> Behind a Shifting Mask
>  by Oddling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 - Date With the Queen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver Skies slowly walked through the damp and poorly lit tunnel. The few sources of light, small clusters of pale green crystals and luminescent moss, provided just enough illumination for him to make out the tunnel walls. At the very least, he had little fear of falling into a hole, or tripping, but that did little to ease his nerves of the skittering sounds from what watched him in the shadows beyond.

Each step brought Silver closer to his objective, which still seemed unbelievable. Thinking back on it, it really was quite the unexpected mission. Just a few short days after he had returned from a diplomatic mission in the Gryphon lands, he had received an urgent summons from Princess Celestia, herself. Silver Skies had responded to his princess’ call immediately and, upon entering Celestia’s private room, learned of his mission.




~~***~~




“Your Highness, you wished to see me?” Silver asked as he entered the brightly lit chamber.

Princess Celestia stood behind her desk, an elegant carved dark oak with a white marble top, and turned her magenta gaze to her subject. Upon noticing the grey-coated unicorn stallion, a kind smile spread over her face. “Ah, yes, I did wish to speak with you, Silver Skies,” she said. “I know you just got back, but something rather urgent has come to my attention.”

Silver tilted his head slightly and blinked as a lock of his silvery-white mane swept over one eye. “I understand. If it’s as urgent as I assume, given the fact that you summoned me personally to meet with you, then it is of the highest priority. I can begin as soon as you desire, Princess. All of my previous assignment has been written down in my notebook, so I could leave it to be finished at a later date,” Silver replied.

Celestia suppressed a giggle, but her smile did spread wider. “That won’t be necessary, Silver Skies. This matter is urgent, but your other duties can be finished first,” she said warmly and glanced down at the stacks of papers on her desk. Her horn lit up in a golden aura and a short stack of papers levitated up into the air.

Silver eyed the papers as they floated over to hover in front of him. His horn lit up with a deep blue aura as he took the stack from Celestia’s magic. Silver Skies quickly skimmed over the documents. As he got about half way through them, he stopped reading and looked up to the princess. “This is about a meeting with the Changelings?” he asked.

Celestia nodded and her expression turned slightly more serious. “Yes. Their queen has requested an audience with a diplomat.”

“And you want me to handle this matter?” Silver inquired further.

“I felt you would be the best option, Silver,” Celestia replied softly. “You’re about the only pony I could think of to ask. Time and again, you’ve proven yourself capable of handling the more difficult negotiations.”

Silver smiled faintly at the praise, but his expression turned neutral once more before he spoke again. “It’s a gift… in a way. Though I do appreciate your kind intentions behind your reason for selecting me, please refrain from feeling guilty about it. I do not require pity or sympathy for my condition.”

Celestia sighed softly as her gaze flicked to Silver’s right eye. The once red coloration had become a pale milky white – the result of a magical accident in his colthood. “Forgive me, Silver… it is still difficult to not feel some responsibility for what happened.”

Silver Skies shook his head and offered a kind smile to his princess. “There is nothing to forgive. It was my own fault. I paid for my error, but it gave me a valuable experience,” he assured her and then cleared his throat gently. “Now, back to this negotiation… I will take this information and study it later. Is there anything outside of this report that you feel I should know?” he asked.

Celestia’s gaze drifted down to the stack of papers in Silver’s magical hold. “There is still little we know about their kind, Silver Skies. All I can offer you is a warning… to be as cautious as you can. I have little doubt that you can be more than a match for their queen with words, but she has proven herself to be quite capable of violence. Take extra care in your preparations when selecting your escort.”

“There won’t be one,” Silver immediately replied and before Celestia could ask, he continued, “I will not allow anypony to be with me who might involve themselves in the negotiations. I may not have been here during the invasion, but news of the attack spread all across Equestria. There isn’t a single pony that does not know about what the Changelings did. Therefore, I shall not be taking anypony with me. I require an unbiased escort… and you know there won’t be a single pony who would fit that criteria.”

Celestia’s mouth went to speak, but she thought better of it and closed her mouth. She sighed softly and smiled at Silver. “Very well, I shall trust in your judgment. Come to me if you require anything before your departure.”

Silver returned her smile, then it quickly vanished as he eyed her for a moment. “There is more that you do not wish to tell me…” he said gently.

Celestia sighed softly and her gaze turned to eye a few documents on her desk. “Yes… there are a few things I am keeping secret from my little ponies. There is much more to this than I would like to admit, but I feel it best not to tell you everything. Instead… I shall put my faith in your capable hooves. I know you’ll learn of her secrets, but she should be the one to reveal them to you.”

Silver nodded slowly and turned to leave. “Very well, your highness. I shall be sure to pay rapt attention to her and the rest of her Changelings. Good day.”




~~***~~




The tunnel system had no doubt taken Silver deep beneath the surface. He had walked for no less than a few thousand hooflengths, not that he had been counting all of his steps, but it sure felt like it to his hooves. It was only when he started to notice the occasional arc of a hardened green substance on the sides and ceiling of the tunnel that he felt he was near his destination. From the reports, Silver knew the material was a form of hardened slime, which the Changelings had used on subdued victims during the invasion. Seeing it in the tunnel gave Silver the impression that the material had a potentially wide variety of uses, outside of what the reports detailed.

It did not take long before the green slime dominated the walls and ceiling of the tunnel. Silver found it odd that the dirt floor had not been covered. After another few dozen steps, he finally came face to face with the inhabitants of the cave system. There, standing to the sides of a massive set of double doors, completely made up of the hardened green slime, with areas that even seemed to have black coloration, were two armored drones. Each of the black, carapaced Changelings narrowed their glowing blue eyes, their light green armor clinking as they stiffened their bodies.

As soon as Silver Skies got within a few ponylengths from the two guards, the sides and ceiling erupted in a mass if activity. Ports opened up like hinged circular doors, revealing at least a hundred pairs of glowing blue eyes. Silver watched the display with a mild sense of fascination before shrugging and turning his attention to the two guards – ignoring the vicious hissing of the many drones in the tunnel behind him. “Hello, my name is Silver Skies, I’m here as per Queen Chrysalis’ request,” he said to them.

The hissing in the tunnel quickly subsided. The blank expressions the two guards wore faltered for a split second as they observed the seemingly unfazed unicorn in front of them. They were uncertain as to why he had not reacted like others before him. Normally, when faced with such an intimidating display, fear would strike at the heart of the pony. This stallion had been the exact opposite… which alarmed them into being more defensive in response.

The left drone rose up to his full height and stared down the carapace of his muzzle at the grey unicorn. “What business do you have with our Queen, unicorn?” he hissed threateningly.

Silver Skies identified his conversational partner and assessed the Changeling coolly. “Your queen sent a message to Canterlot Castle. She requested an audience with a pony diplomat. I am that pony. Would you kindly have an escort brought here to take me to her? Unless she is currently preoccupied, then I would not mind waiting for her next available convenience.”

The drone slowly sank down to his normal height. There was something strange about the pony in front of him… but he had no idea what. That one red eye was striking, for certain, but the other scarred one made it hard to read the unicorn’s expression – it was so distracting to see such a wound. Not to mention, the sense of calm that the stallion emitted was almost unnatural. Still, the drone knew he had to address the situation properly first, so he held up a hoof.

“One moment…” he said and his pupil-less eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment. After a brief few moments, the drone’s sight refocused on Silver Skies and he nodded to the grey stallion. “What you say is true. The queen is sending somebuggy to escort you into the hive proper.”

Silver Skies nodded and allowed his posture to slip into a more relaxed pose. The threat of being attacked had been lowered, but that did not stop him from keeping his magic coursing through his body, ready to cast a defensive barrier spell at a moments notice. Fortunately, his wait was short lived as the large doors ground open shortly after. A group of seven drones exited the chamber within and surrounded Silver without a word.

It was clear that these new arrivals were different than the guards outside of the hive. The new drones were built leaner than the others and their armor was sleeker and looked to be a darker shade of green than the light green plates of the other guards. Silver’s first thought about the escort group was one of intrigue. Why are these Changelings wearing armor? The reports from the attack stated that none of the invading ‘lings wore any form of clothing, much less armor. It would seem that there is quite the pool of knowledge here in this hive that I can learn, he thought.

The designated leader of the escort drones stepped right up in front of Silver Skies and narrowed her glowing eyes at the unicorn. “Follow us,” she stated with less of a hiss than the other guard. “The queen is waiting for you. Do not deviate from the path we lead you down.”

Silver nodded. “Please, lead the way.”

The changeling group turned in unison toward the large doors and began a steady walk toward them. Silver Skies quickly fell into place at the center of the formation and made sure to keep his position precisely one and a half ponylengths behind the lead ‘ling. He followed her quietly, keeping his eyes focused on as much of his surroundings as possible – partly to be respectful, since most mares got a little defensive if you stared at their flanks, but mainly to stay alert to any potential ambush. Silver still remembered Celestia’s warning about their violent capabilities, so he figured he would remain safe, rather than allow himself to become a bargaining chip… what kind of diplomat would he be if he allowed negotiations to dissolve in such a fashion?

His escort led him through another long tunnel, with many more concealed hatches that hid numerous Changeling defenders. Seeing such numbers right from the start had given Silver slight pause. If there were that many drones in the entrance, then exactly how large was the total population? There must have been a thousand of them so far.

Silver soon came to the first intersection within the cave system. It was obvious that the Changelings had constructed the formation. The tunnel opened into a large dome that split off in multiple directions, with two tunnels going further down into the depths of the earth, three going up, and the remaining two staying at the same level as his current location. A large green gem illuminated the space adequately. Silver Skies was slightly surprised when they took the far right tunnel upward. He had half expected them to lead him further down.

It was within this new tunnel that Silver started to notice the change in architecture. The bland tunnel shifted into a more refined slime construction. Round arcs became squared off, with pillars and cross beams to support the weight of the cave’s ceiling. The space also widened considerably, making passage for the group much more comfortable. And then, the most spectacular part of the structure came into view as they passed by an opening. It was a window, with a barely distinguishable pane of clear slime that looked out over a massive space.

Silver Skies gasped as he noticed the mass of Changelings moving about within the cavernous room. There were three levels to the area, with tall pillars evenly spaced to hold up the high vaulted ceiling. It took conscious effort, but Silver made sure not to stop. Instead, the unicorn simply sighed in admiration and turned his head back to the lead Changeling. “My word, your hive is remarkable. The architecture is praiseworthy.”

The female drone made a quick series of clicking sounds in her throat and spared Silver a brief glance over her shoulder. “Your admiration is… welcomed,” she said with slight hesitation.

Silver quickly noted the uncertainty in her tone. He offered a reassuring smile, even though she had turned her head away. “Indeed. I am truly inspired by it. At some point, it would be an honor to meet the Changeling, or Changelings, responsible for such masterful craftsmanship.”

The drone simply hummed and her wings buzzed gently for a short moment. The tension around the other drones seemed to fade in the following silence. Silver had noticed three of his escorts stiffen when he had spoken. It seemed that he might have triggered a possible hostile reaction when he had spoken up, but avoided it by being genuine in his following expression. He made a mental note to keep quiet from then on. It would not do him any good if he offended them, much less caused them unnecessary stress unintentionally.

Silver Skies saw two more locations that resembled the first open space as they traveled. It seemed that they were places of gathering, where the Changelings could socialize or exchange goods. It was purely an assumption, but it seemed the tiny gems that a few of them possessed were a type of currency within the hive. Silver had only caught a few brief glances as the little pink crystals were exchanged by a few of the Changelings for some other items, which he had no idea what they were.

The path eventually came to an end as the group arrived in medium sized dome. There were three other paths that connected to the room, each guarded by more female drones, but it was the double doors directly ahead of Silver Skies that caught his attention. They were unlike anything else he had seen thus far, since the doors were completely made of massive glowing crystals. The sight was incredible to behold, since he had never witnessed anypony successfully molding crystal into such intricate carved designs. Silver wondered what the images on the doors meant, but was at a loss since the markings resembled nothing that he could recognize.

The escorting drones fanned out, with the exception of the leader of their group. She turned around to face Silver and stared at him with an oddly blank expression. Then her brow lowered and she bares her fangs slightly. “Our queen awaits you within,” she said sternly. “She ordered us to wait outside, but do not assume she is unprotected. We will not let you leave here alive if you act in any unsatisfactory manner.”

Silver nodded calmly with a neutral expression. “Understood. May I enter now, or am I to wait to be summoned?” he asked respectfully.

As if to answer him, the massive crystal doors ground open – the sound low and ominous within the cavern. It seemed that Queen Chrysalis had extended her invitation. Silver Skies looked to the female drone once more, just to make sure it was okay for him to proceed. After receiving a curt nod from her, he walked the rest of the distance and crossed the threshold. As soon as he had entered the room, the massive doors slowly closed with a deep resounding thud.

Silver examined the room closely. The space was large, possibly even more so than princess Celestia’s throne room, and sparsely lit with torches that burned with green magical flames. As for the rest of the room, it was impossible for the naked eye to see anything within the darkness. After enough time had passed, Silver felt it was time he made the first move, since Chrysalis had yet to show herself. “Greetings, Queen Chrysalis. I am Silver Skies. I have come to speak with you, as per your request in the missive you sent to Canterlot,” he spoke to the darkness, quite sure the Queen was within the shadows.

Four more torches lit deeper within the room to illuminate the form of the queen. She sat upon a modest looking throne of black stone in a pose of elegant superiority. Her acid and dark green, slitted eyes peered down at Silver with a fierce sharpness. Then her two-toned voice echoed and vibrated as she greeted her guest. “I admire your respectful tone in addressing me in my own hive, but I already know why you are here and who you are, Silver Skies,” she said lowly and with as much regal poise as one would expect from royalty. Though her fanged grin that followed was slightly unsettling.

“I also admire your bravery in coming to my hive alone,” she continued, a faint glimmer of intrigue dancing behind her piercing gaze, “I had been expecting quite a large number of guards to have come with you. It made my welcome feel a bit… excessive.”

Silver Skies simply nodded calmly. “Indeed, though I must admit it was quite an amazing display. Were it not for their chittering within those hidden spaces, I would never have expected such an intimidating display.”

Chrysalis seemed to ponder that for a moment, a look of curiosity playing upon her face every now and then. Eventually she tilted her head and asked, “How is it that you have remained so calm? Most ponies would have been trembling in fear from my drones, much less being in my presence, yet you stand here without the slightest bit of hesitation.”

Silver nodded again and tilted his head. “I’m just a little harder to surprise, is all. But I could also comment on how you are one of the first to not be as focused on my scarred eye. Your guards took notice of it, yet you have treated me as if my appearance makes no difference – which I appreciate,” he replied with a small smile.

Chrysalis took a moment to examine said scarring. True it was not every day that one saw such a remarkable deformity on another being, but appearance never really mattered to her. She shrugged slightly and tilted her head the other way. “I don’t really see a reason why appearances should matter here. After all, I am a shape shifter. I could have appeared in another form, had I wished to do so.”

“True. In any case, I believe we have wandered off topic,” Silver said, but retained his friendly smile. “Is there any topic of discussion that you would like to address first?”

Chrysalis nodded and fixed Silver Skies with a devious grin. “I’d enjoy discussing about the unconditional surrender of Equestria,” she said and stood from her throne.

Silver Skies eyed her for a moment, silently contemplating the comment. Then he tilted his head and let his expression return to being neutral. “Though I do appreciate the joke, your request was written in the form of a peace treaty. I understand you were quite fond of toying with ponies during your invasion, but I’d prefer to keep this as professional as possible,” he replied calmly.

Chrysalis’ expression instantly went from devious to unamused. “How unfortunate. I had been hoping to goad you on for the next ten minutes. At least you’ve proven to be worthy of proper conversation. You do well in keeping your cool… even in front of me.”

Silver nodded and fixed Chrysalis with an unfazed stare. “Quite. I have been told that I’ve got a knack for killing the mood, but that is neither here nor there. Do you have a point to begin our diplomatic discussion, or should I begin, your highness?”

Chrysalis shrugged and sat down on her throne before lifting a hoof and waving it in Silver’s direction. “You may begin. In all honesty, I’ve never been one for diplomacy.”

Silver Skies nodded once more. “Very well, Queen Chrysalis. I shall go through a list of topics that are standard procedure for an average diplomatic meeting. If any of them strike you as important then we can further discuss them. Is that acceptable?”

Chrysalis nodded with a bored expression on her face. She had a feeling this discussion was about to be one of the most draining events of her life…

> 2 - In The Mix
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver Skies casually walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle. His destination was still a few floors down, but he was in no hurry to arrive at his personal office. He was too busy going over his meeting with the Changeling Queen to give anything else much thought.




~~***~~




“Your Highness, I understand that you are unfamiliar with this aspect of peaceful negotiations, but you must understand that this is a vital part of the process. You must be open and honest with me. So please tell me what your reasons are for seeking peace with Equestria. Your previous encounter places you as a threat to the country’s citizens, as well as to the crown. ‘Because I changed my mind,’ is not an acceptable reason.” Silver said as calmly as he could. He had spent the last twenty minutes getting various responses about that topic out of the queen. It seemed as though she had a good reason, but refused to openly admit it to him. Instead, she had chosen to play coy with him and drag the conversation along with curt remarks that made no real sense.

Chrysalis sighed dramatically and eyed Silver dubiously. “Why is this so important? Does it really matter what my reason is as long as my desire to have peace with ponykind is genuine?” she asked.

Silver refrained from letting a frustrated sigh slip out. He closed his notebook and put it, and his quill away into his saddlebags. “It does matter. I’m sure you are aware of what your invasion did to the reputation of Changelings in the eyes of Equestria’s citizens. If you are not willing to state your reasons, then it will only result in others being more suspicious of your actions.”

Chrysalis rolled that around in her mind for a few moments before she sighed and looked away from Silver Skies. “Then I believe we are done for today. When shall I see you next? I’m sure we can discuss other things upon your next visit… such as that economic policy regarding trade, or ironing out the finer points of providing love for my hive,” she responded discourteously.

Silver quietly contemplated his schedule before giving an answer. “I can return in two days time,” he said levelly. “That will give me enough time to record what we have already discussed, as well as to prepare a more detailed report for you to look over in regards to your request for love. I will also look into arranging for a meeting between you and Princess Celestia.”

“No!” Chrysalis immediately stated. “I am not ready to meet with her any time soon.”

“You will have to meet with her at some point,” Silver replied calmly, doing his best to assure Chrysalis that the ordeal was not as bad as she assumed. “It is all part of the formalities of these kinds of negotiations. By being seen with Princess Celestia, it would help to change your image.”

Chrysalis stayed silent, seemingly seething with uncertainty at the prospect of such an event. Then she sighed and turned her attention to the large crystal doors as her jagged horn lit up with a green aura. The massive doors ground open before Chrysalis returned her gaze to Silver. “I shall see you in two days time,” she said and the torches of the room went out.

Silver stared into the darkness for a few moments, contemplating his options. He could try to convince her one more time to be honest with him… but doing so would run the risk of angering her. At present, she had only been mildly annoyed. Silver decided to go with his next option and offered a small smile to the darkness before he bowed his head respectfully and left.




~~***~~




Silver had felt something at that time, something from the way the queen had acted when asked about her reasons for peace. It was faint, but after being around Celestia for so many years, he had found ways of picking up on the subtle hints behind a pony’s expressions. Chrysalis had a substantial reason for avoiding the question, that much was clear. Silver just hoped that he could get her to open up to him in the near future… rather than have a drawn out series of encounters with her. The longer things took the more likely certain others would take notice and start to feel uneasy about diplomacy with the Changelings. After all, his work with the Changeling Hive would not go unnoticed for long.

He rounded a corner that would lead him to the last stairwell before his office and was greeted with one of the few sights he did not enjoy: General Iron Barricade slowly walking down the corridor toward him. Silver did not like the General – not one bit. There was something about the stubborn mule of an officer that always rubbed the diplomat the wrong way.

The armor-clad Earth Pony came to a halt just in front of Silver Skies, his stern blue eyes glaring through the ornate white helm he wore. Iron frowned at the unicorn in front of him and snorted through his nose. “So how was your visit with that insect? Gain any useful Intel that my stallions can use in the coming war with those repulsive creatures?” he asked gruffly.

Silver became thoroughly unamused with the General and moved past him. “That is none of your concern, General.”

General Iron swiftly spun around and put his face right in front of Silver’s. “It is if they remain a threat to Equestria.”

“And, thus far,” Silver said coolly, “I see them as a neutral party. Now, General, if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from my path, I have reports to write.”

Silver then moved around General Iron and walked a few steps before coming to a halt to look over his shoulder at his annoying menace. “Also, I will only warn you once… if you provoke me again, you won’t enjoy the early retirement plan I provide you. Your conduct just now was most unwelcome, and I’m certain that someone of your rank was not granted authorization regarding diplomatic negotiations between the Changelings and myself. Tread lightly, General Barricade.”

General Iron snorted in amusement and smirked at Silver’s threat. “Oh, do forgive me for ‘accidentally’ overhearing a little bit of the conversation that occurred when the bug’s message arrived. Also, you might do well to remember that you’re just a pawn that’s been dressed up and put on a pedestal for the princess. Don’t try to threaten somepony that can mop the floor with you at a moment’s notice,” he remarked cockily.

Silver simply raised a brow at Iron’s comment. “For your sake, I do hope you’re half as good as your ego implies. Good day,” he responded calmly and turned away.

In an instant, the General lunged forward and had brought up his hooves to latch onto Silver Skies… only to find his face slam into the wall. He shook his head and looked around to find Silver eyeing him with an unfazed stare. Iron went to get up, but found his body would not respond. His eyes darted up to see the faint blue glow around Silver’s horn.

Silver Skies tilted his head to the side and eyed Iron for a moment before shaking his head, utterly unimpressed. “It would seem that you lack the appropriate level of training, General. I think I’m beginning to see why the Changeling invasion was so effective… with such a poorly thought out plan, like yours was just now, it’s no wonder your forces fell so easily,” he commented dryly and then turned away. “That spell should occupy you for a short time. Do try not to force it to break… unless you enjoy having your bones broken. Farewell… General.”

With that, Silver resumed his trek to his office, leaving the General to suffer indignantly. The thought of actually causing harm to General Iron had been very tempting, since his behavior had more than adequately warranted such a response, but Silver had been sworn in by Princess Celestia to never abuse his magic. There was a reason why he had been confident in going to the Changeling hive alone, and it had nothing to do with his condition.

Once Silver had reached the bottom of the stairs, he released the General from his spell. He figured that there was enough distance between them by then. To his relief, the stubborn fool did not pursue him further. Once he entered his office, he was finally able to relax and look back on the encounter. It was very odd that things had happened like that. What’s more, there were no guards stationed in that hallway like there should have been. It seemed that the General had pulled a few strings to get Silver in that corridor, alone…

It seems that General Iron has a distinct hatred for the Changelings, Silver thought idly. I’m slightly curious as to what his goal might have been in confronting me in such a brash display. What would he have achieved by cornering me? Why did he display such viciousness?

Silver’s thoughts were halted when a scroll materialized beside him. He quickly caught it in his magic and rolled it around to view the wax seal. The red engraved marking of Celestia's sun was a clear indication that the message was from the Princess, so Silver immediately broke it and unrolled the scroll to view the contents. 

“Dear Silver Skies,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. It has come to my attention that you have returned from your meeting with the Changeling Hive. At your earliest convenience, please come see me as I look forward to hearing about your visit with them. I eagerly await your arrival.

~Princess Celestia”

Silver Skies smirked once he had finished with the letter. The timing, as per usual, was impeccable. He quickly placed the scroll down on his desk to be sorted later and exited his office. His return trip through the hallways yielded one of the things he had been expecting; the guards were back in place. Silver made sure to eye each and every one of them as he passed, noting the looks of guilt a few of them sported. Oh, my dear General… you’re playing with a flame in a field of matches, he thought as he exited the hall.

The grey unicorn soon arrived at his destination and nodded to one of the guards stationed outside of Celestia’s quarters. “I was sent for by her highness. Could one of you check with her to see if she is ready to see me?”

The guard nodded stoically. “One moment, Sir Skies,” he replied and smoothly ducked into the room. Meanwhile, the other guard had taken it upon himself to subtly eye Silver curiously.

Silver instantly took notice of the roaming gaze, since the guards were not encouraged to do such things unless they were suspicious of something. He glanced at the guard and offered a friendly smile. “Is there anything you find interesting about my appearance? I hope I didn’t get something on my coat…”

The guard instantly stiffened and resumed his stoic stance, showing no further interest in Silver. “No, sir.”

Silver hummed softly and turned his gaze back to the door. How curious… I wonder just how far the General’s reach is, he thought briefly before storing the idea away for later contemplation. A few moments later the first guard stepped out and nodded toward Silver. “The Princess is ready to see you,” he said and stepped to the side to let Silver enter.

Silver Skies nodded graciously. “Thank you, kindly,” he said and entered the room.

The view beyond was nearly enough to catch Silver off guard. Celestia sat on a large plush cushion beside an elegant white and gold table sipping from a cup of tea. Dozens of reports floated around her as she enjoyed the brew. It became apparent that there was something off when she addressed him, which happened to be the second after she closed the door behind him and cast a soundproofing spell. Without looking away from the reports in front of her she tilted her head and asked, “So how was your meeting with Queen Chrysalis?”

Silver eyed the numerous papers in the air before focusing on the princess. “It went a little less productively than I had hoped,” he said calmly.

Celestia’s ears flicked and she lowered a few of the papers to look at Silver. “Oh? How so?” she asked him with a small smile.

Silver knew she was directing the conversation somewhere, so he decided to humor her to see what she wanted to get around to. He slowly approached her to sit on one of the available cushions before responding. “She continuously fed me mixed messages throughout the meeting. One moment she proclaims she desires peace, the next she feels it necessary to joke about conquering Equestria. In my professional opinion, she seems to be taking this chance for granted and could be leading her hive in a direction of war.”

Celestia nodded and took another sip of her tea before smiling a tad more. “And what does your personal opinion tell you?” she asked coolly.

“In my personal opinion,” Silver began, “I feel that she does want peace. I’m just not sure why. She openly disclosed her methods in how she infiltrated our ranks, which was quite clever. Even I have to admit that her taking control of the castle’s janitorial staff was quite the impressive way to gain her foothold. In hindsight, I’m surprised nopony even realized that a cleaning crew would have so much access to the majority of the castle.”

Celestia chewed on that bit of information before nodding approvingly. “That was a very clever move indeed.”

“Quite, and what’s more is that it means she still has Changelings in the castle. Our cleaning crews were one of the few departments that did not lose any members,” Silver added.

