Chapter 21
Chapter 21
“And I do believe that this treaty will be beneficial to all of us, if only to pull the changelings out of their isolation,” Celestia said hopefully. Despite looking calm and collected on the outside, on the inside she was a nervous mess. She found herself watching Chrysalis’ face closely, taking note of any change of expression.
If Chrysalis was annoyed by Celestia’s staring, she didn’t show it. “We changelings like our isolation, thank you very much,” she countered. “But I do suppose it could be interesting to have ‘allies’ once more,” she said, making quotation signs with her hooves. “Let’s see if it works out better than it did for the flutterponies.”
Celestia let out a sigh of relief. Thus far, things had gone well. It was painfully obvious that the queen would rather talk things over with Luna alone, but, so far, she had been polite about Celestia’s inclusion.
“However,” Chrysalis continued, snapping Celestia out of her thoughts. “Before I make any… decisions, I have to know how reliable my business partners are. Princess Luna, I have no quarrel with, but you…” She gazed at Celestia, who averted her eyes.
“In the span of a few hours, you attacked my daughter not once but twice,” Chrysalis accused. “But then you act as if nothing happened. I want to know why.” Her glare only intensified as she spoke and Celestia seemed to shrink back under it.
Luna chose that moment to step in. “That is what we wish to know as well,” she explained. She turned to look at her sister, who gave her a curt nod. “As it turns out, there are several memory lock spells on Celestia’s mind.”
This piqued Chrysalis’ attention. “Memory locks, you say? How… interesting.” She looked from Luna to Celestia and back. “And what, exactly, are these locks keeping at bay?”
Again, Luna looked at Celestia. This time however, Celestia herself answered. “It has to do with the day I… the day I banished you from Canterlot.”
Chrysalis failed to hide her anger at the mere mention of that day. “So… you dabbled in mind magic to forget what you did to me?” Venom laced her voice as she spat out those words.
“You misunderstand us," Luna replied, shaking her head. "We only had the time for a cursory exam, but I can tell this magic seems to have a changeling signature."
"What are you implying?", Chrysalis hissed with irritation and surprise. "That one of my subjects did this - without my permission?"
"No. Bearing in mind the amount of power necessary...", Luna continued with some hesitation. "...it had to be a changeling royal. And if this was not your doing, only one name comes to mind."
An awkward silence hung in the throne room. A silence that was shattered by Chrysalis’ mocking laughter.
“A most entertaining joke, Princess Luna,” Chrysalis said. “But a joke nonetheless. You expect me to believe that my mother scrambled her brains?” She pointed at Celestia, her fangs showing as she laughed.
Celestia couldn’t help but feel hurt as Chrysalis mocked her. Luckily for her, Luna took notice and draped a comforting wing over her back.
“The memory locks are breaking,” Luna interrupted Chrysalis’ laughter, drawing the queen’s attention back to her. “After a thousand years, they’re cracking. And it seems like being exposed to a memory or something similar seems to trigger a violent reaction.”
That caught Chrysalis’ attention again. “I see,” she said slyly, her eyes lighting up like a foal’s in a toy store. “So if I were to say something like… I trusted you!” Chrysalis yelled. “I loved you like my own mother and now you just reject me! I was there when you were too weak to stand up to Nightmare Moon!”
Celestia’s eye twitched. Luna pulled her sister closer, only to be shoved aside. “What have you done?” Luna hissed angrily.
“Checking whether or not you’re pulling my chain,” Chrysalis said, watching with mild interest as Celestia’s eyes turned cold.
The princess blinked a few times, a hint of confusion on her face as she took in her surroundings. “My throne room?” she asked out loud. “But I was just…” She then noticed Chrysalis standing there. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded.
“Oh, it's nothing,” Chrysalis said smugly. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”
“Answer me, you cretin! Lest you end up in my statue garden, like so many others before you,” Celestia threatened.
Chrysalis couldn’t help but shudder a bit at the tone Celestia took. She had heard it many times before but she usually wasn’t on the receiving end of it.
“Sister, please,” Luna attempted to plead to her sister. “You’re not thinking straight and your mind is clouded.”
“Luna?” Celestia stared at her with an incredulous look in her eyes. “No… this is a trick! That’s you Starlight, isn’t it?” she accused Luna.
Celestia’s eyes darted between Chrysalis and Luna as she backed away from both of them. “That’s right, it is you! And you…” she jabbed a hoof into Chrysalis’ direction. “Who are you?”
“My name is Chrysalis,” Chrysalis said. “Queen Chrysalis. But you used to know me under a different name. Starlight Twinkle.”
Celestia’s eyes twitched again. “No… ENOUGH!” she screamed. “You must think I’m a fool! I’ll shatter both of you to pieces!”
This was the moment Chrysalis had been anticipating. Celestia’s eyes turned grey as they locked with the queen’s.
A smug grin formed on Celestia’s lips as she unleashed her spell. But something unexpected happened. Her victim fought back. This was highly unusual for her, as most ponies just cowered before her as she sealed their fate.
But Chrysalis’ horn was glowing an eerie green color. “What are you doing?” Celestia demanded.
“Nothing, save for this.” A full length mirror appeared between them, forcing Celestia to stare at her reflection. The magic that laced her eyes was turned on her and Celestia could only scream as her own spell struck her, turning her flesh to stone in a flash.
Chrysalis lowered the mirror she had conjured up and stared at the lifeless statue of Princess Celestia. “Well, that was unexpected,” she admitted.
“You fool!” Luna snapped. “You could’ve gotten both of us turned to stone!” She immediately leapt to her sister’s aid, undoing the spellwork.
“The first thing I did after Celestia banished me was learn a way to defend myself against that spell,” Chrysalis said as she looked into the mirror herself. “And don’t think I did that for my own amusement, Princess Luna.”
Chrysalis approached the now petrified princess. “Let’s see if you were telling the truth…” Her horn glowed green as she made a superficial search of Celestia’s mind, much to Luna’s annoyance.
She quickly moved in between the queen and her sister, to protect her if necessary. “Promise me that you won’t hurt her!” Luna demanded.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Chrysalis said with her telltale smirk on her face, though that smirk quickly faded when she found what she was looking for. She shot a confused look at Luna.
“Queen Amethyst’s magic?” Luna asked, even though she already knew.
“Possibly,” Chrysalis reluctantly admitted. The magic she felt was certainly familiar and unlike any her children could use.
Perhaps there was more to the events of a thousand years ago than she knew. The possibility of her own mother tampering with things from behind the scenes filled Chrysalis with confusion and anger.
And a bit of sadness too. Regret too perhaps as she wondered what would have happened if Celestia’s mind hadn’t been tampered with. Any pony or changeling dealing with mind magic knew that it could have long lasting consequences for the victim.
She also had no idea what memories exactly had been sealed away. Obviously the ones where Celestia banished her were locked. But from the quick peek into Celestia’s mind she had noticed many, many sealed memories.
What reason could her mother have had to seal that many memories? Her suspicion that there was more to her banishment was growing.
However, hoofsteps outside and a loud ruckus interrupted her line of thought. Mere seconds later, the door swung open. Chrysalis tore herself away from her reflection a she saw her beloved daughter barge into the throne room.
