//------------------------------// // 5: Determination // Story: Mother of the Hives // by law abiding pony //------------------------------// After the concert, Twilight Velvet locked herself inside the hotel room’s only bedroom.  Lyra was too excited after her rousing success and came in later that night drunk as a skunk.  Bon Bon had slept on the futon while Lyra ended up on the floor in a drunken haze. Come the next morning, Lyra awoke to the smell of scrambled eggs, toast, and plump pancakes.  Her pleasant mood was immediately soured by a hangover that felt comparable to a minotaur stomping on her head.  “Ow, ow.” She curled into a fetal position and cradled her head. “Make it stop, oowwwwiee.” Bon Bon snorted in amusement from the small dining table nearby.  “I take it your queen won’t dilute hangover pains over the hive mind.” “Not so loud, please.”  Lyra cracked her eyes open to find a glass of grape juice resting nearby.  Lyra snatched it up and greedily guzzled the whole thing. Leaking purple juice drenched her muzzle as the musician laid on her back with a modicum of her pain departing.  “What would I do without you, Bonny?” “Probably die of malnutrition,” Bon Bon called out with a sullen tone from her seat at the table.  “So how was your little celebration at the Bug House?” A lecherous grin cleaved Lyra’s face.  She closed her eyes, both to try and remember it and to keep the sunlight at bay.  “Oh, it was amazing. The purples and blues couldn’t get enough of me, nor I of them.  I couldn’t walk after I left, and that wasn’t just because of the booze.” Bon Bon’s ears went flat.  “I was hoping you’d leave it at just ‘I had a good time.’”  She had suffered Lyra’s friendship long enough to keep from losing her appetite, and proceeded to shove some pancake in her mouth. It took Lyra a solid ten minutes to gather enough strength to drag herself up to the table and sit in front of her plate.  By then, Bon Bon was done eating, and Lyra’s food was cold. Yet that didn’t stop her from resting her face on the table and using her tongue to pull food into her maw.  The use of magic was a bit too much to ask for her hungover brain. Yet even in her addled state, Lyra was able to glance about, and noticed there was one plate with a vacant seat.  “So, uhh… I missed you girls after the concert. Everything go okay?” Bon Bon’s face sank, but the bedroom door opening stopped her from saying anything.  Twilight Velvet emerged with a steady gate, but had red rimmed eyes and tear stains all down her face.  She found the other mares quickly enough and spotted her food. She wavered, unsure of what to do. Bon Bon and Lyra watched the indecisive mare for a few moments before the confectionist waved at the waiting plate.  “Please, I’d like for you to join us. I brought some food from the buffet downstairs.” Velvet’s questioning eyes went to Lyra, yet all the green mare did in response was to lethargically roll her head back over so she could keep eating.  Seeing the green changeling was not being overtly hostile, Velvet wordlessly claimed her seat. Yet all she could do was sit there, silently staring at the cold food. “So,” Lyra said a bit louder than necessary.  With her hangover blinding her empathic abilities, she couldn’t sense the others’ emotions.  “Did you have fun last night?” Bon Bon instantly regretted not having time to explain to Lyra what happened before she left for the celebratory party. She frowned, trying and failing to think of something to say. Yet it was Velvet who spoke first.  “I - I did in a way.” Bon Bon was dumbstruck, and gaped at Velvet with utter disbelief. Lyra nodded with her head still lying flat against the table, as ignorant as ever.  “I figured you would. Bonny, can you get today’s paper? I wanna see what the media said about my concert.” Completely ignoring the request, Bon Bon wanted to place a comforting hoof on Velvet’s own, but thought better of it and only rested her hoof partway there. “Are you sure you’re alright?”   Velvet’s gaze went vacant for a moment before she gave a thread-thin smile and started using her magic to reheat her meal.  “I don’t know why, but I feel last night was cathartic… like a flagellant after receiving a good lashing.” “I’m not familiar with what a flagellant is,” Bon Bon replied cautiously.  “But maybe we should take it slow. Give yourself a day to recuperate before trying to talk to Night Light again.” “Wait, you actually talked to him?” Lyra wasn’t interested enough to raise her head. Instead, she attempted to rotate the plate with her tongue so she could keep eating, meeting with limited success.  “That wasn’t part of the plan.” “I can’t stop now,” Velvet insisted with a tensed brow.  “I spent all these years hiding from my family. If I hesitate now, I may not work up the nerve to ever face my daughter again.” “I’m not saying we wait for long,” Bon Bon replied with a hoof gesture for slowing down.  “Just let your emotions settle a bit.” Velvet held Bon Bon’s gaze for a long, hard moment.  Eventually though, Velvet relented with a nod. “You’re right, of course.”  She started eating again, leaving Bon Bon to get up. “Don’t worry about washing the dishes, the hotel staff will take care of it.  Why don’t we find something fun to do? Something to release some stress?” “We can all go to the bug house,” Lyra suggested with snickering laughter.  “We can just say Velvet is a lookalike, and isn’t really her.” “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve heard out of you yet,” Bon Bon glowered.  “I was thinking about a spa day. So long as Queen Blitz doesn’t mind fronting the bill.” Velvet said nothing, appearing to only focus on her food. Lyra grinned at the prospect and spoke after munching down some pancake, face still on the table.  “That’d be perfect. Blitz said I could have any reward I wanted so long as I could keep an eye on our honored guest.” “How about it, Velvet?” Bon Bon asked with a welcoming half-grin. “It’s been forever ago since I had a spa day.  It sounds nice.” Velvet gave a weak grin. “Perfect.  I’ll take the first shower.  I’ll see you ladies in a bit.” “We’ll be here.”  Lyra finished rotating the plate some more and was trying to drag more pancake into her mouth with just her tongue. Velvet waited a few minutes, slowly eating her breakfast until she heard the water running for the shower.   By now, Lyra had given up trying to eat with her head on the table and pulled herself up to a proper sitting position, but was still a bit wobbly.   “Lyra,” Velvet started with a worried tone. “I remember seeing a gift shop in the lobby.  They might have some headache medicine I could get you.” Lyra squeezed her eyes shut to ease the pain a bit, before nodding absently.  “I may be hungover, but even I’m not stupid enough to let you go by yourself, and I don’t feel like walking anywhere right now.” Velvet sighed, got up, and started making her way to the bedroom.  “I was only trying to help.” “Not for nothing,” Lyra called out, stopping Velvet by the door.  “But my queen was pretty damn clear. You stay with us to make sure none of my kin try to kill you.  They won’t care if we’re in the middle of Canterlot.” “A bit of an exaggeration,” Velvet muttered to herself.  “If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to rest my eyes a bit, so you can take the shower next.” “Sure, sure,” Lyra replied.  The green changeling was resting her face in her left hand while giving a dismissive wave towards the older pony with the other. Closing the door behind her, Velvet heaved a heavy sigh to steel her nerves for what had to be done.  Thank goodness the bathroom door isn’t in the bedroom. Velvet went to the pillow sitting on the unmade bed.  Using her magic to remove the case, she took the pillow in her hoof and used the point of her horn to rip a hole in it.  The act let several bird feathers fall from within. There we go. These should do nicely. Next, Velvet looked at the dresser to find Lyra’s coin purse that Bon Bon had put down the night before.  Velvet snatched it up and looked inside. Plenty of bits for a train ticket. With her funds secure, she went to the window and opened it.  The streets of Canterlot stretched out seven stories down. Given Lyra’s ability to fly, the staff had opted to give them a room with a pegasus balcony.  It was little more than a fold-out platform just barely big enough to stand on. Keeping a bundle of feathers locked in her magic, Velvet grabbed the turnwheel and cranked the balcony out.  