> My Little Mages: An Apprentice’s Holiday
>  by Foxhelm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Facing the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a large and tall room with crystal-like walls with large shelves that seem to go from the floor to the ceiling, two young women and a bipedal reptile had finished organizing books and were breaking down the boxes for easy storage. Both of the women were in their early twenties, one had dark sapphire hair with two streaks, one was rose and the other was violet, with violet eyes, and metallic wings purple and gold in color which seemed to float behind her and yet also come from her back with two amethyst six-pointed stars functioning for the wings like her arm's shoulder balls. She wore a headband with a horn-like amethyst focusing gem on her forehead, with a dull blue robe with large golden cuffs, pink pants and brown boots that went up above her ankle. Around her neck was a triangle-like amulet that was colored like a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. This was Princess Twilight Sparkle, Twilight for short.

The other woman had purple hair was with streaks of light purple and pale grayish aquamarine, her eyes were persian blue, done with most going back over her left and a rightward part of it. She wore brown boots that went just short of the knee, a dress that went past the knee, near the bottom of her left side were two streams of two different tones of light blue that taper to a four-pointed star a lighter shade of purple than the dress with a long sleeved magenta shirt with a pink jacket that sleeves covered over most of the shirt with golden trim. On her left shoulder was a metal guard with a purple four-pointed star on an inverted white four-pointed star, with a sash that was made of two sashes of two different tones of light blue. On her forehead was a purple focus gem cut to look like a four-pointed star. This was Starlight Glimmer

As for the bipedal reptile, it had purple scales for his body with green spines along his back and was about the size of a thirteen-year-old boy. He wore a pair of denim jeans and a red shirt, this was Spike. “Well that’s the last of the books,” Spike said as he took a brief snack break and had a handful of diamonds from a bowl of gems.

Starlight and Twilight could only roll their eyes and giggle with a smile. Twilight then laughed, “Well we finally got all my personal books and the spare copies of all the other books into the storage section.” Twilight said to both Starlight and Spike. Twilight then turned to look at the library, “Thanks for the help, Starlight, I know not being able to use your magic can’t be that easy.”

Starlight blushed a little and brushed the complement to “It’s the least I can do for all you have done for me, helped me reevaluate my life, taught me the truth of friendship, opened your home to me…” Starlight listed off

Twilight turned back to Starlight and brushed what Starlight said, “Oh it wasn’t really much, all you needed was some guidance and an opportunity. But no matter what I have done, you are the person responsible for who you’ve become.” All the while the three in the room finished flattening the boxes. “I'm proud to call you my student and my friend.”

“Oh.” Starlight said and took a second to hug Twilight in gratitude. “And I am glad to call you my teacher and my friend.”

As the two hugged, Spike heard a knock at the door, “I’ll get it.” Spike said and went to the door that would be the public entrance to the library. At the door was a golden-haired woman with golden atypically oriented eyes dressed in the blue Mystican Postal uniform. “Oh hey, Brighteyes, I see we got mail.”

“Actually, only Starlight got mail today.” the recently identified Brighteyes informed as she walked over to Starlight and handed her a letter. “It’s been a slow day at the post office. I might be able to get home early; my sisters have been wanting to do something with me.” Brighteyes then flew out.

Starlight looked at the letter she got, “Who’d send me a letter?”

“Sunburst, trying to be a pen-pal, you know to keep up communications, Trixie to let you know how things went at her latest show, Pinkie Pie inviting you to a party, Fluttershy thinking that you would like a pet,” Spike began to list off, all the while he munched on his gemstones. “It could be advertising? Maybe you won something at the spa or restaurant?” He stopped as he looked at Starlight, “I can go on all day, but I think the point has been made.” He then swallowed his snack, “So are you going to open it?”

Starlight then looked at the letter’s return address, “I don’t know this place.” She then tentatively opened the letter to see a card. It had the image of a setting sun, “Can it be?” She asked before she opened the card. “It’s from Party Favor.”

“The guy with the balloons?” Spike asked.

“He’s a vesicamancer, but yes” Starlight answered and actually read the card and froze in horror as she let the card drop to the floor. At that same second the band that had been placed on her wrist as part of her penance also fell to the ground.

“What is it, Starlight, is your old village under threat?” Twilight asked as she and Spike walked over to her. Starlight didn’t respond as she was trapped in fear, like a prey animal that spotted its predator and the predator was looking elsewhere.

Spike picked up the card, “Dear Starlight Glimmer, it is with great pleasure that we invite you to the fifth annual Sunset Festival. Your old friends, Party Favor, Night Glider, Sugar Belle, Double Diamond’ and it goes on and on listing a lot of people.” Spike commented after he read the card.

“Oh Starlight! That’s great your old village is reaching out to you.” Twilight said as she hugged Starlight happy for her student. Twilight then looked at the floor, “And look you have been forgiven by everyone there. Congratulations!” Twilight then hugged Starlight again. However, Starlight eyes rolled back and fainted in Twilight’ arms, “Um Starlight...Starlight…” Twilight began to shake Starlight but to no avail. “Perhaps we should call it a day and get Starlight to bed?”

“Does this mean I can call the guys over?” Spike asked.





Chapter 1 Facing the Past

Starlight began walking towards her former village, they kept the two rows of houses and strung between the houses were various banners rendering various sunset and red and orange flags. Everyone was wearing the shirts, pants and or dresses that Starlight imposed on them during her time there. But their clothes were much comfortable in appearance and they had their Aura Marks on their shirts and dress. Starlight sighed and continued to walk into town. There in the center were two men. One had white hair and wore a snow-white shirt with three blue snowflakes arranged in a blue triangle formation on the back. Next to him was another man but his shirt was bright cyan and had a balloon animal and streamers rendered on the back, with azure and cornflower blue hair that had a bounce too it. There were others but these two were the ones the Starlight focused the most one. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Hey… Double Diamond, Party Favor, Everyone,” she said weakly and caused the two men to turn to see her, along as the rest of the village to turn their attention to her. In the process, both men showed their cobalt blue eyes as the one in the cyan shirt had a set of gloves with pink gems as his focus gems in the palms.

The man in the cyan shirt stepped forward, “Uh, hi… Starlight.” He greeted her seeming to be tense towards her.

“I got the invitation you sent, Party Favor,” Starlight said as she handed to the man that greeted her, the recently identified Party Favor, the letter that was sent to her. Party Favor then showed the letter to the other man who tore the letter. “Double Diamond, why would you do that?” Starlight panicked.

The recently identified Double Diamond continued to tear the letter into small bits. However, it was Party Favor who responded, “You actually thought we wanted you here. After all that you did to us.”

Slowly the rest of the town began to surround Starlight, “But… this… this… band…” Starlight struggled to find the wristband in her pockets only to see it on her wrist again. Everyone began to laugh at her derisively. The laughter continued to become more and more deranged. “Please!” Starlight pleaded as she dropped to her knees and began to pull herself into a fetal ball and pleaded, “Stop!” She shouted and soon all the villagers were gone, the village itself was gone. In fact, Starlight was in the desert and it was now night. As Starlight looked around she could not understand what had happened.

“The nightmare is over.” came a voice from behind Starlight. Starlight turned to see a woman with hair that seemed to float and looked like a starry night sky devoid of any terrestrial based light pollution, she also had cyan eyes. She wore a dark blue gothic dress that went just below her knees, a black choker with a silver crescent moon, and black and silver boots and a black tiara. And from her back were black and dark blue with a crescent moon functioning like the stars in Twilight’s wings.

“Princess Luna?” Starlight asked as she recognized the demigod.

Before Starlight could ask the recently identified Princess Luna as to why she was there, “Our domain is the Dreamscape, Starlight.” Luna informed. “We heard your cry for aid and We answered it.”

Starlight gave a sigh of relief, “So this is just a dream.” she said as she wiped her forehead.

Luna shook her head and looked at the sky before she spoke to Starlight, “That might be the cast, but what is at its core are your emotions, which are very real.”

Starlight gave another sigh of frustration, “Great.” She then thought about why the nightmare was the way it was. “I guess I'm afraid of going back to the village.”

“You fainted in the arms of Twilight when she hugged you after Spike read the letter aloud.” Luna pointed out in a deadpan that rivaled Applejack when the paladin dealt with Rarity.

“How did you…” Starlight started to ask.

“Part of traveling the Dreamscape is knowing when a mind that should be in it is not in it,” Luna informed. “Your mind is not the first that has had such a state.” Luna continued.

“What do I do?” Starlight asked as she turned to Luna, much like a lost child hoping to find his or her home.

Luna smiled and shook her head, “You already know the answer to that.” she informed.

Starlight thought for a second, looking in her mind for the answer to her own question, “Talk to my teacher.” She answered, thinking that Twilight might be enough.

“Try again,” Luna suggested.

Starlight sighed, as she accepted that she would have to tell all her friends in Magiville, “Talk to my friends.” she answered.

“See. We knew you knew it.” Luna said with a smile as clouds began to form stairway into the night's sky “We have been helped on several occasions by those six. Because of their aid, We were able to overcome Our past. " Luna said as she began her ascent. "You're fortunate to have them as friends," Luna said as she was halfway up the stairs. It was there that Starlight noticed that the stairway ended at the moon. Luna reached the end and prepared to enter the moon, she stopped and turned to Starlight. "We see much of Ourself in you, Starlight. Things do get better if one is willing to put in the effort." And with that Luna entered the moon. Starlight then gasped as she all but jumped out of her bed. She looked out the window and saw the first lights of the dawn creeping over the horizon. She took a breath, preparing herself for what she had to do.





A couple hours later in the morning, Starlight was in the throne room of the castle with Twilight and Spike seated on their thrones, Spike’s was significantly smaller than Twilight’s and on her was rendered her aura mark which was a purple six-pointed star with a white six-pointed star under it and perpendicular to it. Around the two six-pointed stars were five smaller white stars. Also, in the room were five other thrones and five other women about Starlight’s and Twilight's ages. One of the women seat in the throne with the rendering of the rainbow lightning bolt had hair that was like a rainbow in color and that was done in a high ponytail with a hairpin that looked like a stylized cloud and a tri-colored rainbow of red, yellow and blue, with cerise eyes. She wore black sock-like boats that went above her knees, with a dull purple skirt and light a dull blue shirt with white and gold wing styled sleeves. On her waist was a quiver and a bow and from her ankles came ethereal wing. Also, on her shirt was a pin of a stylized lightning bolt with wings, the wings were gold in color while the lightning bolt had the coloration of a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. This was her youngest closest friend, Rainbow Dash.

The next woman that had long deep-magenta hair with a small tiara on her head with three sapphires cut as kites, this was Rarity, she had azure eyes, and she wore a long alabaster gown with some pinkish-purple with a long shawl that was composed of two rainbows in color, a traditional rainbow going the length of the shawl save for the width of one of the shorter edges which running perpendicular to the rest of the shawl was a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple, going around her back and hanging from her elbows and sat in the throne with three sapphires cut as kite.

Next was a blonde woman with green eyes, named Applejack. Her hair was done in a low ponytail and was dressed in brown pants, brown boots, a red leather jacket with some pieces of armor most notably pauldrons with stylized apples, brown gloves, a scabbard with a longsword in it. Around her neck was a black cord that had a coin with a rendering of apples on both sides but looked like a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Her throne had three apples similar to the ones on her pauldrons.

After her, was a woman shorter than all the others with bouncing cotton pink hair, blue eyes, this was Pinkie Pie, she wore a bear legged leotard with blue cruelly toed shoes a pink jester coat and a dark pink jester’s hat with three balloons, one was yellow and two were blue and on her jacket’s waist was a rubber chicken called ‘Boneless’, unlike other rubber chickens his right leg wasn’t the regular orange but a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. Pinkie’s throne had three balloons that matched the ones on her hat.

The last woman in the room, and the oldest of them, also had pink hair and teal colored eyes, but her hair was lighter shade of pink and her eyes were teal, she was Fluttershy she was dressed in a green, yellow and light blue dress with a stylized pink butterfly as a brooch for her hood, and above her left ear was a blue flower but one of its pedals was a rainbow of orange, yellow, cyan, alabaster, pink and purple. On her throne were three butterflies much like her brooch. Starlight had finished describing her dream, “...and Princess Luna then suggested that I talk to you all, explain my feelings and such. So... yeah...that’s it. I'm afraid. I am afraid of what will happen if I go back. I know they invited for the celebration, but…” Starlight trailed.

“But why, darling?” Rarity asked as she levitated the band that, “Remember the magic Twilight used to make this? If those you have wrong have forgiven you and the Divine sees that you are worthy of it the remaining time of your penance will be pardoned. They have forgiven you, Starlight and have elected that the best way to move on is to invite you to the festival. “

“But is it true?” Starlight asked as she began to walk around nervously, “Have they really forgiven me?” She continued to panic. “Have I really merited it?”

Applejack got up and slapped Starlight with the palm of her right hand across the face. As Starlight began to rub her check, Applejack grabbed both of Starlight’s upper arms. “Now listen, Sugarcube.” She ordered. “It ain’t our job to say ‘eye’ or ‘nye’ on that matter. That’s the Divine’s and the Divine has spoken. Do ya need it to be written on a wall?” Applejack said as she let go and walked back to her throne.

After Starlight had recovered from the slap, she still continued to panic, “But what if I haven't changed as much as I think I have!” she shouted

“Oh, you totally changed.” Rainbow Dash stepped in as she leaned back in her throne and placed her feet on the table. “You were so awful Snips’ and Snails’ rapping sounds pleasant in comparison. Trust me.” Rainbow Dash said with a slight salute of dismissal.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack scolded Rainbow Dash over the Elementalist’s lack of tact.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked in her own defense, “You know those two can’t keep a beat.” She then rubbed her ears, “I thought my ears going to bleed the last time we heard them rap.”

“I think Applejack was referring to the comparison of Starlight to them not how bad the two are at rapping,” Fluttershy informed, finally speaking up and pointing out what Applejack meant.

