Chapter One (Re-edited)

Hoofsteps marked the mudded path, it had been raining heavily since she ran into the forest.

She couldn’t tell what was worse, the icy unforgiving water that cut into the very depths of her exoskeleton, or the sticky sweat pouring down her face that cooled across her body as she wiped her brow, causing her to momentarily losing focus of her calculated stride. She almost tripped on a root beneath her. She rebalanced quickly, the small gash on her leg caused by the connection stung beyond measure, but she didn’t care, she had to keep going no matter the cost to her health.

Snapping yet more branches with her body and the edge of her sharp jagged horn, she continued her charge. She ducks and dives to the sides, every time she met something she couldn’t crash through, narrowly missing them sometimes by mere inches.

The enormous ominous black trees all around her projected shadows on their bark, creating faces that mockingly smiled or contorted into great harrowingly expressions of misery interchangeably. Was it the dark magic in the forest, a trick caused by the light of the moon, or her own exhaustion creeping in and creating hallucinations all around her?

The trees bend and contort like marionettes in a twisted dance, as the harrowing winds whip through them. Their healthy green leaves were ripped from the very branches forming arrowheads in the howling winds that whip against her almost as hard and as much as the icy rain.

She want to fly. Every chance she could she looked up into the sky, in those brief moments of open plains between the forest floor. It would be so freeing, so much easier, but she couldn’t. She would be spotted in an instant, the forest is the only chance she has to escape her pursuers.

Even for a creature of her strength and ilk she knew this couldn’t last forever. This marathon was reaching its end. The hunter was being hunted through the forest. Like a hare set upon by ravenous hounds. Her body fought her will to continue at every moment, her throat was dry and her lips were cracked, even in the rain she was dehydrated and lightheaded, she needed to stop.

But the very thought sickened her, rather than allowing them to deter her, she pushed them away from the forefront of her mind. She had more important things to worry about than herself, she considers as she strengthens her hold of the two precious packages by her sides. She pushes them further against her iron like chitin sides with her translucent wings. The act brings some small comfort to her.

The forest had to end eventually, she kept this in mind, even when it was getting thicker she felt once more it was the forest playing tricks on her. It was more alive than most gave it credit for. But all things had to come to an end, even this accursed place. Once she reached the clearing she would consider taking a break. When they would be safe, the clearing would provide her children with protection, at least that was what she prayed it would do.

It had gotten darker now, somehow, almost unnaturally so, the shadows were ever blackening and even the small moments of the moon's light penetrating the clouds did little more than offer brief seconds of respite from the abyss. Even with her eyes, able to pierce into the recesses of most abysses, she was finding it hard to spot the next branch that blocked her path, only giving her just enough time to brace for its whip like impact.

It would have been easy, if not for her state, that she could have thrown the very trees themselves from her path; but that would only draw their attention faster. It was never a good thing for prey to telegraph its position. So she took the brunt of them as the branches left cuts and tiny scars on her softer underbelly, allowing for small droplets of green lifeblood to coat her legs and abdomen.

Another ten minutes go by, then another. She loses track of time, her breath becomes laboured and heavy, eyes blurred, but she pushes onwards, nothing else matters but her charge.

She spots a tree five meters in front of her to her left. Its trunk contains a hollow in the shape of an eight, she does not know why she notices this, or why she even remember why she even made note of that before. But now it worries her greatly. Hadn’t she seen that tree before! No that can’t be right, she had been running straight this entire time she was sure of it, it was just pure coincidence, she was just tired, all trees look the same at night.

She skids on the mud, her hoof gets caught for a moment as she loses her focus. “Snap out of it!” She commands to herself in a harsh whisper, something was different, the air in this area was strangely unnerving and it was getting to her.

She once more shakes the distracting thoughts from her mind and continues onwards, dodging another oncoming tree, she thinks it safe to concentrate on running again. That is until she hears a noise, a whisper, like something or someone had leaned next to her ears and spoke.

“What do we have here?”

She freezes, instinctively yelling at the intrusion. Only for a second she takes her eyes from the path for a mere moment, looking behind her. But the lack of concentration was enough and in her folly she stumbles on a outgrown root. it takes her completely off guard and as she tries to look back to the path, she loses her balance, and falls with the full force of her charge.

She lands hard. Her head and chest take the brunt of it, she feels her wings naturally shoot to the sides trying to slow her impact, it’s too late however, and as soon as she hits the floor she blacks out.

Moments pass.

She opens her eyes, slowly this time, her addled mind trying its best to balance her surroundings, as the trees blur back into form. She groans, out of pain, and out of tiredness. Oh she was so very tired.

She spots something, her precious cargo, just by the foot of a great tree, her eyes snap open she lets out a hollow gasp. It was helplessness all alone, the sight gives her the impetus to stand once more. She groans and growls again as she pushes herself up, her body screams at her to go back down, lay down and sleep. But the very idea is anathema to her. Shakily she makes her way over to the egg. Cupping it in her chest she feels the infant inside, reaching into the egg with her mind's natural biology, she feels it squirm and ripple, she thanks the old mothers, it was safe. She inspects the egg, no cracks no forms of damage were visible, save a muddy stain on one side.

She was lucky this time, eggs of this breed were harder than most others.

She gives a silent prayer to her goddess’s. As she carefully lifts it over to her left wing cupping it with great care. Turning her ear she hears something in the distance. A life time in the caves of the old mothers has honed them to perfection. Her kind were not the only ones that dwell in those labyrinths. They were certainly not the only predators either.

She turns back to the egg, not a second later her eyes light up in shock once more. Where was the other one!?

Frantically she turns to survey the landscape it could not have gotten far. Was it in one of the bushes, tangled in the thorns? Goddess she hoped it was okay.

Please don’t let anything happen to her. She beseeches in her thoughts. She flicks her gaze in all direction, a horrific idea blooms in her mind, she checks her own body just to be sure something so morbid had not happened.

No, thank the old mothers. She was clean, at least in that regard.

“Looking for something?” A smooth and sinister voice calls out behind her.

She turns, putting her body into a pouncing stance almost immediately. Not all prey are helpless, even in her fatigue she was as dangerous as any predator, especially when cornered, especially when her charge were on the line.

“You know… “ it starts to say.

She catches sight of the beast or at least its mouth, a Cheshire cat smile, stretching the width of the tree trunk, beyond that of any mortal. The presence of a smiling elder face she can’t explain. It's disturbing mouth, filled with fangs fixed to its mouth made the sickening smile that much more horrifying. She almost screams at the sight, but collects herself at the last moment, instead taking a quick step back, she was braver than that; she had to be.

“I’m not sure what goes better.” The disembodied mouth ponders. “Some people like it sunny side up but where’s the fun in that, It’s so predictable.” Its voice was slow and drawn out, almost methodically.

She stops, her body trembling, she collects herself, if only for the moment.

“Hardboiled? No, I can never get the blasted timing down. It always seems to… Run.” The creature’s eyes flick up, like it was attached to the trunk itself. They flare open revealing a set of crazed mismatched eyes that bore into her.

The eyes tell her everything in their image, she knows instantly the creature is insane, or at least disturbed. Its eyes promise a carnival of misery and a circus show of horror. What was this thing?

Then she sees something by the beast. Green and blue, she senses the rattled infant inside. It was her egg! Her other little girl in the clutches of the things monstrous paw. The creature holds it like a ball, its grip lose, A strong gust of wind and it would slip from its very hands…

Maternal instincts kick in over rational thought, she roars in total rage. Her fangs bared at the creature, in an instinctual display of aggression. She acts first, taking a pouncing stance and bearing her teeth at the creature with a hideous hiss, she lunges for what’s hers.

The creature dematerialised instantly, that same sickening laugh mocking her, taunting her, laughing at her cosmic misfortune for being so unlucky as to have greeted by such a creature in its vigil moments.

She hits the tree, not feeling the brunt of it, she turns to look for it, fangs still on display.

“My, my feisty little thing aren’t you. Hmm perhaps I’ll go scrambled this time. Yes! Nothing is more delicious than scrambled egg. I dare say it resonates with me, a kindred spirit in food. My my maybe I do need to get out more, I’m befriending a cooking style.” It laughs again, making her shiver from her tail right to her very venom glands.

“Give her back!” The words were not a request, she growls each syllable out like the very words were a command from the very goddess’s. She almost spits venom with each word.

“Of course my dear, of course, I was only telling a joke, don’t you like my comedic style?” He laughs, tossing the egg up lightly into his paw and catching it. Her eyes never leave the egg, she is irate.

How dare it!

He taps his chin with a claw in mock thought. “Though, most always said my timing was a bit off.” As he finishes the sentence he disappears, leaving the egg to fall towards the ground.

Instincts kick in once more and she throws herself towards the egg. She catches it in the nick of time. Cupping the egg in her hooves before it had a chance to hit the cold unforgiving ground. She would never let that happen.

“Whoops, guess those naysayer were on to something.” He fictitiously apologises with a sheepish smile that twists her stomach.

“You myopic fool, you piece of filth. You could have killed her!” She bellows, fire raging in her eyes as she stands up bringing the other egg in her left wing to her chest. She cupped both of her eggs in one hoof, both to assure herself that they were still safe and also so she could keep her reptilian eyes on the thing, without fear of them falling into its fiendish claws once more.

The beast looks shocked putting a claw up to its spindly body. “Perrish the very thought. Me, Discord killing something? The very idea makes me sick to my thirteen stomachs, what would be the point in killing. It’s so… so finite.” The sordid smile returns as he fakely shivers at the notion.

She doesn’t have time for this. She wants to destroy this creature for laying its paws on her unhatched daughter, on royalty. But there is no time, already she could hear the background change, noises of buzzing wings fill the air. She places the eggs back in her wings before she backs away from the creature, she wished to keep running, she had lost precious time she did not know she would even get back, but she was unable to take her sight from it. The creature was fast, she needed to make sure she could run the moment it teleported.

“Why my dear, where are you going? You haven’t even given me your name. It’s the height of rudeness after I just introduced myself.” The ‘thing’, for that was the only way she could describe it, snaps its fingers, teleporting right behind her as she accidentally backs into it.

She yelps in surprise. Turning around and hissing once more, large protruding fangs advertised to him like a snake, a warning. Stay away from her.

The thing yawns. “Hiss? Is that it, your mother wasn’t terribly inventive was she?”

“Get out of my way, I need to leave, they’re following me!” She growls out hiding none of her disdain for the creature. She bolts one way, then the other, trying to trick the creature. Running a different direction each time, but somehow the creature blocks her chance at escape.

“Following you? Oh my how terrible, I mean you read about these things in the news, but you never expect to see it in person.” The thing looked states with a fake mocking shock in its voice.

The creatures act of levity was killing her, Does it not understand! No it did, it just didn’t care.

“Stop that, I need to leave, foul creature, if you’re not going to kill me, then begone, before they find me!”

“What is it they want to find you for? Oh are you in danger?”

She growls again, the thing was obviously playing with her, it was demonstrably clear she was not getting away without playing its game. Maybe she should shoot it, a blast straight to its cranium, she would find no greater pleasure.

She thinks against it, they would sense her powers, see the illumination of her green magical aura. Her pursuers were too close now, if she lights up her horn to decapitate this thing, they would see, they would hear it, she would find her.

“They’re not after me, I could care less what that harpy does to me, but my children, I need to keep them safe!”

“Oh, well you better get going then, quickly. No telling what type of riff raff you find in these parts.” The beast laughs at the irony of its statement, moving from her path. That was all she needed she leaps away at full force, fully ready for the sprint of her life.

Only for her to be yanked back, hard. She falls onto the ground again, falling flat this time at the last moment to protect her eggs, the thick mud coats her underside and splatters into her face. Groaning she wipes away the mud, before staring back through her matted locks.

The creature had her tail in its paw.

It scratches its head in thought. “Although, maybe I should step in, can’t have a crime happening in my land after all, and we need eyewitnesses.” The creature states, now adorned with some sort of glass over both eyes, a golden badge with the words sheriff written on it and a single piece of orchard grass at the side of its mouth.

“Let go of my tail creature, you just--

The words hit her and she looks up at it in shock, standing up to meet its gaze better as her tail slips from his grasp, the words cut through her anger instantly.

Did it just say his land!? “But, no! This is pony land, the maps, the Overseers, they don’t lie!”

The beast chuckles, lifting up the glasses so it could stare directly into her eyes. With great mirth he closes the distance, wrapping around her. “Pony land? Good heavens no! This is all mine. From the spinning mountains to the giant statue of yours truly made from solid hard candy. Hasn’t been a pony here for quite some time now, isn’t it fantastic!” It states with glee.

“H-How long?” She stutters, she can’t believe the words, it was lying, of course it was, it had to be! But she needed to know, she was begging that even if that were the case it would not have been long, If so she could at least catch up to the ponies, if it was in anyway true.

It shoots up from its crouching position, pacing around her in thought. “You know I just can’t really put an exact time on it, keep forgetting to buy a new calendar. I mean where do you even purchase those things these days? And time is such a fickle thing. Hmm let’s say about four hundred years give or take a few hundreds.” It waves its paw nonchalantly.

Her legs begin to shake underneath her, she can barely keep still now. It feels like the world itself was bearing down on her, her sight goes into tunnel vision, she begins to hyperventilate. She can’t believe the creature she would not let herself.

“No-no-no-no-no-no-no.”

“Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes my little girl, my little land is a beautiful little El Dorado for the disturbed, a Shangri-La of silliness, a home away from norm, not a pony in sight. Well I mean for now anyway.” He finishes the sentence with a dark nefarious chuckle.

She wants to believe that the beast was lying, even in these few moments of knowing him, she could tell that was not something it would be above doing. But that was just it. The ponies, from the stories she had heard of them and there society's, would never let such a creature near their settlement. They did not tolerate incongruous creatures such as him. So for something like him to be here, so close to their home, even for any amount of time...

It must have been telling the truth, there was no telling the creature was powerful enough given what she had seen and felt from the monster. It must have driven them from their own lands and with that any chance of her children’s salvation.

“M-y my plans, I’ll never reach them in time it, it’s all over.” Her legs finally give out she falls onto the ground for a third time, careful still to not crush her eggs, she wanted to keep them for as long as she had left with them.

She stays like this for only a moment, taken away from the outside world as she allows the statement to truly enrapture her, she mumbles what the creature said over and over in her mind.

That was my only chance…

Something snaps her thoughts away from her. she feels a pulling deep in her chest, she recognised it instantly, the biological ethereal tendrils that linked her to it gave her no choice but to notice.

The eggs were responding in the only way they knew how to her mother, she felt there need, there begging for her love. She choked back a cry that worms its way into her throat, with a motherly smile, and a tear in her eye, she moves a lock of her dark cyan coloured hair. Leaning down she touched her horn to one of the eggs, the light no longer matters to her now. It was over, she had lost, they would find her now, no matter what. Her only chance had been to find the pony settlement in the east.

It had been a fool's chance from the beginning. Planning to reach the settlement, disguised as one of their own. She would have screamed about being chased by some foul beasts. She would then have let the local militia take care of her pursues for her, or at least give her the time to find a stronger fortress. It would have been a temporary problem solver, but the confusion would have given her the time she needed.

She knew nothing of the scope or size of the settlement, nor even where it truly was, save for that it was beyond the Neverfair forest. But now, by those simple mocking words from the creature, she had lost, her gambit had failed, now the dealer was waiting to collect.

She touches the other egg with her horn, flowing the life source of her kind, channeling it through to her doomed infant daughter, the egg responded with a happy greedy yet content feeling, she felt them in her mind linked even then to one another.

It was pointless to feed them this love, it would go to waste once they found and disposed of them. But she couldn’t help but instigate one last bit of defiance. She would take that victory for what it was worth. She was only young after all, it was to be expected.

The creature stared at her for a moment in a weird pout. “My dear. Whatever is the matter? You look like I’ve taken your very soul away.”

She choked back another sob, losing the fight in her, she spoke more to herself than to the creature. “That was my only chance for my eggs, she’s going to find me and, and destroy them. Why did I wait so long, if only- if only… My daughters might have had a chance.”

“A chance, hmm this sounds like fun.” The creature whispers to itself already his criminally Machiavellian mind begins to conjure up thoughts, ways to spread the chaos. Oh yes this was just too ripe to spoil. So many things he could do with that much power. Oh this was just what he wanted, best birthday ever!

“My dear, dear, little changeling.” It coo’s caressing the Princess cheek, She flicks it away in disgust, spitting venom onto the floor.

“How in ash do you know---” the thing silences her with a digit from its paw.

“Not much time my sweet little morsel, you said you needed help and by all the grace of me, I am here! Deliverance in a drop dead sexy body.” He states proudly, conjuring a leather jacket, similar black spectacles as before and a comb to grease his ashen white hair back.

She looked at him with confusion crinkling her brow, a tiny twinkle of hope glistened in her eyes. “W-w-what do you mean creature?”

Discord hurumps at her.“’Creature’, ‘Thing’, why, I offer you my name and help and you respond with insults. My word the youth of today. I ought to wash your mouth out with soap.” He laughed snapping a bar of soap into the air.

She knew not what this soap was, in fact most of what he was saying and doing she did not get. She neither liked nor trusted this creature as far as she could kick him. But just then he had promised her salvation, the lives of her child, she was willing to listen, to tolerate its superfluous nature, what other choice did she have?

“What, why do you wish to help me?” She asked uncertainly, the sound of buzzing was coming yet ever closer, but she ignores it, focusing entirely on the creature, this Discord thing.

Discord bit into the bar of soap, before burping out a large bubble. “I’m just a nice guy like that.”

She gave him a deadpanned look. “Forgive me, for not believing your attempts at sophistry.”

“Believe all you want my dear. You should never judge a book by its cover. Well, at least not in the middle of being pursued in a dark, ominous forest that is.”

She looked at the ground, this is madness, utter madness. She was talking to a physical impossibility, a creature she had no doubt was evil, or at least had ill intentions at heart. But the maternal instincts over rid her, throwing out her usually impeccable foresight for such things, it promised help.

Help. She had not heard the words for a very long time. One did not receive help in the hive, you learned to survive on your own, or you simply didn’t. What were her choices, if she said no, she was condemning her children to certain death, before they had even had the chance to stare blinking at her and breath in there first breath of life, before they could shed their chitin for the first time, before they had been able to taste love truly horn to horn. How could a mother deny this out of possible mistrust?

But if she asked for help, would death have been a better future for her girls?

This was all her fault, she should have known better. She was stupid, why did she even consider him as her lover? Fools that they were. Young love was nothing but bad news for members of royalty, she should have stuck with her own kind, none of this would have happened.

No, it wasn’t even his fault, she had seduced him. She cursed her reckless ways, her own immaturity had led her to this. It was all her fault, but she would not let her precious children suffer for her improvident ways.

“I-if you so much as scratch there Chitin!” She began to threaten taking a step closer to the beast.

“My dear if I hurt them, than that is the exact opposite of helping, is it not?” He stated with an uncharacteristically serious tone, His countenance now unreadable, she stared at him for as long as time would permit her, which was not more than a few seconds.

“What will you do with them?” she asked, clutching them tightly.

“Why, I’ll put them in a place no creature would even dream of finding them.”

Her reptilian eyes shrank at the prospect. “No, they will be found, the hive mind, they will know the moment you put them on the ground! They will never stop searching for a rival, especially a mix-breed.” She hated that word, especially to describe it about her own daughters, but it was true.

Discord laughed right into her face, as if it was the funniest punchline he had ever been in the presence of hearing.

“My dear, it’s not about where I hide them, it’s about when.”

She blinked once, then twice, as she turned her head in confusion. “When?”

“Oh you mortals really do crack me up.” He flicked a tear from his eye. Discord laughed in the face of time, he tweaked its stubby nose, gave wedges to it when it strolled down the school corridor. Such simple things were almost trivial to him really. He didn’t need time, he could spend a thousand years in one place on his head if he wanted. Not that he would allow such a boring fate to ever befall him.

“Yes when! Look as much as I would looove to keep talking, I’m sure your eggs have somewhere to be, unless you still want those scrambled, because I’m an excellent cook believe me!”

She growled back at him, hugging her daughters closer. “You’re a sick fiend.”

“Stop, you’re going to make me blush.” He waved the ‘compliment’ away.

The buzzing had gotten louder, close enough that the creatures of the forest could hear them. Rustling of the forest signaled the forest dwelling creatures retreat from the alien noise, As she turned towards the rustling she spotted by a large grey hare which ran between herself and Discord, fleeing for its life.

“So my dear, the clock is ticking, no time to be ambivalent about this, what will it be?” He answered with his now know characteristically volatile smirk.

“I-I…”

“This way, the tracks lead this way!” A voice called out, distorted, but distinctly feminine in nature.

“I’m sure I saw the light just up ahead, Princess!” Another voice calls out

She hugged her daughters again, pushing her eggs close to her heart in so many ways. This was the choice. She had had a taste of these unpleasant sort of choices before, being a queen-to-be, she had had to make destructive decisions, almost daily, in order to survive and prosper. But all paled in comparison to this. She would never be the same care free Princess she was after this. It would destroy her, but at least she would know they were safe, perhaps that would be enough to keep her sane.

“Will-will I ever see them again?”

“Hmm- he stroked his goatee- probably, you lot live quite a while don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Well then, I’m sure that will be enough time for you to sort things out. But just to be safe I’ll chuck a few more years onto it.”

“H-how long?” She almost doesn’t what to know.

“How about a thousand years, that seems like a good round number. Yes, that will do just nicely you can deal with your problems in that time, and then, you can come find me.”

One thousand years. Her heart sank, such a long time was well within her lifespan, but to be deprived of them for so long? Yet she couldn’t argue more that such a large quantity of time was probably what she needed. Her mother was easily going to live for another five hundred and her sisters, if she didn’t finish most them off herself by then, would be around for far longer than that.

“Will, will they still be eggs by then, how will you supply them with love, they can’t live without the hive, how will you keep them safe, if anything happens to you?” she asked tripping over the abundance of questions she simply had no time to ask, it sickened her that she was almost pleadingly but she needed to know.

Discord laughed again. “Happen to me? Seriously? The prince of chaos who are you fooling.”

The response didn’t please the young Princess, judging by the dark stare she was giving him.

“*Sigh* Fine perish the very thought, but if something happens to me, they’ll be safe, so quit your fussing. I’ll even be extra safe and hide them in someplace completely separate from one another, it would take a total genius to find them.” Or a madman he thinks, he chuckled at that, as he took a moment to think about the possibilities that were opening up for him.

She fishes though yet more problems she had with the idea. She wanted to make sure this creature considers all the possibilities of dealing with her daughters, before she feels even remotely comfortable about hoofing them over. So much to discuss, but there was just no time. “What about their skin, they’re too young to change, if somehow they hatch beforehand?”