Once it was secure, she grabbed the windowsill to prop herself up onto the platform. “You can do this, old girl. This spell should work with any type of feather.” Using an old spell she had learned in college, Velvet’s magic disintegrated the feathers, and she leapt from the balcony.  Instead of falling like a stone, Velvet glided down at a leisurely pace more or less in the direction of the train station. She spotted a plethora of ponies giving her astonished looks, at least those that noticed she wasn’t a pegasus.  Not too many unicorns had cause to learn featherfall, let alone use it. Yet her descent from the window was short-lived enough to keep anyone from panicking and calling for the authorities.  Velvet was not as spry as she used to be, and stumbled a bit upon landing, nearly running face first into a lamp pole. The exhilaration of both the spell and of taking charge of her life once more made her giggle at the whole thing.  She glanced about at passersby and put on her best haughty Canterlot accent. “Using stairs are so out of fashion, wouldn’t you agree?” Not wanting to wait around, Velvet threw her nose in the air and started trotting to the train station.  When she felt she was well and clear of the landing spot, Velvet picked up the pace and ran as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself.  Yet before she could reach the station, she spotted a dress shop nearby. It was not one of the high class establishments, but rather more for the working class.  Velvet jingled her absconded coin purse. I’m probably going to need a bit of a disguise if I want to get close. Bon Bon emerged from her shower completely refreshed.  With a pleasant sigh, she looked about and found Lyra slowly sipping on some water.  The changeling didn’t look nearly as bad has she had ten minutes ago. Bon Bon’s smile wavered.  “Lyra, where’s Velvet?” “She’s in the bedroom getting some sleep.” “Sleep?  But we just woke up.”  Bon Bon looked to the bedroom door, concern written on her face. “She’s old.  Old people sleep more,” Lyra shrugged. “She’s not that old!”  Bon Bon knocked on the bedroom door.  “Velvet?” Another knock with no reply.  “Are you okay?” “She’s probably actually asleep,” Lyra offered with a sarcastic drawl.  “Leave her be.” Were it anyone else, Bon Bon might have heeded Lyra’s advice.  “I can’t do that,” she directed at Lyra, her concern growing ever faster.  “She told me she tried to commit suicide last night.” Lyra’s eyes went wide and she stood up.  “Whoa, what?! Bonny, why didn’t you say anything?” Ignoring the question, Bon Bon cracked the door open at first, just to see if Velvet was indeed on the bed.  But the strong gust of wind and the unfiltered sound of road traffic forced her to shove the door open and raced inside.  “Velvet!” she screamed at the open window. Bon Bon bolted for the open window and looked to the street, fully expecting a corpse.  Poking her head out as far as she dared, Bon Bon searched frantically, but found nothing, just ponies walking or flying about their business. Lyra stumbled into the room, real fear in her eyes upon noticing her friend was looking out of an open window.  “Please tell me I’m not going to have to tell my queen that stupid mare up and killed herself!” “She - she’s gone.”  Bon Bon turned around to give Lyra a scathing glare.  “Why weren’t you watching her, idiot?!” “Hey, hey,” Lyra countered with a jabbing finger.  “You didn’t have any problem with me leaving her in this room before you found out she ran away.”   “Gah!”  Bon Bon growled as she paced the window a bit before pointing at Lyra.  “Shut up! I’m supposed to be the smart one here!” With adrenaline running in her veins, Lyra was able to ignore most of her diminishing hangover and stand more or less normally on two legs.  “Okay, smart one, we have to find her, and fast. So where would she go?” “I don’t know…”  Bon Bon’s gaze went distant as she tried to think.  “She mentioned wanting to talk to her family again. She’s probably on her way to the Sparkle Manor.” “Okay, good plan.”  Lyra spotted her pistol was still in its holster on the dresser and moved to claim it.  “Can’t leave without-” Lyra hesitated when she noticed her coin purse was missing. “Wait, where’s my cash?”  Lyra started frantically pulling drawers open. “That nag! She took my bits!” Bon Bon stopped her pacing.  “Why would she take your money if she’s going to see her ex-husband?” “To get a taxi, I guess?  