Monday, 04.05.07 ARE

Canterlot, Capital of Equestria

Lambda-class Shuttle

18:54 Equestrian standart time

The Commander stood in the cockpit and watched the skyline of Canterlot. 'Like in a fantasy book…' he thought. He was there, during the invasion but he had better things to do than watching the buildings back then. Zero still had hated the queen for such failure.

"Sir, we're beginning our approach on the castle. Where should we land?", one of the pilots, a pegasy asked.

"I don't know! Who am I?! God?! Just land where enough space is!", the young Alpha said with a extremely nervous voice. After all, he was going to meet princess Celestia. An ancient, coldblooded ruler, capable of incinerating him without even winking with an eye. Besides that, what if she is there too? Or even worse, he?

'No. I am no small drone. I am an Alpha. I am a Commander of the Galactic Empire. He is just a captain. She is just a Princess.', Zero tried to calm himself down. He walked through the door behind the cockpit and on the seats sat at least ten Shadowtroopers and four Shocktroopers. That surely calmed Zero more down then his thoughts.

Meanwhile on the balcony of the castle:

Princess Celestia looked worried at the moon. It was already cold and snowflakes dropped on her fur.

"Is there something that worries you, sister?" Princess Luna walked slowly to her sisters side.

The elder one sighed, her ears dropped.

"Yes. Do you remember the letter I sent into the Empire?"

Lunas eyes became smaller, her expression darkened.

"You mean the Slave drivers."

"Luna!", Celestia said indignantly.

"What? Isn't it true? Are they more than Slave drivers? Where is the difference between that so called 'Commander' and the Crystal King?"

"The difference is that King Sombra wanted to attack us. The Galactic Empire never threatened our lands."

"Yes, because they were too busy killing innocents and building horror-weapons."

"Well, I just hope that-"

"Your Highness, I'm unsure but I think the imperials arrived.", a royal guard said, flying in front of the two.

Celestia sighed in relieve.

"Oh, well…it seems they don't take punctuality very seriously."

"I swear if they harmed Chryssy in any way I will rip their precious little Empire apart."

"Sister…ah…nevermind."

As the two arrived at the landing site many ponies had already gathered around the shuttle despite the cold weather. The royal guards kept them from coming closer. The Shadowtroopers stood in two lines, one left, one right besides the opened loading ramp. Next, the Shocktroopers came out. Their red armor was similar to those of the Flametroopers. Then Commander Zero left the shuttle. Surprisingly, he was not nervous at all or at least he hid it very well.

"Tyrant.", Luna hissed quietly while she opened her wings in a defensive position.

"Luna, enough now!", Celestia hissed back and approached the Changeling. As she came closer, the princess noticed that he looked very young for someone in his position. She smiled at him and began to speak.

"Welcome in Canterlot, Commander. It is good to finally have you here. I was already worried you wouldn't come at all."

Zero smiled back, in a rather innocent way and bowed slightly.

"I am afraid that something else needed my attention. But now I have as much time as we need."

Both of them walked to Luna who stared angrily at the Commander. Celestia tried to keep her smile as she saw her sister.

"Commander, may I introduce you to my sister, Princess Luna."

In that moment Zero remembered her. She was the mare in his dream, right before the sandstorm. Of course, she remembered too. Her anger changed into surprise. Zero however could hide his emotion.

"Hello, Princess. I hope my appearance didn't shock you that much."

He reached out his hoof to greet her.

"N-no, Commander. I…ah…I like green. It's a very…nice colour.", she said as a quick response.

She shook his hoof.

Zero and Celestia looked confused at each other. Then the Alpha spoke.

"Well, it's quite cold out here."

"Yes, of course. Let's go back to the castle.", Celestia said, still in disbelieve what her sister just gave from her.

"I have to say, this city is very beautiful. Especially the architecture is remarkable. How can this buildings stay without the help of repulsor-systems?", he asked in admiration.

"Thank you for noticing, Commander. As you can see the-", the elder alicorn said, before she was interrupted by her sister.

"Are we making sightseeing now?", Luna asked annoyed.

"I am sorry, Commander. She is on her period.", the sun princess said quickly.

"Wha-?", the younger sister snorted.

"It's fine, Princess. Are we there soon?"

"Yes, actually we have already arrived. The city's buildings grew together in time. You see it better when the sun shines."

"Very remarkable."

As they entered the castle, Zero was amazed by it or at least pretended so. They sat down in the meetings chambers. A big, white and golden room with a big, round table inside and chairs all around it. Zero and Celestia sat across from each other. Luna sat on the left side of her sister.

"So, Commander. What's your name?", the elder one asked friendly.

"Zero.", the Alpha said.

