Chapter 16
Back in Canterlot, life was back to business as normal.
Well, as normal as it was ever going to get for a newly crowned changeling queen.
Twilight dropped the measuring tape and sighed. “Increase of two millimeters,” she reported.
Spike nodded and scribbled that down, then handed her the protractor. Twilight measured once more, then closed her eyes and shook her head before taking a second measurement. When her second reading gave her the same number, she dropped it, exhaling sharply. “Increase of two degrees,” she said.
“That's not bad,” Spike said, bending over to collect the protractor and putting it back on the table.
“But I like my horn. It's been a good horn. It has served me well,” Twilight nearly whimpered, bringing a hoof up to buff it lightly. “I don’t like all these changes happening. I’ve been through puberty once, and then I became an alicorn. That’s more than enough life changes to last me the rest of my… well… life!”
“So, do you think you’ll end up looking like Chrysalis someday?” Spike asked.
“I’d rather not think about that,” Twilight said airily as she used her horn to pick up the measuring tools Spike held out for her. “Or about the fact that my coat has been thinning and my skin’s getting itchy. Don’t we have an important meeting or something to go to?”
She was being facetious, but Spike answered seriously. “Actually, yeah,” he said, setting the notebook down on Twilight’s bed and walking over to the nightstand. He retrieved the scratch paper he’d placed there. “Princess Celestia thought you might want to come to this meeting.”
Twilight blinked. “Which meeting?” she asked.
“The one deciding if it is legal for changelings to live in Canterlot.”
Twilight nearly missed a step. “The what, now?”
“Yeah. A bunch of the nobility are getting together and writing up a law trying to ban changelings from living in Canterlot. They’re actually agreeing on stuff.” He tapped his claws together. “It’s kindof weird.”
“It is weird,” Twilight agreed, “and probably slightly illegal because it focuses on just one species; but it might not be necessary.” She exhaled heavily. “Spike, how would you like a promotion?”
* * *
At the knock on the door, Celestia looked up, and raised an eyebrow as she saw Twilight and Bruch enter. “Twilight? You’re a bit early; the committee won’t meet for another hour or so.”
“I know; but it doesn't really matter. We can't stay here, even if they did vote to allow us to stay. The caves don’t make a good hive, and the changelings aren’t happy here.”
"We?"
Celestia's single word question was quiet, but it made Twilight freeze. She looked back up at her mentor, over at the changeling next to her, and then back up at Celestia.
“I started this when I killed Queen Chrysalis. I can’t abandon them now.” She looked at Bruch. “They are my subjects, and I must care for them in a way that makes them happy, even if I can't understand it.”
Twilight was a bit taken aback at the thankfulness she felt emanating from Bruch.
Celestia stood, her mane and tail flowing in the breeze only she felt. "Twilight Sparkle. When I first discovered your talents and natural perchance for leading, I can honestly say that this is not what I had expected to happen. But you have grown into a true leader, and I am proud of you."
Twilight decided that protocol was highly overrated and gave Celestia a powerful hug.
"We can still keep diplomatic ties though, right?" Twilight asked, looking up through Celestia's feathers.
Celestia nodded. “I would enjoy that. How official that is remains to be seen; I, unfortunately, must abide by the decision of the committee.” She pulled Twilight in tighter. “But no matter what happens, you are always welcome here.”
“Thank you, Celestia,” Twilight whispered. She pulled back slightly and briefly looked down. “In the interest of full disclosure, though, I won’t be taking everypony- uh, every changeling with me.”
Celestia chuckled lightly. “If they’ve managed to stay hidden this long, I suppose they deserve to stay,” she agreed.
Twilight smiled. That’s not what she’d meant, but it was nice to see that Celestia was still sympathetic towards her changelings. “I’ll come back and visit,” she promised.
“You’d better,” Celestia warned. “Luna has been quite put out that she has barely seen you.”
Twilight exhaled slowly. “She’s not alone,” she murmured.
Celestia understood. She leaned down, close enough that she could whisper. “Don’t worry, Twilight,” she said. “Just trust your judgement. Everything will work out the way it is supposed to.”
Twilight sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I’m right,” Celestia returned cheekily. “Now, I'm sure we can find a productive way to spend this hour; do you feel like a cookie or two?”
Twilight brightened. Though the cookies didn’t really appeal to her right now, the thought of spending more time with Celestia did.
* * *
“So… banned,” Bruch repeated.
“Yep,” Twilight said, reading over the document. “Technically, any changeling within the boundaries of Canterlot is trespassing and is subject to immediate arrest.” She held it out so Bruch could read for himself.
He shook his head, refusing it. “We’re not very good with legal documents,” he confessed. “No changeling ever hides as a lawyer.”
Twilight cocked her head. “Why not?”
“Nopony loves a lawyer,” Bruch said in all seriousness. “Not even their own mothers.”
Twilight chuckled. “True as that may be, we still have only until sundown to evacuate.”
“But how will they know if we’ve all left?”