How should I know?” Lyra growled as she secured her holster around her barrel.  “I told her my brothers and sisters would kill her on sight. So maybe a taxi would keep her hidden.” “There’s no way the two of us could ever hope to find her.”  Bon Bon caught Lyra’s panicked eyes. “You need to tell Blitz.” Lyra vigorously shook her head, fear in her eyes.  “But she’ll kill me for losing Velvet.” “And I’ll kill you if you don’t suck it up and do it!” Lyra dragged her fingers over her face out of exasperation.  “Fine! Gimme a moment.” A heavy, fearful frown marred Lyra’s face as she sent a priority ping to Blitz.   Blitz responded just a split second later. Lyra swallowed the lump in her throat.   Lyra could feel Blitz glowering over her mind.   Lyra shook her head once she felt Blitz bristle from intense exasperation.   After relaying her queen’s plan, Lyra bolted out of the window while Bon Bon raced for the stairs. Twilight Velvet departed the clothing store with a threadbare smock and complementary pants.  It was a plain, puke green outfit, but it was on clearance and did a good job covering much of her body, including her cutie mark.  Velvet spotted a good number of Canterlot locals giving her various levels of disgust. Well, this color is never in season, but it was cheap enough to still afford a train ticket.  A shame I could never be bothered to learn that fur color spell. Velvet trotted her way to the train station through a mile of switchback streets.  Her disguise proved to be quite effective. Sure, she drew some attention to herself, but those eyes were focused on her hideous choice of attire, rather than giving any mind to her mane and fur colors.   Canterlot Central Station was heavily congested this time of day.  Ponies and a small number of blue and purple changelings boarded and disembarked at a steady pace.  Still, Velvet was able to squeeze through the steam fogged station to reach the line for the ticketbooth.  With the station as busy as it was, most ponies came here to buy tickets hours in advance. Velvet watched the changelings carefully whenever she spotted one, her eyes lingering on the purple ones in particular.  Her heartbeat sped up at each one she saw. Aside from sharing her daughter’s colors, it was the little differences Velvet noticed the most.  Some didn’t keep their manes rigidly squared. Others wore their mane or tail differently. Most sported some kind of equipment. The scant few armored ones had rifles slung across their backs, but the majority had saddlebags lined end to end with wrenches and other tools she couldn’t identify offhand.   Through it all, though, Velvet saw small aspects of the old Twilight brought out more fully in the drones.  Most drones were actually talking with ponies, some sharing funny stories, some talking about the sciences, and others just catching up with friends.   A small part of Velvet wanted to sniff out any signs of deception, of a plan to undercut Equestrian society.  However, her search found none of the old signs. It was as if a curtain had been removed from her eyes. They’re just like another tribe of ponies.  Twily truly did what she said she would. Tears welled up in her eyes.  She hid her face under her mane, and did her best to squash the surge of regret.  Her old paranoia served her well in keeping the changelings around her from catching more than a brief spike of raw emotion.  Velvet glanced behind her, scanning the changelings. A few close by seemed to stop and look about, but their gaze never lingered in her direction. Velvet squashed what was left of her guilt.  I can’t let myself get caught. Not until I reach her… hive.  Rubbing the fur under her eyes dry with a fetlock, Velvet fixed her mane back up and mentally prepared herself to move forward. “Attention:  The eleven o’clock train to Phoenix’s Roost with Ponyville connector will be departing in ten minutes.” Urgency coursed through Velvet, dashing all other thoughts from her mind.  She poked her head out to see the line at the ticket booth was shrinking rapidly. She spent half of her remaining ten minutes looking anxiously between the booth and the clock mounted on the wall above it.  With only a single bit to spare, Velvet bought her ticket and practically leapt into the passenger car along with two other late arrivals. The rows of benches were not overly crowded,  but that was more due to Equestrian law limiting the number of passengers per train car.  