"All right, Rarity. All of the decorations look good for Nightmare NIght. You really did a great job." Rowan smiled at the stylized, white mare. Behind him, Rowan could hear Twilight mark off decorations on her checklist.
Rarity waved a hoof nonchalantly, "Oh, darling. You give me far too much credit. This year's decorations are far less extravagant than the ones that I made for last year's celebration."
"No way, Rarity!" Spike piped up, "Anything that you design is great!"
Rarity giggled at the dragon's compliment, "Thank you, my little Spikey-Wikey."
Spike smiled smugly, which made Twilight roll her eyes. Rarity turned around and began to head into the back room, "Sorry dearies. I have some other priorities to attend to."
Rowan chuckled a bit before turning back towards Twilight, "All right, we should get going. We have a few other preparations to make."
Twilight nodded, "Right." She looked back at Spike to see him staring dreamily at Rarity as she walked away. She rolled her eyes yet again as she picked him up with her levitation, placing the dragon on her back, "Come on, Lover Boy. It's time to go."
Spike simply let out a sigh as he continued to stare in Rarity's direction. Rowan shrugged and lead Twilight and Spike out of the Boutique. He looked over his shoulder, "All right, Twilight. Where to next?"
Twilight checked the next item on her list, "It looks like we have Sugar Cube Corner next. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are supposed to be making treats for the celebration."
Rowan nodded, "Right." As they walked through town towards Sugar Cube Corner, Rowan couldn't help but glance over towards the Everfree Forest in the distance. Instantly, his worry for Naractia and Zecora rose into his mind, and he began to scan the forest for anything out of the ordinary.
Twilight glanced sideways at Rowan, who was intently looking at the forest. She knew what he was thinking about; Naractia and Zecora, along with the three changeling drones they were watching. She glanced back to the road in front of her and she caught a glimpse of her library. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.
She stopped for a moment, sticking a hoof out to stop Rowan from subconsciously walking any further. Rowan ran into her outstretched hoof, stopping with a lurch of surprise.
Rowan glanced quickly at her, "What? Why're we stopping?"
Twilight flashed him a grin, as she then glanced back towards Spike on her back, "Hey, Spike? Why don't you head back to the library? Rowan and I can finish the preparations on our own."
Spike scratched his spines in confusion, "Wait, really? Won't you need my help?"
"Spike, it's fine. Besides, since you came with me to help Rowan with preparations, you didn't have time to do your usual chores around the library. You didn't think that I'd just let you skip out on your regular duties, did you?"
Spike groaned, "But Twilight..."
Twilight cut him off sharply, "No 'buts', Spike. Go back to the library and finish your chores."
Spike sighed as he dropped off of Twilight's back, "All right. Bye, Rowan. I'll see you later."
Rowan waved goodbye to the little dragon as he watched Spike waddle down the street and into the library. Once Spike was out of sight, Rowan turned to Twilight.
"Why did you send Spike back to the library?" He asked curiously, "Knowing you, you would have let him tag along until we were finished."
Twilight smirked as she put away her checklist in a flash of magic, "We're taking a break right now."
Rowan raised an eyebrow, "We are?" He shook his head, "But we need to get preparations done quickly, so I can check on Naractia and Zecora as soon as possible."
Twilight smiled as she began to push back down the street they came from, "And that's exactly what were doing. We're going to check on them right now."
"Wait, what?"
"Well, so far, you've spent most of the day just staring at the forest. I can tell that you're really worried about them, so that's why were taking a break from preparations and paying Zecora a visit."
Rowan looked questionably at the lavender unicorn, "You're going off of your schedule? Are you sure that you're Twilight Sparkle, and not some kind of changeling impostor?"
Twilight laughed, "Come on, Rowan. We don't have all day." She galloped past him, heading directly for the Everfree Forest.
Rowan grinned as he then galloped after Twilight, without a single moment to lose.
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Naractia sat on the her haunches, as she continually stared at the three drones who were bound to the trees of the grove. The drones had finished their meal, and with nothing else to do, they simply returned Naractia's steady gaze with a glare of their own. And so, complete silence passed between the four changelings, none of them caring to speak.
After a few minutes of showing no emotion whatsoever, Naractia broke the silence, "So, aren't any of you going to say something?"
"None of us would speak to a traitor like you." The first changeling spat, "To speak with a weakling like you would be a disgrace to the hive."
Naractia wasn't fazed. This was the usual opinion of the drones, as a whole. She sighed, "Don't you even know why I went against Chrysalis in the first place?"
Another drone hissed at Naractia, "We already know why. It was because you were weak and incompetent. A fool like you does not deserve the acceptance of the queen."
Naractia shook her head, muttering softly, "No, that's just how you see it. The real reason... was because I discovered something that would never be given to a changeling: Pure love, willingly given."
One drone spat at her, "Love. That's a pitiful idea these ponies have. You are a fool to believe an absurd sentiment like that. Their love has no power over the world or the hive. The power of the queen is greater than anything."