As Chrysalis turned around to address her daughter, she realized just how bizarre the scene must’ve looked to her. The petrified princess standing at attention didn’t help either. A quick glance at Princess Luna confirmed that she thought the same thing.
“We can explain,” Chrysalis said.
-
Deep inside the Everfree forest, Prince Blueblood was content. He now had an army of clones and the means to make a seemingly infinite amount of them. With their help, he stood a chance to save his beloved from the hordes of shapeshifting and mind-controlling monsters. Unfortunately for him, they seemed to lack a certain… intelligence.
Most of them were hopping around, grinning like idiots. Others were diving into the Mirror pool, resurfacing with new clones. And then there were a select few that decided that leaping off a nearby cliff was a good idea.
Puffs of pink smoke passed by the original Prince Blueblood as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. The amulet around his neck began to pulse red and he grinned. Nothing a little magic couldn’t fix up…
-
“That is indeed what happened,” Celestia confirmed, the grey spots all over her body gradually fading out of existence like bits of ice melting in a drinking glass. She refrained from moving more than the strictly necessary until the mottles were gone altogether, as doing so caused her muscles to ache horribly.
Working together, Luna and Twilight slowly but surely reversed the spell. Celestia’s grey and cold body turned back to its normal state. Though it went without saying that her limbs would feel stiff for a couple of days.
“How are you feeling?” Luna demanded as she inspected her sister for any lingering effects of the petrification spell. “Does anything hurt? Do we need to seek a medic?”
“I am fine, Luna,” Celestia assured her. However, it was clear that Luna supporting her was the only thing keeping her from toppling over.
Celestia’s eyes wandered over to Chrysalis, who was avoiding her gaze.
“Luna, Twilight? Could you leave me and Chrysalis alone for a few minutes?” Celestia asked.
Luna and Twilight looked at each other, neither of them seeing that as a good idea. “Celestia, you need to rest now,” Luna told her.
“And I will.” She gingerly moved away from Luna, able to stand on her own again. “Just give me and Chrysalis a few minutes,” Celestia said, more confidently this time.
Reluctantly, Twilight and Luna left the throne room to go check on Cadance and Sweetie Belle.
“We need to talk,” Celestia said flat-out.
“You assume that I want to,” Chrysalis taunted.
Celestia glared at her. “Very well then, no need to talk then. But you will listen!” Her voice was hard and commanding, showing that the princess meant business.
Surprised by the sudden shift in tone, Chrysalis took an involuntary step back from Celestia. She had not expected the weakened princess to be so loud all of a sudden.
“Queen Chrysalis,” Celestia continued. “You have met my kindness and hospitality with nothing but petty insults and coldness-”
“Your ‘kindness’ means little to me,” Chrysalis snapped. “I’ve seen what it leads to. Mostly pain and disappointment.”
“I know I have hurt you terribly once, and for that I can never apologize enough...” Celestia continued. She turned her head away, blinking away the tears that had sprung up from Chrysalis’ comment. “Still, I must warn you that your insolent behaviour is counterproductive,” she continued, only to be interrupted by Chrysalis again.
“Bold words coming from a powder keg such as yourself,” Chrysalis said with a glare in her eyes. “Are you forgetting how you attacked my daughter multiple times in the last few days?”
Celestia hesitated. “That is just the point,” she said calmly, though her knees were shaking now. “Do you realize the danger you were in?” she continued, her voice filled with worry. “What if I had turned you to stone? What if I shattered you to pieces? And Twilight would’ve lost another mother!”
Chrysalis snorted. “Are you trying to pin the blame on me for your inability to control yourself?” she asked. Of course, the queen knew that that could’ve been a possible outcome, but she considered herself to be adequately prepared for anything Celestia could’ve thrown at her. “Sounds very familiar, Celestia... you truly haven’t changed much.”
“I am sorry, Queen Chrysalis,” Celestia said with a weary sigh. “I thought I had, but that cruel side of me is still there, sealed away. And until we can deal with these mind locks, I ask of you to refrain from provoking me.”
The changeling queen considered for a moment how to make another painful retort, but looking at Celestia's face and feeling a pang of sadness coming from her, decided against it.
“Very well,” Chrysalis said. “But be warned: if I see that wicked mean streak of yours rear its ugly head around my daughter, I won’t hesitate to put you down.”
A hint of worry formed in Celestia’s mind but she nodded anyway. Luna was standing at the open door, motioning for her to hurry up. She turned to the queen again and said her goodbyes. “We’ll resume our talk tomorrow,” she said. “And, please, think about what I said. I don’t want to be your enemy.”
“Neither do I,” Chrysalis said. “However, I only agreed to these ‘peace talks’ if I was allowed to deal with Princess Luna. Unfortunately, you and your issues saw it fit to intervene…”
A small smirk was visible on Chrysalis’ face. She was taking a bit too much pleasure out of the whole situation. It was almost enough to make her feel guilty. Almost.
Celestia hesitated. Her sister looked at her, the concern clear on her face even from a distance. “Very well,” Celestia gave in. “Luna will deal with you from now on. I trust my sister well enough to make the right decisions.”
Chrysalis stared at her, a hint of surprise on her face. However, there wasn’t much time for the queen to voice her opinion, as Celestia wished her a good day and left the throne room, like she had promised her sister.
Said sister and Twilight Sparkle were waiting for her at the door.
“Are you okay?” Twilight immediately asked, obviously concerned about her teacher.
“I am fine, Twilight,” Celestia assured her. “I just need some rest.” She leaned in a bit closer to Twilight. “And I hope that Queen Chrysalis gives my words some thought.”
“As do I,” Twilight said before moving past Celestia and entering the throne room to check on the queen.
Celestia watched as Twilight walked up to Chrysalis. Whatever they said to each other was inaudible to her but a smile formed on Celestia’s face as she saw them share an awkward hug. It was clear that those two would need a lot more time to get comfortable with each other.
However, that was a concern for later. “I think it’s best if I retire to my room for the time being,” Celestia said to Luna and Cadance.
Luna nodded and after saying her goodbyes to Cadance, she all but dragged Celestia away. Usually it was the other way around and Celestia would have to be the responsible sister. Needless to say, it was a nice change of pace for Luna.
Together they walked to Celestia’s room, with Luna providing a helpful shoulder for Celestia to lean on when necessary. “What were you thinking about?” Luna’s curiosity took over as she escorted her sister to her room.
“That I was a fool to trust Queen Chrysalis like that,” Celestia admitted with a sigh. “I should’ve known better. She’s been nothing but hostile to me, why would that change just like that?”
Luna laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Give it time,” she offered. “I think she’s just as confused as you are right now. And Chrysalis is bitter about what happened back then and I don’t think she’ll become the filly you knew a thousand years ago again.” She didn’t mean to sound crude but there was no way around it.
“I… don’t think so either,” Celestia reluctantly acknowledged. “But I want to be able to talk to her again. Maybe make amends for what I did…”
The two princesses continued through the hallway in silence. Before long they arrived at Celestia’s chambers. Luna opened the door for Celestia and walked in after her, to make sure that her sister actually went to sleep.
Under Luna’s strict eye, Celestia climbed into bed. “Rest well, Celestia,” Luna said. “I’ll keep an eye on Chrysalis and things around the castle, so you shouldn’t worry about anything.”