Velvet had been beaten by the morning commuters from Canterlot, so there were a scant few free seats to choose from.  Velvet wearily scanned the other passengers, and found not a single changeling. It was a bit of a relief actually, not having to worry about any empaths.   A long, high-pitched whistle heralded the train starting to move forward.  Velvet didn’t see many open seats, and quietly cursed when two of those seats were taken up by the other late arrivals. However, she spotted a free spot next to a yellow furred, red maned earth pony with a bow in her hair.  Velvet wouldn’t have kept looking were it not for a robotic claw poking out from her saddlebag and her nose buried in a textbook. Is she one of those so-called engineers too? If that’s the case, she must have spent a lot of time around Twilight’s children.  She might give me some idea of how these changelings think. And if I have that, then maybe, maybe I can reach Twilight. Trying to act in a casual friendly manner, Velvet made her way to the mare’s bench.  “May I sit here?” The studious mare looked up from her book, and politely tried to hide her distaste for Velvet’s attire.  “Uh, sure thing.” Velvet sat down with a grateful smile.  “Thank you, deary.” She made herself as comfortable as was possible on the hardwood.  Her bones mildly ached, but she refrained from showing it. Before the other mare could get engrossed by her book again, Velvet cooed at the claw.  “My word, what is this peculiar thing?” she asked, playing up the old lady act. The mare followed Velvet’s gaze to the claw in her bag.  “Oh that?” She removed it from the bag and showed it off, but didn’t offer it up for Velvet to take it.  Behind the claw was a gauntlet made to fit around the foreleg, making it a bit too long to completely hide in the saddlebag.  It had pressure pads blanketing its entire front end, both where the hoof would fit and on the tips of the claws themselves. “It’s my robo hand.  It’s for using tools too small for hooves.” It didn’t take too much effort to look interested.  The engineer was practically giddy in showing the thing off.  “I forgot my manners, I’m Tee Vee,” Velvet inwardly kicked herself for using the old handle she had during her PCE days, but it would have to do. If the other mare was fazed by the odd name, she made no show of it.  “Ah’m Apple Bloom.” “Nice to meet you, Apple Bloom.  Could I hazard a guess that you went to that engineering school the changelings established a few years back?” “It’s been a bit more than a few, but that’s right,” Apple Bloom’s face swelled with pride.  “Ah’m actually close to getting my masters cert. Ah’m on my way to Ponyville to start a work contract.” Velvet tried to glance up in the direction of Phoenix Roost, but the train had entered the first tunnel, forcing her to refocus on Apple Bloom.  “This may be my age talking, but in my day, engineers were only known as soldiers who could build siege weapons; everypony else were called architects.  I don’t suppose Ponyville is going into the business of war.” Velvet giggled behind a hoof to show she was in jest. The act worked and actually got a snort of amusement out of the mare.  “Nah, Ah’m goin’ over to help mechanize the cider mill mah sister’s raisin’.  Ah tried ta tell ’er I’d do it for free, but she went over my head and paid the guild directly, say’n honest work deserves honest pay.” “She sounds like quite the character.”  Velvet cleared her throat and let some of the good humor ebb away.  “I must confess I had a motivation for sitting next to you.” Apple Bloom gave her a lifted eyebrow.  “I’m actually going towards Phoenix’s Roost myself, but I only hear rumors or tabloids talking about these ‘alliance changelings,’ I think they’re called sometimes.  Since you were educated by those changelings, I was hoping you could give me some pointers. You know,” she added with a dismissive hoof wave, “social faux pas, things we ponies would see as normal but they would be insulted by… that sort of thing.” “Ahhh, I getcha.”  Apple Bloom put her textbook in her other bag and deposited her robo hand back in its own.  “Well, first thing you should know, the ’lings act a mite differently in the hive than they do in the wider Equestrian cities.”  