The princesses announce their retirement; Chrysalis responds with her own; even Starlight will be moving. It's all too much for Aita. Meanwhile, Discord makes an "attempt" to round up past foes and gives them a choice: unite or work alone.
The mane six, Spike, Aita, and the changeling rulers are summoned at the announcement of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's retirement, Chrysalis responding with her own. Even Starlight will be moving in with Sunburst all the while. This news ends up getting to Aita unlike anything before. Meanwhile, Discord makes a low-effort attempt to bring past foes together with the choice of teaming up or venturing alone.
These are the alternate events of The Beginning of the End.
T Rating guaranteed due to gambling references, as well as the villains' mostly purposefully outdated world-views.
Carve and I are racing to Canterlot Castle to meet the princesses. At the drawbridge, we are joined by Twilight, her friends, Aita and Spike.
“Oh good. We’re all here,” Fluttershy says with relief.
“So, everyone got an urgent summons to the castle with no explanation?” asks Twilight.
“Eeyup! I just love a good mysterious summons.” Pinkie Pie lays the bottom half of her mane over her mouth. “What’s it about? Is it a surprise party? Hey, why are we running?”
“Because something could be wrong,” I reply. “Another criminal? A swarm?”
Applejack raises an eyebrow. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much, Chrysalis?”
“Why else would the princesses send scrolls to us in such a hurry?” Carve points out, who Rarity looks at.
“Good point. They know better than to make us worry.”
“Plus I like it when you run so fast, the walls get blurry.” Pinkie looks to her right, seeing the walls zip past her view. She cheers when her eyes begin to appear swirling.
“Race ya!” Rainbow Dash challenges, but Carve and I raise our hooves in disapproval.
When the ten of us reach Celestia and Luna’s throne room, everyone’s at least a little winded.
“Everyone. Thank you so much for coming,” greets Celestia.
“What’s wrong?” Aita inquires. “What can we do?!?”
“That’s just it.” Luna smiles mid-sentence. “Nothing’s wrong! Everything’s perfect!”
Twilight jumps into the air at this reply. “Did you seriously call ALL of us here just to tell us that?!?”
“With all due respect, your majesties, you might want to save your ‘urgent summons’ for something a little more…” Rarity pauses, realizing the redundancy of her statement. “well, urgent!”
Celestia and Luna laugh. “Well there is more to it,” replies Luna. “Equestria has been on the precipice of ‘utopia’ status in recent years.”
“And it is all thanks to the contributions of everyone standing before us.”
“Who us?” Spike brags.
Rarity laughs. “Oh sure.”
“It’s about time you noticed.” Rainbow Dash crosses her forehooves.
Twilight bows in flattery. “Thank you.”
“Because of your efforts, there’s been less and less for us to do,” Luna further explains.
“So after much consideration, my sister and I have decided it is time for us to retire.”
Everyone gets confused by Celestia and Luna’s announcement. Discord teleports in with press attire.
“Breaking news! The royal princesses retiring! I have so many questions! Who’ll take over?!? Who will run Equestria? Will it be someone with experience, or will it be the queen?!?” Discord spawns copies of his eagle claw, pointing to me. Celestia directs her hoof at Twilight, prompting surprise from everyone, including me. “Oh fine, go with the obvious choice.”
Aita lets out a nervous whine. He then steps forward. “You’re retiring?!? You can do that?!?”
Luna laughs again. “Of course we can. I for one am looking forward to a little R ‘n R, maybe a trip to Silver Shoals.”
“And you want Twilight to take your place…” I finish for Luna, she and Celestia nodding.
“With the help of her friends of course,” Luna amends.
Everyone looks at Twilight without a moment too soon, some resting each hoof on her shoulders.
“We can’t think of anypony more worthy.” Celestia flies up to Twilight. “Over the years we’ve watched you grow. You’ve faced task after task.”
Luna joins her sister. “Challenge after challenge.”
“Countless adversities, yeah yeah yeah,” Discord snarks, floating around us in boredom. “We get it.”
“And you’ve always prevailed.” Celestia rests a hoof under Twilight’s chin, prompting her to smile.
“Thank you so much, Celestia. But that doesn’t mean all of us are ready to do what you do.”
“Oh of course you all are. I realize this is a lot to take in, but-”
I cut Celestia short by raising my hoof. “Don’t worry about us. We will all do our part about how to perform this transition.”
“We have this all under control,” Carve adds.
“Well, if the princesses think it’s time to retire, we’re not a bad choice. We always have Equestria’s best interests at heart.” Applejack swings her hoof with building confidence.
Aita tilts his head to his right. “Fair point, but what are we all even gonna-?”
“Well I’m in,” Rarity votes, hammer-spacing a fashion ruler from behind with her magic. “Darlings, we’ll need a complete wardrobe update.”