Celestia smiled. “I know that,” she said, before diving under the covers of her bed. As soon as she laid her head down, she was out like a light. The petrification spell had taken more out of her than she had thought. Her final waking thought went out to all the hurting ponies in her castle and she hoped that she could do better for them tomorrow.
-
Having performed her sisterly duties, Luna walked back to the throne room. The chance that Chrysalis and Twilight were still there was small but it was as good a place as any to start. However, she could hear voices and yelling. With a sigh, Luna began to walk faster, just in case somepony or some changeling had gotten themselves into trouble.
The scene that Luna stumbled on was not something that she had ever expected. Twilight Sparkle was standing in front of the closed throne room with an annoyed look on her face. Chrysalis was standing behind her, a fanged grin on her face.
For reasons unknown to Luna, the changeling that called herself ‘the Great and Powerful Changeling’ was currently latched onto Twilight’s hind legs and holding on for dear life.
“They get clingy sometimes,” Chrysalis said between fits of laughter. “Now let go of your princess,” she ordered. “You can’t serve her when you’re crushing her ankles.”
The Great and Powerful Changeling looked at her queen as if she had just revealed the secrets of the universe to her. “Of course!” she said and released her death grip on Twilight’s leg. “My princess, this Changeling lives to serve you!”
“You mentioned that a few dozen times already!” Twilight half-shouted. Her annoyance with the Great and Powerful Changeling was clear, though Luna couldn’t blame her.
Instead, Luna kept watching in silence as Twilight tried to make sense of the situation. She noticed that Sweetie Belle and Cadance were both watching the situation unfold from a safe distance. A wise decision.
“Is there a problem?” Luna asked, having decided it was time to make her presence known.
Twilight’s expression went from annoyed to relieved as she noticed that Luna had returned. “Not really,” Twilight said dismissively. “Just a problem with the concept of personal space. But how’s Celestia? Is she okay?”
Always worried for her mentor, Luna thought. “She is sleeping soundly,” she assured Twilight.
“That’s good,” Twilight said. With her worries partly resolved, she turned around to face Chrysalis. “I’m going to go and see Dad and Shining Armor. And my friends.”
Chrysalis smiled. “As you should. We will meet later but it seems that Princess Luna wants to speak with me right now.”
Luna blinked a few times. She had been actively trying to mask her disapproval but it seemed like Chrysalis had picked up on it regardless of her efforts. But then again, it was probably not so hard for the queen. She and her whole race fed on emotions, after all.
Twilight looked from Luna to Chrysalis and back. “Stay safe,” she said to both of them and turned to leave with Cadance and Sweetie Belle.
“I’m not apologizing for what I did,” Chrysalis said as once her daughter was out of hearing range. It was not a conversation that she wanted Twilight to overhear. “Celestia had it coming. But I do realize that what I did has… complicated things for us.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” Luna said, annoyed by the way Chrysalis was talking right now.
“And thus I’m willing to make amends. To… help,” Chrysalis spat that last word out as if it was rotten. “But not for Celestia’s sake,” she added immediately. “Lest you get the wrong idea.”
Luna watched where Chrysalis was looking. Her eyes wandered down the hallway, where Twilight and co disappeared out of sight entirely.
Perhaps Twilight would be the one to get these two back on friendly terms, Luna thought. Or at the very least get them to speak without lobbing spells around. “Very well,” Luna said. “However, given recent events, I don’t wish to talk any more business today.”
An idea came to Luna’s mind. “Instead, I hereby invite you to go visit Canterlot with me.” Perhaps not a good idea, given the current situation, but an idea nonetheless.
Either way, that was not something that Chrysalis had expected. “What?” she asked, sounding rather unbelieving.
“You are here as a visitor. I believe that it is the task of the host to entertain their visitors,” Luna said politely. “And besides, it’s something that ‘friends’ do as well.”
Chrysalis hesitated for a moment. She hadn’t exactly expected that Luna still wished to be her friend. But she wasn’t complaining. “Very well, Princess Luna,” she said hesitantly. “I accept your invitation.”
A few thoughts went out to her invisible guards, letting them know that she was about to leave with the princess. Half of them would accompany her into the city, while others would search the city for threats. After all, Prince Blueblood was still on the loose…
“Splendid!” Luna exclaimed loudly. “We shall leave at once!” Perhaps she was being a bit too enthusiastic about this but, after all that had happened, Luna wanted nothing more than to go out of the castle. And after all, she had promised her sister to keep an eye on the queen.
-
Elsewhere in the castle, Twilight Sparkle arrived at the room where her father had been before. Sweetie Belle and Cadance had gone on ahead to her friend’s room, giving her and her family some time by themselves. Even the Great and Powerful Changeling had gone with them, much to Cadance’s annoyance.
Gingerly she opened the door. She was met by the sight of her father sitting on a bed, his head in his hooves and her brother sitting next to him. Shining Armor was doing his best to comfort him but failed miserably.
She could feel the sadness rolling off of them both in waves. Though even without being a changeling one would know just how miserable those two were.
“Dad,” Twilight said softly as she walked into the room. Shining Armor looked up at her, giving her a sad smile.
At the sound of his daughter’s voice, Night Light sat up again and desperately tried to wipe the tears off his face. “Twilight.” His voice was raspy and it was obviously hard for him to speak.
“I’m back,” Twilight said. “How are you holding up?” Though the answer to that question was quite clear to her.
“Fine, fine,” Night Light blatantly lied. “I’ve been trying to get it through your brother’s thick skull that he isn’t to blame for anything.”
“But-"
“But nothing,” Night Light interrupted his son. “You were injured. Heck, you still are! You couldn’t have done anything!” he yelled with tears streaming down his face.
Night Light fell quiet as he saw the shocked look on Shining Armor’s face.
“I… I’m sorry for yelling,” he said. “It’s just… I could’ve lost you too…”
“I know, dad,” Shining Armor said. “I know.”
Twilight sat down next to her father, enjoying the silence and just being with her family. After everything that had happened after last night and today, she needed just that.
After what felt like hours, a knock on the door interrupted them. Twilight looked at her father, who nodded. Slowly she got up and walked to the door and opened it.
“Hey, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said.
She and the rest of Twilight’s friends stood there.
“Hi girls,” Twilight said. She turned to her father and brother, who nodded at her.
Twilight walked out the door and closed it behind her.
“How’re you feeling, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked nervously. “You know, considering…”
Twilight thought for a few seconds, before answering. “I’m okay. Just, okay.”
Applejack nodded. After all, she could sympathise with Twilight, as she had been through that sort of pain before.
“Well, one can hardly expect you to be more than that,” Rarity said sympathetically.
“Being sad is part of life too,” Pinkie Pie said, decidedly less cheerful than usual.
Fluttershy stayed quiet as she walked up to Twilight and hugged her. Twilight hugged her back, as she could definitely use a friendly hug.
Last but not least, Spike walked up to her. He seemed a bit hesitant, as if he didn’t know just how to approach her anymore.
Sensing his discomfort, Twilight walked up to him instead. “Hi Spike,” she said softly.
Almost immediately, his eyes began to fill up with tears. “Twilight, I… I’m sorry!” he yelled. “I’m so sorry! “
Twilight quickly scooped him up and held the sobbing baby dragon close to her. “It’s okay, Spike. It’s okay.”
Spike remained quiet, his grip on Twilight tightening noticeably.