“Oh…” Rainbow said in realization. She then turned to Starlight and back to Applejack, “well we all know she was.” Rainbow pointed out earning herself a glare from the paladin. “What?! It's a compliment!” Rainbow tried to negate the silent scolding she has been getting.

Everyone else sighed. Fluttershy then turned her attention to Starlight, “Starlight, I think we all believe that your old village would not have sent the invitation to you if they didn't want you to attend the festival.” Fluttershy then smiled, “I just know they would be happy to have you there.”

Pinkie Pie then seemed to stretch from her throne to be right next to Starlight and also seemed to panic, “And to get invited to a party and not go. It’s…That’s” Pinkie then froze as her eyes became fields of blue with massive amounts of white text.

“Pinkie crashed, everyone out of my way,” Applejack ordered as she ran to the kitchen. After a minute she arrived with smelling salts.

Applejack then held the smelling salt under Pinkie’s nose. Pinkie’s eyes then flashed white and returned to normal, “So Starlight why did you ask all here?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Before Starlight could ask, “Pinkie went back to the latest moment that there wasn’t a problem. Just go along it will save you.” Applejack explained as she directed Pinkie Pie to her throne.

“I crashed?" Pinkie asked, "How did…”

“Pinkie Pie, Sugarcube, don’t question it,” Applejack ordered as she made Pinkie sit down.

“Okay.” Pinkie said as she dipped her with a frown.

“Now back to the matter at hand.” Applejack said as she took her seat. “What you got to do, Starlight is to just be sincere. They’ll understand where you're comin' from.”

Starlight looked away as she held her right arm with her left hand, still very much nervous. Twilight knew now was her chance to speak. "Starlight," she said getting Starlight's attention, "I understand that this is hard for you." Twilight got up and walked up to Starlight, "I’ve been in this situation before when I discovered how bad a friend I was to Moondancer. I know that if weren’t for Pinkie or Minuette I never would have been able to reconcile with Moondancer." This gave Starlight a smile, knowing that Twilight had been through something similar to what she was going through was welcoming. "I had people there to help me. Maybe if you took a friend along, it might make things easier. Somebody you trust to look out for you?" Twilight then gave a big smile as large pleading eyes. Starlight thought for a second.

About an hour later at what looked like a horse-less stagecoach, Twilight, et al, were helping Starlight load a few things, inside it was the owner who stepped out when the last bag was given to her. She, like Starlight and the others, was in her twenties, she had light blue hair and purple eyes and wore blue gloves, a black dress with knee-high boots, she also had Around her waist was a buckle shaped like a wand topped with a star and a cape with a series of stars and at her neck was blue gem that was worn as a necklace, but looked like it could be made as the clasp for a cloak. "Thank you for coming with me, Trixie." Starlight said to the other woman. "When Twilight suggested I ask someone to go to the Sunset Festival with me, I couldn't help but think of you."

The recently identified Trixie then hugged Starlight and then proceeded to take her star adorned cloak and wizard's cap from her stagecoach before she turned to and hugged Twilight, "Oh Princess Twilight, I knew we could become friends." Trixie ended the hug with a big smug on her face like she was rubbing salt into a wound of someone she disliked. She giggled before she continued to speak as she went to the front of her stagecoach to get it to move, "Encouraging Starlight to seek me -her best friend – out in order for her to accomplish this difficult journey." She paused as she looked to Twilight while offering a hand to Starlight to help her to where the two would be sitting. "Why Celestia must be proud of the wise princess you have become?"

Twilight gritted her teeth in her forced smile, she and Trixie still had unresolved issues. "Thank you, Trixie." She strained to say. She turned to the others and in a hushed tone, " I was talking about me."

Starlight had a little laugh at Twilight's jealousy. She turned to Trixie, "Now the festival isn’t just the Fall Equinox." She informed, "It lasts the whole week around it. But I doubt we'll be there that long." Starlight informed as she thought about how long she and Trixie would be there.

Trixie giggled, "Oh. I don't know, Starlight." She then turned to look mostly at Twilight, "You know what they say 'Time flies when you're having fun' even more so when you're with your best friend!" She continued to giggle before she started her automotive stagecoach and everyone waved farewell to each other.





The next day the two arrived at the ledge that Twilight and her group arrived at and saw Starlight's old village. From Starlight's vantage point the village very much like it did before, structured like an equal sign and the buildings were mostly uniform. But Starlight's house was no longer there, in its stead was a tree. Trixie's automotive stagecoach stopped and Trixie set it to park. Over her and Starlight's heads, eagles flew and cried out. As Trixie got off her stagecoach, "There it is!" She declared as she helped Starlight down, "Your-" Trixie started but was stopped before she could finish what she was going to say as Starlight got down to the ground.

"Village that I made based on an Anti-Aura Mark Cult." Starlight started as she began to pace back and forth in front of the stagecoach, "Where I convinced a lot of people, each going through a massive identity crisis, to let me magically removal their aura marks, only to be replaced with equal signs, stripping them of their identities, destinies, and talents, all the while keeping my own magic hidden?" She seemed to have finished the question but before Trixie could speak, "Only to become the first place Twilight and the others were sent to via the Aura Map?" It was then that she stopped and holding her left upper arm with her right hand and looked at the ground ashamed. "Yes."

Trixie rolled her eyes with a sigh, "I wasn't going to say that." Trixie said as she was able to say what she was going to say. "If I may." Trixie then coughed to clear her throat and looked out to the village. "There it is! Your home before moving in with Twilight." She then turned back to Starlight after she finished, "But what you said is a more..." She trailed out.

"Traumatic answer." Starlight completed. She then sighed before she looked at the village, "I just want to..."

"Blend in. " Trixie finished, "Well, you could always come and go, like a chameleon," Trixie suggested with a wink.

Starlight laughed "Oh comma, comma, comma."  She then took a breath and shook her head, "I just want to enjoy the festival with my friend." She said as she placed her right hand on Trixie's shoulder, "Like everyone else there."

Trixie shrugged her shoulders, "Sounds good to me!" And she began to climb down the naturally formed staircase that led to the village. "Oh, and if things get out of hand, just tell me. I've got you covered, with a Grrrreat and Powerrrrful Prrrromise!" Trixie said as she took a smoke bomb from her cloak and threw it to the ground causing it to go off and made both Trixie and Starlight coughed until a second after the smoke cleared.

Once the two were done coughing, "I guess Pinkie isn't the only one with her own... unique promises." Starlight joked. She took a deep breath, "Thanks again Trixie." She started her own descent down the staircase, "Let's do this."

After a short walk, they were in the village. Everyone was running around not unlike the dream Starlight had, but no one was wearing the old uniforms they were when they were part of Starlight's cult, instead, they wore the clothes they wore when Starlight met each of them. Starlight' s focus on four. The first was Double Diamond, who wore blue denim pants with purple boots that could easily be attached to skis or snowboards, a white sweater with blue diamonds going around the shoulder level of it with three blue snowflakes arranged like a triangle on the front. 

The second person was Party Favor, who, in addition to the set of gloves with pink gems as his focus gems in the palms, wore a white longsleeved shirt, bright cyan pants, a purple vest with a balloon animal and streamers rendered on the back, purple shoes and a cyan tie. 

The other two were another woman about Double Diamond's, Party Favor's, Trixie's and Starlight's age. The first had cerise eyes and magenta which had a similar bounce to it like Party Favor's, she wore a sort light blue dress like those in the roller skate themed dinners that went mid-thigh with a short white baker's apron with a cupcake with purple frosting topped with a cherry with four jellybeans red to yellow in color depicted on the front under a large bow that went around her waist that was pale cerise and yellow in color. She also wore a necklace that went done to her bosom and had a gem that seemed to be aligned with her heart. This was Sugar Belle and she was pacing out her baked goods. 

The last of the four and the other woman had white and bluish-gray hair that was blown back like it was always against the wind with cerulean eyes and had a pair of night black ethereal wings. She wore black sandals, a moderate azure sleeve-less tight shirt, shorts that exposed her midriff and leggings that exposed part of her thighs. On her shirt over her right bosom was a depiction of a crescent moon surrounded by two curved feathers. This was Night Glider. Starlight took a breath and then spoke, "Hey Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, Night Glider..." Starlight started to greet the four.

The four turned to see Starlight and Trixie. Double Diamond ran up to and gave Starlight a massive hug, "Starlight, you made it!" As he turned back to the other four and the other villagers as he ended the hug, "HEY EVERYONE! SHE MADE IT!" The villagers then started to leave what they were doing to greet Starlight. As the village all turned to greet Starlight, she nervously laughed.

Party Favor was the second to greet Starlight with a hug, followed by Sugar Belle and Night Glider. After Night Glider hugged Starlight, Party Favor spoke, "Some of us thought you weren't going to make it!" Party Favor said as he looked to some of the villagers who gave a little nervous laugh. Party Favor then turned back to Starlight, "So are you staying for the full festival?" He asked not only for himself but for everyone else. "You see we have so many things planned!" He explained.

"How is life in a castle with Princess Twilight?" Sugar Belle asked not giving Starlight a chance to answer the question that Party Favor asked. 

"It is so great to see you!" Double Diamond said, again not giving Starlight a chance to answer the question Sugar Belle or the one that Party Favor asked.

Trixie turned to Starlight and in a mock-whisper, "You were right, they are absolutely terrifying." She then began to giggle at Starlight's stated as the binder groaned. Trixie then turned to one of the villagers, "But The Great and Powerful Trrrixie has a question, if what Starlight did what The Great And Powerful Trrrixie has heard Starlight done, why are you so..." 

Sugar Belle spoke up, "Oh, you see there was this cleric from Magiville that has made a few apple delivery. On one of his deliveries, he made the case that to withhold forgiveness was like drinking a poison with another person at the table and watching and waiting for the other people to die."

Night Glider leaned in and whispered into Starlight's ear, "The apple weren't the only things he delivered as Sugar can attest."

"NIGHT GLIDER!" Sugar shouted as she blushed and hid her face from Starlight, as everyone else had a slight chuckle.

Starlight gave a nervous laugh along with everyone else. Once everyone was done laughing, "Well, it's nice to see you all again." Starlight looked around her and saw everyone was looking at her like she was the head of the village again

"We're in a debate about which banners to use." Party Favor said as he pointed to several of the villagers who held up various banners of stylized sunsets, and some showed a 'day' of equal amount daytime and night time. After Starlight had seen them, Party Favor asked as he stood next to her, in an attempt to get an answer from her, "Which do you think feels more 'sunsetty'?"

Starlight nervously laughed as she took a step back, "Yo-you don't need me for that." She said as she looked around and gave another laugh as it seemed like they were still waiting for an answer. "Um... whatever you believe is best."

Everyone looked at each other, not sure what to do. It was starting to dawn on Starlight that they were expecting that she would take charge. Double Diamond spoke up after a second,  "Okay, well, um, how about the relay races planned for tomorrow?" He asked as he tried to get something that was much less subjective and more objective, as he believed that would get an answer from Starlight, "Would you mind taking a look?" 

Starlight looked around herself and took another step back from everyone, extremely nervous, "Oh, I am not much of a runner. Besides, I never ran in one of the relay races in the past." She tried to dismiss, as she hoped that Double Diamond would accept her argument of 'I don't have the right perspective for such and such,'. She then continued, "Also, you were always the head of that department, Double Diamond, I don't want to step on toes."

"But the baking competition?" Sugar Belle pointed out, "you will judge that, right?" Sugar Belle pleaded. 

Before Starlight could answer the baker, "Oh-oh don't forget the firework show the Magicborns are going to do. I am sure that they would really like your help!" Night Glider butt in as the villagers began to chatter loudly as they closed in on Starlight. In reality, they were about a meter away from her, but to Starlight, they were less than a centimeter.  [villagers chattering loudly][magic zap]

Starlight started to hyperventilate as she began to panic. "NO!" she screamed as her focus gem glowed turquoise and forced everyone back. As everyone, but Trixie was dazed, Starlight dropped to the ground and began to tremble in fright. 

Trixie quickly saw everyone starting to recover and stepped in front of Starlight, "The Grrreat and Powerrrful Trrrixie," She announced as she threw open her cloak, getting everyone to focus solely on her, "would like to thank you all for being such a fantastic audience." She then grabbed as smoke boom she had in her cloak, which went unnoticed by everyone, save for Starlight. "Yet sadly, it is time for us to depart." She said as fact tears began to form in her eyes. "Good night, ladies and gentlemen!" Trixie threw the boom and it went off. In the cover of the smoke, Trixie used her cloak to shield Starlight and they ran out of the village. All the while the villagers coughed until a couple of seconds after the smoke cleared. As they noticed the absence of Starlight and Trixie, more so Starlight, several began to mutter in shock. villagers shocked muttering]

Back at Trixie's automotive stagecoach, Trixie and Starlight began their trek back to Magiville, after they turned the coach around and got back on the driver's seat, Starlight in the shotgun spot. About an hour into their return journey, Starlight groaned with an 'Ugh!" 

"Care to tell Trixie what is bothering you?" Trixie asked in one of the very few moments she genuinely displayed concern for someone else. 

Starlight took a breath as she watched the ground as Trixie drove, "I was horrible when I was their leader!" She answered as she turned back to Trixie. She then turned to the sky, "I expected that they wouldn't trust me, I know I wouldn't or at least I shouldn't, given everything I did to make that village." She then looked ahead and then back to the ground. "I know Twilight's band wouldn't come off unless they truly forgave me," Starlight took another breath, "but... for them to want me to be in charge again?!" she shouted her rhetorical question to the empty blue skies, "With my past?!" she continued this time to Trixie and not so much of a shout. She sighed and looked at the footrest, " I should never be in charge of anything ever again." she whispered.

