> My Enemy's Enemy
>  by BudCharles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Brutality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Badlands appeared deceptively normal as Chrysalis flew through the scorching desert sky, Celestia’s firey sun assaulting her eyes. There was not a hint of moisture in the air, just coarse, unforgiving dust.  Twice she nearly succumbed to sleep in mid-air, totally exhausted from the lack of love around her as her little changelings fought over the tiniest traces of water. In other words, business as usual.
 
Or not.
 
“Something on the horizon” she muttered to herself. She double checked, then triple checked, but the dark, cloudy figure was still there - getting larger in fact.
 
“SOMETHING ON THE HORIZON!” she called out, lighting up her horn to echo the message across the area.
 
Immediately, the entire changeling hive, a huge dome-like, black, honeycomb-like structure in the desert sands, began buzzing with activity. Thousands of changelings swarmed into the skies above it, though a few collapsed on their way out, already too tired to continue.
 
Several changelings carried cannon-like weapons, armed with blobs of some kind of acidic substance.
 
“Chrysalisssss” a male voice calmly but clearly sounded from no direction in particular - and the whole army froze in place.
 
“How nice of you to make this a bit more fun,” he continued, “I’ll be sure to kill you last.”
 
“Show yourself at once!” Chrysalis demanded angrily. “You will not harm me - and you will certainly not harm any of my citizens!”
 
The voice simply laughed as the dark, corrupted form of Sombra materialised in front of the changelings’ leader.
 
“I’m afraid I can only grant one of your requests, your majesty” he said with a cruel smile, before sending a huge wave of purple light into the changeling lines, causing thousands of the creatures to cry out and hiss in agony, before falling to the ground, motionless.
 
“NO!” Chrysalis screamed, flying full-force towards Sombra, her horn lit. Sombra simply floated out of the way, before blasting her with a huge beam of magic.
 
“Argh!” the changeling leader cried, spiralling towards the ground before crashing into a sand dune, her eyes filling with the displaced particles.
 
“Surrender now or the next hit will be fatal” Sombra chuckled.
 
“I will never abandon my little changelings!” Chrysalis hissed. “They have done nothing wrong, it is my duty to protect them!”
 
“I have already failed once…” she added, a hint of sadness in her voice. “But it will not happen again!”
 
Sombra laughed, sensing the opportunity to toy with his opponent some more.
 
“Well, I see you have very little regard for your own safety,” said Sombra, “unfortunate really, you’d make such a good dark magician if you’d just be a little more selfish.”
 
“I will never succumb to your hideous ways!” Chrysalis snapped back.
 
Sombra smiled, pleased with the reaction. “Don’t worry, however. I have something you will care about.”
 
With a flash of light, the form of a tiny little changeling appeared in front of Chrysalis, and Sombra flew down towards him.
 
“Pupa!” Chrysalis gasped in panic.
 
“So that’s what you call the little insect” Sombra snickered.
 
“Don’t you lay a hoof on him!” Chrysalis hissed again.
 
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt your pathetic son - as long as you surrender.”
 
“No! I will not betray my people!”
 
“Very well” Sombra said with a smug smile, before slashing at Pupa’s tiny form violently with his sharp, malformed horn.
 
“HELP!” Pupa screamed as he tumbled into the sand, his exoskeleton cracked severely, with thick green liquid oozing out of the cracks.
 
“MUMMY! HELP! PLEASE!” he cried as Sombra slashed at him again and again, Chrysalis looking away in horror.
 
“ENOUGH!” the changeling queen finally snapped. “I SURRENDER! DON’T HURT HIM ANYMORE!”
 
“Excellent,” Sombra answered as he left Pupa lying trembling in the sand, wet with green blood, completely unaffected by the act of violence he’d just committed. “You have five minutes to get yourself and your disgusting little son out of my sight, and if you return, you won’t be so lucky.”
 
Chrysalis glared at Sombra, her eyes filled with the most firey rage he had ever witnessed. For the first time that day, Sombra flinched, just slightly. The changeling queen proceeded to race over to her son and hold him close to her, before taking to the air, cradling him as she flew.
 
Sombra smiled, very pleased with himself, as he turned to face his new subjects, who had landed in the sand, covering their eyes and quivering with fear.
 
“From now on,” he shouted, “I am your king!”
 
Sombra lit up his horn and shackles appeared around the legs of all the changelings left alive.
 
“You will do what I say, or you will pay the price, understand?”
 
Cautious nods spread across the crowd.
 
“Good. You are to turn this nest into a military fortress. There are to be at least a hundred cannons, at least ten thousand soldiers, and at least a hundred thousand bricks made for the walls - understand?”
 
“Y-your majesty?” one changeling spoke up, instantly regretting opening his mouth.
 
“What is it?” Sombra asked impatiently.
 
“N-no disrespect, but we are hungry - starving really - and we have no resources to build with. We’ll all die trying.”
 
“Would you rather die now?” Sombra threatened.
 
“N-no sir, sorry sir.”
 
“One more word from any of you and you’ll be nothing more than a scorch mark on the floor! Understand?”
 
The changelings nodded silently.
 
“Any questions.”
 
They shook their heads, equally silently.
 
“Excellent. Get building. NOW!”
 
Several hours later, an exhausted Chrysalis finally landed, shakily, on the Southern outskirts of a dense forest, bordered by vast plains of fertile grassland. This was definitely Equestrian territory - she couldn’t remain out in the open for long. Gently, she laid her injured son on the soft bed of leaves that coated the forest floor, examining his wounds.
 
Every inch of the child appeared to be bleeding and beaten, Sombra had made no effort to target a specific area, he just thrashed around like he was beating a piñata.
 
Ex-Queen Chrysalis stroked Pupa gently with one of her front hooves, causing him to flinch a little, before spreading himself out on the soft leaves and relaxing. 

Sombra had taken everything, her kingdom, her people, her livelihood - but he was not taking her son.

She considered her options, not that there were many. Perhaps she could hide in the forest, find some kind of rare medicine or something? No, she didn’t even know what plants to look for, never mind how to find them. Perhaps she could head back to the hive, sneak out a doctor? No, it was too risky - she could get killed and then little Pupa would be totally defenceless. Chrysalis knew in her heart she only had one option - and she wasn’t going to like it…


> Assistance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight sat surrounded by literal pillars of literature in her new castle library, completely absorbed in her latest new book, Starswirl: Wizard, Legend, Father. She couldn’t put the thing down, she had been reading for at least the past two hours, far more time than she allocated on the daily schedule.
 
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
 
Hearing a sound, Spike peeked at Twilight from behind one of the castle bookshelves, nearly sending the whole thing tumbling to the ground. She didn’t move an inch.
 
“Twilight?” he attempted to ask calmly while pushing a couple of thick books back into place. Twilight flicked over to the next page, completely oblivious.
 
With rising irritation in his voice, Spike repeated, “Twiliiiight!” Still no response.
 
Spike sighed and jumped down from the bookshelf, nearly sending the whole thing crashing a second time. Once he touched down safely on the carpeted ground, he made a b-line straight for Twilight.
 
“Earth to Twilight?” he repeated, waving his green hand in front of Twilight’s face, almost bumping her pointy snout.
 
“Whoa! Wha-? Yes Spike?” she finally managed to say, completely flustered.
 
Spike rolled his eyes.
 
“Someone’s knocking at the door.”
 
“Sorrysorrysorrysorry…” Twilight called out loudly as she raced out of the room, the message presumably intended for her waiting guests.
 
Spike shrugged and walked off, satisfied with a job well done, he had a bubble bath to get started!
 
“…sorry…. sorry…….. sorry……….” Twilight was basically panting by the time she actually reached the door. She weakly grabbed the handle of one half of the door with her magic, swinging it open.
 
“Your majesty” the pony outside said politely, with a bow. She was a plain green unicorn, with a plain green coat of fur and a simple pink heart as her cutie mark. A small, quite nervous looking foal appeared to be hiding behind her - Twilight took it on as her mission to cheer him up!
 
“There’s no need for formalities,” Twilight said with a smile, holding the castle door open, “come in!”
 
The green pony let the way, and the little foal scampered along close behind her. Twilight closed the door behind them.
 
“What’s your name?” Twilight asked with a friendly tone.
 
The foal simply shook his head quietly.
 
Twilight sat down on her hindquarters to appear less intimidating. “You have any hobbies? Anything you do for fun?
 
He shook his head again.
 
Twilight sighed, perhaps this was a battle she couldn’t win. She stood up and turned her attention back to the mother - at least she assumed the green pony was the mother.
 
“Sorry again, what did you come here for?” Twilight asked politely.
 
The green pony took a deep breath, before a wave of light began to form at the tip of her horn, and made its way down her entire form, revealing none other than the hard, shiny, dark form of Chrysalis - the changeling queen!
 
Immediately, Twilight charged up her horn defensively!
 
“Stand back!” she demanded, taking a step forwards in an attempt to stand her ground.
 
The little foal whimpered in terror and raced to hide under the nearest piece of furniture he could find, while Chrysalis just took a step back as calmly as possible.
 
“Please, turn off your horn, I’m not here to attack you.”
 
“Prove it,” Twilight demanded, eyeing Chrysalis suspiciously, but not taking another step.
 
Chrysalis sighed and sent a beam of magic towards the little foal, revealing a tiny, badly injured changeling - Pupa.
 
Immediately, Twilight let down her guard and raced to his side.
 
“I - is he alright?” she asked. She didn’t know what the green stuff was, but she could tell he definitely wasn’t alright. “Did something happen to him?”
 
“That is my son, Pupa,” Chrysalis explained, “our nest was attacked by some… creature. He did this, just to make a point.”
 
As calm as she was trying to keep herself, a tear escaped Chrysalis’ eye - clear, just like a pony’s tear. Twiight gave her a sympathetic look, but shyed away from saying anything.
 
“We had no choice but to flee to the nearest place we could find - your ‘Everfree forest’ if the street signs were correct? However, Pupa needed help, desperately - so I came here, in the hope that you would show ‘mercy’, as you call it, and at least save him.”
 
Twilight simply looked at the ground for a moment in consideration, before giving her reply.
 
“I really don’t know much about changeling anatomy, especially not how to treat something this serious-looking. I will try to get Fluttershy’s help if I can - but no guarantees there. I will try though, I promise!”
 
“Thank you” Chrysalis answered, scooping up little Pupa in a big hug. Pupa snuggled up to her hard exoskeleton as if it were a soft, cuddly pillow.
 
Twilight smiled as she headed out the door to find Fluttershy, reminded of the times Celestia scooped her up and hugged her whenever she grazed her knee, or afflicted herself with a paper cut. She’d never imagined her enemy would be so… familiar. The image of a loving mother was so different to that of a manipulative tyrant - and so much more accurate, it seemed.
 
A few minutes later, Fluttershy arrived, a first aid kit strapped to her back. She had a full on panic attack as she and Twilight approached the door.
 
“Eep! W-what if I offend her, will she reduce me to a scorch mark on the ground?”
 
“You won’t offend her,” Twilight tried to reassure her friend, “I mean I was about to launch an agonising pain spell at her and she wasn’t upset with me.”
 
“Did she know it was going to be an agonising pain spell?”
 
“Well, perhaps not - but still.”
 
“Eep! I don’t want to go in there! I’m sorry!” Fluttershy whimpered as she tried to run off.
 
“Don’t even think about it!” Twilight demanded, grabbing her friend’s tail with her magic. She realised she had to change her approach. “Look Fluttershy, you know more than anypony that whether they’re changelings or ponies or ferrets, all creatures have feelings, and all creatures deserve to be helped? Isn’t that right?”
 
Fluttershy nodded and smiled, pleased that her (extremely quiet) lectures had been getting through to at least one of her friends.
 
“Good. Well, right now, in that castle, there is a mother holding her dying son in her hooves. Without your help, one creature will lose their life, and another will never be able to live with themselves. So you should go in there now, and do everything you can to help them. I can’t force you - you can run away if you want - “, she stepped aside to emphasise the point, “I just urge you to do what you think is the right thing.”
 
Fluttershy took a deep breath and reached for the door handle, nervously swinging open the entrance to the castle. Twilight smiled, relieved, following close behind.
 
As soon as she caught the sight from the corner of her eye, Fluttershy rushed to help the changelings.
 
“Oh my! You poor thing,” she practically whispered as she examined Pupa’s injured form.
 
The little changeling looked up at her nervously, and was instantly comforted by her gentle expression, lying back and relaxing in his mothers’ arms. Chrysalis smiled as she cradled him.
 
“Thank you,” Chysalis began, “and don’t worry, I would never reduce you to a scorch mark.”
 
“Oh my,” Fluttershy said sheepishly, “I - I didn’t mean for you to hear that. I’m sorry.”
 
“I would be scared too, it’s alright. To be honest, I am still a little scared now.”
 
“Oh, um, you don’t need to be scared of us. We’re not enemies any more right?”
 
“I suppose that’s true, but I’m not allowed on your soil.”
 
“Well, um, I think you’re on tiles right now, not soil, so you’re okay.”
 
Chrysalis let out a tiny snicker. How unbecoming of her to laugh at such petty entertainment… but it was pretty funny.
 
