Chapter Two: Despair
Want Me, Need Me, Love Me
Chapter Two: Despair
"I move on to my third point, your majesty..."
Princess Celestia regally refrained from yawning.
"...would result in a 3.7% increase in potato yields over four years..."
Thousands of years old, infinitely patient, and immensely wise, Princess Celestia of Equestria found herself plotting the many ways she would take vengeance upon Lord Omnibus for forcing her to listen to Second Wind's proposal for optimizing raincloud coverage in Sylvan Province.
"...while the second study shows an increase in cost of approximately 5,000 bits..."
She briefly glanced at Lord Omnibus, standing stoically to the right of her throne. Cold and experienced as he was, Celestia held incredible doubt that her Prime Minister was able to stay awake through the long-winded petition. The way he stood placidly, showing no emotion whatsoever, indicated to her that he had mastered the art of sleeping with his eyes open. Then again, he always looked like that.
"...which your highness will remember was made 37 years ago when..."
Celestia nodded in agreement. She had absolutely no idea what he was taking about; with over a thousand years of ruling Equestria, she had forgotten some less-important things such as an edict passed decades ago or a magical infestation that hadn't been seen in centuries. Of course that was Lord Omnibus' job, to keep track of the incredibly vast history of Equestria and the many often contradictory decrees passed in that time. Despite the incredible scope of the task, Lord Omnibus was only the Eleventh Prime Minister with a photographic memory. As emotionless as he was, he was still the best Prime Minister in the history of Equestria in that regard.
"...and so I move onto the conclusion..."
By all that is holy is he still talking?
"...to reiterate my first point-what the?"
Celestia was shocked too as the magical discharge suddenly popped into existence just in front of her face. She furrowed her brow as an unrolled piece of parchment fell out of the flash of light and started floating to the ground. Quickly she plucked it from the air with her horn and held it in front over her, peering at the hasty scribble written on the document. The writing was consistent with a dragon's scrawl, and a panicked one as well.
In front of the throne, Second Wind drew himself up haughtily and tapped the petition placed on the lectern in front of him. "Your highness, I was just finishing my proposal."
Celestia glanced back at him briefly before scouring the letter, deciphering its message. "Continue, I'm still listening."
Second Wind bowed slightly and returned to his proposal. "As I was saying, to reiterate my first point, the current system of-I SAY!"
The verbose pony fell back as Celestia erupted from her throne. Her face was contorted with shock and disbelief as the letter slipped from her grasp and floated to the floor. Moments later she spread her wings and took flight, her powerful wings sweeping aside the curtains on either side of the throne. She sped straight for one of the windows, pushing it open with her magic and speeding off into the distance. As she shrunk into a tiny speck in the sky, a soft boom could be heard in the distance.
In the room, Second Wind struggled to regain his composure. Meanwhile Lord Omnibus, completely unfazed by the Princess' sudden outburst, picked up the scroll and started examining it. In an officious but rather bored voice he proclaimed, "Court is dismissed."
"This is unbelievable!" Second Wind sputtered, marching towards Lord Omnibus. "Princess or not, I waited weeks to get this audience and she can't simply-"
"Royal Decree 73-2-13," Lord Omnibus answered sharply, "states that in the event of an emergency involving a member of the Royal family, defined in articles 3 through 14 of the aforementioned decree, any current Royal obligations are suspended temporarily for the duration of the emergency." A glow encompassed the folio that composed Second Wind's petition. "I will examine your petition and present it to her at a more prudent time."
The petitioner narrowed his eyes, suddenly anxious, "Are you saying that there is an emergency in the-?"
"Indeed, and Royal Decree 333-6-17c states that what you have witnessed is confidential and you are not allowed to mention it to anyone under threat of punishment, is that understood?"
"Yes, but... confidentially... what is the problem?"
Lord Omnibus neatly rolled up the parchment and placed it atop the folio. Calmly, he turned on the spot and headed for the back door. "Someone very close to her."
- - - -
Celestia arrived over Ponyville to find it in a state of panic. Crowds of ponies filled the street, loudly discussing the presence of a purple shield around the library. The regal alicorn flew straight at it, her eyes narrowing in concentration. As she flew over, she glanced down. The ponies beneath had begun to point upwards, their panic growing. Celestia allowed herself a moment to wince before composing herself and landing outside of the library.
Leaning against the shield, one claw on his head and the other against the wall of magic was a battered purple dragon. At Celestia's approach, he turned around and frantically began waving her down. "Princess...I...she..." Spike gasped, running towards her, "...the bedroom... she was... I saw...."
