The Mane 6, the CMC, Blank, Discord, and Spike stood on the balcony of Twilight's castle. They had all stayed the night, but Celestia, Luna, and Cadence had gone back to their respective kingdoms. Twilight glanced at Discord, and he looked back at the princess in respect.
"Do you think this will work, Discord?" Twilight asked.
Discord shrugged, "It may, it may not. But whether or not it does work, I will be by your side, Princess Twilight."
Twilight nodded and folded her wings in, "Thank you."
The last of Ponyville made their way in front of the balcony on the ground, talking amongst themselves.
"I wonder what this is about?"
"Prehaps Mayor Mare is getting revoked in favor of Princess Twilight's rule?"
"I wonder what all the troops are about?" It was true, troops made up of pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies were there, surrounding all sides of the castle.
"Maybe they're to help us rebuild after Tirek's attacked?"
"They are not for any of those things, although I wish they were," Twilight's loud and confident voice boomed from the balcony above Ponyville. Luna had taught her to use the Royal Canterlot Voice, and now it was paying off, "but it is for something much graver and more dangerous." She nodded at the Changling beside her and he stepped up, putting a hoof on the balcony and peering down at them.
The Ponyvillians gasped.
"Has the princess gone mad?"
"Why is there a Changling up on the balcony?"
"I can assure you that he is our ally," Twilight continued, although nothing had happened, "and he will help us to prepare."
Blank leaned foward, "My name is Blank Slate. I am an ex-royal guard of the Changling empire, and not loyal to the queen. You may question my intentions at first but I can assure you, I am nothing to worry about." He chuckled softly and continued, "I am loyal to Princess Twilight and the rest of Equestria only, and am willing to fight by your side."
"Fight by our side?" A colt questioned.
Blank nodded, "Yes. You see"-he began pacing- "for the longest time, Queen Chrysalis has been planning war against Equestria. Her daughter, Princess Chrysanthemum, also known as Princess Chrysa, and I never thought war was a good idea, seeing as it would completely destroy the Changling empire and turn the very land Chrysalis was trying to rule into ruins. I've seen ponykind fight, especially these 6" -he spread a delicate wing to gesture to the Mane 6, who were standing to the left of him- "and your kind fight hard, and never give up until you get back what is rightfully yours." He looked up and frowned, tilting his head and looking into the sun. Was that...
"PRINCESS CHRYSA!" He ran back, then ran forward, jumping off the balcony and flying towards the Changling princess. Twilight followed him, flying side by side with Blank until they reached Chrysa. Her entire body was covered with cuts that were clearly infected, and her white, lean body was sagging. Along with her clear wings, which were flapping very slowly, and her mane, which was dark red and light pink and cut unevenly, the princess looked exhausted. The only royal garment on her was her gold crown. Her light pink insect like eyes focused on Blank weakly.
"Blank..." Chrysa whispered, "get me to the castle..."
Blank looked at Twilight, who noded, and with her help flew her to the castle. The Ponyvillians gasped as another Changling, this one no doubt the princess seeing as she was taller then Blank, was helped to the castle by Twilight and Blank themselves. They set her down on the balcony and she collapsed after taking a couple hoofsteps.
Everything went black.
When the Changling Princess awoke, the first thing she saw was soft blue walls. She heard the beep of machinery and realized that her limbs were in bandages, she herself in a hospital bed with a blanket over her. The pain was nothing but a dull throb. Chrysa shook her head and sat up, feeling her dark red and pink mane slide through water. She looked behind her and realized her head was in a basin. She shakily got out of the bed.
The door opened and the Princess looked over curiously. Nurse Redheart walked in and Chrysa gasped, cowering back.
"Get away from me!" She yelled. Redheart looked surprised but then slowly walked further into the room, keeping the door open.
"I've been captured by ponykind..." Chrysa gasped.
"No, you haven't." Redheart sighed, "Your mother was trying to kill you. She had the rest of the Changling empire disguise themselves as ponies so that you wouldn't think your own kind would try to kill you."
That's right. It was all coming back to her now. Chrysanthemum's pink eyes widened, and she shuddered, sitting down, "I never thought that this would happen... and this was all because I don't like war. I told Blank to leave me behind...he was the only one who was truly there for me, a friend in a bunch of foes. He did and I tried to get as much information as I could, but then I was caught, blacked out, and then when I woke up my entire world had changed."
"I'm sorry that happened to you, dear," Redheart said sympathetically, "but Blank and Princess Twilight wish to see you as soon as possible. Do you know the way there?"
Princess Chrysanthemum shook her head and Redheart led her out the room, out the hospital, and pointed. Chrysa gasped as she saw the dark blue, blue, purple, gold, and pink tree-like castle, and started walking towards it.
5 minutes later she reached her destinations and peered at it curiously. She walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and it opened to reveal the princess and Blank.
Chrysta gasped and rushed forward, hugging Blank with tears in her eyes. She looked at Twilight over his shoulder and saw the famed alicorn for the first time in her life.
Twilight had large lavender wings, and her coat was lavender. Her mane was straight and in its usual style, along with her tail. Both were a indigo color with a dark purple stripe and a hot pink stripe next to that. She was taller then Blank and the same size as her, and had a pink 6 pointed star as a cutie mark with 6 smaller white stars surrounding it. Her crown was pointed and gold, with the points having dark pink jewels in them.
Chyrsta bowed her head and Twilight stepped foward, letting her horn touch the distraught princess's. The Changling opened her eyes and opened her mouth, letting her small fangs gleam for a moment, and then said, "Thank you."
Twilight let her purple eyes look into Chrysta's pink eyes and said, "You are welcome. Follow me."
Chrysta broke the hug with Blank and they followed Twilight down the hall, closing the large gold doors behind them. "Princess Chrysanthemum," Twilight said, addressing her formally, "why did you come here?"
"They were planning a war, Princess Twilight," Chrysa answered, as they walked into tne throne room, "and there was no way I could see that much bloodshed."
The other ponies looked over at Twilight, Blank, and Chrysa. "Thank you for bringing me here," Chyrsa said.
"It is no problem," Twilight said, "welcome to the team."