Celestia paused a moment in thought. “Are you certain of this?”

Silver nodded sagely. “For the most part. I had looked into the losses the castle staff had suffered after the Changelings were repelled by the young prince and princess’ spell. Every department, military or otherwise, lost members who were Changelings in disguise. The only two departments that did not suffer were the royal kitchen staff and janitorial,” he said, then added as an afterthought, “and none of her Changelings were members of the kitchen. Apparently, they aren’t good at cooking, since they have a fear of fire.”

Celestia got a puzzled expression on her face and a few more papers drooped in her magical grasp as she thought on that. “That’s… ironic when you think about it. Doesn’t their transformation make use of magical green flames?”

Silver nodded. “Yes. From what she told me, the art of transforming is actually something that only her more skilled drones are capable of. Those that can change their appearances only make up about twenty percent of her hive’s population. She was quite open to informing me of many details regarding that… yet I don’t know why she eluded from giving me a strait answer as to why she wishes for peace.”

Celestia nodded and sipped from her tea once more, grimacing slightly as she realized how cool it had become. She set the cup down and looked back at Silver Skies. “What kind of feeling did you get from her? So far, I see very little resemblance to the same Queen that I encountered. The Chrysalis that you are describing to me sounds… different.”

Silver Skies nodded and let his eyes drift off into memory. After a few moments, he refocused on Celestia and gave her a soft smile. “She was the real thing. I could tell there was no magic being used around her body. The impression she made may not have been the best… but I feel there is something hidden beneath her teasing. It’s as if she wants to say what is on her mind… but she holds herself back for some reason,” Silver Skies paused and tilted his head as he thought on the subject a little more. “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say she seemed afraid to reveal a few details. Thus far, she’s told me all her hive’s strengths, but has avoided the weaknesses.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “You may be on to something,” she said calmly, before redirecting her attention to a few documents. “Have you learned anything else?”

Silver noticed her attempt at prying, it was one of her little ticks she had, pretending to not be too interested when she wanted something specific out of a conversation. Having known the princess for most of his life, Silver had picked up on such cues over the years. He smirked slightly and turned his attention to the fine china laid out on the table. “I have learned quite a few things, thus far, but I won’t be sharing any of it with you just yet. Maybe after my next visit with her.”

A quiet sigh slipped through Celestia’s nose as she eyed the reports a little more crucially. Silver subdued a snicker at her expense, but quickly found a way to redirect the nature of the conversation. He sat up a little more firmly and gave Celestia his more serious attitude. “There is something, possibly related, that I’d like to bring to your attention, though,” he said lowly.

Celestia quickly lowered the reports, recognizing the severity of Silver’s tone. He rarely let his voice get that peculiar edge, but when he did, it was serious business. “What is it?”

Silver Skies looked directly into the eyes of his princess as his horn flared to add an additional layer to the soundproofing spell. “It would appear there might be a troublesome member of the military who may have an issue with my involvement in the peace talks between Equestria and the Changelings.”

Celestia nodded slowly, paying close attention to Silver’s every expression. Silver politely kept his pause brief and continued, “General Iron Barricade confronted me in the hallway near my office. He was quite interested in my dealings with Queen Chrysalis, though he addressed the Changelings in a less than appropriate terminology. He even went as far as to attempt a physical elaboration into his superiority over me… I gave him my only warning, so if he confronts me once more in a similar manner, I may not let him off – just to make sure you are aware of our current standing with each other.”

Celestia closed her eyes and sighed softly. “I am truly sorry for that,” she said quietly.

Silver waved her off with a hoof, shaking his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. Iron and I never really saw things eye to eye to begin with. If anything, I felt that his sudden involvement might be problematic to further diplomatic visits. Please do anything you can to keep him out of this matter. It would be very unfortunate if things were to break down… the Changelings deserve a chance to redeem themselves. That’s what I believe, anyway.”

Celestia shook her head with a small smile. “Sometimes you really are a remarkable stallion. What would you have me do, then? I do not approve of the manner in which the good General approached you, but I will respect your decision regarding the matter,” she said, though the harder expression within her eyes said she would prefer to confront Iron Barricade personally.

Silver offered the princess a confident smile and eyed a few of the floating documents. “Leave him be… for now. Though I don’t think he has a good hand, I’d like to see a few more of his cards before I decide. I’ll pull a few strings of my own to keep tabs on his movements. As far as I’m currently concerned, he’s just excessively upset with the Changelings and has made it more personal than it should be.”

Celestia sighed, but smiled helplessly as her warm gaze passed over her most reliable friend. “If only there were more ponies like you,” she said softly.

Silver’s smile turned melancholy and his eyes dropped to a spot on the floor in front of him. “Then there would be more who wear a mask that can never come off…” he replied quietly.

Celestia’s face instantly melted into a sad gaze and her ears drooped. She opened her mouth to comfort her friend… but she knew there was nothing she could really say at that moment. It was just a sad truth, and she had to accept it.

Silver Skies slowly stood from the cushion and made his way toward the door. He stopped just before it and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be seeing Queen Chrysalis in two days. With any luck, she’ll be more willing to open up to me with more acceptable explanations. I’ll meet with you again to inform you of the progress with her. Good day, your highness.”

Celestia simply sat and watched as Silver left the room. The moment the latch clicked shut, she lowered all but two of the documents in her magical grasp and sighed as they floated in front of her. One was the quarterly analysis of the royal guard’s spending. The other was a profile of General Iron Barricade. She sighed and set down the papers, letting her gaze wander back toward the door. You’re more clever than I gave you credit for, Silver… she thought warmly. But I can’t help worrying about how intuitive you’ve become. What do those eyes of yours see… I wonder?
> 3 - Return to the Hive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The late morning sun felt nice, especially with the light breeze. It was one of the few times that Silver Skies found himself enjoying a walk outside of the castle; even if he was currently walking beside the steep drop of Ghastly Gorge. He idly skirted the edge, seemingly not the slightest bit concerned about possibly losing his balance. Of course, should he slip, all it would take was but a thought and he could simply teleport back up. As the grey stallion progressed down the path, Silver allowed his thoughts to drift to his upcoming encounter.

Hmm… I wonder if these past few days have been enough for Queen Chrysalis to think about her true reasons for peace, he thought smoothly. I’m sure she was aware of the delicate nature of our previous meeting, yet she felt it necessary to be evasive. If she does not provide a more valid reason this time, it may put too much strain on my efforts to assist her in obtaining peace – especially if Iron Barricade has a sizable following. That bullheaded buffoon would easily become a problem should he stir the pot.

Silver let out a quiet sigh as he progressed down the slope. Just ahead was the clearing on one of the small ledges where the entrance to an old Quarray Eel tunnel rested. Quite the ideal location to establish her hive, he thought appraisingly. Indeed it was the ideal spot for Chrysalis’ hive. No sane pony would get near the den of one of the massive creatures, and it was hidden from view behind a thin veil of saplings. It was truly a clever tactic in remaining close to the town of Ponyville, yet far enough away to avoid detection.

She is close enough to one of the most love filled towns in Equestria, which still keeps her within striking distance of the capital, and nopony has been even the slightest bit suspicious of Changeling activity. The Queen is quite the intelligent tactician… which makes her attitude toward me all the more intriguing. Just what goes through her head… what’s that?

Silver Skies came to a halt just within the clearing. His eyes fell upon the form of a familiar looking Changeling Queen. As soon as he made eye contact with her, Chrysalis offered a small grin and started to slowly approach. Silver watched her for a few moments, before a grin of his own crossed over his features. He waited patiently until she got within ten ponylengths from him before his horn lit up and a blue aura surrounded Chrysalis.

Her face instantly turned angry and she hissed at him. “What is the meaning of this!?” she demanded angrily.

Silver Skies eyed her for a long moment, smirking at the hostile display. “I don’t think your queen would approve of your attempt at impersonating her,” he eventually replied, his tone low and expression shifting to an unreadable neutrality.

The imposter allowed her angry expression to melt into a malicious grin. “Quite the clever little pony, aren’t you. How could you tell?” she asked.

Silver quietly stared for a few moments. His roaming eyes were slightly unsettling to the disguised Changeling, but she refused to let it show. Eventually, after he was satisfied, Silver simply shrugged. “There were a few things to give you away, but there’s little point in revealing my methods of detecting you as a fake. The fact of the matter is that you are now stuck in my custody. I hope you have a good reason for your actions,” he replied coolly.

The Changeling simply rolled her eyes and fixed Silver with an unimpressed stare. “Oh dear, what ever will I do…” she said dryly. Her body then became engulfed in magic green flames and the slim form of the female Changeling rushed forward to strike at Silver Skies.

Silver’s eyes widened due to his surprise. Well now, she managed to slip free from my telekinesis… it seems that the magics involved with Changeling transformation have a counter effect on outside spells. Remarkable… I wonder if she can show me a few more tricks…

He lit his horn once more, catching her in a similar manner. The female Changeling had managed to get within three ponylengths before his magic grasped her again, though this time he made sure to lift her up above his head. The female simply eyed him as if he were mentally challenged and used her magic to transform. She slipped through Silver’s magic and charged him as a light blue Pegasus mare with a light pink mane and a snow cloud for a cutie mark.

Silver Skies watched her close in, a sly grin playing on his lips, as she reached back to punch him. Just as he predicted, she used her magic once more, to ensure he did not stop her again, but her error was quickly realized when a transparent wall flung itself around him. The barrier that Silver erected absorbed the Changeling’s punch and she cursed under her breath as her wings buzzed to pull her away from him.

“Impressive…” Silver remarked. “You’re quick to adapt in combat, and your transformative magic has a canceling effect on telekinesis. You’ve peaked my curiosity. How will you continue to combat me now that I’ve created this barrier?”

The Changeling simply smirked and allowed her annoyed expression to slip into a cool stare. “The answer to that is quite simple. As with any unicorn barrier, the deciding factor comes down to how much it can absorb before it fails. The question now is… how long do you think you can last, Mr. Diplomat?” she replied smugly.

The area suddenly came alive in the flashes of many green fire spells as numerous Changelings transformed, the small trees and medium sized rocks changing before Silver’s very eyes. The grey unicorn simply shifted his gaze around casually, eyeing his opponents with a small smile. He shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head slightly at the lead Changeling. “Not as impressive as your previous display, and it was too predictable. I do have but one question to ask you, though. What brought on this little attack of yours?” Silver asked coolly.

The female Changeling let out a low growl, her fangs bared and fins vibrating testily. She narrowed her pale blue eyes and lowered her stance slightly, readying herself for combat before she answered. “The hive has no use for you, or the peace which you try to bring. Ponies are nothing more than a food source for our kind… and it’s disgraceful to think that our queen would even consider your kind worthy of anything more than a means for us to feed. We will not allow you to sully our legacy with hollow promises!” she hissed menacingly.

Silver Skies nodded after a moment and fixed the Changeling with a bored stare. “I see… that truly is a shame that you see things that way. Unfortunately… it is impossible for everypony to be happy with change. However, I can assure you that your views of peace will not reflect the reality of my efforts. One more question, if you don’t mind.”

The Changeling launched forth, slamming her front hooves against Silver’s shield. “What?” she asked coldly.

“Does Queen Chrysalis share your sentiments on this matter?” he asked her calmly, eyeing the tiny fracture she had made in the side of his barrier.

The Changeling only stared at him with burning anger within her pupil-less eyes. Silver nodded his head in understanding before bringing his hoof up to his chest. “Very well… that is a small relief to me. I shall be sure to pass on your views to her,” he said in a subdued tone just before he lit up his horn.

The female Changeling’s eyes shot wide and she instantly renewed her attack, slamming her hooves into the side of Silver’s barrier – with another two Changelings joining her. The magical shield only held for a few short seconds under the assault, but it was more than enough time for Silver’s second spell to form and activate. His body vanished a mere moment before his barrier shattered, and the last thing the female Changeling saw of his visage was the sad smile on his face before he teleported.

In the next moment, deep within the confines of the hive, a flash of royal blue signaled the arrival of the Equestrian Diplomat. The forms of many Changelings leaping toward him greeted his eyes, fangs bared and hissing angrily. Silver quickly set up another barrier and put his hooves up in the air as he sat on his rump. “One moment please,” he said to the quickly approaching guards.

The royal Changeling defenders quickly skid to a halt, still growling and hissing, but allowed the unicorn the chance to explain himself. Silver nodded appreciatively to them and took a breath of air before he addressed them. “I do apologize for this sudden arrival,” he said calmly. “However, I am in dire need of meeting with your Queen as soon as possible. A matter of urgency was just brought to my attention outside of your hive, one that requires I meet with her in a timely fashion. Especially since the event outside involved one of your hive members disguising herself as Queen Chrysalis.”

Immediately after hearing his reasons, one of the female guards leapt forth to stand right in front of Silver Skies. “Is that true? Did you see one of us in the form of the queen?” she hissed angrily.

Silver nodded. “Yes. She approached me with the intent of catching me off guard, possibly to harm me in a sneak attack, but she was not alone in her actions.”

The Changeling guard quickly ducked her head to the side, clicking sounds rapidly escaping her throat. Her display of anger was cut short however, as the double doors to Chrysalis’ chamber swung open with a deep bang. “What was that!? Did I hear your words correctly?” Queen Chrysalis demanded, her acid green eyes glowing with barely restrained fury.

Silver Skies turned his attention to Chrysalis and he offered her a respectful bow. “Yes, your highness. A female Changeling attempted to strike me down while wearing your appearance.”

Chrysalis stared at Silver for a moment before she turned her head toward one of the guards. “Find that imposter – now!” she bellowed and turned her gaze back to Silver. “You, Silver Skies, come inside. I wish to hear everything you have to say about that Changeling imposter!”

Silver nodded and let his barrier drop. “Of course, Queen Chrysalis,” he replied.

Chrysalis’ eyes flared brightly once more, but she held her composure roughly the same. To say that the Changeling Queen was upset would be akin to saying an inferno was warm. She passed a meaningful glare over each of her subjects before she turned around and walked into her chambers. Silver allowed her a moment before he followed her in.

Just like before, the doors swung shut with that low thud as soon as he cleared the threshold. The difference this time was that Queen Chrysalis also applied three layers of soundproofing spells to the room once the doors closed. Chrysalis slowly made her way up the last few steps to her throne and turned her head back with an unsettling crunch. Her horn lit up with a sickly green and the rest of the room became bathed in bright green and blue light from the many torches and a few large aquamarine gems.

“Now then…” Chrysalis said in a low menacing tone, “tell me what happened to you.”

Silver Skies bowed his head. “Of course, your highness,” he said and began his telling of the events outside of the hive. He had to pause a few times as he revealed the tale, due to Chrysalis hissing or growling in anger. She was especially upset when she heard the reason behind the hostile move on the diplomat. Only silence remained in the room once Silver had finished his explanation.

So it would appear that she truly knew nothing about the other Changeling’s movements until now, Silver thought as he eyed the queen. Her heart is easy to read when she’s angered. I wonder if I can use this to coax her into giving me an honest answer now…

“Queen Chrysalis… I know this event has upset you, but I would like to take this opportunity to ask you again. What is your reason for wanting peace with Equestria?”

Chrysalis’ eyes flashed again as she nearly let out a snarl. She cooled her anger swiftly and stared down her muzzle at Silver Skies. Complete silence filled the room for a time as she chose her words. “Before I answer that, I have a question of my own,” she said. “How much do you know about what I’ve done to overthrow your precious kingdom?”

Silver Skies tilted his head slightly, maintaining his neutral expression. “I know that you nearly took over Canterlot some time back. You had taken the form of the young Princess Cadence, enchanted her husband-to-be, and succeeded in laying siege to the capital. However, the Elements of Harmony and the real Princess Cadence thwarted your attempt. That is the extent of the official knowledge I know about your history with Equestria. I have only heard rumors about other Changeling related topics,” he replied.

Chrysalis sighed heavily and turned her head to the side, pretending to examine the side of one of the obsidian pillars within the room. “Typical… they just let everything slide or be forgotten,” she grumbled before turning back to Silver Skies. “Let me enlighten you then. After my failed attempt to invade and conquer Canterlot I took what was left of my hive and rebuilt in a place far to the south. My minions and I took over a small civilization of cat creatures, feeding off of their love, and rebuilt my army. I then proceeded to kidnap ponies close to one Twilight Sparkle…”

Chrysalis paused, sighing again as she recalled what happened next. “My plan failed in the end. I had wanted to corner the young mare and use the power of a comet to steal her magic. I lost and she placed me in one of the most insufferable prisons I’ve ever seen. Fortunately, her magic wore off after a few months. I was free again to get my revenge.”

The Changeling queen chuckled ruefully for a moment, her expression turning sour shortly after. “I rebuilt once more, establishing my forces back in our home Hive. I thought I could finally beat them at their own game – rid them of their magic and subject them to a very long imprisonment… but it was not meant to be,” she finished and eyed Silver. “Are you sure you never heard more than just the attack?” she asked him.

Silver Skies shook his head. “This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. I take it your third attempt did not fare so well?”

“No… it did not,” Chrysalis replied, her tone hinting toward the restlessness she still felt toward that last encounter. “Everything went according to plan. I captured all four princesses, the young prince Shining Armor, all of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony… but a rag-tag group of misfits foiled my plan. Twilight Sparkle’s own student, Starlight Glimmer, found a way to turn everything I had done against me. That was the day I realized I had truly lost…” she sighed heavily and let her head drop to rest on the arm of her throne.

“You wished to know why, Silver Skies… why I desired peace with your precious country, correct?”

Silver Skies nodded. “Yes, and even though I am glad you told me of your encounters with the young Princess of Friendship, I feel I must tell you this – before you give me your answer,” he took a breath and fixed Chrysalis with a stern look. “Back in Canterlot, there resides a group of ponies who are not willing to give Changelings a chance. The reason why I need to know your motives is simple. With ponies who severely distrust your kind, it will be virtually impossible to sway their hearts with simple jests and thinly veiled lies. Honesty is your only option… or peace will never be possible.”

Silver’s low tone echoed throughout the chamber, giving his words a sense of finality. For the first time, Chrysalis understood the strange pony diplomat. It made sense, after all, that her actions had impacted the ponies of Equestria in many ways – most of them laced with fear and uncertainty. What she had not truly accounted for was feelings or resentment. The opponents she had faced off against had always found some way to show the Changeling Queen a degree of pity or sympathy, so she started to assume all ponies would be forgiving. Silver’s words were a sobering reminder of the truth.

Queen Chrysalis took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as she absorbed the meaning behind Silver’s statement. Then she flashed him a firm glare of resolve and stood from her throne. “Very well, Silver Skies, I will tell you why I desire peace… I just hope you see the truth of my words for what they are truly worth,” she said and bowed her head. “My children are going to die out. The Changeling race will soon become extinct… and you ponies are the only hope I have left to stop it.”

Silver Skies took in her words and mulled them over critically. He trusted Chrysalis, for the moment, and believed she had spoken the truth, but he had many new questions that needed answers. He walked up to stand in front of her, his expression firm yet soft and he offered his hoof to the queen. “That is a grave statement… and I believe you and I need to discuss this in more depth. Will you entrust such knowledge to me… Queen Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis eyed Silver cautiously. His emotions were strong, almost frighteningly so, but he was adamant about wanting to know more. Something in that red eye burned passionately, so much so that it almost seemed to captivate the Changeling Queen for a long moment. Then, much to her curiosity, the passionate gaze melted away into a neutral bland expression. She noted that in the same moment, Silver Skies lowered his offered hoof. He cleared his throat and apologized for being so forward, but that was all moot for Chrysalis. This stallion intrigued her in a whole new way.

Silver Skies asked her a question and Chrysalis shook her head to realign her thoughts. “My apologies… what did you just say?” she asked him.

Silver smirked slightly. “I said I hope I did not offend you. It was forward of me to approach you so, but it just felt right to do at the time. Hearing that your race is in danger does not sit right with me, and I was compelled to act in a way to show my desire to help.”

Chrysalis shook her head as she returned his smirk. “No offense was taken. I was just surprised… nopony has ever shown me that kind of expression before… and the emotions you gave off were… interesting. But yes, I would like to inform you more about my Hive's… future. It might take a while to explain everything.”

Silver smiled softly. “I have all the time in the world. I’ll let you set the pace. I just wish to know everything so that I can do my job in the best possible way and help your Hive survive. I’m certain that Princess Celestia would want your race to continue living… nopony deserves to die out.”

Chrysalis nodded her head gently, slowly. Yet again, she felt she was in for a long discussion… but for some reason she was looking forward to it this time.

> 4 - Beginnings...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The royal chamber within the hive was quiet. Chrysalis simply stared at Silver Skies with a mild look of expectancy as the grey stallion silently processed what he had just been told. Truth be told, it was quite the pill to swallow, even for the veteran diplomat.




~~***~~




“I suppose I should inform you of a few things, mainly about how my kind came to be,” Chrysalis said with a soft huff. It was clear that she was not entirely thrilled to be sharing such information. “You are familiar with Tartarus, yes?”

Silver Skies nodded.

“Good, so you know that it is a place where Celestia and Luna banished their beaten foes, with the exception of Discord,” she said the name with clear distaste, sighing gently before she continued. “Unfortunately… not every being that threatened this land is trapped there. One such creature, a demon of sorts by the name Thamos, is why my kind even exist. Thamos came to Equestria roughly two thousand years ago. He found my family’s kingdom, the lost city of Goldenglade, the gem of the southern lands. My race… we used to be normal, like you… until Thamos made us into his personal playthings.”

Chrysalis sighed and her gaze dropped to the floor of her chamber, a look of deep sadness etching into her face. “Most of us were slaughtered by him. Once he grew tired of tormenting, and no longer found us useful, he would end our suffering. Out of all in my parent’s kingdom… he spared only seven, myself among them. Each of us had a powerful curse placed upon us but…” Chrysalis’ eyes started to water as tears tried to fight against her wishes.

Silver Skies reached his hoof out and gently placed it atop Chrysalis’. He shook his head softly as her misty eyes turned up to eye him questioningly. “No need to force yourself to tell me if it is too painful.”

Chrysalis blinked and her tears fell down her smooth black cheeks and she shook her head gently. “No, you must know of it,” she replied and steadied herself. “I was the only one gifted with longevity… but the price was that I lost hold of my own heart. My children… they are different from me, you see. They can find a way to become beautiful… free… able to love and be loved. I cannot,” she said and pulled her hoof away from Silver’s. "All I was left with was anger, sadness, and some pathetic imitation of happiness that only comes out when I use stolen emotions."

“When Starlight Glimmer told Thorax to give away the love he had… I was blessed with watching my child ascend into something more, something truly wonderful. He did not look like what my kind used to resemble, but it felt like a step in a new direction... it was in that moment that I saw my children find their own hearts. And even thought they have Thorax to lead them… they will soon learn the horrid truth about what drove me to do what I did,” she then turned her gaze back down to the floor. “I can no longer give new life to my hive… and neither can they.”

Silver eyed Chrysalis for a moment, thinking on her words. “So, what you mean to say is that you can no longer give birth?”

Chrysalis sighed, partly in disgust from Silver’s bluntness and partly from the weight of the truth. She nodded and turned her head away from the grey stallion beside her. “Yes… and none of my children are capable of filling my role. So my Changelings will reach the end of their time within the next few generations,” she said softly and turned her sad gaze back to Silver Skies. “Unless I get help.”

The Changeling Queen then stood from her spot and walked a short distance from Silver. “That is why I seek to ally myself with Equestria. I have no other options left. Without love, my hive will slowly wither away and die, but without help… my entire race will cease to exist. I know I’ve wronged your kind, attacked your princess and her kingdom, and left you with little reason to care… but my devotion to my subjects is far greater than any other. I will do anything if it means saving my Changelings.”




~~***~~




Those were her words… and they weighed heavily on Silver’s shoulders. So he thought, very carefully, on what he should do or say next. His eyes closed as he pondered. Then he took a deep breath and slowly let it out through his nose. “I’m afraid I must ask you… do you have any idea of what can be done to save your Changelings?” he asked her gently.

Chrysalis sighed softly and scraped a forehoof against the ground idly. “If I had that answer, I don’t think we would have had this discussion in the first place. My theory is that if I get enough love again that I might become fertile once more. This is a new problem for me, that is to say… I’ve never been unable to bear young. For a Changeling Queen… it’s a little essential to be able to produce offspring – otherwise there’s no Hive.”

Silver mulled that around for a brief moment before he readjusted himself. The cavern floor may not have been as firm as the hardened slime walls, but it was still firm enough to make one’s flank become numb after prolonged sitting. “I see. So then, what did you hope to accomplish in your original invasion?” he asked.

Chrysalis snorted and shook her head, but the look in her eyes showed a distinct lack of humor behind the act. “Honestly? It just seemed like a good way to acquire suitable resources at the time. I figured you ponies would topple over with your capital taken from you. Then I would bargain with your kind in exchange for the safe return of your precious princesses. I had not expected a mere unicorn to be able to stop me so easily. Then again, the skittish little ponies of Equestria are not all as spineless as others. A trait that I might have been better off knowing about sooner, but one cannot change the past.”

Silver Skies smirked slightly at that and shook his head. “If only that were true, but even if you could change the past, it then becomes a matter of whether or not you should. Still, I understand what you mean. Now then,” he said and cleared his throat gently, “now that I’m aware of your reason for desiring peace, which I will state is more than worthy of such an outcome, I must ask you one more thing. Equestria can provide you with the resources and the means to achieve your goal of saving your race. But what can you provide in return?”

Chrysalis tensed slightly as she saw the oddly serious look in Silver’s eyes as he asked her that. She knew he felt for her plight, but for him to so easily slip into such a… cold demeanor so quickly was most curious. Again she found herself wondering about the stallion in front of her. “Well,” she began, “Equestria would be gaining a very useful ally. Obviously my Changelings are masters of deception and ideal infiltrators. However, our ability to transform into nearly anything also makes us highly versatile. Our usefulness has limitless potential,” she replied smoothly, doing her best to make sure her sly smirk was not too large.

Silver Skies simply nodded. “That would certainly be a plus. How many of your Changelings would be supportive of the idea of peace?” he asked.

Chrysalis quickly lost her smirk and returned Silver’s neutral look. “I do not know the answer to that question, I’m afraid.”

Silver’s left eyebrow twitched subtly. “Why, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Chrysalis sighed and turned slightly away from him. “Because… I have yet to tell them about the Hive’s fate.”

“So… you haven’t told any of your subjects about it?” Silver asked carefully.

“No…” Chrysalis sighed, “with the exception of three. The only reason they know is because of how much I trust them.”

“I see,” Silver replied. “I would like to meet them. At this point, their input on this subject will be enlightening for both of us.”