Something between a grimace and a devilish grin appeared on Apple Bloom’s face. “They ah, Ah’m not sure how to say this all frou frou so I’ll just put it to ya straight.  They’re touchy feely all the time, so don’t be surprised if you see a few makin’ out on the sidewalk. So just fair warning.” “You don’t mean, as in, something that—”  Velvet’s ears wilted as Apple Bloom nodded. “If ya ask me,” Apple Bloom leaned in to whisper conspiratorially.  “Ah blame the hive mind fer it. All those shared thoughts and emotions include the dirty deeds o’ everypony in the hive.  They probably see it as a hoofshake, I’d wager.” The very thought of a purple drone coming onto Velvet with that intent invaded Velvet’s mind despite monumental attempts to keep it at bay.  “They don’t do that to regular ponies do they? I hope.” Apple Bloom leaned back against the window.  The train exited the tunnel so she was able to look out at the hive hidden in the forest beyond.  “Nah, they know better than ta do that. Other than that, though, they’re a good bunch.” Velvet gave a visible sigh of relief.  Sure, they’d probably attack me the instant they realize who I am, but before that…   “I will say this right now, though,” Apple Bloom said upon turning back towards Velvet with a stony warning frown.  “Unless you’re friends with them, and they know it’s a harmless joke, don’t ever disrespect their queen-mother.  Especially if it in any way insults the ‘mother’ part of that title.” It felt like Apple Bloom had just stabbed Velvet in the heart.  Velvet couldn’t stop a slight tremble in her forelegs, but managed to keep her face and voice even.  “They take motherhood seriously. Well, don’t we all?” “Some less so than others,” Apple Bloom added with a careless shrug. The two mares fell into silence, and Apple Bloom looked out at the scenery.  Velvet sat quietly, trying to keep her composure as renewed self-loathings plagued her mind.   She tried to cast such thoughts aside in order to plan how she would face her estranged daughter.  Does she hold court like Celestia? Could she be out in public? The possibility of having to reveal herself crossed her mind, casting a pallor over her face.  Maybe she’d at least come face to face and give her own sense of justice. She spent the next ten minutes mulling over various ways to approach Twilight once she was face to face.  But her musings were abruptly cut short when a hand landed heavily on her withers, causing her to cry out in surprise. Everyone in the train car looked to see Lyra hunched over Velvet with a manic off-kilter, twitching face.  Her right eye was bloodshot and a spark of mana was popping off her horn every so often. “There you are!  I have been looking everywhere for you, and you will not believe what it took to get on this train.” “L-Lyra?”  Velvet nervously ran a hoof through her mane.  “I - well, this is a suprise,” she said placatingly, trying to keep her from making a scene. “It sure is!”  Lyra pulled back a bit to give a fangy grin.  “Now, care to talk in private with me? I know Queen Blitz is dying to know what happens next in your book.” “Lyra?” Apple Bloom asked with mounting fan girlish delight.  “As in the violinist from last night?!” The ponies around them went from concern over an altercation to that of rumor-caused delight.  Lyra turned her slightly unhinged grin at her newest fan. “That’s me! I’ll throw out all the autographs ponies could ask for, but right nooow…” Lyra sang as she bodily pulled Velvet to her hooves and started pushing her towards the back.   Velvet was too bewildered to give much resistance.  Eventually, Velvet stopped letting herself being pushed and started walking on her own.  Between Lyra wearing that manic grin and one of her ears twitching constantly, Velvet didn’t feel like speaking. Apple Bloom leaned over the next seat with a hoof outstretched towards Lyra.  “Wait! You should do a collab with mah friend Sweetie Belle!” “I’ll think about it,” Lyra absently called out, not really thinking too much on the suggestion. Towards the front of the train were the first class cabins, and Lyra barked for Velvet to get inside.  The cabin was one that was on permanent retainer for royal business across the entire railroad company, be it alicorn or queen in nature.  