Trixie shrugged her shoulders with her eyes closed, "Big deal, so you fumbled a little." Trixie then leaned toward Starlight next to her ear and in a hushed tone so that only Starlight could hear her, "Whatever you do, don't tell anyone this," Trixie sat back up and looked around again, just to make sure the two were alone. Once she was certain she returned to whisper in Starlight's ear, "But I,  The Grrreat and Powerrrful Trrrixie, has made a mistake or two." She then sat right back up as did Starlight. Trixie giggled as Starlight looked at her with a bewildered expression on her face. (Not that Trixie made bad choices, but that Trixie would ever admit it, willingly). Once Trixie finished with her giggle, "I know it's almost impossible to believe!" 

Starlight looked at Trixie with a deadpan, "Not ignoring the heckling you got from Rainbow Dash when she saw your show in Magiville the first time you were there, challenging her, Rarity and Applejack to a showoff in that same show, purchasing the Alicorn Amulet, using its power to challenge Twilight to a Magic Duel, trying to become my friend to get back at Twilight at first." Starlight listed off the errors that she knew Trixie made.

"Huh, Twilight didn't mention when the Sirens tricked me into making her and her friends fall through a stage's trap door, entrapping them so that couldn't confront the Sirens?" Trixie muttered to herself noting the absence of a particular mistake on the list.

"What did you say?" Starlight asked not sure what she just heard.

After a few seconds of thought, "Only that as I said almost impossible to believe." Starlight raised an eyebrow at that answer. She was not sure if she believed that statement or not or if she should question it or not. She elected to not question it, but she didn't believe it. After Starlight gave an unsure 'aha', Trixie spoke again, "Regardless, the thing you have to do now, Starlight, is to just carry on as if nothing ever happened."

Starlight could only shake her head with a soft smile at first, "Thanks, for the almost good advice, Trixie." 

"I try." Trixie replied, "So to Las Magus?"

"Ha, ha, no."
> The Mask Removed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Trixie and Starlight arrived back in Magiville. As the two enter the center of town, Starlight hopped off of the stagecoach, "Well, thanks again, Trixie."

"Next time we go cross-country, we're going to Las Magus," Trixie's word choice pointed to a complaint but her tone was actually welcoming as she too hopped off her stagecoach.

Starlight had a little chuckle at that before she turned to see Pinkie Pie hopping like a kangaroo. Starlight knew she would have to face and explain what happened so she elected to get it over with. "Hey, Pinkie Pie!" She called to the jester who turned and skipped over to her and Trixie.

"Hey!" She replied and stood there with a smile on her face, this was not unnoticed by Starlight or Trixie, but Trixie didn't seem to care as she went into her stagecoach. Starlight elected to just continue with what she planned to do, despite the seemingly vacant look of Pinkie's smile. "So... I guess you're wondering why I'm back from my old village and the festival so soon." Starlight probed in an attempt to see what was going on with Pinkie.

"Why?" Pinkie asked with her smile still on her face. It seemed to be normal, but at the same time vacant.

Starlight couldn't put her finger on what seemed to off about Pinkie today, but she couldn't shake the feeling about squarely in some sort of uncanny valley. She elected to continue, in the hopes of betting some sort of response, "Well, it was a disaster." She paused and noticed the still somewhat vacant smiled and so she elected to shout the last part as if she was in distress, "I freaked out and I couldn't face them!"

"Ooh, that sounds terrible." Pinkie said as she kept her uncanny smile. "Glad you’re back in town! Hope you have a nice day!" Pinkie said as she turned away from Starlight, "Bye!" she shouted as she continued to skip along her way.

"That was... strange." Starlight said with a slight pause as she attempted to process what just happened. Pinkie was far from normal, but that was way out there for her as Starlight could understand.

"Isn’t Pinkie always strange?" Trixie asked as rejoined Starlight in front of her stagecoach, as they watch Pinkie continue to skip about the town.

Starlight didn't turn to face Trixie, as she watched Pinkie skip into Sugar Cube Corner before she replied, "She’s… ", she struggled to find the right word, "unique, but never...like... that.” she tried to say, only get a raised eyebrow and a very dismissive 'aha' from Trixie. Starlight was about to sigh when she saw Rarity and Applejack walk from the Magiville Spa, "Rarity, Applejack!" she called to the two. The two turned and walked to Starlight and Trixie. "Hey! I'm back early.”

"Well, welcome back?" Rarity stated, but something in how she said made it sound like she was unsure or questioning Starlight. Starlight noticed that, or maybe it was something that she imagined.

Starlight decided that maybe if she were to if those closest to Pinkie would know what was going on with Pinkie, "Have you noticed Pinkie acting a little strange?"

"It’s Pinkie Pie, she’s always actin’ strange," Applejack said with a laugh in her tone.

"Told ya," Trixie said as she elbowed Starlight earning a groan from Starlight.

Rarity and Applejack giggled at that, before Applejack continued, "The trick is to not question it."

Starlight rolled her eyes and then continued, "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you two and the others."

"What for?" Applejack asked.

Starlight looked to the ground and took a breath before she explained, "Well, you see things didn't go well at the Sunset Festival."

"Oh goodness, what happened?" Rarity asked as she clutched the top of her gown were a pearl necklace would be if Rarity was to wear such a dated fashion idea.

Starlight took another breath, "I…freaked out and ran away." She answered and looked at the ground, in some way expecting some form of support, but was shocked when she heard Applejack and Rarity started to laugh. Starlight looked up shocked at the two's laugh.

As Rarity continued to laugh, "That's the funniest thing I've heard all day." Applejack commented and then continued to laugh.

Rarity had one more laugh before she spoke "Oh my. Let me guess, the decorations were terrifying!" as Applejack continued to laugh. Once she was finished she joined Applejack with the laughter. This continued as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked on the scene. Fluttershy flew up to Applejack and Rarity and whispered into each of their ears as Rainbow Dash turned to Starlight and Trixie.

"Hello," Rainbow Dash said with a holier-than-thou tone that wasn't lost on Starlight or Trixie, which Trixie didn't respond to but made Starlight raise an eyebrow. "Rarity and Applejack are needed for a very important friendship business." The four turned to leave, in the process Rainbow Dash turned her head so fast that her pony-tail seemed to crack like a whip. This act utterly baffled Starlight, sure Rainbow Dash had an ego, but this was beyond what Rainbow would be.

After with Starlight and Trixie just there, Trixie turned to Starlight, "I'm really not as impressed with those five or Twilight as the rest of Mystica is," Trixie commented, "Well, I am going to find a place to park my wagon overnight." Trixie said as she got back on to the driver's seat.

Starlight took a minute to think about what she saw and heard, it was then that she noticed that Rarity never said 'Darling' once in that exchange. Nor did Applejack say 'Sugarcube' and the lack of the paladin's drawl in her speech. "Pinkie's smile being vacant, Applejack and Rarity not giving their terms of endearment, Fluttershy not saying 'hi' and Rainbow whipping her ponytail." Starlight whispered to herself. "Something is..." She stopped and then began to run to the Castle of Friendship, "Twilight!" she shouted as if in she had a massive realization. "I need to talk to her!" She arrived at the front door and tried to open it, seeing that it did nothing she began knocking on it, "Spike? Twilight? Hello? Anyone?" She asked as she continued to knock, not sure why she was more or less locked out.

In the door was a small peephole with a slide, not unlike those used in the speakeasies of the Noir novel series starring the female detective Shadow Shades. The slide then opened to show Spike's eyes, "What do you want? " he asked in a harsh tone, not unlike a bouncer who had enough with an unruly bar or club patron that was taking away from the enjoyment of the other more civil patrons. "Princess Twilight Sparkle's very busy!"He declared as he opened another slot that was aligned with his mouth and blew out a short stream of fire.

Starlight quickly inferred that was a warning shot and that she had to be careful with what she said next. "Spike, I live here and I really need to speak with her."

Spike rolled his eyes as he answered her, "Then you need to make an appointment like everybody else!!" He then slammed the hatched shut as he seemed to ignore that Starlight stated she lived there.

Starlight then started to knock again, "Spike, what's going on with you?" She asked as she knocked, "Why are you being so—" she started but was cut off as the door opened.

"Rude?" Twilight finished Starlight's question, as Starlight was able to see that it was Twilight that opened the door. All the while Twilight pointed in the direction of Spike's room, as she scowled at the dragon, not unlike like a parent or older sibling giving a silent scolding. Spike huffed and headed in the direction Twilight pointed, after he was out of sight, "Sorry about that." She then turned back and cupped her hands and shouted to Spike, "A certain dragon didn't get his nap today it seems."

"Whatever," Spike shouted back.

Twilight sighed and then turned back to Starlight, "Sorry. It’s been an off day for him."

"He’s not alone." Starlight said as she entered the castle and shut the door behind her, "First Pinkie Pie, then Applejack and Rarity and then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Everybody's acting a little strange today." Starlight listed off not actually looking at Twilight. As her focus was not on the princess, Twilight had a second of panic as she seemed to come up with an answer.

"It must be their times of the month." Twilight suggested almost too late, but when Starlight didn't seek to follow up with that Twilight elected to change the topic, "Anyway, how are you?

Starlight looked at the floor and shook her head, "Not great." She then raised her head and looked Twilight in the eye for a second before she looked towards one of the walls, "You're probably wondering why I'm back from the village so early."

"Things didn’t go well, I take it." Twilight guessed almost too fast, or so Starlight thought, but Starlight had to concede she might still be shaken up over what happened back in the village, in fact, it might be why all the others seemed so off

Starlight took a breath as she looked at the ceiling, "Everyone there kept asking me for my input on things. It was like they expected me as their leader again. But that’s the last thing I should ever be after what I’ve done." As Starlight spoke she lowered her gaze to look Twilight in the face. Before she looked her left and at the floor in shame, "So, Trixie and I left." She took another breath, "In a puff of smoke, literally."

"Wow." Twilight declared as she was shocked by what Starlight said. "You shouldn't go back."

Starlight's eyes shot wide open and looked at Twilight with her head slightly tilted in confusion, "What?"

"You were worried about how they viewed you before, right?" Twilight asked as she began to walk in the direction of the throne room.

"Yes," Starlight answered as she was taken aback slightly by Twilight's suggestion to not go back and that she would bring up Starlight's concerns. Usually Twilight was much more tactful. She then followed Twilight.

"Well, I can all but guarantee, it's much worse now," Twilight said as Starlight caught up and the two neared the throne room door. Twilight stopped and turned to face Starlight, "You're better off cutting your losses." Twilight suggested.

Starlight had to take a couple steps back as she tried to understand what Twilight said and why Twilight said it. "That's... not advice I'd ever expect from you." Starlight said as she finally had a reply after a few seconds of thought.

"I'm the Princess of Friendship and it is a complicated matter," Twilight said as she closed her eyes with a smile as if she was patting herself on the back, an action that would be more like Rainbow Dash. Starlight was having a hard time grasping not the suggestions but why they were coming from Twilight of all people. "Besides, you don't need them. You can always make other friends." Twilight added as she placed her right hand on Starlight's shoulder. It was then that the doors to the throne room opened and inside the room was Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and... Spike? Before she got the chance to question, "Ah! Speaking of friends, the others and I have some really important business!" Twilight then walked into the throne room and shut the door behind her, if Starlight was a few steps closer, the door would have been slammed in her face.

"Cut my losses?" Starlight said as she walked away from the throne room. She couldn't believe that Twilight would ever say something like that, especially with everything Twilight did to stop her when Starlight attempted to remake history and Twilight's push to reunite with Sunburst. Starlight started toward the kitchen, she was hungry and it has been a long two days and she hasn't eaten.





Starlight was walking into her old village and everyone was going about their day, "Hey Everyone!" She shouted in an attempt to get their attention, "I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier." she said as she walked among the villagers. She stopped near Party Favor as it seemed that no one was listening to her, "Party Favor, can you hear me?" Suddenly the sky became night and a fog rolled in and everyone in the village dissolved into the forming mist.

"I told you, you can never speak to them again!" Twilight's voice was heard as if she was shouting at Starlight. Starlight turned to see Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity. All of them with scowls on their faces.

"What are you all doing here?" Starlight asked as she tried to fathom why Twilight and the girls were in the village.

Twilight walked up to Starlight and thrust her right index finger into Starlight's chest, "I am making sure you do what you were told!" Twilight continued her acting like she was angry with Starlight, lipid even, "I'm your teacher, aren't I?" Twilight asked rhetorically like she was talking... no scolding a usually obedient child that was caught in one bad choice. "Didn't I say to never come back here?!" She continued sounding not only angry but... cruel, like an abusive parent.

Starlight took a few steps back before she answered like she was trying to get away from a mean drunken father that was preparing to belt her. "Yes, but that just doesn't seem right." She replied as she noticed the others were also beginning to close in upon her, each with the same cruel scowl, and... hate-filled eyes. "You aren't acting like yourself." Starlight continued as she backed up again. But then she noticed something, Rainbow Dash wasn't flying, which meant that ... "Something's wrong!" Starlight shouted in her revelation, not noticing that Luna's voice was also present when she said it. At that moment the wind began to blow and it caused Twilight, et al, and the fog to vanish, as well as the entire village. Starlight looked at the vacant desert around her and then gave a sigh of relief, and whipped her forehead, "It was just another dream. What a relief." She smiled as she expected to everything to change to a more pleasant setting.

"Starlight Glimmer...!" Starlight heard whispered and yet echoed in a familiar voice, the voice of Princess Luna.

"Princess Luna?" Starlight asked as she started looking around for where Luna's voice was coming from in order to figure out what was going on.

"Starlight Glimmer!" Luna shouted as her voice was much louder so that Starlight could find the source of Luna's voice in her dream. Starlight looked up and saw the moon in her dream's sky and Luna was leaning out of it, not unlike one leaning out of a window. "There is no time! You must get help!"