“Really? You’re really asking me this now, those buzzy little drones are literally about to chew on your muddy tail and you’re asking me for a game of twenty question?” Discord stated now getting a little annoyed at the girl.

She stands up in rigorous indignation, hitting her hoof against his chest to get her point across. “They are my daughters you beast, I have a right to know what happens to them!”

His frown grew exponentially. “Yes, the powerful always think they have some sort of deity given right don’t they?” He mused, more to himself than her, as he thought of two in particular. A very annoying little blue pony and an even more stuck up and pompous white one. He still plays footage reels of literally kicking them out of his new land, it only got even funnier after the three hundredth viewing.

“I said I would help, and Discord does nothing half-heartedly.” Oh the irony he thought, as he suppressed a chuckle.

“Yes and as your name suggests, you don’t do anything straightforwardly either!” She growled back.

“Guilty.” He sang back at her, with a high pitched voice.

She sighed, she had already made up her mind, ultimately she had no control over whatever it had planned for them. She closed her eyes so tightly it hurt, as the tears squeezed themselves out of her, only to be washed away by the rain. With tremendous trepidation, she lifted her eggs with her magic into the air, feeling those disturbing and chaotic paws reach out to grasp them. Her children, a piece of her very soul, she had now given to him.

She prayed that one day she would be able to look at herself in the mirror again.

“Thank you my dear, you’ve made this old Draconequus a very happy mismatched lump of limbs. Now chin up, a thousand years isn’t so bad, it’s not like it’s a life time. Well not to us anyway.” He laughed again, harder and more forcefully at her as she slumped down, her own guilt and emotions anchored her, crushed her.

She hears him being to walk away, but she finds it in her for one last request.

“Wait!”

Discords laughter stopped instantly, he turned back and gives her a grump pout. “Look no givesies backsies.”

“If you won’t give me the decency of telling me there fate, will you at least let me say goodbye?” She pleads.

“Really?” He looked behind her, as they both let the silence linger, to exacerbate the sound of the buzzing drawing ever closer to their position. “Now?”

She just stared at him, with fiery determination.

He sighed, slumping his head down in annoyance. “Fine, but only because you have the most adorable little pout.” He squatted down, presenting her eggs to her in his hands.

She wasted no time leaning down to them. “I promise you this, we will be together again, My sweet baby Nymphs. Once I’ve destroyed that , that old vile bucking--- ‘She pauses to take a deep shaky breath, teared streaking down her muzzle, dropping on to the eggs’---F-Farewell my little Larvalette and farewell my—

“Over here, Princess this is where I saw it!” An unnamed drone yelled out, the buzzing noises intensify.

She turned looking at the voice with a gasp, she snatched her gaze back to her eggs but they were gone and so to was the creature.

She was alone, truly alone in the world now, what had she done, had she done the right thing? She couldn’t say, perhaps she never would be able to. Only time would tell, as it ate away at her even now. She had done so many bad things already, even for one so young, and yet this one topped them all, easily.

She collapsed, willingly this time. Her energy gone she slumped sideways to the floor, the mud curled around her, she hoped it would swallow her whole, take her into the deepest blackest pit, she deserved as much. But alas, all it truly did was mat her hair and chitin in mud.

She kept her eyes closed, they had felt too heavy to keep open anyway.

She barely felt the cold rain on her. Her world was mute to her now, she only even flicked her ear out of instinct, when the first set of hoofs landed beside her. Followed by the rest the creatures, her ‘loyal’ subject prodded her, one of them called out something to the effect of “She’s alive.”

She almost laughed at that statement; how wrong he was, she felt no further feeling from it.

It was only when she heard that slimy, penetrating, feminine voice slither its way into her ears, did she even flick her ear to attention towards it.

“Chryissy! Big Sis, we were so worried about you, mother has half the hive penetrating these backwater yokel cesspits.” She could almost feel the smirk her little, in both senses of the word, sister was wearing, it sickened her.

Chrysalis couldn’t help but think that she had once, at some point in her life, she had counted her little sister as her favourite sibling.

Chrysalis said nothing, she kept her eyes closed.

“What? Got nothing to lord over me this time sister, oh you had a mouth that wouldn’t stop running, but I guess it’s your legs this time.” She laughed, it was forced, and she knew her little sister was putting on an act.

Her sister was always the weak one of the litter, Chrysalis the strongest, at least in terms of birth strength and size. As such, to prove her worth to survive, the littlest had an Inveterate of over compensating and constantly bragging about small feats. Something Chrysalis had once found oddly endearing in one so small and weak.

Except now it was not so adorable, because now, she had power and the rights, to back it up.

“Nothing in the vicinity your grace.” A small slimmer version of her kind, a drone, reported, as he drops down among the swarming flock of interchangeable drones and the enormously bulky Bulls, buzzing around the forest floor.

“Well, keep searching!” She snaps back at the drone, who reels back from her threat, before bolting back into the canopy.

Her sister waited for a response, but Chrysalis gave her none, she was too tired for that little game. But the lack of acknowledgement only made her little sister angry. Chrysalis knew that her sister hated being ignored.

“Stop this farce sister! You brought this on yourself. You know the policy of fraternising with our food. It’s disgusting! The eggs were doomed to die, it’s for the benefit of the hive, now are you going to sit here in the rain and sulk or are you going to stop this and go home?” Her sister yelled, becoming more and more irate that nothing was seemingly being acknowledged. She leaned in further growling into Chrysalis ear.

Chrysalis waited for the right moment, before lunging up, throwing the smaller sibling to the ground with ease and baring her fangs right for her siblings’ neck. She felt them pierce the light carapace under her chin with ease. she sunk in only enough to break the outer membrane, but she went no further than that.

Her sibling recovered quickly from the sudden attack and even managed to laugh at her sister, though she was in no position to. “Have you truly been struck dumb sister? Attacking your little sister, who is only doing what her hive dictates from her. Culling sister is our way, have you forgotten? Why are you acting so weak? Or was this always the case, oh how you hid it well.”

Chrysalis did not deter from her actions, so grief stricken and angry at all of this and most of all herself, she barely heard the stinging words from her sister.

Her sister pauses letting out a small choking noise as the fangs sink a little deeper. “You would do this to me then. You do realise that I was the only one that wanted to bring you back alive, right big sis?...Fine then, do it then, if you’re going to! But know the price for killing a healthy heir of our hive. Death will not be swift. Even if you are mother's favourite, she knows the rules!” A tiny undertone of hurt left her little sister's voice that she tried to mask, by employing years of over dramatizing. She hopes it only sounded like that because of the physical pain she was enduring. But it’s enough to make Chrysalis pause.

Chrysalis growled utter grief and anger reverberated through her jaw into the neck of her sibling, as she slowly removed her fangs. Before snapping them just inches from her little sisters muzzle. “You think I care what she does to me, little Vespida? Her punishment would pale in comparison to what I have done to myself?”

Her sister growled back at Chrysalis, both advertised their fangs at one another neither backing down.

“Don’t be so melodramatic Chrysalis, fornicating with our livestock is disgusting, but it’s not—

Chrysalis huffed in disgust. “You have no idea sister, have you ever made a deal with the very Father himself, You have no idea wh--” She screamed as the other drones and Bulls finally jump up from the shrubbery, tackling Chrysalis to the ground with all their strength.

“Finally!” Vespida yelled, flipping herself back over. She stood up and rubbed the marks on her neck. She spat into her hoof and used the sticky secretion produced in her glands to seal up her puncture marks quickly.

“Somedrone put her under, the princess has gone quite mad, and I don’t want to hear her rambling all night.” She had almost allowed herself to feel pity for her Sister. Once so proud and powerful. Vespida had only really wanted one thing in her life, before this night, to be an equal to her sister. To stand proudly by her side, not just as a little sister, but as her strong, reliable, independent best friend. But now she felt robbed of even that. Her sister’s condition was clear to her now. She had finally lost her mind. Vespida spat on the floor in disgust. How the old mother play with our ambitions!

“My Princess, we found no evidence of the eggs.” A enormous hulking pitch black Bull stated with a bellowing voice. Somehow his strength only served to be a contrast to the abject fear of disobeying and disappointing his smaller, seemingly less threatening Princess.

Vespida looked down at her fallen sister as the drones press on every inch of her body suppressing her, she ignores the other Bulls words. Her eyes were too fixated on another Bull that had approached the downed Princess horn. It took great care with each step, a ring of isolation in its hoof. That horn was a strong as a war-hammer and as sharp as any spear. It would skewer any creature with ease, even with the Bulls naturally thick dense carapace, it had to be very careful.

“No matter, we are in the middle of the woods, surrounded by beasts, and by the time my sister comes to, we will be far far from here. If the beasts don’t get them, they will be dead come morn with the storm as bad as it is.” It was true, the eggs need constant care and warmth. In this weather the eggs would be dead in hours. Especially one of such ill breed.

Chrysalis felt the ring go over her horn, cutting her off from her powers and the hive itself, as soon as the ring hit the tip of her horn, at the top of her head, she passed out. Falling into a deep coma like sleep, a defense mechanism for royalty. For every other Ling, the moment the ring hit their horn they would have gone mad, and within an hour of being cut off from the hive mind they would have died. The ring was more of a corporal, draconian punishment for her kind. Meant for traitors or to cull defective dangerous drones.

All she could think of before the ring hit her tip was the thought of her children. Would they live, would she see them again, would she even live long enough to come close to that? Whatever happened, come a thousand years, if she survived and prospered, nothing would come between them and her.

Even if she had to betray her very race to do so.

Back in Ponyville.

Discord could hardly contain himself, he pirouetted in delight swinging the eggs in his grasp, as he danced around the town, jumping over floating tables and chairs that had littered the town theatre before his ‘triumphant liberation’ of Ponyville from the evils of normality.
“Discord you old dog, you’ve really done it now. This might be my greatest achievement yet!” He yelled as he jumped into the air landing on the stage, an applause was audible dispute the lack of anyone around.

He had not one, but two, changeling Princesses in his position, and she had just given them to him! And wiling no less! Oh sure, he could have just taken them, but where was the fun in that. Stealing was easy, but it was just so much more delicious to have her give them to him.

Oh he could have just kissed that poor, poor little bug.

He squealed in glee, hugging the eggs.

“Now, let’s see, what shall be done with you two?” He stated, unable to contain the ideas racing in his head.

He briefly entertained the notion of just keeping them for himself, but again that just wasn’t fun for him. Discords victories were always a little too easy and his games over to fast. That was Discords major malfunction, the only issue about him that he would ever admit was a fault of his.

For a creature who had everything he had nothing to look forward to, like a child who peeks at his gifts before Christmas day, he always knew what was coming and how it would play out.

Discord let the eggs float up, as he sat in the air, an expression of deep concentration on his face. He thinks carefully about what his next course of action will be… For about twelve seconds.

“Hmm yes, I need to pace myself, If I wait it could be like a gift, almost like, like um… oh what did those blasted ponies call it… Hoof warming something something?” He shook his head.

Something he could save for later he finally had something worth of that lofty place in his best games ever. Chaos was a delicacy on any occasion at any time, but it was always better when it was unexpected, that’s part of what it was after all. and what was more delicious was when It came from nowhere. He decided to stick to his word.

Well he would stick to it sort of, it’s not like he was under contract.

He picked up of the eggs in his hand eyeing it. “You, now where can I put you?” He looked around, what would be a good place for a creature such as this to materialise. A voice inside his mind one of many states “How about right here in his own home?”, another voice adds, “where better than to have a present delivered right to his doorstep?”

“Oh Discord you're simply too much.” Another Discord stated materialising next to him. Leaning in like a swooning fan.

The real Discord waves the advance away. “Oh stop it me, you’re going to give me a big head.” He started giggling at himself like a schoolgirl.

Now then, he thinks, if he was going to go through with this the creature would need a disguise.

Another idea whispers to him in his mind.

“Oh- oh yes, that’s perfect.” He yelled.

Why not a pony?

If word got out that he had a pony in his mitts, especially a little filly those dunderheaded sister would come racing over to save her, and of course he would let them.

“Oh and only to find out she was a love hungry monster. Discord I could kiss you right now.” The other Discord adds in hugging the real one from the side.

The real Discord pushes him away again. “I’m sorry me, I know what you're trying to do, but the truth is….I’m seeing someone else!” he stated aloud sounds of shocked gasps come from an invisible audience.

The other Discord looked shocked placing both hands on his hips in anger. “Who!? What ruffian could ever tame such a wild and reckless heart.”

“I could!” Another Discord raced in, kitted out in shining knightly armour and lance, scooping up the real Discord, who was now, in turn, adorned with a frilly white maidens dress.

“Oh my hero.” The real Discord swooned, kissing the knightly Discord before pretending to faint.
He then snapped his fingers, dematerialised them all, as he broke out into a horrible malicious cackle.

He picked the egg back up from its floating place in the air, snatching it in his tail, he clicked his fingers and it was gone, gone from this world for a thousand years, or at least something like that, who could say with a prince of chaos, he never was good with maths.

“Now what to do with you.” His smile widened to the point no mortal could ever compete with, at this time.

Another thought came to him to do the same thing to the other egg. But that would be boring why bother with the same gag, he only got this one shoot, so better make it count.

“How about putting it on a different world entirely?” A voice deep inside him whispered out.

“Oh I wish I had thought of that!” He yells out. Yes that could work, have it grow up in some crazed place away from the norms of this world, oh it wouldn’t even know what hit it, perhaps it would just go crazy when It came back and destroy a bunch of towns, or open up a black hole in the middle of castle, or even just lick everyone’s faces because that’s how they said hello on i that planet. What potential it would have? Not knowing anything but an alien form of life.

There was just no telling what it could and would do…

Discord Liked that idea, he liked it a lot!

What world would it go to though? That was the question. It would definitely have to be disguised, he didn’t want it being attacked by the natives before it had a chance to shine. He was at least true to his word in that respect when he spoke to that royal bug.

He detested death.

Oh, was he going to fast? Maybe he should sit on these thoughts for a bit, would he kick himself after he was done for not waiting for the next ingeniously incongruous plan.

“Nahh” He waved the thought bubble above his head away literally.

A new world it was to be. Which one only his chaotic powers would decide he didn’t like the idea of choosing he would have a thousand years to think through its motives and every outcome once it returned. What a spoiler that would be.

No, best to let fate decide, nothing would be better. Oh the laughs and fun he was going to have. And he was going to be right there when it happened right at the epicentre. He couldn’t wait he simply couldn’t wait.

A snapping noise was all the creature inside the little egg felt reverberating through its albumin walls before it was whisked away to parts unknown.

Chapter Two (Re-edited)

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Rarity was the first to arrive at the station, she planted her questionably sized, ‘Eques Trotter’ brand named bag by her side, pulsating and rumbling with the over packet clothing inside it.

She let out a sigh.

Rarity rubbed her eyes softly, careful not to smudge her mascara. Immediately after she did so she levitated a pocket mirror from her flank bag, flicking it open and placing it by each side of her muzzle, to inspect her features. A reaction to put her mind at ease, in order to assume that the makeup was still it in proper order. Definitely not out of some obsessive need. That would be crazy.

She tutted at herself. The black lines under her eyes, not even the mascara could hide, bags, ugly things. She tuted at herself again. She had kept herself alive for the last two days on coffee alone, and the lack of any beauty sleep had finally caught up to her, ravaging her usually pristine looks.

But it was a small price to pay, she conceded to herself, the dresses looked marvellous. (If she would allow herself to say that much about them) Nothing was too good for a royal wedding after all.

She snapped the mirror back down, surveying the platform once more, only an elderly gentlecolt was on the same one she was, though based on his heavier attire he was probably stopping at Manehatten. Either that or the cold was getting to him as well. Rarity felt it much less at the moment, having nothing but piping hot coffee warming her stomach.

She looked at the horizon, the sun was just showing its celestial form, still mostly obscured by the tree line. She made it to be around five am.
The other girls were late.

She expected it from Rainbow dash of course. Loyal to her friends but not so much to proper etiquette or timing. But the others? Well maybe Pinkie Pie, now that she thought about it, but the poor dear had been rather odd, or odder, as of late, sporadically that was. One day she was fine normal weird levels of Pinkie -ness, the next, well… She hoped it was one of the good days at least. She would hate for the mare to be away from, what was to be, the biggest party this side of the next century.

She rubbed her eyes again.

Her head hurt.

Though, now that she thought about it, it had been flaring up all week. She blamed it on her sleep deprivation, though she’d had nights like this before, she couldn’t quite quell the discomfort, usually her spells would keep them at bay. It wasn’t the healthy option, she knew that. No spell should ever be supplemented for healthy diet or sleep, every filly and colt in kindergarten knew this.

But again, ever the artist, her work demanded sacrifice at times even at the cost of her health at this time.

She flicked her scarf back over her shoulder, she loved the feel of it, it was always reliably warm, it was one of the few items of clothing she had received from her Parents she actually used. Not that she didn't love the sentiment, but well they weren't as savvy as she was in the scene, knitted jumpers were nice but…

Though that reminded her, she would have to visit them some time, and not just to drop off Sweetie Belle.

She turned around out of boredom, as she surveyed her surroundings she looked over by the end of the platform, she spotted a small shop inside the waiting rooms. Perhaps some water would help clear up this pesky headache, it couldn’t hurt.

Rarity lifted her bag up, she cantered down the train stop, counting her bits. Five was more than enough.

Fluttershy shivered, ruffling her wings for warmth, the morning cold pierced her coat and caused her to shake involuntarily. Even her natural immunity to the cold being a Pegasus, did little to save her from the abrasiveness of this frozen, cloudless, early spring morning.

She decided to pick up her pace, hoping that would warm her up, she was almost at the train stop, she could sit inside one of the waiting rooms and wait for the girls, she decided. She lamented leaving her animals behind; She always did. Even when it was forsimple things, like when she went to the shops for supplies, she still felt like she was leaving a part of herself when she left their presence. It was the main reason she was late to the meeting point at the station. These types of things had always marred her, even when she was a filly.

Home was where the heart was and for Fluttershy, that cottage and her little charges were more of her heart than the pumping organ inside her could ever be counted for. She had an affinity for any living breathing creature, be it snail or whale.

But even still, she knew it was something she had to do. Twilight needed her help and she would do anything for her best friend, especially after all she had done for her.

She just wished it wasn’t so far away…

“Now Fluttershy don’t be so selfish.” She chided herself, it was only for a few days, her animals were for the most part self-sustaining, at least enough to make do without her for a few days. They loved her company, almost as much as she did theirs, and they loved her medical help perhaps more so than that. But they were still animals and they were more than self-sufficient on their own.

She picked up her pace again, though her gaze kept turning back towards the direction of her Cottage. Of course, she was so close to the train station on the other side of town there was no way she could even hope to spot it, but that didn’t stop her trying.

She made her way over towards the train station with resignation. She knew it was silly but she just felt so empty at times like these, but no matter, she could do nothing about it, she would see her friend in only a few moments and that would change. Her friends were always so happy to be around, their company so enjoyable, they would cheer her up.

She climbed the stairs to the platform, when she heard yelling coming from one of the shops “Twelve bits!? For water. What kind of underhoofed racket are you playing at!?”

“Look lady, it’s twelve or nothin’ take it or leave it.”

“Oh I shall leave it alright, but just know this won’t stand, I’ll have you know that come the end of this month everypony will know just how crooked you are!”

Fluttershy epp’ed at the noise. It was unmistakably Rarity. Was she okay?

Fluttershy made her way towards the glass door of the shop, peering through the glass so that only her head was visible. Inside the two mare were face to face.

“Would you charge twelve Bits if I was with foal, I bet you wouldn’t!”

The mare behind the counter looks at her lopsided studying the mare's body. “Wait, you’re with foal?”

“No of course no—

“Actually now that you mention, it you kinda’ look—“

Rarity could feel a vein in her forehead ready to burst. “Enough of this, good day ma’am!” She yelled, storming out the shop, all but flinging the door off its hinges with her magic.

Stepping out she touched her horn lightly, it stung like nothing she had felt before and shot bolts of pain down into her skull. That wasn’t very smart of her, over exertion and a headache. My she thought, I should really had to control her temper better in the future.

She turned, hoping that nopony saw her more unladylike anger, when she spotted something familiar to her laying on the floor.

“Fluttershy? Whatever are you doing down there?”

Fluttershy moaned weakly as she looked up, she turned meekly up to her friend clutching her nose with a hoof. Already trickles of blood were pouring down from her hoof ,as she tried to compress it.

“Fluttershy, my Luna, you’re bleeding, what happened!?” Rarity stated in shock, moving closer to her downed friend.

Fluttershy sniffled a bit, unable to speak through the pain, she drew her eyes to the door and then to Rarity.

Rarity followed the line of sight, then back to her friend with an ‘o’ expression on her face before walking over and kneeling down to her friend, touching her shoulder softly, like her she would shatter into a thousand pieces if any amount of pressure was applied.

“Fluttershy darling I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I didn’t even see you behind the door, oh how stupid of me, are you okay, nothing’s broken is it?”

Fluttershy blinked away some of the reactionary tears, her nose hurt less than it must have looked. But it was the touch that caused her to look away more, though the simple act brought much of the pain away. “I-It’s fine Rarity… It’s my fault I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping.”

Rarity shook her head. “Now don’t you dare apologise for my misdoing, had I not lost my temper… Oh I am sorry though, here let me get you something to stop the bleeding.” She ushered her demure friend over to a bench near the store.

Rarity looked around in her saddlebag for something to use. However all she had had really packed in her luggage were the wedding dresses, sowing equipment and her cosmetics. Nothing that could stem the bleeding. It was only when she reached down further that something blocked the view of the open bag. Her scarf slid off her shoulder as she hunched over, dragging across the bag. She stared at it, and then sighed.

“Here.” She stated, with only a hint of apprehension, offering the scarlet red material to her friend, as she levitated it off her shoulders and towards her friend.

Fluttershy stares at her friend in bewilderment. “Rarity I-I, you shouldn’t.”

“Please darling it’s fine, actions have consequences lest we never learn, besides, it’s simple enough to make again.” She stated, earnestly hoofing over the scarf to her dear friend.

“Tank you.” She muffled through the scarf, as she put pressure on her wounded nostrils. The pain had already began to subside, for a surprisingly timid and some would say weak creature, she found her pain often died quickly, which was a bit of a blessing, considering the antics she had been up to these past years with the girls.

“Ya’ know, it’s hard convincing granny that we all don’t invite trouble all the time, but you girls can’t even help yourselves this early in the morn.” A cocky voice ran out.

Both girls bolted up in surprise, quickly turned towards the southern accent, that gave them both a greeting with the tip of her hat and a friendly smirk, as she set down her saddlebags by the side of the bench they were currently seated on.

“Applejack, don’t just sneak up on us like that, you nearly scared me out of my coat!” Rarity snipped back with a glare.

The cowpony simply let out a short snort, she looked at Rarity with a sideways glance.