The Princess waved a hoof, a calm and reassuring expression on her face. She turned to face the crowds of ponies that had begun to gather around the Princess of the Sun earnestly, begging for an explanation. Celestia straightened up and loudly but calmly proclaimed, "My little ponies, I have been made aware of the situation and I assure you everything is under control. I will handle this matter myself and you can rest assured that everything will return to normal."
The ponies meekly backed away and began muttering amongst themselves, the Princess' platitudes soothing the tension that had built amongst the mob. With that taken care of, she turned to Spike and whispered, "I received your letter, are you all right?"
Spike took a deep breath and replied, "Just a few bumps, I'm fine, thick scales." Spike pointed up at a balcony not far overhead, "She's up in the bedroom, please."
As Celestia nodded and began to take off, Spike stopped her, whispering harshly, "Princess... Twilight... she really is a changeling, and she did this thing with Pinkie where-"
The Princess placed a hoof on Spike's head and assured him, "Spike, everything will be fine, I promise you."
Spike stared at the Princess mutely for a few moments before nodding slowly. Celestia smiled briefly before launching into the air, coming to a hover outside of the balcony. The glowing purple shield pulsed with magic, a formidable defense. To a normal unicorn, it was impervious, but to Celestia was no more than a hastily-erected barricade. With a swipe of her horn the shield cracked and crumbled, leaving a sizeable hole in the defenses. Quickly she swooped in and landed on the balcony, pushing open the door to the bedroom as she did so.
Save for the light that shone from the opened door, Twilight's bedroom was oppressively dark. The Princess gazed around at the familiar furniture that made up Twilight's room and noted every inconsistency: the shattered mirror in the corner, the pile of books tossed in a corner, a bed so wild and disturbed that it looked more like a nest.
Celestia drew a breath and stepped forward, continuing to glance around the room. "Twilight?" The Princess called out hopefully, but to no avail. There was nothing but silence in the library. Sighing, the Princess walked over to the mirror. Gingerly, she scooped up that mirror shards with her magic and placed them in a nearby wastebasket. She stared at the shards hanging in the frame, a broken image of herself.
Celestia sighed and pressed her head against the wood back of the mirror. "Twilight...." The Princess gasped, her mind slowed down enough to fully worry for her student.
She straightened up as an unfamiliar consciousness pressed against hers. It was a probe, an unfamiliar thread of magic poking at the back of her head, but finding no hold to attach to. More frightening was its magical frequency; it was low and dark, far below the normal range of a unicorn. If Celestia didn't know better, she might have said it was an alicorn's magic if that weren't possible. Quickly Celestia spun around, raising her wings defensively. The probe vanished as the blankets on the bed behind her shuffled uncomfortably.
Celestia relaxed and stepped forward. "Twilight?" The bed-nest didn't respond. "Twilight, I know you're in there." she repeated, smiling sadly, "Please come out."
"No."
Twilight's voice was just as it always was, though it was stressed by fear muted by the blankets. Celestia stepped even closer and repeated, "Twilight, come out."
"Princess," Twilight insisted, "You don't understand...."
"Twilight Sparkle."
The figure under the covers gasped and shifted towards Celestia's voice. The Princess stared firmly at the lump that rose from the blankets, the same disapproving look she gave Twilight not too long ago. The figure seemed to wither under her gaze, burrowing into the covers. "Twilight Sparkle, I will not repeat myself." Celestia stated firmly.
Twilight quickly, but unwillingly, crawled out from under the covers and stared directly into the Princess' eyes. Celestia's jaw dropped as she witnessed the results of her student's metamorphosis.
Twilight was as dark and monstrous as any changeling, the sharp black chitin that covered her body only broken by characteristic punctures near the hooves. A pair of thin wings like a dragonfly's or a wasp's, sprouted from her back and hugged her sides tightly. A pale purple thorax wrapped around her like an organic saddle, covering her torso. The structure of her face was relatively unchanged, but her changeling features continued even here. Through Twilight's quivering mouth, Celestia could see a pair of small, pointed fangs protruding from her otherwise flat teeth. Her ears were thin, barely a membrane between two jutting pillars of cartilage. Her mane that flowed back from her head was loose and stringy. Its colors were muted and greyer than usual, but still retaining its usual pattern. Clumps of mane and tail had fallen out, giving the impression that there were holes in her hair. Jutting out of this was Twilight's horn, a crooked and jagged protrusion, curving slightly in the middle and ending in a sharp point. And then there were her eyes...