As such, it was a comfortable accommodation with red padded seats and a small glass chandelier. Velvet took the bench near the window while Lyra shut the door behind them, and then gave a maddened snarl at the unicorn.  “Do you have any idea, any idea what it feels like to have your queen take control of your body and teleport you ten times to reach a moving train?!  When you’ve never been teleported more than once?!” “I had good reason—” Velvet started, only to cut herself short when Lyra shoved her muzzle in her face.   “I puked my guts out in the middle of a damn crowd!” Lyra raged, sending a bit of spittle and salve flying.  “My brain’s numb, which, by the way, was still recovering from a hangover, so thanks for that. She had to mute the hive mind to keep me from getting lasting brain damage!”  Lyra jabbed Velvet with a hoof, practically shoving her against the wall. “Do you have any Celestia damned clue how painful that is!?” Velvet pushed her back to get some space.  “I’m not about to make excuses. I’m going straight to Phoenix Roost because Twilight deserves her retribution.  I can’t do that with your queen’s plan of tiphoofing around.” “How are you going to give her that if you’re dead?” Lyra rebuked sharply.  She paced back towards the door, throwing her hands up out of exasperation. “You don’t know Rainbow Dash like Blitz does.  As soon as you step hoof onto hive territory, her kids will kill you.” Lyra turned back around with tired anger as the backlash of so many rapid teleports caught up with her.  “Rainbow Dash doesn’t exactly… think things through when she’s pissed, okay? And seeing your face wouldn’t just piss her off… words like “livid” and “enraged” are insufficient to describe what her mood will be like”  Lyra pressed her back against the door, and slowly slid down to fall on her rump. She clutched her head, hissing in pain while rocking left to right to free her wings from being pressed against the door. “Stop being so damned stupid.  That’s my job.” “I’m sorry you’ve been hurt by this, but this is what I have to do.”  Velvet looked out of the window, but they were still on Canterhorn Mountain, so all she saw was passing stone.  “If Queen Rainbow Dash demands that I should be executed, then so be it. If she allows me to speak with my daughter one final time, to let Twilight pass her judgement, whatever that may be, then I can die with a lighter heart.” Lyra snorted derisively, moving her fingers so she could snark at her charge.  “You? Die with a light heart? You should take up comedy.” “I didn’t say light,” Velvet countered with no real bite in her tone, “only lighter.” Lyra shapeshifted her arms into forelegs so she could stand again, albeit quite wobbly, just long enough to claim the bench adjacent to Velvet.  “If it were up to me, I’d have thrown you to the wolves already and forgotten about you. But how about this instead? My queen says Starlight Glimmer is in Ponyville today doing something I forgot because pain.” Lyra waved a hoof dismissively in the air as she shifted it back into a hand.  “She rutted up way worse than you did, only she didn’t make it nearly as personal to Rainbow Dash or something. If you get her to escort you to Phoenix Roost, then that should make RD think a bit before chopping your head off, deal?” The name rung a bell for Velvet, and it only took her a few moments to remember Celestia had dropped the name during her audience.  “I remember her being mentioned, yes.” “So ask yourself, do you just want to die, or do you at least want to speak to Twilight first?” “I think you’re lying to me to try and get me to go along with your queen’s plan.”  Velvet gave Lyra a stern glare as the anthro changeling did the same back to her. “I refuse to believe Twilight would allow Queen Rainbow Dash to execute me on the spot.”  Velvet hesitated as doubt crawled its way back in. “…She’s a better person than I ever was.” Lyra chewed on her lip, trying to think of what to say.  “Maybe Blitz is exaggerating and maybe she isn’t. Her plan is still worlds better than you just running off on your own.” “You could be right, but I don’t care!” Velvet nearly yelled.  Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. “I’ve waited far too long to do this.  No more distractions, I’m going to see Twilight today!”