"What?" Starlight asked as she tried to levitate towards the moon in her dream to understand what Luna was trying to tell her, "What are you talking about?" she asked as she reached the moon. "This is just a dream!" Starlight declared that

"No. There is nothing amidst in the dreamscape!" Luna informed as she looked away from Starlight, to Luna's left, as if she was expecting someone was following her. "But in the waking world!" Luna said as she turned to look to her right. "The Changelings and their queen, Chrysalis are back."Luna turned to look squarely at Starlight, "They've captured Our sister and are en route to capture Us! It's worse than the last time when Chrysalis only hid Princess Cadance away before the latter's wedding!" Luna exposed in an attempt to convey how serious the situation was.

"But how did you..." Starlight started to ask, not knowing how Luna could commune with her.

"You called to Us with your nightmare, and We were able to reach you through it!" Luna began to explain, the panic in her voice apparent as she looked over each of her shoulders. "You must find help! But be careful who you trust! You need all the help you can find—" Luna than gasped as she was swarmed from behind via what looked like insectoid androgynous humans with eyes that were mostly fields of blue which gradually faded to a white circle from outside in, and their canine teeth were larger than humans.

"Princess Luna!" Starlight shouted as she woke herself up and started to panted as she tried to calm and collect herself. She had to form a plan, she needed to get help to save Luna and Celestia. She went her wardrobe and got out of her sleepwear and into her usual clothes. Once dressed, she surrounded herself in her turquoise magic, "Okay, it's been awhile, I hope this works." She said as she opened the window and used her magic to hover down to the ground silently. "Okay, who do I... Trixie!"She thought as she looked around her and spotted Trixie's wagon. She then ran to it and started to knock on the door at the back of the wagon. "Trixie, it's Starlight!" She stopped knocking and waited for a response.

Trixie's voice was heard muffed and bleary as if she was deep in a dream, "Of course, Princess Celestia... I'd love to perform the banana peel for peanut butter crackers..." the illusionist muttered.

"What the... No, no, no." Starlight started to ask but stopped herself, "I don't want to even imagine." She then started to knock again, "Trixie, wake up!" Starlight ordered.

There was the sound of someone falling out of a bed and then fireworks going off and exploding. After a second Trixie, dressed in a long nightgown adorn with stars and moons, open one of the windows along the side of her wagon to let the smoke out and breath. After a few coughs, she looked to see Starlight right outside, "Starlight?" she asked with a yawn. "What time is it?"

"It doesn't really matter, Trixie. I know what's wrong with everyone." Starlight declared as Trixie struggled to keep both her eyes opened.

Trixie yawned again as she rubbed her eyes. "I have a long list of what's wrong with them." She then stopped leaning out and prepared to shut her window, “Can't we go over it in the morning?" it wasn't so much an actual question as she shut the window and went back to her bed. Starlight groaned as she went back over to the back door and used her magic to open it and levitated Trixie out of the wagon.All the while both frowned, Starlight because of frustration with Trixie and Trixie because she was being denied sleep. After Starlight lowered Trixie to the ground, Trixie sighed, "Fine!" she declared as she pouted crossing her arms across her chest, "What are we in danger of?" she asked before looked to the ground and began to mutter annoyed, "Aside from lack of sleep."

Starlight jumped to answer at first, "The—!" however, she stopped as she took Luna's warnings to heart.She scowled as she elected to ask a question that only Trixie knew the answer to, "What did you tell me never to tell anyone?"

Trixie groaned and rolled her eyes, "Starlight if you woke me up to play guessing games—" she started as she began to walk away back into her wagon.

Starlight used her magic to levitate Trixie back, she didn't have the time for this but she couldn't do more if the Trixie there wasn't the real Trixie, "After we left my old village," Starlight said as took Trixie by the illusionist's upper arms, "what did you tell me to never tell anyone you said?"

Trixie rolled her eyes and sighed before she spoke, "That even I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, has made a mistake or two." gritting her teeth all the while.

"Trixie!” Starlight shouted as she shook her friend.

Trixie growled and then answered in a near shout, “That even I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, has made a mistake or two! Okay?” She then all but hissed in anger, “Are you happy?!”

Starlight sighed as she released her hold on Trixie’s arms and looked towards the castle then back to Trixie, “Yes. Sorry. I just had to make sure you weren't...” She stopped as she wasn’t sure if Trixie was the best source of help, but she had to start somewhere.

“What?” Trixie asked as she started back to her back door and then to bed.

Starlight grabbed her by her shoulder, looked around and whispered into Trixie’s ear, “A changeling! They've taken Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” She said trying to keep quiet so not to let the Changelings know she’s onto them if any were present.

“What?!”Trixie shouted before Starlight covered her mouth with her eyes narrowed which more or less told Trixie to lower her voice. After she removed her hand, Trixie spoke in a whisper, “Are you sure?! I mean, what do we—?” She asked or at the least attempted to as she looked around in such a visible panic that the blind who also could not hear, smell, or sense by any other means and a corpse could tell she was panicking. “We have to tell Twilight!” she said after she finally calmed down a little.

Starlight looked at the ground and shook her head, “If I'm right, then it's too late for that.” This caused Trixie to take a step back. However, Starlight started towards the Castle’s Occupant entrance, Trixie followed and in a matter of seconds, they were en route to the throne room of the castle. Once there they saw the door to it was slightly ajar.

The two neared the door and peered inside. In the throne room, all but Spike were in their respective throne and muttered unintelligibly as Twilight placed what looked like a black scarab in the center of the table. “It is time.” She said as she pressed a button on the scarab. A lime-green magic shot out and then changed to be a circle showing a throne room in what looked like an underground cavern. The throne itself was far larger than all the seven thrones in the Castle of Friendship’s throne room put together, even larger if one were to add thrones of Celestia and Luna in Chantalot and the throne of Cadance in Krystalopolies. Seated on the throne was a woman that looked like a demigod like Luna and Twilight, from her back were two sets of wings one was black and not unlike the wings of Luna and Twilight in structure, the other set of wings was lime-green and very insectoid, but they seemed to be incomplete like they had been corrupted. However, unlike the two princesses’ wings which seemed to float next to the princesses’ back, these wings were actually attached to her back. On her head was a crown with a lime-green gem as the main jewel. Her hair was long, going to her hips, and was an unpleasant shade of blue, it also had stringy texture to its appearance, gave off a sense of being unkempt. She was dressed in a black gown that covered her feet with a lime-green three-part wench's belt that looked like the middle part of the insect’s body. Barely noticeable were her long-pointed ears.

"That must be Queen Chrysalis." Starlight whispered to Trixie, Starlight had not seen Chrysalis, but she did hear about the changeling queen, and the woman on the throne met the description to a ‘T’.

“Hail Queen Chrysalis, long live the queen.” The six women and dragon said as they brought their right hands, in clutched fists, to their hearts and bowed.

The recently identified changeling queen looked at the seven and gagged, “Ugh. Why are you looking like that?” she asked as she rolled her eyes, “You know how I feel about those foolish Mysticans.”

“Pardon us, your majesty,” Twilight said as she and the others raised their heads and ended the salute. The six women and the dragon were then engulfed in a lime-green fire that emerged from their chests and spread outward revealing their true forms; humanoids with long pointed ears, grayish skin and green eyes with white circles separating the green ‘whites’ from the pupils. They wore a black long sleeve shirt, dark gray pant, with what looked like three green bands that gave their torsos an insectoid appearance. Over their shoulders were tattered shawl-like green cloths that looked like the wings if in another form, the form that those that captured Princess Luna used. The one that was on Rarity’s throne had a comparable amount of cleavage in its chest, hinting that it might be female.

Chrysalis smiled at the sight, and gave blissful sigh, “That’s Much better. Now report!”

“Everything here has thus far gone according to plan!” The changeling that was disguised as Spike said, revealing with its voice his masculine nature.

“Well, there this one near slip.” The one in Pinkie’s throne informed, also showing its masculine nature.

“His tongue was in my mouth and he was moaning!” The Twilight-changeling said revealing his gender with his voice. “What was I supposed to do!”

“We wouldn't have needed to knock him out if I was Princess Twilight.” The one in Rarity’s throne commented, her voice indicating that she was female. “I would have stayed in character.”

“She might have actually enjoyed the meal.” The one in Rainbow Dash’s throne joked to the one in Fluttershy’s throne.

“Enough!” The Twilight-Changeling declared, “back to the matter at hand,” He then turned back to Chrysalis, “we've replaced the six Element bears and their dragon, they arrived in Caer Sith a few hours ago. And we are getting ready to collect all the love here.”

Chrysalis smiled at the new she was given and gave a soft but evil chuckle, “Excellent. And I've just received word that the diarchs have successfully been replaced as well.” Chrysalis informed. The other Changelings then all laughed and cheered like they achieved a great victory. Chrysalis continued, “We thought too small last time. One kidnapped princess wasn't enough. With all the most beloved people of Mystica taken care of, nobody can stop us!” Chrysalis started to laugh with a ‘muwahaha’ that morphed into the fairly dorky laugh she had as she thought she had won back in Chantalot during her siege years ago. It was cut off there when the whole projection began to vibrate. “Great.” Chrysalis groaned, “I got a call on another line. Yes, yes, hail me, long live me.” The projection then ended and the lime-green magic returned to the scarab.

Starlight and Trixie took a step back, in the process the door that was slightly opened then creaked. The seven changelings turned to face the door and all but the one in Twilight’s throne hissed. “Search the castle.” He ordered as he changed to be ‘Twilight’ again.As the others started to leave, “What are you all doing! Get back into character.” The six then took on their disguises save for the one that was on Rarity’s throne who took on the disguise of Twilight. The one in Twilight throne groaned, “What are you doing?” He asked in Twilight’s voice. “You know you’re cast as Rarity”

“BUT I WANT TO BE A PRINCESS!!!” The changeling in Rarity’s throne whined as she took on the disguise of Rarity. “It’s so not fair!” She then started to bawl. “THIS…IS… THE… WORST… POSSIBLE…THING!!!” She then renewed her crying, as her tears caused her mascara to run.

“You should really invest in oil-based makeup.” The Rainbow Dash-Changeling commented.

“THIS IS OIL-BASED!!!”

As the changelings groaned, Starlight grabbed Trixie and teleported the two to Trixie’s wagon. Once in the clear, Trixie began panting in an attempt to halt a panic attack, “I can't (pant) deal with (pant) this! (pant) I'm just (pant) a performer!” She panted once more and caught her breath, “This is... This is demigod stuff!” She shouted as she began to run around, “But the changelings have them all…” She paused as she fell to her knees, “We're doomed!” She then curled herself into the fetal position and began to shake in horror.

“Not necessarily,” Starlight said as she patted Trixie on the shoulder in an attempt to calm the illusionist. “Queen Chrysalis only said they took Luna and Celestia.” Starlight stopped as she recalled what the two had just witnessed, well heard. “And obviously Twilight and the others were taken…” She trailed off as she tried to recall if there was anyone else. When she recalled Flurry Heart’s Crystalling and the other time she and Twilight were in Krystalopolies when she met Thorax, “but maybe Cadance is still safe.” she informed as Trixie got back on her feet. “Our best bet is to get to Krystalopolies as soon as possible, maybe we can...”

“There's no help coming from Krystalopolies,” the two women heard a male voice. The two turned to see a male humanoid appeared from the bushes coming from the north. The male humanoid had long pointed ears, grayish skin and green eyes with white circles separating the green ‘whites’ from the pupils. He wore a black long sleeve shirt, dark gray pant, with what looked like three green bands that gave their torsos an insectoid appearance. Over his shoulders was a shawl-like green cloth that looked like the wings if in another form, but unlike the other Changelings, his was solid, shiny, like a set of healthy insect wings. Trixie began to shriek but before she got too load, Starlight surrounded her in a magical bubble that kept her in an area where no one could hear her.

“Thorax?” Starlight asked as she looked the figure over.

“Yes.” The recently identified Thorax affirmed to Starlight.

Starlight then elected to address how he had changed since last they meet, “Your shawl, it looks... different.”

Thorax look at the shawl, “Yeah, as do my wings in my combat form, would like to see?" Thorax asked as he was engulfed in a blue flame to show another form, an insectoid androgynous human with eyes that were mostly fields of blue which gradually faded to a white circle from outside in, and canine teeth were larger than humans, what Starlight also noted was his wings, they seem to glitter and shine and looked much healthier and more complete then what she saw when she first meet Thorax.

Starlight started to smile, she had someone who knew more than anyone else about the changelings under Chrysalis’ rule, aside from changelings under Chrysalis’ rule. However, she recalled what Luna told, she had to be careful about who she trusted. Her focus gem started to glow turquoise but was reactive like a star about to go nova. “How do I know you aren't some other changeling pretending to be Thorax?” she asked as he stepped closer preparing to kill the imposter on the spot if this was not the real Thorax.

Thorax had taken a few steps back and tripped on a rock and tried to crawl back a little, “You were there when Spike defended me to the Crystalborn.” Thorax said as he struggled to get to his feet. Once there, “Don’t you remember Princess Twilight’s speech,” Thorax didn’t clear his throat as he was engulfed in blue flame and became Twilight in appearance, “As the Princess of Friendship, I should set an example for all of Mystica. But today it was Spike who taught me…” He spoke in Twilight’s voice as he began to deliver the speech that really saved his life.

“Stop! I believe you!” Starlight cut him off, “I don't need the whole speech.” She finished and Thorax transformed back into the form he took when he arrived on the scene. Starlight then turned to the bubble containing the shrieking Trixie, who had finally stopped and looked back at Thorax pointing to Trixie. “Thorax this is Trixie, my first friend I made after reuniting with Sunburst,” Starlight introduced the changeling to the illusionist. Starlight then turned back to Trixie, “Trixie, this is Thorax. He's a reformed changeling. He's on our side. Understand?” Starlight asked Trixie. The illusionist nodded still very scared but seemed to be willing to trust Starlight. Starlight then dispelled the bubble.

Thorax then started to walk towards Trixie as he held out his right hand to greet Trixie, “Hi. It's a pleasure to...” he said as Trixie crawled away from Thorax on her back against her wagon and swatted at Thorax’s hand.