“As long as we all have each other, I’m sure we can do it.” Fluttershy wraps her hoof around Rarity.
“Yay!” Pinkie cheers. “Protectors of Equestria on three! One…” Everyone gathers around to join their hoof or claw at the center, “Two…” except for Aita, although he eventually sighs.
“Well, everyone’s in on this, so I am too.”
When Aita rests his hoof in the center, we all raise the limb we use. “PROTECTORS OF EQUESTRIA!!!” He then approaches Celestia and Luna one more time.
“I’m sure we all could adjust, with time as always. Even as soon as a few-”
“Actually Aita,” I interject. “If Celestia and Luna are retiring, why don’t I join.”
Everyone is shocked by my decision, but especially Aita.
“Wait, WHAT?!?”
“Things have been so quiet around here ever since my son moved back into the hive, I haven’t needed Carve once.”
I turn to Carve when she questions my response. “Um, Chrysalis? Isn’t that a little much?”
“Come now, Carve. You’ve volunteered countless times ever since you saw Patch.”
“It’s not about me. It’s Aita.”
Carve points to Aita, who is visibly shaking from my news, trotting to my forehoof and hugging it. “Chrysalis! Please! I’m not r-ready for this! Maybe with Celestia and Luna, but not you too!”
Twilight tries to take him off with her magic, but ultimately fails. “Aita, get ahold of yourself. I know this is a radical change, but aren’t you staying with me and Spike for the next nine years?”
Discord softly lands on his side next to Aita. “Oh I’m certain our little changing changeling will be entirely ready for the occasion. Besides, isn’t Starlight going to run your castle when this is all over with?”
Of course, Starlight ends up having to burst Discord and Twilight’s bubble. “Actually, I was hoping to move in with Sunburst when you rule Equestria, Twilight.”
Everyone is surrounding Twilight’s throne, where Aita is sitting. Discord is the only one on the inactive map.
When Carve and I look at Aita, he begins hyperventilating at the thought of having to stay here in the castle alone. I teleport in a bag for him to breathe into.
“See? I knew this was coming,” Discord deadpans. “What’s next? Are we going to see Ocellus Bagley-Handy? Chrysalis, you know you could’ve just assured her you could move into the castle.” Spike, Starlight, Twilight, Carve and I glare at Discord. “What? It’s not like you could do anything about it now.”
Aita is still quivering from all this change. “I think I need some…” Carve teleports in a glass of water for Aita to drink, who chugs the drink in just a few seconds. Suddenly, he starts sweating and holding his head. “Oh, what was that? Wait. Chrysalis? Carve? Discord?!? What are you all doing here?”
“Um, they’ve been here the whole time, Aita,” Starlight answers. “Do you need some time to recover? We could come back in a minute if you want.”
Aita sits down on the floor in a way no one has ever seen him sit. “Not just that, I need some ice. My head and post are killing me.”
Post? …that can’t be good. Aita has just experienced a scarring meltdown. I stroke his back, trying to comfort him. “This is the first time a sore post has come from a simple announcement. Normally, those are the result of intense mental or emotional violence.”
Discord spawns a fork and combs his beard. “Violence you say? Do you think it came from that trauma she experienced a year and a half ago?” Everyone except Aita glares at Discord again. “What?!? Aita isn’t even flinching at the new pronoun!”
“Aita just experienced a panic attack!” Carve points out. “Would you miss details like that if that was you, Discord?!?”
Discord spins the fork on his index claw. “Well, excuse me, future queen of the changelings. I’m no child, and I certainly wouldn’t have a nervous breakdown at a simple chain of retirement announcements.”
Starlight floats onto the map, prompting Discord to turn over. “I know there are some situations you can’t see yourself in, but changelings can be pretty sensitive, especially nymphs. Maybe give him a break until-” She stops short, seeing Aita glare at her.
So it seems Discord was spot on. “My point exactly. Now that I’ve served my purpose here, sharing actual news with you all, it is time for me to depart.”
He then snaps his claw and teleports out.
Twilight and Spike look at each other. “Was Discord seriously right about Aita?” inquires Twilight. “Was he that scarred by that first visit to CHS and the loss of the old family?!?”
Well, it marks nine months since Spitfire was hauled off by Officers Time Turner and Soarin’ in Sunset Shimmer’s world. She’s currently sitting in her cell with another former superintendent: Suri Polomare, who is sitting entirely on her bench. She waves her hands past her knees.
“So, what’d you do to get in here, Spitfire?”
“Talk. What of it?”
“If you wanted to imitate me, then don’t fix my policies, m’kay?”
Spitfire is promptly engulfed in black energy, disappearing from Suri’s view.
“Whatever.”
Meanwhile back in Equestria, a yak officer is watching Stellar Flare, who looks bored out of her mind.
