//------------------------------//
// Shocking Twist! 
// Story: My Little Pony: The Next Generation 
// by MedicHorse 
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My Little Pony: The Next Generation
Shocking Twist!

It was a long train ride to Manehattan. Some of the ponies elected to sleep, while others watched the landscape rolling by. One pony, however, had a thought nagging at her. She had something she wanted to share, but was unsure when would be appropriate. Before anypony even noticed, they were pulling up to Manehattan.
“Well, you all get your bags to the hotel. I have some business to take care of.” Twilight said as she began to walk away.
“Where are you going?” Star asked with a bit of concern.
“Celestia wants me to oversee treaty negotiations with the Changeling Empire about a new dam near their territory.” While the changelings were still hated by some, they had replaced the queen with a much more diplomatic mind and tried to start more peaceful relations with the other races. Since then, they have made huge strides, some becoming Equestrian citizens and gaining an embassy in Manehattan.
“Oh, paperwork,” added Rainbow. “Sounds like fun.”
“Well, we’ll catch up later, then,” finished Applejack. “Come on, y’all, let’s get these bags to the hotel.” The walk was much more challenging this time around, as Manehattan traffic is the stuff of nightmares. The hotel’s suite setup was very similar to the castle, only a bit larger and fancier, to the joy of some and chagrin of others. When the crew was finally unpacked and ready to explore the strange frontier, they decided upon the same activity as many Manehattan tourists: shopping! The fillies wanted to take a peek at the newest fashions, while the colts decided wholeheartedly on anything but that.
T, being one of the more observant of the group, noticed a trend: Rainbow Dash remained at the rear of the group, lethargically following the excited herd. “What’s wrong with her?” he discreetly asked Soarin.
“Oh,” he replied, as he looked back at his wife, “nothing serious. She didn’t feel well this morning.”
“If you say so,” T responded, and went on with the day.
Candy suddenly jumped in the air and spun around to face the rest of the group. “Hey guys! I’ve got a brilliant idea!” She then pointed down the street and spoke more quietly. “The changeling embassy is right up the street. We should meet Princess Twilight there. We could get to meet changelings!” Each member of the group looked about, and found no objections. They soon began to advance down the street towards the large, imposing government building. Out front was a regiment from the changeling army doing P.T. Star was impressed with them, as she had heard quite a few stories about how tough changelings were in combat. As the group approached the front door, they were stopped by two channeling guards and one with glasses and a clipboard.
“State your business.”
“We are the personal entourage for Princess Twilight Sparkle. We intend to escort her from the premises when her business is concluded.” Flash spoke for the group, relying on his past experience with the Royal Guard.
“One moment please,” the changeling responded and teleported away with a flash. A few minutes later, he returned. “The Princess would like you to enter, as she is still speaking with the Ambassador.”
With that the group entered the building, not sure what to expect. They soon found themselves in a large, open room with many display cases holding relics and other things from the changeling kingdom. As they were lead through the building, they couldn’t help but feel out of place. Here were a few ponies surrounded by changelings. Claire relished in the moment, as she finally felt different for a new reason. She was no longer a half-dragon among ponies, she was a pony among changelings.
They were soon motioned into a meeting room where Twilight was talking with the changeling ambassador. It seemed a majority of the boring stuff was done, as there was no one else in the room.
“Hello, everypony,” Twilight began. “I would like you all to meet Ambassador Dusk. I thought this could be a valuable learning opportunity. You kids don’t know a lot about changeling culture, after all.”
“Indeed,” spoke the ambassador. “I would love to give you all a brief lesson on the changeling way of life. And please, call me Dusk. Titles do get boring so quickly.” It turned out that changeling culture wasn’t very different from the ponies’. The biggest change was after graduation. Changelings had no large college system. They were expected to choose a career, either civilian or military, and receive specialized training upon acceptance.
With the adventures of the day complete, the herd decided to get something to eat on the way back to the hotel. After a wonderful dinner at one of Manehattan’s most famous quaint little cafes, they began the walk back to the hotel. One pony began having the same thoughts as on the train. However, instead of pushing those thoughts to the back of her head, she found herself determined to share her thoughts with her friends.
As the crew walked into the suite they shared, they began to break towards their individual rooms. They stopped however, as Twilight began to speak. “Before everypony heads to bed, I’d like to call a short group meeting.” This made the group somewhat trepidatious as they sat on the couches and chairs spread about the room. Soon, everypony was seated and watching Twilight intently. “Don’t worry, nopony is in trouble. I’ve just had something come up and I think you all should be the first to know. Back in Canterlot, I visited a doctor shortly after our arrival, as I had felt rather sick on the train. There, I learned something rather interesting.” She paused for dramatic effect. “I’m pregnant.”
This news was met with the normal shower of congratulations, hugs and questions. Due dates, name ideas, and the like. It was easy to share news like this in such a close group, as most of the ponies followed a rigid pattern of behavior that had been learned over the years. Everypony had reacted more or less how she expected, except for Rainbow Dash, who waited for the commotion to die down before adding, “Join the club.”