With that, Fluttershy turned her attention back to Pupa, now lying, barely awake, in his mothers arms. She examined him closely, and though she tried not to show it, she was a little shocked by the intensity of his wounds.
 
“They’re - bad aren’t they?” Pupa finally spoke up. His voice was very soft, and a little high pitched, a bit like a shy colt, though with a hint of raspiness to it, reminding Fluttershy of Rainbow Dash or Scootaloo.
 
“Oh, no, don’t be silly,” Fluttershy said gently, “nothing you can’t recover from.”
 
“You’re lying.” Pupa said plainly.
 
Fluttershy was little taken aback by his honesty but Applejack was like that too, so she wasn’t as taken aback as most ponies would be.
 
“I might - not make it - huh?” Pupa added.
 
“Don’t think of it that way,” Fluttershy reassured, “try to tell yourself ‘I might make it’, not ‘I might not’.”
 
“But aren’t they both true?” he asked, bewildered. “Why should I say one, and not the other?
 
Fluttershy whimpered a bit, the look of sheer bafflement in his huge shiny eyes was a bit too much adorableness even for her to handle.
 
“Well, yes,” she answered, gaining back control of herself, “but you’re more likely to get better, if you feel like you’re getting better. It’s called the placebo effect.”
 
“The cheeto effect?” Pupa asked, his eyes seemingly even sparklier than before.
 
Fluttershy had to take a second to breathe as her heart skipped a bit, before answering Pupa’s question. “Um, n-no, the placebo effect.”
 
“Okay,” Pupa finally agreed, “so I might make it.”
 
“Yes, that’s right.”
 
“But I might not.”
 
“Oh, um, I think you’re missing the poi-“
 
“Hey, I feel much better now!”
 
“But you’re just the same as-“
 
“Thank you Doctor Fluttershy!”
 
Pupa rolled over in Fluttershy’s direction and wrapped his tiny arms around one of her forelimbs in a hug. Fluttershy whimpered again - this was like watching a baby otter discover a waterslide for the first time, too much to handle!
 
“Um, you’re welcome” she managed to get out, with a smile.
 
Pupa appeared to almost fall asleep during the hug, and Fluttershy gently laid him down, before retrieving some antiseptic ointment out of the first aid kit. Gently, she dabbed some on her hoof and spread it across Pupa’s wounds. At first the little creature winced, tiny tear drops forming in his eyes, but then he felt all the pain go away and drifted quietly off to sleep, while Fluttershy began gently wrapping him in a variety of bandages.
 
By the time Fluttershy had finished, Pupa looked like some kind of four-legged Egyptian mummy sprawled out on the floor, with the most content expression on his face, as if he was dreaming about a mountain of ice cream a mile high - or love cream, if that’s what changelings ate. Fluttershy wasn’t entirely sure.
 
Chrysalis gave Fluttershy a look of overwhelming gratitude, before gently picking up her child and holding him close. These ponies, they ruined her greatest triumph, they banished everyone she knew and loved to a wasteland, they starved and weakened her race in the first place so they could be attacked. So why did she have such a strong urge to hug the feathers out of them?
> Goodbyes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mummy!” Pupa cried out as he woke up suddenly, sitting up in his bed and breathing heavily.
 
On the other side of a thick stone wall, Chrysalis turned over in her bed restlessly, bothered by the sound, but not yet awake.
 
“MUMMY! WHERE ARE YOU?” Pupa called out again, loud enough to wake up half of Ponyville.
 
Chrysalis hissed in confusion as she slowly opened her eyes and groggily rolled onto the floor. Her wings hung like dying leaves and she stumbled to her hooves in the pitch black darkness.
 
“MUMMYYYYYY!”
 
In an instant, every hint of the changeling queen’s exhaustion was gone. She raced straight out of her room as if it was midday.
 
She swung open Pupa’s door to see him crying into a pillow, shaking. His bandages were half fallen off from all his writhing around.
 
“Are you alright?” Chrysalis asked, running straight to her child’s side.
 
“Mummy!” Pupa squeaked, looking up in disbelief, before jumping onto her mother and tackle-hugging her.
 
Chrysalis smiled. “Alright, alright, what’s wrong?”
 
“Well, I-I was there again, when the bad unicorn attacked. And you - he - th-the…”
 
Chrysalis hugged Pupa once more, using her magic to light up the room. “It was just a nightmare,” she assured him, “He’s not going to hurt you, or me, or anyone else, and if he tries, I’ll make him regret ever being born, understand?”
 
Pupa giggled a little, before crying again.
 
“Come on Pupa, it’s alright, nothing’s going to hap-”
 
“You’re leaving aren’t you?” Pupa interrupted, struggling to get the words out between bouts of sobbing.
 
“What do you m-“
 
“When I get better, you’re going to leave me with those ponies, and go back to fight him off aren’t you.”
 
“Well I -”
 
“Promise that you’re not going to!”
 
Chrysalis sighed. Normally she would have told him off for yelling at her like this, but she knew it wouldn’t achieve anything.
 
“I’m sorry, but you saw what that bad unicorn did to all those changelings. I have to do something, before he hurts anyone else. Twilight and Fluttershy will take good care of you, I promise.”
 
“But I don’t want Twilight or Fluttershy! I want YOU!”
 
Chrysalis sighed again and hugged Pupa tighter. She wanted to tell him that she wished she could stay, that she wished she could live to watch him grow up and make friends and do great things - but she knew that would only make him feel worse.
 
The next morning, Fluttershy swung open the door to find Pupa cuddled up on the bed in a little ball of blankets, and Chrysalis sprawled out on the ground next to him. She let out a giggle as she walked in and nudged them both with one of her front hooves.
 
“Wakey wakey sleepy heads,” she said gently.
 
Happily, Pupa leaped out of the bed, shaking off the last of his bandages that were still managing to cling on before racing out the door and into the wide, empty maze of corridors on the other side. Fluttershy tried to call for him but he’d left the room before she could even turn around. She figured she’d catch up to him once he realised he had no idea where he was.
 
“Errrrrgh,” Chrysalis whined, “what time is it?”
 
“Ten in the morning,” Fluttershy answered happily, turning to face her.
 
“Ten?” Chrysalis gasped. “I usually get up at six!”
 
“Did your sleep get interrupted at all? That happens sometimes to Angel bunny.”
 
Chrysalis rolled her eyes, this pony was comparing her to a rabbit. If she was in the changeling kingdom she’d have her imprisoned for treason.
 
“I’ll have you know that - oh… actually I was interrupted.”
 
“Oh dear - was something wrong with the bed - was there not enough light? Or too much light?”
 
 “No, no, it was fine. I appreciate the sleeping arrangements. Pupa just had a nightmare, so I had to go comfort him.”
 
“A nightmare? The poor thing, I’d better see if he’s alright.”
 
With that, Fluttershy raced out of the room, only to run straight into a completely un-traumatised-looking Pupa.
 
“Oh, hi,” the little changeling asked, “do you know which direction is the best way to go to run away from you?”
 
“Um yes, just take a right turn and - hey, come back here!”
 
With that, Pupa turned tail and raced off again, Fluttershy just inches behind him. Chrysalis followed unenthusiastically behind. As tired as she was though, she couldn’t help but smile a little inside. She hadn’t seen her little boy this happy in a long time.
 
“Breakfast is served!” Spike declared as the three of them came tumbling into the dining room, Fluttershy finally managing to get hold of Pupa.
 
“Time to get you back into those bandages young man!” Fluttershy declared playfully.
 
“I don’t need bandanas!” Pupa retorted.
 
“Bandages, not bandanas.”
 
“Well I don’t need any band badgers! I’m fine!”
 
“Don’t be silly, you still have a lot of recovering to do, you should be drinking lots of fluids, getting plenty of rest and most importantly keeping your bandages on!”
 
“No, no band badgers!” Pupa protested, folding his arms dramatically.
 
“Hey you two,” Spike interrupted, “how about we call a temporary truce, because Twilight and I made pancakes and we’re very eager to eat them.”
 
He turned around to see the pony princess already gulping down a pancake whole, maple syrup trickling down her face.
 
“Well... I’m very eager to eat them. Twilight got a bit ahead of herself.”
 
Pupa chuckled.
 
“Thanks, but mummy and I have had so much love here that we’re already full.”
 
He proceeded to run up to Fluttershy and wrap his arms around her tummy.
 
She felt her heart almost explode.
 
“Oh my, um, you’re welcome,” she managed.
 
Pupa let go and trotted back to Chrysalis’ side and Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. That level of cuteness exposure was surely above some kind of legal limit.
 
Accompanied by Spike, Fluttershy and the two changelings made their way over to Twilight’s table, where a stack of pancakes was ready for each of them. They looked around them to see a wide open hall, paved with a wooden floor and brightly lit with natural light from a big, arched window. There were some traces of a carpet that had been removed, probably due to it not sitting well with Twilight’s messy eating habits. The tables were large, round and made from some kind of opaque white crystal - the stools were of matching material and colour.
 
Twilight would never have approved of spending public money on such an expensive building material - but the castle just spawned them out of thin air so what could she do? She had once considered selling them to raise money for ponies in need, but Rarity found the idea of removing such splendour from the castle unacceptable, and Twilight didn’t want to go through months of being whined at by her best friend - the media and the nobility gave her more than enough whining already.
 
“Oh, hmm mmo!” Twilight said happily as she noticed her guests approaching. She then noticed her mouth was full and quickly swallowed, blushing with embarrassment. “Heh, sorry, meant to say ‘hello’. Did you sleep well?”
 
Chrysalis nodded with a smile, not touching her pancakes.
 
“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked.
 
“Oh, um, they only eat love” Fluttershy explained.
 
“Oh right!” Twilight realised, even more sheepish than before. “Hey, uh, is it alright if I have yours?”
 
“Go ahead,” Chrysalis offered.
 
“Thank you!”
 
Twilight’s face lit up with excitement as she levitated Chrysalis’ plate over to her side of the table. Double pancakes!
 
“Do I get extra pancakes too?” Spike asked.
 
Pupa giggled and used his own magic to move his plate over to Spike.
 
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Spike declared, licking his lips as he admired the two stacks of pancakes in front of him.
 
Fluttershy watched on in amazement.
 
“Wow, your magic is working already? You’re recovering very quickly! Actually, now I think about it, your wounds are looking a lot better too.”
 
“They… are?” Pupa said sadly, looking down at the ground.
 
“Well, yeah, aren’t you happy? That means less bandages!”
 
“It also means mummy has to go away.”
 
“Oh.” Fluttershy realised, before you looking up at Chrysalis. “You’re… planning to leave?”
 
“I don’t have a choice,” Chrysalis answered. “My people are in danger, I have a duty to protect them. I was planning to ask you as soon as I knew Pupa would be safe - I’d like you to look after him permanently - if… if I don’t succeed.”
 
“Oh my” Fluttershy managed, as all sense of joy evaporated from the area.
 
Twilight dropped a half-eaten pancake and turned to Chrysalis. “You know you don’t have to go alone right?”
 
“I couldn’t take Pupa, are you crazy?” Chrysalis snapped.
 
“No no, that’s not what I meant!” Twilight assured her. “I meant I could come with you. We’d stand a much better chance together.”
 
“You don’t understand, this enemy who attacked us, he has immense power, he took down thousands with one strike! You would be risking -”
 
“My life, I know - but it would be worth it. I’d be fighting to save a whole nation of innocent citizens, and most of all I’d be fighting to save somepony who came to me in a time of need, a loyal leader, a brave warrior and most of all a loving mother. I’d be proud to die for you.”
 
Chrysalis stared in stunned silence.
 
“But I’m not a pony - and you’ve only known me for two days! I know there was before - but back then I tried to kill you and take over you country. W-why would you do the exact opposite for me?”
 
Twilight simply smiled, “well, you with me or not?”
 
“Well of course, thank you! But - why?”
 
“Wait mummy!” Pupa called out before Twilight could respond. “Don’t go! Please!”
 
Chrysalis sighed. “Pupa, I’m sorry, there’s no other way.”
 
“Then I’m coming with you!”
 
“It’s too dangerous. You have so much still ahead of you.”
 
“But mummy, please!” Pupa whimpered, tears filling his eyes.
 
Chrysalis’ eyes returned the gesture as she walked over to hug him. “Pupa, I’m so sorry. You deserve better, but this is just the way it is. I love you okay. Never forget that. Never ever!”
 
“But -”
 
“Promise?”
 
Pupa sniffed.
 
“Promise.”
 
“Good. Now stay strong like you always have. Remember, we changelings are tough, got it?”
 
“Got it!” Pupa declared, wiping his tears away and attempting the toughest flexing pose he could.
 
Chrysalis chuckled, before galloping out of the room, Twilight by her side. There was no turning back now.
 
 


> Reluctance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrysalis was talking to Twilight as they walked deeper into the Everfree, the dark shadows of multiple layers of plant life hanging over them. Twilight lit up her horn so they could see more than a metre in front of them. They had decided to walk to conserve their energy - they knew they’d have to do a lot of flying in the inevitable battle ahead of them.
 
“So who is this evil unicorn?” Twilight asked, with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.
 
“Well, I’m not sure he’s a unicorn, he seems like a dark, twisted version of one. And he killed thousands of us with one strike, I’ve never seen such power, or such violence.”
 
