//------------------------------// // 2 - VIII - Dawn of a New Era // Story: Friendship Bling and Changing Things // by PinkFluffyAlex //------------------------------// Act Two: Recollection Chapter VIII - Dawn of a New Era Citlali was finally in range for a fire portal that she felt wouldn't drain her precious magic, which was still mostly full of the love bomb. She rose up from the floor in the Neighagra Hive, spooking a few changelings walking or buzzing by. She leaned on the wall surrounding the center of the hive and watched the waterfall go, taking long breaths as she did. "Spike, I've made it to the hive. How are you and the others?" "I'm good. Better, now that you're back. I think they're still processing things. Rarity hasn't really freaked out yet, so... How did it go with the Princesses?" "Great. Far better than expected. Luna is still hostile, but Celestia and Cadance are both willing to be amicable with any changeling not sided with Chrysalis, or any other hive that would do harm to Equestria." "But what? You still don't sound happy." "But this shouldn't be happening in the first place. The changelings were supposed to reveal themselves peacefully, not as an invasion force. Even if I can get the Princesses on my side, we still have the ponies to convince. You know how it was with Zecora, but she hadn't so much as scowled at anypony." "It's all going to work out, one way or another. We'll make it through this, we always have. Whitetail, the unkillable hive, right?" It was silent for a moment. "Step outside whatever room you're in currently. I'm going to fire portal to you, but I don't want to spook the others." Citlali waited for a few seconds, then formed a portal to Spike's location. When she rose from the floor, Spike was in his dragon disguise, leaning against the wall. He smiled. "About time you caught up. I got Moondancer and the Elements with almost no bumps." "Oh? What happened." "I got them all to drop their disguises. Check on Rarity, she's probably taking it harder than she makes it seem. Smokey Mountain Hive also showed up, but they just wanted to know where we had been for so long. They've also got a new Queen, I think. Glassy hair, what looked like pearls around her neck, and a horn shaped like an arrow? Talked in a kinda sing-songy voice." Citlali snorted. "Amortentia? That kook is Queen!?" She shook her head. "What's with all the new Queens recently? Anyways, Amortentia was kinda... unhinged. Not in the same way as Chrysalis, though. Whenever she was with her mother at summits, she'd always stare off into space, or play with whatever insects were nearby." She thought for a moment. "Did she have any Royals?" "Just one, I think. We didn't catch her name." Citlali nodded. "Well, thank you for the report." She stepped past Spike, into the room. ====== Thorax tried to ignore the sound of his brother screaming as he neared the barracks. It was a futile effort. The horrible sounds echoed all throughout the hive, making it almost seem like they came from every direction. Even when it could be mistaken for a whimper in the distance, the sound still tore at Thorax's mind like it was a pony jumping through a glass pane. Thorax closed his eyes when he first entered the room, but slowly opened them as he heard his brother give a pained groan. Pharynx's right forehoof was shattered apart, revealing the soft flesh underneath, which was pierced by a few traitorous shards of chitin. Thorax shook his head as he watched Pharynx raise his other forehoof, and attempt to slam its jagged points into its twin. Thorax stopped the hoof with his magic. Pharynx stared at the arm, then over at Thorax."What are you doing here? Have you come to watch a failure?" "No, of course not, Pharynx. I..." Thorax let out a huff of air. "I have a plan, but it's treasonous, and could get us killed. It won't happen until I'm healed from today, but if it works we won't have to worry about Chrysalis ever again. I need to know if you want to join me." Pharynx was still for a dozen or so seconds before he bowed his head and slowly shook. "No. We can't fight her. You heard what she said, she's more powerful than Princess Celestia! How do you challenge someling that powerful?" "That's just it, Pharynx. Chrysalis said she was stronger and yet, she lost. A large portion of the hive is gone because she made a mistake. You were right, we can't serve a Queen like that." Thorax stared sadly at Pharynx, who remained silent. Thorax lets go of his brother's hoof, then walked over to a table. He set his left forehoof down and took a deep breath. His horn glowed, strengthening his right forehoof. "Think about it, brother." Chitin broke with a scream. ====== Citlali stepped into the room, immediately grabbing the attention of the group. From what she could tell, they were just talking to Rainbow Dash. Probably catching each other up. "Girls. Moondancer. I'm glad to see that you've all gotten here safely. Spike