//------------------------------// // Night of the Living Changelings (Twilight) Part 3 // Story: dC/dt ≠ 0 // by I Thought I Was Toast //------------------------------// Oh, does it feel good to get that off my chest. I’ve been waiting since we started this project, but I couldn’t let my feelings get the best of me. I’ll need to ask you to keep this secret until the date of publication, though, if you don’t mind. It needs to be put out there, of course, just like the fact that our relationship was initially fake. But, as wonderful as it always is to reveal this moment to somepony, I’d still prefer to avoid the news scandal as long as possible. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The night didn’t end there, after all. I set a hoof on the cocoon before me, feeling it pulse beneath my frog. Taking a deep breath in, I exhaled slowly as I tried to organize my whirling thoughts. Okay, now all I needed to do was exit the room without losing my composure. The faint taste of orange blossoms, daisies, and daffodils still tingled on the tip of my tongue as Mo’s magic faded, and I found myself replaying the last few minutes of my life over and over again. I struggled to recall – to capture – everything, it had all been too quick, too sudden. I just didn’t know what to make of it. Were we a couple? Engaged? Married? Mo had never mentioned how changelings handled things like this. It had to be different from how ponies did it if they had been stuck believing themselves incapable of love for so long. Discord damn it all, they might not even have a way. For the sake of my sanity, I decided it would be simpler to label us as a couple for now. Sweet milk of Celestia, I was part of a couple. “My Lady.” A deep yet feminine voice thrummed and I jumped so high I cracked my head on the ceiling. “Hera! How long have you been standing outside my door?!” My eyes flicked from side to side, looking for any other potential eavesdroppers. “I was outside for the entirety of your exchange, My Lady.” Hera fell into step behind me. “It is my job to protect the both of you, is it not?” Oh, if Rarity had caught even a hint of what happened tonight…. Except… what good would hiding things do when everypony already thought we were an item? Wait. Both of us? My Lady? I stopped and turned to Hera, arching an eyebrow. “Since when is it your job to protect me?” “Well, it is only logical that my protection duties should now extend to you full time, My Lady,” Hera droned, “given the escalation of your relationship with Prince Morpheus.” I snorted, flicking an ear. “I’m not suddenly made of glass because I lo— like Mo.” Hera stonily stared down at me for a few moments. “I know, but protocol demands it all the same. We all have our duties to fill, after all. Speaking of which, what was it like when you kissed him?” “Excuse me?” I took a step back. Hera loomed forward, casting me under her shadow. “Well, you said you ‘like Mo’ not ‘love Mo’ before. It would be improper for such a relationship to be founded on lies.” My face flushed hot, but I stood my ground – refusing to vocally answer when I knew she could taste the hot mess of butterflies swirling about my stomach. “Hmm… So that’s how it was? I suppose you aren’t quite lying then,” Hera’s echo fractured slightly. “If you break his heart, though…” I blinked, and suddenly found her a respectable distance from me once more. “But then I’m sure the Princess of Friendship would never do such a thing, right, My Lady?” Statuesque, Hera waited for me to resume walking down the halls. “I would never…” I muttered under my breath as we made our way towards the library. “Of course not, My Lady,” Hera thrummed. “So… why aren’t you in costume?” I briefly glanced back to see she had retreated behind her haws. “It would be unprofessional and impractical,” Hera tsked. “Especially tonight, when there is a higher than normal chance the other lords may try something. Ve do not want my movement hampered.” “Not you too…” I groaned. “I guess I should count myself lucky that I got Mo to go in costume then.” “On the contrary, My Lady—” “Oh, can you stop that?!” I snapped. “There’s no need to call me that.” “As you wish then, Broodmother.” There was the tiniest hint of a smirk on Hera’s face when I glared back. “No, Hera. Just. No.” I tried and failed to burn a hole in her chitin. “And if that title means what I think it means, you can also rule out Concubine.” She stared back with an inscrutable face – those infuriating haws hiding what little feelings I could usually find on her face. “As you command then, Twilight. Ve only sought to give the the respect you deserve.” “Yes,” I snarked, turning to move forward once more. “I’m sure messing with me has nothing to do with it.” There was a thoughtful thrum from behind me as she followed at that constant, guarded distance. “I will neither confirm nor deny that.” The party was in full swing as ponies