Could it be… no, no way. Sombra was dead, he shattered into a million pieces. It couldn’t be. Could it?
 
Twilight remained silent as she considered the possibility - the only audible sound now was the occasional squelching of mud puddles beneath the hooves of the two travellers. Combined with the cold air and the darkness, it was really quite unnerving.
 
The fur on Twilight’s back stood up, just slightly.
 
Back at the castle, Fluttershy sat next to Pupa, watching the sun set behind the Everfree. Her wing was gently wrapped around him, holding him close like a little teddy bear. Pupa was quiet, but the damp lines down his face revealed he had been crying for quite some time.
 
“I’m sorry for acting like such a baby” Pupa spoke up.
 
“Everypony cries sometimes,” Fluttershy assured, pulling him into a hug. “I’ve cried over some very silly things, I feel quite embarrassed about it actually. But you had every reason to cry today.”
 
“But I’m supposed to be tough remember?”
 
“Being tough doesn’t mean not crying. It means you cry about something, but then you move on, or have the bravery to face what’s happened.”
 
Pupa sat there quietly again, the cogs clearly turning in his mind.
 
Bravery… Face what’s happened…
 
Fluttershy didn’t notice his new, thoughtful expression.
 
The two of them tried to get on with the rest of the night as normal. Bath time was certainly an adventure - after a lot of persuasion from Spike, Pupa tried a bubble bath for the first time - and loved it! Especially when Fluttershy’s otters and seals decided to join in with the whole event and play tennis in the bath!
 
Eventually, bedtime came around…
 
“And then,” Fluttershy continued with a tired but satisfied smile on her face, “the little changeling found every last strawberry. The end.”
 
She looked down to see Pupa curled up with his eyes closed, facing in her direction, his nostrils twitching slightly.
 
“Goodnight, my brave little changeling,” Fluttershy smiled, giving him a kiss on the forehead, before quietly sneaking out of the room.
 
Pupa opened his eyes. The scent of love had receded, the coast was clear! He sat up - then hesitated. Was he really sure about this? That forest looked awfully big - and he was awfully small.
 
Be brave, he mentally told himself.
 
The little changeling quietly snuck out of bed and crept towards the open window. He still couldn’t believe the whole ‘I need fresh air to get better’ thing worked.
 
Pupa’s wings began buzzing as he made his way through to the other side of the window, and he took off, three full stories above the ground.
 
“WHOA!” he squeaked as something tugged him back.
 
Dangit, she caught me, he thought, only to turn around and notice one of his bandages stuck on the windowsill.
 
“Are you alright?” he heard Fluttershy say in the distance. “I heard you call out! I’m coming to check on you!”
 
Desperately, Pupa tried to untie the material, but it wouldn’t go. Starting to panic, he thrashed and kicked at the bandage, finally tearing it free of the window. His wings buzzed again and he flew off, his bandages once again coming off as they untied themselves and descended to the ground below. In the distance, he noticed a light turn on, followed by frantic banging and searching. He sighed, guiltily, but he knew he had to leave Fluttershy there. His mummy was in trouble, and he was going to find her…
 
Am I ever going to find her, Pupa thought to himself as he carefully stepped along some semblance of a pathway. The cold air stabbed into his uncovered wounds, and he had to rely his hearing as his eyes were blacked out from the darkness and his smell from the mud. The little creature started trembling - he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold, or from the fear.
 
“I’m brave, I’m brave, I’m brave” he whispered to himself, before suddenly freezing as a loud, echoing howl pierced through the sky beside him. The little changeling crouched close to the ground and closed his eyes in terror as not one, not two, but three huge timberwolves came splashing towards him through the nearby puddles, having picked up the scent of blood from miles away.
 
In the distance, Twilight and Chrysalis heard a piercing scream.
 
“That’s Pupa!” Chrysalis gasped.
 
Not another word had to be spoken - the two of them raced towards the scene.
 
Pupa covered his mouth, trying not to scream again as one of the timberwolves, its jaws clamped tightly around his leg, slammed Pupa into the ground repeatedly.
 
I just want mummy, he thought, I don’t care if she’s mad at me, I want mummy.
 
Right on cue, a huge beam of glowing green magic lit up the forest in a virtual lightning flash of neon green, accompanied by a thunderous explosive sound. It was followed quickly by a piercing yelp, and a timberwolf going up in flames and disintegrating. The timberwolf’s two companions scattered into the forest, terrified.
 
“Mummy!” Pupa squeaked, as he raced to hug Chrysalis, limping due to his wounded back leg.
 
“Never, ever, ever do something this dangerous again, you understand that you little terror?” Chrysalis demanded, trying to come across as angry but just sounding grateful and relieved.
 
Pupa just smiled and cuddled. He was alive. His mum was alive. Twilight was alive. Everyone was alive!
 
A few moments later, another voice was heard approaching the trio. It was flustered, fearful and just plain upset.
 
“Pupa! Where are you? Please tell me you’re okay! Please, please, please!”
 
“He’s fine, Fluttershy” Twilight answered, her smile barely visible in the light of her magic alone.
 
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief.
 
“I was so worried!” Fluttershy said, before turning to the dimly-lit form of Chrysalis. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea he would -”
 
“It’s okay,” Chrysalis assured. “I didn’t know either. Otherwise I would not have left him here.”
 
Her tone of voice was not at all convincing.
 
“I’m really sorry,” Fluttershy repeated. “I’ll take him back now, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t do it again.”
 
“No!” Pupa suddenly shouted. “I’m not leaving mummy again!”
 
“That’s enough Pupa, please,” Chrysalis argued back, “this isn’t easy for me either alright! You’ll be safe with Fluttershy. I can’t protect you out here.”
 
“I’ll just escape again. I’ll shapeshift into a colt again, and she won’t even know who I am!”
 
“Pupa-”
 
“Please, just let me come with you! I just want to be with you mummy! And you can’t stop me!”
 
“He does have a point,” Twilight sighed. “I could cast a spell to stop him shapeshifting, but it would only last so long.”
 
“He’s not safe with us!” Chrysalis argued. “I’m not risking his life!”
 
“He’s at more risk running off like this than with us. He can stay behind with Fluttershy when we actually head into the nest. I don’t want to bring him either but I don’t think we have much choice.”
 
“Okay,” Chrysalis finally gave in. “You and Fluttershy can come with us. But only if you agree to stay with her when the battle is happening, deal?”
 
“Deal” Pupa agreed with a small nod.
 
“What about my animals,” Fluttershy asked, “they won’t know I’m -”
 
“Relax,” Twilight assured, “I’ve been studying a one-time use communication spell. I’ll let Spike know he needs to look after the animals.”
 
“Alright then,” Fluttershy  agreed, “count me in”.
 
“Okay,” Twilight agreed, on behalf of everyone, “let’s get going”.
 
The others nodded, and Pupa climbed onto Chrysalis back to avoid walking on his sore leg. He turned over to notice Fluttershy hovering above him and re-doing the bandages he’d torn off.
 
“Really?” he said. “The badgers again?”
 
“Don’t think you’re getting out of them that easily” Fluttershy giggled.
 
With that, the group continued walking into the still, quiet night.
 
 


> Journey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight, Fluttershy, Pupa and Chrysalis continued their trek deep into the night, the moon watching over them with its glorious white glow. Pupa let out a loud yawn and laid himself down on Chrysalis’ back, drifting off to sleep almost instantly. Twilight, meanwhile, lagged behind the group, struggling to keep her eyes open. Late night study sessions were one thing, but actually walking non-stop for three hours was another thing entirely.
 
Suddenly, a crack, followed by a loud thud, was heard. Fluttershy and Chrysalis turned around in shock, only to realise it was just Twilight tripping over a log. Fluttershy walked over to help her up.
 
“Oh my, are you alright?” she asked, offering a hoof.
 
Twilight, still half asleep, flailed her own hoof around in the air a bit until it finally found Fluttershy’s, and the Pegasus helped her up.
 
“I think we should rest for the night - if that’s okay with you”, Fluttershy suggested, turning her attention back to Chrysalis.
 
“Every second we waste is a second, well, he could be using to attack more changelings, or build more defences.” Chrysalis hissed bluntly. “We don’t have time to rest.”
 
“Well it’s just… um… eep” Fluttershy responded, physically backing away and crouching down a little in fear.
 
“Just what?” Chrysalis demanded.
 
“Oh, n-no, please. It’s not even a sensible suggestion anyway. I’m sorry for wasting time.”
 
“I think maybe what she’s saying is the boxes in the pancake sauce,” Twilight interrupted, staggering around about a metre behind them.
 
This was enough to get Fluttershy to speak up. “Well, I mean, it’s just - if we’re not well-rested, our enemy will have an advantage right? Like how when you get nocturnal animals to stay up during the day, they end up dropping their food everywhere.”
 
“That’s a… strange analogy,” Chrysalis commented, before turning to Twilight, who had involuntarily fallen asleep while leaning against a tree. “However, I see your point. Let’s find somewhere to stop for the night.”
 
After around ten minutes of searching, Chrysalis found her somewhere. She led Fluttershy, who was now carrying Twilight Sparkle on her back, into a dark cave, in the side of a large rocky outcrop. Chrysalis lit up her horn, causing hundreds of fuzzy, brown bats to come pouring out of the area.
 
“AAAAAAAAAH!” Chrysalis screeched, waking up both her sleeping son and Twilight, causing them to go rolling onto the floor as the bats continued to fly past.
 
Fluttershy, meanwhile, decided to introduce herself to her new-found friends.
 
“Oh, hello,” she asked one of the bats gently, causing them to turn tail and gently land on her nose, “what’s your name?”
 
The bat screeched in response.
 
“Oh, EEEhhhKH? That’s a nice name. I might just call you Eeky?”
 
The bat nodded, its friends now beginning to gather around calmly.
 
“I’m sorry we disturbed you Eeky. We were just looking for a place to stay for the night. We’d still like to stay here actually - i-if that’s okay with you?”
 
The bats chattered amongst themselves for a few minutes, before one of them gave Fluttershy a reply.
 
“Good news everypony,” Fluttershy said softly to her three trembling companions, “we’re allowed to stay the night, but we have to turn the lights down.”
 
“Thanks - I guess?” Chrysalis responded, baffled by whatever just happened, before turning her horn down.
 
“Banana sprinkle,” Twilight managed in a grateful voice, before falling asleep on the spot.
 
Pupa followed suit, snuggling up beside Twilight and covering himself with her wing, and soon Fluttershy and Chrysalis joined them in a big, snoring heap of cuteness.
 
In the empty darkness outside the cave, a pair of glowing red eyes could be seen, watching intently for a few seconds, before dissipating into the night air.
 
“Help! Help! I’m trapped!” Twilight cried out at the top of her lungs as the sun had barely begun rising, causing the bats to begin swarming again in panic and waking all three of her friends. “Chrysalis has betrayed me, we have t-”
 
Chrysalis rolled her eyes and lit up her horn, not even moving from her sleeping place. The green cacoon around Twilight broke in half and she was ‘freed’ instantly.
 
“Oh.” Twilight said sheepishly, realising what was actually going on as she saw Pupa easily open his cacoon in a matter of seconds. “Thanks for the… uh… sleeping bag?”
 
Chrysalis rolled her eyes and lay back down, only to find Pupa tugging at her wings.
 
“Wake up mummy, wake up mummy!”
 
He ran around her in circles a couple of times, before repeating the tugging. She noticed his leg looked a lot better, though he was still limping a little.
 
“We need to get going, and kick the bad guy’s flank!” Pupa continued.
 
“Alright, alright” Chrysalis said, accepting the fact that sleep was all but over for the day. She made her way out of the now brightly-lit cave, which looked quite a lot smaller and cosier in the day, with smooth rocky walls, full of tiny holes, populated of course by bats.
 
Twilight and Pupa skipped along happily behind her, but Fluttershy stayed put.
 
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asked.
 
“Don’t think so” Twilight answered with a shrug.
 
“Not to my knowledge” Chrysalis added.
 
Pupa stood there and thought for a moment before finally jumping excitedly in realisation. “Oh right, thankyou bats!”
 
The bats chattered happily, Fluttershy translating it as “you’re welcome”. She didn’t have the heart to tell her friends they were actually sighing with relief.
 
A few uneventful hours passed as the group left the forest for the grassy plains beyond. As the grass began to get taller and drier, Pupa started playing and frolicking around in it like an excited puppy let off his leash.
 
Fluttershy decided to join him, and soon the two of them were bouncing around without a care in the world.
 
Suddenly, Fluttershy froze in place, before quickly grabbing a still bouncing Pupa’s back leg and quietly pulling him to the ground.
 
A huge, black, shadowy figure, dwarfing even Chrysalis, swooped above them. It was soon joined by two others.
 
“Oh no,” Chrysalis whispered to herself.
 
“What - are those things?” Twilight asked
 
“No time to explain. Run! Now!”
 
“But -“
 
“Take Pupa and get back to Ponyville as soon as you can! I’ll distract them!”
 
“But what are they?”
 
Chrysalis sighed. Stupid ponies and their curiosity. Just run already.
 