Chrysalis nodded and Silver watched as her eyes slightly lost focus. After a few moments she regained that focus and looked down at her hooves. “They will arrive within the hour,” she informed.

Silver Skies nodded in turn and his horn lit up faintly. A dull silver pocket watch levitated out of his saddlebag and he spared the object a simple glance. Chrysalis’ ears flicked up and she turned her attention back to the grey stallion. “That must mean quite a lot to you,” she said gently.

Silver offered a small smile as he put the watch away. “It’s a gift from my younger sister. I’ve had it for some time now – pun partially intended,” he replied.

Chrysalis allowed a small grin of her own as she eyed Silver. “I think that was the first time I’ve felt any real emotion from you. Usually you hold an air of complete calm, even when I was purposefully egging you on the other…” her voice trailed off as she noticed a rapid change in Silver’s emotions. In the blink of an eye the stallion’s mood had shifted from mild enjoyment to an eerie calm. Chrysalis cleared her throat gently. “I’m sorry… did I offend you?” she asked.

Silver was quiet for a moment while his eyes twitched subtly before he replied. “My apologies, your highness. That… would have been due to my condition,” he said.

“Condition?” Chrysalis asked with a gentle tilt of her head.

“Yes,” Silver replied calmly, “It’s why my emotions are… flat-lined. I’m not calm by choice. Suffice it to say, a minor accident with magic in my colthood led me to being affected on a psychological level. My emotions constantly revert to a neutral state at random intervals (usually between three seconds to seven minutes).”

Chrysalis was stunned, and it confused her even more that she even allowed anything that the stallion in front of her did to affect her. It almost upset her that she even had the idea to offer comfort to him. Why did she care about some pony who was practically a stranger? She had just met him the other day, for Hive’s sake!

“Don’t worry about it,” Silver said, having taken notice of the odd look of confusion on Chrysalis’ face. “My condition is more of a useful tool for my line of work. Without it, I’m not sure I would have succeeded in getting this far with you. It allows me to see a different perspective.”

Chrysalis shook her head and stared at Silver curiously. “Doesn’t it bother you? How can one live with such… lack of emotion? I would think that you would feel at least some sense of loss at the idea.”

Silver smiled slightly and shook his head. “I still feel emotions. They just don’t last as long. In any case, I believe we’ve wandered off topic again. Your loyal Changelings will be arriving within the hour and it is just past one twenty in the afternoon. There should be plenty of time for us to make adequate headway in this discussion, but I am afraid I forgot to bring a snack. Please do not take too much offense, but I had not expected you to be this open with me, not so soon,” he said, with a slightly sheepish grin.

Chrysalis gave Silver a flat look. “Well I suppose I should have seen that one coming. I did waste your time the other day. Unfortunately, I don’t think a pony would enjoy the kind of sustenance that we Changelings procure. Unless you don’t mind moss, mushroom caps and berries.”

Silver’s stomach gave a quiet gurgle and whine. “Well… as long as it doesn’t taste too terrible, I don’t think I mind those options. If anything, I look forward to the experience. I do enjoy learning new things, on occasion,” he said with a very light blush on his cheeks. It did not reflect positively for him to have been so careless and being interrupted mid-discussion by his ailing gut gave off quite the air of unprofessionalism – at least in Silver’s opinion.

Fortunately, Silver’s embarrassment was short lived as his emotions leveled out once more. Chrysalis paid closer attention to the shift in that moment, taking note of just how instantaneous the effect was. She lifted a brow and tilted her head ever so slightly. “It really is most intriguing… what is it like? Is it uncomfortable to have yourself lose your current emotions so quickly? And do you have any control over it?” she asked.

Silver hummed and put a hoof to his chin as he thought on it. “Honestly… it is difficult to say. I’ve lived with this for the past twenty years, it happened when I was six. So, I don’t know if I can offer you the kind of answer you’re expecting. It’s just a part of who I am now… but if I had to say anything about it, I’d say that it only bothers me when others pity me for it,” he answered calmly. "As for having control over my condition... there are times that I can coax it to occur."

Chrysalis lifted her brow a pinch more. “Really? Why does pity bother you? I would think a pony would enjoy feeling sentiment from others. Isn’t pony culture based on caring for one another?”

Silver sighed softly and looked away from the queen. “Because others see my condition as something that it is not. I am not hindered by it. It does not take anything away from me… I still enjoy things just like anypony else, and yet, they think that something is wrong with me. So they feel sympathy for me. Their feelings are misplaced and it bothers me when they treat me differently,” he said and turned a small smile toward Chrysalis. “I can honestly be thankful that you’ve treated me about as normally as I’d like. Even Princess Celestia can’t keep a completely strait face around me.”

Chrysalis simply stared at Silver for a moment. He just thanked me for seeing him as a slightly less annoying pony, she thought questioningly. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand them… but I don’t think learning more about this one is such a bad idea. This, Silver Skies is interesting, far more so than any other stallion. “Hmm… well, as I said before, I’m not fazed by your looks. The only thing that really stands out is your abnormal calmness. So thanking me for treating you no differently than I would anypony else is a bit much. Don’t you think?” she said jestingly.

Silver Skies smirked at her slightly, a flicker of something naughty playing in the back of his red eye. “I think if it had been anypony else, you’d have driven them off long ago. After all, you did say you wanted Equestria to surrender right from the start. I guarantee that my subordinates would have gone running back to the castle screaming about your impending invasion after hearing that,” he said, chuckling lightly.

Chrysalis hummed mirthfully and shook her head. “Somehow I believe you’re right about that. Still, it does not change the fact that I am simply treating you as I normally would anypony else…” she paused a moment as something small dawned on her. “No… I take that back. I must admit that I started to enjoy our conversation the moment I caught wind of your calm demeanor. It was… refreshing, in a way. Nopony lasts long against my interesting personality.”

Silver Skied nodded sagely and gave her a small smile. “I will agree that you are quite a unique individual. I will also admit that you are the first to have successfully earned my respect with the most unusual methods,” he said and his stomach chose that moment to whine once more. Silver cleared his throat and grinned sheepishly. “Not that this isn’t pleasant, but I would appreciate that snack right about now. Would it be too much of a bother to postpone our little chat – or maybe to resume it over lunch?” he asked.

Chrysalis held back a chuckle at the poor stallion’s expense. It was the least she could do for the admirable attempt he made to compliment her personality. Instead she simply grinned at him and motioned toward the doors. “Come along, then. I’ll take you to one of the Nests.”

“Nest?” Silver asked curiously. “Is that what those large open spaces are where I’ve seen numerous Changelings gather?”

Chrysalis smirked at the grey stallion and narrowed her eyes. “Quite the observant little pony, aren’t you. Yes, those places are the Nests. My Changelings use them for social gatherings… I believe the closest thing you could compare them to would be a market.”

Silver nodded, a slight twinkle dancing around in his eye. “I see. I had hoped to get the chance to examine those places more closely. Not only was I impressed by the architecture, but those small gems I caught a glimpse of a few times were also interesting,” he said with mildly restrained enthusiasm.

“Ah, you mean the love crystals,” Chrysalis noted. “They are a type of common quartz that is more accepting to storing emotional energies. We use them as both a form of currency as well as a snack,” she explained. Looks like he enjoys learning, she thought subtly. He really is quite a curious little stallion…

“Do those crystals hold only love, or can they store any emotion?” Silver asked, truly excited about learning about the process of storing something other than magic into an object. The conversation started to bring out fond memories of his past. Then his emotions reset. “Ah… forgive me, your highness. I tend to get a little enthusiastic when it comes to learning new things. You don’t need to humor me if it’s too bothersome.”

Chrysalis stared at Silver with a small frown. I think I see why others might pity him. He treats that loss of emotion so casually. Even a blind fool could tell that isn’t an acceptable reaction to reverting to such flat levels of emotion, she thought.

“No need to be so apologetic. It would benefit you to know more about our ways, correct?” she asked calmly.

Silver gave a slight nod. “Yes, it would indeed, but I still think I should have tried to keep myself more professional. I let myself get carried- ”

“Nonsense,” she replied with a dismissive wave of her hole-ridden hoof, “If you think being expressive in the presence of a Changeling is impolite, then you are mistaken. In fact, it is more offensive for you to even try to bottle up your emotions. I haven’t done so yet, but with your previous feelings of happiness I would have enjoyed sipping from your emotions just now,” she said and gave the grey unicorn a pointed stare.

Silver nodded and thought about that for a moment. Then his eyes flickered again with the gleam of curiosity. “Actually… that brings up a question I’ve had. How does a Changeling actually feed off of emotions?” he asked.

Chrysalis smirked. “How do you think we feed?” she asked coyly.

Silver stood up and began to pace slowly as he put together his theory. “Well… based on what little I know, I would assume that you absorb it like a unicorn would absorb ambient magic; sensing it, reaching out to it, then converting it into a useable form,” he replied and turned to Chrysalis to wait for her to tell him if he was accurate.

Chrysalis’ brows had lifted as she gave Silver a look of being slightly impressed. “You’re close, but not quite there,” she said and began her own slow pacing as she further explained. “Imagine a pot of flowers. The flowers are all enchanted to react to certain events that will change their color. Each color represents an aroma. Each aroma represents an emotion, slowly filling the air with its unique scent. Are you following so far?” she said and paused in her pacing to look at Silver.

Silver nodded and held a look of calm contemplation on his face.

Chrysalis nodded and resumed her pacing. “Good, because that is essentially what you all are. A pony city to a Changeling is the equivalent to a flower shop and every vase is free to sample from. Changelings are like a magnet for the aroma. We passively draw in your emotions… of course were one of us inclined to do so, we could do exactly as you described a moment ago instead. That act, however, is noticeable to the pony being fed upon. Active feeding leads to a pony experiencing fatigue, headaches, slight nausea, and in rare cases it can make them go into a coma.”

A loud grumble from Silver’s stomach brought Chrysalis to a halt and she grinned at the slightly blushing stallion. “And I do believe that we’ve wasted enough time with this educational discussion. Come, let us get you properly fed before somebuggy thinks we’ve summoned an Ursa Major,” she teased.

Silver Skies went to follow, but came to a stop quickly as he quirked a brow at the Changeling Queen. “Um, pardon my asking, but are you going to escort me personally? Would it not be more convenient to have a few of your guards do so instead?” he asked as politely as he could, bowing his head slightly.

Chrysalis stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder. “Normally, yes, but in this case I’d rather be by your side. Didn’t you say that being seen together would improve one’s image?”

Silver Skies sighed and gained a small smile. “Point proven. I shall follow your lead, your highness.”

With that said, the massive crystal doors swung open slowly and the two proceeded to sate the hunger of one peculiar unicorn diplomat.
> 5 - Glimpse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver walked just behind, to the left of Queen Chrysalis as they made their way through the tunnels of the Hive. His thoughts drifted back to his most recent experience. It had not been as Silver expected. His first impression of Chrysalis was one of oddly comfortable companionship. Speaking with her in her own chambers had allowed the grey stallion to see a more pleasant side of her. That changed shortly after they had exited her room.




~~***~~




Chrysalis stepped out into the medium sized dome and glanced at her guards – all of whom stiffened at her arrival. She cast a sweeping glance over them before she proceeded to walk toward one of the exits, with Silver following her lead. “All of you remain here, unless you receive word of the imposter,” Chrysalis ordered and turned her gaze to a side tunnel. Two of the female drones slipped from the shadows swiftly and took up a position on each side of Silver Skies.

Silver spared the two escorts a passive glance, noting that one of them might have been the lead ‘ling from the group the previous time he had walked through the tunnels. It was subtle, but he thought that he got a return glance from her, so he offered a small smile and tiny nod. He got nothing in return; aside from the female Changeling lifting her head to walk a little more proudly.

Chrysalis took notice of the slight shift in her Changeling’s emotions and suppressed a smirk. She continued to walk forward at a leisurely pace. Silver followed in silence. Before long the group of four arrived at the closest Nest and every Changeling came to a halt within. In a wave of nearly perfect unison, all of the Changelings bowed their heads respectfully.

Chrysalis took a few more steps before she came to a stop, just within the perimeter of the massive space. “Be at ease, my children. Carry on as you were. I am simply providing some enlightenment for our little pony diplomat,” she assured her subjects, her tone was that of superiority laced with slight boredom.

Silver Skies watched her display, noticing she had put on her regal mask. So this must be what Celestia meant, he thought quietly. She’s almost acting completely different. The only thing that she doesn’t hide is that confidence of hers.

Chrysalis then turned her head slightly as her Changelings resumed their daily business, the quiet suddenly shattering from the buzzing of wings and thudding of chitinous hooves. “Let us sit over there,” she said and nodded in the direction of a cluster of oddly shaped chairs around equally unusual tables.

As they walked, Silver noted the wide berth that the other Changelings were giving them, though he did notice a few glares that were definitely directed his way. Even without pupils, it was easy to pick up on passive-aggressive body language. An ear flick here, a subtle baring of fangs there… it was clear that not all of those within the presence of their queen were happy to see a pony among them.

The attention did little to faze Silver, however, and he continued to follow Chrysalis to the tables. As he grew near, he took notice of the materials that made up the seating arrangement. The table was made of surprisingly rich oak that was supported by an exquisitely crafted pillar of green slime. The chairs seemed to be half-open pods of some sort, crafted with a slightly translucent hard grey slime with something resembling a large partly inflated green balloon as the cushion.

Silver eyed the construction with a mild sense of wonderment until he watched Chrysalis simply pick one and gracefully take a seat. She cast an expectant glance at Silver and watched as he went to take his seat across from her. The Changeling queen held a perfect poker face, but just before he sat down, Silver noticed the very faint glimmer of mischief in her acid green eyes. A sinister grin slowly spread over Chrysalis’ features as she felt the wave of suspicion come off of the stallion. “Well? Have a seat,” she said calmly, “then I’ll have something brought over to us.”

Silver stared at her for a long moment before he took a closer look at the seat beside him. It then occurred to him what he was about to be in for. He sighed gently and positioned himself in front of the pod chair and lowered his rump. Nopony will ever know how he was able to hold his calm expression, but few would ever hear him retell what it was like to sit on a pile of soft gooey Changeling slime.

Chrysalis savored each and every moment of Silver’s reaction to the Changeling slime seat. It was the first time that she noted his emotional reset did nothing to stop his feelings on the unusual sensations he was experiencing, and it was worth it to watch the stallion struggle to hold his facial expression. The sight was made even more worthwhile when she saw the deadpan look he gave her. She could not wait to tease him about this moment in the future.

The Changeling Queen gestured to one of the guards with them. “Go and retrieve our guest something to eat,” she said calmly, “and bring me a love gem as well.”

The female drone bowed her head deeply and hastily weaved into the crowd. It was almost impossible to notice, but the other drones seemed to pause in their movements to let her pass by unobstructed. Silver Skies hummed softly as he pondered that. Chrysalis, who had not taken her eyes off of the stallion, watched his actions with masked interest. “See something interesting?” she asked bluntly.

Silver turned his gaze to the Changeling Queen and bowed his head slightly. “Yes, your highness. It appeared that the guard was able to slip right through the other Changelings unimpeded. I thought it was quite curious,” he replied.

Chrysalis gave a nod of understanding and cast her gaze across the sea of her subjects. “It’s something that comes from our teachings and combines a Changeling’s natural field of perception,” she explained. “Guards of the Hive are held above the lesser drones. It allows them adequate movement within our Hive so that nothing slows them down. Keeping a smoothly running military is essential for our survival. So every drone and nymph are taught to respect them and yield to their needs. As for the natural side of it, all Changelings have a sense for where other Changelings are around them. It comes from our pheromones, mainly. You could compare it to how a beehive works, only more efficient.”

Silver nodded and smiled kindly. “I see. That is quite effective. Also, is that how you refer to the different genders, males being drones and females nymphs?” he asked.

Chrysalis nodded and then gave Silver a flat look. “And that is as far as you’ll get in that subject. Don’t go prying into our reproductive habits or I’ll find something a bit more amusing to have you sit on,” she said warningly, though the subtle twitch at the corners of her mouth said she was merely joking… hopefully.

Silver did his best to hold his composure. He had just started to get over the slimy sensation conforming to his posterior and underside, but now he had to make a mental note to apply a very liberal amount of shampoo to himself as soon as he returned home. He shifted uncomfortably on his seat and sighed softly, eyeing the hidden amusement of his table partner.

Chrysalis returned Silver’s look with one of practiced boredom. The temptation to snicker at his efforts was strong, but she managed to keep her emotions locked away from her subjects. This has been quite fun, toying with him like this, she thought to herself. I’ll have to see what he thinks about a slime bed, at some point. That expression of his is almost priceless… well… that was a most disturbing thought. I think I’m becoming too comfortable with him around… she swiftly subdued her thoughts and turned her gaze toward her other nymph guard.

“Have you eaten?” she asked the nymph.

The female guard tensed slightly and glanced to her queen uncertainly. “I have made sure to maintain a healthy diet, my Queen,” she answered respectfully.

Chrysalis sighed. “That was not what I meant. Are you in need of sustenance right now? If so, I permit you to go and fetch yourself something.”

The nymph nodded graciously. “Very well, my Queen. I will be just a few moments,” she said and swiftly entered the hustling crowd beyond.

Silver watched her go, following the nymph’s movements through the crowd to his left. Chrysalis returned her gaze to the grey stallion where she got a better look at the scar across his right eye. The eye itself had filmed over, making it completely useless, yet it did not look festered or unsightly… simply pupil-less. The scarring around it showed the results of magical burning… almost as if his eye had been on fire at some point, with the majority of the flames licking back toward his ear.

“It looks worse that it is,” Silver said as he turned his head back to Chrysalis, a soft smile on his face.

Chrysalis eyed him curiously. “How did you know I was examining it?” she asked.

Silver simply winked. “Trade secret.”

Just as Chrysalis went to respond to that, the first nymph guard returned. She held a hoof-sized pink gem in her hooves as she hovered closer. Her glowing horn brought a glossy onyx plate with moss and berries out from behind her as she landed. Chrysalis nodded to her guard and her horn lit up to take the offered gem, while also gently swiping the plate from the nymph’s magical grasp to deposit it in front of Silver Skies.

Silver eyed the moss and berries, noticing that he recognized them as part of the local fauna of the region outside. He then glanced around at the many Changelings and did a small bit of mental math and realized that to sustain such numbers, it would require more than what the forests outside could provide. He then looked up to find Chrysalis in the middle of sipping the love essence from the gem she had received, a small trail of pink energy trailing from the gem to her parted lips. The expression on her face, plus the way she seemed to become more radiant captivated him for a moment.

Chrysalis quickly picked up on the change of Silver’s emotions. She finished draining the gem, leaving it nothing more than a clear chunk of quartz, and looked at him. Silver quickly distracted himself and dipped his head down to sample the moss. That was most curious… Chrysalis thought. For a moment there… he felt… attracted? I’ll have to ask him about that when we are alone.

Silver Skies, meanwhile, opened his mouth and took his first bite of Changeling cuisine, but could not really taste the earthy flavor as his mind had trailed off. That was strange… I think that was the first time I’ve had that kind of reaction to anypony before. To make the matter worse, she noticed it, too. But… what was that feeling? Seeing her like that was… well, it made me feel more comfortable with her, for one thing, but there’s more to it than that, he thought and then swallowed the moss, finally taking notice of the bland sensation plaguing his tongue.

Ugh, this won’t do, Silver thought and his horn lit up with his royal blue magic. It only took a brief moment, and then the moss and berries in front of him flashed and became a bowl of oatmeal. “Ah, there we go,” he said and went to take another bite… only to pause as he realized the room had gone silent. He lifted his head and looked around at all the staring Changelings. Even Chrysalis was eyeing him with slight surprise. “My apologies… did I surprise you with that spell?” he asked cautiously.

Chrysalis waved her hoof for the rest to go back to their business, but the display had shocked too many of them and made them cautious of the unicorn, so it took them a while before the resumed their day. The Changeling queen then let the glow of her horn die and the nymph guard was set back on the ground. “It would be wise if you warned us before using such intense magic…” Chrysalis said slowly, “before you cast it. I think you nearly lost your head just then.”

Silver looked at the alarmed guard and bowed his head. “I am truly sorry. I was lost in thought and cast a simple transmutation spell. I did not know it would result in such a profound reaction,” he said and offered a look of regret to the nymph guard.

Chrysalis stared at him for a moment before she snorted and shook her head. “’Simple’ and ‘transmutation’ don’t usually go together, Silver Skies. You surprised even me with that little spell. Just how much magic do you possess?” she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

Silver brought a hoof up to his chin as he thought about how to best word his response. Then he shrugged and offered a small smile. “Well, I’m more capable than your average unicorn, but not as powerful as an Alicorn,” he answered and took a bite of his oatmeal. “Mmm, much more satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, the moss was not terrible, but I have a bit of a soft spot for oatmeal.”

Chrysalis smirked and shook her head. “You’re turning out to be quite a little mystery. I could tell by your emotions that you said that to purposely tease us. I should warn you that such acts can warrant quite the competitive nature from a Changeling – especially their queen,” she said and reapplied her bored regal pose. “Now hurry up and finish your meal. We still have matters to discuss and we’ve wasted enough time.”

“Of course,” Silver replied and hastily finished his food.




~~***~~




They were now on their way to meet with Chrysalis’ most trusted Changelings. That was quite the experience, Silver thought as he followed behind the Queen. Chrysalis showed me a different side to her. She was composed, poised… but I also saw how she cared for her subjects. It came off as a bit controlling, but she did want her nymph to get something. I’ll have to ask her just how much love her Hive needs, and how soon.

They passed through another dome shaped area, this one filled with guards that flew by overhead, or skittered along the walls to make way for their Queen, as they went about their routine. It was evident that the Changeling military was engrained with a sense of discipline as not a single drone or nymph so much as passed a curious glance toward the unicorn accompanying their queen. Though, there was a slight shift in how proudly they held themselves when they picked up on Silver’s respect for such professional dedication. It would be nice if the Palace Guards in Canterlot could learn to be as professional as these Changelings, Silver mused.

The four passed through a short section of tunnel and came to a halt in front of what appeared to be a dead end. Silver eyed the bland grey stone in front of him for a brief moment before casting his gaze over to Chrysalis. “That is quite impressive. I assume it takes Changeling magic to open the way?” he asked appraisingly.

Chrysalis lifted a brow in slight amusement. “At some point you’re going to have to tell me how you even noticed that.”

Silver grinned pleasantly and winked at her. “I’m a stallion of many secrets, but I could kind of guess that there was something here. After all, those hoofprints ending right where the floor meets the wall are a small give away,” he reasoned coolly.

Chrysalis eyed him for a little longer before she shrugged and looked back to the wall. Oh, he thinks he’s so clever, she thought, fighting the urge to call his little bluff. I know I felt his emotions shift into being playful. He’s almost as good at hiding his emotions as I am… his little ability even helps him with that. But I get the feeling he’s hiding something more…

“Yes, well, it’s good to see that even with your condition, your vision is as sharp as a Pegasus,” she said and lit up her horn.

Silver Skies watched, utterly fascinated as the grey stone seemed to just melt open like a sheet of plastic does when poked by a hot iron. Within seconds, an opening was made that connected to a surprisingly well-lit room beyond. Chrysalis spared Silver a small smirk before she proceeded to the room beyond, her walk one filled with confidence and grace. Silver simply eyed her for a few seconds as he tried to keep a strait face, the urge to smile at her threatening to show through on the surface. He quickly resumed following the Changeling Queen as his emotions reset once more, though the small feeling of wonder still lingered in the back of his mind.

As he followed behind, he paused mid-step for a brief instant as he realized something. I’ve been prone to expressing my emotions more while I’ve been in their presence… he thought. I’ve never been so expressive – not since before the accident. Why is that different now?

Silver continued to silently ponder his sudden realization as he walked, but his wandering mind came to a halt as he laid eyes on three interesting Changelings within the room. He quickly swept his gaze across the area, getting a better feel for his new environment before he took in their unique appearances.

The room was about the size of your average meeting hall, with a large blackboard fixed to the far wall with slime and a large round table made of black slime in the center. The rest of the room held nothing noteworthy, aside from a pair of file cabinets in the corner. In some small way, the room reminded Silver of a larger version of his office.

Silver’s gaze then passed over the three Changelings seated around the table. The nymph on the far left held an air of authority, similar to Chrysalis only more reserved. Her shiny black carapace, being painstakingly polished, shown more than the other nymphs that Silver had seen and she eyed his entrance with a calm demeanor.

The second Changeling, the one in the middle, was a rather intimidating looking drone. Much like Silver, the drone had a striking scar that ran down his right eye, but it seemed the eye was still functional. The drone wore a battered set of dull dark blue armor plating that had about as many chips and dings in it as the Changeling’s own chitin. The drone eyed Silver’s entrance with a distinctly judgmental glare.

The final Changeling was another nymph. She was considerably older, by the looks of her dull grey carapace, but she seemed to have a sharp mind behind her appearance. The moment she caught Silver in her faded blue eyes, she held him in her sights with a serene smile, which actually mildly surprised Silver Skies as he had not expected an expression to be possible with fangs.

Chrysalis and Silver arrived beside the table, each taking a respective position across from the other three. The Changeling Queen then glanced over to her two escorts and gave them a silent nod. The two guards bowed their heads and swiftly left the room, the opening shrinking shut mere seconds after their departure.

Silver Skies then found himself in a very familiar environment, alone with important ponies, or in this case, Changelings. He quickly assumed a comfortably neutral state of mind and bowed his head to the three Changelings across from him before turning his head to Chrysalis and repeating the gesture. Once his respect had been offered, he held his gaze on the Queen and waited patiently for her to begin the meeting.

Chrysalis watched Silver’s actions out of the corner of her eye, and observed her most trusted trio of Changelings react subtly to him. As expected, her nymphs responded positively, where as her drone simply relaxed his glare for a brief moment. She sighed quietly. “Let us begin with minor introductions,” Chrysalis began, “everybuggy, this unicorn is Silver Skies. He is the diplomat sent here by Princess Celestia,” she said and merely offered a small nod of her head toward him.

She then pointed a hoof toward the left-most Changeling nymph. “Silver Skies, this is the nymph responsible for training my most skilled infiltrators and is responsible for all of the Intel that my Hive receives. Her name is Antennae.”

Her hoof swept over to the drone. “This is my army’s commander, Steel Carapace. He has never been bested by anyone, pony or otherwise and he has yet to fail me.”

Chrysalis’ hoof then swept over to the last Changeling to be introduced. “And she is, Tender. Tender is… the nymph in charge of overseeing the hatchlings,” she finished and lowered her hoof.