“And how’ve you been?” Twilight asked her friends. They may not have known her mom so well, but nopony could walk away from a night like last night without some form of trauma.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, before giving a barely noticeable shrug. “We’re okay, ah guess,” Applejack said. “Ah was more worried about the girls, but they seem to be doing surprisingly well, all things considered.”
“Where are they, anyway?” Twilight asked.
“Princess Cadance offered to keep an eye on them,” Rarity said. “She told us that she has experience watching troublesome fillies.”
“And besides, with what happened last night, ah don’t think they’re going to be that much trouble,” Applejack added. “But then again, that might be wishful thinking.”
-
Cadance rubbed her brow in frustration. Twilight had been difficult at times when she was a filly but the Cutie Mark Crusaders were ten times worse than Twilight had ever been. And there were three of them at once!
But at least it seemed they were settling down a bit, now that Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had gotten over the initial shock of their friend’s cutie mark.
“So you’re a doctor now?” Scootaloo asked. “That’s great, now you can fix us up if we get injured.”
“You mean ‘when’ we get injured,” Apple Bloom pointed out. After all, the life of a Cutie Mark Crusader was not an easy one. Scrapes and bruises were unavoidable, as was the occasional tree sap shower.
Sweetie Belle sighed. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know anything about medicine. I can barely bandage a pony.”
Cadance knew the look on Sweetie’s face. She had seen it before. “Isn’t there anypony that can teach you?” she asked.
“Well, Nurse Redheart is one of my sister’s customers,” Sweetie Belle pointed out. “Maybe she could.”
Cadance smiled. “Well then, it never hurts to ask her. And when you’re a little older, you can go to school to become a doctor.” Of course, Cadance hadn’t seen the filly in action last night, but from what she had heard, Sweetie Belle had jumped into action and helped out the wounded changelings. Cadance was certain that if she put her mind to it, Sweetie Belle could become a great doctor or nurse.
“Or you could join us in the hive,” The Great and Powerful Changeling piped up. A rolled up newspaper floated over to her head and hit her on the nose.
“Stop trying to convert the fillies,” Cadance growled.
“This changeling was merely offering an alternative path,” the Great and Powerful Changeling said, rubbing her nose. Thankfully, Cadance hadn’t hit her all that hard.
The newspaper came floating back, twitching in Cadance’s magic. It looked almost eager to hit her again. “No,” Cadance said firmly. “You have no right to do that. You hear me?”
The Great and Powerful Changeling snorted. “Ha, you have no authority over this changeling.”
“I may not but these fillies are family of your princess’ friends,” Cadance reminded her. “And I don’t think she’ll appreciate that.”
The Great and Powerful Changeling looked a bit pale at the mention of her princess. “You win this round,” she muttered under her breath as she slinked away and hid underneath the nearest bed.
Cadance sighed and shifted in her wheelchair. The sooner she got away from these changelings, the better. “Don’t pay any attention to her,” Cadance told the three fillies, who had been watching intently. “There’s no reason to throw your life away for… that. No matter what happens.”
“Says the pony who was raised with a golden spoon shoved down her gob,” the changeling hissed from underneath the bed. “The streets are cold, the ponies are harsh, and everything you ever worked for can be burned to the ground, in the blink of an eye.” Her voice grew harsher with every word.
Cadance had heard enough. “That’s it,” she said. The door to the guest room swung open and she quickly herded the three fillies out of there. “You’re crazy,” she said as she rolled her wheelchair out of there and slammed the door shut behind her.
“No, just lost…” the changeling whispered.
-
Outside the guest room, Cadance and the Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly stumbled on Twilight and her friends, who had been on their way there.
“Twilight, your maid is crazy,” Cadance said without hesitation. “She tried to convince the girls to become changelings.”
Twilight stared at her for a few seconds and sighed. “I’ll go talk to her.”
A quick nod at her friends and Twilight opened the door again, leaving her friends behind in the hallway. She instantly knew where the changeling was hiding and stopped at the nearest bed. “What did you do this time?” she asked.
“This changeling did nothing wrong,” the Great and Powerful Changeling said from underneath the bed. “She merely offered those fillies an alternative to living their wretched lives in fear and confusion, not knowing if they’ll be able to eat the day after and worrying about finding a place to sleep.”
Twilight stayed quiet for a few moments. When the changeling stayed quiet, she bent down and looked under the bed. It was dark under there, but Twilight could see tears glittering in the Great and Powerful Changeling’s eyes. “Did you remember something again?” she asked.
“Cold and loneliness,” she answered. “No more than that. The queen assured me that these memories would pass, but they resurface again and again.”
The changeling crawled out from underneath the bed and wiped her tears away. “But this changeling’s concerns should not bother the princess. She will cope until they disappear completely.”
Before Twilight could speak, the Great and Powerful Changeling ran off as quickly as she could. She almost ran Applejack over as she barged through the door on her way out.
“What was that all about?” Applejack asked as she watched the changeling run through the hallway.
“I think… I think she needs to be alone for a bit,” Twilight said as she listened to the hoofsteps growing softer until she couldn’t hear them at all anymore. She then turned to Cadance and the fillies. “I’m sorry for whatever she said. She’s just… confused. Very confused.”
“It’s okay,” Cadance said with a sigh. “She just... I don’t know, Twilight. She scared me.”
“I wasn’t afraid,” Scootaloo said with a smirk.
“Me neither!” Apple Bloom exclaimed proudly.
“A little bit,” Sweetie Belle admitted reluctantly.
“You know I would never let anypony harm you, right?” Twilight asked.
The three Crusaders nodded rapidly.
“This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” Rainbow Dash said. “Anypony else up for getting something to eat, before something else happens?”
“You guys go on ahead,” Cadance said. “I’m going back to Shining Armor.”
“Want me to come with you?” Twilight asked.
Cadance shook her head. “I’ll look after him for you. Go with your friends.” She leaned in and whispered to Twilight. “They need you as much as you need them right now.”
Twilight nodded. Ever so reluctantly, she left Cadance there and went with her friends to the royal dining room, hoping that the chef was willing to help them out.
-
And it seemed they were in luck. Apparently Luna had given the staff the order to cater to Twilight and her friend’s wishes before heading off with Queen Chrysalis. It was probably way too early to eat hay burgers, but frankly, Twilight just didn’t give a damn.
The exquisitely dressed tables had known far fancier food than the hay burgers, but nopony but Rarity seemed to care for that. All and all, Twilight and her friends enjoyed their meal in absolute silence. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders managed to stay quiet for a while.
“So…” Applejack broke the silence, leaving her hay burger half eaten. “When do you think your… ‘mother’ will come back?”
Twilight shrugged, chewing her food properly and swallowing it before speaking. “Who knows? All she told me was that she and Luna are sight-seeing right now.” Sometimes, it paid off to be connected to every changeling, as Chrysalis had sent her a message directly to her thoughts.
“So I don’t really know,” Twilight eventually said. “It’s about Big Macintosh, isn’t it?”
Applejack nodded. “He’s acting tough and all that, but Ah know him. He’s suffering.” She leaned in a bit closer to Twilight and kept her voice low. “And Ah know about those wings on his back too.”
Twilight nearly choked on her drink. “Did he tell you?” she asked, once she could properly breathe again.