“If Mangle arrested me, why do you have to watch?” she asks. “Shouldn’t he be here?”
The yak jumps once, making the entire room shake to throw Stellar Flare in the air. “Young dragon have other business to tend. Pony hire yak after all.”
Stellar Flare grumbles before being engulfed in the same energy and disappearing, shocking the yak.
“WHAT?!? Where pony go?!? Oh, dragon mad at me… Yona won’t want that.”
In the changeling hive, directly above the throne temporarily headed by former queen Areola, is cocooned pegasus Wind Rider. Suddenly, Areola smells the presence of magic as Wind Rider is whisked away.
“Why do I smell chaos? Eh, it might be nothing.”
Areola shrugs and begins to hum the song Twilight sung when she first befriended Chrysalis.
In Tartarus, a weak Tirek marks on the cell floor the days he’s been trapped and guarded. He sighs.
“I was really banking on Carina surviving so that Twilight could do everything wrong. And now that plan is ruined. No public journal, no pillars, no storm race, no school… I’ll be here forever.”
TIrek then disappears through the same ongoing magic.
At a bar in Manehattan, Gladmane and Svengallop are both having the same kind of soda.
“So, come to these here parts of’n?” Gladmane asks.
“Oh don’t be ridiculous. I live here, Gladmane. You’re the only one that is truly something.”
“Why thanks there Svengallop. But style isn’t ‘bout to getchoo anywhere. It’s ALL about what you can afford!”
And now the two are summoned through the same magic, leaving two half-full cups of soda. The waiter returns to the empty table confused.
“What just happened?”
This happens to be the same time the Dazzlings just finished a CHS concert. Adagio smiles as they head back to their trailer.
“See? I told you that loop would work. Am I ever wrong?”
“Not really… except for that time we lost our pendants,” snarks Aria, angering Adagio and Sonata.
“Are you seriously bringing that up right now?!? You’re no fun!” Sonata exclaims before she and the others disappear.
In Las Pegasus, Flim and Flam are at their office, the former having just entered laughing.
“Works like a charm, brother! Those visitors never knew what hit them!”
“Oh yes Flim, partner in crime! I knew you could sway those ponies with more content! And now it’s time to hike the rates!”
I am transported into a brown cave. Looking around, no one appears to be in here. Suddenly, black energy forms all through the room. The first to appear are three pegasus mares: one gold, one blue and one pink.
I beam. “Ah, no wonder I’ve been summoned. Did you sirens do it?”
The gold pegasus shakes her head. “I thought you summoned us. We were in the middle of a concert, you know.”
And WE were in the middle of managing Flim Flam Grande! Two unicorn stallions say, nearly identical to each other with the exception of a mustache on one of them.
“Oh ho ho! I knew mah formuh employees were behind this! Flim and Flam!” Gladmane shouts, pointing to Flim and Flam.
“You know these auctioneers?” asks Svengallop.
A scream echoes through the cave, and we see somepony who looks like Spitfire, but standing upright and panicking. “Thick muzzle?!? Additional appendages?!? Tattoos?!? Adagio! Why are we in another world?!?”
“We’re in Equestria, dear,” Stellar Flare answers.
Wind Rider is the last to appear, motite all over him.
“My, you look worse for wear Wind Rider,” I say. “Were you cocooned?”
“Why yes I was. But what’s everypony doin’ here?”
Well, you all have been summoned by me, replies a voice too personally familiar for me to ignore. It’s Discord! He gestures everyone to gather around a makeshift roundtable in the middle of the cave.
“Ha ha!” Flim laughs. “I knew it! Have you been freed from stone so that you can help us con more ponies?”
“I’d have second thoughts about that, Flim. You know as well as I that Flim Flam Grande is a much better place with you and your brother in charge. But that’s not why I’ve summoned you all.”
“Then what is it then?” Gladmane asks. “Place your bets, draconequus!”
“I’ve gathered you all here so that I could tell you some wonderful news. Equestria will soon be under new management. Princess Twilight’s personal changeling will be in charge of the friendship castle.”
Human Spitfire recognizes who Discord is referring to. “You mean that kid Camp Master Chrysalis was protecting?!? She totally lost her mind there!”
“That nymph sleuth called authorities and got me imprisoned!” Wind Rider recaps.
Stellar Flare stamps her hoof on the roundtable. “And he was the one that got me arrested by the very sheriff I hired!”
“Hm… this changeling has had a history with you all?” I inquire, Stellar Flare, Spitfire, Wind Rider, and Svengallop all nodding.
Gladmane shrugs. “Ah only met um at Appleoosa when Carina and Pinkie were looking for the Princess of Friendship. It’s not Aita I’m against. It’s more Applejack and Fluttuh-shah.”
“So, who are we talking about?” asks Sonata. “Not all of us are familiar.”