“Mantigons. Giant predators. They prey exclusively on changelings - draining their love until they are nothing but lifeless husks - but that doesn’t mean they’re above killing any non-changelings who get in the way of their next meal. NOW GO!”
 
“What, you expect us to just leave you to get eaten by these things?”
 
All four members of the party ducked as another one of the mantigons swept even closer to their heads.
 
“Yes! Yes I do!”
 
“Well your expectations are wrong! Pupa, get in the middle of the group where you’ll be safe. Chrysalis, you go up front, lead the way. Fluttershy and I will cover Pupa on both sides. Got it?”
 
“This is madn-“
 
“Got it?”
 
“Alright, yes, fine! I can see the edge of the badlands in the distance. There should be some kind of hole or crevice to hide in, now run!”
 
With that, Chrysalis darted towards the yellow sands on the horizon, Twilight and Fluttershy close behind. Pupa, however, was struggling to keep up.
 
“We have to slow down, Pupa’s falling behind” Fluttershy gasped as a third mantigon came close enough to brush against her mane. It seemed to share features of an insect and a reptile, and it was monstrously huge, but it was moving quickly to ascertain anything else.
 
“We can barely outrun them as it is,” Twilight protested.
 
“Got any better ideas?” Fluttershy snapped. “Oh my, I’m sorry”, she quickly corrected herself.
 
There was a moment of silence before Twilight came to a realisation, “actually, I do,” before taking off into the sky.
 
“Are you crazy” Chrysalis screeched, “the sky is their element, get back down from there!”
 
“They may be faster, but we’re more agile. They haven’t managed to change direction even slightly to swoop at us properly.”
 
Chrysalis sighed and took to the air, there wasn’t any better option. Fluttershy and Pupa joined her.
 
The mantigons continued to swoop at the ground below the group as they took off into the air, their scent still lingering on the ground. It was a critical head start.
 
“Alright, fly!” Twilight demanded and the four of them zoomed towards the sandy wastes up ahead at the highest speed they could muster. Twilight quickly managed to get ahead of the group, while Chrysalis trailed behind.
 
The three mantigons noticed Twilight call out, and one of them let out a roar, prompting the others to follow as they chased after the group, rapidly catching up to them.
 
One of the creatures dove directly towards Pupa’s back, but Pupa effortlessly darted to the side, causing it to go spinning towards the ground.
 
The second manitgon roared and attempted several swoops at Twilight and friends from below and above, only to miss every time.
 
Adding insult to injury, Pupa dived at the creature and kicked it on the nose, before quickly darting away.
 
“Pupa, hero of the changelings, is victorious!” Pupa declared, before Fluttershy grabbed him by the arm just in time to save him from another attack, sending a very frustrated second mantigon faceplanting inelegantly into the ground below it.
 
“Please be careful,” she instructed Pupa gently.
 
“Hey, look, there’s sand below us, we’re nearly there!” Twilight announced. “Just a few more metres to those boulders over there - there’s a heap of hiding places.”
 
She pointed to a pile of large, jagged rocks, coated in red dust and sand and dotted with pony-sized holes and gaps.
 
Twilight was the first to reach the hiding place, a fairly large gap in the rocks, and Fluttershy, still holding Pupa by the arm, was there a split second later.
 
“Come on Chrysalis!” Fluttershy called out as the changeling zoomed towards the hole.
 
“Go mummy!” Pupa called out, before recoiling in shock as the huge form of the third mantigon revealed itself behind her.
 
Fluttershy covered her eyes and tried to look away, terrified, but she found herself peeking out of morbid curiosity.
 
Twilight didn’t think twice before spreading her wings and flying straight back out of the gap and into the open air.
 
“Over here, lizard features!” she called out, distracting the creature seconds before it would’ve hit Chrysalis, allowing the changeling to scramble into the hiding place in time. “You’re not worthy of being called a sauropsid!”
 
The creature roared in anger at having its meal taken from it, and zoomed into the air towards Twilight, who just ducked out of the way. She was too far from the entrance to get back at this point - fighting was her only option.
 
Twilight readied her horn, and sent a huge blast of attack magic into the mantigon’s mouth as it tried to swoop at her neck, causing the creature to go spiralling away in pain.
 
The mantigon cried out and shook its head, trying to get rid of the burning. Twilight swooped in for another hit.
 
BOOM!
 
It landed solidly on the mantigon’s nose, causing the creature to collapse onto the ground outside the boulder pile. Twilight took her chance.
 
She raced towards the hiding place as fast as she could go, breathing a sigh of relief at having made it, only to be dragged back out by the tail.
 
The mantigon, teeth firmly gripped around Twilight’s tail, swung the pony up into the air like a crocodile shaking its prey. Twilight held her stomach as she became sick from just the first swing. Then came another, and another. Pupa began crying inconsolably as he watched the creature begin slamming Twilight’s dazed form into the sandy ground, at least three times.
 
Just in time, Twilight snapped out of it and fired a huge beam of light magic directly into the creature’s eye. The mantigon let go and cried out in agony, allowing Twilight to run safely over to the others, where she received the tightest group hug of her life from Pupa and Fluttershy, both of whom were whimpering like Winona on a cracker night.
 
The mantigon tried to knock down the boulder pile in a fit of rage, but the pile stayed stable, and after a few more attempts, the creature gave up and flew off into the distance, leaving a huge cloud of dust in its wake.
 
“What in Tartarus were you thinking?” Chrysalis snapped at Twilight, who was now lying on the ground holding her throbbing head and trying to get the world to stop spinning.
 
“You’re my friend, I’m not going to leave you here!”
 
“Friend? You’ve only been on my side for a day!”
 
“Well fine then, ally. You’re my ally - and ponies never leave their allies in a time of need.
 
“I have no clue how your bizarre species continues to function!”
 
“The magic of friendship”, Twilight said with a giggle.
 
Chrysalis rolled her eyes in response.
 
“Well, thanks for using your magic of nonsense to save me anyway.”
 
“You’re welcome!” Twilight squeaked, hugging Chrysalis.
 
Chrysalis just stood there awkwardly.
 
Wow, she really did get hit hard, huh?
> Ambush
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrysalis led her frien - allies further into the Badlands. It was just an unforgiving as she remembered it, scorching heat, bone dry and covered with dust. Every step she took further filled her holes with sand, while Twilight and Fluttershy ended up with the stuff stuck throughout their fur.
 
Chyrsalis used her wings to shield Pupa from the overpowering sunlight and the brunt of the sandy winds, while Fluttershy and Twilight followed close behind the two changelings. The group was completely silent, apart from a couple of attempts by Pupa to lighten the mood.
 
“You know I once watched a changeling news report” Pupa began on his third attempt.
 
“Really?” Chrysalis replied, unimpressed.
 
“Uh huh, but they didn’t tell the HOLE story.”
 
The rest of the group remained quiet, but Fluttershy let out a snicker, which quickly turned into the most elegant out-of-control giggling fit in history.
 
“Oh my - did you come up with that yourself?”
 
“Just then” Pupa boasted, a proud smile on his face.
 
“I think you might be a budding comedian” Fluttershy complimented.
 
“Maybe - but I need to GROW as a performer.”
 
“Oh my Celestia!” Fluttershy snorted, before breaking into another fit of laughter.
 
Even Chrysalis turned around and smiled a little. Not at the joke, but just at the fact Pupa was happy.
 
Suddenly, a thud was heard, and a cloud of dust flew up into the air. Fluttershy turned around to see Twilight lying in the sand behind her.
 
“Twilight! Are you alright?” she gasped, running to her friend’s side.
 
“Whoa, yeah, I - I don’t know what hap - “ Twilight tried to say, standing up again before toppling straight back onto the ground. She let out a groan as she tried to get up a second time.
 
“C-can we stop for a minute please?” Fluttershy asked, before looking to Chrysalis for a response.
 
Chrysalis just nodded and stood there, before watching the horizon nervously. She thought she could make something out in the distance. Probably her imagination.
 
“Twilight, how many hooves am I holding up?” Fluttershy asked, both hooves raised.
 
“Uhhh… seventy eight?”
 
“Oh my. Does your head hurt?”
 
“It’s nothing serious, we need to keep going,” Twilight insisted, trying to get up again, succeeding this time, though only barely, “a few mantigons aren’t going to stop us”.
 
“IT’S HIM!” Chrysalis suddenly shrieked as a menacing black cloud sped towards the four of them.
 
Immediately, Twilight tried to light up her horn - there was a brief fizzle, then nothing happened.
 
Deep, menacing laughter could be heard coming from an unknown direction. Twilight panicked and tried to use the spell again.
 
“Now now Twilight, surely you’re smarter than that. I disabled your little beacon spell - and I made sure your simple communication spell didn’t get through either.”
 
“Sombra!” Twilight snarled. “Don’t even think about harming my friends.”
 
“Thinking about it. Loving it” Sombra said with a smile as he materialised in front of her.
 
Twilight lit her horn and tried to charge at Sombra, only to be instantly tossed back into the sand.
 
“Really, you think you can challenge me in that state? I’m frankly insulted. Don’t worry, I won’t touch them. Yet.”
 
With that, a cloud of dark magic materialised around Sombra and Twilight, and they found themselves in dark room, deep within the heart of the changeling nest. The room appeared to have a hexagonal shape, and the walls and roof were a dark green colour, though they had been covered with dark grey crystals. In one corner of the room stood a huge chair-like structure, made out of the same cacoon material she had slept in.
 
“Wait, is this-“
 
“Good observation Twilight. This was Chrysalis’ throne room. I made a few adjustments. Didn’t have enough crystals for my liking.”
 
“What did you bring me here for? Why not just kill me?” Twilight asked, stamping her hoof into the surprisingly squishy ground to emphasise her point.
 
“And provoke Equestria, the most powerful nation in history? The one that blasted me into dust twice? I think not. Besides, my plan is much more fun. You are the most powerful mage since Starswirl -“
 
“That’s nonsense, there have been plenty of better -“
 
“If I were working with you, not against you, we could have unlimited power. The whole world could be shaped exactly the way we wanted. The way you wanted.”
 
“If you think I’m ever working with you, you’re mistaken! Equestria is fine the way it is!”
 
Sombra casually strolled toward the throne, beckoning Twilight to follow him. Twilight stayed put.
 
“Alright Twilight, you don’t have to work with me, but at least let me show you something.”
 
“It’s a trap” Twilight replied, “it’s obviously a trap.”
 
Sombra’s face was taken over by an unusual expression. Frustration? Disappointment? Eagerness? All three? Whatever it was, it was genuine. Twilight took a careful step forward.
 
Nothing happened. She took another, then another. Eventually she just decided to give up and walk normally.
 
Satisfied, Sombra lit up his horn and caused the throne to lift up, revealing a secret chamber beneath, with a ladder leading down to it. Again, he beckoned for Twilight to follow, and climbed down. Twilight followed close behind, figuring if he wanted to attack her he would’ve done it by now.
 
Once they reached the floor, Sombra lowered the throne back into its original position, and the room became pitch black - until a few seconds later, a series of candles lit up and revealed a massive library, with a stone floor and walls, and row upon row of old, wooden bookshelves, neatly arranged and filled to the brim with old books, the pages yellowed and the covers faded.
 
Immediately, Twilight’s librarian instincts kicked in.
 
“Bookshelf four is - “
 
“- tilted three degrees too far to the right,” Sombra said, completing Twilight’s sentence, “it always happens when I move this library. Now, let’s have a look around. You choose a section - whatever you want. Read whatever you like.”
 
Twilight was filled with a strange mixture of feelings as she began to slowly examine the library - equal parts curiosity and dread. She knew this wasn’t a good idea, that she should just say no and run. But part of her wanted to know, to learn what was going on…
 
“Necromancy,” Twilight read to herself quietly as she walked slowly from bookshelf to bookshelf, “possession of ponies, hatred-based combat magic… Sombra these are all -“
 
“Forbidden, I know. Dark magic, as they say.”
 
“I can’t read forbidden books Sombra.”
 
“Nopony will know! Come on, it’ll be fun. Aren’t you curious? Just one book.”
 
“No! I’m not stupid Sombra!”
 
Out of nowhere, Sombra sent an attack directly into Twilight’s stomach, sending her flying across the room and into a bookshelf.
 
“I said read” he snarled, anger suddenly entering his voice. “Pick up a damn book or I’ll shoot you again!”
 
“Alright, alright. Just one book.”
 
Sombra smiled widely.
 
Back out in the Badlands, Chrysalis, Fluttershy and Pupa were in a state of panic.
 
“Where’s she gone? What are we going to do? Will I ever see her again?” Fluttershy asked, tears forming in her eyes.
 
“Stop being so immature,” Chrysalis snapped, causing Fluttershy to whimper and take a step back.
 
“I apologise,” she tried to say as Fluttershy broke down in tears, “I should have thought about what I was saying.”
 
“No, you were right!” Fluttershy whimpered. “I should be helping Twilight, and instead I’m crying like a little baby.”
 
Pupa walked up to Fluttershy and gently wrapped his arms around her.
 
“I don’t think you’re a baby Fluttershy. Remember what you said? Being strong isn’t about not crying, it’s about having about the bravery to face what’s happened. So you’re not a baby - but you are silly head, because you forgot what you said like one day ago.”
 