The fear was written in Trixie’s eyes as the pupils of her eyes constricted and her body shook, “I believe Starlight. But maybe just stay over there, for now, okay?” Thorax dipped his head and back away as he lowered his hand with a soft frown on his face.

Starlight knew that if Thorax was there and if he said that there was no help to come from Krystalopolies. She rapidly concluded that Chrysalis sent changelings there to replace Cadance, but she wasn’t sure if that was all. “The changelings’ loyal to Chrysalis got Cadance?” She asked her friend.

“Worse!” Thorax almost shouted, “They also capture Shining Armor, and baby Flurry Heart!” he continued as he started to pace back and forth. “Poor Flurry, she must be scared out of her mind!"

"Thorax!" Starlight said as she grabbed her friend by his upper arms and stopped him from pacing, she was about to slap him across the face.

"Sorry,” Thorax said as he collected himself. He took a breath, “I suggested to Sunburst that we both leave to get help, but he said it would raise too many flags if we both left.” Starlight then released Thorax as she thought about what Thorax said. Thorax then continued, “He suggested that I go get Princess Twilight's help.” He sighed as he looked at the ground. “And when you said that Queen Chrysalis managed to capture Princess Twilight, her friends, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna I knew I arrived too late.” Thorax dropped to his knees, “What are we going to do?!” He said as he thrust his hands into the sky and moaned.

“Yeah, what are we gonna do, Starlight?” Trixie asked as she looked to Starlight. “If what you and Twilight have said about your magic is true, you are our only hope!”

Starlight looked between the two, “I... I don't know!” she replied as she looked around, “There has to be somebody else who can handle this?” She asked the two.

"There is nobody else!" Trixie pointed out in fright as she took Starlight by her upper arms, "Everybody with powerful magic is gone!”

"You know, whenever you Mysticans talk about powerful magic, you always seem to forget about me." The three turned and saw on the top of Trixie's wagon something that looked like a human man, well it had a man's torso, neck, and head, a lion legs for the right arm, an eagle's talon for the left arm. For it legs, it had a goat leg and a lizard leg. He had a goat-like and an onyx-like horn on his head, with a bird-like wing and a batwing on his back. While the three on the ground continued to process who what they saw. "If Fluttershy wasn't such a kind person, I might decide to take it personally." The being said as he was sewing a stuffed rabbit.

Thorax then spoke as he seemed to have a guess of who the being was, "Wait, you're Discord!" the changeling declared. "Spike wrote about you in his last few letters, you must be one heck of quest master for Ogres and Oubliettes."

"Being the avatar of Chaos allows for many things, my good lad.” The recently identified Discord said as he leaned in to look at Thorax, “And you must be Thorax, strange, you don't look like a normal changeling, you're taller than I expected, and not as gray.” He then returned to resting on Trixie’s wagon. Trixie was clearly irate as she watched Discord stay on her wagon, while Starlight and Thorax looked at each other and then at Discord. Discord yawned, “Well, isn't this quite the combination of secondary characters?" He asked in a mocking tone as he looked at the three present and noticed the absence of six particular women, “So where are Twilight and the girls?” he asked almost dismissively.

“First, how do we know that you're really you?” Starlight asked as she had to make sure Discord was in fact, Discord. The Erisadies scowled as he snapped his fingers. The wagon was changed into a large purple pumpkin, the open ground became soap, causing Trixie and Starlight to fall to the ground while Thorax hovered as his shawl became like wings, the grass became white and flowers sprung to dance like an old animated film. After a few seconds of this chaos, “Okay we believe you," Starlight informed on her part and the others as she and Trixie got to their feet. Starlight turned to Discord, “Chrysalis and the changelings loyal to her are back and they have kidnapped all of the most powerful humans in Mystica! Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Twilight and her friends. We need to—"

Discord snapped his fingers and turn everything back to normal as he leaned in to look Starlight in the eye and ask, “They took Fluttershy?”, his anger still buried deep down but the three could tell that one wrong move, one wrong word and he would explode.

“... yes...” Starlight whimpered.

“Where?” He asked as a fire burned in his eyes; a fire that would consume the world, leaving it nothing but ashes if there wasn't a one in an infinite chance that Fluttershy was still alive.

"The fortress mound of Caer Sith, the capital of the Changeling Kingdom,” Thorax informed.

“And with you on our side, we can—” Starlight started as she grew confident that with the power of one able to alter all of reality, there was nothing that could stop them.

She was, however, cut off when Discord snapped his fingers again and the four vanished in white light. They reappeared in a wooded area, a few hours before dawn. Trixie was dressed as she normally would when she gave a show, in addition to a backpack like those used by mountaineers to carry their gear. Starlight and Thorax also had similar backpacks as did Discord, but his appearance changed to one much more human. His skin changed to look dullish brown-gray, his horns white hair shaped as the horns, his talon was a normal human hand with longer nails than most men, giving a talon-like appearance, compounded by the fact that his shirt’s sleeve ended above the elbow. His paw was replaced by a hand and arm in a yellow gauntlet that went all the way to his shoulder. His blue bird-like wing became a pauldron over his left shoulder, as did the bat-like wing for his right shoulder. His goat-leg became human and looked normal as his reptile-leg matched but was armored like the gauntlet on his right arm but was green in color. He wore light brown pants, a waistcoat that’s exterior was a more reddish brown than his pants with a long tail which seemed to be redder to replace his dragon tail and a high collar with gold lining it and where the coat connected in the front. “That's even.” Discord said as he looked around the area searching for Fluttershy. Given what they have heard about Discord, no one elected to attempt to correct Discord, he was the embodiment of chaos after all. “I was trying to take us right to Fluttershy and the others,” he said as he lifted a large boulder and having his eyes literally snake along the ground, “but there is no Fluttershy.” His eyes returned to their rightful place and he allowed the boulder to fall back to the ground.

Trixie looked away from where Discord was looking for Fluttershy as Thorax and Starlight seemed to and saw a ledge, she walked closer to the ledge and saw what she thought at first glance was a black stone mockery of the Castle in Chantalot. As she allowed her eyes to adjust she saw that it wasn’t a castle, but a mound, shaped like a castle and like a hive. Trixie pointed to it and began to whimper, “I think I have a pretty good idea where she might be...” The other three turned to see what Trixie pointed out.

“I'd hoped never to see that place again," Thorax said as he fell to his knees and began to shake in terror.
> Into The Mound
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the four looked at the mound, Discord scratched his chin and bread, "Hmh, even for me this is strange, I was trying to get us to be there, but we're here. You'd think that me being Chaos incarnate and normally able to play with reality like a rag doll, I could do whatever I want." Discord continued to pace, literally walking on air as he was perplexed by the recent development.

Trixie turned to Starlight and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Except dodge the Elements of Harmony twice," Trixie then giggled, Starlight could only roll her eyes. To her now wasn't the time to make jokes.

Just then, Discord stepped back to the ground and looked at the mound as he took the stance of the 'pondered'. It was then that Thorax stepped forward, "I can expl—" Thorax started only to have Discord placed his finger on his lips like a parent that was on the phone and needed their child to not speak for a second or two.

"That's very nice and all," Discord then prepared to snap the fingers of his left hand again, "But as Fluttershy told me 'if at first, you don't succeed...'" Before he could snap his fingers, he saw his left-hand encompassed in turquoise magic. He turned to see Starlight's left hand and focus gem were also glowing. "Last I checked you couldn't do that?"

"The band which prevented me from using my magic to its fullest  potential fell off two days ago," Starlight explained in a deadpan, "Forgive me for not forwarding the memo to you." Her face then softened, "But before we try, try again, perhaps we develop a plan?" she asked in an attempt to solve the situation before making it worse.

Discord blew the magic around his hand away like it was a candle, "A what?" he asked as he shook his hand.

Trixie then stepped forward as she spoke, as she elected to answer Discord's question and take a jab at him, "You know, something that's figured out in order to do something else, before you actually do the latter," Trixie stressed and rolled her eyes as she said 'before'.

Discord started to laugh at that Trixie's answer which caused her to scowl and Thorax and Starlight to turn to each other and shrugged their shoulders. Once Discord finished his laugh he patted Trixie on her head, forcing her hat to go down on her head, "Oh, that's adorable, Trixie my dear. " He then pulled his left arm of his body and used it to scratch his back, "But you see, unlike you, I am the avatar of Chaos, the very embodiment of it in this world, I don't need one, for I can do whatever I want." He finished as he snapped the fingers of his left hand and was back in the form he was in when he met the three.

"Uh, actually—" Thorax started only to be silenced in much the same way as before.

"Thank you, Thorax, my boy," Discord said more or less dismissing Thorax's concern. "But really this is a waste of time. We have me. And what else could we possibly need?" Discord asked as he stood tall and hand a closed-eye smirk, summoning three smaller forms of himself and passing them to the others.

Trixie rolled her eyes as she threw the small-Discord into the air over her shoulder, "An erisadies with magic and half a brain."

Discord snaked to float right in front of her, "Why are you here again?" he asked as he looked at, the rest of the group, "Thorax knows his ways around the hive, Starlight is an extremely power binder from what I've been told and she doesn't have the wristband blocking her power, as for me, well I got us here with a snap of my talon."  Discord then took off Trixie's hat and began to dig into it, "I mean, it's not like you're going to stop the changelings by pulling a rabbit out of a hat." He then pulled another copy of Trixie's head from the hat, "At least my magic can do something," as Discord emphasized 'my' both Trixie's narrowed their eyes at him and scowled as Discord returned the hat.

"The thing—" Thorax tried to speak up again, and again was ignored by Discord.

"Like this!" Discord shouted as he snapped his talon, vanishing in a white to reappear differently. Discord was in heavy armor, on a fully armored flying winged pig, with a lance as long as thrice his height, Discord rode his flying pig in front of the three, "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart in me. A day may come when our courage fails and we lose all bonds of fellowship, and darkness takes over. But it is not this day! This day we fight!" He turned his mount to face the mound. "For Fluttershy!" He called like and the winged pig charged towards the edge of the where they were only for it to dissolve into nothing, as well as Discord's armor. "Yaaah!" Discord cried as he narrowly saved himself by grabbing onto the ledge. After he was helped back up by Starlight and Thorax. "Strange," he muttered and snapped his talon again, summoning another flying pig and directed it to fly forward only for it to dissolve like the last one.

"This is what I've been trying to tell you all!" Thorax shouted, no longer being interrupted. "No form of magic, other than the magic we changelings have, work here." Thorax then pointed to the mount, and while it was hard to tell for certain where exactly he was pointing, it was inferred that he was pointing at the throne room which was located in the top. "Chrysalis' throne is carved from an ancient piece of black orichalcum with traces of adamantine and mithril that dates back before she became queen, heck before we even arrived at the mound. That stone soaks up outside magic like how we changelings soak up love. It's how she and all the previous monarchs have kept us safe in our lands." Thorax finished. Starlight thought back to the projection of Chrysalis when the changelings reported to her as she walked to the ledge and looked past it. She took a second to contemplate casting a spell just to see if Thorax was right, third time's the charm after all, but elected not to as she recalled what Discord intended to.

Trixie walked up and spoke to Starlight alone, "So, uh, what's the plan?"

Starlight looked away from the ledge and sighed as she tried to think of something, she wanted to get input from the others, but Discord's plan was to snap them there and rescue Twilight and the others. Trixie was asking her, so odds were Trixie had little to offer. She turned to Thorax, "This throne – if we get in and destroy it, can we get our magic back?" Thorax nodded in response.

"Well, that's a terrible plan," Discord commented with an eye-roll, "How are we supposed to get there?" Discord said as he pointed to Caer Sith.

Thorax walked over to large rock and slide it, revealing a staircase going down, "We walk through the tunnel here."  Thorax then started to go down into the tunnel, with Starlight and Trixie following him.

Discord looked at the entrance and then Caer Sith and back. He took hold of his lower eyelids and pulled them down about a meter and groaned, "I haven't walked that far in millennia!" He complained as he started down the tunnel after the others. All of whom groaned as they continued to travel. The tunnel was about three meters high and wide it was dark but Thorax's shawl gave something for the others to see and follow. Thorax, however, could see perfectly well and traveled ahead of the others. About two or three hours into their trek, not that they could tell the time, save for Thorax who grew up to see in the dark, Discord spoke up, "How do you all manage not being able to disappear." He clutched his paw shut and then opened his talon, "and reappear whenever you want!"

Trixie looked over her shoulder and shouted back at Discord, "Well, I definitely miss you being able to disappear!"

Starlight stepped between the two before Discord could respond, "Now Trixie, let's not be too harsh on Discord.” Starlight continued as she looked at herself, Trixie and Discord, the three unable to use magic. "None of us knew we weren't going to be able to use magic here."

Thorax turned from leading them and pointed out, "I did and I tried to tell you all."

Starlight sighed while Trixie gave a 'humph' and Discord grunted, Starlight then looked to everyone and recalled the advice Luna gave he and noticed that they might get separate and that a changeling would capitalize on that and would try to get the others captured, "Hold on everyone," Starlight said and everyone stopped, "If we get separated, we should have a way to make sure we know who each other is."

"Oh!" Discord said as he cheered mockingly, "like a secret code phrase!" Discord then started to walk up and down that path of the tunnel the four were in, "How about if I say 'we are' and you say 'doomed'?", Starlight and Trixie looked at each other slightly annoyed at him, "Or you say 'rescue' and I say..." as he walked he tripped over a rock and flailed in an attempt to regain balance, but he was caught by Thorax.

Trixie had a little giggle at the near fall Discord experienced, "How about if we say 'klutzy' and you say 'erisadies'?" Trixie suggested earning a scowl from the Erisadies.

Starlight thought for a second about what Trixie said, while she knew it was meant as a jab at Discord, but it was something that the four would remember and it was something few would ever guess, "'Klutzy Erisadies,' that works for me."