“Nope,” Applejack said as she leant back. “Ah saw them when he tried to change the bandages by himself. Stubborn mule that he is.” Out of reflex, Applejack looked around the room, to see if there wasn’t a mule around that she may have offended.
“Well…” Twilight started. “I promised that I’d help him. One way or the other.”
Applejack nodded. “Ah appreciate that, Twilight. Ya know that, right?”
Twilight stared into her drink, as though it held the answers to all her questions, before nodding. “Yeah, I know…” She sighed. It would be a long time before anything would feel normal again...
-
Prince Blueblood looked at the horde of clones again. Imperfect as they were, they would allow him to reach his goal. His next move was to capture the lead charlatan and extract information from it. Foremost, the whereabouts of the real Twilight Sparkle.
Extract information. He let out a nervous chuckle at the thought of the euphemism. The idea of using torture, even against such a monster, disgusted him. But it was the only way. Otherwise, the monster would just insist on the farce.
Or maybe, he hoped, he wouldn't have to use such violence. If he could make the monster see its situation as hopeless, he would give it a chance to do things the easy way. And if it had to be the hard way... at least then he wouldn't have to worry about hurting another innocent pony. There was no way that could be Twilight, right?
An alarming suspicion crossed his mind. What if that was Twilight Sparkle after all? No, this would be absurd, how could it be? But then again, this whole situation was absurd. Changelings were just a myth about which he had read in an ancient cryptozoology book once. And yet they were real. Also, as improbable as it sounded, the creature's story was consistent with what he had read. A chill ran down his spine; for, if it was true, and all he did was for naught, that would make him a—
No, no, he thought, this just can't be real! And as quickly as it had appeared, the clarity of his mind went away, like a thick haze had again settled, not allowing him to follow the path from a fact to another.
And again the truth in his eyes was that the monster was not Twilight Sparkle, this would be absurd, how could it be? It was just that, a monster, a deceitful parasite. But he would not be deceived! Even if it cost him his life, he would capture the charlatan, rescue his fair lady, defend his country. Who knows, they might even call him a hero. He just had to be brave and put all doubts aside.
-
Before long, the day of the funeral had come. The five days between her mom’s death and her funeral had felt like an eternity to the changeling princess in disguise. Thankfully she had found comfort in her friends and family. Especially Queen Chrysalis, her mother, had been very supportive to her. Having known the feeling of losing a mother thrice over, she knew very well how Twilight felt.
Even so, nothing Chrysalis could say or do could prepare Twilight for today. In a few more hours, her adoptive mother would be laid to rest, whether or not Twilight Sparkle was ready to let her go. She looked at her mother from the front row, barely managing a few seconds before looking away again.
Twilight felt tears forming in her eyes as she thought about the inevitable. Trying to distract herself, even for a mere moment, Twilight looked around the funeral center. Lightly colored walls and well-crafted wooden benches lined up, leading to Velvet’s open casket, surrounded by flowers. It was not quite as spectacular as the castle’s chapel, which Celestia had offered to them, but Twilight knew that her adoptive mother would’ve preferred a place like this.
A hoof wrapped itself around her and Twilight grasped it. Shining Armor looked at her, his face surprisingly neutral. But the bags under his eyes and the tear stains on his cheeks told a different tale. Twilight knew her brother well enough to know that her brother was trying to keep a strong façade up.
“How’re you holding up?” Shining Armor asked in a raspy voice, betraying just how he was feeling right now.
Twilight shuddered. Despite being disguised, she could feel her wings twitch nervously. “Barely,” she answered. “I feel like I’m going to throw up and I wish I could just go curl up in a corner and cry.”
“That makes two of us, then,” Shining said as he pulled his sister a bit close to him.
The two siblings sat like that for a while, neither of them speaking.
“Excuse me,” a portly old stallion approached them, along with their father. “We’re about to start. Are you two up to it?” he asked kindly.
Twilight looked at the stallion, only now noticing just how sad his eyes were. She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
The stallion walked away, uttering his condolences before he left to open the door.
Shining Armor and Twilight sat down properly again and took a brief moment to straighten out their clothes. A black suit and tie for Shining Armor and a black gown for Twilight.
Night Light silently sat down next to his son, his eyes glued to the floor. He could barely lift his head up anymore and Twilight could feel the sadness and exhaustion rolling off of him. She quickly got up from her seat and sat down next to her father, so he sat in between her and Shining.
Twilight gently pulled at his hoof and held it in her own. A small smile formed on Night Light’s face. Words weren’t needed right now.
The doors to the funeral center swung open, allowing the waiting ponies to come in. Princess Celestia was the first to enter, along with Cadance in her wheelchair. Luna and Queen Chrysalis followed after her, disguised as a regular unicorn with a bright yellow coat and a red mane. All of Twilight’s friends were trailing behind them, keeping a respectful distance away from them.
With some help from Celestia, Cadance got out of her wheelchair and onto the seat next to Shining Armor. Celestia passed by Twilight and her family, whispering soft words of comfort to them before taking her place next to Twilight.
Chrysalis and Luna took to the bench behind Twilight, the queen leaning in close to Twilight to plant a kiss on her head before sitting down along with Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Spike squeezed himself in between Princess Celestia and Twilight.
Several changelings filed into the center, picking random spots on the benches to sit. Ponies followed after, unaware that the changelings were even there. Twilight recognized a few of them, like Donut Joe, but not everypony. Most of them she assumed to be fellow shopkeepers.
A few elderly ponies came in as well, taking seats at the back, away from the grieving family, so they wouldn’t intrude. Save for one midnight blue stallion, who promptly sat down next to the Great and Powerful Changeling, seated a few rows behind Twilight. The changeling in disguise looked oddly at the pony, as though she were in deep thought.
Before long, everypony who had been waiting outside had found a place to sit. Twilight recognized several family members from both her mother and her father’s side of the family. Family members who didn’t know about her… situation. And Twilight wasn’t looking forward to explaining things to her extended family.
The deacon approached the stage, ran a hoof through his thinning mane and rang a nearby bell, signaling everypony to rise, as the funeral was about to begin.
“Dear and kind ponies,” the elderly stallion started. “We have gathered here today to say goodbye to a beloved friend. Twilight Velvet was taken from us, whisked away in the prime of her life.
“It’s always a tragedy, to see a pony pass away before her time. But let us not forget the happy memories we have of Velvet,” the deacon said.
Twilight Sparkle tuned him out. It was clear to her that the stallion was pouring his heart and soul into this, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. To hear somepony talk like that, it was hard for her.
The ceremony went on for an hour. Twilight occasionally listened, but found her thoughts wandering away quickly. She thought of all the things that her mom wouldn’t be there for. All the things that she would miss.
A soft push from her brother snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. “You’re up,” he whispered.
Twilight swallowed hard. It was her turn to read a eulogy for her mother. With shaking knees she got up and walked to the desk, stopping by her mother's casket along the way. She laid a hoof on it and sighed before continuing on to the desk.
She could hear several ponies whispering as she unfolded the piece of paper she had prepared. Twilight wondered just how much they’d be whispering if she strode onto the small stage in her true form.
“Twilight Velvet… Mom was a wonderful pony,” Twilight said. “I know it’s a cliché thing to say, but she was always there for me. Any problem, no matter how big or small it was, she knew what to do about it. And now she’s gone.”