Discord wags his claw. “I’m sorry Gladmane, but if you aren’t against Aita, I’m afraid that behavior is unacceptable.”
“Whoa-ho-hoooold it there, buck-o,” Flam confronts. “I understand our former boss would like revenge on the elements of Kindness and Honesty, but UNACCE-”
“And the same goes for you, Stellar Flare,” interrupts Discord. “Seriously first Starlight uses the old pronoun, and now you two? I thought you ponies knew better. I guess I won’t make any suggestion if you’re going to be like that.”
Spitfire takes to the air, processing what Discord is implying, who confirms when asked. “Wait a minute. You’re saying Aita’s transformed?!?”
Discord shrugs and sways side to side. “Well it’s more of a transition.”
Everyone - except for me, Flim and Flam - starts crawling past the roundtable, going after Discord and denying this news.
I hold my hands out and get the ponies’ attention. “Now now, everypony. We can’t unite against Discord… yet. He’s not to blame. Aita is more important for you. She’s responsible for at least half your comeuppances.”
“You know, for that remark we ought to just about shoot you,” Stellar Flare scolds at me.
“Says the mare who was turning her hometown into a shopping mall,” Flam jokes.
Discord holds his claw in my direction. “Tirek has a point. You’re forgetting why you’re having all this discourse in the first place. Your common goal is getting revenge on Aita and her circle of friends: Sunset Shimmer, Twilight, Applejack, and even my best friend, Fluttershy. The way you all would like to achieve that goal is up to you. Make one big plan OR come up with your own personalized plan. I’m letting you all put the ideal Tirek taught me to the test.”
With each pony Discord name-drops, the respective pony after them gets fired up. Flim and Flam don’t seem to have this reaction at all. They look more confused than anything.
“Does this involve working ENTIRELY on our own? Not even brothers can help?” asks Flim.
“Besides, we’re the only ones you summoned who don’t even HAVE a grudge against anypony,” Flam adds. “We have a successful casino to run.”
“Hm… point taken. You two seem to’ve made the right choice by declining this offer.” Discord snaps his paw and sends Flim and Flam back to their jobs. “So, was that everyone who opposed going along with this idea?” He pauses to let us answer, allowing a good five seconds of silence. “Good for you. Now, I must return home.”
Discord teleports out of view to let us continue, but teleports back in. “Oopsie doopsie! I almost forgot! Maybe you might want to get a certain bell at the top of a certain mountain to gain some power. Maybe get those gears turning.”
Everyone left glares at Discord, who teleports back out. This leaves us with a relatively awkward silence. The first one to break it is Sonata.
“Funny the draconequus mentioned that. We have a song about bells… oh, oh and whistles.”
Aria growls. “So… was it Grogar’s bell? That was last seen on Mt. Everhoof.”
“That doesn’t matter now,” Adagio snipes at Aria. “We’ll decide to pursue the bell once we have a final answer. So… wanna hear our song?”
A while after Discord disappeared from the castle, I take Aita to bed so that he- wait… SHE can get some rest, Carve accompanying me. We don’t say anything until we start back for the throne room.
“So, Discord was right. Aita’s turned the identity…” Carve turns her head to face me. “Chrysalis, I know for a fact that I’m ready to accept your throne, but not everyone was ready to hear that, especially not her.”
“I’m aware, Carve. I’m sorry I let the announcement slip so soon after Celestia and Luna’s. If I didn’t know Starlight and Sunburst were an item, I’d be more willing to delay my retirement, and now it’s not so simple. But I swear I will make it up to Aita.”
As we pass the library, I float a loose scroll from a pile on the roundtable as well as a quill, beginning to write a letter for advice on what I should do.
“So, where are you going to live now?” Carve inquires as I start writing.
“I was originally going to stay with Mother, but that’s obviously off the roundtable. But, I suppose living here won’t be so bad…” While writing, I suddenly make a connection about Aita and her past. “Um, Carve? Do you think Aita’s reaction stems from having to leave the real world?”
“I… I think you’re right. Losing Carina is what lost your trust in mostly everybody there. It wasn’t exactly a smooth move for Aita. But it was obviously for the better for Twilight, considering how she and I first met.”
I sign my name and put the last period on the bottom of the scroll and send the completed letter to its recipient using magic. “There. Our guest should be here any minute.”
“Who is it?”
“After Aita, Sunburst and Starlight’s adventure to Sire’s Hollow, Aita told me how he- excuse me… she got to suggest going there in the first place. And her imitation just so happened to resemble one of Cranky’s friends.”
At the castle throne room, Carve and I sit on Rarity and Pinkie’s thrones respectively, exchanging songs with our wings, one in particular that I play being the same one I performed for Carve a year ago. We hear a knock on the door, prompting me to hover over and open it. Behind the door is revealed to be a white upright wolf.