"I'll remember that," Thorax said and went back to the front of the group and renewed leading them. Discord's scowl shifted to a deadpan as the three followed Thorax farther down the tunnel.





About an hour or so later, the four reached the end of the tunnel and were in the mound, once inside the saw that the interior was much like an old termite or ant or beehive. But all over the place the openings opened and closed in a seemingly random fashion. This shocked Trixie, Starlight, and Discord. Trixie turned to Thorax, "I am definitely glad you came. I don't think we'd be able to find our way without you."

Thorax turned and pointed to the opening of the tunnel into the mound, "you definitely wouldn't."

The other three turned and saw the opening to the tunnel close shut. Discord's mouth dropped and would have hit the floor if he wasn't in the proximity of the throne, Starlight froze in shock and Trixie started to shake as she turned back to Thorax, "Um, where's the way out?"

Thorax waited for another opening to appear and started walking towards it, "Caer Sith has been the hive for us changelings for longer than the nation of Mystica existed, as such it has taken on some of our traits as we have taken on its." Thorax started as the rest followed him through the same opening, "As such, it shifts and changes like we do, and in turn, we are high resistance to most forms of magic, and even immune to some."

"Wait is that how they were able to capture everyone?" Starlight asked as she thought about how Luna was captured and Luna's statement of Celestia being captured, when she and Trixie overheard the changelings inform Chrysalis of Twilight et al being captured and then Thorax's report of Cadance, Shining and Flurry being captured too.

"You forget we changelings can also take the forms of objects and animals, that's how I meet Spike," Thorax informed.

"I think Spike told Big Mac and me that story. If I recall correctly you were hiding as a rock and he tripped over you." Discord commented as he followed.

"Yeah," Thorax confirmed as the three others finished going through the opening, "but back to the topic at hand, we changelings are the only ones who can navigate Caer Sith. It's total chaos to non-changelings."

As the opening closed after Discord went through, he looked back and gave what he saw and what Thorax said some thought, "Well, it's decent chaos." He said as he waved his hands, "I don't know if I'd call it 'total'." He commented as the four began their trek within the mound to reach the throne room. About half an hour into their trek, having not seen another changeling, Discord spoke up, “Are you sure that I'll get my magic back when we destroy the throne?” he asked to the rest, not sure who would answer.

“If Thorax is right, then yes.” Starlight answered as the four reached a staircase.

"Well, that's reassuring." Discord replied, the sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable and not lost on Trixie or Starlight. Thorax, however, had climbed up the stairs ahead of them as the three stopped.

“And how are we supposed to destroy the throne when we find it?” Trixie asked, noting that before they could get access to their magic back, at least in theory, they had to actually destroy the throne.

Starlight looked around for a second, "I... ", she started and then trailed off as she tried to form the next step of the plan, but she realized she really didn't have an idea what to do after they got to the throne, "don't know." Starlight dipped her head in defeat.

“That's reassuring,” Trixie replied with her own sarcastic tone and eye roll. She then heard the backpack she had on being opened and someone going through it.

Trixie turned to look over her left shoulder to see Discord going through the bag and throwing things aside, there were juggling pins, trick rings, rubber wands, a deck of cards, some cups, a few small balls, “I don't suppose you brought any throne-destroying tools along with these useless sideshow props.”

Trixie took a step to her left away from Discord and turned to face him,“Asks the Lord of Chaos who can't go for a walk without whining non stop!” she all up shouted as she pointed her right index finger into Discord’s chest.

Discord smirked as he took a step back,“Yes,” he all but dismissed Trixie’s criticisms with a wave of his paw and closed eyes. He then opened his eyes and clutched his paw as if in victory, “but when the throne is destroyed, I'll be able to rip the very fabric of reality to save our friends, while you'll” he then leaned down to be eye-to-eye with Trixie and began his own criticisms of Trixie. He thrust his talon at Trixie’s chest, “still be a self-absorbed, below-average” he then took the brim of Trixie’s hat and pulled it down over her face, “illusionist!”

Trixie pushed her hat back and all but shouted “Self-absorbed?!” as her anger started to boil, “Why, you...!”

“Cut. It. Out!” Starlight ordered as she literally stepped between the two and forced them apart, “I'm just barely keeping it together,” She chastised the two looking at Trixie first, then turning to look at Discord, and then back to Trixie and back to Discord as she spoke, “and it would be wonderful if you two could actually try to help instead of bickering like children!” Starlight then started up the staircase after Thorax.

Discord and Trixie looked to the ground, like scolded children before they replied in a defeated, “Okay. How can we help?” The asked as they began their own ascent.

“Don't ask me!” Starlight answered as she tried to  “I couldn't give advice at the Sunset Festival, and I had magic then!”

“The what?” Discord asked as he was not familiar with the term.

“The village she founded has a weeklong celebration at the Fall Equinox,” Trixie explained.

“Oh… is there one for the Spring Equinox?” Discord asked. Trixie shrugged her shoulders in a nonverbal way of saying ‘I don’t know’.

Starlight took a breath and continues, “Sadly, the three of us are as good as useless as long as that throne exist! At least Thorax knows where we're go…ing.” Starlight trailed off as she saw Thorax at the top of the staircase and looking around. "Thorax, why did you stop?" She asked as she, Trixie and Discord joined Thorax at the top of the stairs, which turned out to be a dead end.

Thorax slowly turned to face the others, "I have no memory of this place."

“Oh, great. We're lost.” Trixie complained as she took off her backpack and tossed it to the side, “We might as well just sit here and wait for the changelings to soak up all of our love or whatever gross thing it is that they do.” She said as hugged herself with a shiver of disgust. She then turned to Thorax, “How often do you all get hungry?”

Thorax was about to answer but paused as he gave the question some thought, “Normally we changelings are always hungry. Because we can never get enough love. But after I met Spike, and made a few other friends I haven't been hungry as changelings normally are.”

Trixie rolled her eyes, “Well, that's just super—"

Starlight thought about what Thorax said and was not fully following,“But you aren't hungry at all now?” she asked for clarification. Thorax shook his head in response. Starlight then looked at Thorax’s shawl and thought about what he said and Thorax’ appearance, “Is that about the same time your shawl in this form and wings in your combat form changed?” Thorax nodded in response.

Discord yawned at first and stretched, “While I would love to sit around chit-chatting about feeding and not feeding,” he started to complain about their current situation. He then shouted, “I have a Fluttershy to save!” Discord’s shout then echoed throughout the mound and more or less alerted the Changelings to their presence if they weren’t already aware.

Trixie raised her voice in a slightly hushed tone, “Hey Discord you want to shout louder? I am sure there's a cubic millimeter of the hive you haven't informed!" Trixie scowled at the Erisadies.

Discord gave a dismissive huff, “We have yet to come across a changeling since we entered their hive,” Discord then turned to Thorax, “Present company excluded. But seriously where is their security, and people give KK and the Royal Guard of Chantalot a hard time.”

They all then heard the hum of insect-like wings was heard echoing, “W-What's that?” Trixie asked nervously as she started to look around to find the source of what she heard.

“A guard patrol!" Thorax shouted in a panic and started to hyperventilate in control what seemed to be his oncoming panic attack.

Discord then started to look around as he was also shocked and actually for the first time in his life felt fear, “This seems like one of those moments where we need a plan.”

“What kind of plan?!” Trixie shouted still very much in her own panic, “We have no magic,” she said as she pointed to her, Discord and then Starlight, “Thorax is outnumbered,” she said as she pointed to Thorax, “and it's not like my illusions are gonna save us!” she finished as she started to empty her backpack.

Starlight took a second to think as she looked at what Trixie had in the bag, well to be just what Discord put together with a snap of his talon, and recalled how she and Trixie were able to get out of her village, “Do you have any of your smoke bombs?”

Trixie smirked as she took out a few smoke bombs, “Are you kidding?” Trixie asked rhetorically.





A small squad of changelings, a couple were in their true humanoid form and the rest in an insectoid-like combat form. They then heard Trixie from a ledge above them, “Looking for someone?” The changelings screeched as they charged Trixie. Trixie threw a smoke bomb in front of her and when they passed through the smoke they failed to find Trixie. The started to look around for Trixie. “Is that the best you've got?!” Trixie asked and they charged her again only for Trixie to throw another smoke bomb and was gone. Trixie’s laugh was heard as they continued to look for her.

Watching the scene unfold from an opening in a ceiling above the area that the changelings were searching for Trixie, were Starlight and Discord. Discord looked to Starlight as two broke off from the rest and went down another path, he then spoke with a shrug of his shoulders, “Not exactly great and powerful,” he commented but he had to acknowledge that it did the job, ”but effective.”

Trixie then walked up to the two and shrugged her shoulders with a grin, “Hm. I'll take it.” She had to know that it was the closest thing to a compliment on the matter that she would get from Discord.

The three then turned to see another Trixie standing in front of them. Not sure if this was Thorax who played his part of the plan or not Starlight gave the first part of the code phrase, “Klutzy…”

The second Trixie’s body then erupted in blue flame showing Thorax in his true form as he said the other part of the phrase, “...Erisadies!” Discord groaned at that phrase, clearly unhappy about the phrase. Everyone rolled their eyes for a second. Thorax then turned to Starlight, “That was a pretty good plan, Starlight.”

Trixie then looked to Starlight as she pointed out that they were still more or less lost, “But we still don't know where we're going.”

Starlight turned back to the opening that she and Discord watch the changelings that were looking for Thorax and saw that the opening that the two who broke from the others went down. Starlight then waved her hand for the other three to look at the same spot “Actually, we might.” She then jumped down and was followed by the other three, “Two of the changelings didn't go with the rest and went down this path.”

Thorax facepalmed himself as he recalled the standard operating procedures of Caer Sith, “Of course! With a confirmed intruder in Caer Sith, some went to protect the queen!” He then started down the path, “Good thinking, Starlight!” He exclaimed as he led the others down the path. Starlight was the last to go down the path and gave an embarrassed and nervous laugh.





About have an hour later managed to get much closer to the throne room, in fact, they were about five minutes from it and would reach it easily. However, they arrived at one of the last doors they saw a group of changelings, among them, were thirteen changelings that were much more unique. Those three were in the insectoid-like combat form and were about noticeably taller than all the other changelings and dressed in blue colored armor much like the golden armor of ESM  but the armor looked much more insectoid than other changelings. One of the changelings was much more muscular, his eyes were violet as opposed to the blue the others and his helmet had a fin that was deep crimson and he seemed to be the one issuing commands. The four rescuers bucked behind a small wall. Trixie spoke up in a whisper, “Now what?”

Starlight looked over the wall and then back to the group, “We…” she trailed off a bit, “go in.”

Thorax was sitting on the ground and started to shake in panic, “Even if I wanted to, there's no way past those guards, and those thirteen in the blue armor are the Drones, the Elites! We’ll be spotted for sure!”

“What makes them so different than the rest, aside from their size?” Trixie asked in an attempt to understand why Thorax was so afraid.

“Aside from being the best combatants in Caer Sith, They are the mates of Chrysalis!” The three looked at Thorax confused, “You know like a beehive!” He exclaimed and continued to shake in fear.

Starlight took a moment to think but she really only had no plains, “We need some kind of... distraction,” it was the best thing she could think of.

Trixie looked through her backpack, “I'm fresh out of smoke bombs.” Trixie pointed out, “Thorax and I used the ones in my pack the last time.”

Discord stroke his chin in thought, “Normally, I'm the most distracting thing I can think of,” he said as he pointed to himself, “but without my magic…” he said as he looked at the floor.

Starlight saw one of the props that Trixie had and saw a portable stage microphone, like those used by stand-up comedians, she then picked it up and handed it to Discord with a smirk on her face, “You shouldn't underestimate yourself.”





The door behind the changelings closed as a few of the Drones left, among them the one with the violet eyes. Discord then stepped forward and tapped the microphone to get the changelings attention, "Hello, changelings and changelettes!" he cheered. The changelings all turned to look at him, “I was just as surprised as you are that I'm here!” He said as he walked up to one of the ones in blue armor. “When I heard that I'd be playing for a bunch of changelings, I was beside myself!” He said as he rested his arm on the head of the changeling he stood next to. “Then I realized, it was just one of you.” He said as he tapped on the helmet making it sound like a rimshot. All the changelings snarled at this, which prompted Discord to take a few steps back and give a nervous laugh. “But, seriously, this isn't the toughest crowd I've ever been in front of. But it's definitely the easiest to bug!” Discord tried to joke, all the changelings looked to each other baffled by the joke, “To bug?” he asked. He then looked at the microphone again as he took a few steps back, with the changelings stepping forward, “Is this thing on?” he then tapped on the microphone which prompted the changelings to snarl at him. While the changelings were focused on the Erisadies, Starlight, Trixie, and Thorax slipped past the guards and reached the door. Discord then threw the microphone at the guards, “Well, if you think that you can do any better, be my guest!” He then started to run and the changelings followed him. Some flying, others on foot.

As Discord and the changelings left the sight of three, Trixie turned to Starlight, “It is absolutely ridiculous that that worked.”

Starlight rolled her eyes at that, “Discord complimented you, you can at least try to do the same.”





Discord ran ahead and managed to duck behind a pillar and the changelings past the pillar and seemed to not notice him. Discord stepped out from his hiding spot and rubbed his hands together with a smirk on his face. He then started along the path back to the door, “It is certainly a pleasure to have such dedicated fans.” He said as he commented on the reactions of the changelings. He closed his eyes, “I'll have to come back with some new material after I rescue Fluttershy.” He walked happily.

It was then that he heard Fluttershy’s voice rescuers, “Please, help!” followed by whimpers.

Discord shouted “Fluttershy!” as he turned to see Fluttershy trapped with her leg in between two rocks.

“Discord! I'm stuck!” Fluttershy shouted in cheer and gave a massive smile at the sight of Discord.

