ponies. Screened by the remaining Changelings, they withdrew from the battle, as the ponies shouted at them to return.
“Go back you fools, go back!” Their Queen shouted. “Also, somepony get my wing; it fell off again.”
“I’m on it my Queen!” A Changeling shouted, picking up the piece of cardboard before stumbling back to the rest of the group as they disappeared from sight.
“I still can’t believe I lost…” Rarity cried out in despair, as they trotted out of the event grounds. Behind them, the sun slowly went down the distant horizon, as the day’s event finally drew to a close, with shops closing and ponies packing up and leaving. “…and to Blueblood, out all ponies!”
“There, there, Rarity…” Spike said, walking beside her and trying his best to comfort the saddened pony. “…you’re still the best Twilight to me. I think… Does that sound weird to you? Cause that sounds really weird to me.”
Ignoring his last comment, Rarity shook her head as she continued to grieve about her defeat. “That’s nice that you think that way, but that still doesn’t change the fact that Blueblood defeated me, even though I was clearly the winner!”
“Uhh…” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. “…well, if it helps, I had a bad day too. Most of my time during the reenactment was spent behind a wall of shield where I couldn’t watch the scene unfold, while the entire re-enactment itself was a big failure, because of the Changeling re-enactors.”
But nothing Spike could do can stop Rarity’s whining, as she was bent on complaining about her defeat.
“How could I have lost though?” She asked him. “My appearance was perfect. Don’t I look just like Twilight?”
“Of course you do!” Spike said, hoping that it would do something to comfort her. “Ain’t that right, guys?”
“Eyup.” The Big Mac replied, giving a firm nod of the head.
“You can bet!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing around.
“Totally.” Rainbow Dash said as she flew above them.
“Yeah…” Applejack replied, grunting as she dragged along her still unconscious and drunk customer.
Smiling because of the responses, Spike gave Rarity a positive attitude as he tried his best to keep her spirits up. “In fact, I bet if Twilight was staring directly at you, then it would look like she was staring directly at a mirror.” He said, adding a winning smile to it.
But that smile soon faded when a small thought occurred to him.
“Wait a minute, where is Twilight?” He asked, looking left and right to search for the pony princess.
“Over here!” A voice called out, making the three of them turn to see a tired, yet happy looking Twilight trotting towards them, a certain something floating beside her under her magical aura. Getting closer with each step, Spike was able to get a clearer view of the book she was levitating and was able to read its title: ‘Book of Arcane Magic: Spells and Rituals.’
“Hey, Twilight-“ Spike called. “-where’ve you been? And where did you get that book?” He then questioned, knowing that the book would have gone to the first place winner of the Twilight Sparkle lookalike contest, which was supposedly Prince Blueblood.
“Oh this.” She said, nervously gazing at the book. “Well, uh, I got it from Blueblood…”
“He gave it to you?” He questioned.
“Yeah, definitely!” She said, a little too quickly. “After convincing him with my magic, he just gave me the book.”
“So you basically told him that the book with be more useful with your magic and he willingly gave it to you?”
“Yup, that’s what totally happened. Let’s go with that.” Twilight said, before shuffling on, urging them to move faster. “Now, let’s get going, because I think I saw the actual Royal Guard over here. Oh and by the way Spike, if the Royal Guard or the press end up knocking on our door, don’t, I repeat, DON’T, answer it.”
“Alright, Twilight, whatever you say…” Spike said, not bothering to ask more for he didn’t want to get involved any further.
“Good, now let’s just hope that my title of Princess of Friendship gives me immunity to any court case…” She muttered, as they made their way back home.
“Wow, you ponies are really dedicated to your roles…” Luna said, impressed at the massive cave system her loyal Changelings had brought her too. Placed on a throne made of sparkling gems and surrounded by these Changelings, she was impressed at the place they managed to build and the enormity of it all.
Despite the fact that she was still annoyed at them for ruining the reenactment, destroying her hopes of showing off how good of a leader she truly was, it seemed that this gigantic cave system they brought her too managed to wipe away that annoyance and replace it with respect for them.
Then again, you’d think a bunch of ponies who can build such a cave system would be better at reenacting fights… She thought to herself.
“It’s as if I’m actually in a Changeling cave.” She praised, awe and wonder still evident in her voice. “The Queen of the Changeling in her own domain!”
Her voice echoed around the cavern, hitting the stone and bouncing back till it went on and on.
“Although, I don’t think a Changeling cave would be this bland…” She said, looking down on them. “A little more décor would be nice, don’t you think? Maybe add some torture chambers and hang some cages on the ceiling to make it look a little more fearsome and scary.”
“Yes, my Queen, it shall be done.” One of them said as he stood up, and, leading on as a few of them followed, buzzed away to do her bidding.
Smiling that they seemed to like her suggestion, she gave a small nod of triumph, evidently pleased with herself. Then, a small idea came to her mind and as she gazed at the Changeling in front of her, she couldn’t help but get excited the more she thought about it.
“With this Changeling act you all got going here, do you think you can help me pull a prank on my sister?" She asks.