“Ah, Greetings Chrysalis, Carve.”
“Come on in George, and have a seat.”
George, as the wolf is called, gets on all fours and runs to Fluttershy’s throne as I hover back to Pinkie’s.
“So, you wrote to me, saying to meet you here. Tell me what’s on your mind,” George causally and calmly commands.
“Well you see… did you hear the news?” I ask him.
“The princesses retiring? Yes if that’s what you’re asking.”
I sigh relief that George knows. “Good. Then you already have the context of this conundrum. It looks like with Twilight and Spike taking the princesses’ place, and Starlight moving in with Sunburst, that I will need to retire myself and take care of this castle due to the remaining resident - Aita the changeling - being a child. He… um, she… didn’t take any of the news very well.”
“Ah, I can see you’re telling the truth, judging by how you corrected yourself,” George evalutates, hammer-spacing a pen, paper and clipboard. “This had to’ve been a recent development as well. Tell me what symptoms this young changeling experienced.”
Carve starts listing off everything that we noted of, which George writes down. “Quivering, sweating, hyperventilation, headache, anterograde amnesia, body dysmorphia.”
George scratches his head. “Oh dear… Aita must’ve taken the news pretty hard. Symptoms like those tends to point to a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately Chrysalis, there doesn’t appear to be anything you can do about changing plans, unless you talk to Starlight.”
“I’ll talk to her anyway,” I announce. “I am aware Sunburst is special to her. But I’d rather have my changelings in top mental condition. I’ll even talk to Aita if need be.”
George taps his cheek with the pen. “Actually, I was thinking that was the first thing you should do.”
I look up to the Golden Oak Chandelier. “The first thing?”
There are many gems hanging from the roots, each having a memory from as recent as four years ago. One of them shows the time Carve and I first made up, but right before that very moment, when two of the changelings went to protect me from the Elements of Harmony, who were cornering me after all I’d done at that point. They’d been there for me, even at my worst.
Carve taps me. “What’s that you’re looking at?”
“One of the gems up there… it appears to visualize the very moment before we made up. I still remember it like it was yesterday.” That moment makes George’s statement click. My eyes widen. “You’re right, George. It took a minute to realize, but it is because of my changelings’ devotion for me that I’ve gotten through my even worst moments. I shall repay each and every one of them, even if they live outside the hive, and that includes Aita.”
George nods, signifying that was exactly what he was thinking.
“Thanks, George. I may be retiring soon, but I still have dues as queen to pay.”
“Happy to be of service, Chrysalis. Thanks for inviting me here.”
So, George leaves the pen and clipboard on the map as he walks on two’s back the way he came.
“So… where does this leave us? We talk to Aita?” Carve asks me.
“I will talk to Aita. She needs me more than anyone else. Go get Starlight and Twilight and meet me in front of her room. From there, we will update the princesses in Canterlot with the three of them in tow about Aita’s situation.”
“I’m on it, Chrysalis.”
Carve dashes out of the throne room, leaving me the only one left in here. I sigh.
“I really hope this works, that George was right.”
After the sirens’ song, everyone stomps the ground with applause, whereas I clap my hands.
I giggle with pleasure. “No wonder you girls performed so well. Even without your pendants, you can still give us a show.”
“Well, that may not be countess tier yet, but once we get that bell, you will be.” Svengallop grins. “You three have potential.”
“And besides,” Stellar Flare adds. “I’d rather hear you three sing than accept Aita’s new change.”
“And why is that?” I cheekily inquire.
“Because it’s Discord bringin’ the news!” answers Gladmane. “He could be lyin’ about Carina’s offspring!”
Aria flies up and crosses her hooves. “You don’t have to mask your disgust under the pretense of somebody being unreliable.”
“Yeah,” agrees Sonata. “What if he was right?”
Adagio glares at the two of them, prompting me to shrug. “Sirens, I have teamed up with Discord once. Even before that, he wasn’t exactly known for lying. He’s as much of a child as Aita is. Sincere, but manipulable.”
Wind Rider zips over to me. “Whoa whoa whoa! I think you’re missin’ somethin’ crucial there, genius. The changeling Shadow Spade’d me without breakin’ a sweat.”
“So what if she brought you to ‘justice’,” I air quote. “That’s not going to matter now if we find a way to break her, is it? Or are you afraid she’ll do it again…”
Adagio walks around with a feather under her chin. “We might have one. Something terrible must’ve happened to Aita if a transition was underway… we could use that to our advantage.”
I finally exit the throne room, walking back to Aita’s room to see if she got the proper time to calm down after so much happened. I knock on the door.
“Aita? You still in there?”
“Come in, Chrysalis,” I hear her say, so I open the door.
I see Aita, laying on her bed with an ice pack on her forehead below the horn. She must’ve teleported it in, since it wasn’t there when Carve and I got her to her room.