Celestia stared into Twilight's sad, pleading eyes but could not help but feel revolted at the sight of her changeling features. It was impossible to hide the shock and terror that rose to her face as her mouth hung open silently. Twilight closed her eyes and covered her head with her holey forehooves. A wave of purple magic erupted from her horn and consumed the changeling, replacing her with a perfectly normal though terrified Twilight.
Celestia hastily closed her mouth and pushed the sudden surge of emotions from her face. "Twilight," the Princess began, "I want you to tell me what happened."
Twilight sat on the bed, hooves crossed, eyes staring at the ground. "I just... I don't know what happened. I woke up and now....."
Twilight trailed off and buried her head in her hooves. Celestia sighed pityingly. "So you don't have any clue why you're like this? Have you had any contact with changelings recently or-?"
"Don't you know?" Twilight's head shot up, her purple eyes pleadingly staring into Celestia's. The white alicorn stopped, her mouth hanging open. "Don't you have any idea?" Twilight continued unabated. "Why am I a changeling, Princess? Please, tell me you have some wisdom or piece of ancient knowledge that can help me or, or... you have to know something."
Celestia's mouth continued to hang open for a long time as Twilight stared at her mentor. Eventually the white alicorn managed to admit, "I don't."
Twilight stared back into her teacher's eyes, her face expressionless. "You don't?"
Celestia's wings shuffled nervously under Twilight's gaze. "No, changelings haven't been seen in Equestria for centuries, and even then hardly anything was known about them. We know they can take on the form of ponies in order to feed off of their love, they are led by a more powerful Queen changeling, and that they are masters of deception. Everything else is entirely theoretical."
"Oh." Twilight said, still staring at her teacher. "So, you don't know why I'm suddenly a changeling?"
"Twilight, for as long as I have known you, you have been a unicorn. I don't know why you suddenly can transform like a changeling."
"And feed on love?"
"...no, I don't have an explanation for that either."
"And Pinkie." Twilight looked out the open window. "When she got close to me she... I don't know, got brainwashed." She glanced back at her teacher, eyes revealing shock and revulsion. "It was like my big brother at the wedding... but even worse. It's like... I was draining her," Twilight's eye twitched. "I could see it."
"That's...unique." Celestia finally managed to say. "We don't even know of changelings that could do what you said."
"Oh." Twilight blinked. "I see. You can't help me."
"Twilight," Celestia stepped forward, extending a wing, "whatever happened, I swear I will find out and-"
"But you don't know anything about changelings. Nopony does." Twilight laid her head on the bed and groaned. "I'm sorry I bothered you Princess; there's nothing left to do."
"Twilight...." Celestia gasped.
"I don't even know who I am anymore." Twilight averted her eyes, staring firmly at the bed underneath her. "I'm just..." Twilight sighed, her body relaxing. A wave of purple energy swept across her again, turning her back into her changeling form. "...I'm just a changeling."
"Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight stared up at Princess Celestia. Her eyes burned imperiously, blazing with the same light the unicorn saw in her eyes during the Want it, Need it incident. The Princess strode forward confidently. "Don't you ever say that."
"Princess!" Twilight gasped as the white alicorn stepped onto her bed. "Wait, don't-"
"You are Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student." Celestia sat down next to her student and wrapped a wing around her, despite the young changeling's protests. "You are the most studious young unicorn I've ever met, and the most determined little filly."
"Princess, what are you-?"
"When I first saw you years ago, that night in Canterlot," Celestia recounted, staring at her charge, "I knew at once what you were, and that was the most promising little pony in the whole world. Don't you ever say you are 'just' anything, let alone a changeling."
Twilight stared in shock and awe at her teacher's face. Her eyes glowed brilliantly; warm affection seeped off her teacher like the sun's glow. Her eyes showed not a trace of corruption, still burning with the same pure radiance Twilight had ever known. The little changeling stared into her teacher's eyes quietly for several long moments before unconsciously changeling back into her familiar purple unicorn appearance.
Celestia relaxed visibly, her eyes and mouth softening. "You can be anything you want to be, Twilight. I don't know how many times I told you that while you were studying under me. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish great things."
"I-"
"I have as much faith in you as you have in me. If you want to be yourself, then you will be yourself. If you want to control the magic that you used on Pinkie Pie so that it may never be used again, you will tame it. If you want to live your life the way you have before, making friends and studying, putting behind whatever happened to you, you will do so." Celestia smiled reassuringly. "Trust me, Twilight."