meandered about the library. Creepy organ music blasted through the room, and spider web walkways arced between the floating platforms. Cakes and cookies and treats of all kinds lined the alcoves to the sides while everypony danced on the platforms. Every so often, one of the dancefloors would plummet – taking its passengers on a terrifying ride for a moment before catching them and climbing back up, most riders laughing hysterically at the momentary scare. Just in case somepony did fall, everypony had been given cloud walking charms, several murky black clouds crackling with menacing yet illusory red lightning floating below in strategically placed spots. A few daring individuals could be seen poking into the haunted hallways. There, they inevitably shrieked with a mix of terror and laughter before bolting back into the main library – skittering terrors and floating candelabras trailing right behind them. Be it by bytes, baubles, or suddenly dropping floors, Castle was doing an excellent job of haunting himself for those seeking a thrill. I was taking it easy and talking with the girls – or rather I was drinking punch while the girls talked – trying to figure out a way to bring up what happened. Hera loomed behind me like a gargoyle, while the other changelings had all subtly placed themselves in conversations around us. They probably knew everything from Hera already, but they just had to hear it straight from the princess’ mouth. “So where’s Mo, Twilight? He isn’t just mingling, is he?” Rainbow smirked at her own pun while the rest of us – sans me – groaned. For my part, I had tried to giggle with punch halfway down my throat, only to end up spraying it out my nose. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” I glared, snorting a few times to get all the punch out. A few simple cantrips were all it took to get everypony clean, but I was really tempted to leave Rainbow out of them as she stuck her tongue out at me. “Well, how could I resist?” Rainbow gave a raspy laugh. “Seriously, though. Where is Mo? You two are basically joined at the hip by this point, so it’s a little weird that we haven’t seen him.” She winked. “He busy recovering from whatever you did to him after coming back earlier? Rarity said you two left the costume contest in quite the cuddly mood.” “Rarity!” I huffed, blushing profusely. “Don’t look down your nose at me, darling.” Rarity and the others giggled. “You were the one nibbling on his ear, after all. You have no pony to blame the gossip on but yourself.” “Of course...” I sighed, “and here I was hoping we could actually talk about our first kiss….” It took some time for most of the girls to stop giggling at my expense. Rarity, though, stopped the moment I said first kiss. She stared at me, pupils dilating, while a small high pitched squeal tried to force its way from her mouth. She was trying really hard not to scream. I could tell. A single drop of blood was trailing its way down her muzzle as she bit her lip hard. “You kissed?!” Her words came out as a hiss, silencing the others. “Uh, Rares, pretty sure that’s old news,” Applejack drawled, arching her eyebrow in typical Apple family fashion. “And if it ain’t then they really need to figure out which end goes where.” “Oh, puh-lease, Applejack,” Rarity huffed before I could. “Did you honestly not notice their relationship was a complete and utter fabrication.” “You knew?!” I squawked, spitting my punch over everypony again. Dripping wet, my friends all turned to face me rather than Rarity. Applejack and Rainbow were simmering to the point I was surprised steam wasn’t rising off of them. Pinkie was smiling that smile – the one that always sent shivers down my spine, while Fluttershy smiled timidly from behind her mane. Rarity… Rarity was trying not to vibrate in place – her face somehow more terrifying than Pinkie’s as she continued to fail at schooling her reaction. “Twilight,” Applejack drawled with a slow, menacing pace, “are ya telling me that you’ve been lying to everypony in Ponyville for the past few months?” “Maybe?” I squeaked. “I thought it’d be nice if everypony stopped harping on me to get a coltfriend.” Applejack turned to glare at Rarity. “Rarity, I told you to stop putting so much pressure on her!” “Now girls…” Fluttershy mumbled.” Pinkie began to vibrate with the eerie silence expected of somepony in a mime costume. It was honestly beginning to worry me that she could stay quiet for so long, but she made it work somehow with all the signs she kept pulling from her mane. The current one in her forehoof had a black and white picture of cake and party hats until she turned it over to show an exclamation point. She then somehow turned the sign over again to show three exclamation points, and began to vibrate even faster – mouthing millions of words a minute. “I’m with AJ on this one, Flutters.” Rainbow puffed out her chest. “Twilight shouldn’t have to fake