“Hi, little one,” I greet, hugging Aita, who is silent. “D… Did you need more rest?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking, though.”
I sit down next to Aita’s bed and side-table. “I… suppose I owe you an apology personally. I’m sorry, Aita. Celestia and Luna retiring was hard enough already on you, and now I realize I should’ve talked with you before deciding to retire myself. The only thing I can do about this now is to talk to Starlight and the princesses.”
Aita comes up to the edge of the bed and rubs my neck with her head. “Aw, alright. I think I’m gonna be okay… at least as okay as I can be. I just don’t think I can take losing another family I’ve come to know and love.”
I hug Aita again. “I entirely understand. After what you’ve been through the other year, I can only imagine what it must be like ending up living alone in the Castle of Friendship… as a child, no less.”
I pause and look at Aita; she still looks overwhelmed. All of this change is happening way too quickly. First the princesses, then me, then Starlight. I don’t know anyone who’d be available to keep Aita company.
“Aita… if everypony still sticks with their plans, why don’t I stay here as Twilight, Spike and Starlight move. That way, you’ll have at least someone who will look out for you.”
Aita gasps. “You… you’d do that, Chrysalis?”
“Someone would have to. And if it’s not Twilight or Starlight, then it’d be me. Just know that if you live in this castle, you’ll never be alone.”
“I… thanks… I’ll try to remember that.”
Aita finishes just as Carve knocks on her open door. She and I get up and approach the hallway. Twilight, Starlight and Spike are all behind Carve, waving hello.
“Impeccable timing, Carve,” I compliment. “Aita and I just finished our talk. And I see you got everyone we need to go back to Canterlot.”
“Exactly. Now, how do you wanna get there?” asks Carve.
I smirk, floating Twilight next to me and tucking her and Aita under my wings. “Oh, you know.”
Carve does the same with Spike and Starlight, so she and I teleport to Canterlot Castle. Unfortunately, it looks like the throne is empty.
Twilight is the first to walk around confused. “Huh? Where’s Celestia and Luna? They were right here last we checked.”
“Hmm… something’s a little fishy,” Spike comments, flying around the room. “Why would they leave their thrones now? I probably would’ve burped up a letter if something came up.”
“I’m probably gonna look for them somewhere else in the castle,” Starlight announces, beginning to leave the throne room. “Maybe they just went out to lunch.” Aita and I watch Starlight levitate the doors open, only to see a note gliding off onto the floor.
I pick up the note and read it.
Went to Griffonstone for lunch. We won’t be back for a while.
Princesses Celestia and Luna.
“See? Luuuunch,” Starlight brags in a sing-song tone, thinking she is right about the note.
Something about the note seems odd though. “Huh. I would’ve thought the princesses’ hornwriting would be neater than that.”
Twilight takes the note and reads it for herself, and passes it to Aita while talking. “You’re right, Chrysalis. Celestia, Luna and I have written to each other countless times, enough times in fact to know that isn’t any of their hornwriting. Aita, do you think you can figure this one out?”
When Aita reads the note, she drops her jaw. “I’ve read a letter with this exact hornwriting in the therapy room.”
Starlight runs to Aita and takes the note. “Oh no! Aita! You don’t think it’s her, do you?!?”
“I do. Stellar Flare… but how’d she get out? You, Firelight, Sunburst and I all saw her get hauled away by Mangle!”
I growl at the thought of yet another known criminal.
“I don’t know,” Starlight admits. “But that means we gotta stop her.”
“Agreed,” I declare, leading the rest of us out of the castle in search for Stellar Flare.
When the six of us reach the castle entrance, Aita spots Stellar Flare right away, who is running with a stack of scrolls held by her magic and a saddlebag on each of her sides. We all give chase through the air, Aita leading the pack.
Stellar Flare ends up leading us to the train station, where she hops aboard the caboose right before the train leaves. It gives me and Twilight no choice but to teleport there.
Whew, lost ‘em. Stellar Flare enters the interior of the car only to see us in the middle, which startles her. Each of us stares at Stellar Flare with rightful anger.
“Tell us where the princesses are!” Aita demands.
“Like I’d let you know, Aita, not to mention your little support gang,” replies Stellar Flare. “Besides, how’d you all find me so quickly?”
“Anypony can pose as another all they want, but no unicorn can fake hornwriting,” Starlight explains.
Twilight lights her horn and stamps her left hoof. “Stellar Flare, stand down and reveal where Celestia and Luna are! We are not going to order again!”
On the spot, Stellar Flare teleports out of the train.
“I guess that means she wants to play our game,” I remark. “Aita, where to?”
Aita runs to where Stellar Flare left, sniffs the air and runs back under my wing. “Twilight’s castle, Chrysalis!”