“For your information, I was here well before you were, ifin’ anything ya’ll should be apologising for not sayin’ hi to me.” She stated with a grin.
Rarity gave her friend a deadpan stare. “Now, if I didn’t know any better Applejack I’d say you were lying, there was nopony here except me and that old Gentlecolt down the side there.” She pointed to the old Stallion, who conveniently looked back at her, giving the group a friendly wave.

“Well yeah, did ya not look next to him, I was sittin’ right there talking to him.”

Instantly Rarity adopted a more sheepish expression, as she stared back at the green coated stallion. How had she not noticed Applejack was easily a hoof taller than the old colt? She should have been easy to spot, she was sure she would have seen Applejack positive even, obviously Applejack couldn’t have blended into her surroundings, unless she was hiding some sort of horn under that Stetson. Oh, it must have been that blasted headache of mine, Rarity now found she couldn’t wait to rest on the train.

“orry Appleja—“ Fluttershy stopped her apology when Rarity gave her ‘that look’. The one that she had used many times, when Fluttershy was being too self defeating or modest. It was a look that had been used more that once in Fluttershy's life.

Applejack snorted a laugh, “I’m kiddin’ Shy.” It’s good ta’ see ya’ again, even if it were only a day ago we last meet up.”

“A day of putting you girls together for the dress making might as well constitue a week. My word, how you lot make such a herculean task out of the mundane, I’m surprised I even had the time to finish them all.” She finished with a cocky grin.

“Ha, says the girl that spends all her daylight hours racing to that spa. Surprised you don't just move into the sauna for what it's worth.” Applejack baited back, earning a well meaning, equally playful, huff from the fashionista.

Fluttershy simply smiled, she loved those feelings she felt around the girls, the sense of loving camaraderie, even if it was playful jabs, if felt almost sisterly in a way. She had never felt these before meeting the group as a whole. Sure, she had meet Applejack and Rarity before, but it was more in passing, the only exception to that was Rarity, who lived right in the heart of town near the food market, thus making it impossible not to meet in a passing encounter, she had never said, or whispered more accurately, more than a few extra words to the mare. Now however, she couldn’t even consider what her life would be like without this now.

She found back in the day, she couldn’t be around pony’s long enough to truly know any of them. In fact, if it wasn’t for a certain cyan friend, she wagered that she would probably never even see anypony, except for those that took their pets to her for medical care.

Speaking of cyan friends.

“What were you talking to the stallion about anyway!?” A tomcoltish voice called up from the roof, as she leaned over the black shingles, so that only her face was visible above them, her voice raised just enough to make all three jump in response.

“Gosh darnit R.D! What’s wrong with ya’, the sun ain’t even risen yet and you’re already pullin’ pranks, get down from there gosh darnit!” Applejack yelled more shocked than angry.

Rainbow dash simply lowered herself, gliding down with her wings, cackling all the way. “Sorry couldn’t resist.” She fictitiously apologised.
Rarity collected herself first, giving Rainbow, and then Applejack a grumpy look. “If it wasn’t at my expense as well Applejack, I would say that was a bit of karmic justice Applejack!” Rarity lifted up her muzzle turning away from Applejack towards Rainbow giving the mare a disapproving stare as she stared down her muzzle at her.

“And what took you so long? Don’t tell me you were sitting up there all this time as well.”

Rainbow waved her hoof at her. “Nahh, I was round Sugarcube Corner, only got here like two minutes ago. Wanted to make sure Pinkie was okay. You know she’s been actin funny all week, well not in her usual Pinkie haha funny way, you know?”

The other Girls looked at each other nodded in turn. Pinkie had been acting strangely since the last two weeks, distracted, distant and disorientated, definitely not her usual idiosyncratic way. It was actually a sad sight for the residents of Ponyville, to see the mare simply walk towards her destination, instead of her usual darting, skipping and jumping movements.

She assured everyone she was fine. But still the girls couldn’t help but worry, to the point that they had sat her down and told her that after this trip, she would have to see a doctor. They couldn’t bare to have some awful, possibly avoidable illness befall her. Pinkie had reluctantly agreed, but as it happened she wasn’t a fan of needles, or doctors, or waiting rooms, so the group needed quite a lot more time and hot cocoa to convince her.

“How is she?” Fluttershy asked first in earnest, ever concerned for her friends wellbeing.

Rainbow bit her lip for a moment in thought, considering how to phrase it. “She’s… Better, she said she was still coming, I told her there was no way Twilight would hold it against her if she didn’t make it. I said if she felt like she wasn’t going to be able to take the long train journey, don’t chance it. But she was pretty sure she was good to go. You know how she is when her minds all made up, there ain’t any way of stopping her.”

Applejack and Rarity exchanged knowing, ironic gazes to one another before shaking their heads.

“Hey, I saw that!” Rainbow yelled, pointing her hoof accusingly at them.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Well at least she’s fine, but let’s keep an eye out for her this trip.”

“I’ll do it…” Fluttershy was the first to volunteer “I mean, I have some medical experience, with my animals I mean, not that Pinkies an animal, but well, I could help her, if she feels unwell on the train.”

“We get ya girl, don’t worry that ain’t a bad idea. I’m sure when we get to the castle we can ask Twilight's brother to get someone to look at her, make sure they don’t use an needles or what not, or at least get someone to keep an eye out for her.”

Rarity eyes darted towards the platform entrance. “Speaking of Twilight, where is she, she would be the last pony I would have wagered to have been second last to show?”

The other girls shrugged. Looking at the bottom of the station staircase. Nopony showed.

“Aah, we still got like twenty minutes till the train shows. She’ll be fine. She’s probably stressing over which quill she needs, or what book will teach her about weddings or somethin’.” Rainbow chuckled at her own joke as the others kept their peripheral sight on the entrance.
The group lapsed into a small silence, as they settled into a small circle around and on the bench.

“Anyway you didn’t answer my question A.J.” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Huh? Oh the Stallion you mean? Yeah gotta’ talkin’ while I was waiting for ya’ll. Funny, he came up to me first, not that I minded the company, he was a kindly sorta’ guy, he said he recognised me from a photo and he couldn’t put my face to a name.” Applejack smiled, she wasn’t so deterred by the odd set of question as much anymore. Being heroes of Equestria came with all sorts of fame in itself, and with fame came the unspoken clause that strange ponies sometimes approached her with these sorts of questions, and the odd autograph every blue moon.
Rarity hummed in understanding “You mean, the stallion recognised you from a news clipping?”

Applejack chuckled. “Funny, I asked him somethin’ similar to that, but nah he said it was a photo of all of us from Sugarcube Corner, apparently he was here visiting Pinkie, said he was family, distant relative or something like that weren’t too specific. Guess he’s just getting on in the years, I didn’t pry too much, still though I thought it a mite-bit strange seein’ as how she never mentioned anypony like him before and he looked nothing like her.”

“Yeah, but she never mentioned any of her relatives, you know, I heard from Miss Cake that she has sisters, like three of them!” Rainbow added with an exacerbated wave of her hoof for effect.

Rarity and Fluttershy looked at one another in shock and a little bit hurt that Pinkie never mentioned her relatives, a slight bit of curiosity hit their mind as well, where they as sporadic and boisterous as Pinkie was? Or were they even weirder, even more Pinkie Pie than even Pinkie Pie herself. The thought intrigued and also scared them slightly.

“That was my point exactly hun. But seeing how our track record for hidden siblings is going, I guess it weren’t that strange now that Twilight only told us two days ago that she even had a brother.”

“Yeah she practically screams only child, what with her being so out there and in pony’s faces and all.” Dash said with another chuckle.

“Rainbow,aren’t you an only child to?” Fluttershy pointed out, finally feeling comfortable removing the scarf from her nose, noting that there wasn’t as much blood on it than she thought, thankfully, and that it was only slightly noticeable, mixed into the dark red fabric. Maybe she could wash the scarf and bring it back to Rarity, she would hate to ruin something so nice and warm.

Rainbow blinked, looking at Fluttershy oddly. “Well yeah, what do that have to—“

“Hi every pony, sorry I’m late!” A lavender pony in the distance yelled, racing down the platform, spare pages and other stationary materials falling from her oversized bag, as she galloped down the platform. An equally purple ball of scales racing behind her picking up the items that fell behind her.

“Geeze girl, slow down, train ain’t even here yet.” Applejack yelled as she caught Twilight in her hooves, before she rammed into the group. She eyed her Lavender friend, she looked… Well, she wasn’t a doctor or anything, but she had heard of schizophrenia before, now she wasn’t saying her Lavender unicorn friend had such an awful mental illness. But it was safe to say that the usually patient, happy, studious Twilight, was not in the vicinity at the moment, and instead in her hooves she held the twitchy, addled, unstable Twilight.

Or as Rainbow Dash classfully coined it, crazy Twilight.

She didn’t care for the prospect of another want it need it spell so, she decided to cut the stem of those problems before it budded.

“Okay, easy girl, it’s all good, everything’s fine.”

“Of course everything’s fine, why wouldn’t it be fine, I can’t wait to get to Canterlot and give my brother a piece of my mi—loving admiration for marrying a total stranger and telling me a mere few days before hitching up together and getting married, and to royalty no less. Some stuck up pony from who knows where. Why wouldn’t that be totally fine!?” Her eye twitched twice as she nervously chuckled. Applejack cringed a bit, did her eyes always point in different directions when she was like this?

Spike had finally joined the group grunting and huffing as he fought to get in as much oxygen as he could. “She’s. *huff* She's been like this for two *huff* days now. I would have warned you, but she made me re-shelf the bookcases every two hours so, *huff* couldn’t get out of the house.” Spike croaked out, falling down where he stood, momentarily dead to the world. The group turned from him to exchanged worried glances at one another before they turned back to eyeing their beloved friend twitch, mutter and pacing on the spot.

Rarity had to fight with all her might not to immediately start brushing that mess of tied knots and cully disaster zone she called Twilight's mane at the moment. It looked like a bird had come to nest in it, and was that a burn mark on the left side of her bangs? Rarity shuddered. Calm her down first Rarity, then you can save it, or you can save what’s left of it.

It was Applejack who came in to save the day, lightly touching her friends back and guiding her onto the bench in an attempt to avoid this meltdown.

“Well why don’t you just sit here Pumpkin, that’s it now take a few deep breaths, there you go, that’s it. Now let’s all try and stay calm, everything’s going as planned, right, you got your checklist for the day right.”

Twilight nodded looking down distantly, her sporadic movements cleared up by the calming tone. Much like Celestia used to do.

“All right that’s good, now the trains running on time, you got your ticket and dress all set and ready?”

“Rarity should.” Twilight mumbled, as she looked up at her alabaster coloured friend, who smiled with a bit too much teeth, and nodded with too much vigor at her. The normally educated cadence in Twilights voice returned into her tone.

Spike looked at Applejack in shock, like she had just tamed Cerberus with a hug, he couldn’t get her to calm down in two whole days. Now, Applejack was doing it with just a few sentences. He would have to get lessons after all this was over. He had no idea Applejack had super calming powers!

“All righty then, I’d say everything just perfect nothing to go craz— uhh, get yourself all worried over. Everyone’s here waiting for the train as planned. The longn five hour train, with only one break, and only one room for us all to share, calmly yeah.”

Twilight sighed, letting the knots and pressure inside herself untangle and free themselves with that one single breath. “You’re right, Thanks Applejack I—

“Actually Applejack, that’s not true, Pinkies not here.” Fluttershy stated to her side, not clued into what she had just done.

Before Applejack had time to panicky shush her, as if by the very graces of the universe itself had noticed, the sounds of the train whistle perforated through the air. The group turned to see the train speedily in the distance, come closer and closer to the Platform, it would be here in a mere few minutes

Hoof still on Twilight back, she felt Twilight body twitch again, her eye was doing that funny thing it did and not in a haha funny sort of way almost immediately, everything that Applejack had just done was undone in a matter of seconds. She only had one word to comment on that.
“Ah horseapples!”

Pinkie made her way through the streets of Ponyville, careful not to over exert herself.

She still had all her Pinkie like energy, that boisterous happy energy that’s only rivaled a foal in Candyland. But she still felt different, she knew that all too well.

The sun was slightly higher now, than when she had awoken, the bright celestial beams were cutting through the icy chill of the morning, speedly making its way up the deep blue sea in the sky, it warmed her body, but did little to warm her spirits. No matter how many times she tried to fill her mind with happy thoughts, that one specific thought kept shooting its way back into her mind, cutting through the happy thoughts like butter. She couldn’t shake it. Literally she had tried, but it only seemed to make her dizzy.

She frowned, an act that brought more pain to her than most ponies, but even she knew that sometimes such expressions were needed, she wasn’t crazy. Contrary to popular belief she knew suppressing one's true emotions was unhealthy and that you couldn’t be smiley, cheery joy joy aaaall the time. Even if it did make her look like a grumpy gumpy.

Should I tell them? The idea like an alien voice in her mind she didn’t recognise, It had returned to her every few moments, stopping any form of thought in her mind, it was all her mind would focus on.

Well she knew she should, or at least she would, it was the right thing to do. Pinkie was horrible with keeping secrets. But this one was super duper important. Was it right to keep a secret if it could hurt her or somepony else more than if she didn’t say?

She knew it would hurt, maybe even crush, her friends feeling, to find out she had been keeping it a secret for so long, especially Applejack, a mare who prided herself on being able to sniff out a lie twenty acres away. But she had to keep this lie going for now, she couldn’t tell, she had been living with it for so long, how could she?

But they were her best friends, they had a right to know. Especially now, she wouldn’t be able to hide this anymore. She would tell them…After the wedding that was. This wasn’t her special super duper romantic day. She would never steal someponys limelight, even if this was very important to her.

Then again, maybe she was just trying to postpone the inevitable, the ramifications of her actions was all she could think about. Made worse, only by the idea that she just didn’t know what would happen, once she told them.

Ohh all of those thoughts were making her heart, head, and her--.

Pinkie Pie opened her eyes wider than before, sucking in a shocked breath.

“OH-oh, no-no-no not now!”

Panicking she bolted forwards galloping at full Pinkie speed up the cobbled street. The train station was about two hundred hooves from her. But she easily closed the distance in next to no time at all, jumping most of the stairs to the platform top. As soon as she made it up the line, she thanked Celestia, the Conductor was about to call for last orders as he stood at the last carriage.

“Waiiit!” Pinkie cried out, jumping at the conductor, who didn’t even have the chance to scream in surprise, as she bolted on top of him and into the carriage in search of a restroom.

Rainbow Dash, along with Rarity, kept their heads out of the train window, hoping to spot their friend Pinkie, so that they could warn the conductor to stop, should she arrive in the nick of time. However, it was Rainbows keen senses that caught sight of her first, out of her peripheral vision, before Rarity, as she noticed the Pinkie blur pounce up the stairs with terrific speed and agility.

Rainbow screamed to her.

“There she is! Hey Pinkie, over here come on the trains leaving!”

The rest of the group turned, looking out the window, only to witness and cringe as they saw the savage collision between mare and conductor.

Pinkie Pie barely considered her friend’s words, too preoccupied by the need to find a safe room as the build-up in her body was becoming too much to control. She would meet her friends further down the train, when she got herself under control again.

She just hoped they weren’t too curious to come find her first.

She let out a thankful prayer to Celestia as she found the unisex toilets in the caboose was currently not occupied. Bolting into it, she slammed the lock down, just in time.

“You’ll never get away with this!” The mare behind Chrysalis yelled, despite her fatigue, she was still as rowdy as she had been the first week they had captured her.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, as she dipped the quill into the ink pot, she was getting tired of this mare. Admittedly, she could have gone into another room to finish her work, but with her plans so close to fruition, she had to make sure everything was in order. She trusted her children with her life, and her royal guards especially. But in the back of her mind she could not rest easy without making sure that everything was going perfectly according to plan. And if that meant playing guard to the alicorn herself, so be it.

“They’ll find me, it’s only a matter of time. You can’t win this!”

She continued her scratching on the paper, ignoring the princesses bewailing and morose threats. She had to admit, somewhere deep within her, she had a little bit of respect for the audacious little mare. Defiance, even in the heart of the enemy’s nest. The gall to talk down to a creature vastly superior to her in both strength and wisdom.

In some ways it reminded her of herself, when she was that age. Belligerent, difficult and undeniably rambunctious.

It was also something she deeply despised about the mare. She was like a living nostalgia, a version of her halcyon days before that night, that had come back to torment her. Some sadistic side of her wanted to turn around and prove the mares unfounded arrogance wrong. Show her the awakening, enlighten her of the consequences she herself had once faced for such defiance. Chrysalis had her magic and she knew some spell that could make it happen.

Deep dark awful spells, reserved for only the worst of her enemies, ones she hadn’t used in over five hundred years, on a select few Lings that had led, or more accurately caused, her to plan this very day. Oh it would be so easy, all the little mare would have to do would be to look into her reptilian eyes and she would be a babbling mess of flesh for the rest of her long long life. Never to know true comfort or even sleep without her deepest fear rushing to the forefront of her mind’s eye.

Yes it would have been easy.

But Chrysalis was not going to go that far. She had learned to control that anger, mitigate her sullen and morose habits, she had to, if she was going to be a ruler. Only a few times had she ever let herself become that all-encompassing anger, one of her many sisters was the last that she remembered invoking it upon. Besides, there was no point, she knew her anger towards the mare was purely coincidental. It wasn’t as if the mare was actively trying to dig up old wounds simply by being herself. How would she even know?

Besides if Chrysalis was any example, she would know these pains eventually. Alicorns, like herself, lived a long long life and if anything was ever to present itself as the meaning of living it was moments of peace and happiness set atop a backdrop of horror and suffering.
The Alicorn would learn on her own.

Chrysalis shook her head, sighing at herself, as she realised she had just wrote the same sentence three times in her distraction. She shook her head, scrunching the paper up in her magic and throwing it away. Before lifting up a fresh scroll and starting anew.

“If you harmed even a single hair on his head, I swear I’ll hunt you down and bury you in the deepest part of Equestria!”

The Queen chuckled to herself, she didn’t think that what she did to him these last two weeks could be constituted as hurting the stallion, contrary to what some might have believed, most forms of love extraction was fun for both parties. But she wasn’t about to debate that with the defiant little filly behind her.

“Why are you even here? Equestria will never accept you as their ruler!”

My my she had spunk, had she even slept, it had been weeks and she was still yelling, sure she kept the princess feed and watered contrary to how she looked. Alicorns sure where powerful creatures. She almost wished she could keep this filly longer, experiment on her, perhaps she could come up with a whole new line of Changelings with enough time and understanding of her magic.

But alas, time was not a friend to Chrysalis as of late.

A knock came behind the prismatic wall, Chrysalis lifted her head looking towards the florescent blue cavern wall, the whole cavern had been carved out perfectly to her specifications, though it was a little easier when they worked through the pre-existing mine shaft. The room she was in was to be as impenetrable as a vault. Especially since it was to contain something as valuable as any diamond.

“Enter.” She stated, she knew that she could have simply commanded through the Hive link, but she had commanded against such actions in the presence of the prisoner. She wanted to make sure that the Alicorn would have no viable information on the Changeling race, besides the obvious, once they had left Canterlot.

If anything, it would only simply be to put the other Queens minds at ease, once they found out what had happened. The last thing she wanted after her plans had succeeded was an all-out hive war between them. Her actions now would have been charge for a dethronement of her queenly stature, should all go amiss. But It wouldn’t, there was to be literally no conceivable way that she would be found out. She was sure of it.

The walls were in gulped in green light, Two seemingly inseparable parts of the crystal dungeon moved to either side, with a deep foreboding rumble, that shook the room. As they parted from one another the only thing left on the other side was a comically small changeling, by comparison to the enormous chamber doors waiting patiently for them to stop. The drone was small but seemed to be around its pre-adult phase. The little ling must be due to shed his last chitin in the next few days. Chrysalis mused to herself as she set down the scroll and turned her body towards the little Ling.

“My queen.” The Ling said bowing deeply, Chrysalis nodded and the ling approched her quickly.

“Yes my child, what is it, and why have they sent you, I had orders that one of the infiltrators would carry out intelligence drops to me?” She refrained from using her real name for security purposes, an idea that had be proven appropriate when the loud squawking Princess had finally turned quite behind her.

Though, now that she thought about it she was sure that the little mare would have no way of differentiating between any her children. Ponies seemed very aloof with the differences between her Children. But Chrysalis could tell even without the Hive minds help. Still though, the added security helped.

“S-sorry my Queen, they were busy and I was closest to your room.” He stated meeting her eyes with ill ease, before fixating them back towards the ground once again.

The little Ling was shaking, it must have been the first time he had an audience with her. The poor little Nymph.

“No need for apologies, just say what you have to say child, I have much to do even before the sun starts to rise.”

The Little Ling almost jumped up from his spot “Yes my Queen, Infiltrator General S—

“Yes I know his name, need I remind you what I said about uttering names child.” Chrysalis chided back, letting a bit of anger out in her voice as warning. Usually she was very patient, especially with the young, but she was not going to allow any of her children to fall into danger over a stupid, easily avoidable blunder. She turned her gaze to the disgruntled princes, who was staring adamantly at the conversation. She didn’t even know how the mare had sussed out their language, she must have cast the bilingual spell before they had been able to restrain her. The spell took time to adjust to a language, around three days though. Enough time for Chrysalis to realise what the mare had done. She was cunning enough to hide it at first, but Chrysalis was smarter, She feed her faulty information from the start, going so far into the absurd that even the mare knew she was being played. Now the mare just used it to but in every once in awhile and to occasionally annoy or interrupt her.

Though it would be amusing if she still thought we bleed acid. Chrysalis almost chuckled at that thought.

“Sorry—

“Get on with it already.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes.

The little Ling snapped back up to attention. “The general said they are in position, also they have located the package.”

Chrysalis eyes lit up at the news her lips, split into a naturally giddy smile, she had expected her children to spend the rest of the day locating what she had needed.

“He is not some package!” The mare behind her growled.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes at the aloof statement, young love really did make ponies blind.

“Where was it then, the vault under the east wing, one of the forbidden spires or was it in the cordoned off part of the royal archives?”

“U-Um neither of those your majesty. It was in the gardens.”

Chrysalis blinked a few times, waiting for the little Ling to finish his sentence. But he just stood there waiting with his eyes staring at the ground still.

“The Gardens?” She repeated to herself. “Why on Ash would the package be there?”

She looked at the Alicorn for a second, not sure what she could hope to find from staring at her. Especially considering that the mare was looking back at her with her head cocked to the side now, not quite sure what the two Changeling were actually talking about anymore.
“Was there spell wards on the package? Griffon runes? A platoon of Guards?

The little Ling shook its head.

“Nothing your Majesty, the package is just there out in the open, there is a barracks, but that’s at least six hundred yards away from it. It’s for the most part unguarded, save for passing patrols. The general said one of his Infiltrators found a leaflet explaining about some tour that is happening sometime next year, the leaflet even encouraged colts and fillies to go.”