“They won’t,” Twilight shrugged. “But they have made the law; and I notice that I have made no such law. If a changeling stays behind, well, that’s their choice.” She shrugged even as a little smile played at her lips. “They made the law; let them enforce it.”
Bruch cracked a smile.
Twilight stood up and stretched. “Well, I’ve got to pack and give Spike the keys to the library, and I should probably tell him where I’ve been hiding the sapphires he loves so much. Do you have many personal items?”
Bruch shrugged. “We transition so much that that isn’t really a problem. The biggest issue will be love transport and moving the nymphs. Carrying them one at a time like we did on the journey here takes up too many changelings.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ll requisition a cart. Does Jarret know what to do about the love stores?”
“I’m sure he’ll figure it out,” Bruch said, a thin smile crossing his lips. “We changelings are good at improvising.”
Twilight nodded and lit her horn, pulling her things onto the bed for easy organization. “Then let’s do this.”
Walking out of her room for the last time might have been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
* * *
That evening, the changelings lined up in preparation for their mass exodus. Twilight herself helped hitch some of the changelings to the cart the Royal Guard had donated.
Then again, calling it a 'cart' would have been generous. The bed was currently being held together by a little hardened applied slime and good luck. It was clearly one that they were not going to want back. Nymphs and a few injured changelings were loaded in, and Twilight was fairly certain she saw one changeling carefully carrying an egg.
From high up above, Princess Celestia sat on a chair, looking regal even out here. She watched over these proceedings, her face nearly expressionless but not unfriendly. Princess Luna sat next to her, still half-asleep and rocking on her haunches, releasing a steady stream of curses on the nobility under her breath that sounded vaguely like air escaping from a hot air balloon.
Twilight turned, and saw her brother standing at attention by the gate, dressed in his full ceremonial armor. Beside him stood Captain Farsight, the commander pro tempore of the Lunar Guard and technically second in command for the entire Royal Guard.
Shining Armor stared straight ahead stoically, not looking at Twilight at all. “Captain Farsight?” he said.
“Yes, sir?”
“It’s a shame that the standing orders prohibiting me from communicating with banned individuals are currently stopping me from talking to my sister, isn’t it?”
“It certainly is, sir,” Farsight agreed.
“But do you know what I would say if I could talk to her?”
“I assume you’re speaking hypothetically, sir?”
“Yes, Farsight, I am.”
Farsight shrugged. “Many talents I have, sir, but mind reading is not one of them. Would you care to share, sir?”
“I do believe I will. I would tell Twily that I am proud of her for standing up for what she believes is right, and I would also tell her that I believe in her, and that I don’t think there is anything she can’t do.”
Twilight felt tears starting to form in her eyes.
“I’d tell her that she is already a great leader, and that she will be the greatest queen the changelings have ever known, and I hope I’ll see her again soon.” Shining frowned. “It’s too bad I can’t tell her, though.”
“A crying shame, sir,” Farsight lamented, “but as they say, sir, orders is orders; and if the Captain himself can’t follow orders, why, the entirety of Canterlot might fall.”
Shining Armor turned and gave him an askance look. “Now you’re just being silly, Captain Farsight.”
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
“Granted.”
“Go and boil your head, sir.”
Twilight laughed along with Shining Armor, and turned to look outside the gates. She was ready now to face this new destiny thrust upon her.
…Just as soon as Bruch showed up to show her where the hive actually was again.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- bahatumay · 25k words · 757 29 · 7.9k views
- Robomac · 35k words · 683 27 · 20k views
- Princess OtakuGeek · 47k words · 606 24 · 16k views
- PinkFluffyAlex · 50k words · 718 37 · 10k views
- Damaged · 92k words · 760 61 · 14k views
- Captain_HoneyDew · 24k words · 763 8 · 12k views
- Damaged · 12k words · 569 23 · 8.8k views
- asylum1388 · 34k words · 266 14 · 4.5k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.037 seconds
Total duration
933 users online
522,217 hits today, 2,156,967 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I agree this was a good ending and you have earned yourself a follow for crafting such a good story and I look forward to following Twilight journey as well as seeing what other changes happen both physical and mental.
Keep up the good work!
Bravo! Bravo I say!
kind of
are
F***ing racist nobles!!!
Oof, that ending was a sneak attack on the feels.
So will Ponyville suddenly get an influx of faux-ponies? I can't see Twilight straying too far simply because she's still the Bearer of the Element of Magic-- and the rest don't work too well without the complete set.
7389199 Claiming the everfree forest, provided they have the means of proper protection, might seem like a dumb idea but it could be quite the benefit for Ponyville and any other nearby towns to have a whole hive of changelins there that might even cull the worst monsters a bit and keep them in check, no-one likes a timberwolf.
I'm not quite sure I fully understand the purpose of the ending.
An entire species banned from the capital, one that is currently a protectorate of the ponies, and the Princesses, all of them, can't override that? Not to mention said species was only in Canterlot due to the actions of ponies in the first place?
And it's only Canterlot, there is no reason they couldn't setup shop in pony area outside, but Twilight is treating it like she'll no longer be welcomed in Ponyville anymore.