a relationship just because she feels uncomfortable around one of us.” “Oh, like you’ve never—” Rarity started. “A joke, Rarity – joke! I don’t play matchmaker!” Rainbow fumed. “Umm… girls…” Fluttershy was looking back and forth between me and the others. I think she might have seen my eye twitching. “And you’re missing the point, darling.” Rarity bared her teeth in a smile much like Mo would bare his fangs. “Twilight here just said she wanted to talk about their first kiss. Clearly, they’ve evolved into something more – just as planned, of course.” Rainbow snorted. “Oh, don’t give me that load of horseapples. There’s no way you—” “There’s no way I realized all my matchmaking backfired?” Rarity arched her brow, pouting. “No possible way I considered that my only hope of getting Twilight together with somepony was to take things so far that she started a relationship just to shut me up? I mean, I admit I had to wait for the proper stallion to come around for that final push, and I never dreamed he’d be a changeling of all things, but beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to affairs of the heart.” Hera snickered, then snorted, and finally began chittering madly as she fell to the floor. “Ponies!” Her utterance in Chi’tri held a few extra clicks and whistles than I was used to, and her wings gave off a chirp for emphasis. “And you call us devious?! I didn’t actually think Morpheus was serious about you doing that! Oh, just… just give me a second. I can’t even remember the last time I laughed this hard.” Gasping for breath, she stood and quickly retreated behind her haws – fidgeting in an attempt to remain still. “A-and now, we will never speak of this again.” “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” I smiled with a certain smile Celestia had told me to save for times like this. It was perfect. Too perfect. Unnervingly perfect. “After all, Hera. It almost sounded like you just let slip that Mo knew that Rarity knew we weren’t seeing each other. Surely, my coltfriend—” I shivered slightly at the word but carried on, “—surely, Mo would never hide something like that from me?” “Oh, bugbits….” Hera winced. “My Lady—” I glared, “—Twilight, he wanted to tell you, he did, but everyling agreed it’d just add undue stress onto you. Seeing how happy you were on those ‘dates’ with him? Well, he figured it was a secret worth keeping.” “And did you know he had actual feelings for me?” I ruffled my feathers and puffed my chest out as I took a step forward. “We suspected, but it wasn’t our place to pry.” Hera took a step back. “Remember, ve only learned of our capacity for love—” “A few months ago from the Everfree Hive…” I sighed. “Of course you would have nothing but suspicions. I don’t even think Mo knew himself until tonight.” “Well, what happened then, sugarcube?” Applejack leaned back in her seat and perked an ear up. “I guess…” I kicked at the floor, wondering where I should start, “...it began when we were finishing up our costumes earlier.” I giggled, flushing slightly at the memory. “I must have struck him dumb or something, because he called me ‘k’re-t’ched—’” I stumbled over the word, trying to get the clicks right, “—beautiful.” The amplitude and frequency of Pinkie’s vibrations increased even more, while Rarity tittered – finally back in control of herself, it seemed. I smiled. “Well, I didn’t know it meant beautiful at the time. He passed it off as saying I looked great, but it’s so obvious in hindsight. I mean, he was blushing whenever he was making excuses. When we were finally ready, we went out on the town, talked with Applejack a little, and met up with Rarity before heading to the costume contest.” My glare was only half-hearted at best, completely ruined by the smile that refused to leave my face. “I’m sure Rarity has told you all about that already.” “Maybe.” The mare in question hid her smirk behind her hoof. “Well, after we won, Mo needed to bring me back to the castle.” I rubbed the back of my head, grinning sheepishly. “He kinda, sorta, maybe… overfed on me a little….” “He did what?!” I’m not sure if it was Rainbow or the other changelings – sans Hera – who shouted louder. Webber and Spi both momentarily broke their conversations to glare at Hera, though. “My Lady,” Hera sighed, “you were supposed to keep quiet about that….” “Why?” I arched an eyebrow at her. “I’m sure Mo won’t mind. I mean, he once yelled at me for keeping his mom a secret from the rest of the girls.” “Ve are more worried about those who would abuse the old laws, should they find out,” Hera droned, “but if you insist, by all means, go ahead.” “How about we back the buck up instead?” Rainbow snorted. “He fed on you?!” “Rainbow,” I deadpanned, “think for a moment about the story I’m telling and what changelings feed on.” Rainbow ruffled her feathers. “They feed on love. What’s your poi—” Her ears perked as the light of realization entered her