caught me up on your journey and encounter with Queen Amortentia. Smokey Mountain Hive, I mean." It was silent for a moment. Even Pinkie was quiet. Citlali sighed. "Okay, I get it, you aren't used to seeing me as a Queen." Rarity held up a hoof. "No, that isn't it at all, dear," she said in a small voice. "In fact, I think you look beautiful as a Queen!" "But?" "But we're tired, confused and kinda in need of answers!" Rainbow shouted as she threw her hooves up in the air. "I mean, come on! Equestria's capital was just attacked by an invading army, you and the Sisters looked like shit, and we weren't sure if a war had just been declared on the nation! Do you know how bad it was, Twilight? If Shining and Cadance hadn't managed to get together, the changelings would own Canterlot now!" Citlali hissed. "Chrysalis would own Canterlot now." "Exactly! Not only that, but then you come out of nowhere and drop the bombshell that we are part of the same race that just kicked our doors in, that we need to go to someplace in the middle of nowhere, into a hive full of changelings!" Rainbow ran her hoof through her mane. "We want answers, Twilight, Citlali, whoever the hell you are!" "I am your Queen!" she shouted back. The others shrunk away as Citlali bore her fangs at Rainbow, who tried her best not to take heavy breaths as she stared into Citlali's eyes. "I know how bad it is. That is why I am doing my best to get you all to somewhere safe so we can rest and make plans." She sighed and sat down, pressing a hoof to her forehead. "I know you need answers. No, you deserve answers. Where did I leave off in my story? When we were in Canterlot?" Moondancer raised a hoof. "Your hive had just been destroyed." Citlali nodded. "Right. So, after I escaped the hive and collected myself, I began coming up with ideas to keep my hive alive. Too many had already died, so killing the ones I couldn't support was completely off the table. The five nymphs were my top priority because changeling eggs only expire if broken. That meant I had to search for a new home for them while keeping my love supply intact. Ponyville was, of course, the first place that I searched. (The whole town was in mourning; some of my children there had been close friends to the townsponies.) My plan for each of the nymphs was to make them into sleepers, then find parents in search of a foal to adopt, at which point those parents would find a foal that even looks like they could be theirs. Hopefully, this similarity would be enough to get the parents to adopt them. Nilam was the first to go. I left her at the Ponyville orphanage, designed to resemble a happy newly-wed couple in their mid-thirties. The father was a former member of a hoofball team, though he gave it up once one of his legs was permanently injured. The mother was... somewhat of a wild card. She never stayed in one place for too long, always moving and changing jobs. She was originally a baker, though her cutie mark could also be interpreted to mean she sought out what made ponies the happiest. Avalon was the second after Nilam. I was planning to place her in the orphanage with her sister, but I knew from the intelligence my changelings had gathered in the town that there was a family of apple farmers outside the town. A few years back, there was a feud between them and a rival farm that had ended with a marriage and the rival farm leaving. The mother abandoned her family, joined her husband's, and had a foal a year later. They cared for him very much, even named him after his father. I went to them, under the disguise of some passing traveler. I told them that I had found a child as I came into town, though I couldn't care for her. They took her in, almost without hesitation. They gave me a place to stay, and food to eat as well. I didn't stay long, though. I ate, fed my hidden nymphs with the farmer couple's love, and left south, to Cloudsdale. Finding the families for the next nymphs was a real trial. Pegasi families, especially in a city as old as Cloudsdale, are very closed off. I'd compare them to the 'pure' royal bloodlines of the unicorns, but the pegasi are actually honest when they brag. I haven't met one who couldn't back their words up with actions. Because of this, many of the families that had foals were not looking to take in another, and the couples that didn't have foals were either happy that way, or planned on a foal later. By some stroke of luck from the All-Mother above, I happened two mares, talking to each other in front of a cafe one evening. One mare had learned from the doctor that she was unable to have a child. The other had been enjoying her child so much that she wanted another. But she couldn't bear the thought of foals without parents, so she had been looking to adopt. I met with the two of them and we talked. I left Cloudsdale without Araceli and Yasu. Vesela was the final nymph and, if I'm going to be honest with you and myself, the one