Loki's eyes grew colder.
"Don't you understand what we are offering you? A chance to get revenge on your older sibling, who banished you for a thousand years!" Loki seemed to grow taller as he spoke these words. But Luna shook her head. "I will have no part in this." She stated, stepping back. Loki's eyes narrowed and he realised she would not join them, no matter what argument he provided. Chrysalis, meanwhile, had been watching the two with interest. Loki took a single step towards Luna. "If you are not with us," he said quietly, energy collecting around his horn, "you must be against us."
Celestia landed in the clearing, a serious expression on her face. Frozen to the tree in front of her was Luna. The scene would have been quite funny if not for the grave circumstances. Princess Twilight and the other ex-bearers of the elements of harmony had arrived, and gave a gasp of horror when they saw Luna. Twilight walked over to Celestia's side and asked tentatively
"Will-will she be ok, princess?"
Celestia turned to Twilight. "I hope so." She said and then gestured for everyone to step back. She raised her head high, spread her wings and began to harness the power of the sun. The ponies looked on in awe as pure energy poured down from the sun and into Celestia's horn. Then a beam of magical sunlight hit the enchanted ice. The ice didn't move for many long seconds but finally the ice exploded and Luna stumbled out gasping. "Loki!" She shouted, and then collapsed.
The unconscious form of Luna was carefully placed on a chariot and she was flown back to the palace with an escort. Celestia turned to the six ponies and Thor (who had just arrived) and said in a grave voice, "Loki is even for dangerous than we previously thought. I don't know how or why he encountered Luna, and I won't until she wakes up, but we must stop Loki! However, first we must return to Canterlot castle.
A surprisingly short distance away, Loki and Chrysalis alighted outside the changeling hive. As they walked in, a group of changelings came to meet them. They looked hungrily at Loki but Chrysalis instructed them to leave him alone. The black walls were full of holes of a similar shape to the ones in the changeling's limbs and web-like shapes made of marbled green goo lined them.
"Nice place you've got here." Loki commented rather sarcastically. Queen Chrysalis hissed. "We poured most of our resources into the failed attack on Canterlot. However, we are almost at full capacity once more, but I need somepony to help me power the new weapons I have designed. Come with me and I will show you the power core." Chrysalis trotted ahead with Loki following curiously behind. They reached a large chamber. Webs of green led from other chambers, the occasional pulse of power travelling to the giant green oval in the centre of the chamber. Through the thin walls the power could be seen swirling around.
"The design for the core is quite simple. My changelings impersonate other ponies and feed off the love others give them. When they think they are in danger of being found out, we switch them back. Then my changelings return here and channel their power from the love they fed off into the core. Then the guns can be fuelled by the power tapped from the core." Chrysalis explained. "However, we are proceeding slowly. The meagre love of the ponies is not enough. With our magic combined, we could power the core up in a few sessions. Then the invasion could proceed."
Loki had been listening carefully.
"It's an ingenious plan. I'm impressed. It might just work... but I need some rest first. Do you have any normal pony food?" he answered finally. Chrysalis (secretly flattered) sent a changeling to fetch food. She also led Loki to a chamber where he could relax or sleep. Then she went back to check on progress with the core.