"That's a nice name. And what are you exactely? I'm sorry but our knowledge on Changelings is very limited."

"I am an Alpha. This is basically a male form of Queen."

"So, you are a King?"

"No. We Alphas have no high positions in the Hive society. We are more toy than leader."

"Excuse me?"

Zero gave a sigh.

"There is always one Alpha in an entire generation. Or no one at all. For example, I am the only Alpha since ten generations. That means we are precious to the Queens. But that doesn't change our position."

"Which is?"

"Our natural purpose is…Well, we are always born when the gene-pool of a Hive is bad. We have a similar genecode as the Queen we are born from. Except some unimportant genomes. That's why we look so similar to our Queen. So we can 'balance' the gene-pool out and that's it. Normally."

"So you are there to…impregnant the Queen of a Hive in order to restore the genetic health?"

"Not really impregnant. The Queens don't need a male to produce eggs. We just modify their genecode. But since the last three centuries the Queens want more from us than just restoring. And so…we're just toys for their…fantasies. Luckily, I was saved by my imperial friends in the age of six, so I never needed to do my natural duty."

Zero had a big smile in his face after saying that. Celestia smiled back.

"This is nice to hear. No one should be forced to do something he doesn't like."

"Oh no. You would've had sex. How gruesome and heartless.", Luna said emotionless.

"I-", Zero started and was immediately interrupted by her.

"Speaking of Queens, what happened to Chrysalis and her daughter?"

"We have captured them and sent them away."

"You mean you imprisoned them."

"That's another word for it, yes."

"So you have no problem with imprisoning a child?"

"This 'child' and her mother are responsible for over seven years civil war, countless destroyed kingdoms and thousands taken lives. I think even death is too good for them."

Luna opened her wings again to look more intiminating, but Zero couldn't care less. He was sure that Celestia would intervene before things get out of control.

"Poison Ivy has nothing to do with that and you know it."

Zero leaned back in his chair.

"Why do you know so much about our royalty?", he asked teasingly.

"I am a Princess. Those things are my ABC."

"Well, I guess I accept that answer. Anyway, I think we should talk about more positive topics."

"I agree.", Celestia said relieved. Her sister, however was not so happy about changing the subject. She wanted to stomp that arrogant Commander in the ground. 'He thinks he's so perfect.', she thought.

"Why don't you wear clothing? I mean, no Equestrian does but why exactly?", the Alpha asked childish.

"Why do you wear clothing all the time?", Luna provoked back.

"Because it keeps me warm and conceals my intimate areas.", Zero answered friendly what made the moon princess just more aggressive.

"Well, we mostly wear clothing when it's cold or on special occasions. But we are not ashamed of the body that was given to us. There is no reason to hide something.", Celestia said calmly.

"Very reasonable. But to be honest, I think I would die of shame every day."

"Why? Is your di-"

"Luna!", the sun princess interrupted her sister: "I am so sorry, Commander Zero. She didn't mean it."

"No, she meant it. But I understand her. Princess Luna, you think I am a tyrant don't you?"

She snorted.

"Of course you are! Do you really think your innocent facade would work on me?! You enslave other creatures, take away their hope!"

"I assure you, Princess, our forced workers deserve where they are."

"I don't think anyone is deserving a life in chains."

"This is a subjective meaning."

"That's right.", Celestia said.

"Sure, stab me in the back sister.", Luna said sadly.

"Now, now, now. I don't want to sow discord between you two. I think we should talk about more politilcal topics.

"Agreed.", both princesses said.

After three hours of boring negotiations, which was mainly about the trade of technologies and wares and the aligning of social standarts, such as the 'equality and freedom of all intelligent creatures' the group of three headed back to Zeros shuttle. At the landing site, Celestia stopped Zero from entering his shuttle with one of her wings.

"Excuse me Commander, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

The mare covered the Alpha in her wing so he didn't had to freeze.

"Do you know Princess Twilight Sprakle?"

"I heard of her. Why?"

"Well, she was too busy with her niece so she couldn't come to your visit in Canterlot but she wanted to meet you very badly. It would be wonderful if she and her student could come to your ship and maybe talk to you."

"Sure. Whenever she has time to visit."

"Thank you, Commander. Happy Heartswarming Eve."

She let go of him and he disappeared into the darkness of the shuttle. As they were in the sky one of the Shadowtroopers asked Zero.

"And? How are they?"

"Princess Celestia may seem friendly and kind but when something threatens her land or her sister…She would make short process. Princess Luna is very righteous. Probably because she has done so much wrong in her life. I think she would give her life for just one innocent. But both of them are fools. Their long life made them lazy and docile. And I will expose that."