“Strange, how very strange indeed…has the old mare finally gone soft of mind?” She spoke the thought out loud looking down in complete befuddlement.

“My auntie is not soft of mind you big ugly bug!” Cadence screamed finally clocking on enough to join back into the conversation.
“Oh for the love of the Old Mothers.” Chrysalis whispered, levitating a piece of cloth and wrapping it around the mare’s snout, like a dog muzzle. “There, much better, don’t know why I didn’t do that a while ago.”

Cadence immediately fought to bring the cloth from her muzzle using her wings and hooves to pry it off. But without the assistance of her magic, the cloth wouldn’t budge. After a minute, she simply stared daggers back at Chrysalis growling and mumbling incoherent insults back at her.

“Like an angry pink puppy.” Chrysalis cackled, before turning back to the little Ling.

“Have the general keep the squads there, I want no complications or outside interference, the package is the most vital part of the plan. Even more so than the wedding itself, make sure they all understand that clearly, or there will be dire consequences.” She stated making sure to emphasize the dire part. She had gone over this plan more than a hundred times, prognosticating every conceivable outcome and planning every single second of it making it as perfectly executed as one could get, when considering that two of the most powerful beings would be in the presence of this scheme.

Though, if all went perfectly well, the plan would be executed without them even knowing she was there, until it was far too late.

“Oh and before you go.”

The little Ling turned so fast and bowed he almost hit his head on the crystal floor. “Yes my Queen.”

“Give this to the general as a surprise gift from me. He has done everything I have asked with perfection, and such actions don’t go unnoticed from his Queen.” She stated, lighting up her horn. The little Changeling’s horn lit up in response as a wave of euphoria hit him like a tsunami, almost knocking him off of his hooves.

“There, you may keep a small portion of that for yourself as a reward as well, I know how draining those last few phases of chitin shedding can be, now go!” She commanded, waving him away with her hoof. The little Ling nodded dumbly, stumbling up and hitting the door with his flank as he bolted away, almost drunk off the levels of love he had just absorbed.

Chrysalis knew that feeling, she had never had so much come from such a raw fountain as when she meet this stallion, or the Alicorn sisters. She would need all of it and more if she was to accomplish her goal however. She would have to wait until the peak of the wedding, the exchange of kisses the point where a pony couples love almost peaks to new levels. Then and only then would she be able to have the power to undo the petrification and take back what was hers.

Her horn glowed with that sickly yet enrapturing green, that even Cadence couldn’t take her eyes away from each time she looked at it. No magical aura had even been that shade of green in recorded history.

Chrysalis sighed. It wasn’t a tired sigh, it was more to psych herself up, one more day, she was to win or die trying.

Turing as Cadence, to Cadence she smiled everything an exact facsimile of herself, save for the fangy, malicious smile . “Well, the time is nigh little puppy, wish me luck!”

Cadence simply humped, flaring two of her primary feathers up at Chrysalis. A Pegasus gesture and not a nice one.

“Well if you’re not in the mood for a little joking around and fun, then I’m sure your little squeeze won’t mind if I take over.” She cackled when Cadence growled and bucked the crystal over and over in frustration.

Chrysalis smirk widened at her futile efforts. Well, she didn’t exactly promise that she wasn’t going to tell her what she was doing with that hunk of Blue and white. She flared her magic engulfing herself in Flame completing her disguise she gave herself a once over in the crystal reflections of the cavern to the background noises of huffing, frustrated cries and clashing against crystal. This wasn’t how she thought her life was going to end up, but stranger things have happened and life especially for one of her kind was a fickle thing.

She shook her head, pondering her destiny could wait, she had two daughters to greet.

With a flair of her Horn she teleported.

Tomorrow was going to be one for the ages.

Chapter Three (Re-edited)

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“Okay everypony, no need to rush.” Celestia dictated, standing at the top of the stair case.

All five mares walked towards the front of enormous throne room, that now acted as a sermon hall for the soon to be married couple. Rarity in particular couldn’t keep her eyes away from the room, surveying it every few chances she got between practices. It all just looked so perfect.

“Okay perfect, then of course Cadence will enter.”

At that moment Cadence opened the door, how she had even heard Celestia from the other side of that room was beyond Rarity. But like all her fantasies involving a romantic nature. (Which encompassed almost every one) Even in the rehearsal everything was just perfect. Oh how stunning she had looked striding like the epitome of royalty that she was. It was almost like she had done that for a thousand years, her stride and stature was perfect.

Yes, today was going so perfectly.

And then Twilight happened.

“She’s evil!”

What had possessed her to such an act of disgrace? To say something like that to her brother’s wife, to her new, soon to be sister in law? Disregarding her every being, she was almost the unicorn equivalent of the earth pony Icarus and with the scolding of the very sun itself, she was not far off with that myth.

Shining Armour had taken it the worst yet, although, perversely he actually took it better than she herself thought she would do, if the rolls were reversed. She had to give him credit, his morals very much took after his sisters, or was it the other way around? She supposed so, given the age gap and just how much Twilight revered him, she practically told his story’s like they were sermons to be repeated in a holy sepulchre.
Oh course, somepony like that had to be, considering that he was a captain of the royal guard and everything. It helped that he was easy on the eyes as well.

Ah, if it wasn’t already obvious he had eyes for another.

Rarity giggled despite herself.

She shook her head. Now was definitely not the time nor the place. At least she could now count one prince of Equestria she would be happy to meet at the next Gala.

Her amorous merriment quickly left her as her mind played out the events once again.

“She’s evil!”

Rarity shivered. To use that word so, so liberally. She couldn’t see why Twilight would ever use that word out of context. She, like Rarity herself, knew what true evil was, she had stared down its black fur coated muzzle. Winced at the light shone off its ominous silver helm and armour, seen it smile back at her, in its twisted fanged form.

That wasn’t Cadence, sure she was a bit pushy, demanding, and to be honest blunt, bossy. But it was from a mare a day from her wedding. Not to mention she was a Princess, she literally had the cosmic magical right to be ‘a bit bossy.’

Twilight had left the mare so exposed, to yell, scream and point at her with such vigorously angry accusations, in front of all her family and piers. Twilight didn’t even have the courtesy to wait until the precedings were finished. Oh poor Cadenza, Rarity hoped she was okay. The sobbing state she was in when she fled from the room. Her heart went out for the princess. Hopefully Shinning was taking care of her, surely he would lift her spirits.

A part of her wanted to scold Twilight, but another part wanted to sit down and talk with her, see if she was okay. She loved Twilight like a sister, but like a sister, she knew that sometimes it was better to let a filly linger on what they had done wrong. Not enough time had passed, she would only add wood to that fire if she pursued it.

She tutted at herself. She was getting distracted. She still had more work to do, what with all the changes to the dresses Cadence had insisted upon. She was a little saddened that she didn’t like them straight away, for what they were. But the sadness led to understanding. Again like Shining, the mare handled things a lot better that she would have. And Rarity was not vain enough to think that her dresses were perfection incarnate, just because she had put her hoof on them.

She had respect for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the mare knew what she wanted.

Besides, it was only a few small changes. She had to work on her friends clothes anyway, what was a little extra work?

It wasn’t like she was going to get any sleep as it was. The nap on the train had been just enough. But she had felt drained ever since she meet the girls at the Platform. And to make matters worse her headache had somehow gotten more annoying, more distracting and far more painful.

“An artist work is never complete!” She sang to herself, mostly to keep up her impetus as scissors, needles and myriads of fabric flew across the room in her magic, if she couldn’t sleep she could at least create.

She trotted towards the other side of the room and stared at the three mannequin or more accurately at the dresses they adorned.
Three.

Three faulty dresses.

It just made no sense.

She stared at Fluttershy’s first. Fluttershy had stated in her usual Fluttershy way that the dress didn’t fit her. But only after Rarity had coxed any type of criticism out of the mare. Honestly, she almost thought that Fluttershy had thought she was about to maul her if she said the lining was ill stitched.

She shook her head again.

The mid-waist was too big, it sagged and didn’t hug the withers. Not surprising for a holder of a dress, ponies figures change all the time. Rarity herself, much to her dismay and ice cream ravaging stomach, could attest to that.

But so much in a week? And from Fluttershy, she knew the mare probably ate less that her evil little rabbit she loved did, but still there was a limit.

Not to mention the wing joint was out of balance. She was at least three inches higher than what Fluttershy’s wings were supposed to be.
Now that one Rarity could only admit as her mistake. Pegasus’s wings don’t just shoot up three inches. No, the measurements were off, she had a hard time getting all her friends together for measurements to keep them accurate as it was. Her last fitting with Fluttershy had been something like a year ago at the earliest. She was still young, in fact other than Rainbow Dash, she was the youngest of the group, almost three years younger than Twilight or Rarity herself, though she often exaggerated her own age, and twenty five was still young for a mare with eyes on the fashion world… Yes of course it was.

Regardless to this, Fluttershy was still on the tail end of puberty, something like this could happen, it wasn’t like they just grew randomly?
“Do they?” She asked aloud. Then facehooved. “No of course they don’t, how silly of me, I must have measured incorrectly. Really I should have paid more attention in Biology class.” She laughs at her naivety, and silliness.

Then she paused, biting her bottom lip as she eyed the measurements again.

She would ask Rainbow Dash tomorrow, but only to prove how that was of course not true. Yes, something like that.

Then again, that could be the fault of the dresses being ill-fitting. Obviously if a dress was designed to be tight then any deviation from the measurements would throw the whole thing out of order.

Rarity levitated a sketching to her muzzle, adjusting the measurement and jotted down the changes on the labels next the picture of the dress. Left and right wing fifteen point seven inches from base of stomach. She floated the drawing back onto her desk, eyeing the next dress.

“Pinkie Pie. Even your dresses makes little sense.” She stated to the mannequin.

Almost the opposite of Fluttershy, Pinkie pie seems to have gotten bigger. Its stomach and chest seemed to have expanded at least three extra inches. The mare couldn’t even get the dress on in the rehearsals. She knew the mare survived on sweets and a mountain of cakes, not to mention she was literally a filly in a candy store. But to be fair, the mare must run at least two marathons a day. The only other mare that even meet her fitness quota was Rainbow Dash.

“She’s curvy true, but to call her chubby, no that would be an overstatement, not to mention downright rude. So why?” She analysed the drawing of Pinkie's dress. Thirty six waist. As it had always been.

Just about everything on her has gotten bigger!

Rarity sighed. Rubbing her forehead. She would say all this puzzling was going to give her a headache, but…

“No matter, I can even this out, just need to undo the stitching in the seams and then add more material, thank goodness I had the foresight to bring spare materials.” She commented, as she began to levitate what she had from when she had finished them back in Ponyville.
“Which leads me onto my next task, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity growled at the mannequin who bravely stood perfectly still under her daunting glare.

No growing or shrinking, no moving of limbs or adjustment of, *ahem* personal elements. No just one big tear from the back of the dress almost to the wing.

She had warned her not to fly in the dress. But of course the warning went unheeded.

“I would force you to a spa treatment, for such a heinous act against fashion, but we all know you secretly love them!” Rarity muttered angrily to the dress. She would find a way to get back at her friend. Pinkie was always good with the pranks, she would ask her for assistance on that account.

She looked over the three dresses again and then as if magnetized, her eyes drew themselves to her dress on the foot of her bed.
She had tried her dress on after it was made, but that was a while ago, this dress in truth was made for the next Gala. Not specifically for the wedding. It would still fit, right?

“Well…I suppose I should try on my dress first…”

“*huff* Oh Celestia *huff* Cadence that was amazing! Where did you even learn to do that thing with your tongue.” A disheveled Shining Armor stated, falling back onto the pillow blushing from the post coital aftermath.

Cadence giggled. “When you’re as traveled as I am you pick up a few things.” She proudly hinted, as she snuggled into the chest of her very soon to be husband.

“Let me guess, Griffonia?” He stated with a knowing smirk. Normal ponies didn’t exactly talk about their past experiences, it was a social taboo among couples, but Shinning had learned long ago that if he was going to be in a relationship with the Princess of Love he was going to need to take into consideration that his relationship was going to be more open than most. But he didn’t mind, he loved Cadence, worshipped her even, if that meant sometimes his love did things that sometimes involved him and a third party member that would never bother him. He knew at the end of the day there love was exclusively for them. Plus, it helped that he found the perks of being in an open relationship quite thrilling at times.

“Well, they don’t have lips, so they have to be inventive now don’t they.” Cadence stated with a smirk, as she felt the blissful, quenching thirst that only love could provide. She almost felt like she would explode if she stayed around any long, his love was so sweet almost sickeningly so. But she would take the risk, a girl had to indulge herself every once in awhile. She would need all her love, should the plan take a turn for the worst.

Or even for the best, a single Changeling Princess needed a tremendous amount of love in her first few days of life.

And she was expecting two.

She would have to cut back on the drone production for a while.

Speaking of which, she still had things to do.

“Honey, why don’t you get some sleep, I’ll be back in a bit.” She whispered into his ear pushing away from the stallion.

She heard him chuckle mischievously. “Nice try sweetie, but we made a bet that I could get your mind off of the wedding for tonight and I aim to fulfill it.” He emphasized the ‘fill’ part with a terribly childish smirk.

What does that mare even see in him. Well, if her memory served the princess was just as bad as he was, perhaps worse. He was pretty skilled for only ever dating one mare, maybe that was it.

“I just need to check on one thing, before I come back, I promise I will wake you up when I get back, okay?”

He put a hoof over her shoulders moving next to her. “Ah come on honey, I keep telling you everything’s going to be fine don’t worry about it.”

His features went into one of more compassion, as he flipped himself over onto his belly laying side by side with her.

Cadence smirked, it was a tired strained one. Was Flying Fox that needy back in the day?

“I know sweetie, but I really-

He nibbled her ear. If memory served, her left one was weak to that sexual advance. Unfortunately she was not in the mood for games, she had things to do. “Let’s just stay in bed tonight, you know it’s not good to be this stressed, I know it’s too early to say, but it can’t be good for the baby.”

She moaned as he nibbled her ear, more out of irritation, he didn’t catch onto it. However as his hoof moved further down her body stroking her wing and then the middle wing muscles, she finally lost her patience.

“Oh enough of this.” She stated in her own voice, causing Shining Armor to lean back in confusion, which gave her enough time and the right position to touch his horn with her own.

It only took a second before he was face down into the mattress snoring.

“Finally.” She stated, as she shrugged off his hoof. She jumped off the bed, stretching out her body in a cat like stance. The spell was harmless and had the added effect of erasing the last twelve minutes of somepony’s memories. A spell that ever Changeling made sure to keep in their arsenal. All that would happen is that he would wake up with the embarrassing concept that he must have fallen asleep right on top of her.
Chrysalis cackled at the notion, the concept never lost its appeal.

Chrysalis mind touched the hives. Instantly a guard posted by the door opened it up and entered the room, unfazed by the passed out pony or the reek of post coitus bliss that permeated through it.

“My Queen,” He stated his head dipped into a deep bow.

“I am going to the gardens to inspect the package personally. Send a Ling to the general, tell him to meet me if the coast is clear, I want a full report of any changes that have occurred since this morning.” She commanded.

“It will be done.” The drone bowed again.

Chrysalis nodded as the guard walked out of her room, hearing it move down the hallway. Short distance hive communication was fine so long as it was just that, short in both distance and time. But to send detailed long distance messages like this, with the receiver so far away was not allowed. She did not know the scope of the Princess’s power. Would they be able to sense her magic through her hive?

She supposed not, Chrysalis had been using her changeling sorcery on Shining for almost two weeks now and the princesses had neither seen, nor hinted at it to her.

But she was taking no chances.

It was a temporary setback, the hive would go back to how it was before the great infiltration, excluding two new members that was.

Sending her magic across her body, she cut off the smell of sweat in seconds as the wave of magic washed through her fake fur and mane. A simple bodily function for any Ling. Touching up one's disguise was essential.

She had no taboos concerning sex, it was a part of her life, like breathing. But the ponies were a tad more reserved or prudish than her. For a species that was constantly naked, they seemed to dance around the topic of sex like it was a campfire.

“And they have a Princess of Love for Ashes sake.” Chrysalis muttered, rolled her eyes, was there any point making sense where there was none?

She turned back from the mirror, content that everything was in order she trotted out the door.

Immediately two guards flanked her marching in time with her.

“You, make certain that the left wing squadron have secured their area and are ready with the cocoons, they are to meet up with me only if I have not sent word otherwise at exactly two pm understood.”

“Yes my Queen!” The Stallion marching next to her saluted, before turning on point and marching down the left corridor.

She didn’t think she would need the cocoons, but if all else failed she would be able to snatch a few hostages in the process, for leverage purposes. That, and they would also serve as an excellent source of nourishment for her girls in the coming days.

“You, send word to the sergeant, have him send word to the main forces. Same as I told the other Bull, if I haven’t sent word by two pm, they are to secure all the barracks and the key towers around the Canterlot walls, nopony gets in or out. All trains are to be halted and if possible without raising suspicion, sent away. And do not drop your disguises. If any Ling needs more love there are fountain cocoons situated across the town. Last thing we need is a battalion of Unicorns reinforcing the city watch.”

“What about the shield, your majesty?” The guard asked.

Oh, she had almost forgot the shield, she hadn’t seen much of the outside world for the past few day. She felt a hint of anger flare up inside her as she remembered the Changeling that had made that little slip up. She had that Ling punished severely for that, she could have ruined everything. Thank the mothers Chrysalis had most of her infiltrators inside the castle before the shield went up. She was so angry at the Ling at the time that she even left the isolation ring on her horn, even after it went mad from being severed from the hive. She hated hurting her children like that, but the lives of her daughters was not something she was above sparing the rod for, and now her children know that perfectly.

She would extract the she-lings Hive imprint and pheromones later and have her re-birthed once she had the time. She was not that cruel to her children. However, she would re-birth her with the knowledge of her punishment embedded in her mind, lest she forgot. There was no use for a defective drone in her hive.

"I will deal with the shield, when the time comes, I'm the one closest to its epicenter." Hopefully that could be solved when the preceding ends and in the confusion of the celebration She and the real Shining Armour could be replaced by two drones, then she could work at commanding the real Shining reverse the Shield. It would be simple enough, if she had a quiet space to work. But if it came down to it and she had to kill the stallion, so be it.

She made her way down to the gardens, as she entered she felt the presence of her children around the fields and under them, almost all of the guards were hers, she didn’t even need to expand her sense too far to know that. Her General was a master at infiltration, and guerrilla warfare. There was no oversights, if she wanted all of the guards in the gardens to be hers then it would be done.

It didn’t take her long to locate the package. She had gotten the directions from the little drone in her chambers mere hours after she had asked.

“To leave it so, so unprotected. Was it her hubris or did it truly not occur to her that anyone would come seeking it.”

It wasn’t like it was a national secret. It was in books, even foals history books. The first time she had read anything about it, was from a filly’s guide to Equestrian history. One of her Ling infiltrators had brought it back to her. The drone herself, posing as a small filly at a local orphanage, run by and paid for by Chrysalis herself. The best way to get love was to start them early. A couple gets a foal and it gets free love for itself and the hive. It was laughably silly how easy it really was.

She had done her research on the package. Months and years she had gotten any and every piece of information on it. She wanted to know exactly what she would be dealing with, once it was released. The problem was that its literal meaning of existence in Equestria was to not be understood. The most the sources could do is pose possible theories about its origins and delve a little into the rules of engagement with the creature.

The books written by the Princesses were a little more enlightening. She was lucky that soldiers guarding the forbidden wing at the Canterlot library had been having a near eight month dry spell, and had a fetish for librarians with glasses. It was almost too easy.

The books seemed to state stuff that was obvious to Chrysalis and anyone who had unfortunately made a run in with the creature. It was cruel, it was probably insane and it was tricky. Very tricky indeed. It would be almost apt to say it was smart and cunning if it wasn’t for its childish tendencies and belief in its own hubris.

There was one thing the book shed light on. The creature oddly enough set rules and stuck to them for the most part, but there was always a twist in the clause. She would have laughed at the author if it were anyone else. Every creature that had ever run into the beast would think that to be total speculation and nonsense.

How could anyone truly believe it followed rules?

But Celestia and Luna knew that creature far better than even she did.

The book had been the only form of enlightenment Chrysalis could find. No other book had given her anything like this. With just a few lines she at least had something to balance her ultimately flimsy reassurances that her daughters were okay. The reassurance had faded over time as time had want to do with all things. But this had strengthened that collapsing tower of thought far longer than it ought to have stood.
It was the only thing she had. Especially after one thousand years had passed and not one of her daughters had returned to her. It was the only thing that she had kept repeating to herself.

It keeps its promises. The creature keeps his promises. Discord keeps his promises!

After the first year past the thousand years since their engagement in the woods, she had had enough of sitting back saying that.
The only thought that she could surmise was that his imprisonment had kept him from not breaking such rules.
So she was left with nothing but one answer to that.

She would break him out.

Chrysalis stopped by the statute. She gazed up at its mocking face it had pulled mere seconds before its incarceration. She found it oddly endearing, she didn’t harbour so much distaste for the creature as she once did, now that she knew everything that could be learned about the creature she had come to perversely appreciate the thing. Ultimately it was only doing what nature had intended it to do; Just like herself. Evil was a label, others put the meaning to it. If she was evil for keeping her hive and daughters alive through lies and deceit then so be it, she was evil. She would not fight the accusation, the word meant little to her now anyway.

Either way she had to at least appreciate the statue for how it stood. She would say he was to have the last laugh. Quite literally.

“Soon.” She whispered, as she slumped her head against the cold hard stone podium the statue was propped up atop of.

“P-Princess?”

Chrysalis eyelids shot open, flicking her ear up to the side she turned. Looking down at a small Pegasus mare. Chrysalis eyed the mare up and down, a small scrawny thing, she had a nice figure, good model material. Ponies like scrawny little things like her.

“Are you okay?” She asks, in a soft demure way. The mare was obviously diffident, Chrysalis disliked her immediately, she wasn’t a fan of weak, it had no place in the hive and should have no place in the real world. Ash these ponies are soft, something primal in her mind screamed prey to her, an easy meal, leap on it and take it. She pushed it down, she was being silly.

“Why are you here, I thought staff in this castle had a curfew while the shield was up?” She asked, more in a hope to dismiss the mare offhandedly than to get a response.

The mare shrank back, a small blush adorned her face as she looked down and to the side, letting that fortress of hair fall over the left of her muzzle. “A-actually I’m not staff, I’m invited to the wedding, I’m the one that’s organising the song bird choir for you.”

Chrysalis turned her whole body around this time giving the mare her full attention, as she looked her up and down again, before her mind clicked with the image of the pony in front of her. “Oh, Fluttershy was it? Yes you’re the one that can command those animals to do your bidding. Quite an impressive feat.” she said with a hint of admiration in her voice.