Discord walked up to Fluttershy and looked at rocks that Fluttershy’s leg was trapped between, “You certainly are.” He then walked around to find a spot where he could get her out of the trap, “And I should probably help you get free. But…” Discord stopped and recalled when he shouted, ‘I have a Fluttershy to save’ odds were they realized that this would be a trap, something he expressed with a laugh, “Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho…”

“But what?” Fluttershy asked confused at the change of the situation, Discord was going to help her but now he wasn’t going to help her.

Discord stopped his laugh and scowled at Fluttershy, “You’re obviously not Fluttershy!” He said as he crossed his arms and turned away.

“Oh.” Fluttershy pouted and looked at the ground with a tear forming in her eyes.

Discord paced back and forth in front of the imposter, “I mean, I'm separated from the others and just happen to come across the one person I care most about?” He then turned his back from the fake, “I can smell this setup a mile away.”

The fake Fluttershy sniffed and started to cry, “No. You're right.” she said as she covered her face, “There's no way you should trust me. Just go find the others.” She then started to wail with tears not unlike waterfalls, “I understand!"

Discord rolled his eyes as he turned back to face the fake, "Oh, come on!" he said as he crossed his arms.

Discord then heard another Fluttershy crying. That prompted him to look around and saw an army of trapped Fluttershys in various traps and states of crying. The one that he first came across took on an evil smirk as she looked at the situation, "We're probably all changelings. You shouldn't rescue any of us. Unless, you think, maybe one of us might be the real Fluttershy. Oh, that certainly would be a nasty changeling trick, wouldn't it?” Discord froze as he heard more of the Fluttershys cry. Several of them each claiming to be the Fluttershy. Discord dropped to his knees as the first fake Fluttershy engulfed herself in a lime-green fire. His mouth hung open as he saw the one who so easily mocked him. He started to growl but was swiftly tackled to the ground by all the other Fluttershys. "Hello there, Discord.” Discord growled again. “One down, three to go.” the voice of Chrysalis was heard before she gave a triumphant laugh evil that shifted into a rather dorky one.





As Discord was captured, Thorax looked around the area and not seeing Discord coming, “We can't wait any longer.” Thorax whispered then started to head farther into their trek to the throne. “Between the sightings of Discord and Trixie, Caer Sith’s guards are on high alert!”

Starlight took Thorax by his shoulder, in an attempt to stop him from leaving the area and Discord behind, and whispered as well, “But if we do manage to destroy the throne, we'll need him. He can take on the entire swarm with a sneeze.”

“Not necessarily,” Thorax pointed out again in whispers, “without the throne, you can use your magic to empower me and with that, I can be challenged Chrysalis to a comhrac,” As Trixie and Starlight looked at him confused, “it’s a duel for leadership, it’s an old practice, usually used by those that seek to rise through the ranks to become Drones but one can go all the way to monarch.”

"Okay, that would have been nice to know beforehand," Trixie whispered with an eye roll not fully believing Thorax, she then turned to Starlight, "But I agree with Thorax we can't stay here because Discord's probably already been captured!" 

It was then that they saw Discord come from the path that he led the changelings down. He looked around for Starlight and the rest, "Hello? Fellow rescuers?" he called which prompted them to step out of their hiding spot.

"We can't stay here. We gotta get to the throne." Thorax stated and began to lead them to the throne room again.

"Ooh! I heard some of the changelings who were chasing me say that they know where it is!" Discord said and started to walk ahead of Thorax.

"Klutzy..." Trixie asked giving the first part of their agreed-upon code phrase and waited for Discord to groan.

Discord shacked his head for a second, "Hmm? Oh. Yeah." he said as he looked back at the delay in his return and chuckled. This prompted Thorax to stop, "I-I can be klutzy." Discord said and started forward, "Now, follow me."

Starlight turned to Thorax and Trixie and whispered to them, "That's not Discord," Thorax and Trixie nodded as they followed the fake Discord to a set of two tunnels.

The fake Discord then started towards the one on the left, "This way! We're almost there!" He said as he waved over his shoulder. Starlight and Trixie almost started down the path.

Thorax grabbed the two and stopped them, "I know this trick. He's leading us to ambush." Starlight looked at the ground and tried to think of a plan. They could go down the right path, but that would trip the changeling off if they all went.

While Starlight was still thinking, Trixie sighed as she stepped forward into the tunnel that the fake Discord led them down, "Okay, I'll handle it." She turned to the other two and nodded before going down the tunnel, "You two just get ready to run into the other tunnel."

"Wait, what?! Trixie, you can't!" Starlight said as she took Trixie's hand in a slight panic, "I don't know what to do!" Starlight let go of Trixie's hand and seemed to panic, "We've already lost Discord; I can't lose you too!"  Without magic, I—"

Trixie placed her right hand on Starlight's shoulder, "You got us this far with just my illusions and Discord's annoying personality." she said and silenced Starlight of her doubt, "You don't need magic to figure out what to do next." Trixie looked down the path the fake Discord went then back to Starlight, "I know you're afraid to be in charge, but you are really good at it! Listen to your best friend.” Trixie then released her hold and turned back to the tunnel and called to the imposter, "Hey, Discord!" the changeling turned and walked back, confused as to what Trixie wanted, "Want to see the new trick I've been working on?" the pretender didn't get a chance to answer as Trixie took his right hand with hers and waved a handkerchief over it and revealed that a chain of handkerchiefs was tied to his wrist and Trixie's. "I call it the 'Changeling Catcher!'" The changeling snarled as it tried to free itself. Trixie turned and shouted to Thorax and Starlight, "Run!" The fake Discord then changed into a form like Thorax's and ran to catch the other intruders only to be stopped by leech made of handkerchiefs that went from his wrist to Trixie's. As Trixie struggled to pull him back towards her, the other changelings in the trap made themselves apparent as they hissed and opened their eyes. Trixie looked all around her and gave a nervous laugh as she said, "Ta-da..." only to be followed by the changelings screeching as they swarmed over her.

"So much for the Great and Powerful Trixie. Two down, two to go," The voice of Chrysalis was heard before she gave another triumphant laugh evil that shifted into a rather dorky one.
> Facing The Queen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight and Thorax ran down the other path and continued toward the throne room. After a couple of minutes, they arrived at the entrance and hid behind an outcropping. “The throne room is that room. Stay low.” Thorax whispered as the two caught their breaths. Starlight nodded and they separated and headed in different ways to enter the throne room.

A couple minutes later Starlight entered the throne room and looked around, it was about the size of the Chantalot throne room and there it was in the center near the fall wall from the way she entered, was the throne. She had to destroy it, she wasn’t sure how, but once it was destroyed then she could use her magic to save everyone. She then spotted as heard a splat. She looked up and saw fourteen clear lime-green gel-like cocoons, in them were Luna, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Discord, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike and four others, two were women that had metallic wings like Luna and Twilight, one of them had golden sun like wings, while the other is looked like a heart with crystal gems for the ‘feathers’, the former was Celestia and the latter was Cadance. One of the remaining cocoons had a female baby with wings, not unlike the four princesses, this was Flurry Heart. In the last cocoon was a man that looked like he was the father of Flurry Heart, this was Shining Armor. Starlight gave a silent gasp until she heard and saw the cocoons start to move as she heard Chrysalis laugh. The changeling queen then started to reveal herself to Starlight, well made her presence known as she crawled among the cocoons in the form that could be best described as a human-sized winged black widow spider with a human mouth. “One little human all by herself,” Chrysalis said as she jumped to her throne, transforming into her true form as she landed. She cracked her neck as she looked at the petrified intruder. “Oh, how will I ever prevent this daring rescue?” she mocked as a squad of changelings leaped through other openings and screeched as they surrounded Starlight. In a blink of an eye, Starlight’s feet were covered in gue which for all practical purposes glued her to the floor. Chrysalis got off her throne and walked to the trapped Starlight, “Well, well, well. The Princess of Friendship's sole pupil.” she mocked as she took Starlight’s chin. She then let go and walked to Starlight’s left after a laugh, “Honestly, I didn't think you were worth replacing.”

Starlight strained in an almost futile effort to get out of the gue. After a few attempts, “You won't get away with this!” she said to Chrysalis in defiance.

Chrysalis laughed as she used her wings to fly towards her fourteen prized prisoners, “I already have.” She said as she gestured to the cocoons. She then hovered over towards the cocoons with Discord and Trixie, “And nobody is coming to save you.” As she touched the two pods and shook them, “Your little squad was all you brought with you.” She then landed and slowly walked towards Starlight, as a tigress to a trapped buffalo unable to defend itself. She then proceeded to tap Starlight on her nose like Starlight was a little child, “And now, there's just you.”

Starlight swatted Chrysalis’ hand away, and while the queen giggled in response, “Thorax is still out there.” Starlight challenged as the throne room began to fill-up with changelings, the whole of the swarm, sans the twelve disguised as the prisoners. All there to watch their queen destroy the intruder.

Queen Chrysalis stopped her giggle and scowled before she slapped Starlight across her face using the back of her left hand, “Don't mention that traitor's name in my kingdom!” She shouted as the sound of the slap still echoed in the throne room. She gritted her teeth as she turned away to collect herself slightly, “He was a fool to leave!” She shouted to no-one in particular, “and even more a fool to return!” She continued as she turned her back to Starlight for a second. She then turned to have Starlight in her peripheral vision, “When I find him, he'll learn just what happens to those who betray Caer Sith!” she exclaimed as she clutched her right fist. Starlight whimpered slightly and in a blink and you’ll miss it her eyes gleamed blue. Chrysalis didn’t blink and turned to Starlight with a smirk, “And it seems I don't have far to look, do I…” She then sent a beam of lime-green colored light at Starlight which caused her to whimper until she was temporarily engulfed in a blue flame, revealing that it wasn’t Starlight at all, but… “Thorax?” The other changelings hissed, some readied weapons, other pooled their magic in their hands to strike Thorax down. Chrysalis laughed as she raised her right hand, “Thorax you stand accused of desertion and treason.” Chrysalis then pulled from one of her pockets the note he left, “This here proves your desertion. And the presence of these two proves your treason.” she said as she pointed to Discord and Trixie. She then lowered her right hand and used it to take his chin, “However, let it never be said I cannot be merciful. Tell me where Starlight Glimmer is and your death will be painless.”

“She’s not in Caer Sith. Discord, Trixie and I were the only ones to enter. She is gathering others and with this distraction, she’ll lay siege from outside of the thrones...” Thorax started only to be silenced by the sound of a rock pounding against the throne in an attempt to crack it.

Everyone then turned to see Starlight desperately hit the throne with a fairly large rock again and again in an attempt to destroy the throne. Queen Chrysalis then sent a blast of lime-green magic at Starlight. Starlight was able to dodge it and find a place to hind. Chrysalis flew to her throne and started to look through the small openings that were in the wall to find Starlight, “Very clever.” All the while Starlight tried to hide, but it was clear that she going to be found, “And clearly Thorax revealed to you the secret of the throne.” Chrysalis continued to look for Starlight, “I can't have powerful Mysticans using their abilities against me and my subjects.” Chrysalis then spotted Starlight’s hair and smirked, “Even with your rather embarrassing little rescue attempt, everything has gone according to my plan.

“What plan?” Starlight asked as she clung to the hope that she wasn’t found yet, “Why did you do all this?!” she exclaimed before she was wrapped in lime-green magic and pulled out of her hiding spot.

Chrysalis had captured Starlight and had the binder hover in front of her, “So we could feed, of course!” Chrysalis then pointed to the fourteen cocoons that hang from the ceilings, more so the twelve that were captured beforehand, “By replacing the most beloved figures in Mystica, my subjects will be able to store all the love meant for them and return it here to me.” She then  released her hold on Starlight and let her fall to the ground, “And everyone in Mystica will do as I command, and my subjects and I will feed on their love for generations!” She then gave her laugh that started very maniacal but shifted into a dorky giggle.

Starlight got back to her feet and looked around and saw Thorax’s shawl and its glitter. She thought back on what Thorax said, that after he made a few friends he never need to feed. It was as if changelings were not to drain love like a mosquito, but absorb it passively like a sponge,  “What if you didn't have to?”

Chrysalis sent a beam of lime-green magic at Starlight and used it to wrap around her, “Ridiculous!” Chrysalis then used her magic to throw across the room and then walked towards her, “The hunger of changelings can never be satisfied!”

“Exactly!” Starlight countered as she recovered from the blow, “Thorax left and made a few friends.” Starlight pointed to Thorax, “He shared the love he had, and now he doesn't need to feed. You don't have to live your lives starving all the time!”

"You know nothing of the changelings or what it takes to be their queen!” Chrysalis counted as she grabbed Starlight by her shirt and threw her again across the room, “I decide what is best for my subjects,” Chrysalis continued as she walked to where Starlight landed and pointed to Thorax, “not some lowly grunt!”

Starlight struggled to get back on her feet, “I know what it's like to lead by fear and intimidation!” she said as she groaned slightly in pain and help herself. “And I know what it's like to want everybody to do what you say!” She then used the wall she was next to as support. “But I was wrong, Twilight and by extension, Celestia taught me that.” She looked to the trapped Celestia and Twilight for a second and then back to Chrysalis, “Real leaders don't force their subjects to deny who they are! They celebrate what makes them unique and listens when one of them finds a better way!”

“You actually believe Celestia’s dribble! I’d rather lose my crown to that grunt than take sure weak advice.” Queen Chrysalis scoffed at the thought and pointed to Thorax,“The only thing Thorax has found is what happens to those who turn their backs on the swarm, on the hive, on the kingdom, on Caer Sith, and on ME!!!” Chrysalis then sent a beam of her lime-green magic at Thorax and pulled him towards her making him float in the air.

“No!” Starlight shouted as she was stopped by two changelings in blue armor.

“I’ll drain every last ounce of love from him and show my subjects what a real leader is!” Chrysalis said as she opened her mouth and a pink light was drawn out of Thorax’s chest, specifically from the area of the heart. The pink light pooled as an orb in Chrysalis’ mouth.