Twilight hesitated, a shudder going through her as she felt the eyes of everypony on her. “I… I feel lost. It was too early to let her go…”
Shining Armor had been watching from his seat and chose that moment to jump in, allowing Twilight to leave the stage and return to her seat.
Twilight listened as he spoke but his words never really reached her. Even so, she found the sound of her brother’s voice to be soothing. She watched as Shining Armor finished up and returned.
Then it was her father’s turn. As his children before him, Night Light approached the stage with shaking teeth and quivering knees.
“Twilight Velvet,” he started. “… was the love of my life. From the first moment I saw her, I knew that she was special. Velvet was kind, strong and protective. A bit too much maybe…”
Night Light cleared his throat before continuing. “She… saved my life. She died protecting me and our daughter…”
Everypony was staring at him now. “I... I’m sorry,” Night Light said, rushing off of the stage and back onto his seat, where he was quickly embraced by his daughter and son.
The rest of the ceremony went on without a hitch. A few other ponies came on stage to talk about Twilight Velvet and Princess Celestia herself declared that Velvet had earned her spot in the Gardens of Elysium.
And just like that, the funeral was over. Velvet’s casket was closed and prepped for transport to the back of the center, where the funeral pyre awaited.
Slowly but surely, the funeral center emptied out. Some ponies went home, while others stayed to watch as Twilight Velvet left on her last voyage.
The Great and Powerful Changeling watched as four stallions carried the now closed casket out of the center. As she prepared to blend into the mass and follow after it, she noticed that the elderly stallion in the seat next to her was still there.
“Who are you?” the changeling asked bluntly. “And how did you know Twilight Velvet?” After all, this could be a spy of sorts and this Changeling had to find out. Luckily, she was still disguised as a run of the mill pegasus and thus the potential spy suspected nothing.
The elderly stallion adjusted his cloak a bit. “My name is Presto. And I didn’t,” he said calmly. “I just attended her funeral. Just in case nopony showed up.” He looked at the Great and Powerful Changeling with sad eyes. “Nopony should be sent off alone, with nopony there to care.”
“And you do?” The Great and Powerful Changeling asked, her tone a bit gentler than it had been before.
The stallion nodded. “I choose to care,” he said. “And I pray that somepony else would do the same for me, once my time comes.”
“Is there nopony who cares for you?” The Changeling asked.
“There is,” Presto said. “I just don’t know where she is anymore.”
The Great and Powerful Changeling blinked a few times, before getting up and walking away. The queen had ordered her not to dawdle. As she walked away, Presto waved at her.
A tear formed in the Great and Powerful Changeling’s eye, but she quickly wiped it away. After all, why would she shed tears for a stallion she didn’t know?
-
The outside of the center was pretty plain. A fireproofed floor, with a funeral pyre in the middle. Just a stack of wooden planks. Very simple, just as Twilight Velvet would’ve wanted.
Twilight Sparkle, Night Light and Shining Armor helped get the casket onto the wooden structure, their magic joining that of the center’s attendants as they lifted it up and serenely put it down on the wooden stack.
“This is it,” Twilight whispered as she walked away from the pyre. “Goodbye, Mom.”
Her brother and father said their own goodbyes before stepping back as well. The three of them just stared at the pyre as other ponies walked past it. Some laid a hoof on the side, whispering some unintelligible words and others laid down flowers by it.
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie settled for bowing their heads respectfully for Twilight Velvet’s casket. Fluttershy laid a small bouquet of flowers down, before making room for the next ponies.
“What’s going on here?” Rainbow Dash whispered once they were far enough from the pyre. “I thought this was a funeral?”
“It’s a unicorn funeral,” Rarity said. “It’s tradition.”
“But they’re not really going to… you know, right here?” Rainbow Dash asked.
As she spoke, she saw Night Light ignite a torch. Using its flame, he lit the torches Twilight and Shining Armor were holding and together they tossed it onto the pyre. Almost immediately, the pyre caught fire.
“Smokeless fire,” Rarity assured her. “Like I said, it’s tradition. Like earth ponies have a connection to the earth and pegasi to the air, unicorns feel more connected to fire.”
“Ah remember Twilight saying something about that,” Applejack pitched in. “Magic and fire are both dangerous. Left unchecked, they’re dangerous and even deadly. But when controlled, it’s a tool like any other.”
Rarity nodded. “Exactly so,” she said.
They all fell silent again as the flames started to roar across the stack of wood. In a matter of minutes, the funeral pyre was engulfed in fire.
It took a few moments before anypony dared to open their mouth again, as the inferno was an awe-inspiring thing to behold.
“So…” Rainbow Dash started again. “Unicorns burn their… well, dead?” she said, unable to find a more fitting word at the moment.
Rarity nodded. “From fire we came, to fire we return. The ashes are then collected in an urn and buried. Or sometimes they’re scattered across the land.”
“Huh,” was all that came out of Rainbow’s mouth.
They all fell silent again, watching in silence at the raging fire. Several other ponies had already left the courtyard, leaving only the closest of friends and family to oversee Twilight Velvet’s last journey. Even Twilight’s friends had already left, to give the grieving family some privacy.
It felt like hours to them. But Twilight Sparkle didn’t look away once. Even when tears streamed down her face and her father had pulled her close to him, she kept looking at the flames that were consuming her mother’s body.
In mere moments, there would be nothing left of her but ashes. It was a depressing thing to think of, but Twilight knew it was inevitable. The pony she loved and that loved her so much would be gone, only leaving traces in her memories.
She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Turning her head a bit, she could see Queen Chrysalis, now out of disguise, looking at her. She didn’t say anything, she was just there for her daughter. And that was enough for Twilight. Her eyes moved back to the flames. They were already dying down now.
There were no traces of Velvet’s casket left. Just ashes and the odd piece of wood that held out and refused to be consumed by the flames.
They all remained there for half an hour, just staring at the spot where Twilight Velvet had been. And they would’ve stayed there longer, if it weren’t for the kind ponies of the funeral center guiding them away with a bit of persuasion.
“That was it,” Shining Armor croaked. “She’s gone.” The tears he had been holding back started to flow down his cheeks now as he sobbed softly on Cadance’s shoulder.
-
Inside the funeral center, there was a large room. Everypony who had attended the funeral had gathered there for a cup of coffee or tea and piece of cake. To talk and celebrate the pony that Twilight Velvet had been.
The sounds of saddened voices filled the air, along with the occasional laugh as one of Velvet’s friends shared a silly anecdote. However, they all fell quiet as Night Light, Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle came in to the room.
“Thank you all,” Night Light said, his voice breaking a bit as he tried to talk loud enough for everypony to hear. “Thank you for coming. Velvet would’ve appreciated it.”
A soft murmuring of agreement went through the hall.
As Twilight walked past the tables, she occasionally got grabbed onto by her aunts, uncles or cousins. They told her how sorry they were for her loss and how she only needed to say the word and they’d be there for her. Twilight more than appreciated the gesture, but right now, she just wanted to join her friends.
They were sitting down at a table near the window, but they were quick to get back on their hooves. “It’s okay,” Twilight said as she came closer. She then sat down on an empty chair between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.
“How you holding up, Twilight?” Applejack immediately asked. The concern was clear in her eyes, which Twilight immediately picked up on. Though she didn’t even need her changeling senses to know how sincere Applejack was.