Twilight stared back up at her teacher, mouth hanging open. Celestia held her gaze, ignoring the probe that continued to strike against her mental barrier. Seconds passed slowly with Twilight under the wing of the regal alicorn. Eventually Twilight closed her eyes and leaned against the Princess' side.
Celestia smiled warmly as the probe fell away from her mind. "Twilight you know I will always be there for you, but remember you also have friends. I don't want you to push them away because of what happened to Pinkie Pie. You can control yourself, I know you can."
Tears started falling from Twilight's eyes as she rubbed her head against Princess Celestia. She nodded whole-heartedly and replied gratefully, "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Celestia coughed and looked away, still smiling softly. Twilight curled up next to the larger form of her teacher and cried freely. Meanwhile the wise alicorn felt her heart melt for the little unicorn lying next to her. After a minute of silence she whispered, "What am I going to do with you?"
"Please Princess," Twilight begged, "I just want everything to go back to normal."
Sadly, Celestia stared at her student. The little purple unicorn curled up next to her like a foal or a puppy, tears still falling from her eyes. Quietly, Twilight rubbed her head against Celestia's side. Underneath the lavender coat, the Princess knew that the black shell of a changeling waited. After a moment of silence, she sighed.
- - - -
"Thou can't be serious!"
"She is my personal student and my ward, I trust her completely."
Luna reared back and stared at her sister in shock. "Celestia, I know how you feel about Twilight, but she is a changeling. Not only that, she's showing powers that-"
"She can control herself." Celestia retorted, pacing along the far wall of the throne room. It was completely empty save for the two alicorn sisters; the guards, courtiers, and petitioners were dismissed for the rest of the day.
The Princess of the Night tiredly rubbed her eyes, sighing in frustration. Luna had been awoken by an extremely worried guard when her sister had departed suddenly. Her sister returned shortly after she left the bedroom, bringing back the tale of Twilight's metamorphosis. Immediately, she opposed Celestia's decision.
"Sister," Luna finally objected, "even so, thou cannot leave Twilight alone in Ponyville."
"She has her friends."
"We meant with guards!"
"Luna, you’re using it again."
"We know!" Luna objected, her voice rising dangerously close to Royal Canterlot Voice-levels, "We think that it is necessary in this situation. You are behaving irrationally."
"It is not irrational." Celestia shot back. "Twilight has been able to control her immense magical reserves since a very young age."
"This is different than simple magic!"
"The mechanics are the same!" Celestia practically shouted, slamming her hoof on the ground. Outside the wide doors to the throne room, a group of maids that were listening in on the two sisters' conversation ran off. Never before had they seen their Princesses so completely enraged.
Luna scowled. "Even then, she should be here in Canterlot, under constant supervision...."
"I will not treat my student as a criminal when she has done nothing wrong!"
"If she is a changeling...."
"Royal Decree 694-7-1."
Both sisters turned and faced the intruder. Lord Omnibus stood stoically just outside the threshold to the throne room, a pile of papers floating in the air next to him. He continued, "Arising from the case of Equestrian Royal Treasury v The Great and Powerful Mundane, Royal Decree 694-7-1 states that even if a pony has magically transfigured into another creature, in the case presented, a dragon, that pony is still a pony under the law and, stated directly in the case, still required to pay taxes. Princess Celestia is merely using that Decree as a precedent in this case in confirming that Twilight Sparkle is still a pony, at least under the law." Omnibus inclined his head slightly, turning to face the Princess. "Your highness, I have read through Second Wind's proposal and would recommend that you accept it."
"Thank you." Celestia replied after a moment of stunned silence.
Luna, after recovering from shock, shot back. "Even so, she is a potential danger to Equestria and needs to be brought to Canterlot, where we can keep an eye on her. Now is not the time to have her wandering around as a changeling!"
"1293-10-31a." Omnibus replied promptly.
Luna's brows furrowed with annoyance. "And what decree is that?"
"The cancellation of Nightmare Night as a holiday and ban on any celebration pertaining to Nightmare Night or any celebration that encourages fear of Princess Luna." Luna recoiled in shock as the Prime Minister continued, "Though it's not the decree that's important, but rather the events leading up to and following it, where the former Equestrian enemy number one was allowed to travel freely to Ponyville where she encountered resistance from the local population save for one pony who attempted to befriend her. Do I need to remind you who trusted her that night, even after she announced a decree banning one of the most popular holidays in Equestria?"