The mare looked up at her in shock, fleeing from her pink walls of hair, her sapphire eyes alight with a panicked expression. “N-no I don’t control them, I-I just talk to them and ask them nicely, I-I would never do anything to animals if they don’t want to do it!”

Chrysalis refrained from rolling her eyes, instead she slowly turned back to the statue, she did give credit where it was due, the mare had a very useful skill indeed. One she wished she had. Dogs and oddly Owls for some reason or another had a terrible habit of sniffing out Changeling disguises. It wasn’t that surprising for Dogs, given their application in the royal force for sniffing out Spectres and Wraiths.

But Owls?

Life was strange and confusing sometimes.

The two divulged into an awkward silence. Chrysalis too enraptured in her lamenting and Fluttershy not sure how to get out of the conversation she had just engaged herself in. Should she be trying to comfort the bride to be? From what she could only surmise the mare was out here alone because of some pre-wedding jitters, did she need someone to talk to, oh what would Rarity do, should she just leave her be? She tried desperately to convince herself that was the right response, but, as always her inner element got the better of her and she crossed the social no man’s land slumping her body a few hooves away from the Princess.

The disguised Chrysalis grunted in annoyance as she heard the approaching footsteps. “I am fine you know, I don’t need coddling, I’m just…thinking.” It was technically true, lamenting was a form of thinking.

Fluttershy recoiled but stood her ground, “I-I know. I just thought you might like someone to listen to you, I-I just want to say Twilight adores you and even after everything that happened I’m sure she didn’t mean what she said ,she was very stressed that she wasn’t told about the wedding, maybe this was her way of venting... Either way the Twilight I know would never want her soon to be sister-in-law to be sad the day before her wedding, s-so as her friend it’s only right I help her soon to be Sister-in-law while she’s not here.” Fluttershy muttered almost lapsing into silence speak as her words got quieter and quieter towards the last part. She meant what she had said, but even after all this time she still wasn’t used to being around royalty, or new ponies for that matter. This was an entirely new experience for her and she just prayed she was saying the right thing.

Chrysalis gave an inward laugh. Sadness, this mare knew no depth to the very word. Truthfully, the only feeling she had felt for the mare called Twilight before she threw her in the same Tartarus heap she had placed real Princess Cadence was anger and a sweet helping of vengeance for almost destroying her plans.

But actors must play their part.

It wasn’t hard for Chrysalis to act disheartened and unhappy, she already was.

“It’s not what you think. Somethings can’t be overcome simply by talk.” She stated, was she talking in character or was she talking about herself, the question almost applied to both situations. She immediately wanted to recant the statement. she should have just stayed quiet. She was an expert judge of character, she new that this mare was a social mess, and that if she had just toughed it out and stayed silent, the mare would have left eventually.

Right?

She didn’t even know why she was indulging this little mare with talk, it seemed that something in her did in fact want somepony to hear her words.

“I, I know so little about you, I don’t know what troubles you’ve been through. But I know that doing something like talking has to be better than not talking, right?”

“Not if you’ve just murdered somepony.” Chrysalis quipped back, earning a fearful look from the mare.

“That was a joke.” Chrysalis deadpanned after a few awkward seconds.

The mare blushed laughing forcefully as she lowered her posture back down from the scared cat pose it had subconsciously placed itself into. Most ponies were not lax on morbid jokes, it seemed Cadance was not like most ponies. “Oh right, haha… Sorry it’s just a little weird hearing a princess say that. Celestia and Luna are usually so much more conservative around us… Oh sorry, I didn’t mean that to be offensive, it’s nice that you’re not so conservative, I like that I can actually get to know you. Not-Not like that though, you’re getting married that would be strange… I …. I should just go.”

Chrysalis watched this odd pony descend into nonsense, with great mirth, it was oddly hilarious to watch this mare tripping over her words, like a newborn foal tripping over its own four hooves.

She fought back a grin as she once again turned her head to look at the little mare. “Sit back down. Before you stutter yourself into a fit.” Chrysalis commanded lightly.

Fluttershy immediately complied, sitting down and blushing furiously, as she scraped her hoof on the floor.

“Not all ponies are who they appear to be by the way, Celestia maybe the holier than though matriarch of the country, but you would be a fool to think she hasn’t had all four hooves up in the air screaming someponys name once or twice in her life.”

Chrysalis smiled as she saw the mare's face light up in a brilliant red glow. Could faces get that red?

“S-she would never.” The very thought made Fluttershy almost shut down. Celestia in bed, with another pony, doing the… Her mind wouldn’t even let her think the very thought, she replaced the moment with kittens, like she always did when the subject came up. But this time it just wasn’t working.

“Ha, you don’t think so? Perhaps when I walked in as a young filly I was just seeing some stallion fixing her back.” She cackled again, she ‘Chrysalis’ had never actually witnessed this, but she was almost certain Cadence, the rumour that there were more screams from the Canterlot castle living quarters than there ever was from its dungeons, was not always a myth.

Think of the kittens, Think of the kitties, Oh Sweet Apple aches thing of the lovely fluffy kittens! Fluttershy was at this point close to shutting down completely.

Chrysalis stared at the mares face again as she went into overdrive. Oh Ash, she looks like facsimile of a freshly picked tomato. Chrysalis couldn’t contain herself, the fussing the mares complete break down, she could almost see what the mare was currently seeing in her head and when this Fluttershy finally let out a wailing squeal, Chrysalis could contain herself no longer. She collapsed into a world of laughter, almost rolling around on the floor, she could barely contain herself, it wasn’t even so much the joke or the mare, after a while she released she was laughing now, because she was laughing, how long had it been since she had even experienced this odd almost alien emotion with any meaning? And in front of some common pony no less.

Fluttershy for her part just managed to find the diversion she needed as she watched the royal alicorn fall, she turned her head in puzzlement as the royal mare fell into some deep laughing fit, like she had just lost her mind. Did this mean her plan worked? Had she made Cadence feel any better? Well she was laughing sure it looked a bit more scary than heart-warming, but at least she wasn’t sad anymore.

Fluttershy went with the latter idea, happy that she had done something good for the princess.

“Well, Y-you seem better already.” Fluttershy stated as the laughter died down.

The words cut through whatever was left in Chrysalis happiness, an icy realisation for her, and the mare was right, she was feeling better. Quite a bit actually, blinked twice she stood up. She wanted to be mad for allowing this to happen to her but she simply couldn’t, she felt content at this moment or distracted at least. She wouldn’t concentrate on it too much, it had helped regardless.

She sighed with a tiny hint of a smile on her face. “Yes I suppose I am, I expect you wish to gloat now?”

“Why would I do that?” She asked sincerely.

Chrysalis gave her an odd look, why would I? Why wouldn't you? She shook her head “Silly pony. Never mind it’s late and there is much to be done. You should get some sleep.”

Fluttershy looked at the moon, oh, it is getting quite late now, she wasn’t exactly tired, she was to anxious to be tired. But she had just been commanded by a Princess to go to her room, she couldn’t just say no.

“O-Okay then, have a good night Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” She finished with a bow, before trotting off.

“Y-yes and to you to.” Chrysalis finished awkwardly as the words left her almost before she could catch herself saying them.

She bit her lip watching the mare go, the distaste for the mare left her slightly. She begrudgingly had to admit, she found the pony somewhat acceptable. It was far better than what she felt for the rest of them. She would actually make a conscious effort to insure that she didn’t at least kill that one, if it came to it.

Now then, where is my General?

Pinkie had been pacing in her room, occasionally she stopped to look up at the door. All she had to do was open it, walk over to Twilight and tell her.

How hard could it be, Twilight was her friend, she would understand, right?

Pinkie leaned her head low to the ground and sighed.

If she didn’t even have the courage to go to Twilight, the smartest, most helpful, most understanding mare she knew, where could she turn?

Understanding, well now there was a joke that even Pinkie didn’t find very funny. Today had been a moment of revelation that she had not wanted to ever witness. It was like she had seen a new darker side to Twilight, she never thought she would ever see. One of her superdy duperdy best friends, one she had awesome fun adventures with and shared almost everything about herself with. How could she just do something like that? To her brother, her teacher and her foalsitter.

It was just so, so not Twilight.

Pinkie couldn’t help but wonder, if she had said something before all this went down, would she be in Cadences position right now? Crying and crushed by her friend and her anger.

Another question graced her mind, would the other girls do what they did in the room, or would they side with Twilight, would they turn and yell hurtful things to her?

Pinkie felt her mane deflate.

Of course they would, Cadance was innocent in all this. Not like her, she knew she did something bad.

She kept a bad bad secret and now she was going to pay for it. They were going to find out very soon, she was sure of that. Twilight was always so inquisitive and Rarity always knew when something happened with her friends. She wouldn’t say her friend was a gossipy gabber, that was a bit mean. But she did have a keen eye and even keener ears.

Pinkie sniffed back a tear. This was what she deserved, she was a bad pony. No, pony implied she had some sort of genetic moral compass. She was just bad.

And to make it worse she didn’t have the dignity to tell somepony. Was she any better than what Twilight was doing?

She found she wasn’t able to support herself on her hooves, she sank to her belly.

The plan hadn’t changed, she knew this. It was going to go down tomorrow after the wedding ceremony, maybe in all the commotion and antics her friends wouldn’t find the energy or peace of mind to judge.

It was a flimsy logic, but it was the only one she could think of. It was better this way for her to tell them straight up instead of letting them find out the hard way. It was like her mommy said. Hard truths are like plasters, it’s better to rip it off straight away, instead of pulling it off slowly and writhing in the pain.

Okay her mommy was a bit weird and draconian, but it was how she was raised and Pinkie loved her mommy and daddy. At least she knew that if all this was over she would still be able to go back to them. They would accept her regardless, she knew that as the underlining fact. She just wished it wasn’t the only other choice.

She would miss Ponyville.

Miss Sugarcube Corner.

Miss the Cakes.

And at the utmost she would miss her best friends.

But with something like this she knew there would be sacrifices. Actions, especially bad ones, always had consequences, and she would reap what she sowed.

Chapter Four

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[General.]

[…My queen? Is everything alright, I thought you commanded Hive silence for the next four hours?.]

[The plan has… changed.]

[Abort?]

[No! The plan has changed but your role has not. There was a mishap, no time to go into details, but the prisoners escaped and warned the monarch. I managed to incapacitate Celestia, much to my own surprise. The Cocoon squadron is in full effect now. Primary Alpha is still your main goal. No need to play it silent anymore. Secure the Package and wait for the shield to fall, that is your only order.]

[….It will be done my Queen.]

[Good luck my child, I fear we will need all of the Mothers interventions today.]

[Praise the Old Mothers!]

[Yes… Mothers help us all.]

Somewhere in the distant scopes of the time and space.

“Isabella! Isabella where are you hiding!?” A faintly French voice bellowed down the hall.

Isobel jumped up in shock, as she heard the words reverberate through the door, like they had shaken them, then again, from who it came from, they might as well have.

She jumped up out of the black leather office chair covering her mouth before she had a chance to curse at her misfortune. She rushed up to the laptop and slammed the screen down. Panicking, she tried to find a place to hide, luckily she was small, for the most part she was able to blend in or squeeze in almost anywhere. But the office she was currently inside was as bare and bland as the person who owned it. So her options were limited.

She looked at the front of the room by the door. She spotted the coat rack, or more specifically the grey overcoat dangling off it, would make for a good spot.

No, she’ll see my feet.

She rushes to a large chrome coloured metal cabinet, over by the edge of the room and pulled out the cupboard style doors. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scrambles to fit inside. But alas, the thing was too jam packed with files and boxes, to cluttered for even her to fit inside and shut the door properly.

She heard the sounds of heels on the wooden floor, outside the room, the proprietor of the voice was close by, and closing in.

Isobel bit her lip, almost praying for any spot to hide. At last she saw the opening of the desk where the chair slid in. As hiding spots went it was the most overused and unoriginal places to hide. If the owner of the voice had any sense at all, that would be the first place they looked. But if it was that or standing out in the open, she would take the desk.

Almost leaping into the crawl space, Isobel curled herself up, making herself as small as possible.

And just in time, too.

The door flung open slamming against the wall with an enormous thud, as the figure walked in, she could not see her, but she could feel and hear here presence in the room.

Oh no, she’s in one of her moods again.

“Isabella if I find you in misères office again, it will be a week without television young lady.” The woman, Ms Abelian, threatens. She waits for a response from Isobel, but nothing comes of it.

“Must we do this every Monday young lady?” She growls out in frustration. Isobel was certain that that infamous vain in her forehead as about to explode. She was always quick to anger.

Again no response was heard.

“Bien alors!” She bellows, in her native tongue.

Isobel keeps her breathing controlled, eyes perked up, she focuses on every little change and movement around her, waiting for a chance to slip out the door, should the moment present itself.

She hears the cupboard at the side fling open. She gently sighs in relief that she didn’t pick that place.

“Isabella Larvalette, school starts in thirty minutes, if you don’t come out right now... alors aidez-moi!”

Its Lavalette! Isobel defiantly screams in her own mind, she hated being called Larvalette, like some sort of icky bug. Why did the note have to have a spelling mistake on it, surely her biological mother would have at least been more careful with that part.

Ms. Abelian continued the frantic search for a few more minutes, becoming more and more frustrated and worked up with each passing moment, Isobel though that at this point she would be literally frothing at the mouth. She cupped her mouth with her hands to stop herself from giggling at the thought. She didn’t know why she liked to wind her up as much as possible, that French Quebec accent was always more entertaining when it was at its peak octave, even if those feelings of anger and frustration tended to make Isobel a little sick at times.

“Oh when I get my hands on you…Bon sang!” She yelled, near the top of her lungs in her native tongue. A caretaker through and through, she wasn’t going to let Isobel learn a new word that she could use in curse.

Unfortunately Ms. Abelian was new and she did not yet know Isobel was bilingual in that department.

She marches out the door. Slamming it shut in her frustration. Isobel waited for a few seconds and then a few more for good measure, before releasing a breath she did not know she was holding. Slowly she climbs out of the hiding spot. Her joints click as they were able to finally stretch out again. Ears still focused on any noise coming from outside the room.

She breathes a sigh of relief once more wiping the perspiration from her forehead. A impish smile adorned her face as she turns away from the office desk. However in her cocky hubris she turned to quickly, her left hand hits the half empty fizzy pop can she had been nursing since she came in.

She jumps down to catch it but misses it as it crashed to the floor. Hitting the wood and explodes, the sound echos through the room before the splashing of the surgery contents spill everywhere.

“Uh-oh.” She whispered, her hands moving up to her mouth in shock, as she looked up at the door, seeing its handle rattle.

She didn’t even have time to try and hide. She had overestimated Ms Abelians patience. The door swung open. A tall, slender red faced woman stood at the entrance. A small lock of black hair falls from her bun into her left eye obscuring her vision and making the frazzled and panting woman look almost savage and crazy. Though the ragged angry breath might have helped that image a bit.

“Found you!” She yells with a villainous smirk of victory as she takes a slow calculated walk over to her prey. Perversely enjoying seeing Isobel back into the wall. There was no escape this time.

“Ah, M-Ms. Abelian, lovely morning isn’t it?” Isobel weakly joked looking around for anyway to escape, Abelian turned for a second to look at what Isobel was, giving her enough to bolt to the caretakers side racing towards the door.

“Oh no you don’t, Isabella, stop zes right now!”

“Okay everyone school’s about to begin, has everyone got their equipment in the rut sacks, Pens pencils, calculators?”

A bored chorus of “Yes Mr. Smith,” comes from the group of children, as they fight to get their coats and boots on by the main entrance.

Simon rolled his eyes at the response, he had to be strict with the kids from point to point, but it wasn't his fault they had to attend school.

Well technically it was, but if it was that or face some very awkward questions from a government representative as to why he felt having the children like him more was better for them than their education, well it was safe to say he would rather play the bad guy for the mornings.

The myriad of children of different ages and ethnicities began to make their way over towards the door, leaving their home once more to brave the horrors of government funded educational facilities.

“Okay then, let’s do a head count one more time.” He stated, as he reached out to grab the register by his side, the children seeing this got into a practiced formation line by line.

“Touchet?”

“Here.”

“Pacquet?”

“Oui Monsieur Smith.”

“Curie?”

“ Oui.”

“Patrice?”

“Hell yeah I’m here!” The taller pre-teen yells in an overly masculine manner, as the other children in his vicinity start giggling.
“Hey, language Patrice!” Mr Smith calls out to trying to quell the giggling of the other children, it’s always the older ones, He mumbles in his mind, rolling his eyes once more.

“Larvalette?”

The class giggled again, this time at the name.

Mr. Smith gives them all a glare, one any good parental figure could do to silently tell off his charge.

“Larvalette, speak up please?”

“Its Lavalette!” A defiant squeaky, tomboyish voice behind him calls out behind Smith. The surprise of it almost makes Simon drop his clipboard as he turned quickly only to see the grumpy child, being escorted by his newest college, who looked at her wits end.

The skinny little girl stood with her chin up in defiance, flicking back a lock of thick straight black hair with her darker tan skinned finger, and throwing it over her shoulder. She was wearing her thick white ski coat and a plain blank black T-shirt that was far too big for her. Her outfit was the exact opposite to Abelians business like suit and trousers. She instead wore a set tight blue jeans with a rip on one of her kneecaps, and small holes on the bottom of the legs as well, clearly showing her orange trainers. The rip on the knee cap and bottom of the legs were a self-made design he imagined. He was pretty sure he did not buy them pre-ripped. They didn’t have the budget for such superfluous fashion statements like that.

He gives them both a up and down look, before rolling his eyes again trying not to crack a smile.

Of course.

Smith continues the roll call, ticking off the names of all the children before finally letting them leave. “Okay everyone wait outside for me, I just have to have a few words with Isobel before we go.”

“Bug girls going to get a squishing for that one.” One of the girls whispers to her friend before breaking into giggles.

“Madore, you just got yourself grounded young lady, two day.”

“What? No fair!”

“Should have thought of that before you opened your mouth.”

“And all of you, stick to the garden, anyone on the other side of the gate when I get out will get the same treatment as Madore. Understand?”

Most of the children don’t even finish the obligatory “Yes Mr/Monsieur Smith” before rushing out to play in the snow, for any chance they could get to have one last bit of fun before school.

Smith sighed, as he looked down at Isobel, who was looking directly up at him with a sullen pout.

“Sarah, go look after the children, while I talk to Isobel.”

Abelian look puzzled by the command. “Shouldn’t I wait to report zes to Monsieur Dixon?”

Smith turned from Abelian back to look at Isobel again, who folded her arms, grumbling to herself as she looked away.

Simon stroked the stubble on his chin in thought, “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Abelian jaw dropped as she let her arms drop to her sides before enthusiastically flailing them in the air, “But Simon I—”

“Sarah, the children.” He declared, in an almost sing-song way, as he knelt down to look the little girl in the eyes and simultaneously to indicate that this conversation was over.

Abelian gargled out an angry growl at the dismissal by Smith, but said no more. Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the room and into the front garden. She was a good staff member and great with the children, being orphaned herself she was fantastically empathetic to the children in ways Smith simply couldn’t be on that personal level, having grown up in a troubled yet stable family, he just didn’t have the same life experience, and never would. But, Abelian had too much to prove and that sometimes meant she was far too easily wound up. Perhaps it was a by-product of her past, but she didn’t quite understand authority even to this day.

He shook his head as he turned to the little demure girl.

“So, what did you do to get her this angry this time Bella.” He stated calmly, in his thick English accent. The neutrality of it made it far too easy for him to mask his feelings in any situation, the cadence in it always seemed to imply he knew the answer before he asked it.

Isobel grumbled again under her breath, she hated it when he talked like that to her, it wasn't so much demeaning, but it was no less annoying.

Though as much as she hated the notion, Isobel incidentally loved the accent, any deviation from her boring almost normal life was welcomed with open arms. She was practically sick of the Quebec accent, it was boring and condescending, though that might just have been the people in her life. But as much as she liked his dialect, she also hated it, especially when he used it in the form of accusation, like he was doing now.
“It wasn’t my fault, I was trying to watch —” She bit her lip before it spilled out.

Simon continued his knowing stare waiting for her to continue.

“--It only had like five minutes left!” She beseeched her parental figure, with a hint of a blush on her cheeks, the corners of Simson mouth flicked into a tight smile.

Works every time.

“What did?” He stated, further coaxing the information out of the little girl.

“What did what?” She asked childishly looking down at her shoes.

He gave her a deadpan glare, she didn’t see it but he knew she felt it. “Bella, what had five minutes left?”

“I-I don’t know.” She lied shuffling a foot onto the floor as she looked away to the side, focusing on the mundane notice board to the side of the room, hoping in a futile way he would simply drop the subject.

“Isobel, come on now, what had five minutes.” He stated letting a creeping tone of a disciplinarian seep into his voice, and it made her cringe uncontrollably. She didn’t mind when others talked to her with that cadence, she could brush it off over time, but she never liked it coming from Smith, it made her stomach churn. And when he broke away from her nickname that’s when she knew she was starting to get on his nerves.

“Game of Thrones.” She mumbled out.

Simon almost reeled back at that, he was expecting something a bit more childish but as he remembered who he was talking to, he realised that of course that was never going to be the case.“Young lady, you know you’re not allowed to watch that show, it’s for adults. Good lord, it’s far too violent for you!”

Isobel shot her gaze back up to Simons with that trademark pout. “Is not! I like it, it’s smart, it makes me think. Not like those cartoon stuff all the other kids watch, and besides the library doesn’t have the books so I have to watch it.”

“Young Lady, you are ten years old, that show is for adults. Intellectually stimulating or not, it is not for you. You know we could all get into a lot of trouble if Mr. Dixon found out we let you watch that show!” He was practically yelling at this point, pointing his index finger at her, to hammer the point home.

She wanted to keep arguing but that thought of getting Simon into trouble hit her in a way she didn’t like at all. “Well, about that…”

That stopped Simons oncoming tirade “Well, about what?”

“I might have kinda’, sorta’ watched it on his Laptop, just a little…”

“Isobel!” He screeched this time actually reeling backwards in shock.

“W-what? I do it all the time, I always delete the history, but Ms Abelian took me away before I could!”

He looked back making sure that nobody was around before whispering quietly but harshly “Young Lady that’s not the point and you know it, don’t try and blame this on someone else.”

“But.” Was all Isobel could argue.

“You could get into serious trouble.”

Isobel stamped her foot down in her rage, the sound of the boots hitting the wood sent echos down the empty halls “I don’t care about Misère Dixon or Madam Abelian, They don’t care about me, So what if I get detention, or they kick me out. It’s not like that would be anything new anyway!” She thundered out, now fully entrenched in her anger, her cheeks ablaze and her breath ragged, hot with the emotional baggage of the words.

