//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Twilight Sparkle Becomes a Changeling Queen, Book 2: Twilight Sparkle Defends Her Hive // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Celestia pursed her lips as she weighed her options. This decision could affect the rest of her day, possibly even the rest of her week! “Raspberry,” she finally decided, pulling the little jar and spreading knife over. “I would like raspberry jam on my toast this morning.” She glanced up at Luna. Luna, who was here for dinner instead of breakfast, was currently chomping on a nice portobello mushroom sandwich, with melted cheese and onions oozing out from the bread. Feeling Celestia's eyes on her, she looked up. “Wha’?” “We're going to be talking to Twilight about choices and actions that could potentially affect Equestria and the future as we now know it. War looms in the not too distant. Lives may hang in the balance… and you're eating onions.” Luna sniffed. “I happen to like onions,” she said defensively. “Yes,” Celestia said dryly, “and everypony within a five pace radius will be able to tell.” Luna frowned and glanced down at her sandwich. Her lower lip seemed to jut out a bit. “Surely, that is an exaggeration.” Celestia opened her mouth to reply; but before she could, the door opened, and Twilight Sparkle entered. She visibly brightened as she did, but her smile quickly tightened. For her part, she certainly looked the same as she did when she left. Celestia held out a piece of toast as if in salute. “Twilight, welcome. Would you care for some breakfast, dinner, maybe something from the kitchens?” “Oh, no thanks,” Twilight said, politely waving them down with a hoof. “I ate on the way here.” She climbed up on a chair and sniffed. “Ooh, onions. I like onions.” Luna coughed and furtively scanned the table for any kind of breath mint. Celestia started. “Some strange rumors have been abounding, concerning the Soft Hooves Orphanage on Third Avenue. Apparently, it's now the most popular orphanage in Canterlot due to the pleasant general atmosphere, cleanliness, and numerous volunteers that love to interact with the foals. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?” “Not a thing,” Twilight said innocently. “If many volunteers wish to help out at orphanages, that's certainly a good thing; and any increase in residual love is always welcome.” One side of Celestia's lips perked up. “I'm certainly not going to disagree with you there,” she said. “But I'm sure you didn't call me here to discuss civil matters,” Twilight said, leading. “No, we didn't,” Celestia admitted. “It's about the griffons.” Twilight perked up. In some weird way, this whole thing had all started way back when she was studying griffon culture for her duties as a princess. This seemed oddly fitting. “What about the griffons?” she asked. “They have a new queen.” Twilight felt something rile up inside her. ‘Queen’?! Who did-? She coughed. “Right,” she said, mildly concerned at her previous thought process. What could she say about griffons? Some of her old studies floated to the forefront of her mind. “That's actually pretty impressive, considering how good griffons are at ignoring anything that doesn't net them bits.” Celestia chuckled; she did not disagree with that. “The new queen, Grinda, has organized an army; and it seems they are being paid fairly well. From what we can tell, she has found an ancient artifact that can help extract gold from the ground.” Twilight nodded. Intriguing. “And there is talk of expanding the griffon territory. Some of the settlements on the borders have already been threatened.” “And something tells me it doesn't have to do with purchasing those lands?” Twilight tried hopefully. Celestia shook her head. “But most griffons don't care about expansion,” Twilight protested. “Any expansion takes, you know, work and effort.” “True,” Luna interjected. “But she has managed to play off common fears to unite the griffons into a sort of mob mentality. She has convinced them that the real threat is the changelings, and the most recent propaganda is that changelings intend to infiltrate their homes and replace their children before killing them in their sleep, using pony settlements as bases to do so.” Twilight snorted. “It is as ridiculous as it sounds, we presume?” Luna asked, unable to suppress her incredulous smile. Twilight scoffed. “Please. Unless a changeling could take the form of a bit, they'd starve there. They're probably more worried about