"I...she..." Luna sputtered, "...that is...it's... she's a... I...." The relatively young alicorn blushed furiously, rubbing her forehooves together and averting her eyes from the Prime Minister's cold stare. After nearly a minute of stammering, stuttering, and attempting to find the right words, Luna finally gave up and glanced at her sister. "Just watch her, please."
"I will." Celestia replied seriously, causing Luna to nod and walk off. The Princess muttered her good days to her sister and Prime Minister and walked out the door, closing it behind her with her magic. Her sister gone, Celestia turned to face the Prime Minister, who continued to stare at her. "Thank you, Omnibus. Is there anything else?"
"Your highness," Omnibus lowered his head respectfully. "May I speak freely?"
"You are always free to."
"Thank you." Omnibus raised his head and stared into his Princess' eyes, his own practically glowing with anger. "You are making an incredibly stupid mistake."
Celestia’s eyes widened in shock as the Prime Minister continued. "I understand your fondness for Twilight Sparkle, but if what I have heard is correct she is a changeling. She feeds on love, can disguise herself as anypony, and is an expert at manipulating others. Need I remind you of how you were deceived and defeated not too long ago? No, I don't think so. Despite your belief that Twilight can control whatever powers she has, you should err on the side of caution and have her brought to Canterlot where she can be kept under constant supervision and care. Your love for her alone should be enough to sustain her while we throw the entirety of our research force into finding a way to reverse or at the very least suppress her powers."
The throne room was silent for what felt like ages. Celestia gaped, half furious and half shamed; never before in her entire reign had a Prime Minster ever scolded the Princess so vehemently. There have been times when ponies more knowledgeable than her had corrected her, such was the job of the Prime Minister, but no pony had dared treat Celestia how Lord Omnibus treated her.
Celestia finally managed to recover and replied, "Then why did you support me?"
Omnibus' eyes softened, resuming their cold, dispassionate stare. "Because I am your Prime Minister; it is my duty to support your decisions and to justify them to the populace. Though I am sure this is one decree you do not want published publically."
"I see." Celestia stared at her Prime Minister for a long time. The wise unicorn stared austerely back into the ageless alicorn's eyes. "I trust Twilight Sparkle." The Princess finally said.
Lord Omnibus bowed and answered, "Then I will support your decision. I am glad your faith overcame your feelings, your highness."
Celestia's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Your fear."
Celestia's eyes snapped wide open, the Princess recoiling. "I am not afraid of Twilight Sparkle." Celestia shot back loudly.
Lord Omnibus remained unfazed, replying, "With all due respect your highness, I can see it in your eyes every time I mention her name, a spark of fear. Your highness, whether or not you admit it to me, something you saw in Ponyville made you scared of Twilight Sparkle."
The Princess glanced away, scowling. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm not scared of her." Celestia replied firmly, "I'm worried."
Omnibus blinked, his eyebrows rising in a facsimile of shock. "I can understand that you're worried about her, but there's something else, isn't there?"
Celestia stared back at him for several long, tense moments before turning to face the window. Outside, the noonday sun blazed fiercely, spreading its heat across Equestria. Eventually she replied, "It's her eyes."
Omnibus frowned, this time genuinely shocked. "Her eyes?"
Celestia continued to stare out the window, her eyes sorrowful. "It's her eyes..."
And then there were her eyes... they were bright purple, but not flat and emotionless like a typical changeling's. Long pupils, like a dragon's or a cat's, were drawn through the center of her eyes from top to bottom. They focused intently on the Princess, shining faintly with a sheen of purple magic.
"...they're the same as the Queen's."
- - - -
"We love you."
Twilight silently woke up, calmly transitioning from the nightmare and into reality. She groaned and rolled over, glaring sullenly at the window. Outside a torrent of rain slammed against the glass. The tree-library creaked around her, branches swaying in the wind and twigs bouncing harmlessly off of the trunk. None of this perturbed her however, as she calmly rolled out of bed and onto her hooves, yawning as she did.
The voices of her friends clamored around her, all confessing their devotion, as purple energy filled her eyes....
Twilight groaned again and rubbed her forehead. While the dreams were not as recursive as her never-ending nightmare two days ago, they were no less vivid and realistic. She very quickly stopped waking up screaming, instead calmly moving between sleep and wakefulness. Not that the dreams stopped disturbing her, she merely got used to them.
Her brother, surrounded by purple-eyed changelings, cowered in fear. Twilight watched helplessly as purple fire consumed him, tearing away his white coat and replacing it with hard back....
