The flight back was smoother than Twilight thought it might be. There was an initial concern after Skies made his landing. That was, figuring out how to transport them all now that an additional member had been added. The solution was quickly found when Chrysalis reminded her forgetful queen that she was, in fact, a changeling.
So there they were, flying back across Equestria. The northern ponies were in their seats, Pinkie was hooked onto the underside of the craft as she was on the flight in, Twilight was sitting in the one open seat in the pilot’s compartment, and Chrysalis was on her lap.
In the form of a small cat.
Twilight stroked her back as she watched the familiar trees and grassy plains of Equestria zip by below. Chrysalis purred with the attention but eventually bat at the pony’s hoof with her tiny black paws.
“Hey,” Twilight complained when her gaze snapped back to Catsalis. “What was that for?”
“You weren’t paying enough attention to me,” Catsalis huffed.
“Who are you? Opal?” Twilight frowned.
“Behind the ears, please,” she instructed in return.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Enjoy it. I’ll have a lot to distract me when we get to the Empire.”
“Like those other two lovers of yours?” she purred again with the renewed petting.
Now that they were in range of the hivemind signal booster, Twilight had regained connection with the others and knew their locations the same as Chrysalis. “Yes,” she answered coolly. “But I was thinking of the changelings. Queen Flux is having as much difficulty as Spike and Rarity are with organizing settlement. If there’s one thing I know I can help with then it’s organizing!”
You go girl! Pinkie cheered from below.
“Hardly needing of encouragement,” Chrysalis remarked but continued to purr with eyes closed as Twilight rubbed behind her ear. “I should do this more often,” she added with a sigh.
“Twenty minutes,” Skies reported back to the others in the compartment.
They were almost there.
“It’s a bird!”
“It’s a pegasus!”
“No! It’s a plane!” Spike declared as he joined the crystal ponies at the southern end of the Empire’s exterior ring of fields.
Thankfully it was a clear day. Snowfall had paused momentarily and the sun was at last visible, giving a breath of fresh air to the populace so often blanketed by moody skies. The snow underhoof was, of course, still thick. Clearing a spot for the strange northern craft to land would have been quite the chore if not for the fact that Spike was a fire-breathing dragon. The combination of his flame with the hard labor of some crystal pony workers cleared the snow and the resulting water away before it refroze into ice.
Pinkie Pie was, of course, the first one to come down after detaching from the vessel. She immediately tried to strangle-hug Spike. Failing to do so due to his size and scales, she moved onto Rarity, who she had greater success with.
“It is – rgh – good to – ugh – see you too – argh – Pinkie!” Rarity made a combination greeting and complaint as she was squeezed hard. “Please! You will damage my designer overcoat!”
Although it was hardly necessary, Spike helped Twilight out of the pilot’s compartment. She stepped to the exiting edge and the dragon used his larger size to easily grab her and gently bring her down. She was about to give him a thank you for the unneeded but thoughtful act but was warmly hugged before she could.
“I missed you,” he whispered before withdrawing, appreciating her return hug before he did.
“And I’ve missed you, Spike,” she replied, keeping her teary emotions in check. She knew he hadn’t referred to her leaving for Chrysalis and Sombra since that had not been a long time overall. Neither did he mean an absence over the hivemind since they were practically always present with each other over it. This was about their physical proximity – something that used to always be close when he was smaller.
“Hello to you too, Chrysalis,” Spike put his claws on his hips upon looking down.
“Meow,” the small black kitten spoke as she rubbed her side along the dragon’s rear leg. “This fur coat is exquisite in the cold. I should do this more often.”
Twilight picked up the feline with her magic and started towards the Crystal Castle. “Celestia save us,” she remarked light-heartedly.
Being a good host, Spike went to the pilot and asked if any arrangements or refreshments were needed. Meanwhile, Rarity had escaped Pinkie and gotten to her queen to discuss far more important matters while they walked.
“You must help me,” Rarity practically begged.
“I’m listening,” Twilight grew a grin. She knew what this was about.
Rarity, however, was far more serious. “It is that dreadful sister-in-law of yours,” Rarity swooned for dramatic effect. “She has infected the whole of the empire with scandalous rumors of my relationship with Spike. Now the Imperial Grand Mage Sunburst has schemed to use my feelings for Spike as a way to test the Crystal Heart! We have been cast into one absurd situation after the next to initiate more intimate activity. And worst of all, mostly in public!”
“So I’ll tell him to let you two do it in private,” Twilight shrugged as they continued walking through the more snowy streets leading up to the castle. A knowing smirk may have been hiding in one corner of her expression.
Rarity was dumbstruck. “H-how could you?! I thought you were on my side!”
“I am. You’re just nervous, that’s all.”
The white mare’s cheeks puffed out.
“I got some advice of my own when I met up with Cadance beyond the border. Turns out I was just worrying too much. It doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Just go for it and you’ll look back and treasure the moment.”
“Cadance!” Rarity huffed. “I see she got to you as well!”