I put the least effort into. I made my way back to the ground from Cloudsdale, found a caravan of ponies selling various wares, and watched them. As soon as I felt that Vesela could be taken care of by them and receive enough love to survive, I left her in their care. It wasn't until much later that I found out she had been personally adopted by the rock farmers in the group." Just like the last time Citlali finished a story, it was deathly silent in the room. The Elements were reeling from the most recent nail into the coffin containing their normal life. Pinkie's hair was more flat than usual, though it was probably from the idea that Citlali hadn't looked for a caring family, and had instead just dumped her into the hooves of some random ponies. Applejack had her hat pressed to her chest and was looking teary eyed. Rainbow had a forehoof over her mouth while staring at the floor, and Fluttershy was leaning against Rainbow's shoulder, gently shaking. Rarity was, by far, the most shocked of the group. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open as she swayed on her hooves. Fluttershy noticed, then immediately perked up in alarm. "Rarity? Are you alright?" Rarity glanced over at Fluttershy as her eyes glassed over. She tried shaking her head, then fell back into a sitting position, where she covered her mouth with a forehoof and began to violently sob. Fluttershy pushed Rainbow out of the way, to the surprise of both of them, and grabbed Rarity in a hug as she stroked her mane slowly. "Let it out. Just let it out. It's a lot to take in at first, I know." "I just-- oh Celestia, what am I going to tell my parents? Sweetie Belle? Heavens above, what am I going to tell Sweetie Belle!? She's still in Canterlot! She was so scared after the wedding, and I left her there! She's probably worried sick, wondering where her sister is." Rarity choked, then sobbed even harder. "And I'm not even her sister-er-er-er!" She buried her face into Fluttershy's mane and continued sobbing. ====== Sweetie Belle took another spoonful of ice cream out of the tub as Apple Bloom took a bite out of an apple fritter, and Scootaloo grabbed another cookie. Sweetie swallowed the sweet, sugary substance, then sighed. "I wonder where Rarity is?" The others shrugged. ====== Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both took Rarity to someplace private to talk about when they first found out what they were, and how they handled telling their family. Citlali, back in the room, was still silent as she thought about all her mistakes, and how she might have gone about doing things differently. Moondancer cleared her throat. "So. Now that you all know where you came from, how about me? Shining Armor, Spike, and the other eggs as well?" "I only hatched four of the eggs, actually. I hatched the first egg as I was staying in Ponyville for about a week after I dropped the nymphs off. I disguised myself as a foal when I left Shining on our parent's doorstep and grew up as his younger sister. I hatched you and gave you to the Canterlot Orphanage a couple months after Shining. I know you took the dragon egg test at CSGU; I swapped the dragon egg for a disguised egg of my own and hatched it then. Rainbow's rainboom startled my magic out of my control and... well, you've probably heard the story." "So, where is Shining Armor now?" "With our parents. We visited them and told them the truth, then Shining decided to stay behind to be with Cadence and fulfill his duty as the Captain of the Guard." Moondancer nodded, then laughed. "Why did you go to CSGU at all? I know how hard you pushed yourself in your studies; surely that wasn't just for your parents, right?" Citlali scratched the back of her head. "Actually... I'm not very good at magic. For a Queen, especially. I have the raw power, but I lack the finesse that Rarity has. I used to struggle with anything beyond changeling magic, really. Pegasus magic is easier as well." "Pegasus magic." Moondancer blinked. "Pegasus magic! I can study pegasus and earth magic now! I can compare it to unicorn magic! This could be the essay that gets me out there!" She gasped, then grabbed Citlali by the cheeks. "Do you know what this means!?" Citlali opened her mouth. "I could finally get some recognition!" she shouted, to the alarm to the others in the room and a few passerby changelings. Citlali slowly unclasped Moondancer from her cheeks. "Be careful, though. Use an anonymous pegasus assistant for any accounts of flight, alright?" Moondancer didn't seem to hear her. "Ah... anyways. Once the others get back in here, I'm going to start sharing my plan for restarting our hive. What we have right now won't work; if we want to be able to defend ourselves and Equestria from Chrysalis, we're going to have to get a bigger hive." Citlali grinned wide. "That means we're going to need lots of land, love, and eggs. Lots and lots of eggs. Whitetail is coming back, for good this time."