Twilight walked sluggishly downstairs, mutely pushing her recent dreams from her mind. It wasn't just acclimation that brought her to this state; as the hours passed Twilight felt herself losing more and more energy, her life slowly leaking out of her. As she descended the stairs, she dimly noted the time. What had begun as a quick nap had taken up all afternoon, her endurance completely sapped. Though Twilight knew full well the reason for her weakness, she did not dare say it out loud.
The library was as dark and empty as she had left it that morning when she woke up. The door remained firmly locked and each and every window was bolted shut, warding away any unwanted visitors. Twilight briefly checked these security devices and trotted into the kitchen to pour herself some tea.
As she placed a kettle of water onto the stove and waited for it to boil, her eyes fell upon a small, reflective surface. It was a tiny mirror, something she brought down a week ago when she attempted to fix her mane and eat breakfast simultaneously. She simply forgot to bring it back up to the bathroom, leaving it sitting in plain view on the table.
Twilight's eyes glanced over it briefly before picking it up and holding it in front of her face. She looked the same as always, albeit with a few more dark circles under her eyes and a slightly unkempt mane. Her eyes focused on the locks of hair the stuck out from her mane, a plan coming to mind. She concentrated on the loose hairs, her eyes narrowing in focus as an image of herself sprung into mind. Seconds later a small burst of purple energy swept across her head, wiping away the dark circles, straightening her mane, and giving it a much-needed trim. She smiled appreciatively as she examined her refreshed self.
It didn't take long for curiosity to overcome her. Her eyes locked with her reflection's, as she focused intently on her image. A wave of purple swept over her and in an instant she was replaced with a perfect copy of Rainbow Dash. One cocky grin later and she was a spitting image of the speedster pegasus. When her horn vanished, the mirror fell to the ground but didn't break, though Twilight was more interested in an addition rather than a disappearance. She glanced back at her blue wings and flapped them, testing them. Her eyes narrowed, Twilight leapt into the air and spread her wings wide, letting herself hover in place.
She nodded and stepped back to the ground, her wings folding back to her side. She glanced back at the mirror on the ground and frowned in concentration. Minutes passed as she stared at the mirror, her eyebrows furrowed, sweat starting to glisten around her forehead. Finally a wave of purple energy engulfed Twilight. When she stared at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but start to laugh.
She had become a miniature version of Celestia, a gleaming crown sitting just above a short, stubby horn. Her simple wings fluttered at her side as she examined the multi-hued but distinctly mundane mane that issued from her head. It was though she had painted herself to look like Celestia rather than turning into Celestia herself. It was hardly a disguise, but it would make an amazing costume for Nightmare Night.
After her laughter finally stopped, Twilight stared into the mirror. As she looked back into her facsimile of her teacher, the frown wiped from her face. She sat on the ground, wings drooping to the side. A flash of energy later and they were replaced with a changeling's wasp-like wings. She lifted the mirror in a web of purple magic and stared once more at her changeling form.
" I don't know what I'd do without you."
Twilight stared directly into her own purple eyes neutrally, thinking back to Princess Celestia's intervention. The memory continuously ran through her mind, the statement repeating itself incessantly. Even days later she couldn't stop thinking about what she had said and done.
"I lied to her."
She wanted to tell Celestia that she couldn't trust herself, that she should be taken off to some dungeon and locked up. She wanted to say that she didn't believe her when she said that Twilight could control her power. She wanted to say that she really was a changeling, no matter what the Princess said. And then she lied.
She had thought it often, but never before did she actually verbalize her shame. It wasn't even a typical lie, like telling Pinkie she wasn't able to go to a party, or that she would ever part with Mr. Smartypants. Those required thought and effort. That time her mind and body was completely overtaken by some strange instinct, as effortless as walking or breathing. She completely masked her true emotions, put on the world's perfect poker face, and said precisely what Celestia wanted to hear.
And the result was beautiful. Celestia's warmth exploded after Twilight's statement, even more so after she began to cry. It was like a formula: the perfect combination of physical and linguistic cues to prompt optimal love acquisition. The glow of Celestia's love for her student lasted long after the Princess left.
It was so sickening and delicious.
Twilight tossed the mirror to the table, where it wobbled slightly before falling still. Since Celestia's visit, Twilight had locked herself in the library all alone. Instead of reaching out to her friends, she shut herself away. Even Spike....
-tap tap tap-
Twilight's ears perked up. Unconsciously she shifted back into her normal equine form. She carefully left the kitchen and crept back into the main room of her home. Her eyes scanned the dark library for any sign of the tapping's source, but it had vanished as quickly as it had arrived. All she could hear was the creaking of her old tree and the storm outside.