Silver’s eye twitched ever so slightly as he noticed the very subtle pause in Chrysalis’ words. It really must pain her to be unable to have more children, he thought sadly. He felt for her, he really did, but he held his composure and nodded respectfully once more to the three Changelings across from him. With the formalities out of the way, the drone felt it was time to get things moving.

“My Queen, it’s all well and good that we now know who this pony is, but I think it’s time we were informed as to why we have been summoned,” Steel said curtly.

Chrysalis nodded to her Commander and then turned her gaze to Silver Skies. Silver got the hint and gently cleared his throat. “Indeed, allow me to begin,” he started calmly. “How much do you all know about the reason for my being here?” Silver asked. The three Changelings eyed one another silently before turning to their Queen. Silver Skies could see their silent request, and instantly had a feeling that this meeting was about to be quite a long one…

> 6 - Fate of the Hive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrysalis gave a slow regal nod to her Changelings. Antennae, Steel Carapace, and Tender then glanced at each other again before Steel stepped up to the very edge of the table and locked Silver Skies in a glare. “We know that you were asked to come here on our Queen’s behalf. You are here to negotiate a treaty with us. As to why the three of us were called here… I would assume it would be because of something you want. So, since we all are quite pressed for time, do us the favor of cutting this short and getting to your point,” Steel said pointedly, his voice deep with a slight hiss.

Silver Skies calmly nodded his head. “Very well, Commander Steel Carapace. I requested your presence to discuss your opinions on the state of your Hive. I’m well aware of her highness’ point of view, but I value yours as well, seeing as she has placed a lot of trust in your three,” he said and passed a sweeping gaze over the three Changelings. “I will start with the most pressing matter. You are all aware of the potential extinction of your race, correct?”

Antennae nodded while Steel snorted in the affirmative. Tender, however deflated slightly and sighed. “Yes… we know of it,” she said softly, a look of defeat… or rather utter sadness seeping through her features.

Silver Skies nodded, resisting the urge to offer sympathy to Tender. “Then that brings me to my first question. Aside from Chrysalis, are there any other ways for Changelings to increase their population?” he asked.

All eyes drifted to Antennae. She sighed and rolled her eyes subtly. “There are no other ways… not anymore. We once had a few young Princesses, but they lost their fertility around three weeks after the loss we suffered in the Canterlot invasion. Since then, our Queen has been the only one to produce offspring. But she stopped roughly two years ago, after we lost our home Hive and Thorax took over the new Changelings,” she spoke, her voice surprisingly silky.

Silver cocked a brow at that. “New Changelings?” he asked.

Steel snorted. “What? You mean to tell us you didn’t know about that?” he asked gruffly.

Silver simply shook his head and frowned. “I only knew about your invasion of Canterlot. I had heard a few rumors of some few other Changeling ponynapping attempts, but none of them were recorded in any documentation. I knew nothing more than that until Queen Chrysalis informed me of it earlier,” he explained.

Steel snorted dismissively and was met with a half glare from Antennae. “Steel, you didn’t even know about the plan until after our Queen returned from being imprisoned,” she chided. Whether it was playful or just to satisfy some other feeling was difficult to tell.

Steel went to return her little jab when Silver’s horn lit up and the air popped above his head. “Enough! You two can resume your bickering later,” Silver said calmly, then continued in a more sympathetic tone, “but right now I need information. I don’t know how any of you might feel about it, but knowing that your kind may be gone in just a few generations is painful for me. So tell me about these new Changelings please.”

Steel let out a low series of clicking sounds from his throat, but otherwise remained quiet as Antennae proceeded to inform Silver Skies of the events of their last attempt to take over Equestria. They had infiltrated Canterlot, the Crystal Empire and Ponyville and succeeded in ponynapping all four Alicorns, Prince Shining Armor, the Elements of Harmony bearers – as well as the pesky little dragon that could send messages directly to Princess Celestia.

Antennae went on to tell him how they had finally gotten to the point of being victorious once more, but the plan had failed due to the most unexpected group they could have ever suspected. Discord, the Lord of Chaos and two other unicorns - a stage performer called Trixy, and Twilight Sparkle’s student Starlight Glimmer. The three of them had managed to team up with Thorax, a Changeling that had left the Hive and befriended the ponies of the Crystal Empire. In the end, Starlight Glimmer had told Thorax to give all of his love, the love he had been given by all of his friends, to their Queen. In doing so, by giving his love away freely, it triggered something in Thorax and it transformed him into a new kind of Changeling – one filled with love and stripped of their normal appearance. These new Changelings were vibrantly colored and no longer suffered from the holes in their legs. It was as if they had taken one step closer to being what they used to be, but still held onto their insect-like nature.

Silver nodded, absorbing that substantial bit of information and glanced to Chrysalis briefly. That is very interesting. It begs the question though… why would that have happened to the other Changelings, but not to Chrysalis? It’s obvious that she gives her love to her Changelings. But maybe there’s something else entirely to it… maybe it has to do with the feeling behind giving. I’ll have to discuss this with Chrysalis later, he thought.

He then turned his full attention back to Antennae. “Thank you for informing me of those events. It was very enlightening and may be useful in learning a way to restore the Hive’s fertility. Which brings me to another question. Do any of you have a theory in remedying that problem? Anything at all to produce more hatchlings?”

Antennae shrugged and shook her head. “We’ve tried the obvious. Filling up on all the love we could ever hold, experimenting with different emotions to see if one works better than another… we’ve even tried using some of the fertility drugs that you ponies use. None of them worked. The only other options that we have left are all magic based, and we Changelings don’t have the same kind of magic that you ponies do. Which is why we’ve tried to take over your country – to gain access to ponies, willing or enslaved, to help us find answers to that last option.”

“I see,” said Silver, “in other words, Equestrian magic is one of your last options,” he mused and then sighed gently. “It’s not a lot to work with, but with what I have gained thus far our expert mages may be able to find something useful. I think we should spend some time, later on, to further discuss the finer points of this topic. For now,” Silver Skies said and turned his gaze back to Queen Chrysalis, “I think we should discuss another subject of relevance; how best to expose the rest of your Hive to this plight.”

Chrysalis turned toward Silver and gravely shook her head. “I do not believe they should know. Telling them may upset the balance of my Hive… unless you have something more to offer to prevent a mass panic.”

“I Agree,” Said Steel Carapace, “Informing the rest of the Hive of such a situation could send them into a panic induced rampage. Changelings are easily influenced by their surroundings, so if enough of them lose their composure, it would have the same effect as if you were to throw a match into a dry wheat field.”

Antennae simply shook her head. “You have a point, but I believe that we should tell them. Keeping the Hive in the dark until it is too late would result in just as much turmoil, if not more,” she said calmly.

Silver Skies nodded. “Indeed. Should they learn of this problem on their own, it could add in emotions of anger and feelings of being betrayed. They’ll eventually come to know how you kept this hidden from them, and that would give them reason and incentive to abandon their loyalties.”

Steel Carapace swiftly moved and thumped his hooves down on the edge of the table, his glare ramped up to highly annoyed. “And should they abandon their loyalties they would be punished!” he said firmly.

“Which means nothing to any sentient being when they know they will soon die,” Silver responded calmly. “If every Changeling of this Hive were as dedicated as you, then you would have nothing to fear. Sadly, your fellow drones are not free of fear and uncertainty. Even Changelings can show such emotions when presented with the unknown. What this all boils down to is how we approach this.”

Steel snorted derisively, narrowing his eyes as he continued to glare at Silver Skies. “What do you mean ‘we’?” he asked sternly. “You are not a part of this Hive, so you have no say in the matter!”

“And that is where you are mistaken,” Silver instantly replied. “I became involved in your Hive the moment I accepted my mission. If I am to become uninvolved, then that will need to be said by Queen Chrysalis, herself. But this is beside the point. I did not call you here to determine what I am to your Hive. I am here to help you find ways to save it.” 

“But we are at a stalemate now.” Silver sighed gently. “Of the five of us in this room, we have two who stand for telling the rest of the Hive about this important matter, while two are against it.”

Steel Carapace looked like he wanted to say something more, but his eyes suddenly darted to his Queen and he held his tongue. Antennae and Steel then followed Silver’s example and looked to the last member of the impromptu council who had not voiced their opinion. Tender simply sat there, a small smile on her face and her eyes closed.

“Tender,” Chrysalis said gently, “What are your thoughts on this? You would know the nature of our Hive better than any of us, since you raised many of them from the time I laid their eggs.”

Tender’s faded eyes slowly crept open and her smile widened a pinch more as she looked at her Queen. Then her gaze calmly shifted over to look at Silver. “I think we should follow the pony’s lead. He may not be one of us, but he has a good head on his shoulders. I can also feel how strongly he wishes to help us, though he tries to hide it from the rest of you. I vote for telling the Hive of our plight, but I want things to be done as the young unicorn sees fit. I’m certain that his methods would be the most beneficial for the good of the Hive.”

Chrysalis nodded and allowed a tiny smile of her own to show through. Antennae nodded in agreement… but Steel still had something more to say. He grunted and dropped back down to stand on the floor. “Tender… just tell me one thing. Is it truly wise to put the fate of our Hive in his hooves? I know you’re blind, but he is a pony and he is an outsider.”

Silver’s ears twitched and he tilted his head at hearing that. Tender simply smiled kindly and nodded her head softly. “It would be the wisest choice. He’s a lot like me. The young stallion can see things from a different point of view than what others can. If you were paying enough attention, you’d have noticed how he actually kept you from deviating into another tirade. He saw how much you distrust him, but he held his composure, even though the act alone was what really set you off because you don’t like overconfidence. What you overlooked was the simple fact that this stallion has a gift and is earnest in offering his services for our benefit,” she said and chuckled lightly.

Steel simply deflated and bowed his head slightly. “Yes… you are right about that. I just don’t know how he can manage to stay so unfazed. It just made me assume that he was acting cocky,” the battle hardened drone admitted.

“Yes, well,” Chrysalis began matter-of-factly, “Silver Skies isn’t like your average pony, Steel Carapace. Due to an event in his past, his mind automatically sets his mental state into that of complete calm. Now that you’ve been made aware of this fact, I think it’s time we came to a consensus,” she said and passed her gaze over all present. “We now have a vote of three to two. How shall we proceed?” she asked and looked to Silver Skies.

Silver nodded. “I shall take what I have learned back with me and begin to write up a few plans and three speeches. I will return with them and ask you all your opinions on them. Once we reach a proper agreement with one of them, we can bring this issue, and our solutions, to the attention of the Hive.”

“Meanwhile, it would be best if Commander Steel Carapace and Miss Antennae coordinate a few plans to counter the possibility of a widespread panic. Just in case my methods lack what is needed for your Changelings. I believe I know how to properly address them, but I cannot guarantee complete success since I’ve only just started to learn about your culture,” Silver finished.

“Well,” Antennae spoke confidently, “I already approve of your method. I’ll help you iron out any kinks that come up when you return.”

Steel Carapace sighed through his nose, but nodded his own agreement.

Chrysalis nodded and turned her attention to the pony diplomat. “Then we have out first agreement. If we are done here, I believe there are a few more things I’d like to discuss with you, Silver Skies… in private,” she said calmly.

Silver returned her nod, with all due respect. “Of course, your highness.”

Chrysalis then glanced at her three Changelings and they all nodded in unison before turning to leave. Once Chrysalis and Silver were alone, and the entrance resealed, the Changeling Queen turned toward him and arced a brow with a slight smirk. “So, Silver Skies, what are your thoughts?” she asked casually.

Silver offered a small, kind smile as he regarded the Changeling Queen. “That was most beneficial. I can see why you value them. With their help, we should be able to get your Hive moving on a path to a healthier continued existence very soon. It was also a lot to take in, regarding your history as well as how there are new Changelings that I will need to meet with. This will also keep me busy for the next few days, but when I return I will have a few plans for us all to go over.”

Chrysalis hummed softly and her gaze drifted to the middle of the table. She sat there quietly for a few moments before she spoke again. “Do you really think that things will turn out fine?” she asked gently, in a tone that almost did not belong from one so confident as she.

Silver Skies eyed her calmly, taking in every detail and assessing just how honest he should be with her. In his experience, when one asked such a question, in that sad and nearly defeated way, they were expecting to be told a lie – or to at least be told the truth with the added benefit of the doubt. He gently sighed and closed his eyes. “To be frank, I don’t know. There is very little that I know of your kind, Chrysalis,” he said gently. 

Silver then opened his eyes and met the gaze of the slightly saddened Chrysalis, with a growing smile of reassurance and confidence. “But… from what I have seen and learned, I believe that you and your Changelings have a chance. You are strong willed, and have been through ordeals that would have broken others. Even if you think you have merely been putting on a mask for others, it still takes strength to act out that role. I have faith that your race will make it out of this,” he said and his confidence melted into one of gentle comfort, “and I also believe that you can find a way to make your heart whole once more. Your children gain their strength from you. If they can be whole once more, so can you.”

Chrysalis stared at Silver for a long time. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker within her eyes that had not been there before… hope had been lit within her. She turned away from Silver. “For your sake, I hope that you are right. If not, I hold you personally responsible for consoling me in the future,” she said boldly. Then a small smile graced her features. “But thank you for your reassurance. It’s a pleasant feeling when somepony has faith in good fortunes.”

Without missing a beat, the Changeling Queen strode toward the exit and called back, “Come along, Silver Skies. There is another matter that needs to be addressed. Follow me.”

Silver quickly fell in beside the Queen. As he came up to her side, he stole a brief glance at her and noticed that she had a confident smile on her face. Atta girl, he thought. That’s the face of the leader that your Changelings need to see. Even if I’m wrong, I will still do everything in my power to help save your kind.

> 7 - Judgment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two nymph guards, pony diplomat and the Changeling Queen arrived in front of an excessively large door of black slime. The door itself was very imposing, with spikes and serrated ridges jutting from its surface. There even seemed to be a faint resemblance of a dragon’s face etched into it, but it was hard to tell in the low light.

Silver Skies looked to Chrysalis, slightly curious. “Your highness what, if I may ask, lies beyond this door?” he asked.

Chrysalis glanced back over her shoulder to Silver. “This is where my prisoners are kept. The area has not seen any guests for some time… until today,” she answered.

A look of comprehension crossed over Silver’s face and he looked to the door again. “So, you found the ones that attempted to stop me?” he asked.

Chrysalis stayed silent, moving forward as her horn lit up with her green magic and the door began to slide up into the slime ceiling. With practiced ease, she passed under the door, sparing Silver only the slightest of glances. The unicorn stallion got the hint and began to follow after her. On the other side of the massive doorway the lighting color changed from greens and pale blues to that of yellows and reds. There were even a few burning torches with normal colored magic flames.

Silver Skies quietly observed the new decorum. This new area was designed more like an old cave, with a healthy dose of creepy. Slime spikes hung from the ceiling like deadly stalactites. The walls were completely made of hardened black slime and held strange patterns that almost seemed to resemble melted screaming pony (or maybe Changeling) faces. Then there was the faint hum in the air that seemed to lightly nibble on the end of one’s sanity. Needless to say, the tunnel did not give off a pleasant aura.

The group of four soon found themselves in front of another door, much like the first one only half the size. Two Changeling drones stood to the sides of this door and each one was dressed in full-body plating, black as a moonless night. They nodded respectfully to their Queen as the group drew near, then fixed their gazes upon Silver.

“At ease, children,” Chrysalis spoke firmly, “this pony is no prisoner.”

At those words, the silent glares of the two guards relaxed and they assumed their stoic posture. Chrysalis lit her horn once more and opened the door. She then turned her head toward Silver Skies and gave him a toothy grin. “I do believe you are the first pony who has been allowed to see this place without having to stay,” she teased slyly.

Silver simply eyed her for a curious moment before shrugging. “I hope to keep it that way. This place is a bit unsettling,” he replied calmly.

“It was made to be,” Chrysalis informed casually. “Any brought here are to be made more malleable. With enough exposure to the magic in this place, without the protective armor of my wardens, anyone will bend to my will. With you here, however, I don’t think the current prisoners will need much exposure to get them to talk.”

“So why did you bring me?” Silver asked slightly cautious, but mostly out of curiosity.

Chrysalis’ expression turned more neutral as she looked at him. “I want you to decide the fate of the Changelings that attacked you.”

Silver Skies tilted his head slightly and his left ear flicked. “Are you certain? You would put their fate in my hooves?”

The Changeling Queen gave a single slow nod. “I am quite certain, and before you ask, I would have either had them banished from the hive or placed within a containment pod until I’m satisfied,” she said coldly.

Silver had an idea of how severe banishment might have been, but he was slightly unnerved about the second option. The way Chrysalis described it, it almost sounded worse than what one might assume. He cast his gaze to the floor for a moment before he turned his eyes back up to the Changeling Queen with steel in his spine. He gave a firm nod. “Very well. I will be their judge and evaluate them accordingly.”

Chrysalis nodded in turn and entered through the open doorway. Silver followed, flanked on both sides by the two nymph escorts. As he passed through the doorway, he felt a wave of magic coat his body. A sound-dampening spell… Silver realized.

The room beyond yielded many prison cells. Each cell was made of dark green slime that held unyieldingly to the enchanted steel bars. It seemed the prison was suited to hold a lot of prisoners, which made sense, in hindsight, since Chrysalis had been keen on warring with Equestria at some point. But as Silver followed the Queen, he quickly became aware of the thirteen Changelings that inhabited a few cells up ahead.

“Queen Chrysalis,” Silver said quietly enough for only her and her two guards to hear. “Are you intending to use your presence to intimidate them?” he asked.

Chrysalis slowed her approach slightly, but held her regal composure as she continued to look forward. “Not really, but I was intending to be a bystander to oversee your judgment. I was curious, myself, as to what would have driven my Changelings to go against my wishes. I believe you gave an adequate explanation on your part of the instigation, but I’d like to hear it from their own mouths why they did it,” she replied calmly.

Silver hummed briefly. “I see. Then I shall assume full control of the situation once you inform that single nymph in the third cell to the left. She was the one leading them.”

At this, Chrysalis turned her head slightly toward Silver with a curious look. “How could you tell them apart? Of all the drones and nymphs here…”

Silver simply gave her a small knowing smirk. “It’s easy to tell her from the others. Her body language is one of her tells,” he replied coolly.

Chrysalis suppressed a chuckle and shook her head slightly. This stallion is just full of surprises…

A few moments later and they stopped just outside of reach of the bars. The nymph within did not so much as bat an eyelash at their approach; she simply stayed in a relaxed slump against the back wall with her head tilted back.

Chrysalis frowned gently as she eyed her daughter. A moment later and her expression was one of neutrality. “Amethyst… it is quite unfortunate that you acted the way you did. I’ve brought the pony diplomat that you and your followers assaulted outside. He will decide your fate.”

Amethyst sighed gently and shook her head. “Why? Should it not be your decision, my Queen?” she asked tiredly.

Chrysalis’ eyes flashed bright green for an instant as her posture stiffened slightly. It was clear that she held some resentment with being replied to in such a way. She expected more from one of her own, even in the face of punishment. “Were this a more severe case, yes, yes it would. But your entire group failed to do more than spout your nonsense to him and waste your time responding to his taunts. I would have expected you, of all my best infiltrators, to be more capable. So since you could hardly do anything to him, and because I aim to show some form of good will toward this stallion, I will leave this matter in his hooves. Believe me, anything he deems fit for you will be a blessing compared to what I had planned.”

Silver Skies took a step forward and gently cleared his throat. “Your highness, I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind,” he said gently, but with enough authority to show that he was putting an end to her little spat with her Changeling. Chrysalis had said she would not intimidate, yet she was doing exactly that.

Chrysalis eyed Silver with a slightly cold glare for a few seconds before she glanced back to her prisoner. Then she simply narrowed her eyes and walked a few long paces away.

Silver sighed inside, thankful that the Changeling Queen had put a halt to her temper. He turned his full attention to the imprisoned nymph in front of him. “Let us begin. You stand accused of attempted assault on an Equestrian citizen, one who serves her highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and whom a position of diplomatic immunity-”

“Oh for Hive’s sake! Just get on with it already!” Amethyst stressed, clearly annoyed.

Silver Skies closed his mouth and tilted his head slightly as he shrugged. “Very well. I find the defendant ‘not guilty’ and I’d like to take this time to address the root of the problem,” he replied calmly, though his expression showed the slightest traces of disappointment. Had he been looking forward to that long professional speech?

Amethyst stared at him for a long moment as her jaw worked silently. She shook her head and swiftly moved to slam her hooves onto the ground. “Don’t buck with me! What’s with that instant ‘not guilty’?” she demanded.

Silver simply shrugged once more. “I was going to explain all that before you interrupted me, but I guess I can alleviate your concerns. Your attempt was done in response to your fear. You and your friends, here, are all afraid of what peace could possibly bring to your Hive. Therefore, though I am being quite simplistic in my reasoning mind you, I simply will not pass punishment onto any Changeling that is acting out with the best interests of their – would it be Hivemates? – in mind. What I’d like to accomplish now, is a simple little Q&A to bring to light your fears and then address them properly,” he finished with a small reassuring smile.

The Changeling nymph bristled and bared her fangs at the grey stallion. “I told you before, there’s nothing more to it than what your kind are meant for! So do us all a favor and go back to your Princesses and tell them to turn over Equestria to us.”

Silver sighed and shook his head. “You can drop the act. I may not know a lot about Changelings, but I can recognize when another creature is puffing up their threat to seem bigger than they really are. Setting aside your justifiable anger toward me, you’ve been excessively hostile for what this situation calls for. Tell me what it is that you are unhappy with regarding a lasting peace between our races,” he said calmly.

Amethyst glared at Silver for a short eternity before she allowed her fangs to slip back into a less aggressive snarl. She then looked to her Queen. Chrysalis simply stared at her impassively. The nymph turned her gaze back to the annoying grey unicorn and sighed throatily. “I don’t want to speak my mind with my Queen present,” she said lowly.

Silver narrowed his gaze slightly and glanced back toward the Changeling Queen. He returned his attentions to the spunky little black nymph, with a stoic expression. “If you are worried about what she may think, or do, in response to your pending admission then relax. She has already bound herself to me in a verbal agreement. Your words will not affect my decision. Please… let me hear your side of this,” he said soothingly, even adding another small smile of reassurance to aid in coaxing her to open up to him.

Amethyst scowled at him. “You place too much trust in her words. Do not forget that she is our Queen and is capable of anything she desires. How do you expect to ensure she won’t go back on her word just because she is unhappy with what I might say?”

“Because she could do so at any time, especially now, since she has enough reason to suspect you of treason. Your point is mute,” Silver countered calmly. “So you have a choice. Tell me what it is that drove you to assault me, or keep it to yourself and steep in your own emotions. I won’t force you to speak with me, but I would appreciate being enlightened. There is little I can do to help if you ignore my offer.”

“And what is your offer?” she rebuked swiftly.

Silver’s smile melted away into a neutral look. “To do what is right by you and your kin so that Equestria can help your Hive prosper. I’ve discussed many things with Queen Chrysalis today… and some of the subject matter leaves me with the need to know things about your kind, as a whole. Specifically, I need to know about the views of you and your kind. Believe me, you’d be helping your Hive a great deal by helping me with this now. And I hold your opinion very highly, at the moment, because you’ve shown me your true feelings. I just need to know the motivation behind them.”

Amethyst sighed and walked away from the bars to lean against the back wall of the cell again. She sat there for a long time, quietly debating with herself. The occasional mumble would slip out in her frustration, but it was just quiet enough to be unheard by the grey stallion. Eventually she sighed heavily and turned a frown in Silver’s direction, her eyes filled with anger and uncertainty. “You really want to know why I don’t want your offer of peace?” she asked.

Silver nodded.

“Fine… it’s because I’m afraid of your kind… specifically you,” she said.

Silver tilted his head slightly. “Why?”

Amethyst rolled her eyes and pointed her hole-ridden hoof toward him. “Because if there are others like you, ones who can hide their emotions so well, then we would be doomed. After I tailed you the other day I came to the conclusion that you, and others like you, would be too dangerous to the hive. I can see you, but I can barely feel you, and that terrifies me.”

The imprisoned nymph lowered her hoof, which Silver noted had slightly trembled as she had pointed it at him before, then she continued, “Do you have any idea how hard it is to scare anybuggy in the Elite Infiltrator Squadron? We specialize in reading a pony by their emotions, yet you can hide yours so well that, even now, I have no clue as to what you are thinking or planning.”

Silver lifted a hoof and softly shook his head. “I’m afraid I have to stop you there. To put your first fear to rest, I can assure you there are no others like me. My case is… unique. I explained this to Queen Chrysalis earlier, as well. The reason why my emotions are hard to read, much less feel, is due to a stroke of… well, luck, in a way. When I was a colt, I was practicing a new spell in my magic class, all for a show and tell project. My spell had… a minor hiccup. The result was a backlash, of sorts, that led me to become perpetually neutral in my emotions. There are no others like me, I assure you,” he said calmly. “Are there any other concerns you have?” he asked.

Amethyst eyed him suspiciously for a moment before she sighed again, though it was a bit more relaxed than before. “Yes… and it has to do with my curiosity. Something has sent this Hive into a slight state of unease recently. Nobuggy knows what it is… but something is wrong within the Hive-mind.”

Chrysalis’ ear flicked slightly and she fixed her full attention onto her daughter. Amethyst further explained, “Whatever this sensation is… it’s made a few of us very nervous over the past few months. Those of us that took notice, and wanted to do something to remedy it, all took it upon ourselves to do what we had to, to protect the Hive. With your appearance the other day, I felt it necessary to remove you from the Hive – permanently if needed. I feel that the Hive is too vulnerable at this time… and I wanted to protect it,” she finished and slumped against the wall with a deflating sigh.

Silver nodded once and then closed his good eye. The gesture was an odd one, and slightly unsettling being stared at by that pale milky orb, but Amethyst simply sat there and watched him for any sign of what he might be thinking. He sighed and opened his eye to look firmly into the eyes of the imprisoned Changeling in front of him. “I will tell you now, there is something wrong in your Hive. I cannot say it yet, but I was planning to work with Commander Steel Carapace, Antennae, and Miss Tender to prepare a proper speech to address the entire Hive about the issue soon. But know this… Equestria will be doing as much as possible to aid the Changelings in this dilemma. You have my word.”

Amethyst stared at Silver as she felt his true emotions filter through with his words. There was purpose… drive… feeling within him in that moment. Even though it only lasted for about ten seconds before it all vanished again. For the first time since she had laid eyes on the peculiar unicorn diplomat, Amethyst finally felt more at ease with him. She turned her gaze down and to the side as she frowned. “I still don’t trust you…” she said calmly, “but I think I’ll give you a chance to prove everything you just said. Our Queen seems to hold a certain amount of trust in you… so… I will not interfere with you again. Not unless you give me reason to feel otherwise – understand?”