Naractia's eyes narrowed, "Then what do changelings feed on to make them stronger? How were Shining Armor and Princess Cadence able to repel the entire hive, when every drone was within the city? *You* are the fools if you think that love has no power, because in reality, love is the most powerful force in the universe, and Chrysalis can't come even close to matching it."
The drones all stared at Naractia in silence, as they began to comprehend what the banished princess had said. Naractia allowed herself a tiny grin, Zecora's potion must be working. Any normal drone would have rejected everything that I said in an instant. She looked at all of the drones, to find them all lost in thought with confused expressions evident on their faces, Not to mention they're actually thinking. I've never seen a drone in the hive think at all. They just obeyed the order of the queen.
Naractia smirked at the drones, "I guess you never had thought of that before. You only followed the truth that the queen gave you, but little did you realize that she has been playing you to direct anger towards the ponies of Equestria."
One changeling paused, "We are... thinking?"
Another spoke, "We've never been able to think before."
The third drone gasped, "How... How are we able to think? We have never needed to think under the queen."
All of the drones were awestruck, and Naractia jumped into the opportunity made by their confusion, "You've never had to think before, because you've had Chrysalis to dictate you. But when she was leading the hive, she lied to you all in the process. In fact, she doesn't even want you to be able to think for yourselves. She wants you all to be her own army of slaves, forever."
The drones all hissed in anger, "Shut up, traitor! You know nothing! We follow the queen, and no other."
Naractia sighed and stood up, knowing that this conversation wasn't leading anywhere good, "You probably won't be able to understand, but I thought it was worth a try." She turned her back on the drones, "Just so you know, I was telling the truth. You've been lied to for your entire existence. But it feels good, doesn't it? To think for yourselves?"
Silence followed, as all of the drones fell silent in their thoughts, refusing to say anything to Naractia. But that was quite all right with the changeling princess. She didn't want to say any more.
Taking the advantage of the silence, Naractia laid down on her back, and looked up at the blue sky overhead. Above her, several clouds traveled through the air on their own, without the need of a pegasus pony to push them along. With the soft grass under her and a small breeze above, Naractia finally got a chance to enjoy the beautiful morning that she had come to miss.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Rowan huffed loudly as he galloped through the Everfree Forest, dodging any underbrush or tree roots that stuck out of the path he was following. He glanced to the side to see Twilight, who was racing hoof-to-hoof with him.
Twilight met his glance with her eyes, narrowing her eyes into a competitive glare, "Try to keep up!" Looking back to the trail ahead, she surged ahead of Rowan with surprising strength.
Rowan grinned, "Oh, no you don't!" He quickly sped up his gallop into a full sprint. In a flash, Rowan ran past Twilight. Rowan glanced over his shoulder at her and chuckled. Having been a human before gave him a few advantages in Equestria, one of which was having the speed and endurance of a human enhanced with the durability of a equine. Because of this, Rowan could run exceedingly faster than he could as a human, making it easier for him to beat a non-athletic pony like Twilight.
Rowan looked ahead to see Zecora's hut at the end of the trail. He grinned, "Here's the home-stretch." He ran at a rapid pace towards the door, and with Twilight so far behind, this race was his for the taking.
Well... or so he thought. Right as Rowan was five feet away from the door to the hut, a flash of bright light appeared in front of the entryway, making Rowan stop suddenly. When the light suddenly subsided, Rowan looked to see Twilight smugly place a hoof on the door.
She smirked at Rowan, "I win."
Rowan grinned, "Oh, whatever. I would have won anyways. I guess next time we race, I need to make a 'no magic' rule."
Twilight chuckled, "Come on. Let's see if Zecora and Naractia are here." She knocked a hoof on the hut's door.
After a moment, the door opened to reveal Zecora. Although, Rowan and Twilight were both taken aback by the zebra's appearance. Zecora's mane was in a wild mess instead of her usual mo-hawk, and she had dark rings under her eyes, indicating tiredness.
Zecora stifled a yawn as she looked at her visitors, "Oh, Rowan, Twilight. I did not expect you to be back so soon. Have you finished preparations for Nightmare Moon?"
Rowan shook his head, "No, we haven't finished preparations. We just took a break to check up on you and Naractia."
Twilight looked at Zecora curiously, "Hey, Zecora? Are you all right?"
The zebra nodded, "I stayed up to watch the drones throughout the night. I couldn't sleep then and risk letting them out of my sight. Naractia, though as strong as she may be, was too tired to take up the task effectively."
A thought struck Rowan, and he peered inside Zecora's hut. But as he looked inside, he couldn't see any sign of Naractia. He turned back to Zecora, "So where's Naractia and the other drones?"
Zecora yawned quietly, "They are in the grove where you practice your magic often. There, the hearts of the drones Naractia hopes to soften. I have given the drones a brew that will help her do so. But if you wish to see her, now would be the best time to go."