This quite the unusual story I'm not sure how I feel about all this yet.
Well whatever with Canterlot. Plenty of other places.
Keep going! ;)
Hm? I could’ve sworn that “Book 1” and the Complete tag wasn’t there the last time I read it. But then I found out that there’s a sequel.
7389043 Hear, hear! It’s an exciting adventure, this one.
7390720 Well, everywhere except where Twily’s family lives, unfortunately. Not the end of the world (woohoo for travel!), but it’s a bummer.
And this is why constitutional monarchies suck.
7390869 yes, title was updated only shortly ago.
I like your writing style; succinct and humor riddled.
Good story, nice job.
So... how did they pass a law that their own non-discrimination-against-one-race laws made illegal?
7391983 yup that's bull espeically since the Princesses OUT RANK THEM
Well, I liked this a fair bit. Looking forward to the sequel being finished so I can read that! Hopefully it will be longer than this one, (or at least that there will be more sequels to follow it in turn).
7329388
The writer pointing out the greyness of that whole situation was spot on. Yes, it made Cheerilee happy...for a night and morning, but then they're gone, taking away the comfort. Even if one had stayed, it would have been a forever lie. Unless maybe the changeling decided they did want to be her foal on a permanent basis, but even then they'd be an adult pretending to be a foal. Even going whole-heartedly into the role on the part of both it would still be a mess. Sure, I could see it working out one way or another, but it would more likely turn out poorly. Maybe they could arrange for Cheerilee to take care of an nymph (transformed into a pony foal or otherwise)? That would be pushing a child into a somewhat alien situation that it might not fully grasp or want for itself in the future though.
But seriously though, couldn't Cheerilee adopt or something? Are there no orphaned foals? Does she not qualify, perhaps because she's single (and/or not financially well situated enough) and there aren't enough parent-less foals to go around?
7391983
Changelings are considered monsters, not another race of ponies; and it's legal (if a bit silly) to say 'no monsters allowed in this city limits'.
that ursa minor is breaking the 'no monsters' law!then why don't you go tellhimthat?What if refrence Commander Farsight?
7406394 Sorry, but that was neither a poem, nor mine; I was reciting the lyrics to a song I thought was being referenced. It's called The Changeling Chant by Chi-Chi.
7402593
He is changed, an outcast now?
7421807 Do you have any idea abaut what I'm talking abaut?
7421978
Yeah, Commander Farsight (O'Sho'vah) from Warhammer 40K, Tau badass and cranky old granpa.
What I was referencing was one of his lines from the 6th ed Tau Codex, which in itself a reference to Blade-runner, seeing as it was damned near lifted from Roy Battie's lines.
Essentially it was an invite to play reference tennis; a game where-in we bat forth references connected to the last statement while trying to change the topic, until one of us can none longer go on.
So in this case it would be Warhammer 40K ---> Blade Runner -X-
7423071 Oh, good.
To be honest I never read the Tau Codex before. Mostly because of them beeing my least fave faction in all of Warhammer. I'm also more of a Warhammer Fantazy guy even if both are close to my heart.
And bravo! It's A+ from Refrencing in the MLP writing school...
7423446
Doubleplusungood! DOUBLEPLUSUNGOOD!!!!
7423812 What else? Standard Issue Plasma Rifles?
7424287
You might be fine with the standard issue Plasma rifle, but this, this is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
7424343 Meh. Mine Land Train is still better.
7424555
It's gotta be better than the Slow Train
7424874 I haver more guns than 2 titans combined. I can afford to be slow, expecially I make evrything I need on the move.
For Twilight's character, this is very worrying. She clearly isn't in her original mind and I feel it is either being overlooked or ponies are just putting up with it and explaining it away.
This implies she is putting herself into exile and never really intended to visit like Celestia suggested. Another worrying thing I feel Twilight's friends should confront her about.
The way this story ended is worrying. I might even go as far as saying Twilight is OOC. What is worse is that other character's seem accepting of this as if it is the old Twilight still. No one is worried about her slowly changing, they just accept it. There is no looking for how to reverse changes, which I know is typical of such stories but that is cause it is logical. This so far has felt far to accepting of changes to a personality.
7463685
It happened a couple other times in that chapter, I just felt I might be too annoying by pointing it out. We are barely acquainted at all.
7836069
Thank goodness for that! XD
7874922
Phew,
8120948 Ah. I see.
8166483 I'm just relatively good at getting around. There are a few stories I didn't get into but they're just too long and I don't read fast. At ALL.
8204737
Thank you.
What is the sex tag for?
Somehow I missed the update, glad I got around to finally reading it. particularly liked the ending, though if there weren't an entire fic already I would have suggested a small epilogue where Twilight visited with friends and family.
But for now, ON TO THE NEXT FIC.
8209039
I do believe the topic of sex was discussed, and the act itself occurred a fair number of times in this fic. Although hardly in an explicit/vulgar fashion.
Talk about rude.
Thought I got back into reading and decided to hit this one up; definitely worth the read.