eyes. “Oh! That means you had to have— Did you know, though? It still seems kinda skeevy if he skimmed off you without asking.” I looked at the floor. “No, I didn’t, but please don’t get mad! It probably would have taken me forever to realize if he hadn’t acted without thinking. He mentioned something about tasting my feelings for awhile, but not doing anything with them. Tonight was a mistake, but it was a good mistake. After he took me back and transferred what he took back to me—” which totally didn’t count as the first kiss “—we ended up talking for a bit.” I bit my lip. “I won’t go into all the details, but after that we… we… kissed….” I flushed at the memory, although the butterflies in my stomach were anything but nervous. My heart pitter-pattered just a bit faster, I got this big, dopey grin on my face, and a sudden craving for daffodils and daisies hit me like a buck to the face. All the girls giggled. Pinkie exploded from her costume to do so – going about ten feet up in the air before landing right back inside the black and white clothes, beret, and body paint as if she’d never left them. “Land’s sake, sugarcube.” Applejack tilted her hat back. “Ah ain’t seen you smile like that for a long time.” “Yeah, ever since Fla— Ow! What the hay was that for, AJ?” Rainbow rubbed her shoulder. “Don’t ruin the moment, hon.” Applejack swatted Rainbow with her tail for good measure. “It’s a good face to see, though, isn’t it?” Rarity sighed. “Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.” “Because one of your books came true?” Fluttershy smiled bashfully. “It is not like one of Rarity’s books!” I huffed, the comment drawing me out of my daydreams. “If it was, we would have…” I coughed, “...you know. All we did was kiss and share our feelings with each other. He cast this spell that let me taste emotions like he does—” “Like, literally taste?” Rainbow smirked, licking her lips. “Sounds like you took Prench kissing to a whole new level.” “Rainbow!” Now the butterflies were nervously flitting about my stomach. “It’s not like that!” “Relax, Twi!” Rainbow winked. “I’m only half-teasing you.” I groaned, massaging my horn with my frog. “All we did was kiss, I swear. Even if we had wanted something more, there wasn’t any time for it. Right after we finished, he started his next Chrysalling.” “He what?!” Abandoning all attempts at subtlety, everyling sans Hera booked it from the library. “Thank you for ruining the surprise.” Hera had that damnably small smirk. “Oh, like I knew you wanted it to be a surprise!” I stuck my tongue out at her. “If you actually wanted to be the one to tell them, you would have already done so or warned me.” “It was less that I wanted to surprise them, and more that it wasn’t my place to tell,” Hera chuckled. “I was hoping you’d do more than just drop it on them.” “Hang on, now, Twi. Ah know you and Dash have explained it before, but what’s all this Chrysamumbojumbo?” Applejack arched her brow. “It’s like getting a cutie mark, AJ….” Rainbow was staring off in the direction everyling had run off to. “For it to have happened, something deep must have changed in Mo.” I giggled, heat creeping up my neck. “He said he was finally able to imagine a future with me, and once he realized that he finally was able to accept just how much he’s done these past few months. He was finally able to accept that we are his friends, and nothing is ever going to change that.” Rainbow snorted. “Like we’d ever… He’s too far deep to pull out now. If he tries anything, I’ll just pull him back in – kicking and screaming if I have to.” Hera gave a deep menacing thrum at Rainbow’s comment, but made no remark of her own. I returned to my room to find everyling pacing around outside of it. Upon seeing me, they all stiffened momentarily before Webber raced before me, prostrating himself. “Princess Twilight,” his echo was shrill. “I was just about to go get you! Errant made it to your room first before Castle barred the rest of us outside, and there’s someling in there with them! Errant won’t tell me who, and Castle won’t let me in, and I can’t taste any hostilities, but Errant’s in there all alone!” I looked over Webber at the door. “Someling not somepony?” He nodded with a desperate fervor. I sighed. “Don’t worry. I think I know who it is. It would be just like her to ruin tonight.” Webber shivered. “If Errant’s in there with Chrysalis…” “I said not to worry.” I picked him up and set him on his hooves. “Just stay here and let me handle it.” Everyling lurked behind me as I trotted up to the door. I gently set a hoof on it before frowning and pulling back. Perhaps a flashier entrance was needed. With a burst of light, I teleported into the room to find the former changeling queen had indeed made herself at home in my room. She lounged on my bed – who’s sheets would soon be burned – with Errant nestled in the crook formed between her forelegs and neck. Both