Simon paused letting the moment lapse into silence for a moment, as he waited for Isobel to calm herself down. He cared for her, he truly did, but it was hard when she didn’t care for herself. “Bella, I know you don’t much care for the other, and there’s no point trying to beseech you to understand your own consequences.But think of me at least? I could lose my job if this got out, not to mention you would be in so much trouble, you don’t want me to go away do you?”

“N-No of course not!” She panicky exclaimed, the red from her face changed quickly to that of pale white, she would hate that worse than anything. Smith was the only one she ever trusted, she ever felt close to, she felt like he treated her special not just another abandoned child going through the system. Deep inside she even loved him, like a father, and deep inside she sort of knew he felt the same though, she did not know how, she just felt that.

Isobel began to tear up at the prospect, she was far smarter for her age than she should have been, but she still had the emotions of her age and somewhere in the recesses of her mind she actually came to realise she had just done a very bad thing, if Smith got fired she honestly didn’t know what she would do.

“I-I’m sorry Mr. Smith.” She babbled, hiccuping through the tears.

Smith winced as he saw her tears, he had to be tough with the kids sometimes, he was pretty much the only form of a father figure most of them would ever get, and whilst his weakness was not so much the tears, he could deal with that should he have to. The use of his last name, especially uttered like that, was however his Achilles heel. “Ah, don’t go for the cheap shot on me Bella you know it always works.” He stated with a semi mocking yet still warm smile, as he wrapped her into a tight embrace, letting her cry out her pent up emotions as they gushed out.

“There there Bella. It’s not as bad as that, maybe I over played it a bit.” Simon admitted feeling a tad guilty after resorting to the big guns, for something not so severe, but she needed things like this, she wasn't an unruly child. But she was far to fond of testing everyone's limits.

Isobel hiccuped a few times more, she felt the warmth and strength of the emotions seeping though the hug from Smith, she always felt better after those hugs, and this was no different.

Simon felt Isobel tighten the hug, as she began to breathe more regularly. “I’m only trying to help you, it’s not easy, you’re a very bright little girl, but you need to know your limits. You can’t keep poking at trouble all the time and not expect any consequences in return.”

“I-I know.” She mumbled letting the tears dry up on her cheek as she nuzzled into his thick woolen overcoat.

They stayed like that for a few more seconds until Isobel finally got a hold of her emotions, sniffing her last, she leaned back and exited the hug.

“There now, all better?”

She nodded.

“Good, because you’re still in big trouble, don’t think you’re getting off lightly for this.” He humorously scolded, as he lightly poked her left shoulder.

“Ahhh,” she moaned, hoping slightly that he somehow might have forgotten.

“Now go outside while I delete his internet history.” He commanded, groaning as he stood up and felt the pins and needles that had built up in his legs from the squatting position. She walked past him, slouching as she made her way to the exit. He couldn’t help himself however and before she made her way out he blurted out the question.

“Oh, and Bella?”

“Yes Simon.” She stated, looking over her shoulder.

Despite the fact that he knew the building was effectively empty, he still felt the need to look both ways before he spoke in a hushed tone. “Is it any good, the new episode I mean.”

Isobel giggled, nodding feverishly as she turned back around. “It’s Awesome! there's this bit where--”

“Ah ah ah no spoilers little lady, I’m still on the last season.”

“Catch up then slow poke.” She giggled, as she blew raspberry at him and ran out of the room into the snow white tundra.

Simon chuckled, as he shook his head and made his way towards the office. Just before he went into his boss's room, he turned into his own. On the desk was his brown leather satchel bag. He snatched it up, as he turned to leave but not before he spotted a similar leather brown medical kit at the side of his office desk.

Simon slapped his head with his hand, how could I forget. He unzips the fabric and examined the contents as it folded out. Two large EpiPens were slotted into one of the pouches though a leather loop that kept them in place. He inspected them closely, flicking one with his middle finger, before be zipped the medical bag closed and placed it in his bag.

He felt a bit ashamed that he almost left without something so vital.

If he had forgotten and Isobel was having one of her episodes. Well, her watching an adult show would be the least of their worries.

[My Queen, we have come into a problem]

[Speak General]

[The six mares, the Elements, are making their way back into the castle, they have taken out the worker drones in section six and are fast approaching. Based off recon team Gammas intel they won’t be far off.]

[General, before I ask the obvious question of why you haven’t eradicated them already, why do you have worker drones engaged in military combat, they are not fit for fighting, where are the Bulls!?]

[I’m sorry my Queen, all available forces are engaged in the street and the majority of our elite are in the gardens, there were no units in the direct vicinity to contain or destroy them.]

[Well send some of them from the gardens to reinforce section six, General. I know they are Element carriers but they are only six mares for the old Mother's sake! I don't see why you feel the need for me to tell you this!]

[That’s just it my Queen, A large section of the Luna guards are attacking from the castle back entrance via the gardens east side, all forces are engaged in the gardens, I cannot risk pulling out a single Bull.]

[….Luna guard? General why are the night guard active! I had the spell wards plastered all over their barracks for the specific purpose of keeping them out of the fight!]

[We don’t know, all we know for certain is that apparently one of the squads in the castle entered the wrong wing in pursuit of some castle staff. If my assumption is correct… the only conclusion is that they awoke our enemy's fail safe.]

A large explosion erupted in the distance.

Luna. Chrysalis could tell immediately.

[Your orders my Queen?]

[Ash damn it! Hold the line, I will spare as much of the reserve forces that I can give, without compromising our escape plan, do not fall back without the package. Whatever happens the Statue is the number one priority. Understand.]

[I don’t know what will happen once the Princess reaches the gardens my Queen. But I will try and I will die if I have to to take the statue is secure.]

[Don’t worry about the morbid General, I won’t let that happen… Just, focus on holding the line, it won't be long now.]

Chrysalis detested lying to her children, but it was better than letting them do something foolhardy and suicidal.

[Yes my Queen, oh ash, somethings—]

[General?… General Spring Azure? Answer me!]

[….]

Isobel sighed, as she slumps down on her desk, tapping her finger in rhythm on the wooden worn table. She peered over her folded arms gazing around the room in complete boredom, as the teacher droned on and on about the importance of Algebra. Someone from her class had made a backhanded comment about what the point would be in life to use such a pointless system, and that, if the teacher wanted to use letters instead of numbers she should just be a English teacher instead.

Twenty minutes later and her teacher was still droning on about the importance of the topic in everyday functions of life and society. It didn’t help that she had already completed her handout sheet and checked it twice out of sheer boredom. If she asked for more work she would be called a nerd or obsédé, and if she stayed silent she would only end up falling asleep. It was a catch twenty two as the Americans liked to say.

Isobel yawned, her body was beginning to grow sluggish and she found that her eyes could stay open no more. She looked around at her class, of course anyone she could even entertain the notion of talking to was at least two rows equivalent away from her at all sides.

Most of the class was drawing in their books, chatting and passing notes, or simply stared dumbly at the wall behind the teacher, probably praying like Isobel for some relief from this purgatory.

She yawned again, as she tried to fight sleep. But every time she shot her eyes open, they would fall even quicker than before and before she knew it she was asleep.

Isobel boisterously screamed in delight as she soared into the sky. The smell of the fresh air and the wind rippling through her hair made her heart swore.

She did a spin in the air and then a loop just for the flair of it. Spotting a cloud next to her she turned, wondering if she could make a perfect indent of her own body.

Swooping down she picked up speed, letting her soft fluffy wings folded into her back as she nose dived into it.

The cold air felt alive and exhilarating she was freezing and the cold air brought reactionary tears to her eyes, but she found she could not care. And despite the protest of the howling cacophonous sounds of the winds, she sped up ,flapping her wings with all her might.

She zipped past a few birds, large and small and in all shapes and sizes. From flocks of multi-coloured parrots, to enormous proud eagles and even a barn owl or two she noticed as she flew past them all. After circling a few of them they immediately gave chase in a playful game of tag racing after her. She laughed aloud as they tried in vain to keep up with her. She was to fast for them. Nothing could reach her up here, nothing would ever touch her in the sky.

The cloud was getting closer now, every second it's fluffy outline was getting more detailed, its rippling wave of mist contorting and flowing into the air. Like the movements of the calm ocean, like waves that shape themselves and go.

The noises of the birds grew louder as they squawked, cooed and hooted at her but that only made her want to go faster. He liked the chase, it was exhilarating to know you could win at something no human could do. Mocking mother nature herself, for creating a beast of flight only to lose to a sickly little girl from Canada, it was funny to her at least.

She extends her arms ready to punch the clouds head on, to be absorbed and cleaned by its watery mists.

But then the cloud changed.

Its mists hardened and formed into something different, something less pure. It swilled and became more orderly, its definition more clear with each second. It formed into the shape of something, a creature? She wasn’t sure she what she was seeing.

The noises of the birds became more hysterical, she turned back when the noises became more distant to her. They were still flying but this time it was a panicked desperate fashion to flee from. Was it from the cloud, or was it her?

She turns back again and gasped in horror. Two eyes, giant green eyes. malicious in their content, they stared back at her no pupils adorn them save for two black reptilian slits like crocodiles, they narrow like a closing book as they link up with Isobel's gaze.

She screams, lifting her wings back up to her sides, but much to her dismay they were gone. She looked back at them, in there place where two sickly, slime ridden teal appendages. She would call them wings, but such a name was to pretty for what they truly were. They should have been on flies or some type of mosquito, anything but on her.

The wings offer no resistance and try as she might her fall does not slowed down, she was doing everything in her power even trying to paddle her way back up. Much to her dismay the wings neither stopped her fall nor slowed it, they were so alien to her that she had no concept of how to use them and she was too scared to find any logic in figuring them out.

She turned to look back down again and once more screams, the eyes were now closer to her but that was not the subject of her horror anymore.

It was its mouth. The enormous back jaws darker than any abyss and she could do nothing to stop its approach.

Two fangs like pearl daggers advertised to her. They promised death or untold unspeakable horror. A forked tongue slide out of its mouth tasting the air, begging for her to fall into so it wrap around her and constrict her small fragile body.

Isobel couldn’t take her eyes off the creature's gaze it was only when it spoke that she snapped out of her trance.

[Larvalette.] It hissed.

She heard her name, her hated name in the deep recesses of her mind, the jaws of the creature stay open, yet nothing moves, but somehow in some way she heard it worming its way into her thoughts, so very clearly she heard it. She could do nothing to stop its distorted almost muffled voice. The feminine touch of the things voice only adds to the fear she had for it. Something so ugly, so malicious and so…so….

Familiar.

[Larvalette come back, wake up my child.]

Despite her terror, she yells at the thing.

“Stay away from me!”

[Larvalette come back, come back to me, Wake up Larvalette wake up.]

“No no stay away somebody anybody help me!”

[Wake up, please wake up!] the creatures bellows in her mind.

She falls into the creautres jaws her harroed screams echo all around her until the behemoths maw slams shut engulfing her into a world of blackness

“Wake up.” another voice joins in

“Larvalette, Isobel wake up, wake up please!” A masculine voice yells at her frantically, his voice thick with fear and consternation.

Isobel groaned, feeling sickly and lightheaded, her stomach and mind fired up with thunderous pain.

She wants it to stop immediately, go back to sleep and be done with it, but the pain keeps her awake.

One of her eyelids is forced open and a blinding light is shoved up by her retinas. She cringes trying to bat the intrusion away. As soon as she does the hand flinches back, allowing her to blink away the water now built up in the rims of her eyelids.

“Wha?” She weakly forced out the words.

“Oh Dieu merci!” Another voice calls out.

“Wha- where am I?”

A thick set of arms clasp around her tightly pulling her into a hug, she still feels disorientated by the feeling of its relief and joy. The emotions almost immediately made her feel better in mere moments, and her addled mind slowly recuperates from its fog.

“You had me so worried, Bella.”

“S-Simon? What happened.” She mumbles out moving her head away from his shoulder. Simon releases his hug, but keeps a hand on her shoulder to steady her balance, she feels his electrifying emotions increase she rubs her eyes and balances her inner bearings.

She recognises the room instantly, the sterilized feel of it, the smell of cleansing chemicals and posters of anatomy and health warning. She was in the schools matons offices, a place she was very familiar with.

“One of the maths teachers carried you to my office.” Another voice explains, next to the foot of the her bed. “You were passed out mumbling gibberish. He said you fell from your chair and after a moment started screaming at the top of your lungs. You gave ole Mr. Joseph quite the scare so I’m informed.”

She turns to the other voice that answered. It was Calum, the school matron, a man she was almost as familiar with as Simon. She almost didn’t recognise him though, his usual countenance was always one of a warm unflinching smile. She had never seen a man as happy as him. So when his face was twisted into a worried frown and his forehead crinkled in contemplation she knew that even he had thought this was something terribly wrong. For a normal matron that would be an obvious statement. But Calum had served in the first Gulf war as a medic and so not much could get to him in his old age.

“I-I did?”

He nods sagely. “Yes you did.” He scratches the white stubble that contrasts to his black skin in deep thought. “It’s not the worst thing, you seem okay, after we gave you your insulin shot. But then again, this is no normal reaction for a diabetic to have, in fact it’s more akin to an epileptic seizure.”

“She does have a very rare condition Calum.” Simon quipped back, still holding Isobel's shoulder like she would dematerialise into nothing if he let go.

“Give me credit Simon, I’m old, not senile.” Calum smiled back at Isobel, but it was forced, she could feel it.

“I know of Issys condition, Hypersensitive autoimmune disease, probably the worst case in recorded history, something to the effect of a Type zero diabetes, if it were ever to be given a name, I’ve read her records many times Simon.”

Isobel frowned at that. She knew she had something bad about her, even at an early age she had been a very sick child, always weak and never able to eat more than a few scraps of food at a time. She had come close to dying on more than one occasion, it was part of the reason she was never adopted. Who would want a child that at any minute could drop dead?

Most doctors still did not know what was wrong with her. Diabetes was just the only logical conclusion they had for why her body was lacking whatever substance it needed to survive, and why she reacted so poorly to foods. The theory was true, to a degree. She felt better with each injection Simon gave her, she was not comfortable with anyone else doing it to her and she was too young to do it herself. But she still had to come back every five hours for another Insulin shot. Thankfully Simon was always there for her.

Simon wiped a bead of sweat from his brow fixing Calum a panicked look. “I gave her her shot this morning Calum, I swear it!”

“I believe you Simon, you’ve never missed a day in your life. Her standing here can attest to that. Something else must have triggered this, I suppose ‘fit’, is the best layman's terms description for it without getting too esoteric for you both.” Calum calmly stated, using his fingers for quotation marks.

Simon reached over and rubbed her shoulders sympathetically. “Bella, did you perhaps eat or drink anything you shouldn’t have this morning?”

Isobel looked deep into his eyes, before she bit her lip and looked away.

“Bella sweetie, you’re not in any trouble. But Calum needs to know what it was you ingested, just for your safety.”

“I-I guess I had a can of coke, it was on Mr Dixon’s desk and I was thirsty.” It was actually inside of his desk draw, but Isobel felt it best if she left that part out.

Simon sighed more in relief than disappointment, as he stood up and folded his arms staring tiredly at Calum who lent back in his chair. If it wasn’t so life threatening the both might have chuckled at the trouble making child for such a petty crime.

Isobel bit her lip harder. “I’m sorry, I was just thirst and I didn’t want to pause the episode, I only took a few gulps, I’m sorry.”

“Its...Its fine Bella, just, please be more careful in the future, I couldn’t stand to think of what I would do if something like this happened again.”

Simon turned to the school Matron. “Calum, could this have caused the fit?”

Calum thought for a moment as he scratched the thick stubble on his cheeks once more in thought, he gazes at the blank wall for a few uncomfortable seconds in silence. “I suppose so, it doesn’t fit the type level. But then again Bell’s been known to cross those different types before. If this was anyone else I’d say no, but…” He stops pondering it once more.

Hints of confusion, worry and deep regret crawl from Calum into Isobel and she felt ill again. She liked Calum. Not quite like she liked Simon, but almost as much, so to make him feel like this just because she wanted to drink something fizzy and sweet.

She felt ashamed of herself.

“Well the good news is you’re okay, that’s all that matters and I suppose if anything is to be gained from this awful event it’s that you can learn from your mistakes.” Simon states cutting through the awkward silence.

“Yes, sounds about right. I think it would be best if Issy took the day off, some R&R is the best I can subscribe to her at the moment.” Calum prescribed, offering Isobel a mischievous wink, at letting her get the day off.

She smiles ever so slightly at the old man.

“Sounds about right, I’ll come back and collect her homework when I pick up the other kids. Thanks again Calum, do I need to sign her out or?”
“No no I’ll take care of that you both just head back home.”

“Thank you Calum” Isobel yawned back, wearily sliding off the bed and balancing herself on Simon's arm.

“Anything for a beautiful young lady like yourself, and you to Bella.” He jested earning a small giggle from Isobel as she saw Simon roll his eyes at the joke at his expense. She feels happiness in him though, just a bit. She internally feels happy about that. But she couldn’t do much to get her out of her own stupor, as she was starting to rationalise what had just happened.

She didn’t remember much of anything save for some sort of glowing eyes staring into her.

She shivers a bit at the memory. What did they mean. She had never had this type of reaction before, She had had some bad reactions to things and foods. And she felt sometimes almost to weak to really get out of bed. But it was all trivial compared to this. And for the first time in her life, she was scared. For the first time in a long time, she had to contemplate something no child should ever have to think about at her age.

Her own mortality.

Sarah Abelian paced around the front office, she looked for the correct folder, she had just placed the thing by her side a moment ago, but now it had seemingly sprouted legs and wandered off… again. She groaned in annoyance, she was tired, she had spent the whole morning storming through the left wing of the orphanage looking for that little troublemaker. She didn’t even have time for her morning coffee and now the exhaustion was finally catching up to her.

She didn’t even get the chance to brew one, almost as soon as her and Simon had returned from the school no less than three new couples had been waiting by the door for the orphanage to re-open. Three didn’t sound like much and it definitely was not what Abelian would call one of her busiest days. But adoption was a long and painfully slow process, the enormous, yet necessary, red tape behind the forms and interviews took days, sometimes even weeks to work through, and with there staff down to a skeleton crew they were hard pressed for free time.

Staff members at an Orphanage was not the most attractive job on the market. The hours were almost horrendous, it was emotionally and physically draining. and if Abelian was being kind, she would say the wages were fucking shit.

Abelian rested her head on the table, slumping her whole body down. Waiting to be reunited with her secret lover sleep and what a beautiful lover it was. The only lover that she actually had at this present time. Though even that relationship felt like more of a long distance one based on the amount of times these past few months she had rested in its gentle embrace.

She jolted herself up, slapping her face softly. She had work to do. The children came first! That was always her underlying motto her unsung hym. She had nothing but the utmost need to follow that rule. She was not going to be like her old orphanage staff, those lazy bastards could rot in hell for all she cared.

“Laisser Voir…” She sighed, as she flicked open a folder. This couple seemed fine based on the brief interaction. she thought idly. Then again they always did, how many of them thought they could handle the children only for the children to return back to the orphanage a few months later She had almost lost count. It was hard enough to deal with one’s own children. But with the emotional problems her young charge had been though at such an early age, the unchecked hubris of most couples were often unfounded.

In her experience in, and working for, an orphanage she came to realise that most tried, but often times failed all the same.

Such a shame. They deserved better. Even Isabella. That little she-devil. Abelian thought mournfully, she then chuckled only at the thought of the girl. Perhaps what got on her nerves the most was that Isobel was too much like herself back in her youth. It was probably true, but she didn’t like thinking too much about those days. Those were darker days and even though Isobel was an annoying pain in her ass. That little girl was much nicer than Abelian ever was in her youth. She gave the the little demon that much credit.

She read the folder in her hands “Doctors, both of them? Interesting.” She mumbled aloud as she skims through the relevant information on the application form, plus the transcribes and comments from the brief interview Dixon had orchestrated “Good pay, nice side of town too, but will they have the time. Certainly they would have the patience.” She stopped to giggle at the accidental pun. “Would they be able to deal with the stress both at work and then at home though?”

Not to mention there prestige, just because someone is important and rich doesn’t mean they could look after a child. And it appears that they want three? Hmm that seems like a very uncertain idea. I mean what if they only get along with one of the children, or the children don’t get along with one another… hmm then again, it could always work out for the best. Who knows? Have to wait for the meet and greet, I guess.

“Hmm.” She was about to inspect the paper more thoroughly when she heard the door to the Orphanage rattle and open.

She stood up at attention and straightened out her little blazer as she adorned her best welcoming smile.

“Bonjour. Bienvenue a Orphanage de… Isabella? What are you doing here young lady, you should be in school, don’t tell me you—

“Relax Sarah, she’s with me.” Simon stated, trying to placate the oncoming tirade from his co-worker, as he stepped in after Isobel, who was kicking off her thick boots off accidentally covering the floor with thick freshly fallen snow.

Abelians posture sank back to her normal tomboyish mannerisms as she walked around the table towards them.

“Simon? Whats going on here, what did Isabella do zes time?” She stated suspiciously eyeing the girl with a raised brow. Isobel simply looked up at her with an angry pout.

“Nothing, get off my back and leave me alone Ms Abelame!” Isobel yelled out, as she stormed past Abelian towards her bedroom.

Abelian gasped putting both hands on her hips. “Comment oses-tu! Get back here Isabella, I am your elder and you—”

“Isobel, now you know that’s not nice.” Simon finished before Abelian could get started on another tirade. He tiredly picked up her coat off the floor hooking it up on one of the many coat hooks near the entrance of the Orphanage.

“Sorry Sarah, Bella’s not feeling well, she had one of her, ‘Episodes’ today a pretty nasty one to, I think she's just tired. Its was, it was pretty stressful on all sides.”

And just like that all of Abelian anger dissipated like the morning fog. Her hands fell from her waist and she snapped her gaze back to Simon.
“Quoi!? Is she well? We should call the hospital!” she yelled in a frantic tone.

“Relax , Calum already did that, they said the best thing to do was get her some food and let her rest. They can’t do any more than that for her at the hospital, I’ve already given her the shots, there's no point unless she gets any worse.”

Abelian bit her lip, before sighing. “That girl, she will be the death of me.”

Simon smiled, it was forced but it was the intention that mattered. “Not before she kills me first. Don’t worry, why don’t you go get her something to eat, get yourself a coffee while you’re at it, you look like hell froze over.”

Sarah looked playfully shocked at the comment “Hell? Simon you should know I always look like an angel sent by the heavens.” She giggled. “Though the coffee would have been nice a moment ago,now I feel like I have drunk ten, no matter merci Simon, but I think you should do it. I still have files to attend to.”

Simon nodded. “Sure, I see what you mean, but when I get back we're having a coffee.”