Silver offered a small half smile and nodded. “Of course,” he replied and then his form popped in a dim flash of blue to reappear in the cell with her. He offered her his hoof. “Shall we shake hooves to make this agreement official?” he asked gently.

Amethyst’s fins flared in mild surprise at the sudden change in proximity to the stallion. But after a brief moment of feeling slight feelings of reassurance coming off of him, she sighed and offered her own hoof, if slightly reluctantly. Silver took her hoof in his and gave a gentle shake. He slipped her a warm grin once the deed was done and he nodded his head. “Now we are bound by a contract. I will not falter in my endeavor to help your Hive,” said Silver.

Amethyst slowly pulled her hoof away and eyed Silver Skies. “Yeah… you better hold up your end of this little agreement. Because I won’t hesitate to hunt you down if you go back on your word,” she warned.

Silver’s grin lessened and he nodded once more. “Duly noted.”

The grey stallion’s horn flashed softly and his body vanished once more to reappear outside of the cell. Silver Skies turned his attention toward the Changeling Queen, taking in the surprised expression on her face. “Your highness?” he inquired.

Chrysalis simply shook her head and grinned toothily at him. “Part of me is curious as to how you managed to teleport through all of the wards and enchantments of that cell, but I get the impression it’s another one of your ‘trade secrets,’” she said coyly.

Silver huffed a small laugh and nodded in the affirmative. “Indeed… though I can say that it wasn’t that difficult to pick out the varying magical wavelengths. Once you match them, it’s quite easy to slip past them,” he said with a wink.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and turned away from the stallion. “You’re proving to be quite the interesting little diplomat, Silver Skies. In any case, I believe we are finished here. I shall have my Changelings released from their cells once your visit comes to an end for today,” she said airily and began to walk out of the prison.

Silver smiled and shook his head, throwing one last glance toward Amethyst, before he followed the Queen from the chamber. Today has been quite the eventful experience.

> 8 - Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun hung low in the sky, bathing Canterlot in its orange glow as Silver Skies approached the end of the great hall. As he drew near, a pair of castle guards stepped up to him and blocked his path. Silver stopped and eyed them with slight suspicion.

“Sir Skies, we have been instructed to inform you as soon as you arrived that her highness, Princess Celestia, is waiting for you in her chambers,” said the left guard.

Silver nodded, keeping his gaze fixed to the stallion’s eyes. He eyed the guard for a long moment before sighing. The unicorn diplomat stepped right into the gold-armored, white unicorn’s face and glared disapprovingly into his eyes. “I hope a mere guard, such as yourself, is aware of what might happen if the wrong pony learns of your little fib. I will not press the issue, but trying to lie to me is not in your best interest. Do not let it happen again, unless you desire unemployment and an unfavorable smudge on your record,” he said in a low tone.

The guard gulped, but stood his ground on trembling legs, an act that gained him slight favor in Silver’s eyes. Silver backed away slowly and gave the other guard a glance that silently promised a similar fate to the accomplice. He then lit up his horn. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a few important tasks to finish. Do try to conduct your duties in a more professional manner. Good day.”

Silver Skies vanished from the hall, reappearing with a muffled pop out in the royal gardens. There were a few swift gasps, as a few guards were made aware of his presence, the sounds of their armor clinking as they stiffened. “Oh, Silver Skies,” came Celestia’s warm voice, “what a pleasant surprise.”

Silver turned around to face her and bowed respectfully. “My apologies. I hope I am not interrupting anything.”

The sun princess smiled kindly and shook her head. “Not at all. I was just settling for a small tea break. There were a few things that took up a little more of my time this afternoon. Would you care to join me?” she asked.

Silver Skies lifted his head and offered a small smile in response. “That would be most pleasant, but I must decline. Instead, I would like to ask you for a portion of your time when you are available. There are a few things I would like to discuss.”

Celestia nodded slowly and looked to her guards. “Would you kindly give Silver Skies and I some time alone,” she said calmly to them. With crisp salutes, the four guards departed so that they were out of range of hearing.

“Now,” Celestia said, “what is on your mind?”

Silver Skies casually glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before he spoke. “I have just returned from a rather informative session with Queen Chrysalis, your majesty. However… what I’ve come to learn is not as pleasant as I had hoped it would be,” he said somberly.

Celestia levitated a pot of tea and slowly poured some of the steaming liquid into her cup. “I see…” she said softly. “How bad is it?”

Silver sighed gently. “The Changelings are in danger of extinction,” he answered.

Celestia paused and looked right into Silver’s eyes, a look of remorse slowly trying to filter through her grim frown. “Are you certain of this?” she asked softly.

Silver’s eyes closed and he sighed through his nose. “I wish I wasn’t…” he replied. “According to their predictions, the entire race will cease to exist in just a few generations. This fate also applies to the other group of Changelings, the ones led by Thorax – whom I’d like to meet in the very near future.”

Celestia finished pouring her tea, but refrained from lifting the cup, simply staring into the rising steam from it. She quietly thought about Silver’s words for a few long moments. Then she let out a soft sigh and she looked into his eye. “This is grave news, Silver Skies. What else do you have to report?” she said sadly.

Silver Skies nodded gently and stepped closer to his princess. “Aside from that, the rest is fairly good news. I’ve managed to learn quite a lot about their culture. They really are a lot like us, only they have a more disciplined military and are capable of feeding off of our emotions as well as consuming organic materials – specifically mosses, fungi, and fruits. They also developed a way to contain emotional energies within mid-grade quartz crystals,” he said with slight enthusiasm.

His expression then turned more subdued and he cast his gaze to the ground. “I also learned that they have an odd effect on my mental state…”

Celestia’s ears perked up at that. “In what way?” she asked, curious.

“It took me some time to pinpoint the source, but I eventually discovered that there is a pheromone that they secrete,” Silver said calmly. “The pheromone stimulates emotional responses, resulting in stronger feelings, which provides more emotions for them to feed off of. I’m not sure if they are aware of it, but I found it interesting that I was experiencing a broader range of emotion while in their Hive.”

Silver Skies paused for a moment and thought about something, his eye trailing up to blankly stare at the sky. “Now that I think about it… it seems the effect wore off about five minutes after I left their presence. But, I believe I’ve drifted a little off of my original subject,” he said and redirected his attention back to Celestia. “Your highness, I was able to reach a proper conclusion with Queen Chrysalis, regarding the peace treaty.”

Celestia noticed the gleam in Silver’s eye and she let a warmer smile spread over her face. “I take it things finally went well?” she asked.

Silver Skies nodded and gave a small smile in turn, which faded as his emotions chose that moment to reset. “Yes,” he replied neutrally, “she has agreed to be more forthcoming, which resulted in her finally telling me everything I needed to know. I believe we can begin open negotiation and take the next steps toward an alliance with Chrysalis and her Changelings.”

Celestia’s smile widened at the good news. “That is most wonderful news, Silver Skies. Will Queen Chrysalis be attending the negotiations in person?”

Silver shook his head. “Not yet. She still feels that a meeting with you is too soon. Instead, she will be selecting one of her best Changelings as the representative of her Hive. I will be bringing the representative here at your earliest convenience after I finish with a few important matters, which should be taken care of in a few days,” he said and his ear flicked as he heard something approaching.

Silver turned his head to see a passing patrol. Celestia noticed this and quirked her brow, but remained silent. They both waited patiently until they were sure the guards had moved out of earshot before Celestia broke the silence. “I take it you had a reason to be suspicious of those guards?”

“Yes,” Silver said calmly, “because two of the guards in the entrance hall tried to deceive me. They told me you were waiting in your chambers. As we both can attest, that was not a true testament. The only way they would have been mistaken would be if the location enchantments of their armor were in need of repair, but I know for a fact that their gear was in pristine condition.”

Celestia nodded with a sigh. “With your sight, I have no doubts that you are correct. It pains me to think that they would be so unfaithful to their oaths.”

Silver Skies shook his head gently. “Do not think that they are doing it out of disloyalty. There is a reason why they are following a certain General’s orders. If I had to guess, I’d assume foul play or blackmail. Still, I do not fault them,” he said and turned his sights back to the princess. “In any case, I’ve taken up enough of your time. I shall take my leave and get back to work on providing aid for Chrysalis’ Hive. However, I would like to request a few things before I leave.”

Celestia nodded. “I will provide anything I can. What do you need?”

“I need to know how to contact Thorax, I’ll need to set up a meeting with a few of our best magic researchers, and I will require a copy of your schedule for the next week,” Silver reciprocated calmly. “I can handle the rest, but it would be very helpful if you could help with those few things.”

Celestia pondered for a moment as a small smile played on her lips. Then she gave a slow nod. “I will make sure to get you what you need. How soon would you require them to be done?” she asked warmly.

Silver Skies smiled and bowed respectfully. “As soon as you are able, but I do not wish for you to rush the matter. I simply need to make a schedule and plan out a method for helping to save Chrysalis’ Changelings.”

Celestia nodded. “Very well, Silver Skies. I will inform you when I have gathered what you have requested. Was there anything else you needed?” she said and brought her teacup up to sip from it.

Silver Skies shook his head and lit up his horn. “No, your highness. I have asked enough of you. I can handle the rest of what I need, for the moment. Enjoy the rest of your tea break,” he said kindly and teleported from the garden.

Celestia sipped from her cup once more and she silently thought about a few things. The quiet calm of the royal garden let her ponder in peace.




~~***~~




Meanwhile, back in the Changeling Hive, Chrysalis had settled in her personal chambers. The room, unlike the rest of her personal places, was a nice and cozy size of small. It was decorated with a single bookshelf, two ornate nightstands on either side of the large bed of heavenly soft Changeling slime, and a tall dresser that held a few items of formal clothing for when she felt the need to dress up.

The Queen made her way straight to her bed. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, she plopped herself down on her side, thoroughly enjoying the way the slime supported her body. Chrysalis sighed contentedly. Then the serene calm was shattered as a chitinous hoof knocked on the outside of her chamber door. She grumbled under her breath and sat up in a more presentable position. “Enter,” she commanded.

The royal, engraved slime door opened up slowly to reveal the form of Tender. Chrysalis’ mood quickly slipped from acting as Queen and a warm smile spread over her. “Ah, Tender, do come in.”

Tender smiled in kind and slowly made her way into the room. Chrysalis shut the door behind her, which was a relief for the elder Changeling. She soon made it to the side of Chrysalis’ bed and she bowed her head. A hole-ridden black hoof gently touched the underside of her face and lifted her to look up at her Queen.

“There will be none of that, Tender,” Chrysalis said softly, “not in private. Did you come to speak with me about something, my dear friend?”

Tender smiled and gently nuzzled the hoof that still tenderly rested against her chin. “I came to speak with you, yes. It has to do with that young unicorn from earlier,” she replied in her creaky, yet cute old voice.

Chrysalis sighed gently. “Of course, you of all would have noticed it through the Hivemind,” Chrysalis said and then put on a more regal expression. “Don’t think too much into it, I was simply having a little fun with him. He has managed to appeal to my sense of amusement.”

Tender smiled and giggled lightly. “Oh, of that I have no doubt. I could feel the emotions playing between the two of you. It was quite fun to ‘see’ how you picked on him during that little outing.”

“I had a feeling you enjoyed that,” Chrysalis replied with a smirk.

“Oh very much so. But…” Tender said and gently pushed Chrysalis’ hoof down, “there is something that I must discuss with you about him. He is very powerful, Chrysalis. He may even possess more magical potential than you when you were at your strongest.”

Chrysalis stiffened at that. “Are you certain of this?” she asked her friend.

Tender nodded once and narrowed her cloudy blue eyes. “There was no way for any of you to notice it, not with your eyes. With my blindness, I see things through the Hive-mind… but there was something coming from him that even I could see in the endless darkness. I felt it, saw it, and could almost taste it… a great power that seemed to drift out of his eye. It was beautiful and terrifying.”

Chrysalis steeled her gaze and braced herself. “Show me,” she said.

Tender nodded once more and opened her mind to her Queen and friend. Images flowed freely into Chrysalis’ mind. She watched as she and Silver Skies entered the War Room, only to see Tender’s Hive-sight vanish and be replaced with complete endless blackness. The exception… was the small flame of power, a deep purple tipped with licks of royal blue, which seemed to be forever burning. The flames drifted from an eye… an eye filled with eternal anguish.

Chrysalis pulled herself out of Tender’s consciousness. Her heart ached for some reason and she could feel sweat all over her. She jumped slightly when something brushed against her hoof, only to notice that her friend had placed a hoof on her out of concern. “Calm yourself, Chrysalis, you are affecting the Hive-mind,” Tender cooed softly.

Chrysalis took several deep breaths, eventually bringing her heart and mind back under control. She looked to Tender, who held a small pained smile on her face. “That… is what you saw?” she asked of her old friend.

Tender nodded. “Yes. He has found a way to mask it, but there is great power there. But what could have made you feel so fearful of that?” she asked.

Chrysalis shook her head slowly. “I… I do not know. Seeing something… there was something deeper within his gaze that… it triggered something within myself. But I can’t place a hoof on what.”

Tender nodded slowly and sighed softly. “I see… my apologies. I did not know what I saw would have such an effect. Forgive me, Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis looked to her friend and smiled softly as she brought a hoof around her dear friend. “There is nothing for me to forgive you for – you did nothing wrong. It simply made me aware of something that I need to look into, is all. But if you don’t mind… I think it is time I rested. It has been a long day,” she said with a bored expression, one filled with a lack of giving a buck about anything more today.

Tender stifled a giggle and gently rubbed her hoof along Chrysalis’. “I understand. One last thing, before I leave; have you decided on how you will handle the rest of the negotiations with the peace treaty?” she asked.

Chrysalis sighed and let a small smirk play across her lips. “I wish I could send you. You are the best when it comes to holding that serene look even in the face of something like that. Sadly, you are needed here… if only to be my confidant and friend, which I must apologize for,” she teased.

Tender giggled and gave a soft playful swat to Chrysalis’ shoulder.

Chrysalis smiled in response, if only for a moment, before she though more seriously about the question her friend brought forth. “Hmm… if I had to pick anybuggy else… I would most likely go with Antennae. She could gather more intimate details about them while she takes part in the negotiations.”

Tender shook her head. “Antennae is good at intelligence gathering, but she is not suited for diplomacy. Might I make a slight suggestion?” she said coyly.

Chrysalis gave her friend a pointed look. “So that’s why you came here. Tell me who your pick would be – this should prove quite interesting.”

Tender smiled and looked to the side, pretending to consider something. “Why not send Winds?”

Chrysalis’ jaw opened to speak… but she was actually shocked to hear that name be mentioned. “You can’t be serious. She’s only capable of shape shifting! She has no other talents what so ever! Why would you suggest her?” she asked.

Tender simply smiled. “Maybe because she’s the only one of your daughters that I would trust with this big of a task,” she answered.

Chrysalis brought a hoof up to rub her chin, as she thought about the idea further. Her logic stated that it was a stupid idea to send that Changeling out on such an important mission. But her heart told her to listen to her wise friend. She sighed and looked to Tender with slight suspicion. “I suppose I’ll allow it. Which one of us should tell her? For that matter, when should we tell her?”

Tender provided a knowing smile and slowly turned to leave the room. “Leave that to me, Chrysalis,” she said as she made her way to the door.

Chrysalis opened the door for her friend, which rewarded her with a kind smile from Tender. Tender paused, just outside the door, and looked over her shoulder. “One more thing I would like to add, before I leave. Do not fear that unicorn stallion. Both his head and his heart are in good places,” she said warmly. “Also… do try not to fall for him,” she teased before walking away.

Chrysalis simply sat on her bed with her mouth slightly agape. Then a wicked little grin took over her features. “Oh…? Would you, perhaps be a little jealous of him, my old friend?” she asked of the empty room. Then her grin fell into a small frown. “Tch, that means she feels that there might be something to him that would catch my eye. A foolish idea. I find him entertaining and nothing more… well… ungh, forget it!” she declared and slumped back down onto her bed. 

“I’ll put more thought into it when I actually care to think about it. Sleep sounds much better,” Chrysalis said quietly as she let her body relax. Sleep soon took her into the realm of dreams… where she saw the faces of happy days gone by.

> 9 - Perspective
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was mid-afternoon when the doors of the Canterlot Magical Researcher’s Division opened up. Silver Skies calmly walked through the open doors and gently closed them with a gentle flare of his magic. A small sigh slipped through his nose as he turned away from the doors and started to make his way to the next destination. The streets were alive with Canterlot’s snobby little ponies of nobility, as was the norm, but a few commoners could be spotted here and there.

Silver Skies walked along at a casual pace. Every so often he would gaze into one of the many cafés, debating on whether he was hungry enough to get something. In the end he decided against it. There was just too much on his mind to devote his time to food.

For claiming to be the brightest of minds, in regards to all things magic, those fools knew little of what could be done about curses, Silver thought testily. All they know about them is that they are originated from the Zebrican Lands and that most curses are more myth than actual enchantments – a form of powerful suggestion. If only those foals knew how wrong they are. Why is it so hard for them to understand the real magic behind curses?

The grey-coated stallion continued to think about the fruitless venture as he walked. All of his attempts to tell the narrow-minded members of the magic council about the unseen side of magic fell on deaf ears. It was slightly ironic, in its own way that a unicorn of Silver’s standing would be looked down upon.

I suppose I have myself to blame for that, he thought ruefully to himself. Were it not for my hidden magic, I probably would have become their leading member in magical research and theory. I suppose I can’t be too harsh in my judgment of their views. It still bothers me that they are so closed off from exploring other ideas. They could have at least given me the benefit of the doubt… oh well; I suppose I’ll try another approach at a later date, he concluded and pressed onward to his next destination.

Within half an hour, Silver Skies found himself back within the grounds of Canterlot Castle. He was on his way to his next scheduled meeting, but something brought him to a halt. There was something in the air – an almost static sensation. Silver narrowed his senses on the feeling and turned his head toward the source. His eyes quickly spotted the form of General Iron Barricade, standing atop one of the balconies that overlooked that portion of the castle grounds.

There was an odd aura coming from Iron… one that filled Silver’s senses with a feeling of dread. He half expected the General to sneer at him but, to his surprise, Iron Barricade simply stared for a few moments before he turned away and left the balcony. Silver thought it highly unusual… but there was nothing more to go on, so he pushed the event to the back of his mind for later evaluation. Still… there was something about the General that nagged at the very core of Silver’s being.

With a quiet sigh, Silver Skies continued on his way. He eventually arrived in front of a pair of ornate oak doors. With a quick nod to the two guards, Silver entered the room. It was one of many, a quiet location within the castle that gave a lovely view of the royal gardens while maintaining a level of privacy for the occupants. A large white table, trimmed with gold accents was the center focus of the room, with ten chairs around it for a small number of ponies to sit comfortably in. The rest of the room was decorated with flower arrangements and one of a kind paintings.

The unicorn’s eyes immediately landed on the one pony he had been looking forward to speaking with. The Changeling leader, Thorax stood by the far window enjoying the view. Silver’s first impression was obvious; the Changeling that had been waiting for him was nothing like the ones he had seen within Chrysalis’ Hive.

How curious, Silver thought with a neutral expression. He’s almost like a mix between a normal pony and some form of insect. Green legs, a green head that blends into an orange hue at the chest, a darker green underbelly with an even darker green on his back, maroon colored wing covers, an oddly insect-like wing for a tail, and three horns (two of them being orange and resembling mandibles)… a very interesting appearance, considering what they used to look like… I am curious as to what those gems-like protrusions are on his neck, as well.

Silver gently cleared his throat. “Good afternoon. Thorax, I presume?” he asked.

The Colorful Changeling turned from the window and met Silver Skies’ gaze as a smile spread across his green muzzle. His maroon eyes shone brightly. “That would be me,” came a low toned hum of a voice while Thorax's jaw stayed shut.

Silver’s eyes widened slightly from surprise. “How interesting… you can speak without vocalizing through your mouth.”

Thorax chuckled with a faint blush. “Yes. It was quite a shock to me, as well, when I found out about that change. I can still talk normally, but it’s just easier to speak in this way,” he explained and sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.

Silver Skies smiled and eyed the three gem-like objects on Thorax’s neck. Those must be how he is able to talk in such a manner. They must utilize some form of inner magic and create sound through vibration, Silver thought.

“Well,” Silver began, “it is a pleasure to meet you. I must admit, you are not what I had expected when I had heard about a new type of Changeling.”

Thorax lowered his hoof and gave Silver a curious look. “Really? Who told you about us, anyway? Princess Celestia said that she was keeping our existence a secret until our kind could be properly integrated into Equestrian society. Some ponies were still unsure about us. She was also a little vague in how you came to know about us, so clearly she didn't tell you.”

Silver’s smile lessened slightly. “I heard it from Queen Chrysalis,” he said.

Thorax’s expression turned angry for a moment before a more saddened look overlapped it. He sighed and lowered his head slightly. “I see. Is she still… you know… well, mad about what happened?” he asked Silver.

Silver’s smile warmed up a little. “She probably still feels the sting of the event, but I don’t think she’s holding the grudge,” he explained. “Which brings me to the reason for my desire to meet with you.”

Thorax’s ears perked up and he gave his full attention to the grey stallion. Silver cleared his throat gently and resumed where he left off. “Queen Chrysalis recently sent a request for peace between her Hive and Equestria. I met with her… and there are some very important things going on now. I’ve accepted her request, and am in the process of ironing out the finer points of the peaceful negotiations, but I needed to meet with you for a very sensitive reason,” he said and paused to let things settle in the Changeling’s mind.

Thorax nodded after a few moments and looked to Silver expectantly. Silver let a soft sigh slip through his nose before he continued. “From what I’ve gathered, your Changelings have been around for about two years. During that time… have you noticed anything odd – something that stands out for your kind?” he asked.

Thorax pondered for a few moments before an odd look took hold of his features. He looked to Silver, then to the floor, then back to the unicorn stallion. There was something he had noticed, but it was difficult to say if he should reveal it. Silver had a rough idea as to what it was, and he proceeded to resume the point he was making.

“Your population has not increased, has it?” Silver asked, being mindful of the sensitivity of the subject and laying his ears back.

Thorax’s head slumped down and a look of sadness took hold of him. He gave a weak nod. “No… we have tried to encourage reproduction, but everything we’ve tried has ended in disappointment. Why do you know about that?”

Silver sighed openly as his face reflected the sadness that Thorax felt. “Because the same thing has happened in Queen Chrysalis’ Hive. It started shortly after you and the other Changelings broke off to become what you are. There have been no new lives brought into the Hive, and it has brought your former Queen to her last resort. She’s willingly putting everything else aside in order to save her children.”

Thorax looked away from Silver. His expression was one of conflict as he fought between disbelief and acceptance of Silver’s words. He sighed and looked at the floor in front of Silver Skies. “Though a part of me has trouble believing that she would seriously do anything like that… there’s still the memories I have of how she took care of all of us when we were just hatchlings. I guess she really does care about us, and I can see her doing everything in her power to save us. Well… at least those of us that are still loyal to her…”

Silver moved forward and put his hoof on Thorax’s shoulder. The Changeling leader looked up and saw the look of kindness on Silver’s face and swallowed. “Believe it or not,” Silver said gently, “when she was telling me about you, there was the unmistakable look of maternal love in her eyes. She still cares for you, and the others, even though you all changed. Deep down, I’m sure she understands why you all did what you did. No matter what, you are all still her children, even if you’ve moved out of her nest.”

Thorax stared at Silver for a long moment before his face slowly lit up with a joyful smile. The sparkle of tears grew in the corners of his eyes. “Thank you… it really means a lot hearing that. Even if she’s not our Queen, she’s still our mother, and it warms my heart to know she still loves us,” he said and wiped at his eyes.

Silver Skies smiled kindly in turn, until his emotions reset. A look of curiosity quickly replaced his neutral expression. He brought his hoof up to his chin as he thought. “Thorax?” he said, getting the Changeling’s attention. “I was told that you all changed into this new form after giving away your love. Can you explain the process to me?” he asked.

Thorax blinked, slightly confused. “Well… it was kind of weird, to be honest. You see Starlight Glimmer gave me the idea, saying that I should give all of my love to Queen Chrysalis, since she had captured me and was taking it from me to punish me. At first I thought it was crazy, but Starlight was the smartest one of us, so I thought maybe she was onto something. I did what she said. I gave all of my stored up love to Chrysalis. Then… something happened. It’s hard to explain it but… it was like… like my heart exploded and enveloped me. I felt warm… safe… happy. I don’t know how long I was in that state, but when I came to, I saw Starlight in front of me. Then I noticed how light I felt and I looked down to see this new body. It was amazing! But then… then Starlight told the others that this was what it was like to give our love freely. We didn’t have to keep taking it from others. The other Changelings followed my example, giving away their love, and they became like me… only I was still different. That’s about all I can really say about what happened, though.”

Silver Skies eyed the Changeling for a moment and then closed his eyes as he thought. There was almost nothing to go off of from Thorax’s explanation. It was informative about how things transpired, but with no other feelings, sensations, or mentions of magic it was virtually useless to Silver’s needs. If anything, it brought up a very interesting subject. Why did Thorax and the others change like that, yet Chrysalis had not – even though she gives her love to her Hive constantly? Was there something more to it?

Silver opened his eyes and looked Thorax in the eyes. “Thorax… would you say that Queen Chrysalis loves all of her children?” he asked calmly.

Thorax’s eyes widened. “Oh of course. She’s especially loving toward us when we first hatch. In fact, she feeds us her love right after we’re born.”

Silver’s brow furrowed and he rubbed his chin in thought. “Yet she has not changed in a similar manner,” he mumbled. He then looked out the window as he recalled his conversation with Chrysalis. There must be something I’m missing, he thought to himself. What makes her freely given love different from theirs? Perhaps… perhaps it’s the nature of the love? Loyalty driven love from her Changelings vs. parental love? No, that doesn’t seem right.

Silver Skies sighed softly and returned his gaze to Thorax, taking note of the odd smile on the Changeling’s face. “You’re really devoting yourself to helping us, or rather, Queen Chrysalis,” said Thorax.

Silver Skies smirked lightly and shrugged. “In a sense, you could say that. I do feel strongly about the extinction of your kind. There is so much potential for your race, yet fate has seen fit to bring you all to an untimely demise in just a few short generations. I just won’t sit by and let that happen. I can’t allow such a thing to transpire.”

Thorax nodded, but a knowing smile played on the end of his muzzle. “I thank you for your kindness. If there is anything I can do to help, please ask. I’ll do anything I can.”