Then there was a flash of lightning, illuminating a tiny shape flitting by her window. Twilight inhaled sharply as for the briefest of minutes she thought she could see a pair of insect wings attached to a vaguely equine body. Nervously, she backed up, grabbing a nearby encyclopedia for self defense. The hefty tome hovered by her head, ready to be thrown at any intruder.
-tap tap tap-
Again, the tapping reappeared. Twilight spun towards a window set high in the wall through which she could see a shadowy shape pressed against the glass. Quietly she stared back at the creature that had flown up to her window. At first images of changelings with glowing purple eyes awoke in the back of her mind, but on further examination the shadowy shape looked far too small to be a changeling.
-tap tap tap-
The figure tapped again, urgently and desperately rapping against the window. Twilight struggled to repress the curiosity that was welling up in her, bolstered by some other darker instinct. But eventually her mind lost the battle with itself and, encyclopedia raised defensively, she unlatched the high window.
Twilight froze as the little equine form flopped into the library bringing a trail of water in behind her. She gasped as it fell to the floor with an audible thump, sopping wet tail laid out behind her. The unicorn continued to stare, eyes wide open, as she realized who just walked into the monster's den. Slowly, the little pony stood up and stretched out her two tiny wings.
"Sorry for barging in," Scootaloo chuckled, shaking her mane dry, "but can I stay here until the storm stops?"
Twilight's shocked expression vanished as the strange instinct took over. She smiled brightly, thought with a calculated hint of exasperation, as she replied, "Sure Scootaloo, let's get you dried off."
The little orange filly grinned, 'Thanks Twilight, I'm glad I wound up here!"
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keep it up. i like where this is going
Chrysalis must have done something to her.
Uh oh, I don't see this ending well.
Lot of good emotion in this chapter. As always, can't wait for more!
Good work!
Oh! Another chapter, thank you
Uh-oh.
ah chicken for dinner then?
[img] http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111109042511/mylittlebrony/images/9/96/12092_-_KFC_chicken_scootabuse_scootachicken_scootaloo_scootaloo_is_a_chicken.png.jpeg.png [/img]
Scootasnack incoming!
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Mmm... you're right. It's delicious.
WMNMLM Update?
YESSSSSSSS.
My crossover senses are tingling. Scootaling?
well, this is geting interesting
Five bits Scootaloo is either a changeling or is immune to mind control/love absorption.
O.o where are you going with this?!
me like any how
somehow i knew it would interrupt a meeting that Celestia would be all to happy to get out of
. lol
this starving herself trying to protect everyone from herself is going to be a problem, hopefully this doesn't turn out too badly for scoot.
and i find myself wondering what the explanation is. didn't have much exposure to changeling magic, switched at birth, something else? although that dream of Shining turning into a changeling...
i can see this going real dark real fast
Runs scoot run!
Wait... she was flying?
Poor Scootaloo why do ppl like to make her the first meal/victim/convert. Or this could be a good thing if Twilight gets
some love she might lose some of that desperation and try to deal with it in a healthy way because as its stands now
she is on the path of all the good (in a I will not sleep for the rest of the week sense) horror movies.
Anyway good job keep it coming.
Sorry scootaloo fans i gotta make the joke.
Mother Fate: for your next meal I give you Chicken Soup for this stormy night Twilight Sparkle.
(since i know not a confused scootaloo emoticon)
Twilight: ...You are cruel...
Scootaloo:Wait what?
BRILLIENT STORY!
Wait was scootaloo flying? HOW WHAT...
totaly a changlign isnt it...
Now, this is random speculation, and therefore not likely at ALL...but what if, whenever the current changeling queen is about to die, a random pony turns into a changeling so they can take over the role?
Food for thought.
Suddenly... Scootaling?!
Man, I am LOVING twilights fall into changelingdom
Curious though... can she spawn changelings?
Wow.
This is starting to get a little scary. Twilights turning into a Changeling queen and then Scootaloo... Poor little gal, about ready to get the love drained right out of her. Probably put her into a coma... And then Twilight'll get scared of herself, run away, find the changeling, and yada yada yada...
Gonna be fun to read! I look forward to seeing where this story goes and what twists you have instore that'll keep us guessing.
Oh, this is not good on so many levels.
we hardly knew ye. Also, damn if I'm not getting Changeling Queen vibes from this.