a changeling stealing their bit stash.” Celestia nodded. “They have declared war. They are already conducting changeling raids on their own people and have sworn to eliminate the ‘changeling menace’. Something must be done.” “Ok,” Twilight said, digesting this. This was definitely bad; but not unsalvageable. “So peace conference? Talks? We could run them here in Canterlot, or even up in the Crystal Empire if they doubt your impartiality.” There was an uncomfortable pause. “Right?” Twilight tried. “There is something else you need to know,” Celestia said, her voice a bit tight. “I gathered,” Twilight said with a nervous smile. “You are known as the queen of the changelings.” “I figured that would be old news by now,” Twilight said, apprehension dampening her vocal filter. “And your friends…” “What happened?” Twilight demanded, but she already knew the answer. “Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack have all been reported missing.” “Foalnapped,” Luna said bluntly. “Likely to be used as bait.” Twilight jumped to her hooves, setting them on the table. “And you haven't rescued them?!” she almost shrieked. “Officially, we don't know that they've been taken by the griffons,” Celestia insisted. “If we do invade to get them back—even if we succeed in getting them back—we risk sparking war. Other nations are watching closely.” “And if we start a war, everypony loses,” Luna concluded. “And so it falls to me to find a solution that saves my friends and stops this war before it even starts,” Twilight summarized. She pursed her lips and dropped back down into her seat. She was not prepared for this. Celestia nodded. “It is a huge task. We know there isn't much we can do on the surface of things, but if there is anything-” “No,” Twilight interrupted, standing up. “This is not your problem. This is my problem, and I will solve it. I, the queen of the changelings.” If either princess found this affirmation strange, neither showed any sign of it. “We trust you, Twilight,” Luna said. Twilight nodded, a little smile playing at her lips. “Thank you,” she said. She smiled more fully. “I won't let anypony down.” Luna squinted. Was it just her, or did Twilight’s teeth look just a little bit sharper? Twilight jumped off the chair. “I'd better get started,” she said. “Thanks for the meal!” The two sisters watched her leave. As soon as the door shut behind her, Luna looked back over at Celestia. “I am uncertain about this,” she confessed. “It is a large responsibility for somepony so young and inexperienced.” “It is,” Celestia agreed, “but I have no doubt that she will think of a solution that plays to her strengths of diplomacy and study.” * * * Twilight returned to the hive, flying slowly. Needless to say, she had a lot on her mind. Ideas swirled through her head, each discarded just as quickly as it had arrived. How could she do this? Could she do this? She was just one pony! And how could foalnapping them possibly be a good idea? What was Grinda thinking? What was her endgame? A flash of movement in her peripheral vision made her look. A blue pegasus was flying along as quickly as he could towards the hive. Then she realized that his goal was her. Her eyes narrowed. And then they widened. Wait. Wasn't that…? “Princess!” he called as he approached. “Princess!” Twilight squinted. “Tinder?” It was. Twilight grimaced. If he was here… “Oh, no. Fluttershy's been foalnapped, hasn't she?” Tinder was taken aback, enough to stop and hover in place. “Y- yes, Princess.” Had Twilight not been so preoccupied with her planning, she might have realized just how clairvoyant she must have appeared. She looked down, thinking. If Fluttershy was captured, that just left Rainbow Dash. Unless Rainbow Dash had already been foalnapped? Were all five in need of a rescue? She became aware of Tinder rubbing his hooves together nervously. Realizing just how distraught Tinder was, she reached out and touched his shoulder. “Don't worry, Tinder. We'll get her back. We'll get them all back.” Tinder met her eyes. “I will do anything I can to help,” he swore. Twilight smiled. “Careful. I'll hold you to that.” Tinder merely nodded, just as determined as before. “Anything.” Twilight cracked a smile. No wonder he got along so well with Fluttershy. Really, though, he was right. She was not alone. She had a whole hive of changelings ready and willing to back her up. Changelings who could go anywhere, be anypony. Do anything. And the first part of her fledgling plan fell into place.