Twilight and I teleport to her home, Starlight and Aita with me and Spike and Carve with Twilight. When we do enter the throne room, the scrolls Stellar Flare stole form a circle above the map, one scroll at the center having something already written on it. When the rest of the scrolls together make a white flash, Stellar Flare rolls them all up with copies of the royal seal. She then sees us, prompting her to hop into a hostile stance.
“Haha! Knew you’d follow me so quickly.” When Starlight and Aita attempt to pursue Stellar Flare, she floats the rolled up scrolls in the air, threatening to send them. “Ah! One more step and I leak your state.”
Out of rage, I bring Stellar Flare face to face with me using my magic, the scrolls she was holding falling on the floor. “Don’t you DARE tarnish an innocent child’s good name!!! You’ve already done enough as it is!!!”
“Too late.” Stellar Flare narrowly thumps my horn with her hoof despite my attempt to dodge, making me wince and let go of her. Deja vu.
Aita catches Stellar Flare with her magic before hitting the ground, but the poor child appears to be struggling. Twilight helps her in response by inputting her own magic.
Meanwhile, Carve and Starlight hurry over and team up to burn the contaminated scrolls with simple heat through their horns. Stellar Flare struggles and watches in horror as the scrolls ignite all at once. She then smirks and lights her horn. Aita and Twilight see this and yelp the split second before they’re dragged along as Stellar Flare teleports out. Spike attempts to stop Stellar Flare by shooting fire in her face, but misses when Stellar Flare performs the relocation spell.
“Aita! Twilight! NOOO!!!” he yells.
I rub the tip of my horn, hovering in the air to smell where the three went.
“Where’d they go?” Starlight frantically asks.
“Starlight, Spike, grab onto me and Carve. Carve, follow me.”
Everyone does as I tell them and I teleport us to the Crystal Empire, where we found Twilight right before she trusted me. Starlight ends up leading the way, thinking she knows where Stellar Flare is headed.
Starlight does a victory pull with her hoof when we see Stellar Flare floating in front of a house that sticks out from the rest of the empire, being held by Twilight and Aita. “I knew it!”
The closer the four of us get to Twilight, Aita, and Stellar Flare, the more we hear the latter barking and grunting. “Let me go this instant!” she demands as I approach and help hold her.
“Aita, warn Cadence and Shining Armor. Twilight and I will hold Stellar Flare until the guards arrive.” Aita nods to me and dashes off to the Crystal Palace. I turn coldly to Stellar Flare. “This is what you get for threatening. my. changelings.”
Stellar Flare starts her horn again, trying to teleport one more time. However, Twilight thumps it like she did with mine.
“You can’t keep her like that forever!” Spike notes. “I only hope it’ll be long enough to for the guards to get here in time!”
Suddenly, Sunburst’s door opens, revealing him from behind. “What’s all the commotion around- WHAT?!? What’s Mom doing here?!?”
“Oh son! Glad you could come out. We got some news that-”
Twilight magics a zipper over Stellar Flare’s mouth to silence her. “Hold it there. Aita will be the mouthpiece of that announcement.”
Stellar Flare has another go at teleporting, but it is I who thumps her horn now.
“So what are you doing? I was already aware Mom somehow escaped. Now that you mention it Twilight, where is Aita?”
Summoning the guards of course, Shining Armor says out of nowhere. I see him and Aita after a second of looking around, in addition to the guards that surround us now. “So, the whole gang is here, hunting down Equestria’s most wanted.” He winks at us.
“Wait a minute, how did you know?” I ask him.
“Areola and Mangle sent letters to Cadence and I, telling us to be on the lookout for Stellar Flare and Wind Rider after their disappearance.”
Stellar Flare growls. “Yona, you yodeling snitch!”
Twilight, Starlight, Spike, Aita, and I are surprised that Wind Rider is also free.
“But how did Wind Rider escape?!?” inquires AIta. “I thought he was cocooned!”
“He was,” I assure her. “But we can’t speculate right now.”
“So, anything to add before we take this mare away, sis?” asks Shining Armor.
Twilight nods. “Mhm. If you please, would you put a suppressant on Stellar Flare so that she can’t use snap travel?”
Aita uses her magic to teleport in a shard of my old throne and turn it into a ring. Carve then puts it on Stellar Flare’s horn, prompting Twilight and me to let her go so that the guards can take her away.
I can tell Stellar Flare is attempting to teleport one more time, this time uninterrupted. And due to the ring on her horn, all her magic is failing.
“Ah! What is this?!?”
“That… was a piece of my old throne from when Thorax lived here,” I smugly answer. “No creature can break you free now.”
“Not even a draconequus,” Starlight adds as the guards haul Stellar Flare off, Shining Armor leading them.