Silver smiled in turn for a moment, but a look of melancholy quickly replaced it. “Don’t thank me yet. I’ve looked into a magical solution already, but so far it had… less than desirable results. I was hoping to gain something from our conversation as well, but all I’ve managed was more questions added to my list.”

Thorax held his smile. If anything, it grew a pinch wider. “I’m still thankful that you have been generous enough to devote so much of your time to our race’s survival. I know that it isn’t an easy thing, so I can’t help but feel thankful,” he said truthfully.

A chuckle slipped out of Silver and he shook his head slightly, a smile still plastered to his muzzle. “I can’t say I disagree with that. This has been quite the extensive peace treaty. Still, it’s worth every ounce of energy. Not only have I learned so much about Changelings, but I might even go as far as to say I’ve made a couple of friends so far.”

Silver’s smile quickly vanished, his emotions resetting once again, and a small sigh slipped through his lips. He then put on another smile and met Thorax’s gaze. “Well, it has been a pleasure, Thorax. I’m sorry I was unable to gain much from this talk. I hope you don’t feel that this was a wasted trip,” he said respectfully.

Thorax, having noticed the unusual change in the stallion, blinked for a moment before his smile returned. “This was a trip well spent. At the very least, I made a new friend and I learned a few pleasant things about my old Queen.”

Silver bowed his head slightly. “That is good to hear. If anything comes up, I’ll be sure to request your help again. Also, would you be interested in being included in the future negotiations with Chrysalis’ Hive?”

Thorax smiled sheepishly and rubbed his cheek with his hoof. “Maybe? I’m not sure it would be such a good idea. Well, not yet. You would have to ask Chrysalis about it first, I think,” he replied.

Silver Skies nodded in understanding. “I’ll ask her. Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me, Thorax,” he said with a small bow. “Until next we meet.”

Thorax nodded in turn and watched as Silver took his leave. The brightly colored Changeling then turned his head back to look out the window. I like that unicorn… I think he’ll do a lot of good things for our kind, Thorax thought with a smile. Maybe he’ll even be a good thing for the Queen, too…
> 10 - Shadow Behind the Mask
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver Skies casually walked along the edge of Ghastly Gorge once again. Though he toyed with the possibility of falling the last time he passed by, skirting the very edge of the cliff, he chose to be more reserved this time around. He stared ahead blankly as he progressed. Before long the mouth of the cave entered his field of view and he spotted the black forms of three changeling nymphs.

The familiar posture of Amethyst greeted Silver as he closed the distance. He came to a stop just a few paces away from her and eyed her with mild curiosity. She simply stared at him for a few moments before she sighed and turned her back to him. “Follow me, Silver Skies. I’ve been tasked with escorting you to the Queen’s chambers,” she said, clearly annoyed.

Silver let a small smile curve his lips and he followed behind her. “Thank you for the escort, Miss Amethyst.”

Amethyst stopped instantly and whirled around on him. She came nose-to-nose with the grey stallion and glared at him while he looked her in the eye calmly. She huffed through her nose and flipped around again. “Don’t act so cushy with me, Silver. I’m not doing this as a kindness to you,” she said firmly and resumed walking into the Hive.

Silver sighed, but the small smile lingered on his face. She’s really fierce… but it’s charming in a way, he thought and followed her.

The rest of the trip was quiet and uneventful, aside from a small group of young Changelings that had tried to ‘spy’ on the unicorn diplomat and his entourage. Though Amethyst did catch and reprimand them, it was a heartwarming experience. Her devotion to the Hive was on full display as she firmly, yet gently explained the seriousness of trying to tail them. In a way, it gave Silver the impression that Amethyst would make a good mother. That thought had been enough to put Silver in a slump, which actually caught the Changelings off guard – feeling disappointment flow off of the usually unreadable diplomat was a little jarring.

Once the young Changelings had been sent away, Amethyst resumed her duty of escorting the Equestrian diplomat to Queen Chrysalis’ chambers. As they progressed, she would sneak the occasional glance at Silver Skies. He looked lost in thought, yet managed to follow them without the slightest error – even when she would purposely change her walking speed. For the easily annoyed nymph, seeing Silver in such a state would have normally driven her to vocalize her opinion on it, but she held her tongue. There was something in his eye that did not sit right with her, and she knew it had to be something important if it was enough to make the unreadable unicorn give off such a melancholic aura.

The group soon arrived in the dome outside of the Queen’s chambers. Silver recognized that they had come to a stop and pulled himself from his thoughts. He looked to the guards outside of Chrysalis’ throne room. “Is Queen Chrysalis ready to see me?” he asked softly.

Amethyst sighed inwardly and went to confront Silver on his unusual emotional state when the doors to the grand chamber opened. She silently watched as Silver’s grey and white form left her side and disappeared into the darkness of her queen’s throne room.

Once inside, Silver calmly found his usual spot and looked up toward the stone seat of Chrysalis’ power. His eyes landed upon the Changeling Queen, and he instantly knew something was off. When he last saw her, they had become rather relaxed in each other’s presence. The lithe form before him held a tension in it, as if the Queen were ready to spring forth at a moment’s notice. Chrysalis’ acid green eyes held Silver in a fierce gaze, one that spoke volumes of how she was ready to engage him if he so much as made the faintest slip.

The low thud of the doors broke the silence of the room as they closed. Chrysalis’ magic flared and many silencing spells layered themselves upon the shut doors. The Changeling Queen narrowed her eyes and bared her fangs slightly as she rose from her throne. “Silver Skies,” she said calmly, “it is good to see you again. How did your efforts fare in Canterlot?”

Silver held his composure, even going so far as to coax his emotions to steadily reset as frequently as possible. He was not about to let himself miss any details of this conversation. There was something amiss, and he aimed to get to the root of it. “All things considered, I managed to accomplish all of my tasks without any trouble,” he replied calmly.

Chrysalis eyed Silver for a few moments as she pondered something. She then proceeded to slowly make her way down toward the grey unicorn. “What news do you have, then? Are the ponies of Equestria’s finest minds diligently working toward the salvation of my Changelings?” she asked while she slowly circled Silver Skies.

Silver, for his part, remained as calm as a pool of water in the deepest depths of a cave – keeping his gaze fixated forward, only letting his other senses keep track of the Changeling Queen. “Unfortunately, it would seem that I misplaced my trust in them. When presented with the description of your race’s dilemma, the board of magical research was at a loss. They simply didn’t understand the nature of your situation, even going as far as to outright deny any possibility to the chances of simply evaluating your curse-”

“So what you mean to say is that Equestria can’t uphold the previously agreed upon conditions?” Chrysalis countered abruptly from behind Silver, her slow and steady pace unfaltering.

Silver held back a sigh, knowing full well that things were entering a delicate state. He quickly went to reply, but Chrysalis was not done yet. “If that were to be the case, you of all ponies should be aware of the consequences. I will not be made a fool – especially not within my own throne room. However… you do have some time to consider your answer to my next question, so do choose your words carefully,” she said and paused for dramatic affect. “What is your true purpose here, Silver Skies?” she asked and came to a stop beside Silver… right in his blind spot.

Silver held his gaze firmly on a single spot in front of him. He could feel Chrysalis’ breath bearing down on his cheek and neck. A faint hum of power filled the air, letting him know that she had primed her magic in case she did not like his response. The diplomat took in a slow, steady breath and calmly opened his mouth. “I’m here to negotiate with you and form a peaceful relationship between our two nations,” he said.

Chrysalis swiftly positioned herself in front of Silver, shoving her face into his direct line of sight – her green eyes ablaze in an intimidating glow of raw power. “That is a lie and we both know it!” she hissed menacingly. “If that were the case, why would Celestia send a unicorn of your caliber here? Do you think I’m a fool? She sent a single pony, a unicorn with your magical power and convenient condition, to talk about peace? It seems to me that you were sent as a spy! You were even keen on learning so much about us!” she declared angrily, her horn aglow in her green magical aura.

Silver Skies inhaled deeply, clearing his mind in an attempt to calmly reply to the upset Changeling Queen when he felt a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach. His eyes widened slightly and his breath hitched in his throat. He clenched his jaw shut and fought against something stirring within him that he had not let out in a very long time.

Having had a front row seat to the odd change in the unicorn’s expression, Chrysalis took the shift in his demeanor as her succeeding in catching Silver off guard by revealing the truth. Her angry glare melted away into a sneer as she stood back up to her full height. “So… you really were sent as a spy. I suppose I should have expected nothing less from you ponies. It’s no surprise that you would be so heartless toward my kind, but to go so far as to pretend to care about our wellbeing – knowing what awaits us – is low. I can’t believe that I even-”

“Shut. UP!” Silver suddenly bellowed, a wave of magical power cascading off of his face. During her little monologue, Chrysalis had failed to notice the building anger emanating off of the now seething unicorn. Silver Skies was angry… very angry. He no longer tried to hold back his volatile magic, his right eye alight in magical purple flame. The grey stallion then stumbled backwards, almost as if he were trying to flee from something drunkenly and he groaned deeply as he shook his head.

Silver looked up again and met Chrysalis’ shocked gaze with his own angry one. “You think I’m some lowly spy? That I feel nothing for your Hive – for you? Did you even pay attention to the words you just blindly spat? Do you have any idea how much time I invested, trying to get those morons to open their conceited little brains, just to have them turn me away because my theories were ‘too outlandish’ for them to consider? I don’t know where you got the notion but I am NOT some petty, lie weaving, backstabbing coward! I care about your Hive’s future! Celestia bucking damn it – I can’t believe you would think-”

Silver’s face contorted in his rage and he staggered, as if something had hit him from the side. He let out a series of dark mutters before he reared back, took in a deep breath, and cracked his hoof against the side of his face. The room filled with the sound of his pained groan as Silver Skies plopped his rump down onto the floor and held his head in his hooves.

Chrysalis could only stare at the previously manic stallion. Though she did not notice it at first, she soon caught sight of odd, dark crystal flakes tinkling to the floor beneath Silver’s face. A very long, awkward silence filled the room as Silver eventually brought his temper under control.

“My deepest apologies, Queen Chrysalis,” said Silver Skies as soon as he felt confident enough to speak calmly and kept his eyes closed and his head bowed. “I haven’t lost control of myself like that in quite some time. You are probably stunned and wondering exactly what… that was. But I must stress this first… I have not, am not, and never will be a spy. I’m a diplomat,” he said and looked up to meet Chrysalis’ gaze with a look of steely determination.

“You shared part of your past with me on our last meeting… I shall return the favor, in kind – if only to clear up this misunderstanding,” Silver said stoically, as his eye drifted off into memory. “When I was young, I was enrolled into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was an avid learner, which still shows through to this day, and I dabbled in all forms of magic. My favorite magical subjects were Advanced Telekinesis, Transmogrification and Teleportation. I studied harder than any other students, even reaching the top of the entire school… but it was all in vain in the end. One day, during the annual magic fair, I decided to try an improvised spell. My research project on display was one on the theory of advanced telepathy and it’s uses and implications, but what I wanted to wow everyone with was far more intricate. I was going to amaze the audience with a new spell. A spell that would improve the world in ways that I could only imagine! Sadly, I was too young and naïve… I failed to take into account that I was only a young colt and that the required amount of magic to accomplish my goal far exceeded my capacity,” Silver paused in his tale and turned his face to show Chrysalis the right side of his face.

“I tried to combine a teleportation spell with a theoretical time manipulation spell. In a way, you could say I was successful. The reason my mind continuously reverts to a calm state is due to the time manipulation spell that is permanently active. But it’s not only my mind that reverts. My current age, according to my real birth certificate, is one hundred and three. I’ve been a full grown stallion since I awoke after I cast the spell,” he said and sighed to signify he was done speaking.

Chrysalis sat quietly and took in every detail of his tale but something still nagged at her. There was more to his story than he wanted to share, but she was not about to let him end his explanation just yet. “That doesn’t explain that power you just displayed,” she said firmly.

Silver Skies sighed again in defeat and hung his head. “That was something that came as a surprise to me later on,” he began. “Like many colts, even though I had an adult body, I was stuck in a state of denial after the accident. I was positive I could reverse the spell. I retraced my steps, and formulated a counter spell, then proceeded to undo what I had done to myself. Again… my naivety got the better of me. You’ve heard of King Sombra, correct?” he said, turning his attention to the Changeling Queen, who nodded in response.

Silver nodded slowly as well, taking in a breath before continuing. “The spell I created to counter my other spell had a twist involved. It, outside of my knowledge, was a dark magic spell. Ironically, it was almost the same one that the old tyrant used, for it opened up a portal to a realm of unbridled hatred and magic. To my dismay… I unknowingly entered into a pact with a dark god. He bestowed his malice-laced power upon me, knowing that I’d bring destruction to my world. When I was allowed to return home, I came back as a… true embodiment of rage and hate. It was only thanks to Princess Celestia that my dark powers were sealed away, and once they were, my little mishap from before is what kept them sealed. My mind’s constant reverting keeps my emotions in check, which kept my power secured and prevents it from feeding off of my anger… until today,” said Silver and he looked away from Chrysalis. 

Chrysalis rose up to her full height once more, only this time she held an air of genuine curiosity. “And what was it about today that made things different?” she asked levelly.

Silver Skies glanced to the Changeling Queen then back to the side. “Are you aware of the natural pheromones you produce?” he asked Chrysalis.

Chrysalis cocked a brow, but stayed silent. Silver huffed softly and looked back to her. “I thought so,” he said and stood up with a groan. “It took me most of the other day to realize it, but your kind release a pheromone. It causes ponies to experience heightened emotions. And, as I just discovered, your own anger caused you to release a lot more than normal. I breathed in a large quantity when you came up to me… which was overwhelming. My minor irritation escalated into a full on raging tangent within seconds. Again, I am truly sorry for that,” silver finished and bowed his head.

Chrysalis went to respond to his apology with a slightly snide remark, but her voice fell short as she watched Silver’s bow continue downward. The stallion’s face collided with the floor roughly, followed by the rest of his body as he collapsed. Without thinking, Chrysalis rushed to him and placed her hoof on his shoulder. “What is wrong? Why did you fall?” she asked, though it was more of a demand.

Silver moaned softly, an act that showed just how out of sorts he still was. He started to pant as he lay on the firm floor of the throne room. “Forgive me… it took a lot of my strength to regain my senses. I think I may have overdone it when I hit myself, as well.”

“That’s enough out of you, then,” Chrysalis said firmly and she lit up her horn. Green magic flowed through her jagged cranial appendage, wafting out and slowly passing over the still form of the pony diplomat.

Silver closed his good eye completely, but his scarred one did not shut all the way. He did what he could to steady his breathing, an attempt to slow his heartbeat. Though it was no easy feat, he was able to maintain a measure of calmness over himself, despite the closeness of the Changeling Queen and her pheromones. Silver was slightly amused, in hindsight, that he could become putty in somepony else’s hooves once he was tired enough; something that helped to ease him into calmness.

The two stayed relatively still, aside from the subtle head movements from Queen Chrysalis as she adjusted her neck to better scan Silver’s body. It soon occurred to the grey stallion that his fatigue was slowly melting away as Chrysalis’ magic flowed over him. How curious, he thought while peeking at her with his good eye. She’s actually spending her own magic in order to mend me body’s condition.

Chrysalis caught the little peek of his eyes, but remained fixated on easing her magic into his body. Though the main reason for her doing it was simply to help him, a thought that seemed to both disgust and satisfy some small part of her, it was not the only thing fueling her efforts. She sought something within him. A small glance into the inner workings of his mind, perhaps? Or maybe she simply wanted to feel his emotions at the source? Whatever the reason, she felt compelled to feel a stronger connection to Silver Skies, if only to gleam a better understanding of his true nature.

After some long minutes had passed, Silver felt well enough to sit upright. He went to rise, but found Chrysalis’ hoof press firmly against him to keep him pinned. The Changeling Queen leaned down, the glow of her horn fading to a light glimmer of green. “Before I allow you up, you have to answer one more question for me,” she said calmly.

Silver nodded his head and locked his red gaze with her green. “Ask what you wish, then.”

Chrysalis relaxed her hold on him, keeping her hoof in contact with his shoulder. “Can I truly trust in you, Silver Skies?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered, not wasting a single precious moment to even think about his answer.

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes critically. “That one word is so easy to say… but I still have my doubts.”

“Then what must I do to prove myself to you?” Silver asked calmly, though there was a slight pleading tone to his voice.

Chrysalis’ expression softened as she thought on his question. Then an idea sparked in her mind and she removed her hoof from Silver’s shoulder. “Enter into a binding contract with me. I have a few of the magical scrolls, ones my Infiltrators had come across when we invaded Canterlot, and they should provide satisfactory for my needs,” she said.

Silver nodded and slowly got to his hooves. He then looked to Chrysalis with firm resolve. “I’ll agree to using one of those scrolls, but I will not permit the usage of my free will, neither will my loyalty to Equestria to be questioned or manipulated. The agreement will bind me to being openly honest with you in any and all diplomatic and political aspects, and I shall see to it that your hive does receive the help it requires – even if I’m the only one providing aid. Do those terms satisfy you, Queen Chrysalis?”

The Changeling Queen mulled over the details for a few moments. She nodded once. “I do believe that your terms would suffice. Follow me and we shall nitpick over the finer details while we compose the deed properly.”

Silver Skies nodded and followed Chrysalis from the room. Once he was sure the situation had finally settled he let out a long, quiet sigh. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he realized that he had just taken a big step forward, despite having the mat yanked out from under him just a short while ago.  In a strange way… it felt good to finally tell sompony else about his past, though he did not know exactly what Chrysalis’ opinion on the matter was yet. Still, she was the first one he had told about his past outside of the ponies that had been present all those years back, which now only included Princess Celestia.

Hopefully I can continue to stay on the Queen’s good side from now on, Silver thought as they exited the chamber.
> 11 - Representative of the Hive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The glow from Silver’s horn faded and the quill gently landed on the table in front of him. With his signature on the magic-imbued document, Silver Skies and Queen Chrysalis were now bound by powers far greater than either of them. Should one of them fail to uphold their end of the written agreement, the contract would render the one at fault at the mercy of the second party.

Though the rules were fairly straight forward, things did seem a little more important in Silver’s eyes. He was back in familiar territory. Yes, he did have a way with words, and his emotional disposition gave him an advantage in verbal negotiations, but documentation was one of the things that Silver was the most comfortable with. He scanned over the contents of the scroll once more, taking in every little detail. Everything was neat and in order.

Silver Skies lit his horn and placed his hoof on the scroll. His gaze drifted over to Queen Chrysalis, who mirrored his actions with a matching scroll of her own. In near perfect unison, they cast the final spell to seal the deal. The two documents became infused with their magic and evaporated into a white mist that swirled around them before re-solidifying around their necks. In place of enchanted parchment, a silver pendant hung from the two participants.

Silver Skies eyed the latest addition to his nonexistent wardrobe casually. Chrysalis, on the other hoof, seemed to be quite pleased with how her new pendant complimented her. Where Silver’s was a simple teardrop shape, hers had taken on the shape of a scorpion. It was a fitting little piece of jewelry for her.

A small smile graced Silver’s lips as he watched the satisfied expression of the Changeling Queen. It seemed that his decision to form the pact with her had been a step in the right direction. “Now that that’s done,” Silver started calmly, “shall we resume the conversation that we were having before… all this happened?”

Chrysalis pried her eyes away from the pendant and eyed Silver with a raised brow. “You mean the conversation that led you to loose that cool demeanor of yours? I think I’ll pass. I have a better idea,” she said and swiftly stepped around the table to approach Silver Skies.

“You see, my original plan was to try and force you to crumble under a verbal assault to figure you out. With this new arrangement in place… there’s no need for that. Instead, I think it’s time I introduced you to the Changeling that will be going back with you to Canterlot as my Hive’s representative.”

Crysalis’ horn lit up with a single dull pulse as her eyes shifted slightly. It only took a moment, but there had been a faint hum in the air when she did that. The sensation slithering up Silver’s spine told him that the spell that Crysalis had just used was not your average one.

“That was a peculiar spell just now,” Silver stated with mild curiosity. “What did you do?”

Chrysalis gave Silver a sly look. “I simply summoned her. She should be arriving shortly,” she replied.

The pendant on Silver’s neck thrummed with a gentle vibration to let him know that what Chrysalis had said was truth. Of course, she had made sure to keep the finer details hidden just to tease him. He glanced down at his neckpiece with a small smile. It was going to be interesting from now on to have a deeper connection to the Changeling Queen.

True to her words, the wait was relatively short lived. A rather unique looking Changeling nymph entered the room the two were in and she stopped just within the doorway. Silver examined the nymph closely. Unlike any of the previous Changeling he had encountered, this new one was taller and sleeker in build. The holes in her legs were smaller and her wings held a more dazzling shimmer than anything he had seen before. To make things even more unique, she also looked at Silver with slitted eyes that resembled Chrysalis’. This nymph was very intriguing…

“Silver Skies, I’d like to introduce you to one of my daughters,” Chrysalis said with an expectant smirk.

Silver eyed the Queen for a long moment before his gaze drifted back to the nymph. Then his eyes widened as the specific wording hit him. “You mean she’s your daughter? As in a Changeling Princess?” he asked.

Chrysalis chuckled with a nod. “Yes. All Changelings are my children, but there are a few who are… more directly related to me. This is Whisper Winds, the second youngest of my seven daughters,” she said before she glanced over to Whisper. “Whisper, this is the one I told you about. You will be accompanying him to the pony capital.”

Whisper’s ears sank slightly, but she held her posture with purpose. Her gaze flicked to her mother for the briefest of moments before she closed her eyes and bowed her head. “As you wish, my Queen.”

Silver’s ear twitched as he heard the melodious voice of Whisper. She was soft spoken, but she sounded like a fine bell – utterly pleasing to the ears. Before he knew it, he was smiling at her. However as Whisper gave him a slightly questioning look, he quickly wiped his expression clean. “Ahem, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Whisper,” he said with a respectful bow.

“Oh, no… please don’t be so formal. I am her daughter, but I don’t like being seen as royalty… it’s embarrassing,” Whisper said with a faintly noticeable darkening beneath the chitin of her cheeks.

She’s… simply adorable, Silver thought just before he heard a sigh escape the Changeling Queen.

“One of these days you must act like a respectable member of royalty,” Chrysalis said with a slight roll of her eyes. “But, since this has already been decided, you can do as you wish. Just make sure you don’t show any weakness while you’re in the pony capital. You’re acting as the representative for all of us. Are we clear?”

“Yes your highness,” Whisper replied with another bow.

“Good. Now, if there’s nothing else then the two of you may go,” Chrysalis said with a turn to leave.

Silver, having been thrown for a slight loop, quickly stepped toward her. “Queen Chrysalis? What about our meeting? We haven’t yet discussed anything about my findings in Canterlot…”

Chrysalis paused to lift a brow toward him. “Then you may inform Whisper about it on the way to the capital. She will relay anything important to me. In any case, there is something else that requires my attention at this time and you also have to meet with the others to discuss your plan for revealing everything to the rest of my Hive. We’ve wasted enough time dealing with this other matter… we shall meet again, Silver Skies.”

With that said the Changeling Queen swiftly left, leaving a confused stallion in the room to stare at the doorway. Silver Skies blinked a few times before he turned a questioning gaze to Whisper.

Whisper Winds offered Silver a small smile. “She has gone to tend to one of the last egg clutches. I apologize if she offended you by leaving so abruptly.”

Silver smiled in turn and shook his head. “Not at all. I’m sure she did it just to get a rise out of me. She has shown a tendency to do that often.”

“Yes. She especially enjoyed your reaction to our form of seating when she took you to the Nest. Even I have to admit that your expression was priceless.”

“Wait…” Silver said with a raised brow. “I do not recall seeing any Changeling Princesses when I was there. How did you know about that?”

Whisper smiled kindly as her gaze drifted to the floor. “We Changelings share our thoughts and experiences through the Hive mind. We’re all connected through it. Our Queen is at the center of it all, but only those closest to her may see what she sees and only if she permits,” she said and looked back to Silver with a slight blush. “I do hope you don’t mind me seeing such a thing. I’m sure it was an uneasy experience for you.”

Silver Skies smiled a little more and chuckled. “I don’t mind in the slightest. Even I have to admit it was a perfectly executed plan on her part. It's fairly amusing as well. In any case, am I correct in assuming that you will be my guide to meet with Miss Antennae, Commander Carapace, and Miss Tender?”

“Yes. Please follow me, Mr. Skies.”

“Just Silver Skies, or Silver will do.”

Whisper smiled. “Then call me Whisper. This way, Silver…”

Silver Skies nodded with a smile and followed after Whisper. They made their way to the meeting place in good time, making small talk along the way. At last they arrived to the war room from Silver’s last visit. Within, Silver noticed that only Antennae and Carapace were present.

“Good afternoon, Miss Antennae and Commander Steel Carapace,” Silver greeted.

Antennae nodded and replied her welcome while Carapace simply grunted with a nod. The two quickly bowed respectfully once Whisper tentatively entered behind Silver Skies. “Oh, please rise you two. There’s no need for such formalities.”

Steel Carapace lifted his head and shook it. “You are a royal daughter to her highness. I will always bow. Especially for you, Lady Whisper.”

Antennae lifted her head as well and offered a small smile. “Indeed. It is an honor to be in your presence once again,” she said and turned her gaze to Silver Skies. “It is good to see you as well, Silver Skies.”

Silver smiled kindly. “Indeed, I’m also glad to see you both are in as good of health as I last saw you. Is Miss Tender going to arrive soon?”

Carapace shook his head. “She’s accompanying the Queen at the moment.”

“I see,” Silver replied. “Then I suppose we are meant to proceed with the current members present?”

Antennae nodded her head. “That is correct. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure Tender is made aware of this meeting and its contents.”

“Right,” Silver nodded and lit his horn to levitate a few items from his saddlebags. He brought out a number of scrolls as well as a hoofful of quills and two jars of ink. With another nod he looked to all Changelings present. “Let’s begin…”




~~***~~




It had taken a few solid hours, but Silver Skies, Antennae and Steel Carapace had gone over every detail of the multiple plans that Silver had formulated. They had taken the strong points of each scenario and combined them into a fairly strong plan of action in explaining the fate of the Hive to Chrysalis’ Changelings.

“So we are all agreed. This was quite the ideal method, you have our thanks for all you’ve done, Silver Skies,” Antennae said with a little bow of her head.

Steel Carapace chuckled and shook his head. “I hate to admit it, but you did good. I’ll get right on my end of these proceedings and make sure that we have adequate security for the big reveal,” he said and offered Silver a thankful smile.

Silver nodded his head and looked between them. “Excellent. Now are you both certain that you don’t want me to deliver the speech?”