Thorax strained as he tried to get out of Chrysalis’ hold and cried “I can feel the love inside me slipping away...!” he said as he started to cringe and started to tear up. “I can't hold onto it much longer...!”

Starlight took a second to look at how Chrysalis was draining the love out of Thorax like she was drinking a glass of water through a straw. She knew that while water was necessary to drink, if too much of it came too fast, like from a firehose, a person could be forced back. She then had a thought, if Chrysalis was treating love like it was water, then it would affect her like water, all that was needed was for Thorax to open the floodgates. “Then don't!” Starlight began to voice her idea. “Sharing love has made you different, Thorax. And that was just what naturally radiated off of you.” The two changelings that held her back let her go, as all present turned to her. “You should share your love with Chrysalis!” Starlight ordered. “Give her all of it!” Starlight’s eyes narrowed as a smirk grew on her face.

Thorax took a breath and flung his arms open and the love that had collected in him jettisoned out in all directions like a sphere and forced all the changelings back. Chrysalis was forced all the way to her throne, due to the sting like pink light becoming more like the output of a fire hose dosing a fire intentionally, and her impact on it caused it to crack slightly. Once the light faded there was what looked like a crystalline egg about Thorax’s size where he was. Starlight cautious walked up to it before it opened and Thorax emerged, but he was vastly different. His skin was white-ish pink like most Mysticans, he stood a good foot taller, his ears were still pointed up much smaller. His eyes were moderate rose and his hair was a light rose. His clothes changed as well. His shawl became long open sleeves that were moderate blue-violet in color with dark fuchsia shoulders that was under an upper chest piece that was lime green and faded int bright gamboge in color with three light blue crystals. He wore what only be seen as lime green pants under an emerald robe and shoes that looked like their inspired by leaves in their design, and on his head was crown that looked like it was made of plant-life and resembled the antlers of a deer that was bright orange in color with some green.

“Destroy that Admonition!” Chrysalis ordered, but the changelings didn’t move. “What are doing? How dare you defy your queen?!”

“Because your title is up in the air. You said and I quote,” Thorax said in a regal tone that matched Chrysalis’, He then transformed into a copy of the queen, “I’d rather lose my crown to that grunt than take sure weak advice.” he then changed back to his new form, “You challenged me to a comhrac and I accept.” Thorax then sent a blast of light turquoise magic at Chrysalis. Chrysalis leaped off of the throne and used her wings to fly above.

“This is not valid unless the whole of the swarm is present.” Chrysalis pointed out in what sounded like a confident tone, but Thorax could hear a bit of fear in it.

“Then summon the twelve back,” Thorax countered the queen. Chrysalis groaned as she opened three rings of lime-green fire and the twelve imposters fell through only to change into their combat forms to catch themselves before landing hard on the floor. Chrysalis then landed with her back to the throne, she reached both her hands out and sent a beam of lime-green energy at Thorax. Thorax in response raised his right hand alone and sent a beam of light turquoise energy at her. The two beams collided. The beam Chrysalis sent started out able to force’s Thorax back, but in a second her beam was the forced back. All the changelings gasped in shock.  “Face it Chrysalis, you’re way is wrong.” Thorax then brought his left hand up to reach out along with his right. “King to Queen!” Thorax shouted as his beam was empowered with both hands as Chrysalis beam was overpowered fully. As Thorax’s beam struck Chrysalis forcing her into her throne and through the back. “Checkmate!” Thorax declared his victory. He then turned to the swarm of changelings. “You have all borne witness to this. As many of you know I was one of if not the lowest of the fighters, in fact, I needed someone to look out for me as a nymph. And by sharing the love that was collected in me since I made friends in Mystica, I have taken on and bested the former queen. You all have this potential if you are willing to take the chance.” Thorax ended his speech and held out his right hand, while to no changeling, in particular, it was meant for all.

The changelings looked at each other nervously, such a radical change, so soon. However, one changeling, the one that wanted to be Twilight but was cast as Rarity reached her arms out and closed her eyes as if she prepared herself to be sacrificed by falling onto a fire. Slowly the love in her began to expand out of her, much like Thorax and she was replaced with an egg as the love exploded like with Thorax. She then emerged from the egg, not as tall as Thorax, but taller then she was before. Her skin much like Thorax’ and she was much more clearly female in her appearance and her clothes were of various bright and yet earth colors. First, one by one, then two by two, then three by three, the vast majority of the changelings followed suit. Those that changed each looked much healthier then they did, all with bright and earthy colored clothes with the males much more masculine in their appearance and females much more feminine in their appearance. Chrysalis barely recovered as she saw all the explosions of love, each hitting the throne and causing it crack. Her eyes shot wide open just as the throne began to break apart. At this point the explosions of love caused the top of Caer Sith to blow off in a fairly large explosion, showing that it was close to mid-day.

Once the explosion cleared the changelings had, for the most part, followed Thorax’s example, and were more beings of nature and life. The cocoons were all on the floor and opened. Slowly the fourteen that were captured collected themselves, with Starlight helping Trixie to her feet, as Shining and Cadance held each other and their little Flurry. Thorax helping Spike, the diarchs helping each other, Applejack and Rainbow Dash collected themselves as Rarity helped Pinkie. Discord needed no help to get up but panicked as he couldn’t see Fluttershy, “Fluttershy?” He asked until he spotted her.

After he teleported to be right next to her and gave her a bear hug, “It's, um, good to see you, too.” The druid said as she returned the embrace.

Starlight then found Twilight still shaking it all off. As Starlight offered her hand, Twilight accepted it and asked, “Starlight? What happened?” As it was clear that she was still processing it all.

Starlight looked around at first as she tried to form an answer, “Well things didn’t go well at the Sunset Festival so Trixie and I came back early. We found out that you and the others were replaced by changelings, and with Discord and Thorax we came to rescue you. We were all almost captured too but Chrysalis in a moment of poor word choice challenged Thorax to the throne and leadership of the changelings and Thorax won,” Starlight said as she pointed to Thorax, “They found that they didn’t need to drain love like a vampire, and... went through some sort of metamorphosis and they're all kinda... good now.”

“Not all,” Thorax said as he joined Starlight and Twilight and pointed to a group that looked like they were fifty in the count, among them the thirteen Drones that were still in the previous state. “But one heart and mind at a time.”

The three were then joined by Celestia and Luna, Luna spoke first addressing Starlight, “Well done, Starlight Glimmer. It seems as though you've learned a great deal since we last spoke.”

Celestia turned to speak with Thorax but was cut short as they all heard the sound of rubble moving. All there turned to see Queen Chrysalis emerge from the rubble and hiss in defiance as her crown glowed lime-green. But she stopped as everyone, even the fifty changelings that didn’t change scowled at her, all prepared to fight her. She whimpered in fright as she was against impossible odds. Thorax was about to step forward to smite Chrysalis there and then, but Starlight stopped him and walked up to Chrysalis. She offered out her right hand, “I was defeated by Twilight and her friends with the help of those that followed me. But they rightfully turned when they learned the truth of my actions and I refused to make amends,” she said as she gestured to the six with her left hand. “ I chose to run away and seek revenge!” Starlight said as she dipped her head in shame and lowered her left hand, “But you don't have to! You can be the leader your subjects deserve.” All the while the wind rustled as Chrysalis timidly and slowly raised her right hand. However just as it looked like she would accept Starlight’s hand she scowled and smacked it aside.

Chrysalis leaped into the air, “There is no revenge you could ever conceive of that will come close to what I will exact upon you one day, Starlight Glimmer!” She shouted as she pointed out Starlight and began to fly away.

Discord was about to snap his talon when it was encased in Thorax’s magic. “She’s not worth it. She has no one to help her,” Thorax said as he pointed towards the fifty that had not changed, “She lost their support when I won the comhrac. There is no one she can turn to for aid and if she were to try anything, you can rip her apart with no effort.” Thorax said as he released his hold.

Celestia walked up to Thorax and gave a bow one monarch would another, Thorax then bowed as her equal. Once the two finished their bows, “King Thorax, as the newly established leader of the changelings,” Celestia then took a good look at Thorax and at each of the changelings and their new appearance, “or should I say elves or aes sidhe?” Thorax thought for a second and nodded, ‘elfs’ and ‘aes sidhe’ both sounded much better than ‘changelings’. “I look forward to discussing how we can improve our relationship in the future.” Celestia then turned to face the other Mysticans and Discord, “However, for the moment, perhaps it is best that we leave Caer Sith,” Celestia then turned back to Thorax, “If I might be so bold to suggest that you consider renaming the whole of your nation to Alfheim?”

“I’ll take it into consideration,” Thorax replied after he gave it some thought.

“Well then, I wish to leave the matters of your nation that don’t involve Mystica to you and your subjects. Before we disembark, let it be known that offer my hand in hopes of a possible alliance.” Celestia said as she offered her right hand, Thorax nodded and accepted her hand.

“Splendid idea!” Discord cheered as he teleported to be standing on Thorax’s crown. He then gestured to Fluttershy, “Now who's ready for some celebratory tea at Fluttershy's?!”

Everyone turned the druid, Fluttershy looked around as everyone looked at her, “Oh! Uh, everybody?” she asked in a near panic.

“Actually,” Starlight said as she walked in front of Fluttershy to shield her from the looks and get Discord’s attention, “now that you can snap your talon or paw or fingers and send us absolutely anywhere again,” she started as Discord changed into his human form. “I think I have a better option.”





At Starlight’s village, everyone was still partaking in the Sunset Festival, but it felt like going through the motions. They had hoped that they can Starlight could truly move on from what happened but when she ran away, it was clear to them that she would forever be trapped in the past. Double Diamond and Party Favor were walking until they saw Starlight walk into the village, “Uh, hey, Starlight. What are you doing here?” he asked unsure about why Starlight was there.

“Yeah you left in such a hurry before, we kinda thought you didn't wanna come.” Double Diamond added as he walked up to Starlight.

“Yeah…” Starlight said as she dipped her head as the rest of the village started to walk up to the scene, and formed a circle around Starlight, this time the circle was much wider, “I guess after the way I used my magic on all of you, I wasn't sure I was somebody who should even be in charge of a baking contest.” Starlight looked up and looked at everyone in the village, “I was afraid I might go back to being the person I used to be.” She paused as she looked back at what she went through recently. “But I realize that sometimes you don't have a choice. You have to step up. And I have changed! I can handle it.” She said as she looked her wist the tan-line from her band there and rose her head back up, “Whether it’s something as big as saving Mystica” Everyone looked to each the confusion on their faces was unmistakable, “I’ll tell you that story soon, but back to my point.” Starlight said as she got everyone back to her, “or helping friends out with the Sunset Festival.” Starlight then looked away from everyone there, “Speaking of which, I know the Festival's almost over, but I kinda invited a few of my friends to join.” Everyone then turned to where Starlight was looking and saw Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Discord, Trixie, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Spike standing just in the entrance of the town. “Hope that's okay.”

Double Diamond laughed as he and the others started towards the arrivals to greet them, “Are you kidding? Of course!”

“Great!” Starlight exclaimed as everyone walked to greet each other. Starlight turned to Sugar Bella, “Now where's that baking contest? This girl needs a cupcake!” She exclaimed as everyone started to fully mingle and enjoy the celebration.

Save for two, Discord and Trixie stood back for a moment, “So I'm able to rip the very fabric of reality again.” Discord started, while the word choice indicated he was praising himself, he was actually humble in his tone.

"Yeah, yeah.” Trixie all but groaned as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, “And I'm still a self-absorbed, below-average illusionist, right?” she didn’t really ask.

Discord cracked his neck, “Actually, I was going to say was that as a whole the illusions you employed back in the hive were average with a couple of those slightly above average.” Discord then  turned to face her, “You might not be great and powerful but you are good at what you do.” He then leaned in with a smirk on his face, “If you ever need a little chaos in your act, let me know.”

Trixie snorted at the suggested, “Ha! When pigs fly!” and laughed at the thought of working with Discord.

Discord was about to frown but smirked instead as he held his left hand aloft, “Your wish is my command!” He said as he rested his right hand on his chest with his eyes closed. He then snapped his fingers and Trixie and himself were on two winged pigs that were hovering. Discord then slapped the rear of the pig Trixie was on which caused it to squeal and fly ahead.

“Whoa! Whoooooaaaa!” Trixie screamed as she flew by a table with Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Followed by Discord. Everyone was befuddled at that sight save Pinkie who gave a big eye opened mouth smile like a child in a candy store.

Rainbow Dash was the first to attempt to recover from that, “Somebody is really gonna have to catch us up on what we missed.”





Epilogue

As the Sunset Festival continued, Celestia, Twilight, Luna, and Cadance sat to the side. “Starlight, Discord, and Trixie have accomplished a great feat. Going into Caer Sith and braving Chrysalis to rescue us.” Luna stated.

“With the aid of Thorax.” Cadance chimed in.

“Is there a way we could show our gratitude for their actions and show them for the heroes they are?” Twilight asked as she looked to Cadance and Luna more so than Celestia.

“We are at a lost, we can’t knight them or make them lords and ladies, Discord is… well Discord and he really doesn’t need a title. Trixie needs to let go of a sizable portion of her ego, do you really want her to go around with the name “The Great and Powerful Lady Trixie!”, Thorax is already a king and it would not do Mystica’s geopolitical standings well to make him a lord because it would be perceived as us conquering the realm and appointing him the governor or saying it is a vassal state.” Luna explained. Cadance shrugged her shoulders indicating that she didn’t know what to do.

Celestia then spoke, “I think I know just the thing, I’ll have to let Fancypants run it through the appropriate channels, but I think they qualify for the Pink Hearts of Courage. However, I think Starlight would benefit from meeting with someone else you have been helping, Twilight.” Celestia winked “But that’s your call.” Twilight took a minute to think about what Celestia just said.