Sunburst walks up to me, obviously impressed by the way I acted. “Wow, Chrysalis. I imagined you’d changed from what Starlight told me about Aita, but I didn’t think your change was so drastic.”
“And I think we all know why. You could probably thank me and Aita for that… and also her mother.” Carve points to Aita. She’s evidently gotten used to this change like I have.
Sunburst widens his gaze, glasses slumping down his muzzle. He pushes them pack into place. “Do you just call Aita a girl?”
Starlight puts on a guilty smile. “Yeah, about that, Sunburst. That was me and Chrysalis’ fault. She decided to join Celestia and Luna when they go to Silver Shoals, but I wanted to move in with you when Twilight and Spike move out. The change was so radical, Aita had a nervous breakdown.”
“Join Celestia and Luna?” repeats Sunburst. “B-but who’s going to run the castle in Ponyville?!?”
“That’s not important right now; we need to find-” Twilight is interrupted when Spike burps up a letter. I take the letter and read it.
Dear Twilight and co.
My sister and I have finished conducting a personal search party for Wind Rider and Stellar Flare. Unfortunately no results have come in Equestria. We can only hope they don’t cross your paths. Come and meet us at the castle, because we will need to make an adjustment.
Yours truly, Princess Celestia.
As I read the letter, everyone gathers around to see the letter.
At the Canterlot Castle throne room, Twilight and her friends are here alongside Aita, Spike, Starlight, Carve and me before Celestia and Luna.
“Perhaps you are all curious about this summons,” remarks Celestia, to which everyone nods. “You see, after rounding up the royal guard to develop the search party, we forgot all about letting you know. In addition, on your way back, Sunburst told us of Aita’s involuntary change of identity.”
Spike crosses his arms. “Yes, and…”
“It all got us thinking,” Luna continues. “We’ll have to delay our retirement as long as criminals are still on the loose, even beyond Stellar Flare and Wind Rider.”
“Well, looks like you can check Stellar Flare off that wanted list,” Aita says, then displaying the moment we arrested the criminal, using her horn as a projector. “That monster isn’t going anywhere.”
Celestia and Luna look impressed by this display.
“My! Aita, were you the one who thought of summoning that shard?” Aita nods at Luna. “What wonderful use of changeling legacy!”
“Well, Twilight said to use a suppressant, so that was the first thing that popped into my head.”
I walk to Celestia and put my wing over her back. “Honestly, Carve and I saw that coming. We recognize that no matter how much we change, there will always be an old part of us just waiting to be used for good.”
“And that is a marvelous lesson to learn, Chrysalis. Ever since you announced your change to me and Luna, we’ve had high hopes you would improve further. And it seems those hopes have come true.”
Celestia and I hug, me gesturing everyone to join in.
While Stellar Flare’s been gone, the ponies and I have been debating on how we could get news about her whereabouts. I ultimately settled on an amber crystal ball lying around the room.
“There is only one surefire way to keep track of Equestria.” I put the ball on the roundtable while everyone gathers. “And now with this, we should be aware of what Stellar Flare is up to.”
While the ball lights up, Adagio smirks at Gladmane, Spitfire, Wind Rider and Svengallop.
“Take from that unicorn you four. It is one thing to rally for a goal, but a farcry from actually achieving the goal yourself. That’s what’s so great about freedom.”
“So why haven’t YOU girls done anythin’ about it?” Gladmane counters.
“It’s a choice, duh,” Aria snipes back.
What we all see from the ball is Stellar Flare with a black ring on her horn made from dark stone, and cuffs on her hind legs. There is also a wanted poster of Wind Rider that shows up before the ball dims.
“WHAT!!!” Wind Rider exclaims. “How did the princesses find out?!?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was because of your humiliating punishment,” Svengallop jokes. “Gladmane would you gloat with me about Wind Rider’s spectacular failures to impersonate his former captain's mother?”
“He isn’t wanted because of his failures! Discord freed him!” Sonata points out.
“See?!?” Spitfire yells. “That is what happens what we don’t think carefully! We need to be calculated! We can’t just leave all willy-nilly like Stellar Flare did! Also Svengallop, it would be my pleasure to join you in laughter.”
Wind Rider flares his wings and shakes his hoof in the air. “Why I oughta! Only Svengallop can do that, superintendent!”
“Well he isn’t a drill instructor like I was!”
I pound the roundtable with my left hand. “Everyone shut up! We get it! If you can drop that discussion, we can head to our quarters for the night! You’re all so tiring!”
The sirens fly up me at eye level. “Oh certainly you don’t mean the Dazzlings. Right, Tirek?”
“Of course not. You weren’t arguing like the rest of the ponies were. Now, we’ll need to rest if we want any one of us to come up with our own plan. The royal guard will give up looking for you sooner or later.”
And so, everyone breaks from the roundtable with the crystal ball still on it as we go to our own little separate living quarter.
