“Afternoon, Princess,” Bruch said, inclining his head. “Was your appointment with the princesses enjoyable?”
“It was… enlightening,” Twilight answered, slumping into her chair. “By the way, is there a way to communicate with everyone?”
“As in everyone in the hive?” Bruch asked, thinking. “Well, Royal Decrees, for one. There's also the distress signal.”
Twilight perked an ear. “Distress signal?”
“Basically a ‘gather to me’ signal that queens can use. Every changeling in the hive feels it and knows he is to come home as soon as physically possible.”
Twilight nodded. As soon as he said it, it made sense to her; she knew how to cast the spell already. “Thank you. I will… probably be needing that soon.” She paused. “Very, very soon,” she added in a whisper.
“It's just…” Bruch started, but didn't finish.
“What?” Twilight prompted.
“The last time it was used was to gather everypony back to the hive right before the invasion of Canterlot,” Bruch explained quietly.
Twilight pursed her lips. “Before an invasion?” She snorted wryly and pushed herself to her hooves. “Well, why break precedent?” she murmured as she lit her horn.
* * *
Twilight burst into Trixie’s room. “Trixie!” she called.
Her jaw dropped at what she saw. To say there were two Trixies in compromising positions would be quite the understatement; but the Trixie on top quickly recovered. She removed herself and straightened up, standing at attention in more ways than one. “You called upon the Great and Powerful Trixie?” she said.
Twilight scrunched up her face as she covered her eyes with a hoof. She was never going to be able to unsee this. “Yes, Ponneka, I did. Though next time I’ll know to knock first.”
“Oh, Sparkle,” Ponneka said disparagingly. “I am not Ponneka; I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Trixie would never allow a filthy changeling to defile her great and desirable marehood! I am a pure-blooded unicorn, descended directly from the powerful mage Starswirl the Bearded! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” She stomped a hoof, enunciating her words.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Yes, you make quite the compelling argument; but Ponneka, I can tell you from personal experience that Trixie was not born with…” She gestured vaguely at Ponneka’s hindquarters.
The unbound Trixie bent down to look between her hind legs, and quickly realized that the jig was up. The only thing Ponneka could think of doing was dropping her disguise, falling flat on her face, and wordlessly begging for mercy; so that’s exactly what she did.
The real Trixie’s next words were fairly garbled due to the thick, green slime wrapped around her mouth, but Twilight was fairly certain she’d said something along the lines of ‘filthy traitor!’.
Leaving Ponneka in her bow, Twilight lit her horn and melted away the green bands. Trixie stood up and brushed herself off and then raised her nose in the air proudly, as if she hadn't just been found in such a compromising position, and as if her mane weren't matted with sweat and various other fluids. “You wished to call upon the Great and Powerful Trixie?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “I was wondering… you've shown me your magical replicas, and they're really good. I'm impressed.”
Trixie brushed a hoof on her chest proudly. “But of course.”
Twilight decided it would not be prudent to point out that she had just smeared streaks of liquid who-knows-what on her fur. “How many of those replicas can you maintain? For say, you know, theoretically speaking… seven minutes and twenty-three seconds?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What is Trixie's motivation?”
Really?! Twilight narrowed her eyes, and her lips flared.
Trixie’s eyes widened at Twilight’s fangs. She took a step back and raised a hoof. “Trixie is sure she can provide as many as Twilight needs?” she tried again.
Twilight smiled. “That's what I thought you said.”
* * *
The changelings gathered together in the large auditorium. Last time they'd been summoned like this, it had been a painful and humiliating experience that followed.
Twilight knew. Which made her coming speech that much more uncomfortable to give.
They seemed to recognize it, as well. The more she looked around, the more she noticed. They seemed be nervous, apprehensive; so strongly that Twilight could… not quite ‘taste’; but definitely sense. Maybe changelings could produce pheromones? Twilight shook her head. She could worry about that later. She stepped forward into the light.
The changelings stood and bowed deeply, looking like a wave going around the arena. Twilight couldn't help but smile. “Rise, my little… changelings.”
They said that, right? She grimaced; but continued on. She pulled out her note cards and glanced at the first one.
Do not start with ‘my little changelings’
Twilight scowled and flipped to the second card. “It has been a few months since I became queen of the changelings. For some time now, I have ordered that I be addressed as Princess or Twilight, for a queen was what I was, but not who I was. Today, I accept my full responsibility. Today, I accept who and what I am. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I am the Queen of the Changelings. And I am henceforth to be addressed as such.”
A spark of excitement flowed back to her. Her changelings were thrilled with this development.
Which Twilight would then have to temper. “However, with this announcement comes tides of war. The griffons have chosen us as their target, and have threatened the ponies we live with and harvest from in a concerted attempt to harm us. This is tantamount to a direct attack on us. We must prepare, for we are going to war.”
Nervousness pulsed through the air, turning the atmosphere sour with fear. Obviously, the scars from the last attempt were still fresh. Even Bruch took the tiniest of steps back.
“Fear not,” Twilight said. “This time, we shall be better prepared." She smirked. "For this time, I have a checklist."