Fluttershy gave Pupa the tightest hug of his life, almost squeezing him out of his exoskeleton.
 
“Thank you so much! I’m glad that I’m a silly head!” she cried.
 
“Can’t… breathe…”
 
Fluttershy released Pupa guiltily.
 
“Sorry.”
 
“Hehe, it’s alright. I won’t need to eat for days now at least!”
 
Pupa’s eyes sparkled happily, almost as if he could consciously control the amount of sparkling. Fluttershy’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
 
“Oh my” was all Fluttershy managed to say.


> Improvisation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, what now?” Pupa asked, as he stood on top of a large sand dune, overlooking the changeling nest, a huge dome-shaped, black and green structure, with thousands of separate entrances and a waffle-like texture.
 
There was no response.
 
“Uh, hello?” he added.
 
He turned around to see Chrysalis literally pushing Fluttershy up the hill.
 
“Um, mummy, why are you still down there?”
 
Pupa tilted his head slightly with curiosity.
 
Breathlessly, Chrysalis tried to explain. “Fluttershy… froze halfway up… talking to herself…”
 
“I can do it, I can do it, I can do it” Fluttershy continued whispering to herself as Chrysalis continued pushing her.
 
Chrysalis rolled her eyes as she continued pushing the pony up the hill. “So much for saving our energy.”
 
“At least she tried?” Pupa offered.
 
“I can do it, I can do it, I can do -“
 
“You’ve already done it” Chrysalis interrupted, waving a hoof in front of Fluttershy’s face to snap her out of it.
 
“Oh. Yay!” Fluttershy whispered, genuinely proud of herself.
 
“Why don’t you tell her what really -” Pupa started, loudly, before being shushed by his mother.
 
“Oh, right, secret. What really happened?” he finished, whispering.
 
“Well because - actually I’m not sure” Chrysalis replied. “I just have some feeling, like I shouldn’t. Like it might - hurt her if I do? I think I’m going crazy from being around these ponies.”
 
“Yeah, you’re going totally crazy, but that’s okay, because you’re my mummy” Pupa replied matter-of-factly, before realising he was supposed to be whispering. “Sorry.”
 
Chrysalis laughed equally loudly. “It’s alright, we can stop whispering now.”
 
“You’re going crazy?” Fluttershy interrupted. “Oh my. What kind of crazy? Are you seeing things? Or just stressed out? Have you had enough sleep? Have you been through much stress lately? I can teach you some breathing techniques?”
 
Chrysalis gave Fluttershy an extremely unimpressed look, while Pupa took his turn to giggle.
 
“You were asking a question earlier,” Chrysalis asked Pupa, “what was it?”
 
“R-right” Pupa snorted, rolling around in the sand. “I was, w-wondering what the- HEHEHEHE - wondering what the, the - PFFFFT!”
 
Chrysalis used her magic to lift Pupa out of the sand in an attempt to calm him, revealing a changeling-shaped sand angel below him.
 
“I was… w-hehe-wondering what the plan was.”
 
“Ah, yes.” Chrysalis replied. “Well, Twilight and I - wait. Actually - we don’t have a plan.”
 
“No… plan?” Fluttershy whimpered, before fainting, falling over sideways into the sand.

Back inside the dark, wooden ‘library’, Twilight, having slowly completed a full tour of the room, returned to the first bookshelf. She examined the titles of the books for a moment, before gently pulling out a relatively small hardcover book. It definitely looked old, and smelled stale, but it didn’t have the comforting old book smell Twilight was used to. It was off-putting, almost unnatural.
 
“Made your choice I see,” Sombra commented, “possession of ponies, ah yes, that is a fun one. One of my favourites as a young king.”
 
Twilight sighed reluctantly one more time, before opening onto the first page.
 
“Skip to page ten,” Sombra instructed, “the first nine pages are just the contents and a bunch of warnings.”
 
Twilight ignored his statement and began to carefully scan the contents.
 
“Ow!” She shrieked as he sent a black bolt of electricity into her back.
 
“I said page ten!” Sombra hissed.
 
“Alright, alright” Twilight replied, flicking to the tenth page, and scanning it silently.
 
“Read it out loud please.”
 
Twilight rolled her eyes and read in a mocking and childlike voice. “Chapter One - Preparing The Subject. A common theme with -“
 
Her ears perked up with curiosity, and she switched to her ordinary voice “-dark magic is the need to prepare the subject. Possession spells are no exception…”
 
Sombra smiled contently as Twilight continued to read, dropping in the odd comment or piece of advice on using the spells. To his amazement, all eight chapters later, she was still reading! Even he couldn’t read for this long!
 
“Thankyou for reading,” Twilight finally finished, “Nova Shine.”
 
“Nova Shine?” she asked out loud as she squinted, re-reading the final line. “I’ve never heard of Nova Shine.
 
Sombra laughed. “I see your education is severely lacking. Not surprised Celestia would want to cover up the only pony stronger than herself. Nova Shine not only wrote new spells like Starswirl - she created magic. Dark magic, to be exact. She demanded - rightfully so - to be made an alicorn - the ‘Princess of Shadows’. Her request was denied. So, she created an army to attack Equestria. To get her revenge.”
 
“Liar!” Twilight accused. “Celestia wouldn’t hide anything from me! She told me about every minute of Equestrian history, from Hearthswarming to today!”
 
Sombra laughed again. “But look around you Twilight, the evidence is everywhere.”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“And I thought you were smart. Tell you what, we’ll make a deal. You perform one of the spells from that book, and I’ll tell you everything about Nova and her army. You could save Equestria with this knowledge Twilight. You could be a hero.”
 
“I’ll find out on my own, I will not abandon my own laws!”
 
Sombra pulled Twilight towards him and pointed his horn at her throat. “You don’t have a choice!”
 
Twilight teleported to the other side of the room and laughed herself. “Heh, yes I do Sombra.”
 
Sombra snarled and lit his horn. Instantly, Twilight’s eyes began glowing white - then turned completely black. Obediently, she walked towards him. “No, I don’t,” she corrected herself.
 
Sombra smiled.

“So, just to reiterate, we’re both going into a nest, probably full of traps, weapons and monsters, which could have easily been rearranged beyond description, with only your memory as a guide?” Fluttershy asked Chrysalis, as the two of them approached a large, seemingly un-defended entrance on the nest’s exterior.
Pupa watched them, still atop the massive sand dune from earlier.
 
“Correct,” Chrysalis answered.
 
“And we have absolutely no backup?”
 
“Correct.”
 
“And there’s a ninety percent chance we won’t walk out alive?”
 
“Look! “ Chyrsalis finally snapped. “What else do you want us to do! We have no more time to waste! My number one priority is to keep my little changelings safe, and my son safe, you understand? If you don’t want to help, fine, don’t, but STOP COMPLAINING!”
 
Fluttershy froze in place, letting out a slight whimper as Chrysalis stomped her way into the nest, leaving the pony alone on the sand outside.
 
“D-d-do I want to help?” she asked herself, tears forming in her eyes. “O-or am I just a selfish scaredy-pony, who is barely brave enough to climb a hill, even when her best friend is in danger?”
 
Fluttershy laid herself down on the sand and cried.
 
Inside the nest, Chrysalis found herself stomping through quite a familiar tunnel, the emergency exit. Since it was designed as an exit, not an entrance, all the passageways were sloping uphill - but at least it appeared to be unguarded.
 
“What an immature, stupid, half-witted -” she hissed to herself.
 
“-Loving… caring… selfless…” She sighed and turned around.
 
I’m going to have to go back aren’t I?
 
Suddenly, Chrysalis heard a thunderous roar behind her, and felt a massive creature grab her by the leg.
 
“Mantigons!” she screeched, as she turned around to see one of the creatures dragging her up the passageway.
 
Fluttershy heard the screech.
 
“No Fluttershy!” she said firmly to herself. “You are brave! You are a brave pony! And Chrysalis needs you! So does Twilight!”
 
She stood up, proudly, and shook off both her sand and her tears, before racing up the passageway.
 
Back inside, Chrysalis continued her battle.
 
“Get back! Get back you menaces!” she hissed, firing beam after beam of green magic at the mantigons, with no effect. As she glanced behind her, she could see the green blood trickling down the corridor from her injured leg - and something else - something, yellow?
 
“You get away from her right now!” Fluttershy snapped. “Go on, you heard me! You should be ashamed of yourself you big, ugly monster! She’s protecting her son, her kingdom - and my friend! What are you fighting for? Dinner! Get lost!”
 
Immediately, the mantigon released its prey and charged towards Fluttershy instead.
 
“Fluttershy! No!” Chyrsalis cried as the creature leaped towards the yellow pony, pinning her to the ground.
 
Fluttershy stared deeply into the creatures eyes, the tears running down her own face only amplifying her stare’s power.
 
“I said get lost!” she snarled.
 
The creature took a step back, whimpered, then turned tail and fled back up the passageway.
 
Fluttershy laid back on the ground with relief, while Chrysalis raced over to her, her own leg still bleeding profusely.
“I’m so sorry Fluttershy, I didn’t-“
 
“It’s okay,” Fluttershy smiled, her gentle voice immediately calming Chrysalis. “I haven’t been the most… reliable pony on this mission. I understand you saying those things, and I forgive you. Now let me look at that leg.”
 
“Please Fluttershy, that’s nothing, I’m a queen, I can handle a little bite mark.”
 
“For goodness sakes Chrysalis,” Fluttershy chuckled, pulling a ribbon out of her pocket, “you’re as bad as Pupa! Now stay still.”
 
Reluctantly, Chrysalis stood still as Fluttershy reached for her injury.
 
“OW!” Chrysalis suddenly shouted, involuntarily kicking Fluttershy backwards down the corridor.
 
“Oof!” Fluttershy whimpered as she landed on the ground below.
 
“Sorry!” Chrysalis gasped with concern.
 
“It’s fine,” Fluttershy lied, climbing back up the fill, while holding her incredibly sore snout in her wing.
 
What a place to kick somepony!
 
“Now, let’s try again,” she said gently, carefully but tightly wrapping the ribbon around Chrysalis’ injured limb. “Hopefully I got the right hole”, she giggled.
 
“Not funny” Chrysalis lied, while trying not to chuckle herself.
 
“Let’s go find Twilight, together!” Fluttershy declared.


> Manipulation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Is it just me, or is this pathway getting steeper?” Fluttershy asked, a mixture of exhaustion and concern in her voice as she and Chrysalis continued to trudge forwards through an ever darker and rockier tunnel.
 
“It is certainly longer than I remembered it,” Chrysalis replied, “but I’m sure this is the right entrance. I’ve used it to leave the nest several times - and to enter when my front entrance guards fell asleep on the job.”
 
“I see” Fluttershy giggled.
 
“They were nearly dying of starvation so I didn’t wake them up.”
 
“Oh my. I’m sorry for giggling. I didn’t know.”
 
“It is fine.”
 
The two of them continued walking silently - it began to feel more like climbing than walking as the pathway continued getting steeper, no end in sight. Fluttershy began shivering a little with the realization there was a massive drop underneath her, but she forced herself to keep going.
 
“Something definitely isn’t right,” Chrysalis finally admitted.
 
Suddenly Fluttershy’s ears tilted back against her head in scared realization.
 
“Um, Chrysalis?” she spoke up nervously.
 
“Yes?”
 
“Well… I think this might be Sombra’s doing.”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“Well, Twilight said something about him creating a staircase that, kind of, stretched on forever?”
 
“And?”
 
“Well this might be the same thing. In other words he’s um, leading us in the wrong direction.”
 
“So what are we supposed to do.”
 
Fluttershy whimpered.
 
“We’re supposed to go down.”
 
“As in jump?”
 
“Yes, jump. Down. The long, dark, tunnel.”
 
Chrysalis sighed. “Grab my hoof.”
 
“Huh?”
 
“Grab my hoof. We’ll jump together.”
 
“Thankyou!” Fluttershy exclaimed in surprise.
 
“Yeah yeah, make it quick, I don’t want pony germs all over me.”
 
With that, Fluttershy grabbed on to Chrysalis’ hoof, and the two of them jumped. Chrysalis heard the most ear-piercing scream she’d ever had the displeasure of hearing in her life.
 
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - oh, that wasn’t so bad” Fluttershy commented as the two of them landed gently on the ground below.
 
“Um… Chrysalis?” she asked, as she saw her friend standing silently in front of her.
 
“NO! PUPA!” Chrysalis suddenly called out.
 
Meanwhile, Sombra guided his new-found ‘student’ back to the Throne room, where a single, solitary changeling was visible, its limbs pinned to the ground with sharp crystals. It was lying still, trying as hard as it could not to cry out from the pain.
 
“It’s been nice having someone to talk to about my… interests” Sombra told Twilight as she climbed up the ladder behind him.
 
“I’ve found it’s been quite fun to learn about, since you ‘opened my eyes’ so to speak” Twilight joked.
 
“Right, everything’s ready. Time to try out that spell” Sombra instructed.
 
Leaving Sombra standing back at the top of the ladder, Twilight walked quietly over to the changeling and stood over it, causing the creature to close its eyes in fear.
 