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Oh dear that does seem to be the case. The fact that Scoots is glad to be there bothers me though, you have to wonder if she really wanted to see if Twilight had become a changeling.
In which case anything she gets is kinda her own fault unfortunately.
And then things went to hell...again...
Scoot's a changeling... again, not that I mind.
This story just keeps going all over the place.
Damn chrysalis, still muckin with everything...
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I do think she is becoming the (or a) Queen, but I very highly doubt it's random. The coincidence seems a bit too large. The (to our knowledge) most powerful unicorn in Equestria being randomly selected?
I think that the prologue scene is a hidden memory which took place sometime after the changeling invasion. I don't think it could have happened before then, because Twilight recognizes Chrysalis.
Or Twilight could be a changeling in the traditional sense, which I also doubt because of the presence of the prologue scene.
[qoute]"...they're the same as the Queen's."I saw that and thought it was the end of the chapter (bottom of the window) and just about shit a brick. Well, need to go finish the last couple paragraphs, these changling stories are really grabbing my interest with how emotionally straining they are. It's almost like they are just sucking the love out of me, and yet I love it oh so much.
Edit: Twilight, nooooo! Fight your instincts, they are not logical half the time! Also, Scootaloo, listen to your instincts, else you be turned into popcorn chicken.
Poor Scoots. I'm planning on using her in my 'Twilight=Changeling' story too
Eventually, lol.
I find Luna's reaction rather disturbing, given her own experience with prejudice and fear. I'm glad that she got called out on it though. Very interesting chapter too.
aaaaaaaaaahs;ldfkh;alsdkhfasdjf
Sorry, but that's the only thing that comes to mind for a comment at the moment.
"... They're the same as the Queen's" media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4ansyOFGP1qjs8a7.jpg
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Now that you mention it a nice hot bath would be just the thing to warm up a cold little filly.
She may even give hugs or nuzzles in return... mmmmm, nuzzles, don't even have to be a changeling to find those delectable.
49% chance twi feeds of scoot, 50% scoot changling, 1% notheing intresting happens
Can she turn into non-equine forms?
Playing hide-and-seek would be fun in a crowded area, too.
This is really getting interesting - Twilight, develop that plot! (You too, criticalmass.)
I don't think Twilight should be worried that the fact that she is a Changeling is reason enough to let her be locked up. There is hardly anything known about Changelings after all.
What she should be worried that is a justifiable reason to lock her up is that she can't control her urges to feed.
However, is it simply an urge to feed...
Or is it also an urge to recruit?
All hail the glory of Queen Sparkle.
I really, really REALLY enjoyed this chapter. Lord Omnibus is like Celestia's Alfred (I know he's Prime Minister, but the way he gives advice makes me think of Michael Cain from Nolan's Batman trilogy.) I like how Twilight is being portrayed as cautious and fearful of her new form and how Luna acts, I mean I figure Luna would mention she is fond of Twilight for how she helped her fit in, but wishes for her to be close at hoof, so that She and Celestia can monitor her. At least for awhile anyway.
Also that ending implies something bad possibly happening to Scootaloo, or a red herring. Either would be fine with me
This updated in the middle of a lecture for me so all I could think about for a bit was getting to read this, excellent work man, these chapters are a very manageable length but at the same time extremely well written.
KEEP IT UP!
1313947 No shit sherlock
Me Gusta.
This
is
AMAZING
Seriously, really good job...but i need MORE
So...either Chrysalis has Twilight set as the next in line for the Changeling throne, or is maaaaybe intending to possess her at some point (not sure how that'd work, but this is fanfiction, shit don't make sense).
Also, either Scoots is a changeling, or is about to become a love snack, revealing Twilight to be succumbing to her Changeling instincts.
Either way, GOD DAMMIT MOAR!
WTF? Scootaloo can't fly. I'm guessing Luna in disguise.
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t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMD55RhrsrZTbzs_qrkGQiZEDNMVjQD5UCn1c0jbnrfGIAp2iiaA
1314015. Scootaloo isn't. A chicken she's the second most awesomest pony in all of Equestria
Take a big guess who's first
1314730 if not, then this is a Changeling with an identity crisis.
1314765 I was being sarcastic. It's obviously Chrysalist who did this
1314805 ... i don't know, that kinda sounds like the better story.... if you truly believe you are someone, you have all the memories of that person, are you the same person?
1314820 it clearly states in the story that it's still Twilight
if I face hoof anymore my face is going to go flat
It's just that Chrystalist did something to her and turned her into a changeling
1314830 that's the aim.