“I’m… okay,” she said. “Just okay. No more, no less…”
“We understand, darling,” Rarity said. “It’ll be a long time before anything will be more than ‘okay’ so to speak.”
Twilight nodded. A piece of cake and a cup of coffee had somehow materialized in front of her, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, who gave her a sad smile.
“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said. “For everything.” After all, she had taken the catering and decoration all on herself.
Pinkie nodded. “You’re welcome,” she said. “It’s not too much, right?”
Twilight took a quick look around the room. All the tables were solemnly decorated. The tablecloth was in Twilight Velvet’s coat color and white lilies, her favorites, were put everywhere.
“It’s perfect,” Twilight concluded.
“A funeral is kinda like a party,” Pinkie Pie said. “Just no balloons or singing. But you do celebrate the ponies that were such a big part of your life.”
Twilight stayed quiet. She didn’t really have anything to add to what Pinkie Pie said. She looked down at the piece of cake in front of her and pushed it away. She didn’t feel like eating anything at all.
But she’d never say no to a good cup of coffee. Lifting the warm cup with her magic, she took a tentative sip.
A soft poking on her side interrupted her drink. Twilight turned to see a few young foals standing there and staring at her. The littlest one, a pegasus filly with a greyish coat and a light blue mane. “Twilight? Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine, Sunny Skies,” Twilight said as she leaned down and hugged the filly. “But I think Uncle Night Light needs a hug more than I do.”
The little filly nodded, before running off along with the other foals. Her father was currently sharing a table with his brothers and Twilight smiled a bit as she saw the foals run straight into her father’s hooves.
“Such a sweet little thing,” Rarity said with a sigh.
“My cousins,” Twilight pointed out. “I think they’re about Sweetie Belle’s age.”
“Did you tell them about… you know? Ah mean, maybe not the little ones just yet but the others?” Applejack asked. “They’re your family too. They deserve to know the truth.”
Twilight stared at her coffee cup. It was indeed unfair to keep the rest of her family in the dark. “You’re right, Applejack. But… not now. I don’t think I can handle it right now.”
“Take your time, dear,” Rarity said soothingly. “It’s not like you need to tell everypony right now.”
“And they’re your family, they’ll understand,” Applejack assured her.
Twilight for one hoped that Applejack was right about that. She had never been as close to her extended family as Applejack was with hers. Over time, that was something she had begun to envy Applejack for.
“…and I assure you, everything’ll end up fine.”
Twilight blinked a few times. When had Rainbow Dash started to talk?
“Uh, you okay there?” Applejack asked. “You kinda spaced out there.”
“She’ll be fine once we get her back to her library,” Rainbow Dash said confidently. “Home sweet home and all that.”
“Ah think she’d best stay on the farm for a bit,” Applejack said. “Not good for her and Spike to be alone right now.”
“I always have a room ready at the boutique,” Rarity pitched in.
“You’re always welcome in my cottage,” Fluttershy suggested.
“I’m sure the Cakes won’t mind if you crash at my place for a while,” Pinkie Pie said loudly. “You don’t hog the covers, right?”
“Uhm…” Twilight started, but was quickly drowned out by Pinkie Pie again.
“Or I could stay at the library! We all could! And then it’d be like one big sleepover and-”
Twilight had to smile at the scene. After all that happened, those wonderful ponies were still there for her, so eager to help. If, as it is said, the shifts of fortune test the reliability of friends, they had passed with flying colors. Which ultimately made it more difficult to say her next words.
"I... I'm not..."
"Settle down, everypony! This ain't no competition or anything!” Applejack stuffed an éclair into Pinkie’s mouth to shut her up. “Twilight will go wherever's more convenient for her. Now, you were saying, sugarcube?"
Everypony stared at Twilight, their full attention on her. Well, except for Pinkie Pie whose attention was divided between Twilight and the pastry.
“I’m not going back to Ponyville.”
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A new chapter of Mirror's Image?!
Great to see an update! Kinda wish we had had more changeling royal bonding time though.
YES! This fanfic is AWESOME! Thanks for another awesome update :)
Dear Blueblood:
Sincerely:
Quite literally everyone.
For me, that funeral scene was rather sad, making this a quite heavy chapter. I was at the funeral of my grandfather less than half a year ago, so I could relate very well
Though I have to say I wished for a little bit more progression. Maybe next chapter?
"It took forever to get right... writing it was hard and getting it ready was even harder."
I can see why. I think it came out well, though.
Oh, and out of curiosity, I'm guessing pegasi do sky burials? If so, do they do them on mountaintops, or do dead pegasi retain the ability to rest on cloud (...Though, actually, even if they do, the mountaintops might still be a better idea. The access for non-cloudwalking birds would be easier, and there's less of a risk of the cloud or body breaking up enough to result in a rain of bits.)?
6195703
Considering the lack of intelligence to begin with not sure there's much to worry about.
"Heal us" maybe ?
A great chapter like always. Sad , but still a step toward recovery for Twilight.
... Maybe also for Celestia , given what happened with Chrysalis.
I feel like this chapter introduced many subtle changes in the relationships between characters.
Between Celestia and Chrysalis , Twilight and Chrysalis , and Twilight and her friends mostly.
(Plus some character development regarding Trixie)
Still , this "clifhanger" at the end is pure evil. To have her say something like that for us to have to wait months without knowing what she meant by it and how it is received... Pure evil
)
(One interpretation that I have is that with Velvet dead she is going to embrace her changeling princess role and go back to the Hive. The other is that she is going to hunt Blueblood down to take revenge for her mother... more Blueblood just means that there is more to kill in that case.
The update makes me want to bounce around shouting "YES!" like filly-Twilight
, but the chapter is too sad. 
I was so pleased to receive an update showing a new chapter had posted. This is one of my all time favorite stories!
I look forward to seeing more development with Trixie's character. Hopefully things will work out well for her.
You made me cry. Damn you for being such a good writer.
Heh.
WOOOHOOO THIS IS THE BEST STUFF!
Oh my so she is either staying in Canterlot oooooor.....going back to the Hive?
Interesting
6195703 Give them a mirror, and they'll lose what they had in mind for the three hours it takes to holler for a servant to come fix things before getting irked and going home.
TO THE HIVE
ITS ALIVE!
I think you mean child here.
Heartbreaking chapter.
Your cover art link appears to be dead. The blog is no longer a pony blog and as such, the original posts are all gone.
Dear god I like this story too much... some tears were almost shed...
Goodbye Twilight Velvet:
Her spirit renew
Rising to the heaven’s view
Kiss the sun’s bright bloom
♥•♥•♥•♥•♥•♥•♥•♥•♥•♥
you had to update this late at night so I had to wait till now to read it.
I honestly didn't see unicorns doing that, pegasi yes.
Twilight where are you going if not back to Ponyville.
I will never be happy again.
This chapter has consumed all of my positive emotions.
6196587
Space here.
I feel there are both extra and missing words here.
I am assuming Twilight is back to looking like pony Twilight. It is difficult to remember what form she is in for much of this story once things get going. I would think all her friends and ponies that knew her would be a little uneasy still when she looks half bug.