Twilight charged up her horn before sending a beam of black, cloudy magic directly towards the changeling’s stomach. It gently dissipated, having no effect.
 
The changeling opened its eyes in surprise. They were still the same as normal.
 
Twilight took a step back.
 
“Not enough power,” Sombra observed, “try again. Stronger this time.”
 
Twilight nodded, charging up her horn a second time, before sending a huge pulse of magic in the changeling’s direction. A big cloud of dust was stirred up - but when it cleared, still no change.
 
“You… missed,” Sombra noted, “what’s going on?”
 
“Perhaps the mind spell you used is impacting my accuracy, master?” Twilight suggested.
 
“That hasn’t happened before” Sombra replied, sceptically.
 
“Well, I am a… uh… I am a powerful pony, so my magic needs to be much more precise, perhaps.”
 
“Of course. I will cast an accuracy boosting spell.”
 
A flash of light later, Twilight was back in position and ready to fire the spell a third time.
 
She turned to Sombra as if to ask confirmation - he nodded eagerly.
 
Twilight took a deep breath, then took a step back and began charging.
 
And continued charging.
 
And continued.
 
And…
 
“FIRE ALREADY!” Sombra demanded.
 
“Whoa!” Twilight squeaked in surprise, jumping backwards and sending the beam of magic into the roof, causing a stray rock to come tumbling down, cracking one of the crystals holding the changeling down.
 
The changeling shook the crystal out from its right front leg, and quickly broke apart the crystals on its other legs. Its wings started buzzing as it darted for the room’s entrance, only to be held back by Sombra’s magic.
 
“Ugh, I’ll demonstrate how to do it, then you try, alright?” Sombra offered.
 
“NO! I - want the pleasure of doing it myself.”
 
Sombra gave her an uncertain look.
 
“Alright, one more try. Only because I like you.”
 
Twilight smiled, her smile appearing a little unnerving due to her blacked-out eyes. “Thank you.”
 
“No! No! NO!” Chrysalis screeched, writhing on the floor, tears streaming from her eyes.
 
“Please, calm down,” Fluttershy urged, placing a comforting hoof on Chrysalis’ shoulder, “n-nothing’s wrong!”
 
Chrysalis didn’t even notice.
 
“You monster Sombra! You monster! I’ll kill you a thousand times over! I’ll-”
 
Suddenly, something caught Chryssie’s attention. Somepony staring at her. It was a firm stare, but friendly, familiar.
 
“Fluttershy!” Chrysalis exclaimed, throwing her arms around the mare. She was even softer and fluffier than Chrysalis remembered.
 
“You’re alive,” Chrysalis whimpered, “h-how?”
 
“I’ve been standing right here the whole time,” Fluttershy assured, “you just suddenly, well, went nuts. N-no offence.”
 
“So Pupa is-”
 
“Fine. Still standing outside the nest probably. I doubt he would’ve gone and asked for help like we told him to. He is Pupa after all. Probably considering whether to come running in to save us.”
 
Chrysalis chuckled, wiping away her tears.
 
“Have any of us not broken down crying yet?” she joked.
 
“Only Twilight I think,” Fluttershy replied.
 
Chrysalis took a deep breath. “So I suppose that was Sombra’s doing. The whole me going insane thing.”
 
“I think so. Twilight described a trap like that too.”
 
“Of course!” Chrysalis suddenly exclaimed. “I know where Sombra’s taken her!”
 
“You do?”
 
“The most secure place in the nest, the throne room. Only thing is, he doesn’t know about my escape passage.”
 
Fluttershy smiled.
 
“Then let’s go kick his flank.”
 
Chrysalis stared in shock, her jaw hanging so much it almost fell off.
 
“Oh my, did I really say that? I think we’d better get out of here before the spell starts affecting me too.”
 
“I think so.”
 
Twilight took a deep breath, before scratching the ground with her hoof a couple of times and preparing her fourth and final attempt at a mind control spell, aiming it directly at the changeling Sombra was holding in mid-air with his own magic.
 
She continued charging until her horn was smoking slightly, straightened up her posture again, and - hesistated.
 
“What’s wrong?” Sombra grumbled impatiently.
 
“N-nothing, I just want to be sure it will work.”
 
“Of course it will work, come on.”
 
“Just, if it doesn’t work, you might get mad and -”
 
Sombra gave Twilight a look of pure, un-diluted frustration. “I will not get angry unless you keep stuffing around, now use the spell.”
 
“R-right, sorry master.  Um…” Twilight took another breath.
 
Luckily, she was interrupted when Chrysalis and Fluttershy came crashing through a weak point in the squishy green roof, tumbling in like a big pile of feathers and - whatever changeling wings were made off and bringing a couple more stray rocks down with them.
 
“Your traps have failed, Sombra,” Chrysalis declared, “you didn’t stop us!”
 
“Yeah,” Fluttershy added, “now give back my friend - i-if you’re okay with that.”
 
Sombra released his changeling prisoner, turned to face the new arrivals and laughed.
 
“Ha ha ha, I never wanted to stop you. No, this will be much more fun.”
 
Twilight turned around and stared directly at her friends.
 
“Twilight, kill them” Sombra commanded, confidently.
 
“No” Twilight answered.
 
“What?” Sombra gasped. “You can’t defy me!”
 
Twilight smiled as her eyes returned to normal in a blinding flash of light. She trotted over to her friends and turned to face Sombra, a determined grin on her face.
 
“How? HOW!” Sombra demanded.
 
Twilight giggled. “Really Sombra? What did you think would happen when you gave me the only book with a counter to the mind control spell you used.”
 
Sombra’s eyes widened with realisation. “B-but, your eyes! There’s no spell that can fake that!”
 
“But there is. The spell you used to make ponies have visions - it was in that book too.”
 
“That’s dark magic! You - you should be -“
 
“Corrupted? Really? You think I would abandon my friends, my morals, everything I stand for, just by using one spell?”
 
Sombra let out a roar of anger. “I TRUSTED YOU!” he snapped.
 
“Like your people trusted you? Before you enslaved them? Used them for your experiments?”
 
“Be QUIET!” Sombra roared a second time, picking up Twilight with his magic and slamming her into the wall, which she bounced off, before rolling onto the ground, her wing catching on a crystal, causing her to wince in pain.
 
“Leave… her… alone!” Fluttershy cried, charging directly towards the evil king. He turned towards her, his horn charged and ready to attack.


> Showdown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a blinding flash of light as a beam of magic from Twilight intercepted Sombra’s attack, the explosion making the walls glow a brilliant neon green and causing Fluttershy to freeze in shock.
 
“Don’t touch her!” Twilight practically shouted, as she got back on her hooves, her horn lit ready for a second attack.
 
“Very well,” Sombra agreed, “it’s your funeral. You have one last chance Sparkle - join me, or pay the price.”
 
“I would never turn on my friends. That’s where we’re different, Sombra. Now you back down, or you’ll pay the price.” Twilight threatened, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice.
 
Sombra gave Twilight a confident smile, as if he’d done this a thousand times before.
 
“It seems neither of us will back down. So I guess -“
 
Suddenly, in mid sentence, Sombra fired a massive orb of magic straight into Twilight’s face, catching her completely off-guard and almost knocking her to the ground.
 
“You cheated” Twilight accused, wiping the blood away from her snout.
 
“This is a war, there is no cheating.”
 
With that, Sombra sent another attack Twilight’s way, Twilight stood still, then teleported directly behind Sombra and fired an attack of her own, sending him tumbling over in surprise.
 
“Alright then, we’ll do this your way.”
 
Sombra got back to his hooves and immediately turned to face Twilight, launching a massive beam of magic her way. Twilight easily teleported out of the way a second time, causing Sombra to turn a hundred and eighty degrees looking for her, literally melting a massive chunk of the wall as his attack turned with him.
 
Twilight teleported again, and again, dodging every attack Sombra could muster.
 
“ENOUGH!” Sombra demanded, casting a massive wave of dark magic which expanded in all directions, freezing the distorted form of Twilight in mid-teleport.
 
He sent a massive magic attack her way, causing her to be ripped back into reality and slammed head-first into the ground.
 
As Twilight dizzily attempted to get back on her hooves, she was hit with the full force of another magic attack.
 
“Argh!” she cried as she was sent straight back into the ground.
 
Sombra laughed with the most unsettling kind of joy as he charged up one last attack. He launched a huge beam of cloudy, dark magic directly at Twilight, only to have it intercepted by an equally strong beam of bright pinkish-red light.
 
Sombra rolled his eyes as a shaky and wobbly Twilight pushed herself back up on all fours, her horn lit and a determined frown on her face. He casually increased the power of his magic, causing her to stumble backwards - but not fall over.
 
Twilight threw all she had into her own spell, smoke beginning to rise from her horn as she pushed forwards.
 
Sombra increased his own spell’s power, but to his surprise, nothing happened. His eyes widened as Twilight’s spell began to push his beam back past the halfway point.
 
“Impossible. This is impossible!” Sombra hissed as Twilight’s spell crept ever further. “Dark magic is by far the most powerful!”
 
“No, Sombra. I’m thinking of my friend Fluttershy as I cast this spell. I’m thinking of thousands of changelings, safe and happy. That’s the most powerful kind of magic!”
 
“No! NO NO NO!”
 
Twilight’s horn literally caught fire as she took a step forward and made one final push, sending Sombra crashing backwards across the room and straight through the throne, which collapsed on top of him.
 
Twilight quickly shook her head, extinguishing the flame on her horn as if it were a candle, before walking towards Sombra.
 
“Go on then,” Sombra teased, “do it - finish me off!”
 
“Just surrender Sombra, please. You’ve already lost - don’t make this harder than it has to be” Twilight pleaded as she used her magic to clear away the remains of the throne.
 
“Coward!”
 
“I will not kill another pony. Now give up and leave.”
 
Sombra laughed, before blasting a huge wave of magic at Twilight, sending her tumbling back to the other side of the room.
 
“Thanks for the chance to recover.”
 
Twilight’s eyes widened in fear as Sombra charged towards her, launching blast after blast of magic straight into her chest as she lay on her back, defenceless.
 
Twilight rolled over and closed her eyes as the barrage of attacks continued, covering her face with her hooves. Suddenly, the attacks stopped.
 
“Enough!” Chrysalis shouted as she stood in front of Sombra’s attacks, taking every one of them with ease as if they were pillows, gently squishing against her. “I will not stand by anymore! You murdered thousands of changelings for nothing more than defending their home! You beat my friend into submission for showing you mercy you never deserved! You nearly killed an innocent child for doing absolutely nothing!”
 
“I know, it was so fun. I must try it again some time.” Sombra commented.
 
“You monster! You absolute monster!” Chrysalis screeched, tears running down her face, as she blasted him with wave after wave of magic, which he easily avoided by shifting into a cloud.
 
“Come on, that was pathetic. I can’t believe you call yourself a queen!”
 
Chrysalis panted with exhaustion as Sombra charged up an attack.
 
“You know,” Sombra continued, “I might keep you alive, just so I can make you watch your son die. I can just see you face as he slowly - GAH!”
 
Chrysalis lunged at the corrupted king, slashing at him with her horn and beating him with her hooves.
 
“Really?” Sombra asked as he transformed into a cloud, causing Chrysalis to come crashing down to the ground.
 
“Really.” Chrysalis hissed, as she took the form of none other than Sombra himself.
 
Sombra gave history’s most dramatic “oh, buck” face as the cloudy form of Chrysalis soared towards him, tackling him out of the sky and blasting him with attack after attack. After at least two minutes of blasting the life out of Sombra, Chrysalis transformed back into her normal self, leaving Sombra to collapse onto the floor, a quivering mess.
 
Sombra, barely able to keep his eyes open, stared up at Chrysalis in terror as she pointed her horn directly at his throat. It was the first time he had felt fear in over a thousand years.
 
“W-wait. I can help you get revenge, we can team up to overthrow Celestia.” Sombra pleaded.
 
“You think me to be some kind of traitor? Those ponies put their lives on the line to help me and you think I’d just turn on them?”
 
“Twilight wouldn’t attack me, s-so why should you?” Sombra continued, changing the subject desperately.
 
“Ponies may be my allies now, but I am not one of them. I will not show mercy to those who don’t deserve it.
 
“FINE!” Sombra snapped, mustering the last of his energy to summon one last spell - teleporting Pupa straight into the room. “Kill me. But he has to watch.”
 
That made Chrysalis hesitate.
 
“That’s right,” Sombra snickered, turning his head to face Pupa, “your mummy is going to kill another creature.”
 
“My mummy would never do that!” Pupa snapped back.
 
“Cover your eyes Pupa,” Chrysalis instructed.
 
“But mummy-”
 
“Cover your eyes!”
 
“Okay.” Pupa said as Chrysalis turned to face Sombra again.
 
“Are they covered?”
 
“Yes?”
 
“Are you lying?”
 
“Yes.”
 
Chrysalis let out a sigh of frustration. “Do what I say Pupa, just this once.”
 
“You’re not really going to do it though are you?”
 
Sombra gave a satisfied smile as he waited for Chrysalis’ answer.
 
“Pupa, cover your eyes now, or I’ll take away your teddy fly and you won’t get him back for a week.”
 