Rowan knew the grove that Zecora had mentioned quite well. It was his usual place to practice using shadow magic. For the past two months, he had practiced magic in the grove, rather in town where anypony could see him. He was sure that anypony would be unsettled by the fact that he was using magic that they had thought to be evil. So to avoid any conflict from the ponies in town, he'd decided to practice in the forest.
Rowan nodded to Zecora, "Right, I know the way there. Thanks, Zecora."
The zebra smiled softly, "Your welcome, my courageous friend. But for now, I must go to bed."
"You know, Zecora. You really are cutting it close with those rhymes."
Zecora merely chuckled as she walked back into her hut, closing the door behind her.
Now alone, Rowan turned to Twilight, "All right. I know the way to the grove from here. Just try to keep up." With that, he galloped past Twilight and into the depths of the forest.
Twilight yelped slightly before galloping after him, "Hey, wait up!"
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Naractia looked up at the skies above her, keeping herself entertained by watching the clouds. They were all like soft piles of cotton, ranging in several shapes that both confused and pleased her at the same time. With the wind billowing softly through her mane, a unique sense of peace washed over her. For a short moment, she wondered why the hive wanted to destroy anything that was so peaceful.
She glanced at the drones, tied up under each of their own trees. They were all silent, refusing to say anything else to Naractia. The changeling princess shrugged, drones had always been stubborn to their ideals, and she doubted that even if they thought for themselves it would make any difference.
Suddenly, she heard a rustle in the bushes behind her. Instinctively, Naractia jumped up onto her hooves and faced the source of the sound, horn glowing as she prepared her magic.
Rowan quickly waved a hoof to her, "Wait, hold your fire."
Naractia released her focus on her magic, "Oh, sorry Rowan. I didn't know it was you."
Rowan chuckled, "Hey, no problem. I just came to check on you and the drones. Plus, I'd like you to meet somebody."
Naractia looked past Rowan to see a lavender, unicorn mare standing behind him. Rowan stepped out of the way to make introductions, "Naractia, this is Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, sister of Captian Shining Armor of the Royal Canterlot Guard, and bearer of the Element of Magic." He turned to Twilight, "Twilight, this is Naractia."
Twilight stepped forward and held out a hoof, "Hi, Naractia. Rowan's told me a lot about you. I couldn't wait to finally meet you."
Naractia shook Twilight's outstretched hoof, "Likewise." She paused for a moment, withdrawing her hoof from the shake. Silence followed as no one said anything, making the absence of noise long and somewhat awkward.
"So, Naractia." Rowan broke the silence, "Are the drones awake?"
Naractia nodded, "Oh, yeah. They've been awake for a while. You should check on them."
"Right." Rowan trotted past Naractia towards the bound drones.
Twilight began to follow after Rowan, but then she stopped as Naractia called out to her, "Wait, Twilight."
Twilight turned around, "Yes?"
Naractia looked sheepishly down at her hooves, "Look... I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Well, I'm sorry for everything that the hive has done to you. Invading Canterlot during your brother's wedding, attacking Ponyville to steal the Liber Tenebrarum, and..."
Twilight cut her off as she put a reassuring hoof on Naractia's shoulder, "It's okay. You don't have to apologize for what your hive did. The other changelings were the ones who followed Chrysalis, not you. Besides, you've done so much to help Equestria."
Naractia looked at Twilight with a small smile, "Really?" But then, she paused, "Twilight, there's something that you should know."
"What?"
Naractia looked down at her hooves, "Well, back before the Canterlot invasion, the night before the wedding day, Chrysalis had come to me, telling me that you had tried to reveal her true identity. She had just barely managed to escape being discovered as an impostor, but she didn't want anything like that happening again. So, she ordered me to dispose of you and take your place in the wedding."
Twilight let out a small gasp, "Really? But you didn't, did you?"
Naractia sighed, "I didn't do it. Chrysalis had asked too much of me and I refused. I just couldn't do anything like that, or else I couldn't live with myself. But even so, Chrysalis banished me from the hive so I couldn't help you when the invasion began. I could only watch the events unfold, useless to anypony."
Twilight smiled as she pulled in Naractia close, "Well, if you hadn't refused Chrysalis, then I couldn't have found Cadence in the caves underneath Canterlot. And if I hadn't found Cadence, then the changelings would have taken Canterlot for sure." Twilight gasped as she reached a conclusion, "Do you know what this means?"
Naractia shook her head
Twilight beamed at Naractia, "Because you refused Chrysalis, you sent a chain reaction that helped to save Equestria from being taken over by the changelings. You've been a bigger help already, and you didn't even know it."
Naractia was a bit taken aback, "Wait, I helped do all of that?"
Twilight nodded, "Without you, Chrysalis would have taken control of the entire country. I don't care what anypony says about the changelings or about you, you're just as good as the best ponies that I know." She held out a hoof to Naractia, "So, friends?"
Naractia paused, until she smiled and shook Twilight's hoof, "Friends."
A brief silence passed between them both, before Naractia looked back towards Rowan and the drones, "Hey, we should see if there's anything we can do to help."
Twilight nodded, "Right." And they both walked together to sit down by Rowan.