Whisper stepped closer to his side. “Though your intentions are admirable, I think it would be best if you were not present within the Hive during the reveal. Most of the Hive simply allows your presence because of our Queen’s wishes, but if you were to tell them of our fate it would only cause unrest for our subjects. Still, we are grateful that you’re willing to do so much for us,” she said with a soft smile.

Silver looked to Whisper and smiled in turn. “I understand. Still, I just wanted to make sure. I meant it when I said I wanted to help in any way I could.”

“And we appreciate that,” Carapace said gruffly, “but we can’t let you do everything. At least I can actually respect you for what you’ve done for us so far. You’re alright, for a pony.”

Silver smiled again and nodded.

“In any case, we now have a clear goal and a well thought out plan. There is much for us to do so I shall take my leave to get started,” Antennae said as she stood to leave.

“Indeed,” Carapace agreed and followed suit.

Whisper gently tapped Silver Skies on the shoulder and offered him a small smile when he looked her way. “We should probably take our leave of the Hive. I’m sure there is much that the two of us need to discuss.”

Silver Skies nodded in agreement. “That we do. When will you be ready to depart for Canterlot?” he asked.

Antennae and Steel Carapace bowed respectfully to the two as they left the room. Whisper returned the sentiment with a small bow of her head before she returned her attention to Silver. “I am ready to go at any time.”

Silver’s ear flicked and he tilted his head slightly. “Truly? You don’t have any belongings you wish to bring?”

“None are necessary,” Whisper replied. “I have a small stash of love crystals and that should last me for a month without any problems.”

Silver Skies huffed with a grin. “Very well. If that is the case then I have but one more question for you. How well do you handle teleportation?”

Whisper giggled softly into her hoof before she teleported to the opposite side of Silver Skies. “I think I’ll manage just fine. Just wait a moment while I get my disguise in place,” she said and her body flashed in a dazzling display of green fire.

Silver Skies’ eyes widened at the new appearance of Whisper Winds. In place of her black chitin stood a slightly shorter mint green mare with a long flowing yellow mane and tail. A well taken care of horn stood out on her head that parted her mane so that a single ice blue eye could gaze back at him. Her cutie mark was a heart shaped ruby.

“This is my preferred disguise… Crystal Heart,” Whisper said as she blushed faintly. “I kind of got the inspiration from the time I visited the Crystal Kingdom in the north. I know it’s not really that original, but I still like it.”

Silver Skies finally managed to get a hold of himself and he offered Whisper a warm smile. “I think it’s a nice look for you. The name fits you, too. Are you ready?”

Crystal nodded her head and stepped closer to Silver Skies. The grey stallion’s horn lit up a deep blue before a faint overglow of pink overlapped it. Crystal lit up her own horn, a light blue shade of magic, and she gently touched hers to Silver’s. Their magics harmonized and an image formed in their minds before a flash of light enveloped their forms.

A pop accompanied the familiar smell of ozone as Silver and Crystal Heart materialized. The disguised Changeling Princess opened her eyes and looked around only to become slightly startled. Not more than a hundred ponylengths away stood the massive structure of Canterlot Castle. Around them was a massive garden, filled with flowers and shrubs of all kinds.

“This is… incredible…” Crystal said breathlessly.

Silver Skies smiled kindly toward her and glanced around the garden as well. “I thought you might like this particular place. This is one of my favorite locations within the royal gardens. We can return to this place if you’d like, but for now we should make our way to my office. We still have much to discuss.”

Crystal smiled warmly and nodded. “I would like that. Lead the way, Silver.”

The two lifted a hoof to proceed, but they came to a sudden stop when the sounds of rushing ponies greeted their ears. Crystal looked to Silver with slight worry only to notice a firm look of annoyance had etched itself into his features. There even seemed to be something invisible dancing just outside of his scarred eye…

A moment later, a large group of royal guards rounded a hedge and charged straight for the two of them. Crystal Heart shrank fearfully under their firm gazes as they surrounded them. She then felt a calming hoof touch her foreleg and Silver offered her a small smile to try and calm her.

The guards came to a halt once they had cut off any and all routs of escape for Silver and Crystal. Two of the guards parted to the side to let a royal mage step forth, his beady eyes sizing up the notable diplomat and his mysterious partner. After a moment, the mage cleared his throat authoritatively. “Sir Silver Skies… it has been brought to our attention that you have been in contact with the Changelings. As a precaution, to prevent any dangers to the crown, we are here to scan you to ensure you are the real Silver Skies. Do we have your consent to perform the detection spell?”

Silver chuckled and gave the mage a fierce grin. “That was a rather pointless question. Go ahead and cast the spell. I have business to attend to with my companion,” he said and stood tall with an intimidating yet blank expression on his face.

The mage gulped and nodded as he lit up his horn to cast the intricate spell. A wave of green magic washed over Silver’s body for a moment before the mage sighed in relief. “No reaction, this is the real Silver Skies,” he said and looked to Crystal as he lit his horn once more.

Crystal did her best to keep a relaxed look about her, but there was nothing that could stop her hammering heart within her chest. She was scared. She looked to Silver for help, to be spared from the spell, to get a hint as to what she should do, but he simply gave her a calm look in return. Her eyes looked deeply into his red eye as she pleaded silently for him to do something to help… but he still held that air of calmness.

The mage’s spell activated and coated Crystal’s body in the green detection magic and she closed her eyes as she felt the effect. Warmth wrapped around her form, as if somepony was pouring syrup over her and she clenched her teeth as she prepared for the inevitable…
> 12 - To Play With Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As quickly as it came, the warmth of the green magic faded. Crystal Heart held her breath as time seemed to come to a halt for her. She knew at any moment there would be shouts of outrage and spears pointed at her… but nothing like that ever came. She cautiously peeked an eye open to see the sympathetic smile on the mage’s face.

“Sorry for how sudden that was, miss. It’s just a standard procedure. Everything’s alright, we know you’re not a Changeling,” said the nameless royal mage.

Crystal’s eyes popped open and she stared at him silently. A gentle chuckle drew her attention to the bemused expression on Silver Skies’ face. “Shall we proceed? We still have much to discuss,” Silver said with a kind smile.

Crystal nodded slowly and she went to follow the grey stallion. As she moved, the circle of guards broke their formation lazily and made their way back to wherever they were going. The disguised Changeling Princess waited until she was sure nopony would overhear her before she leaned closer to Silver and asked him the question of the day. “What just happened?”

Silver chuckled softly before he paused to answer her. “Just before I teleported us here I placed an additional spell on you. You see, it was only known by a small group of ponies that I would be returning with a Changeling representative. I had my suspicions that such knowledge would not stay within my circle of trusted contacts, so I decided to counter any attempts at revealing you within the castle grounds,” he explained calmly.

Crystal stared at him for a long moment. “But… how did you manage that? I don’t feel any lingering magic on me…”

Silver smiled slyly. “And that’s the whole point behind my counter spell. I helped the royal guard develop that detection spell, so I know its inner workings. The reason it failed and why you don’t feel it is because it was assimilated with your form the instant our bodies destabilized during the teleport. In a sense, my spell is directly connected to the Changeling magic keeping up your current appearance.”

“How did you do that? That shouldn’t even be possible…”

Silver’s sly smile faded into a slightly saddened expression. “There is much more to me than I’m currently willing to share. Suffice it to say, I just have a way of getting things done with unique methods.”

Crystal held her gaze with Silver. She peered into his red eye, searching for something that might tell her more about the strange stallion she had been asked to accompany. Silver Skies, for his part, simply let her look. He knew he had a lot to answer for, far more than what any of the Changelings knew, but he was not yet ready to share everything with them. Though the pendant on his chest did vibrate faintly, it was only because he was walking a fine line between truth and lie.

Eventually, Silver decided that there would be a better time and place for proper explanations. He offered the princess a small smile and nodded his head toward the castle. “Come along, Crystal Heart. There is a lot that we need to cover. I doubt we’ll be finished before the dinner hour… speaking of, would you care to join me for that later?”

Crystal sighed gently, but smiled all the same. “That’s very generous of you. I would be delighted,” she said and followed behind Silver as he resumed walking.

Before long, the two reached Silver’s personal study. Being the gentlecolt, Silver Skies offered Crystal a seat on the very comfortable velvet chair he had in the corner of his office. The mint green unicorn mare took to the seat tentatively at first, only to practically melt into it once she got comfortable.

Silver smiled kindly at her upon seeing the content expression on her face. “Looks like I’ll have a tough time extracting you from that spot later. I take it you approve of pony seating?” he asked playfully.

Crystal giggled and peeked an eye open in his direction. “It’s ideal for this form of mine, yes, but our slime seats are far more comfortable when we’re in our natural form. Still, I am quite satisfied with this chair, thank you.”

Silver smiled a little more and lit up his horn to cast a few privacy spells onto the room. With the multiple layers of protection in place, Silver turned his attention to his desk. “You are free to resume your Changeling form, if you desire. I still don’t know a lot about your kind or how the process of being transformed affects you. So if it’s more comfortable for you, you may stay as you are or revert back,” he said as he walked to take his seat behind the desk.

Crystal closed her eyes for a moment as she felt around for her magic. It was then that she faintly caught traces of a new energy that had intertwined itself with her Changeling magic. Cautiously, she felt around it a little, trying to get a feel for it and determine exactly what it was… but all she could gather was that the strange magic was warm and soothing to the touch.

“It’s Soul Magic.”

Crystal’s eyes opened and she stared at Silver. “What?”

“You were feeling around. I could sense you examining my magic,” Silver lightly explained.

“But… what is it?” Crystal asked with a gentle tilt of her head.

Silver Skies sighed softly as a sad smile took over his features. “Soul Magic would be my specialty… so to speak. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve yet to reveal my cutie mark…” he said as he eyed her reaction.

Crystal Heart’s form slowly burned away in green fire as Whisper took back her true form. The look on her face was one of curiosity, but she held a matching sad smile. “I had noticed. Though your actions in the past would signify you hid it under your saddlebags out of professionalism… your emotions are telling me something completely different.”

“Indeed…” Silver said with sad sigh. He then stood from his seat and walked around his desk. Pausing just long enough to take a preparatory breath, Silver lit his horn and lifted away the saddlebags that had almost never left his sides for over twenty years.

The mark beneath left Whisper at a loss for words as she stared at Silver’s flank. A silver cloud was all she saw at first. But the longer she looked, the more the mark revealed itself. Chains of sickly green light slowly snaked their way into the cloud, eventually wrapping around a pony skull. Suddenly, Silver’s saddlebags covered his mark once more and Whisper gasped for air, having not realized she had stopped breathing. Her eyes darted up to see the sad expression on Silver’s face.

“That… is part of the price I paid. Normally I never allow anypony to see that… but I felt that I could trust you with this knowledge,” Silver said before turning away from Whisper.

Whisper stared at the back of Silver’s head for a long few moments with her mouth slightly agape. Her gaze drifted down to his saddlebags as she took some time to collect her thoughts. Without the mark’s influence, she could finally recall exactly what she had felt at the time she was entranced. When she had first looked at the cloud she felt a calmness wash over her. Then, as the ill-looking chains spread across it, Whisper started to feel as though something was wrapping around her lungs and heart. She then realized that as the pony skull had fully formed in the mark that her heart and lungs had stopped functioning in that same moment. It was then that Silver had covered the mark, breaking whatever hold it had on her.

The princess looked back up to Silver’s head, noticing that he had turned his face slightly toward her, knowing that she was about to address him. “If you had not covered your cutie mark…”

“It would have killed you, yes.”

Whisper’s eyes closed as her head lowered a little. “Have you seen somepony else die from it?” she asked quietly.

There was a brief pause before Silver answered. “Yes… when I was returned to this world. Two of the ponies that found me lost their lives to my cutie mark. A lot of things happened after that. Other ponies feared me, I was taken to Princess Celestia to be evaluated for how large a threat I posed to others, I was placed in a cell shortly after when a few other ponies made the mistake of looking at my mark. Much to my relief, at the time, they didn’t die after seeing it because the guards that got in between them and me blocked their view. I spent the next few years as both a prisoner and a subject of intense study before the Arch-mage, of all ponies, came up to me and actually asked me a normal question.”

Whisper’s ears perked up and her head tilted slightly. “What did he ask you?”

A small smile spread on Silver’s lips. “He asked for my name. From then on, I was treated a little more pleasantly… as if I were a pony again.” Silver’s gaze warmed a touch more at the following memories as he recalled how he soon managed to become friends with the old Arch-mage.

Whisper felt the shift in Silver’s emotions and a smile of her own spread over her features. For the first time since they had met, and even after her shared experiences through the Hive-mind, she was glad to feel such joyful emotions coming from the normally flat-lined stallion. It made him feel more… real to her. Without really considering it, Whisper allowed herself to sip some of his emotions from the air, thoroughly enjoying the taste.

Silver Skies let out a small gasp as he felt the gentle tug on him and he turned his gaze to the Changeling Princess. Her eyes were closed and the kind smile on her face was still present. As Silver held his stare he started to notice the faintest of blushes darkening Whisper’s cheeks. For some reason, the gentle tint of her chitin seemed to make Whisper seem more alive and vibrant. Before he could even think to stop himself, Silver smiled and allowed himself a moment to admire her unique beauty.

Whisper’s wings twitched and her eyes fluttered open slowly as her lips parted in a soft sigh. What is this feeling? It’s… coming from Silver? It almost tastes like love…

Realizing that he was staring a little too intently, Silver tore his eye away from Whisper to look at a particularly interesting spot on the wall beside her. At the same time he made sure to force his emotions to reset. That was a little too close… wait, just what was I doing? 

Silver cleared his throat gently. “Ahem. I do believe we’ve wandered off topic again. We should begin our discussion about the proper arrangements regarding the solidification of the alliance between Equestria and Queen Chrysalis’ Hive, yes?” he said as professionally as he could.

Whisper took in a calming breath as well and nodded cordially. “Yes, I believe we should.”
> 13 - Different Matters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hmm…” Whisper Winds hummed as she read the last of the scroll’s contents. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the comfy chair as she passed the document over to Silver Skies, whose blue aura surrounded the parchment. The Changeling Princess was quiet for a few moments as she thought about everything she had just been made aware of. After her pause, Whisper’s lips curled up in a gentle smile and she peeked an eye open at the grey stallion across the room. “With how you manage to put together such things, I’m surprised we’re even wasting our time discussing these topics. Everything you’ve shown me has been splendid. I see no reason for my Queen to reject any of these proposals.”

Silver grinned for a moment as he shook his head and straightened out a stack of papers, adding the latest scroll to it. “I appreciate your kind words, but just because somepony has good ideas doesn’t mean that the second party shouldn’t have a say in the matter. It’s polite and a necessary evil for me to show you all of these documents,” he replied before his grin slipped away. “Are you sure that it’s alright that the magic researchers are being so stubborn? I’m sure I could get them to reconsider…”

Whisper shook her head softly. “Please don’t concern yourself with it too much. Our peace has only just begun, Silver. There is still time.” Her smile warmed and she gazed kindly at Silver Skies. “Besides, I have little doubt that you’ve already started looking for a solution on your own.”

A wry chuckle slipped through Silver’s grin before he feigned innocence. “My dear princess, I have no idea where you would have gotten such an outrageous idea,” he said before playfully poking his tongue out at her.

Whisper giggled behind her hoof. “It’s such a mystery. I do so wonder why I’d be under the impression that you’re a mastermind.”

Silver returned Whisper’s smile and he closed his eyes. “I will admit that I have looked into a few theories. I have yet to start on some minor experimentation, but once I get a little time to devote to them I’ll have a better idea about a few things. Of course, I’d require help from a Changeling for the best results.”

Whisper looked thoughtful for a moment as she tapped her chin with her hoof. “So… in your opinion, would you need a male? Female? Would I be a viable test subject?” she asked.

Silver smiled slightly, admiring Whisper’s intuitiveness. “A female would provide the best results. Ideally, I believe I would have the best luck with a Changeling that has… given birth? Laid eggs? Now that I think about it, I’m still unsure as to the details behind Changeling reproduction.”

Silence filled the room for a time as Whisper eyed Silver curiously. Eventually a sly grin crossed over the princess’ features and she lidded her eyes. “Are you sure you want to know how we Changelings reproduce?” she asked with a deliberately sensual pose.

Silver Skies stared blankly for a second before the implications registered in his mind. Oh, that was clever, Whisper, he thought as he fought back a grin. He knew that she was trying to get a rise out of him and decided to play along. He cleared his throat gently and provided the Changeling with an innocent smile. “Absolutely, Whisper, I’d love nothing more than to be educated on any aspect you deem fit to teach me,” he said and tilted his head in faux curiosity.

Whisper grinned and her wings buzzed excitedly for a brief moment. So he wants to play along, does he… she thought quickly. I wonder… oh I hope he doesn’t mind.

The Changeling Princess slowly stood from her spot on the chair, taking extra care to accentuate her movements. Once she was up on all four legs, Whisper made a bit of a show stretching to display her slender body and expose her neck. Much to her surprise, she quickly started feeling that same love-like emotion from Silver. Maybe he likes what he sees? Would that mean he finds me… attractive? Oh my, maybe I shouldn’t test this. What if it backfires? I don’t want to upset him. Mother would be so very cross with me if that happened, Whisper thought as she focused on Silver.

The moment Whisper’s eyes met with Silver’s, a slightly stronger wave of emotion wafted off of the stallion and a faint blush tinted his cheeks. Seeing such a reaction and becoming influenced by the feelings he was giving off, Whisper found her body moving on its own. She slowly approached Silver Skies, never breaking eye contact with him.

Silver’s heart raced as he watched Whisper. He found himself captivated by her… as if looking away would have been the greatest mistake he could possibly commit. Every little detail of her movements was like a work of art and it was all for him. The Changeling Princess slowly circled around Silver’s desk and he swallowed nervously. She was stunningly beautiful as she eyed him with those tantalizing slitted green eyes. It was incredible, the feelings he was feeling at that moment, especially considering that he had only just met her earlier that day. Wait a minute…

It suddenly dawned on Silver; he had just met a Changeling Princess for the first time that afternoon, the very same afternoon following his episode with Chrysalis’ pheromones. Silver subconsciously facehooved like an idiot and he sighed as he coaxed his emotions to reset again. Whisper’s advances instantly halted and she gazed at Silver questioningly. The grey stallion forced a smile and he gently cleared his throat. “It… would seem that we may have to be more careful about being together in enclosed spaces, Whisper. I think your pheromones are as potent as your mother’s,” he explained as calmly as he could.

Whisper thought on his words for a moment before comprehension struck her. They had spent the past six hours in a room that was roughly five pony lengths by seven. Being in close proximity to Silver with her natural bodily secretions permeating the air… there was little doubt that it had been sufficient enough to influence him. Her eyes slowly widened and the chitin of her cheeks darkened considerably as she realized just what she had nearly done without thinking about the potential consequences. In a rapid flash of green fire, Whisper changed into her pony form and hid behind her mane, her cheeks showing off a fierce blush. “Oh dear, I-I hope you can forgive me for my actions. I had no idea that you were being affected. I-”

Silver cut her off with a gentle pat of her hoof. “Don’t fret too badly over it. I think we were both caught off guard by the… circumstances. Besides… now that we know about this we can make sure to take the proper measures from now on. I don’t hold anything against you, Whisper. Please don’t think you are at fault,” he said kindly to her. In all honesty, he had to admit that he had not really minded. Even thinking more clearly, Silver was aware that he did find Whisper to be… well, oddly attractive. The thought was enough to give him pause, but the more he thought about it the more it made itself known to him. He seemed to like the way Whisper looked… heck, he even liked Chrysalis’ appearance. Maybe it was the allure? Could he have an attraction to them because of their more exotic features? It made sense in a way, since he had found a distinct lack in attraction to normal mares for most of his life. In addition, he was certainly not inclined to go for stallions – a fact that was solidified by how much just the thought of thinking about another male filled him with the desire to gag and scrub his mind with steel wool.

“Silver? Are you sure that you are not upset with me? Your emotions are drifting into an unusual direction…” Whisper said quietly.

Silver Skies chuckled gently. “Sorry… I was a little lost in my thoughts for a moment there. I assure you that it was not regarding you in any ill manner. My mind simply decided it was time to wander down a rabbit trail, so to speak. Come, I’m feeling quite famished and I think we both could use a change in scenery,” he said and smiled for Whisper.

Whisper nodded in agreement. She really felt it was a good idea to get out and… get some fresh air. It was kind of a peculiar thing, seeing why ponies were prone to needing breaks from social interaction at awkward times. As Whisper followed silently behind Silver Skies she started to see that things outside of the Hive were not like she had expected. Her gaze drifted up to look at the back of Silver’s head. Am I really suited for this? she wondered. What if I’m the wrong ling for this monumental task?
> 14 - Unexpected
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The halls of Canterlot Castle were quite the sight to behold for those walking through them the first time. From the polished white marble floors to the ornate tapestries that adorned the pale lavender walls, accented by gold and fine oak trimmings, it was a stunning display of architecture. Yet, as Silver Skies escorted the disguised Changeling Princess, Crystal Heart, he found himself noticing her lack of interest in the great halls. It was true that the castle’s grandeur had faded long ago for Silver, but he was curious when others did not hold awe-filled eyes toward the castle upon their first visit. Silver glanced back at Whisper with a small smile. “I’m a little shocked that you’re not gawking at the castle. It’s almost as though the sight of this place is far from awe-inspiring for you.”

Crystal started at being addressed and a slight tint of pink shaded her cheeks. Truth be told, she had been deep in thought about what had transpired in Silver’s office just minutes ago. In addition, Crystal found herself feeling increasingly more embarrassed with how she had reciprocated Silver’s influenced emotions. It was natural for a Changeling to feed off of and encourage emotions, yet for whatever reason her time with Silver had brought out a side of her that she never knew existed. Her predatory nature scared her. Though she had thought she would never do anything like preying upon a pony, the sad reality was that was exactly what she had been doing in that room. It wasn’t just Silver being influenced at that time, oh no, Crystal had also been reacting to his building emotions. For a Changeling, sitting in a room that is filled progressively with emotions is almost the same as saturating the air with alcohol; it essentially inebriated them and made them act upon sudden impulses.

The mint green unicorn forced a smile and scanned the hall they were in as she continued to follow Silver. “Honestly, I don’t see much to be in awe of when it comes to pony architecture. Some things I find strange, like when pegasi shape clouds to look like a crafted structures while earth ponies and unicorns try to make their buildings resemble trees or food items. In general you could say that I just don’t have any real interest in that subject matter. As for why I don’t seem taken aback by the castle… it’s kind of because of the shared memories I’ve seen from when the Queen invaded. I’ve technically been here before,” Crystal explained calmly.

Silver found himself chuckling at that. “That actually makes a lot of sense. Sorry, it slipped my mind that you might have already experienced the castle. Then again… I think we’ve both had enough food for thought today.” Silver gently eased his pace until he was standing in front of Crystal. He offered her an understanding smile. “I apologize for letting things get out of hoof back there. I hope you aren’t too bothered by what happened…”

Crystal sighed softly as a small smile graced her lips. “Please understand that I never meant to let that happen. At the very least we did learn a valuable lesson. It does bother me, but only because I never thought I would have allowed myself to be swayed by emotions like that. It was… unexpected, but I feel that it provided a much needed perspective for me.”

Silver nodded slowly in agreement. “Yes… it was a very valuable experience. It was also… enlightening, in a way. Yet again I found myself thinking about your kind and how much I do not know, but I still desire to understand Changelings – even more than before.” A brief pause followed before Silver spoke up again. “I truly look forward to learning more about you. The more I know, the better I can aid Queen Chrysalis and the Hive.”

Crystal Heart’s smile widened. “I think that is one of the reasons I truly look forward to being of assistance to you, Silver. You’re so compassionate toward my kind… and you mean every word of it. I wish you knew just how much that means to me, and the Hive.”

Silver Skies couldn’t help but smile widely from Crystal’s words. It was absolutely true that he wished to help the Changelings. In a way he felt he had more in common with them, what with having been ostracized in the past for being considered different and a potential threat to others. Silver was just about to respond in kind… when his stomach decided it had waited long enough. A loud groan emanated from within Silver’s belly, which sent a mild blush of embarrassment into his cheeks. With a weak chuckle, Silver pointed further down the way with his hoof. “Shall we proceed? I think I’m more famished than I previously thought.”

Crystal grinned playfully and nodded. “I find that to be quite surprising, especially since it sounded like you swallowed a manticore just now.”

Silver let loose a genuine laugh at that, with Crystal giggling along with him. He turned a warm smile her way. Pheromones or not, he found himself enjoying the Changeling Princess’ company. Without further ado, the two continued down the halls toward the dining rooms.




~~***~~




To say that Crystal Heart was surprised would have been a grave understatement. Sure, the castle had lost its luster due to her shared memories from the Hive and she had felt relatively at ease after Silver's successful ploy in keeping her true identity a secret, but that paled in comparison to what she saw in front of her at the moment. There, sitting at the head of one of the large formal dining tables, was the one and only Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and master of the sun. Crystal was stunned, to say the least, her ice blue eyes fixed to the solar princess.

Silver paused shortly after entering the dining hall. He was well aware of Crystal’s reaction since he had heard her hooves cease their movement. Still, he knew that Celestia would not do anything to hinder any of his efforts, but it did place him in a bit of a bind as to how to calm Crystal down. Sensing the unease from the disguised Changeling, Princess Celestia looked between the two newest arrivals to the hall and offered them a warm and motherly smile. “Ah, good evening my little ponies. I was not expecting company at this hour.”

Silver smirked. “I must admit to the same, good evening your highness. I’m quite surprised that you’re up this late. The sun set quite some time ago and I was fairly certain you’d have gone to bed,” he commented casually.

Celestia’s smile shifted playfully for a moment. “Well, let’s just say I had a few things on my schedule that took up more time than I had expected.” The solar princess’ eyes drifted over to Crystal Heart. “… And who might this be? A friend of yours, Silver?” she asked kindly.

Silver nodded gently. “You could say that. This is actually the representative of Chrysalis’ Hive. Allow me to introduce, Miss Crystal Heart, also known as Whisper Winds,” he said with a gesture of his hoof toward the still stunned Changeling Princess.

Crystal glanced over to Silver for a second before her head finally caught up with the situation. She closed her eyes and bowed respectfully. “It is an honor to meet you, Princess Celestia.”

Celestia’s smile faded slightly. “Please, you need not be so formal around me. Any friend of Silver’s is a friend of mine as well. I just hope he’s not been his usual stiff self – it tends to put off most other ponies.”

“Why Celestia, I’m hurt. How could you say such a thing about me?” Silver defended with an excessively dramatic swoon. He had the strongest urge to summon a fainting couch for added effect, but reasoned it was not practical enough given his proximity to Crystal and the doorway.