Still, every night Twilight would just have to lay in bed waiting to fall asleep and only be able to think that she would never see Twilight Velvet again. I get the feeling that might hit pretty hard. Maybe convince her even more to forgo the name of Amaryllis and just have everypony call her Princess Twilight Sparkle so she could still have part of Velvet's name to go by.
This sentence feels like it would work better with "and".
Why would the wood hold out and bones not? I am suspecting magic.
It's not really a typical cliffhanger, but WHAT?!
Good chapter but I do have to wonder if Twilight will spend time in Canterlot or follow Velvet's wish and try to get to know Chrysalis better. Though I do hope Twi insists on going by Twilight Sparkle to help hold onto a small part of her adoptive mother.
this Final Fantasy 8 song Fits Perfectly for the current mood of this chapter; very Slow and Somber.
*sniffles* *blows nose*
I'm gonna need a moment. This chapter was even more sad than the others.
Wonderfully written.
blueblood does realize his clones canot gain the effects of the alicorn amulet right? at best he has an army of soilders with no combat ability and weak magic.
6196245
Found it. https://derpiboo.ru/45561
You got that exactly. This felt just as sad as any funeral I've ever been to.
Tears were shed.
6197404
Well, with the Alicorn Amulet, it would be a simple thing to simply mind control them all. Also, anyone else wonder if the Alicorn Amulet has more to do with the plot of this story than simply boiling away Blueblood's think meat?
6198086 the amulet may upgrade magic but not mental ability if he tried to mind control them all he'd overload his own brain from the strain of it and also that wouldn't make them good soilders they'd still only be as skilled as him and weaker in general magic.
6198086
Maybe... there's something to Blueblood's character arc beyond "He's the bad guy because we need a bad guy"? And possibly something to Twilight's character arc too?
I mean, Mac and The Great And Powerful Changeling are getting minor character arcs, that have to do with Twilight but are also very focused on their own problems as a result of Twilight. Perhaps Blueblood is no different, despite being an antagonist?
... Nah. Couldn't be. Blueblood only exists to be disrespected for being a jerk, right?
This funeral scene is the one by which all others will be judged in years to come.
Well some chains of thought are very bad
Pegasi are connected to the air --> Pegasi are buried in clouds --> Raining corpses
6198386
Ever heard of a sky burial?
Nice to see this updating. In celebration, I give you Nitpicks: Extra Nitpicky Edition!
friends."
(only one space)
The (optional) comma after "idea" must be paired with a comma after "situation".
Ditto "but," and "happened," or "but" and "happened"
Ditto "them," and "Joe", etc.
I believe this should be "seats".
mother and her
(one space)
Well, this chapter was nice, in a bittersweet sense. I feel sorry for Twilight and her family, having to see their love one off has to be really tough for them. If I could, I would so hugged them. And, poor Trixie seems to be having her own trouble as well.
Maybe when the situation with Blueblood is over with, Celestia will hopefully toss that stupid amulet into the sun, where it belongs. And any other similar items that will try to corrupt someone.
C&Cs will be PM. Most of it seems like it have been covered by the other readers, but I'll post it anyway since some might not have been covered.
Great job with this chapter, it provoke a lot of emotions for the readers.
6196243
Not really... Queen Chrysalis lost Celestia, her mother from her days as a pony and her birth mother.
6198125
Oh, I am fine with Blueblood getting some character. I was simply hinting that Celestia may have worn the Amulet at one point, resulting in her being Tyrantlestia before getting mindraped 1000 years ago. Seriously, man! I have NO CLUE how my last post could have been misconstrued to be an attack on Blueblood, but somehow you made the connection. 
6199060
... What you say your actual meaning was is pretty impossible to glean from your comment... So it's not very simple that you'd be suggesting that.
Meanwhile, I hadn't seen any positive comments toward Blueblood at all in this chapter, so I jumped the gun a little on your comment dismissing his problem as some other kind of conspiracy going on.
And... while my sarcasm can come off as a little caustic (sorry), I think my point still stands that the amulet might not play a role beyond enabling Blueblood's emotional meltdown to be much much worse.
6195703 Given the way Blueblood's been thinking, I'd say you're severely overestimating the clones.
6199138
To tell the truth, I was playfully hinting at my main point, rather than stating it outright, in order to drum up discussion. Suffice it to say, that plan faceplanted hard. But still, no lasting harm done. `Tia is still crazy from who knows what all. Blueblood is still crazy from love, self-delusion, and an artifact that I swear up and down had to have been made by Sombra. "The Great and Powerful Changeling" is still going crazy due to an internal conflict between a misguided attempt to snuff out her sense of self competing with said sense of self being so massive that it has it's own measurable gravitational pull. Big Macintosh isn't technically going crazy so much as suffering existential angst due to his new duel nature. ...oh, and Twilight (and her entire family) is still The Woobie.
Alicorn power magic, insanity, and an army. Shit.
The dramatic timing of her revelation to her friends suggests that she'll be going back to the hive; she did promise that she would come back, and Chrysalis certainly won't leave her alone. I hope ponies and changelings establish a way to communicate with each other first, though. Aside from maintaining her friendships, it will be hard to advance the Celestia/Chrysalis plot if they can't talk to each other.
Has Sucker Punch earned the right to lose the name yet? Regardless of what Chrysalis said, Twilight had a point when she said there's still a degree of personality and individuality in the hive. Can she find a point between unity and individuality that balances the two? Or perhaps introducing hive mind-augmented friendship to the changelings, that they may be a cohesive whole while having some sense of self?
The introduction of Presto had me thinking this morning, and those thoughts pointed towards Chrysalis being... well... terrible. I know the story pushes to make her sympathetic and it's working on some fronts, but on others she looks kind of awful to the point I'm going to assume she's lying whenever she insists that she's doing good by transforming ponies. The reason being that, while Trixie was certainly destitute and/or traumatized by Blueblood when she tried to get the Alicorn Amulet, Chrysalis and the changelings in general have an uncanny knack for surveillance. Surely they would have seen that there is in fact someone in Equestria that will accept her. This tells me that Chrysalis isn't concerned about the welfare of the destitutes she finds at all; she just wants to add to the hive.
Unrelated fridge horror came when I accidentally thought of the possibility (which isn't canon) that Twilight the pony, while stillborn, was still some sort of miracle child in which she took her first breath in the Wastelands.
I'm sorry, but I can't help but feel that Chrysalis is full of it and that Twilight should probably punch her in the face. Probably.
6200304
I think I agree. She basically enslaves them, erasing their memories and removing their individuality, turning all their desires to serving
Chrysalisthe hive in order to "save" them. That's a situation where Chrysalis probably benefits quite a bit more than the converted ponies do.And... the thing that really does it is... Trixie was rejected by, as far as she knew, everything. She was at the bottom of her existence, and convinced that she would never find happiness unless she very nearly removed everything that made her herself. She was offered to remove who she was in return for happiness and acceptance.
I can't decide if the better analogy is a cult or suicide.
Maybe Chrysalis isn't totally full of it and she does care, but... I think even if she does genuinely care, it's a thing that should at best considered a sad fate for the ponies, and at worst a kind of narcissistic care, where she'll care for them but only if completely devote themselves to her and cast everything else away, becoming a dependent that can never leave.
6200467
Well, never mind. Forget that, because its later revealed that Daring do is
Chrysalis
This whole chapter was incredibly full of feelings...
... This one made me cry.