“Ugh, fine.” Pupa gave in, covering his eyes with his little hooves.
 
“And don’t put your leg holes over your eyes.”
 
Pupa shifted his front hooves so his eyes were actually covered. He knew he should have saved that trick for something more important than getting out of mathematics class.
 
Chrysalis breathed another sigh, this one of relief, then turned to face Sombra a second time. She charged up her horn, then launched a solid blast of magic straight at him. He burned up instantly in a ball of black and green flames, leaving behind nothing but a pile of black, crystalline ashes. Sombra was really, actually gone.
 
“Alright Pupa, you can stop covering your eyes”
 
“W-what happened. Where did he go?” Pupa asked innocently.
 
Suddenly, the ground was rocked by a massive explosion, causing the walls to again glow green.
 
“I didn’t know the Badlands had earthquakes” Fluttershy commented.
 
“They don’t.” Chrysalis replied, confused.
 
“Oh no,” Twilight gasped.
 
“What? What is it?”
 
Twilight levitated a small letter, embedded in the ground, over to Chrysalis.
 
“Dear Invading Army,” she read aloud, “It appears you successfully defeated me, and won back the changeling nest. Congratulations! Of course, I was prepared for this extremely unlikely scenario. Every wall in this nest is rigged with magical explosives. Not dark magic, just the regular variety. They will go off in exactly ten minutes. If I’m going down, you’re going down with me. Yours truly, Sombra.”

> Flight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Why in Tartarus would he do that?” Twilight ranted bitterly. “I mean really, he could’ve built up more defensive mechanisms, or blocked us from getting here, and instead he wastes his time putting magic explosives in the walls, just in case we defeat him? What’s he gaining from this? Just wiping out more innocent bystanders? Making more pon-uh-changelings suffer?”
 
“He’s Sombra,” Chrysalis replied, a hint of sadness in her voice, “all he wants to do is ‘win’, it doesn’t matter if he has to destroy himself as long as he takes us by surprise. Personally I’m glad he’s gone.”
 
“That can’t be all there is to it. I mean come on, he’s smart, he wouldn’t be that stupid. He wanted something.”
 
“Um, excuse me -” Fluttershy interrupted gently, “don’t we only have five minutes before, um…”
 
“Right,” Twilight apologised, “sorry. Evacuate now, ask questions later. You know this place better than I do Chrysalis, what’s the plan?”
 
Chrysalis only paused for a second before some kind of plan occurred to her.
 
“Fluttershy, take Pupa and go back the way you came. Make sure he gets out safely.”
 
“You’ll get out too, won’t you mummy?” Pupa asked, his voice full of worry and his eyes seemingly even bigger and sparklier than usual.
 
Chrysalis tried to answer, but Pupa interrupted her, sitting down on the ground determinedly. “Because if you won’t, then I’m not moving!”
 
Chrysalis sighed. Where had she gone wrong as a parent? “Pupa, I’ll be fine, I promise. Now you go with Fluttershy, and do what she tells you, okay? That’s the best thing you can do to keep everyone safe.”
 
“But I want to help -”
 
Chrysalis walked over to Pupa and scooped him up in a big hug. “You’ve been so brave this whole time, I’m very, very proud of you. I just need you to be brave one more time, alright?”
 
“Alright.”
 
With that, Pupa galloped over to Fluttershy and climbed up onto her back, causing Fluttershy to giggle in surprise as his legs tickled her side.
 
“Woops, sorry!” Pupa said.
 
“That’s alright”, Fluttershy replied gently, before turning to face Twilight. “Please get out of here safely, alright? I don’t know what I’d do if - well, you know. I don’t know what any of us would do.”
 
Twilight just nodded quietly. With that, Fluttershy flapped her wings, and after one failed take-off attempt, she made her way back into the hole in the roof, Pupa clinging on to her mane.
 
Just like that, the room became as quiet as Ponyville at two in the morning. Not a sound. It was almost unsettling. Twilight and Chrysalis were hit with the realisation of what they were getting into.
 
“Well, Chryssie? What are you planning on?” Twilight finally spoke up.
 
“Chryssie?” Chrysalis asked in confusion.
 
“Oh, it’s a pet name.”
 
“I’m not your pet!” ‘Chryssie’ hissed angrily.
 
“No no no, it’s a special kind of a name we ponies give our friends. Like, uh, Flutters, or Tia” Twilight desperately tried to explain.
 
“Oh,” Chrysalis answered, before an evil smile crept onto her face, “so I could call you Twily? Or Sparkles? Or SPRINKLES!”
 
Twilight blushed with embarrassment. Just like that, all the tension in the room disappeared.
 
“Well, Sprinkles,” she explained, “I have a connection with all the changelings in this hive, a kind of ‘hive mind’ if you like, so I can tell them to evacuate. But it only works with the adult changelings, so we have to get the hatchlings out ourselves. There’s a nursery about eight minutes’ walk from here, but if we use a shortcut, we can get there in about five. If we can get there quickly, we should be able to get the young ones out alive, understand?”
 
“Yes, but won’t there be thousands of young ones? I mean there’s heaps of adults.”
 
A pained expression took over Chrysalis’ face. “Well… the young ones can’t go without food for as long as we can. With the famine over the last year, well…”
 
“I’m sorry” was all Twilight could offer in reply.
 
“There’s no point dwelling on the past. The most important thing is that twenty of them are still alive, and if we act quickly, we can get them out of here alive. So get moving!”
 
Twilight smiled as she raced out the door and down a corridor behind Chrysalis. She had saved the world so many times since discovering the elements - but never before had she felt so determined, so desperate, as she did in that moment.
 
Fluttershy whimpered as she stared down the monstrously high hill she had to descend to escape.
 
“Whoa! It’s like the slide at hatchling school, except seventy bazillion times bigger!” Pupa squeaked excitedly.
 
“Not helping,” Flutters whispered softly as she took a step back, now visibly shaking.
 
Pupa thought to himself for a minute, before an idea popped into his head.
 
“I know what will help you!” Pupa declared.
 
“Really-HEHEHE” Fluttershy giggled as Pupa trotted around on her back, tickling her.
 
Fluttershy took one step too far forwards, and went skidding straight down the slope.
 
Pupa held on to Fluttershy’s hoof for dear life as the two of them spiralled downwards, Fluttershy closing her eyes so tightly it looked like her face was about to explode, while Pupa let out an excited cheer, not noticing Fluttershy’s state of mind at all.
 
Suddenly, the two of them came to a stop.
 
Fluttershy opened her eyes to find herself on what appeared to be an oddly squishy rock.
 
“Oh, thank goodness. We made it. The end of the tunnel!” Fluttershy tried to assure herself. It didn’t work.
 
The ‘rock’ began to move.
 
“This doesn’t seem much like the end of the tunnel to me,” Pupa observed, seconds before a huge crash was heard and the ‘rock’ disappeared underneath him, sending him tumbling back down the passageway, Fluttershy just centimetres behind him.
 
Pupa screeched in terror as he looked up to see a huge mantigon smashing its way through the rocks behind her.
 
“How… much… further?” Twilight gasped breathlessly as she and Chrysalis continued to run towards the nursery.
 
“Next room on the right,” Chrysalis replied, galloping into the room with as if she’d only been running for a few seconds.
 
Twilight, meanwhile, almost collapsed into the room - only to have her heart nearly jump out of her chest as she saw the sight in front of her.
 
The room was a huge, rocky cavern, full of green plastic-looking play equipment, unique changeling puzzles and plush toy insects. Playing around in it were not one, not two, but twenty baby changelings. As soon as they caught sight of Chrysalis, they came racing over to say hello.
 
“Oh my gosh,” Twilight whispered in shock, “they’re like an entire room full of Pupas!”
 
“Hi Chrysalis! Hi Chrysalis!” the hatchling at the front squeaked, causing the previously solemn and serious changeling queen to give a small smile.
 
Another hatchling more cautiously approached Twilight, nervously reaching out a hoof to touch her leg, before darting away as soon her Twilight looked in her direction.
 
“It’s alright,” Twilight assured, “I won’t hurt you.”
 
“But you’re a p-p-pony? Aren’t you?”
 
“She’s a nice pony,” Chrysalis answered for her.
 
This seemed to satisfy the young changeling, who nervously made her way back to Twilight. The other changelings also gathered curiously around this ‘nice pony’.
 
“Alright, alright. You can talk to Twilight later. The nest is… about to be rebuilt, and we need to get you out, okay?” Chrysalis half-lied.
 
“Okay!” the hatchlings all answered in unison.
 
“Good, then let’s get going!”
 
With that, Chrysalis ran back out of the room, the hoard of hatchlings buzzing as they ran and flew after her. Twilight followed close behind.
 
“Wow, they’re a lot more co-operative than Pupa huh?” Twilight laughed.
 
“Tell me about it” Chrysalis giggled.
 
The mantigon let out a huge roar as Fluttershy and Pupa finally landed at the end of the pathway. By this point, the Pegasus had curled herself into a trembling ball of fluff. Pupa physically rolled her out of the way seconds before the creature came crashing down behind them, before smashing away the wall of the nest.
 
Fluttershy opened her eyes to see the huge creature in its full glory. It had massive mantis-like talons, huge antennae, and strange hexagons of armour scattered haphazardly over its stomach and its crocodile-like tail. Its back was scaly and rough - and it had a huge head, full of horrifyingly massive, jagged teeth. It had massive bat-like wings, and four sprawled-out reptilian legs, covered in spines. Every inch of it was designed to kill, or to avoid being killed. It was like nothing she had ever seen.
 
Then Fluttershy noticed something curious - it wasn’t killing her. It was looking back at the nest. Seconds later, thousands of changelings came swarming out of the nest, and straight above the mantigon. The creature took to the air and flew after them.
 
“Run!” she urged Pupa. “Go! Get out of here as fast as you can, I’ll hold it off!”
 
“You?” Pupa snorted, though he did follow her instructions and start running. “Seriously? How do you expect to beat that thing?”
 
“I don’t expect to beat it - I said hold it off.”
 
Pupa skidded to a halt.
 
“Pupa, what are you doing?”
 
“You can hold it off,” Pupa explained, “I can kick its flank.”
 
“No way young stalli - um - whatever male changelings are called. I was given strict instructions to keep you safe.”
 
It was too late, Pupa had already taken to the sky, and was flying straight for the creature. Fluttershy followed behind him.
 
“Pupa, come back here!” Fluttershy demanded desperately as Pupa pretended not to hear her.
 
The mantigon soared towards its first victim, a seemingly sick changeling struggling to keep up with the others. The creature opened its mouth, and prepared to take a bite as the changeling closed his eyes and prepared for the worst, only to open them and see the mantigon turning away and roaring in irritation.
 
“Take that!” Pupa boasted as he kicked the creature in its big, reptilian eye. “I know Fly-Kwon-Do!”
 
The creature lifted a talon and attempted to swipe at Pupa, only for him to duck out of the way.
 
Fluttershy took the opportunity to grab Pupa in mid-air, before trying to fly him to the safety of the hills. Pupa kicked and flailed about wildly.
 
“Let go Fluttershy! Let go! I have to save everyone!”
 
“That’s quite enough Pupa. You nearly got eaten by a timberwolf on my watch and I’m not letting it happen again!”
 
“But Fluttershy!”
 
“No buts, y-“
 
“WATCH OUT!”
 
Fluttershy ducked out of the way just in time before the mantigon swooped down next to her. Suddenly, she noticed something firing magic at the creature - Twilight Sparkle! Behind her stood Queen Chrysalis and twenty tiny changelings.
 
“How much time do we have left?” Chrysalis asked.
 
“About a minute,” Twilight answered, breathlessly.
 
“We certainly left it close didn’t we? Alright, Twilight, you shelter the young ones and get them safely into the dunes. I’ll take care of the mantigon. Got it?”
 
“Got it,” Twilight replied, casting a spell turning all the baby changelings a sandy yellow.
 
“Hey, what did she do to us?” one of them complained.
 
“Yeah, I look funnier, and I smell funnier!” another protested.
 
“It’s a camouflage smell. The creature won’t be able to pick up your scent. Now follow me.”
 
With that, Twilight darted for the cover of the hills, the hatchlings following close behind her.
 
Chrysalis launched a massive beam of magic at the creature, causing it to turn and stare straight at her.
 
“Bring it on” Chrysalis threatened, “I’m not scared!”
 
Seeming to understand, the creature dove straight towards Chrysalis. She blasted a huge beam of magic into its face, causing it to fly back up into the air, only to come charging back down again while Chrysalis was recovering.
 
Chrysalis was about to panic, before she turned to the nest.
 
One minute.
 
I can’t defeat the creature - but if I lead it into the nest?
 
Chryssie raced straight back into the nest, the creature taking the bait and following behind her. Pupa’s eyes widened as he saw his mother go racing back in. He kicked Fluttershy right in the nose before escaping her grasp and flying towards the nest.
 
“Sorry!” Pupa called back to Fluttershy as he zoomed towards the building, seconds to go.
 
Twilight, catching Pupa in the corner of her eye, skidded to halt and turned tail, flying at top speed towards the nest.
 