Celestia lifted a brow at Silver’s display before she started giggling. Her giggle soon escalated into a jovial laugh. It had been quite some time since Silver had pulled such an expressive stunt and the fact that she knew he had thought about taking it even further was what made her realize that her loyal diplomat was in a fairly good mood. It warmed her heart to see him be more open, even with the slightly confused looking Crystal eyeing the scene with mild curiosity. Celestia eventually settled down and she smiled happily. “It is good to see you in such high spirits, Silver. It really has been too long since you could relax and be so forward with me.”

Silver chuckled and returned Celestia’s smile. “Indeed. You have Crystal to thank for that. As it turns out… the Changeling pheromones can do wonders for my emotional disposition.” Silver turned his attention back to Crystal. “As you can see, this is Celestia… one of my oldest friends,” he said with a kind grin.

Crystal heart slowly allowed herself to relax, though she was still inclined to show some respect for the princess. She nodded her head gracefully. “Again, it is very nice to meet you. I hope my being a Changeling does not upset you…”

Celestia’s expression gained a few grains of sympathy at Crystal’s words and she shook her head gently. “Worry not, my little Changeling. I have no grievances with your kind… though I will admit to holding a small grudge against Queen Chrysalis for sticking me in that cocoon. It took weeks for the taste to leave my mouth afterward,” she said with a chuckle.

Crystal’s head lowered slightly as she recalled that particular memory from the Hive’s experiences. She knew all too well the after effects from releasing a pony from a containment pod. The material was made of a special slime mixture that allowed emotions to pass freely through the thinner membranes while soaking up a substantial portion of the occupant’s magic to keep them in a sedated state. In cases like with Celestia, there is a limit to how much magic can be absorbed, so the pods secondary measures for keeping the occupant secured kick in. The pod’s interior is filled with an oxygen rich gel that is laced with two forms of paralytic substances, one to target the nerves and one to disable the muscles directly after the gel has had time to be absorbed into the blood stream. Exiting a pod leaves most occupants to suffer from fatigue and weakness, as well as forcing them to endure the magic dampening that leaves their body in a state of severe lethargy. Fortunately for Celestia, she had not been in the pod long enough for the more incapacitating side effects to sink in, though the taste was one of the things that was harder to get over as the gel did get absorbed rather quickly. In a way, it could have been comparable to being sprayed by a skunk only that tomato juice had no effect in relieving the results.

Crystal was suddenly pulled from her thoughts about containment pods when something large and warm covered her. Her eyes instantly regained their focus as alabaster feathers and fur obscured her vision. Looking up, she found herself wrapped in a wing hug from Celestia, whom smiled down kindly to the young Changeling Princess.

“Forgive me, Crystal Heart, I meant that as mere jest,” Celestia said softly. “I did not mean to upset you by bringing up a sensitive subject.”

Crystal simply stared at Celestia for a few moments. It was almost impossible for the Changeling to comprehend the fact that she was being warmly embraced by the most feared ruler that her race knew, aside from her Queen when she was mad. Yet, at the same time, Crystal found comfort in the hug. She could feel Celestia’s genuine emotions, the regret and concern radiating off of the solar princess in waves. She slowly allowed a smile to spread across her lips as she leaned into the hug. “No, it is I who should be sorry. If things had been different then you would not have had to experience the effects of our pods. But that was never something I had any control over and I would like to think that Queen Chrysalis would be sorry for what she did to you as well. I cannot say for certain, but I think that she does feel some degree of remorse for her past actions. She merely did what she thought was the right choice to keep us, her children, safe and well cared for.”

Celestia smiled warmly down at Crystal and nodded regally. “I would have to agree. Though I do not know much about Queen Chrysalis, I get the feeling that she is more like me than either of us realized. I have done much in the past for my little ponies. Not every choice was without regret, however, but like her I too have continued forward. Every choice I make is for the good of Equestria and the ponies who live within it.”

Crystal smiled wider at Celestia’s words and she began to see her in a new light. It was refreshing to see this side of the sun princess. However, there was one who did not share in the moment as he brooded silently beside the two respective princesses. Silver had watched the entire scene play out, quietly observing and listening to the conversation. He found himself slightly torn at the mention of Celestia’s decisions for Equestria. Though part of him saw her as a good friend… there was more of him that despised her. Yes… she had made poor choices in the past. One of which was condemning him to a cell and deeming him as a threat to her ponies, all without lifting a hoof to try and speak with him properly first. He knew he would never truly forgive her for that, but then again if she had not done so, Silver may not have met with his first real friend. Celestia had done many acts to gain Silver’s forgiveness after the fact, but it was difficult to forgive and forget after being treated like a monster for three years.

Silver sighed silently and coaxed yet another of his emotional resets. Crystal’s ears darted up and she looked to Silver with mild alarm. She had just started noticing his emotions shifting toward anger when he flat-lined. Silver returned her gaze blankly, his lone red eye almost void of the emotions that had been present earlier. His feelings were a calm pool now… and it gave the Changeling Princess a feeling of unease. Unlike the times before, Silver’s emotions continued to remain nonexistent long after the shift… as if he was purposefully hiding them from her. Crystal then came to realize that there were emotions present. A deep remorse filled the air around her. It took her a moment, but Crystal soon found that the emotions were coming from Princess Celestia herself. Crystal Heart’s eyes tentatively glanced between the two, quickly noticing that something had happened without her noticing it. There was something going on between the two beside her, but Crystal could only speculate as to what it was from what little she had learned from Silver Skies.

Eventually, Silver’s first emotion gently arose from the depths of his heart. Reluctant acceptance of history surfaced and he closed his eyes. “As it turns out… I think I will have a meal sent to my quarters later. Sorry to have disturbed you, your highness,” Silver said calmly.

Celestia’s features shifted ever so slightly as she closed her eyes and nodded. “I understand…” she said softly before she looked to Crystal as she removed her wing from the Changeling’s back. “Though our meeting was brief, it was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to next time.”

Crystal nodded, albeit slightly numbly. She was still confused as to what had just happened. “Yes… I hope we can meet again soon,” she said and glanced to Silver with a slightly questioning look.

Silver’s emotions gave off a small sample of his regret for how things had turned out, but he showed nothing more than a calm expression as he nodded curtly. “I’m sure we can arrange for another get together. Allow me to escort you to your room.”

Crystal’s heart sank slightly at how emotionless Silver was at the moment. Though she knew he was sorry for what he was doing, the overall feeling she got from him was that forced calmness. It was as if Silver was punishing himself by isolating his emotions… it just didn’t seem right to Crystal. Ponies should be more open, free to express themselves. What Silver was doing now was as unnatural as laying down on a bed of smoldering embers willingly, knowing that you were going to suffer. What had happened to that smile he had worn honestly just moments before? Where had that happiness gone? What had caused him to be so upset to begin with? So many questions ran through Crystal’s mind, but she would get no answers.

With a nod and mild reluctance, Crystal left Celestia’s side. Silver gave the sun princess a brief bow before he lit his horn and opened the dining hall doors. The two silently exited the room, leaving Celestia to sigh, alone. She continued to look at the doors long after they had closed as she thought about the past once more. Celestia had put so much effort into repairing the damage she had done in regards to her relationship with Silver Skies. Most days she felt that things had finally mended after so many years, but days like this were a bitter reminder of how she was only deluding herself. Silver Skies was like an enigma on occasion. Days… weeks… years could pass and he would appear at peace with her, speaking casually and friendly. But any time something came up that reminded Silver of his past, he would close up tighter than a hydraulic press and wear a mask stoic enough that any of her solar guards would be envious. With renewed weight on her heart, Celestia turned her head back to the table. Much like Silver… her appetite seemed to have vanished.




~~***~~




Silver and Crystal walked in awkward silence. The Changeling Princess wanted to ask about what had just happened, but the hollowness that still emanated from Silver made her hold her tongue. If she had gained anything from the situation, it was that Silver would not let anypony know anything unless he deemed fit. So, though she would have preferred a more animated conversation like she had shared with him before, Crystal continued to follow quietly.

After climbing up a staircase and traversing a number of halls, Silver stopped in front of a seemingly random door. He then turned his stoic face toward Crystal and the first chip in his mask formed as uncertainty took hold. He could easily see that he had given Crystal reason to be saddened and distressed. It gave the grey stallion pause for a moment and his emotions threatened to return in full force against his wishes. Yet, despite his resolute desire to stay as solid as a rock, Silver could not stop his true feelings on the matter from bubbling up from his heart. Silver sighed quietly as he opened the door beside him. “This will be your room while you stay here within the castle. It’s one of the more luxurious ones, but please feel free to use it as you wish.” He paused for a brief moment as Crystal looked into the room, her actions more reserved and partially empty. “I would also like to apologize for what happened in the dining hall,” he said with a slight bow of his head.

Crystal quickly looked to Silver as she began to feel his emotions coming back to life again. He was giving off plenty of regret, with slight traces of anger. Her ears slowly folded back against her head before she asked the question that was bothering her most. “What happened, Silver?” she asked softly.

Silver’s anger flared for a moment before an eerie calmness swept over him. He stared at something in his memories for a time before he entered the room silently. Crystal followed, getting the hint that what he had to say was not open for hallway discussion. Once they were both within the room’s confines, Silver gently closed the door and placed multiple spells upon the room. He looked to Crystal for a moment before he lowered his gaze to the floor. “I want you to know that this is one of my more private matters that I am about to share with you,” he said solemnly.

Crystal nodded and allowed her green fire to strip away her pony disguise. She looked at Silver with resolute desire in keeping his words close to her heart. “I understand. Not one word will be shared with any other being… not even my Queen will know of it,” she swore.

Silver’s eye glanced to her for a moment before he closed both and took a breath. Upon opening his eyes, he began to explain. “What I told you earlier was a summarized version of what I went through. To elaborate on a few critical points, I’ve had a streak of hatred for Princess Celestia for a long time. Would you care to guess why?” he asked calmly.

Whisper looked Silver in the eye as she thought back on what he had told her before. “Was it because she sent you to the dungeons?” she asked.

Silver’s calm expression morphed as a humorless smirk spread across his lips. “In part, yes. She did send me away, and quite quickly once her ponies were being harmed because of me. But there was more to it than that. I did everything I was taught to do. I went straight to her for help, I warned the guards that there was something very wrong with me, and I begged for help. I was still a mere colt, though my body had been changed, and I was terrified of hurting anypony else. Celestia…” Silver paused as his mind churned up old memories of how the motherly smile had vanished in an instant when one of the fools had ignored the warnings and looked at Silver’s cutie mark.

“Celestia had taken everything I was taught and turned it upside down. I had been so full of hope seeing her in person. I thought everything would be alright with the princess’ help. She proved me wrong, severely. I had seen what my mark could do. I had warned the guards that there was something dangerous about it. But one of them thought my words held no merit and they looked. That was all it took for me to be slammed into the floor and fitted with a magic inhibitor ring, which failed to stop the power of my mark. Celestia demanded that I cease my harmful actions, but I told her it wasn’t my doing. She did not listen to me… not one bit. Eventually I was dragged from the room, thrown into a high security cell in the dungeons, and left to rot for four days. I was given no food, no water, with only darkness to give me company. In the afternoon of the fifth day, Celestia had me removed from the cell and I was placed in a large sack of some kind. My treatment was… not pleasant; they threw me around in their magic as if I was nothing more than a worthless bag of garbage. I was placed, unceremoniously, on the floor of the throne room for my trial. Celestia’s opinion of my actions, combined with the biased testimonies from the ‘victims’, left me as a guilty abomination. I was sentenced to spend the rest of my life in prison, isolated from the rest of the world… but they also wanted to know more about my ability to kill with my mark.”

Silver paused again to calm his building anger from how he had been treated back then. Whisper could feel his anger and pain until she noticed his emotions reset once more. Silver looked to her in calm neutrality again. “From then on the ponies under Celestia’s tutelage, before the official magic research division was formed, took on the task of studying me. I was treated like a lesser life form, with not one of them taking the slightest consideration for my wellbeing. I was bombarded with foreign magic, stabbed with needles, cut open so that my insides could be properly examined, and then tossed into my cell to heal. For three years… I was nothing more than a research specimen. Then… well, you know about the Archmage. I was saved because of his compassion… when I had nearly allowed my spirit to finally break… when I was so close to giving in to the power inside of me. Celestia didn’t know at the time, but I could have broken free and killed them all with how much my anger fueled my magic. Part of my saving grace is that when my emotions turn toward anger, I can stop the resulting power by resetting. From the research I’ve done over the years, I’ve determined that my anger fuels some kind of dark magic. Dark magic is unstable and highly volatile… and corruptive. I’ve also determined that the dark magic can… will change me if I allow it. We discovered this during one of my own tests later on, but… but I think I’ve begun to ramble off topic now. Suffice it to say, I hold a deep loathing for Celestia’s decisions in the past. I have tried to forgive her. Maker above, I have done so much in my attempts to see the other side of her… but I just can’t truly forgive her. I hate her for what she did to me, what she allowed me to be put through, and how she had the gall to give me an apology for it that was… genuine. I actually saw her cry in front of me and yet again… yet again she destroyed how I viewed her. But I can’t forgive her. I have no idea what it would take for me to be capable of it, either. So instead, I pretend to be somepony else when I’m around her. Sadly, that persona can crumble away when I find myself reminded of my history with her. That… that is what happened,” Silver finally finished and sighed as he allowed his head to sink with one more emotional reset.

Whisper was shocked. She had expected there to have been something substantial behind his actions, but to know the exact details was simply stunning. Even for a Changeling, hearing of such torturous actions was nearly inconceivable. Changelings were told that ponies could do inexplicable things if they had caught any of them, but knowing that it had merit behind it made things all the more real and frightening for Whisper. She found herself glad that her real form had been successfully hidden in the gardens that afternoon. Her mouth worked wordlessly for a few moments as she struggled to respond. “That… I have no words. That must have been such a terrible thing to have gone through. I’m so sorry…”

Silver smiled weakly while shaking his head. “It wasn’t something that I’d even allow an enemy to go through. At the very least, it did provide me with oddly necessary experiences. Had they not done things in the manner in which they did, I would not have learned the extent of my mental limitations. Nor would I have made one of the most valuable friends I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. And I never would have become the diplomat that I am today and this conversation, as well as our relationship, would never have come to be. There are many things I am grateful for, and I wouldn’t change my past for anything because I know that this life could not be surpassed by another fate.”

Whisper let a small smile play across her lips and she turned a warm gaze to Silver’s eye. “That… is actually very sweet of you to say. Though, I am curious as to what our relationship is…” she said with an honest tilt of her head.

Silver chuckled and he extended his hoof. “I’d say that we’re very good friends, and I’ve come to respect and admire you all the more for it.”

Whisper’s smile widened and she graciously reached her hoof out to meet Silver’s. The moment her hoof touched his, Whisper felt a sudden rush of warmth and her heart filled with something she had never felt before. She could taste something all around her and it was coming off of Silver in waves as they shook hooves. The kindness and happiness in Silver’s gaze was unlike anything Whisper had seen before… yet it was strangely familiar for some reason – as if she somehow knew what it was she was feeling from him. Friendship…

Sadly, the shake could not last forever, but at least the strength of Silver’s feelings toward Whisper did not fade too much. The grey stallion turned his head toward the door and his ears twitched. He then looked back toward Whisper with a slowly lessening smile. “Well, it would seem that the hour has gotten late. I’m afraid that I must retire for the night,” he said with a growing sadness at the idea. He was feeling much better after finally letting somepony else know one of his little known facts, but he knew it would do him no good to stay up all night after having such an exhausting day. The emotional ride alone had already taken its toll on him.

Whisper’s smile faded slightly, but she nodded in understanding. “I understand. Though Changelings do require sleep as well, it is far less than what a pony needs. When should I expect to see you again?” she asked.

Silver looked off to the side in thought, his head tilting just a little. “You can expect me at around eight in the morning. I have a few minor things to look into, but I shouldn’t be held up by any of them.” Silver paused for a moment before he sighed. “And I think, if you wanted to, we could meet with Celestia for her lunch break in the late morning. It would give me the opportunity to apologize to her as well.”

Whisper’s ears lowered slightly as she swallowed. “You wouldn’t be forcing yourself to say it, right?”

Silver chuckled weakly. “To be honest, no. Though I don’t really think it’s needed, it is still the right thing to do. She has done a great deal in making things up to me… it’s only right that I try to do the same when I deprive her of company in the way that I did earlier. I know she must have been looking forward to meeting with you. Plus, I did make you a victim as well, for which I must apologize again.”

Whisper shook her head with a kind expression on her face. She gently placed her hoof on Silver’s cheek. “Don’t be sorry. You already said it before. Besides, you are taking me to see her tomorrow, so you’re already making amends. Thank you, by the way. I do look forward to meeting with her again… she was nice to me and I’d like to become friends with her, if at all possible.”

Silver smiled again and nodded his head. “I guess you are correct. I shall see you in the morning, Whisper. Have a pleasant rest.” With that, he slowly backed away from Whisper’s gentle touch.

Whisper smiled a little more and she watched the grey stallion leave the room, his horn glowing briefly as he removed the protective spells. A thought then occurred to her and she took a quick step forward. “Oh, Silver?”

Silver stopped just in front of the door, his magic gripping the door handle. He looked back to her with a mild curiosity. “Yes? Did you want me to leave some spells on the door to protect you?” he asked.

Whisper smiled sheepishly with a slight blush. “Yes… um, please. I’m not sure how secure the room normally is, but I was a little afraid of somepony coming in when I’m sleeping… at all actually. The scare I had earlier in the garden made me a little more nervous, too,” she admitted softly.

Silver smiled sympathetically. “I understand. You have nothing to worry about. These doors are keyed to only open for specific individuals. You can open it and so can I. Celestia can as well, but I doubt she’d come here unless there was a very important reason. I’ll add a few more spells just to make sure you feel comfortable, though.”

Whisper grinned thankfully before her eyes popped open. “Wait, when did this room get keyed for my magic?” she asked.

Silver chuckled gently. “When you walked in. I chose this room because it’s one of the few rooms that I use for personal reasons or business. Nopony tampers with these rooms unless I permit it. Even then, I’m very thorough with making sure everything is in order before I let any company stay here.”

Whisper breathed a small sigh of relief. She then smiled kindly for Silver. “I see, thank you for allowing me to use one of your rooms, Silver. And thank you for being kind enough to satisfy my paranoia. Please, don’t let me hold you up any longer. I hope you have a pleasant night,” she said and bowed her head slightly.

Silver smiled and shook his head softly. “Don’t worry about me, and you’re welcome. If there are any changes you wish to have done to the room please be sure to let me know in the morning. As you are my guest here, I intend to make sure all your needs are met. See you in the morning, Whisper.” With that, Silver closed the door. A soft flash of blue upon the door let Whisper know that she was now safer.

Whisper sighed happily as she looked around the room. Well… it’s alright, I guess. Ponies sure do like furnishings. Oh well, I’ll look around more in the morning before Silver comes to get me. I’m too tired to think about what to change right now… she thought before navigating to the bedroom. Whisper slowly eased her body onto the bed before she plopped down in the middle, the soft blanket letting her sink into its loving embrace. Oh… this isn’t so bad. It’d be perfect with some slime on it, though. Maybe I’ll change that tomorrow… she thought idly before she drifted off to sleep.
> 15 - Pondering Past and Present
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Silver Skies traversed the halls of Canterlot Castle, his mind wandered to the events of the day. Things had started out rather normal; he awoke, got a few meetings done, went to the Hive, and met with Queen Chrysalis. From that moment on… his day ceased being normal. It was the start of his secrets being made known to somepony else for the first time in many years. In some small way, he had become proud of keeping his past secret from others for so long. Yet, at the same time, he also felt burdened with such knowledge. Though the old stallion did have a number of acquaintances, that was all they were. There were no others, pony or otherwise, in which Silver felt even remotely close to.



Silver Skies soon came to a stop beside the door to his room within the castle. He eyed the handle of the door for a few moments before he cast a slow scan of the hallway in both directions. For whatever reason, his fur started to stand on end a little as the empty halls gave him no signs of life within his current surroundings. It was normal for there to be a lack of activity in his wing of the castle this late in the evening, but there seemed to be an abnormally eerie feeling in the air tonight. Silver’s eyes narrowed, the milky film of his right eye faintly emitting a pale purple glow for a brief moment. Now that I think about it… I haven’t seen that annoying General for a little too long. He normally hounds me at every opportunity he has.



Silence reined for several tense moments as Silver’s senses reached out for anything that would tip him off to what it was that made him feel so on edge. Eventually, the tired diplomat sighed quietly and returned his attention to the door handle. With practiced ease, his magic went through the various locks of the door and he stepped inside. Unfortunately for Silver, the odd feeling did not fade much once his door was shut.



It would seem that I may have to look into that sensation at some point in the near future. I wonder if the guards are aware of that strange presence, he thought as he looked around his room. Though it was his primary residence, the design was very similar to his office, just on a larger scale. The main room held a very ornate wooden desk with a polished black finish against the left wall. Next to that was the doorway leading to his bedroom. Straight ahead of him were the double doors that led to the balcony and to the right were a pair of large bookcases, one for business and one for his personal collection of reading materials, as well as a small kitchen. As expected, nothing had been tampered with in his absence.



As if out of habit, Silver made his way over to his desk and sat down on his chair, reclining with a sigh as he finally allowed himself to relax. Though he was still very much aware of the uneasy feeling in the air, he pushed it aside for the time being so that he could properly gather his thoughts. With a gentle flick of his magic the silver tome on his desk opened to a blank page. His magic then took hold of a fine quill and dipped it into a sapphire inkwell, a gift he had been given after his help with restoring the Crystal Empire’s relations with Equestria. As quill met with paper, Silver Skies recorded his day’s events; especially the specific conversations he had gone through. After some time had passed, Silver returned his quill to its resting place and he read over what he had written. Once his eyes finished scanning the final passage a slow and long sigh slipped through Silver’s nose as he shook his head.



 There’s still so much that I need to learn. The Changelings are too far outside of my current understanding. Though I have gained more knowledge about how they came to be, I am no closer to figuring out how they function as a species. Their magic is unique, but I’ve managed to unwrap its properties to an extent so far from my observations. Aside from that… they are bound by a curse from an old demon, produce highly potent pheromones, communicate through an advanced telepathic network of some kind, and can feed on emotional energies as well as organic materials that, most likely, contribute to how they produce their slime… Silver mused to himself.



Indeed, Silver knew more about Changelings than most others, yet he still needed to know what made them tick; what it was that allowed them to exist as individuals and a collective mind. How did they normally live, socialize, breed, but more importantly… how did the curse truly affect them? He had many questions, but his answers would have to wait for the passage of time and trust to form; two things that he was sure he was most likely running out of.



Crossing his forelegs, Silver Skies closed his eyes and sighed as he pondered a little more. He eventually opened his eyes and looked over to see the time on the clock. It had become very late in the evening now, far past the time he had expected it to be. Silver shook his head with a light chuckle. “Looks like I’ve stayed up late enough. I’d better get some sleep if I’m to function adequately in the morning,” he thought aloud.



His horn lit briefly and the silver tome closed with a low snap before it floated over to rest in its designated spot on the desk. Silver then proceeded toward his bedroom to get the necessary tasks done before he could slip into bed. Once his evening preparations were complete, the tired diplomat slithered under the covers of his bed and was fast asleep soon after.












~~***~~












Evening bled into morning and as the sun rose from its hiding place beyond the horizon, Silver’s eyes slowly opened. His horn lit with a gentle glow of his magic and the bedding lifted away, allowing him to smoothly slip from his bed. Once he had managed to stand on his hooves, the glow of his horn intensified slightly and the sheets and blanket molded to the bed, leaving his bed as perfect as it had been before he entered it.



Silver brought a hoof up to his mouth as a yawn broke free from his lungs before he idly meandered over to the bathroom to tend to his morning needs. With that done, the grey unicorn made his way over to the small kitchen. His horn lit up gently and the fridge opened, a jar of raspberry jam and a small jug of orange juice floating out. The cupboard beside the fridge also opened and a loaf of bread and a small container of peanut butter came out of there to join the juice and jam on the counter. In no time at all, Silver prepared himself a simple breakfast, creating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and pouring a glass of juice to wash it down with.



Silver put away the ingredients before he sat down to enjoy his meal. It wasn’t much, but it would be sufficient to get him through the few tasks his morning was scheduled for. Once he was finished eating, he drank his juice and levitated the dishes over to the sink to be washed before he went back into his bedroom to prepare himself for the day.



With his silvery mane combed evenly, his teeth sparkling brightly, and his grey coat brushed to a pleasant sheen, Silver Skies exited his room. As usual, Silver walked along with purpose, his expression stoic, but his thoughts were not as centered as they usually were. He wondered about the Changeling Princess… as well as Celestia. He had been honest with Whisper last night, but he still felt that he was not yet prepared to meet with Celestia so soon after having yet another relapse. Only a fool would not have known how much the princess regretted her past mistakes, and that only seemed to complicate matters for Silver. He was unsure if he should remain quiet, as he normally would do, or if he should apologize for his actions. Saying that he was sorry for what he did would be true, to a degree, but it would do nothing to alter his hatred for her.



A small part of him wondered if Celestia had felt the way he did at some point after he had hurt the guard back then. It was possible that she had hated him for harming her beloved ponies. She would have had some justifiable reasoning for being so cruel in how she treated him back then. After all, she had dealt with worse creatures during her reign and she had not known anything about Silver at the time. She could have easily seen him as just another threat to her ponies… and Equestria.



But did that make her decisions right? Was he right in hating her for what she did to him despite what had happened in her past? Silver did not know the answer, nor did he truly care. In the end, all he knew was that he had been betrayed and punished when all he wanted was to be saved from himself. Ponies had died to his cutie mark, he had just gone through Tartarus and back, and his only hope had cast him out in his time of need. How could one forgive after something like that? Should one forgive after living through such cruelty?



More compassionate ponies might have found it in their hearts to forgive their beloved princess. Then again, those ponies would have been able to look past the darkness that had surrounded them… because Celestia would have been their guiding light out of the shadows. To Silver Skies, Celestia was just another layer of Tartarus that he had experienced, just one more shadow within the sea of despair.



Silver sighed silently as he reached his first destination of the morning. This day had only just begun and he was already feeling like his mind had gone through another negotiation with the dragons, such was their nature to be unreasonably stubborn in their search for caves and their need to build massive hoards.



A small smirk played across Silver’s lips as he lit his horn to open the door. Just another day in the life of a foolish diplomat, I suppose, he thought before he entered.