stared into the cocoon by my bed, resting a hoof upon it. It was only when I coughed that Chrysalis seemed to notice me – quickly glancing over before looking back to her son with a snort. “Sparkle,” she droned. “Chrysalis.” I nodded. “I suppose such a happy occasion deserves a truce?” The ex-queen cackled. “If you wish to call it that. You’re frightfully off the mark if you think this—” she set her hoof gently back on the cocoon, “—proves anything. It will mean nothing if he is unable to strike down the remaining lords. Even his grasp on House Flynn or our very own House Sycadia is tenuous at best. The gnat he placed in charge of the Flynn’s is easy prey at best, and if I really wanted I could probably snatch back control of the Sycadia’s with a few careful pushes.” “But you don’t.” I frowned. “Indeed, I don’t.” She bared her fangs at me. “He needs every scrap of power he can get to weather what’s coming after all.” I stomped a hoof into the ground, cracking the crystal around it. “And just what are you planning this time?!” I glanced at her flank and the endless layers of scratches inscribed on it. “I know all about you and your stolen marks!” Her laugh began low, slow, and menacing before climbing into a cackle once more. “Do you, now? Rather than telling you what I’m doing with them, why don’t I ask what you think I’m using them all for? Better yet, how do you think I got them in the first place? Do you truly think so little of me to peg me as a mere thief?” She briefly nuzzled Errant, who continued to stare spellbound at their uncle. “Come now, little nymph. Up you go. Your Auntie Twilight is no doubt worried sick that you’re staying with mean, old, nasty Nana Chrysalis.” My eye twitched. Discord damn it all, there was a chance Chrysalis was going to become my mother-in-law, wasn’t there? This was turning into one of Rarity’s books. I was getting an evil stepmother. Errant, completely oblivious of the evil entity currently cuddling them, yawned and looked up at Chrysalis. “But I don’t wanna! It’s nice here, and I’m tired, and I’m close to uncle Mo Mo. As long as you aren’t a meanie-head again, I don’t see why I can’t stay here!” “Well, your Nana Chrysalis has to go now, sadly.” Chrysalis smirked at me, fangs fully bared. “She has plans. Big plans. Schemes, you might say.” “Schmemes are the best!” Errant chirped ecstatically only to pout. “But if you have to go, who’s going to tell me a bedtime story? You promised.” “I know little one.” Her smirk grew more predatory. “I’m sure Auntie Twilight here would just love to take my place. Why don’t you have her do it? This is her room after all.” “Umm… what?” Before I could protest, Chrysalis swept me up in her aura to swap places with me, striping me of my costume in the process. I could just feel her magic crawling – skittering – both over and under my skin. Or… maybe that was just the goosebumps. Evil magic. Fear response. It didn’t matter. Being lifted by Chrysalis just felt plain wrong. And yet, she didn’t harm a single hair on my head – simply tucked me in with a wriggling Errant at my side. Bending down, she gave the nymph a surprisingly gentle kiss on the forehead before turning to leer at me as she backed into a flaming, green portal. Her eyes stared out at me from the abyss as it closed, and she cackled for good measure. “Silly Twilight—” Errant squirmed, ensconcing himself deeper into the crook of my forelegs and the cocoon-like blankets Chrysalis had trapped us in, “—Nana Chrysi is just playing games with you.” I bit my lip. “It’s a bit more than just games, Errant. Chrysalis is— She’s—” I hesitated. “Come on! I’m not a larva!” Errant whined. “You can tell me!” I took a deep breath and counted to ten. “Let me tell you a bedtime story about a prince and princess who loved each other so much that their love could do anything. It was a love so great and pure that an evil queen sought to steal it all for herself, and it started not with love at first sight as the fairy tales would have you believe, but with friends becoming something more over an oblivious little filly.” Errant stared at me with literal stars in his eyes. How did shapeshifting even do that? “This is the story of Princess Cadance, my foal sitter, and the best big brother best friend forever a sister could ever ask for.” And so the night ended with me, Mo, and a nymph tucked in bed – kinda, sorta. I can’t recall when Errant fell asleep nor when I rested my head on the pillow in kind. I vaguely recall the lights dimming to discover Mo provided a soft, green, bioluminescent night light, but that’s about it. I suppose that’s a good thing, though. We’ve gone late as it is. I guess I’ll simply have to tell you of our trip to Manehatten on your next visit. You mentioned being there at the time, if I remember correctly. It’ll be interesting to see what your impression of the Manehatten Riots is after I give you my side of the story.