“Rarity,” Twilight took on a sly smile in full. “You do realize I can read your mind as much as I want to in our hivemind. I usually don’t to be polite, but...”
Rarity’s stride faltered. Her mind raced to check what might have been given away.
The alicorn laughed. “As fun as it may be to keep up this act, I think you might be teasing Spike a too much. Don’t leave him out to dry, okay?”
Finally, the unicorn facehoofed. “I forgot about the mind-reading. Spikey has been so thoughtful that he has often kept from reading my thoughts intentionally. I guess I got caught up in the mood myself. Still, I know how interested he has become in our union, so to speak.”
“And you’re not?”
“Of course I am,” Rarity sighed heavily. “Sometimes thoughts of it make my heart pound so hard I can’t get to sleep at night.”
“That doesn’t sound healthy,” Twilight commented simply.
Rarity passed her a look and then showed her the carefully concealed rings under her eyes. “It is not easy to cover up for a lack of proper beauty sleep.”
They had just entered the castle hall leading to the private chambers when Twilight stopped Rarity for a moment. She used whispered tones but refused to pull back only to hivemind talk. “I’ll make you a deal that will help both of us.”
“Oh?” Rarity leaned forward in great interest.
“Tonight,” Twilight stated firmly. “I’ll be with at least one of my lovers and you’ll be with yours – in separate rooms, of course. Consider it moral support. Deal?”
Rarity chewed her bottom lip for a second but ultimately gave a reserved squeal of decided excitement and “deal!”
Twilight was perhaps the more calm one about it but knew already that it would be just a little harder now to focus on duties before night finally came.
“We’ve got lots of space but figuring out how to use it for changeling constructs during this kind of weather has proven difficult,” Spike explained to his mother in the throne room.
“Listen to you,” Twilight giggled.
The dragon stopped for a moment. “Huh?”
“Sounding all mature and responsible.”
Spike blushed. “Hey, I thought I’ve always been that way.”
A large fire was blazing in a central tub-like object within the throne room. It served as a source of heat to the many other occupants of the chamber, since the numerous changelings not able to take rooms in the castle had to rest here. The castle protected them from the winds and snow, though many fires such as this one had to be maintained to provide warmth. Even the changelings were not immune to cold and none could maintain warmer forms long without a substantial source of food.
“I’ve been talking to the Empire’s best relationship specialists and I haven’t yet come up with a solution to the feeding issue that works for everyone. It’s not like I can just tell everypony to love each other and it’ll happen. The crystal ponies have been very hospitable, though, and agreed to taking in the changelings wholeheartedly.”
Rarity, still in her overcoat and ushanka due to their distance from the fire, interrupted with a gesture towards the chamber doorway leading from the foyer. Twilight turned around to look.
Sunburst nervously stepped into the well-lit room, his heavy cape wrapped around himself for warmth. The source of his nervousness came behind him, which he swiftly stepped aside for. Queen Flux. The female changeling was still on a stretcher, but she was much more alert upon it. The changelings that carried her in were also better known to Twilight. Cell Weaver and Horn Lock were ones she recognized by their unique armor and carapace marks.
It had been a good idea in retrospect for the alicorn queen to have hidden Chrysalis away in the upper chambers as well as smuggling her in initially past the many changeling occupants. Twilight didn’t want any confrontations with old hive members and, even now, she could sense over the hivemind the conflicted feelings coming from her own changeling. Chrysalis’ parting from the hive had not been a good one.
The changeling carriers smartly put down their own queen next to the fire, at a distance she would be comfortably warm. Other changelings made room for her and let Twilight, Spike, and Rarity approach. Distracted with other concerns, Rarity nudged Twilight and made a head gesture towards Sunburst, who remained beside Queen Flux.
Twilight, of course, made her diplomatic bow and greeting to the other queen. “I’m happy to see you arrived in good time, your highness. It seems that both of us have a debt of gratitude towards the Pony’s Union of Marescow-Stalliongrad.”
“They were very generous on the journey here,” Flux replied without raising her head again from the blanketed stretcher. Her tone lacked venom. It rang with a dead half-interest, as if she were just passing time until something of importance occurred. “I considered using them for food but it would have stranded us. The blankets and warming pads were at least useful.”
Sunburst levitated to Twilight a small cloth packet, which she took. “I analyzed one of them. These warming pads are an invention I’ve never heard of before but they seem pretty straightforward. Mineral compounds and a little chemical reaction. Almost like an incredibly toned-down version of their black powder.”
We made those all the time in winter back at the rock farm! Pinkie enthused from her current place up in the chambers with Chrysalis.
“Nifty,” Twilight remarked cheerfully and rubbed one to follow Sunburst’s visual direction. It did indeed warm up almost too hot within her hooves. “So, Queen Flux, I imagine your hive would have an easier time getting comfortable if they had proper changeling shelter that would suite their needs.”
“How perceptive,” the other queen deadpanned. Even laying as she was, it was obvious her frame was small enough so that she would not be much larger than Twilight herself. Comparing her to Chrysalis in size was laughable but, either way, Twilight thought it was only right to be laying as well so she did not look down on her.