“Go, get to the dunes, fast as you can!” she instructed the hatchlings following her. Of course they ignored her, choosing instead to stand and watch the action unfold.
 
Twilight found herself soaring through the sky faster than she’d ever experienced, stirring up a huge trail of dust behind her. She was bruised and beaten from the fight with Sombra, exhausted from the race through the corridors and the battle with the mantigon, but she still put everything into this last ten seconds.
 
She lit up her horn as she went cascading past Pupa and Chrysalis and straight into a wall. Stumbling back to her hooves, she raced back to her two friends and threw everything into a huge pink magic shield.
 
BOOM!
 
Chrysalis shielded Pupa’s eyes as a massive cloud of glowing debris exploded around them. Red-hot rubble began cascading down onto the shield as Twilight stood steady. Her vision began to get cloudy as she kept holding the spell, the weight of an entire nest pushing against it.
 
Finally, the dust settled, and with one last blast, Twilight shattered the shield, sending the debris above it flying into the distance, before seeing everything turn to black.
 
“T-Twilight?” Pupa whimpered, nudging the pony with his snout. “Twilight, say something!”
 
“Get up you purple blob!” Chrysalis demanded. “Please?”
 
Twilight just lay there. Her body shuddered with every breath - then she stopped breathing.
 
“Twilight.”
 
Twilight heard a familiar, but horrible, voice call out.
 
“Long time, no see, hmm?”
 
She opened her eyes in shock to see what appeared to be a small, black, box-shaped room, with one dim candle in the corner. In the centre, facing directly at her, was none other than Sombra.
 
 


> Reconciliation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sombra!” Twilight demanded, lighting her horn and approaching her foe. “I don’t know where we are or how we got here but whatever you’re planning, forget it!”
 
Sombra sighed mockingly. “Really Twilight? 'Don't know where we are'? Think about it.”
 
“I’m not playing any more of your mind games.”
 
Unphased, Sombra continued. “Fine, just one question. What were we doing just before we got here?”
 
Twilight smiled. “Well, you were getting your flank handed to you by Chryssie.”
 
“And?”
 
“And I was flying into the nest, to protect -”
 
Now Sombra smiled, as he saw a look of horrified realisation sweep across Twilight’s face. Twilight turned her horn off, and her smile almost vaporised into thin air.
 
“Am I -”
 
“Yes,” Sombra replied, making sure to put as much hissing on the ‘s’ sound as possible. “How does it feel?”
 
Twilight was taken by surprise again with this question. “Well, uh… a lot like being alive actually.”
 
Sombra nodded. “I’ve always wondered about it myself actually. Especially with my, ‘day job’, let’s say. I come across death quite a bit.”
 
Twilight glared at Sombra but said nothing.
 
“Oh come on,” Sombra laughed, “what’s a little violence between friends?”
 
Twilight continued glaring, lighting her horn again.
 
“Alright, fine. I suppose you want to know my plan. The original idea was to capture you, lure the others into the nest, injure you to slow you down, then teleport away and set off the explosives. Two world leaders would have disappeared overnight. Equestria would have been in chaos. It would’ve been the perfect time for, well, an invasion. I would’ve had more power than even Celestia could imagine.”
 
“Okay, so if it was such a wonderful plan, why didn’t you go with it?”
 
“Ah,” Sombra said with an even wider, more unsettling smile than before. “That’s the Twilight I know. Good question.”
 
“Get on with it, Sombra.”
 
“As you wish. When I captured you, I decided to see if I could have some fun, I decided to ‘corrupt’ you, as you would call it. However, in the process, I noticed something peculiar. The way you got so interested in that book, the way you performed those spells with such precision, such power - even if you were trying to miss. It reminded me of… well… myself. So I figured, if we teamed up, we could gain so much more power, so much more knowledge. And I’d finally have someone to share it with. And, well, the only way we could be together, once you turned on me, was, well - this.”
 
Twilight thought about making some dismissive remark. ‘Well some job you did, getting us both killed’, perhaps? Instead, she gave a legitimate reply.
 
“I’m sorry Sombra, but I will never join forces with you. I can forgive Chrysalis, she was just protecting her people, I can forgive Trixie, she just wanted somepony to love and admire her. They had honourable intentions; they just went about them the wrong way. But you, you’ve crossed the line too many times. You’ve blown too many chances. All you wanted was power for its own sake.”
 
“So that’s the way it is? Then I have no choice.”
 
“What are y - argh!”
 
Twilight gasped in shock as she felt to the ground, feeling all her energy being drained, piece by piece.
 
“With your power,” Sombra declared, “I could go back. I could take over everything! I could destroy every last one of your ‘friends’, and there’d be nothing you c - what’s happening? What are you doing? No!”
 
“You will never, ever hurt my friends, do you understand that Sombra?” Twilight said with a snarl as she got back to her hooves, draining the energy straight back from Sombra.
 
“Wait! Please!” Sombra pleaded back as he collapsed onto his knees. “What about mercy? W-what about friendship?”
 
Twilight released Sombra, causing him to sigh with relief.
 
“You’re weaker than I thought” Sombra observed. “Such a shame - so much power wasted on a pony who never uses it.”
 
A light began to shine behind Twilight, and she found herself being pulled back towards it. She dug her hooves into the ground and held on for dear life.
 
“Sombra, stop this, now.”
 
“I’m not doing anything,” Sombra hissed. “You gained too much of my power. You’re going back. And when you go, that’s it, I disintegrate. I’m gone, forever.”
 
Twilight started at him suspiciously. She lifted one hoof from the floor. The far end of the room disintegrated as she drifted a little further towards the portal. Sombra winced in fear.
 
“You’re not lying” Twilight realised.
 
Sombra nodded. “Hold on for five minutes, and the portal closes. I don’t get destroyed. You can ‘reform’ me or whatever you do.”
 
Twilight thought to herself for a second, but the decision was obvious. She had to make the tough choice.
 
“NO!” Sombra cried as Twilight let go of the floor, and flew backwards into the portal. In the last few seconds, before everything went white, she saw Sombra disappearing in an instant, lost to the void forever.
 
After what felt like a few seconds, she opened her eyes.
 
She was in a particularly fancy-looking hospital room, with marble walls and ornately decorated curtains, covered in the patterns of the day and night skies, blended together. She looked up to see five familiar, smiling faces.
 
“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight practically squeaked with joy. “Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! Applejack! Rarity!”
 
“Twilight Sparkle!” Pinkie Pie replied, giggling as she spoke.
 
Twilight reached up and attempted to hug them, only to find she was held down by several monitoring machines and tubes.
 
“Stay right there sugarcube,” Applejack told her, “there’ll be plenty of time for hugging and mushiness when ya haven’t got these wire thingies all over ya.”
 
Twilight lay back down reluctantly. A mission without group hugs was like a library without the sixty seventh edition of The Egghead’s Guide to Precise Item Teleportation!
 
“We’re just glad you’re alright darling,” Rarity added. “Fluttershy managed to get you breathing again, but the doctors were up all night rushing in and out of the room. We were worried you wouldn’t make it.”
 
“All night?” Twilight asked.
 
“Why yes darling, we stayed up too of course. Friendship takes priority over beauty sleep.”
 
“It’s been a whole night?”
 
The door swung open before Rarity had a chance to answer, and an extremely excited little changeling came bounding into the room, beaming with health and full of even energy than usual.
 
“Everyling - um - pony! Celestia and mummy are doing the speech now! They told me to tell you so tha - Twilight?”
 
“Pupa!” Twilight exclaimed as the little changeling jumped onto her bed and scampered onto her chest, hugging her tightly. Twilight reached out a bandaged arm to hug back.
 
“Hey,” Pupa squeaked, directing his sparkly eyes right at Twilight’s arm, “you have band badgers too!”
 
Twilight’s heart monitor suddenly spiked.
 
“Y-yes, I do.” Twilight replied, trying to regain control after the wave of cuteness that just struck her. “Anyway, what’s this speech you’re talking about?”
 
“Oh, right,” Pupa said, pulling the most serious and proud pose he could and clearing his throat in an attempt to sound important. “Mummy and Celestia are giving a speech about giving the changelings a new nest. We can watch from the balcony here, since this hospital wing is part of the castle.”
 
By the time the main six, with the help of several royal hospital staff, had managed to safely wheel Twilight’s bed and medical equipment out onto the balcony, the speech was ninety percent over - but Twilight and her friends listened intently to the last ten nonetheless.
 
“So, as you all know by this point, as a reward for Chrysalis’ brave efforts to save her people, and our princess” they heard Celestia say in a loud but calm voice, “Equestria is planning to build a new nest for the changelings - a nest where they never have to go hungry, where they will know love and friendship the way we do.”
 
Thunderous applause could be heard from the crowd gathered outside the castle.
 
“What you may not know, however, is that this nest will be built on the outskirts of this great capital city, Canterlot!”
 
The applause was replaced by uncertain murmuring.
 
Back on Twilight’s balcony, Pupa jumped up and down.
 
“Did you hear that? I’m gonna live in Canterlot!” the changeling squeaked, his wings buzzing. “That’s like, ten gazillion times closer than the Badlands! You can all come visit me all the time! Or I can come visit you!”
 
“I don’t know about all the time,” Fluttershy replied, “but I’ll certainly make sure to visit often.”
 
“I understand we changelings haven’t been the best neighbours in the past,” Chrysalis explained, interrupting the crowd’s unsettled chatter, “and I understand that it’s hard for you to trust us. But believe us when we say we’ve changed - after all, it is what we do best.”
 
The crowd let out a couple of giggles at the changeling queen’s attempt at a joke. She ticked ‘say something funny’ off the mental ‘giving speeches to ponies’ checklist Celestia had given her.
 
“In all seriousness though, we changelings are more grateful than you can imagine for the second chance you’ve given us, and we will do everything we can to repay our debt to you. From this day forth we will be official allies of Equestria - we will fight alongside you in every war, just as Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy fought alongside us. And we will learn to find love without hurting anypony - in fact, if we can, we will share our own love with you. Thank you, all of you, for everything.”
 
With that, Celestia shook hooves with Chrysalis, and the crowd went wild, cheering, applauding and leaping into the air.
 
Satisfied, Celestia and Chrysalis thanked them for their attention and headed inside.
 
A few minutes later, just as she finished being slowly wheeled back inside, Twilight saw the two speakers enter her room.
 
“Sprinkles, you’re awake!” Chrysalis exclaimed with a smile.
 
Celestia let out a giggle. “Wherever did you come up with that? I’d better use that one later.” She turned to face Twilight. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle.”
 
“Hello Prince - um, Celestia - sorry, still not used to just calling you -” Twilight started.
 
“It’s alright” Celestia assured.  “I’m glad to see that you’re okay.”
 
Pupa flinched a little as Celestia walked towards him. He knew she wasn’t the enemy anymore, but still, she was a bit scary.
 
“H-hi”, he managed.
 
“Hello,” Celestia answered, her calm smile barely covering up her near heart attack from the cute.
 
Celestia let out a slightly reluctant sigh, before turning to Twilight.
 
“Twilight, since you’re awake, it’s about time I told you something.  Something I was, well, too ashamed to tell you before.”
 
Chrysalis turned towards Celestia as if she knew what the princess was about to say.
 
“Ashamed?” Twilight, asked, puzzled. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, you’re pretty much perfect.”
 
Celestia shook her head. “That’s the image I have to convey. The truth is, when I was younger, I made some not particularly wise decisions.”
 
“You mean banishing Nightmare Moon?”
 
“That was one of them. There was another.”
 
Now Twilight was positively baffled. “None of my history books say -”
 
“I know. When I realised how much damage I had done, I wanted to hide it from the world. Especially from you. And I shouldn’t have hidden anything from you Twilight, I’m sorry.”
 
Twilight gave Celestia an unsure look.
 
“Have you heard of the name ‘Nova Shine’, Twilight?” Celestia asked.
 
Twilight nodded.
 
“She was a skilled magician, and a close friend of mine. She created the first recorded dark magic - and then, as now, creating magic was a major part of becoming a princess. Nova, however, had not used her talents to help the rest of Equestria - so I denied her requests to be crowned, until she could prove to me, to Equestria, that she was willing to serve others as much as herself. Instead, she decided to use her new-found magic to create an army, specifically designed to feed off us, to drain our love - the changelings.
 
Of course, Equestria defeated the changelings, Nova was imprisoned, everything went back to normal - but I was left to decide the changelings’ fate. Help them to live among us, or banish them, leave them to starve. I chose the second option - and I never forgave myself.”
 
Celestia jumped in shock as she felt Chrysalis wrap a front limb around her back. She relaxed when she realised what it was.
 
“I forgive you,” Chrysalis said softly. “You did what you had to. Your little ponies had been through a war. Back then, you simply didn’t have the resources to look after us too.”
 
“Who are you and what have you done with Chrysalis?” Celestia teased.
 
“Forgiveness? What a ridiculous sentiment! You will pay for what you’ve done” Chrysalis pretended to threaten. “Is that better?”
 
“Much better,” Celestia giggled.
 
Twilight joined in the giggling, before whispering something to Pupa.
 
Pupa hesitated, but after and encouraging nudge from Twilight, he leaped into air and landed straight on Celestia’s back. “Prepare to pay! With tickles!” he declared.