Aelain chuckled lightly touching his chest provocatively. “Misure Simon, if you are asking me out on a date you should be more tactful.”

Simon flushed red but quickly collected himself. “Dancing around the issue is as the French put it best clichéd, I prefer the direct approach.”

This time Abelian blushed and Simon chuckled. “Haha coffee it is then monsieur.”

[What is happening out there, any Ling from Infiltrator squad, I demand an answer!]

[Sorry my Queen, I--]

[Infiltrator Chitan, what is going on, where is your General]

[Don’t know my Queen, he was separated from the bulk of the force, we are hunkered down at the west end, the enemy is putting up an
extremely tough fight, we are losing ground Ling by Ling.]

[He’s not responding to the Hive link? I can’t feel him is he unconscious?]

[I don’t know my Queen… one second]

[Sorry my queen, it's bedlam out there.]

[No time for pleasantries, I have almost secured the Palace it will be all ours in a matter moments, If the General is dead, then I am officially promoting you as the new head of Infiltration]

She felt a ping of guilt and sorrow in her heart but pushed it down, now was not the time for such things.

[T-thank you my Queen!]

[I told you no time for pleasantries! Get to the package I want it by Canterlots western edge as soon as possible, The cocoon squad should be finishing up now, we shall rendezvous with one another there.]

[It will be done.]

[I know it will just make sure…Ash and sand! Those mares are back, I'll deal with them personally, get it done general!]

Isobel was down by her bed, she found it weird not hearing the running or playing or snoring that the room was usually full of. She could safely say that the number of times she was in the room truly alone in these ten years, could be counted on two hands. It would only be an hour before all the children came back but it was still nice to be alone for once. Luckily, being in the Orphanage for so long, she was afforded one of the semi shared rooms, not like the big hall that most of the kids had to use.

She even had top bunk, it was the little things that mattered after all.

Try as she might she found sleep was there, but she didn’t want to embrace it quite yet, today had left her with too much to think about. True this type of thing had happened before to a much less severe extent, but still this was the only time she had really thought about it.

It was the first time she had truly pondered her own mortality. It scared her more than she cared to admit. She felt like she ought-to-be tougher than that, but she was just a child at the end of the day.

She thought back to the conversation she had a few hours ago with Simon.

Knock knock

“Bella, you asleep in there?”

“No.”

Why do people do that, even if I was asleep the knocking would wake me anyway?

She clutches her pillow to her chest sitting upright on the top of the bed, it wasn’t her one it was Abby’s bed but she didn’t have the effort to climb up to her own at this time, she knew Simon would be in to talk to her as well. So she killed two birds with one stone.

The door opens awkwardly as Simon fumbles with the heavy wood whilst he balanced a tray in his other hand. He gives her another forced smile, as he makes his way to her side.

“I have your favorite, chicken soup.” He almost sang.

“It’s not my favourite, I like Tomato soup, you’re only saying that because that was all the cafeteria had left.” Isobel quipped back.

His forced smile fell to a more natural smirk. “Smart girl, well it’s not going to kill you anyway so you should eat up.” Simon stated, simultaneously kicking himself for the use of wording, as he lifted the tray over to Isobel, who simply put it by her side on the floor.

“Bella, come on now, you need to get your strength up, you’ve had a very trying day.”

Isobel let the hair fall in front of her face, as a single tear fell from her face, she looked up at Simon, who gave her a quizzical stare. For a while she just continued to glare at him almost beseeching him to say what she was thinking, to know what it was that was at the forefront of her mind. God willing she was not able to say it herself.

“Come here Bella.” He states pulling her into another hug, she doesn’t resist, she lets herself fall into his grips once more basking in its warmth.

“Shh shh it’s okay issy, just let it all out.”

“A-am I going to die.” The words come out before she could even process them. She didn’t know what had possessed her to say what she thought she could not. But now that she had said them, she immediately wanted them back, to recant them.

She felt Simons whole body stiffen as the sentence was said. His reassuring back rub stopped awkwardly and he pulls himself away.
“I-I, no, of course not, You…” He stopped himself, how could he answer that, he couldn’t just blatantly lie to the girl, not after what had just happened. She was to clever for that.

“I-It’s not the dying that scares me.” She states bringing the pillow back to her chest. “I sorta knew that for a while, I just, I never had a mom, or a dad. I don’t even know if I want one but, all my life here was about finding one, I-I just want to know what it’s like, before I…go.”

“You will Bella, I’m sure of it, this might sound like I’m just saying this. But anyone would be blessed to have you as their daughter. If you were mine I’d boast about it to just about everyone I could until there ears bleed.”

There was a long pause, then Isobel spoke “Would you?” it was almost a whisper.

“Would I what?”

“Would you…be my...dad?” She asked, as she turned to him, but was unable to look at him directly, she stares through her thick hair.

He pauses and goes pale, like he had just seen a ghost or something worse. “Bella, I-I can’t, I-I wouldn’t even know where to start explaining why that would be a bad Idea.”

She looks away biting her lip. “I know it’s stupid of me.”

“No, it’s just, Bella I live alone, who would look after you while I worked, I barely earn enough to pay the bills and all of my spare money goes on you lot. I-It wouldn’t be fair to you.” he beseeched as earnestly and as honestly as he could convey.

She leans against him again, eyes on the floor she lets the tears dry up from her face as she squeezed the pillow even harder than before.
“I-I get it, but…

“But what?” He dreaded to ask.

“Could we at least pretend, even just for today, could I call you Dad, just so I can say I have?”

Simon opens his mouth a few times, but words fail him, perhaps he should have got out more seen the world talked about issues with people and developed a more well rounded understanding about the human soul. But he didn’t, he spent most of his life avoiding his fellow man and moved to Canada to escape those people on a whim. This had been the only place that was hiring at the time, and in all those years this had been the only place he had developed an understanding of the human soul. But even now he couldn't answer what she had just said, perhaps no one could, would it be right, to play along with this child's fantasies even if it was just for a day.

Perhaps a stronger man would have declined, But Simon couldn’t, he simply could not do it.

Simon opened his mouth to speak, the words were in his mind jumbled unclear but there, like a fog had been placed over them, a morning mist hidden with unknown trepidation, what would his answer be, was there a right one, if there was he could not speak it. His body acted before his mind and he wrapping an arm around her shoulder laying her head on his lap he slowly began to stroke her hair as he stared down at her. Fully at a loss for words.

Isobel closed her eyes, a final tear fell from them streaking down her cheek and onto Simons leg. “Thank you…Daddy.”

Isobel frowned at the memory, she had been so selfish and stupid. She had never even felt the strength of those emotions that went through Simson, fear anxiety, nauseum, happiness, love. It was like all of those feelings had smashed into her like a speeding car.

She still felt like she had been in a wreck, a terrible accident that had left her alive but scathed. The wounds sustained were within her emotions and her soul and they would perhaps never heal, she was still at this time feeling worse and worse.

But at least she had her answer. Was it too soon to say if she would deal with the ramifications of tonight, or would she not have long for this world. She felt herself deep down, she knew she was on borrowed time. Was it right to feel this way, she had gotten her joy but at what cost of someone elses pain.

Sadly she did not know, she was smart for her age no doubt, but emotionally she was no more than a child, she had temper tantrums, and moments of outstanding silliness just like everyone else her age. But unlike everyone else, she was coming to terms with the reality of life far quicker than most. She had to, no child spent a fifth of their life in the matrons or the doctor's office without considering this.

Still though, she had a childhood for the most part, she was happy, she had lived her life as best she could with what she had. All she hoped was that when the time came, Simon would be okay, Calum would be brave, and yes even Abelian, she was a nice lady at heart.

Isobel gazed at the ceiling once more, the room was blurring, again she rubbed her eyes but all that did was exacerbate her drowsiness. She felt tired though her mind was awake. She had so much to ponder, what would happen tomorrow, would there be a tomorrow, who would sit on the Iron throne!?

But her eyes got the better, she grumbled but her ten year old body was slowly getting the better of her and sleep was approaching at a quickening pace.

Sighing she snuggled back into her pillow looking out into the snowy tundra through her window. The snow was raging throughout the whole town and the howling winds made haunted and spooky noises behind the window and throughout the orphanage.

She hugged her cuddly toy more tightly, she wasn’t exactly afraid, but it was an eerie atmosphere. But still she was safe and warm. And Ghost, her stuffed husky toy, was standing on guard for her.

She let the sleep come now, there was no point staying up and getting herself tired out. Tomorrow was a new day and she would do her best to forget about what had happened. All she could do was live her life, anyway she could.

Isobel boisterously screamed in delight as she soared into the sky, The smell of the fresh air and the wind rippling through her hair made her heart swore.

She was flying.

[All Lings, the mission has failed! Get out anyway you can, take to the tunnels in the caverns and go! I’m sorry I have failed you all. Quickly there isn’t much time, I shall hold them back myself as long as--]

Chapter Five

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Celestia moaned, as she writhed around in the unknown green slime. Her body was in agony. Whatever the the creature had done to her inside of the cocoon had left her both mentally and physically drained. She had not felt like this for many years, the only thing that had ever come close was the beating that she had endured from her sister, all those centuries ago. When she had been enraptured Celestia could only rationalise was an evil spirit that had taken over her body and mind.

She shook her head, those thoughts of the days long past coupled with the feeling she felt now would only exacerbate the problem. She ruffled her feathers, she felt filthy, the slime and sickly oil all over her body would probably take days if not weeks to clear. Her jugular and lungs felt smothered in the awful fluid and though she coughed and choked, it still felt submerged in that green slime.

She felt a foreleg touch her shoulder as she attempted to roll over, she almost recoiled from the feeling, if she had the capacity to light her horn at the time she would have fired at the figure that had touched her. But the voice that accompanied it sated her and calmed her frazzled nerves.

“Princess, are you okay?” It was Twilight’s voice, thick with panicked concern, the voice relieving her soul of any possibility that she was still in danger. At the very least that voice assured her she had escaped the nightmare of the claustrophobic cell.

“I-I’m fine Twil--” she could not finish the sentence, her larynx still filled with the slime. She began to cough again, she felt the shock on of Twilight's foreleg as it twitched on her own body, she placed her own foreleg on top of Twilight's once the coughing had died down to placate her students upcoming anxiety.

“It’s fine Twilight, truly, I’m okay.” She offered up a weak smile, Twilight didn’t move from her position, but her touch was less firm, and she hesitated only slightly before bringing it back down with the others. A subtle indication that she understood that her long time teacher simply needed some space and time to breathe.

Celestia took a minute, before standing back up on shaky leg. Knees knocking together as she brought them back up to her full height.
“What happened?” She asked, looking around the room now devoid of any living insectoid creatures.

Twilight sighed in relief moving back a few hooves before smiling. “Cadence managed to snap Shining out of the creature's spell, then through the power of their love they managed to create a recoiling shield spell so big it repealed the whole invading army, and that queen, out of Canterlot. They saved the day!” Despite her earlier worry, Twilight couldn’t contain her pride and the joy she was feeling inside from escaping into her tone.

Even in Celestia's shaken addled mind she could easily pick up on Twilight unconscious pride in her tone, something that deep inside her, something that Celestia could not teach her, something she found more beautiful and more unrivaled than any flower. Her student was as famous as any celebrity, as legendary as almost any hero in her country or any other for that matter. But her humble nature was what Celestia was the most proud of in the mare. The fact that Twilight herself was not the hero of the day, the fact that she could have been, but was simply happy that the invaders had been defeated, even if it was not by her own hooves was what elevated her above all else. Even as much as it pained Celesta to think about it, she had surpassed Sunset in that regard. Twilight was bright, loving and smart as many other had been. But her virtues of Humility was her greatest trait.

She would make a great Princess one day.

Celestia offer her student, family, and friend a well meaning and proud smile. before turning to look at the room she called her throne chamber, but would now describe as a war zone.

It was filled with all manners of different alien substances, most of it was beyond alien, slime, chitin and other pulsating membrane materials filled it. She recognised the translucent cocoons she herself had been trapped in, she shuddered at the sight of it.

Other parts of the room caused her much discomfort. Her windows were smashed and the art around her chamber was torn and disfigured much to her dismay.

She also noticed some dark red browning as it dried on the ground. But she did not think to much of that, she couldn’t, not yet anyway, there would be time to mourn.

But it was the thing by her throne that caused her the most discomfort.

Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed a twitching leg above her, situated atop her throne, a black body with legs full of holes, its left wing buzzed sporadically and frantically every few seconds. Its right wing, missing all but the base of its translucent appendage, which on the display of the body seemed to have no inclination it was gone. Its body leaking a steady stream of purple blood across the foot of the thrones base. it's one working eye fought to keep open. But it spastic twitching and its unfocused look indicated that it was not long for this world.

Most would forgive the princess if she showed little remorse for the thing, if anything they would have shown indifference if she expressed great mirth at the pain this alien foe was experiencing at its death throes. But Celestia was not, nor would she ever have been that type of pony. Enemy or not, this was a being in tremendous pain. She had experienced all sides of this from the loss of a family member to the pain of physical fighting itself. Just because an Alicorn could regenerate over time, did not mean she forgot what it was like to not have those limbs, even temporarily. And even then the recovery process hurt just as much as the loss.

She detested needless, suffering, avoidable death.

She gently pushed past Twilight, who gave her an unsure look as she followed the trajectory of Celestia's gaze. When she spotted what Celestia's was walking towards Twilight gave a sharp gasp of panic, racing after her mentor, the other members of the hall doing something to a similar effect. Only for them all to be stopped by the monarch as she lifted her white hoof into the air.

“Wait.” Was all she said before continuing her march forwards towards the throne.

Twilight looked back at her Brother for clarification, should she step in anyway, or let Celestia continue her approach? But all her brother was capable of doing was to look on at the scene with a sullen and mournful expression on his face. He simply shook his head at Twilight as the both slumped down onto there withers waiting for the scene to play out.

Celestia stared down at the twitching creature. It was chirping quietly to itself, almost like a baby bird that had fallen from its nest, the cadence in its voice brought images of an injured robin that Celestia had stumbled upon only a few days ago in her garden. So blinded by pain it had no idea where it was, or what it was doing. It’s only thoughts were of the demonstrable pain it was going through and presumably a cry to any of its kind to help it.

Celestia stared down at the creature for a few more minutes. She fought with the cognitive dissonance in her mind. The conflicting images between foe and somepony, some ‘thing’ in pain and in need of help. It was a moment that showed what a true ponies colours were at the end of everything.

Celestia finally feeling her magic return to her, ignited her horn, flaring her magic as it wiped and bolted around her, crackling like a thunderstorm.

She struck her magic against its chitin.

The creature screamed in shock, only to be silenced. It’s head feel to the floor of the seat as it closed its eyes.

Celestia sighed, leaning her head down, her horns magic dissipated.

“Captain.” She called out solemnly.

“Yes your majesty.” He answered resolutely, though it took him a few moments between the exhaustion of his body and what he had just witnessed.

“I’m sorry to ask, but it’s urgent, I need you to start rounding all the guards up, send for the field medics and tell your men to send notice to all available hospitals to prepare for the influx of injured soldiers, and gods forbid injured civilians. If they have not prepared already.”

Shining looked at her, his eyes still dazed and confused from the spells side effects and his body was shaking somewhat from the over exhaustion of the spell he and Cadance had just created. But his years of training allowed him to push this onslaught of pain and confusion aside. He had a duty that rivaled none in his mind.

“I-It will be done, your highness.”

“Thank you, I’m sorry to ask this of you considering it was to be yours and Cadences special day. But I need you for this. Send for the rest of the military council, I want a full debriefing as soon as possible.”

Shining nodded, giving one last look to Candace, covered in grime and matted with sweat, she still looked just as beautiful as the day he had meet her. Cadence, noticing his loving stare, as he ogled her, turned back to him, trotting over she smiled weakly, whispered something in his ear and kissed him on the lips briefly, before he turned and left.

Celestia turned back to the creature on her throne and levitated it gently into the air and on to her back.

“Princess, what are you doing, it could still be dangerous!?” Twilight panicky stated as she watched Princess Celestia walk down the steps of her throne, with the creature by her side.

“Relax Twilight, I cast a dragon’s slumber spell on it. There is no chance of waking up before it has a chance to receive medical attention.”

“M-medical?... Princess those things tried to take over the castle, it almost killed you!” Twilight nearly screamed as the rest of the room gasped at the princess's words.

“Machinations of one's leaders does not always make it the fault of the foot soldier Twilight. We can not know for certain, and besides, even if it did want to kill us, would we be better in stooping to its level?”

“But it tried to kill us, it put you in a cocoon, would it help you if you were in a different position.”

“I don't know Twilight, but we will be able to ask it once it recovers.” She answered in a laconic fashion, unwilling to debate this any further.
Twilight opened her mouth but closed it quickly, debating the question in her mind.

“At the very least we can use it to hopefully understand what it is and what led its kind to such drastic actions as to attack our capital. For now that's--”

She didn't have time to finish what she was saying, before anyone could even think of uttering another word, the two enormous doors to the entrance of her throne room exploded open. Sending bits of debris and chunks of decor flying around the room. Thankfully missing the mares occupying it, who were standing far enough away from the blast to avoid being hit directly.

“Now foul insects, thou will know the taste of thine blade, as we….” The blue alicorn yell slowly teetered out as she entered. She quickly fell silent as she stormed from the rubble as an enormous fiery, incandescent, silver scimitar whipped around her head. Several armoured thrasils stormed in after, pushing through the smoke of the blast to flank there leader. All of them looked battle weary and war torn. Bits of blue blood and even red splattered across their armour and fur. All looked stone faced and electrified as they caught their breath through flared nostrils, weapons in hoof, or mouth.

Luna eyed her surrounding with a cold eagle like glare, scanning for any threat left in the room. “Sister… Did we miss something?” She asked gazing around the room, all the windows had been smashed and several strange black and green bags of what she could only describe as membranes from some type of biological material,where on the floor leaking some foul smelling goo. Hmm a type of spun silk similar to caterpillars perhaps? No it looks far too alive for that. She had seen the shield grow from its epicentre in the throne room, and had seen what looked like a creature the exact size of her sister. Needless to say she needed answers.

“Luna, thank goodness you’re okay, I was just about to go looking for you.”

“Fear not sister, we have taken care of the situation up…” She stopped mid sentence as she squinted in suspicion, bringing her blade closer in front of her, towards her sister.

“What is it Luna?” Celestia asked unsure of her sister's sudden change of character.

“Speak, tell me something only our real sister would know?”

Celestia turned her head to the side in confusion. “L-Luna, that's not necessary, the repelling shield has--

Luna stomped her hoof, the other Thestrals aimed their weapons at the solar princess. “We will take nothing for granted, not after what we have seen these evil creatures capable of. Do not make us repeat ourselves a third time. Tell us something that only our sister would be privy to?”

Celestia sighed, she did not have time for this, but she understood the suspicion.

“You have a small stuffed toy of Elsa the explorer in your room, which was your favorite fictional character as a foal, you still cuddle up with it every night.”

Luna blushed, but her sword did not lower. “T-That tells us nothing, these creatures are conniving spies, they could easily have found this out.”
Celestia snorted, thinking that would be enough Damn it Lulu, there is no time for this. Fine then, if you will have me play this game, I’ll have to bring out the big guns, you only have yourself to blame for this Lu.

She coughed loudly, making sure to garner everypony’s attention in the room. “My sister once tried smoking a pipe of tobacco when she was quite young. I say once, because the first and subsequently last time she did this, she absentmindedly dumped the contents onto her own tail, which thereupon caught fire and she was forced to dive rump first into the town fountain. Upon returning home she told our mother that the burnt smell was a new perfume that she heard was the latest fashion, It did not however, explain where her tail had gone.”

Luna bit her lip, her cheeks were almost as hot as her tail had been that fateful day. She looked with her peripheral vision at her men, their faces were of steel resolve, but the look in there eyes were one of suppressed humour. She swore she had even heard an escaped cackle from behind her.

She sheathed her sword, as did the rest of them.

Luna coughed awkwardly. “A-as we were saying, we have dealt with the situation in Canterlot castle at least, tis now safe from the incursion.” She turned to her left and nodded to her Lieutenant, his helmet the only one with a red crest, like a curved broom fixed upside down onto the top of the helm. He nodded back at her in understanding as he barked out orders to the other guards.

The rest of her guard entered the room with her, walking over in pairs to the parts of the room that had contained the bodies of the creatures, not lucky enough to have been near a window. Walking over, they suspiciously tapped the masses of insect parts. But none seemed to show any signs of life, save for the odd reactionary twitch when the tip of the weapon hit a nerve.

Luna entered the middle, walking towards her sister and the other mares. “By the way everypony, Celestia once almost started a war the first time she drank by throwing up on the bride of the great griffon king Hendric the second on there wedding day. That is why she never drinks spiced wine.”

Celestia reared her head back and crinkled her nose. “Luna!”

Luna smirked at her sister. “What? We thought it only fair.” She added as some of the heat from her cheeks died down at the expense of throwing the embarrassment onto her sister.

Celestia simply shook her head. It was embarrassing but at least it was somewhat nice that her sister seemed unaffected by what had happened. Because lords know she was not going to be sleeping much better after this incident.

“What happened Tia?” Luna asked finally. “One moment we were in a deep slumber, the next strange insectoid creatures were storming the castle. Did almost look something akin to a Hoofward P Lovecraft novel, if I may be so free to exaggerate.”

Celestia looked down with a tired eyes “I have no idea sister, truly, I was as stunned as you are now, I shall give you the full details in a moment, but for now we have to immediately get battlefield debriefings, establish a relief column, for those non-combatants that may have been affected, and set up the army for a full, wide sweep of the city.”

Luna nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Now that she had a moment to rest she was feeling the exhaustion of her rude awakening and the subsequent battle catch up to her. “Agreed, I shall go with my captain and establish a plan post haste, starting with the gardens, I shall see if we can take some of these creatures in for questioning down in the dungeons.”

Celestia motioned to the creature on her back with her eyes, Lunas followed before lighting up her sabber half drawn at the sight of the bleeding mess. “Have one of your guards see to this creature's wounds while you do this.”

Luna eyes the creature with distaste, her magic did not leave the scimitar. “Surly Tia, you do not want to waste valuable resources on this, thing! I assure you, we will be able to find more suitable candidates for questioning. Or at least ones that don’t need so much medical attention.”

Celestia fixed her a stern look, one only an elder sibling could muster up. “Luna, we talked about this, remember, we were not going to do what we used to do before you… went away. These creatures attacked for a reason, we know nothing about them save for their numerous army and the power of their leader or even possibly leaders. For all we know, this could be the first of many attacks. Something drove them to expose themselves after thousands of years, Luna. This is a very precarious situation, so instead of elevating it, we should show some compassion on our side. It could only be meet with neutrality or admiration on their part. Helping could not be deemed as bad.”