“I believe we could accommodate such-”
“Do you think I have not already considered such an obvious idea?” Flux was making a conspicuous effort not to let her frustration turn the conversation too negative. Partly for her need to have positive relations and partly for her outright lack of energy for it. “We need material for our clod and it’s buried beneath at least five hooves of snow. Even if it were not, my changelings are too drained to transform it.”
Twilight glanced to the side, watching the flickers of flame dance and die. Their warmth was welcome and it kept her spirits up due to the memories. Long gone days of staying up into the dark night while reading tome after tome under candlelight.
“I’m no architect,” she readily admitted. “But maybe we can cut down on the needed material by creating hybrid structures against existing crystal pony ones. Spike could help burn away snow to give us access to the resources you need and-”
Queen Flux rose a brow.
The purple pony had stopped herself just in time. Chrysalis could of course provide the clod transformation for at least a couple of the more resource efficient designs but Flux wasn’t supposed to know about her yet. Perhaps there was a way around this, however. Just a tiny omission of information that may cause some misleading conclusions but still keep matters sealed for the time being.
“I can have your clod provided for you,” Twilight decided on her wording carefully. “That way your changelings only need to help to design and direct. No need for hard labor until they have their strength back. Alicorns are more resourceful than you might think,” she added with a wink.
Spike hummed in thought. “I could start a partnership program for crystal ponies to have attachments made to their homes. Living with just one or two changelings each could help build the bonds necessary to sustain them. Not to mention it would go a long way to integrating them into the empire’s existing structure. Considering the numbers, there will easily be enough willing crystal ponies.”
Twilight passed him a look that said something along the lines of “that’s my Spike.”
Flux kept a deep frown. “That would be a lot of work and I have no idea how you would produce acceptable clod. It’s not something ponies know anything about. But I suppose I should tell you to try anyways, since neither I nor my changelings have the energy for anything else.”
“With your approval, we will proceed,” Rarity added in with a firm diplomatic tone. What she really wanted to say was “you could at least be grateful.” She had been taking on a more patient attitude, however, in her role and didn’t want to make a mess for either Spike or Twilight to clean up.
Flux gave a nod before resting her head once again, her gaze returning to the fire in its entirety. The conversation had gone as far as it would, but that was sufficient.
Spike made a gesture for Twilight to follow him out of the chamber and up to his personal quarters, which also happened to be Rarity’s. The other two ponies that he beckoned to come along were Sunburst and, of course, the Element of Generosity. He only spoke once the door was closed behind them and Twilight reinforced the privacy spell over the room.
“Sorry for making you come all the way up here,” Spike spoke to Sunburst. “But it was necessary to have privacy and you are not a part of mom’s hivemind.”
Sunburst looked back and forth between Spike and Twilight. He had come to know something about the hivemind but was less aware of the familial bond between the alicorn and dragon. “I don’t understand. Is there something that Queen Flux is not supposed to know?”
“We’ll need your help to make this go smoothly and you will obviously need to know the truth,” Twilight began to explain as she walked around to sit before the large bedroom chamber’s private fireplace and the warmth it gave. “I’m hoping to keep Chrysalis’ involvement unknown until both she and I decide it is appropriate to reveal her to Queen Flux.”
“Ah,” Sunburst realized the issue in a flash. “So we need to get the materials to her and the clod away from her without the changelings finding out. They will be very curious...”
“Hence, you,” Spike grinned. “You know parts of the Empire and even the castle better than any of us.”
Sunburst let out a nervous chuckle and adjusted his glasses. “I...I, uh...I do?”
“Do not get cold hooves now, Sunburst,” Rarity pursed her lips. “You certainly were not shy with your schemes for Spikey and I.”
“Schemes?” the stallion’s eyes wandered about. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
Twilight rolled her eyes but did so in a cheerful mood. “Will you help us cover Chrysalis’ involvement?”
Sunburst shifted on his hooves but ultimately agreed. “Y-yes, of course I would never let down the caretakers of the Crystal Empire let alone a prin- I mean, the Queen of Equestria!”
“Excellent,” Twilight said before Spike could. She got up alongside the royal wizard and guided him out of the room as she walked with him. “We have so much to discuss. I had one or two ideas for how to disguise it but the location and transport will be crucial...”
After the door closed again behind them, Spike looked down and to his side. Rarity’s bright blue eyes looked back up at him from her clear white face. Light as the snow outside. It was moments like this that just made him want to gently grab her and cuddle. Perhaps it was the unexpectedly swift exit of the others and realization that they were in private with each other that gave Rarity that perfect mix of expressed innocence and romantic flair.
Given the few additional minutes they could get away with before needing to return to royal duties, Spike took his opening. Rarity just might have enjoyed the relaxed moment of cuddling even more than her beloved dragon.
Twilight nudged Sunburst and wiggled her brows as they walked down the large crystal halls. “Hope you’re ready to take notes on the Heart. Might get pretty rough tonight, if you know what I mean.”
The stallion blushed hard and almost tripped over his cape.