Luna matched her sisters stern gaze with her own, she had heard all her sister was saying, but the only part she truly focused on was the pause before she mentioned her banishment.

Why can she not say what it was, banishment, we were dangerous yet she treats it like we were on a self imposed exile?

“...We see your point sister, though we do not like it, there is little time for debate, Fine. Lieutenant Sternlook!”

Sternlook turned away from the creature he was prodding with a sharp soldierly motion. “Yes Princess?”

“Have one of the medics dress the creature's wounds, when it’s stable have it placed in the dungeons where the rest shall go. You and a squad of your choosing will be in command of guarding and interrogating the prisoners. We shall want for no ill intentions or attacks on the creature’s. It and its brethren are vital tools in understanding the enemy, and therefore they are military assets and will be treated as such. Any attempt to harm or sabotage the creature or any of the others we capture will be meet with severe repercussions. Understood?”

He bowed, before saluting. “Yes your highness.”

“You may start at the gardens first, do an initial sweep for creatures to capture but do not be foolhardy, if you meet significant resistance, you are to make a tactical retreat and find support.”

Luna turned back to the group, “Well sister, we shall work on our end to secure the prisons and weed out any stragglers, I shall--” Luna stopped as she turned away, her left hind leg gave under and she fell to the ground with a thunderous crash, causing all round to gasp.

Luna groaned, immediately attempting to stand on her own, only for her left leg to twitch and collapse again under the weight. “Gah! It is-we are fine, tis just a small gash.”

Celestia turned to the twitching leg, small but noticeable trickles of red streamed down her thigh just under her armour. “Are those, bite marks?”

Luna nodded, finally getting up to her hooves with the assistance of her sister, much to her stubborn chagrin. “Yes, gah, three of the creatures ambushed us in the gardens hedge maze. They sunk their fangs in deep before I had a chance to react. Don’t worry, tis more of an inconvenience than a detriment.”

Celestia gave her little sister a look of disapproval at her fallacious comment. They knew next to nothing about these creatures, for all she knew these creature had hidden weapons besides there magic that were just as dangerous, who knew what those fang truly contained.
“Luna, you need to see a doctor about this if it gets any worse, promise me.”

“Please Tia, thou art over reacting.”

“Promise me Luna, promise me you will see somepony about this, for me.”

“Luna pouted looking at her wounds, they were deep, but nothing her Alicorn body could not handle. “Fine sister, but we do so under protest.”
Celestia chuckled lightly at her sister, nuzzling her side as she tried to wipe some of the liquids and dust off her wing that had been draped over Luna, who was covered in the alien material. “However, you need to spin it, just as long as it gets addressed.”

Twilight and Cadence trotted over to assist Luna stand but she shrugged them off with her wing.

Celestia snorted. She always had far too much pride when she was in the field of battle, little sister, you truly have not changed. Celestia didn’t know how much of that though she loved and how much of it she feared. But there was no time for debating it.

“My thanks, niece, Twilight, but truly we are fine, Though as it seems we, that is I ,myself, and our ponies are in your debt once more..” She added with a small smirk at Twilight, Quite the little warrior are you not Twilight. Perhaps it will be time soon when we should pass the mantle on to her. In another few thousand years that is.

Twilights eyes bugged out and she smiled sheepishly at Luna, waving her hooves in front of herself. “Oh no-no-no-no it was actually Cadence who saved the day with my brother, all I did was help find Cadence, she was the one who saved Equestria.”

Cadence smiled, as she nudged Twilight lightly with her wing, “Don’t you go taking the high road missy, you did just as much to save the day as I did. Nopony would have come to sae me, if it wasn’t for you.”

Luna straightened her left leg, the pain was a dull throb now that the adrenaline had worn off it was far more noticeable, but she had things to do. “Still, it was good that you came here when you did, regardless we are sure you and your friends played a big help.”

Luna scanned the room looking at all the faces with a grateful smile, as they smiled back to her some bashful some prideful. She chuckled softly, as she turned from them trotting somewhat awkwardly with the injury she began to make her way towards the situation room where her Generals would be converging.

“Twilight, may I speak to you and Cadence a moment.” Celestia interrupted garnering the attention of the smaller mares who walked towards her by the corner of the room.

It was then, when she began to leave that suddenly something odd about the mares flared up in Luna mind. She almost shrugged it off, but the niggling thought in her mind would not be sated until she took another look. Once she did she noticed that the scene before her was not as she had first thought, and she could not help but voice her concerns.

She rubbed her chin in thought gazing, down at the other girls. “Forgive me Elements ,my memory was never that good with faces, but were there not six of you last we meet? Yes, six elements, six carriers, but there is only five of you? Could one not make the festivities?”

Twilight, whose ear flicked at the mention of the elements, smiled ready to correct the nocturnal princess, as she turned away from her mentor along with all the other mares, who looked around at one another with unsure expressions, wondering what Luna was going on about. One by one all five eyes lit up with a panicked and terrified gasp, as they noticed that between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, one of their friends was nowhere to be found.

So caught up in the confusion and the post battle debates within the throne room, they had kept their eyes on the monarch and the windows in and around the affected areas in case of any more attacks. That, coupled with the come down of the adrenalin and anxiety they were experiencing, they had failed to notice something was amiss. Or some pony in this case.

Isobel groaned weakly, her eyelids fluttered opened slowly as the protruding light shone in her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that her whole body felt cold, the warm yet intrusive wind was blowing against her side cutting deep into her snuggled up form. She groaned again, scrunching her eyes closed she reached over almost subconsciously to the other side of her bed, planting her hand around the sides looking for the warmth of the blanket she had been smothered in.

She pats the area for a few minutes as she tired to fall back asleep, before rolling over onto her back to the left side of the bed frame to see if it was there instead. Immediately she felt the whole bed give way as it vanished underneath her. She screamed as she fell from her sleeping place. Her body lands hard on her stomach. She yelps out in pain as her abdomen collides with something hard and cold. Her body goes into a U-shape as she coils around the solid material it had impacted.

Her eyes shoot open. Dazed and addled from the rude awakening. She coughs and groans as her lungs fight to get the air back into her that had been forced out from the impact.

“Owww” Is all she can sputter out as she caught her breath. her eyes immediately fix on the alien location. Looking for what she assumed to have been her bedroom, all she saw in its place was the the swaying of bright green grass, the whipping of the bending tree branches that danced with the wind and a myriad of different flora and fauna drenched in vivid colours of green, blue and orange. She couldn’t help but notice after seeing this that all of it drenched in some florescent purple liquid almost akin to a glow stick in its contrasting glare against the natural colours of the foliage. It had looked like someone had thrown paint with reckless abandon across the field. In fact the only parts that didn’t seem to be covered in the bizarre fluid were instead splattered, and matted in puddles of a thick deep brownish red. She blinked a few times rubbing her eyes with her forearm, she had never ever in her life seen anything so incongruous or exotic from her usual life, and quickly a deep foreboding feeling formed in the pit of her stomach.

What came next was the smell. An overwhelming smell of fire, a miasma of burnt unidentifiable substance choked the air, and invaded her nostrils. It made her want to gag immediately. Again all she could equate it to was the smell of a flaming compost heap Ms Abelin had set fire to one day in the back garden. It was like that, mixed in with the smell of burnt stale meat. It was perhaps one of the worst things she had ever experienced in her life.

It was only then that she noticed the creatures around it. Nightmarish lumps of what looked like horses with fins and fangs. Big Insect wings adorned in certain types of metal armour, that almost seemed to be attached to the creatures, like the skin of a Crocodile or in some of the other bodies, that of an enormous Boat-builder bug .

Laced around them was, again, something that could have been deemed as almost cartoonish ponies at least as far as their colour and eyes were concerned all of them with large leathery… Isobel blinked again are those batwings? She shook her head unable to stop gawking at the morbid sight, Large eyed beings with bushy ears and thick night sky blue helmet and chest plates.

One of them suddenly moved, twitching and coughing in its last few living moments. It stared directly up at her, its teeth clenched and its eyes full of malice. It growled at her, trying to move towards her. But it stops, almost screaming in pain it yells something weakly to her. Isobel had no idea what it had said but the malice in its voice was all she needed to know, the feelings immediately hit her like a train, before they stopped immediately as the creature fell back to the floor.

It was all Isobel could take at that point.

Isobel reared back into a scream so primal and so high pitched it quickly went silent unable to control its tone and pitch replaced by fits as she began hyperventilating.

W-w-w-what’s going on! Dream, I’m dreaming, no nightmare, it’s just a nightmare that’s it! I’m in bed, in sleeping, Abby’s underneath me, she’ll hear me moving around something will wake her she’s a light sleeper… She’ll get Simon, he’ll wake me up, he has to, this is all just a bad dream!

Isobel slapped herself hoping that in the lucidity she was contracting in the dream, the notion that she knew this to be some feverish nightmare, the slap would wake her from this hell. She hit herself again and again and again. until she reared back in too much pain to continue further Small trickles of liquid fell from the point of contact and when she touched her head with her hand to look at the liquid, the bright purple Liquid…

My hand where is my hand!

A horrific stump was in place where her hand should have been, black with holes in and around its circumference, like it had been excavated by ants into a hive like network of colony tunnels. She looked through them spotting the eyes of one of the fallen creatures, the one that had yelled at her, lifelessly staring back at her.

It was then that in her stress and anxiety, her body reacted to all the smells and sights and sounds, in it’s most primal way it could.
Isobel, dazed and pained still stuck around the cold stone grey column leaned down and expelled her stomach onto the floor, heaving and crying at the same time. As the reactionary tears followed married itself with her uncontrollable sobbing.

Simon, please wake me up, I don’t like this, this is scary I don’t want to be here.... Simon... please!

She stayed like that for a long while as she sniffled and spat out the acidic bile in her throat and mouth, all she could do was keep praying over and over repeating the same mantra she had stated as soon as she had opened her eyes.

This is a nightmare!

Someone please save me!

This is a nightmare!

She froze in her spot, as she heard a groan respond to her plea’s. Her bottom lip quivers uncontrollably, her body went completely still, she slowly, inch by inch, turned her head towards the noise.

Something beside her was stirring on the other side of what she could only guess at this vantage point was a statue, though, of what she had no concept of knowing. Some deformed creature in the thrones of hysterical laughter. The image might of sacred her almost as much as the atmosphere and location had she not noticed the deep rumbling of the beast at the other side of the creature's head. This disordered monstrosity, was waking up from the thrones of sleep.

Oh god, please don’t let it see me.

Everything about it was terrifying. Its bug like wings, the cold almost shiny exterior of its armoured skin, like a spider the size of a sheep, coated in black marble. It moved and wiggled next to her as it began to bring itself up on its own four legs, the whole process made Isobels skin crawl and her body shiver. She found a more level spot on the statues body, crawling forwards she receded into a ball, hoping, and beseeching the heavens it would not see her.

The insect creature lifted its head and gasped,letting out a shrill quite scream exactly like Isobel had done when she had awoken. Its eyes bulged and its reptilian pupils dilated. Isobel instantly noticed that unlike the lifeless bodies that littered the foliage around her, this creature actually had defined eyes. thin reptilian slits shone as it surveyed the landscape, it had awoken to. Those eyes, why are they so familiar, oh no, it’s looking this way, someone please help me, don’t let it see me!

Isobel let out a muffled shriek subconsciously. She tried to stifle her cries, but with her lack of hands and the clumsiness of her deformed nightmarish appendages, coupled with the new weight behind them, all she did was slam them into her lips. The moment it hit it her lip it split it and she reeled back yelping from the pain. The appendages that were not full of holes were as sharp as claws and they hurt as much as a knife. She cries out again, this time tasting the sickly purple liquid as it seeps into her mouth. She reals over again ready to hurl from the disgusting taste of the purple liquid, but she only amounts to dry heaving. Spitting the disgusting metallic salty liquid from her mouth.

As she recovers from the action, her eyes dart back over to the creature in primal panic. It was looking right a her, its eyes fully open, watching her every move, with a wide open jaw. Was it surprised or readying itself to pounce, she did not know. She almost wants to scream again but could not, frozen in her fear, the two just stayed fixed in one another's gaze, stuck on either side of the arms of the statute, neither one risked any movement from one another, lest they trigger a response.

The creature in front of her, lets out a string of frightened stuttered noises. But to Isobel's ears all it sounds like is the whinnying and neighing of a horse. She could not understand a word she was saying, all she could understand, much to her confusion was that it sounded as scary and at the same time a scared as if she had spoken it in pure English.

Isobel swallowed the built up spit in her mouth, she felt she had to say something anything, if she stayed silent she feared the creature might take that as an act of disrespect.“W-what are you?” Isobel manages to say, she tried to stand up as much as the statues arms would allow her to go from the creature, but she found her legs were not bending right and the footing was wrong. The notion terrified her, she wanted to know why, what had happened to her, but she dared not break eye contact from the creature, who had still not moved from its place on the statue's right arm.

The creature recoils at her sentence, before continuing it’s stuttering whinnying and neighing, it was almost fascinating to Isobel now that it almost sounded like it was speaking an actual language. To Isobel ears there was almost no doubt that it could be something to that effect. She could see the intelligence in its eyes, the subtle mannerisms of its body, the light shaking, the curling of its body, it wasn’t puffing its chest out or attempting to move forward towards Isobel. If she didn’t know any better she would have thought it was just as scared as she was.
A noise echos in the distance. It sounded a lot more like the sounds the creature was making, some more neighing, though they sounded louder, more primal than the creatures, the tones sounded harsher than hers as well. Isobel gasped again, gaining the interest of the creature that looked at the sound and then at her with something almost akin to empathy as Isobel retreated back into her cowering fetal position into at the corner of the statues grasp.

I wanna go home, I wanna go home please someone take me ho-ho-home! She was openly weeping now. Sobbing into the ball of herself, she had curled up into, she let the snot and hiccups flow freely as she began to lose hope of any salvation.

What had she done to deserve such an awful nightmare, had she not suffered enough? Had she not been through the worst that life could throw her, she was already homeless save for the orphanage, she had lived on worse than most children whose parents had welfare. Hell, at least to that effect they actually had parents. She had nothing and even now after everything, and on top of everything this was happening. And still she couldn't wake up.

Why, why is this happening!

She almost didn't feel it, something touched her back something, weird, it was as light as a feather, oddly as comfortable as one though it felt thinner almost paper like, than a fluffy embrace of a wing. She opened one of her eyes to see what it was. The creature was by her side staring down with a smile more caring and beautiful than anything the creature should have been able to conceive.

The look in its eyes and the feeling from its body was as shocked and terrified as Isobel was feeling, Isobel could as she always could feel these emotions inside of creatures, be they man or beast. It was weird, not that she could still feel these emotions from such an alien creature, but that it would be feeling something like this at all. The shock was almost abrasive to Isobel. Yet it seemed to suppress its own fear. Almost like it was trying to protect Isobel from its own emotional instability. It was almost like what Simon used to do to keep her comfortable, those times at the hospital.

What Isobel did next shocked even her, acting on instinct, her child like emotions engulfed her logic and she felt herself lean into the creatures hardened skin, her ‘former’ arms wrapping around the creatures thin waist, as she sunk her head into its chest, sobbing into it’s natural black shell.

She should have been repulsed by the intrusion of the creature enveloping her in its firm cold monstrous appendages, coiling around her like some sort of snake. But the depth of the meaning behind the act, behind everything about it, was what Isobel in her infancy was looking for and at this moment she would take what she needed. Regardless of the person or creature the hand of sympathy extended from.

She wanted to feel the comfort more, embrace herself under its kindness until she arose from the nightmare. She felt the creature tighten its own hold on her and Isobel could swear she felt a droplet of warm water touch her hair.

But the intrusion of the noises the sounds of the horse like voices, demanded her attention. She opened her eyes peering out from the side of the creature's flank. The creature itself was shaking somewhat as it looked from its own appendage and then at the voices over and over like it somehow could not believe what was happening.

It opens its mouth but nothing comes out, she looked down at Isobel, a horrified, half gasp leaves her throat as she looks back at the horizon, as the encroaching voices drew closer.

It was at that moment the noises entered the scene smashing through the foliage, battering down the bushes, and flowers with their scimitar like weapons as the marched through them with vigor.

The creature by Isobels side opens its mouth but again only a panicked squeak erupted from it. The horses, geared in almost the exact same attire as the the bodies that lay on the floor, fix onto the sound immediately. One of them, wearing some sort of centurion like helmet with the red haired crest, different to his comrades, points at both the creature and Isobel with an armoured hoof, and without missing a step the rest of his group race forwards, beating their leathery wings up towards her with scimitars raised high.

Isobel screams again, in fright, not knowing what to do. She tries to push away from the creature's grasp, in an attempt to flee the winged horses, but it was too frozen in fear to move with her. Coupled with its frozen stance and the impetus of Isobels movements, both of them are sent hurtling backwards, falling down off the top of the statue with a loud bang they collide with the cold hard ground.

Isobel and the creature don't have time to react, because as soon as they hit the ground four swords were pointed directly at them both. One of them, in some moment of passion and war like testosterone fueled madness, lunging at her with the blade.

Isobel did not know what happened next. All she knew was the fear within her and the will to survive. A feeling like a flood gate of energy releases itself deep within her, the unstoppable fury of the ethereal energy holds nothing back as it fires its way throughout her body. Like a cup the energy fills her entire being looking for any form of release. She became enraptured in it and all of a sudden a blinding light fires from her mouth, eyes and the top of her head. She screams as the agony of what was happening around her, as it cripples her but the scream feel silent through the intensity of the escaping force.

Isobel did not know how long it had been, but as she came down from her high and the effects kicked back in, she noticed that all four of the horse beings were on the floor. Groaning and spastically twitching against bits of alabaster benches and trees now broken or cracked by the impact of the horses against them. Based on the indents they had been thrown against, it looked like quite the impact.

Isobel groans as her body shakes uncontrollably, unable to control itself. She eyes the vicinity around her as she catches her ragged breath, W-what was that?… Did that, did that come from me?

The crest helmed horse, that had taken cover behind the wall leapt forward, his scimitar swung and shone in his mouth as his hooves beat the ground, racing towards the obvious threat. His eyes narrow and villainous with the full intent to kill. He leaps forward only to be stopped just before the point of contact.

Isobel gasps, as she tried to push herself up but she was far too weak for that, she struggled, pushing through the weakness but her body was going nowhere.

At the corner of her vision she sees a blur, the creature, the black bug like being, was behind the statue, it had taken cover behind, the thing looked at Isobel then at the bat horse. As if it was fighting with itself whether to run or not. It bites its lip, looking frantically between her and the bat, before lowering her head and moving further behind the statue.

Isobel gulped as she drew her eyes back to the bat being, that raced towards her. She squints her eyes bracing for the impact. But before the sword came down the hoof steps suddenly stopped.

The offending bat-horse was suddenly encased in something. That something keeping him in some form of blueish glow, like what had come from her just moments ago.

Isobel heard a muffled scream come to her side, she turned back to the cowering bug by the statue, then followed the creatures sight as the look for the reason for his failed charge. She hears panting coming for behind him.

W-what? Is that a unicorn!

A dwarfed unicorn raced into view, clad in an almost mirror opposite version of the bat like creatures knightly attire, though since they were non-existent she had no bearing to say how big they should have really been, yells at the crest helmed horse. His tone quick and frantic.

The other horse, engulfed in the bluish glow, yells back at him in anger as he is lowered to the ground his gaze flicks franticly from the unicorn to Isobel as it continued its rant to the unicorn.

The other horse strides over to the angry bat like comrade, he points to Isobel then to the top of the tower, as he spoke. As if it was explaining something to the other bat horse. Isobel, noticing that the two were distracted, Isobel began to crawl away from the scene but stopped immediately when she heard the two yell and race over to her side. Then, all of a sudden, another group of unicorns entered the fray, it looked like fifty but it could have been more. They marched out of the undergrowth all around her surrounding her and the creature in a circle of spears and a wall of armour.

Isobel, still determined, looked for any conceivable exit, but it was futile. She was fully surrounded. She heard a yelp from her side as the bug like creature was thrown down next to her, the thing was clutching its head where one of the guards had struck it. The two arguing unicorns and bat horse, now done with the conversation, turned their attention and ire to the creature and Isobel.

It was then that the creature by Isobel's side tried to talk in its language, it almost sounded like it was begging or even beseeching the unicorn to understand, as it pointed to itself and then to Isobel, what is it saying, is it trying to sell me out? Isobel growled at the notion she had let it hug her and now it was trying to save itself from whatever fate at the cost of hers.

Whatever the creature was trying to say quickly ended with a sharp slap across its face from the bathorse. The creature quickly curled backwards sinking into itself, but continued to speak, only it came out in choked sobs.

The horse spoke laconically and harshly, reaching into a satchel by its side, it levitated two bronze rings up to the creature. Again the creature protested and again it was meet with a harsh quick slap, this time from the unicorn. The purple liquid from the bug creatures mouth spattered over Isobel, fear took over logical thought and without even realising it, Isobel curled up to the larger bug creature, attaching herself to its left hoof, as the bug creature began to shake uncontrollably.

The unicorn levitated one of the two rings over to the top of the creature's head, where it's spiraled twisted horn was, as soon as it made contact the creature became lacks, her body fell like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly cut, it fell to the floor with a flop, passing out like it had been hit with a tranquilizer dart.

Isobel cowered under its lifeless body, trying in vain to hide under the creature like she had with Abelin and the desk, she hoped with all her might that the unicorn would simply let her go. It was a futile hope but it was all she had.

Oh god, oh god, Simon, please, wake me up!

The Unicorn was not fooled in the slightest, it pulled her out of the wing of the creature with a forceful, angry yank.

Isobel yelled out in pain, the force and strength of the grab hurt her and dazed her. She beseeched to the unicorn. “It’s not… please don’t hurt me please I dont know whats going on I don’t belong here, please you have understand I don’t belong here.” She prayed.

The unicorn looked at her with a lopsided turn of its head. It did nothing to instigate it knew what she was saying, either that or it did not care.

The ring touched the top of her head. She looked up, as it hit the tip of her horn.

Horn what the hell! No I don’t have a horn, what's happening to me, please Simon. L-Let me go you, you ass! She could feel it again that anger the wave of energy deep inside her begin to swell up throughout her body.

But before it had a chance to reach any level of what it had before hand, the ring slid down her horn with ease as soon as it made contact with the lower echelons of her horns base she immediately felt her world turn black.

Simon help me, please I don’t like it here, this nightmare is to real, Nightmares can't hurt me, you told me so yourself!… Da--

Her world fell through the blackened nightmare of the dream she was living and with it went her consciousness, all she heard before her eyes closed was the sounds of maniacal, crazed cackling coming from the statue itself.

A Hive of Three Minds

by Living Madness

Chapter One (Re-edited)

Chapter Two (Re-edited)

Chapter Three (Re-edited)

Chapter Four

Chapter Five