The room, located near the peak of the changeling Hive, had once been the Queen's private larder, where food was kept safe until the love could be ruthlessly drained from it. Now it had been cleared out, a window-ledge knocked through the outer wall, and the room filled with tall shelves... full of books.
King Thorax had taken a cue from Twilight and her library in Ponyville, recognizing the value in making knowledge easily and freely available to the Hive. True, there wasn't much order to the place yet, the collection had been hastily scrounged from junk-heaps deep in the basement, the discarded remnants of the changelings' former, rapacious lifestyle. Thorax had been hoping one day to bring up the subject of library organization techniques with Princess Twilight... some day when both of them had a few hours to spare. Yet the Hive's new ruler had high hopes that eventually, like so many of his other innovations, the Hive would adopt the library as their own.
And in one case at least, this was already true.
Around one of the rear shelves trotted a small arctic-blue changeling, with red wing-case and pink fronds and wings. She held a small volume in her mouth, and she hopped up onto the seating platform below the window, to spread it open in the late morning sunlight and dive right in.
Ocellus loved reading. Well... now that she'd been taught what the odd squiggles in the books were for, she loved it. Every book was like a new and unexpected hidden landscape. It was much like digging tunnels in the Hive: tons of boring dirt and rock, and then suddenly a sparkling gemstone, or an unexpected underground cavern -- or in the case of the books, a discovery about the world or about herself that made the effort all worth it. It almost didn't matter what the book she was reading was about. The disordered shelves of the library just made it more fun. She never knew what she'd come across next. It might be poetry or pottery or plumbing, it hardly mattered.
While thinking about a difficult concept on the page before her, she happened to look up, out through the window. And then she suddenly jumped up and put her forehooves on the windowsill, staring out at the enormous lavender shape descending from the sunlit sky towards the Hive.
Leaping off the window-seat she dove back into the shelves, hunting frantically. And then she found what she was looking for: an old tome, broken-backed and tattered, bearing a double-bolt mark on its cover. Bringing it back to the window she flipped it open and paged through it, struggling with the text. It was written in a much older alphabet and an archaic speaking style, but it described in detail and sketches the ships currently descending from the sky.
Though truth be told, it said nothing about any of them being lavender in color.
Even so, she drank in the words, every now and then glancing up at the approaching air-ships. It was intensely exciting. She'd never seen anything like them before, and yet here she was, learning all about them, even before they'd arrived... almost as if she'd always known it. She loved reading!
Belatedly, it occurred to her to wonder if the ships were friendly.
"There you are!" a gruff voice called from the doorway. The dark-green adult changeling glanced around sourly at the shelving and its contents. "Thorax said you'd probably be in here, lost in one of these books. Come on, the King wants you present to help welcome our guests." He turned the last word into a doubtful sneer.
"Who are they?" Ocellus asked nervously, closing the book and hopping down to join Pharynx. "Where are they from?"
"Ponies," the older changeling snarled. "From Equestria."
Ocellus hunched nervously. Like the rest of the Hive, she'd heard all about the ponies from Thorax. She'd also heard they were supposed to be friendly... but hearing the way Pharynx spoke, she wasn't so sure now.
The two of them walked quickly up the corridor, then through an archway into the open-air Throne Garden. As always under King Thorax's rule, the Garden was green and pleasant with small plants and ivy sprays everywhere, making it a welcoming place for everyone, changeling or otherwise.
"Ocellus! I'm glad you're here," Thorax called excitedly from the throne. "Come on over!" Ocellus approached timidly, and the light-green changeling King hopped down to meet her halfway. "I've just gotten a really exciting letter from Princess Twilight," Thorax said. "She's opening a new school to teach creatures all over the world about friendship. And more than that..." He gestured with a hoof at the approaching lavender ship, "... she's even brought the school with her!"
Ocellus looked up at the approaching ship, astonished. She hadn't realized that a school could be so... portable, for want of another word.
"And," Thorax went on, "she's invited the Hive to enroll one of our own in her School, to represent the new way we changelings live and learn. And right away I thought of you... of how bright you are, how quick you are to learn new things. I can't think of any of the younger changelings who'd be a better student." He paused, looking a little uncertain. "That is... if you want to go. I realize this is all kind of sudden. But it's a great opportunity, and I wanted to you to know about it right away. It'll take a while for them to get here, so think about it in the meantime. No pressure!"
Ocellus nodded, and stood beside Thorax as the ship slowly descended and maneuvered closer, carefully sweeping down until it was holding station on a level with the Throne Garden. It swung out and lowered a landing ramp, and lined it up with an open landing area to the left of the Garden. All the while, the Garden itself began filling up with changelings, curious and eager to see the unexpected guests.
Finally, Princess Twilight trotted down the ramp, accompanied by Spike. And as always, Tempest followed a short distance behind her, with Grubber and her guards to either side.
"King Thorax!" Twilight called, smiling at him.
"Princess Twilight, welcome!" Thorax's orange horns bobbed as he nodded his head in reply. "And Spike, old buddy! Good to see you again!" He glanced past them. "Uh, isn't Starlight with you?"
"Not this trip, sorry. She's holding down the fort back home."
"Oh..." Thorax looked sad. "I just... well, I was just thinking about the last time she visited. I just wanted her to know there's no hard feelings. You know."
"I know," Twilight said, nodding. "And Starlight specifically asked me to say Hi to you on her behalf. And who knows? If I'm needed back in Ponyville the next time we swing by, she might be here in my place, and you can catch up with her yourself. So..." she went on eagerly, "did you get my letter?"
Thorax nodded. "The School sounds like a wonderful idea, Twilight! While the Hive has taken to heart the suggestions that you've been sending us for making it a friendlier place, I'm... not always sure we're getting everything right. Some one-on-one education would really help. Though I wonder, if you wouldn't mind..." He added a significant side-glance. "... maybe you could tell us a bit about the kind of students you're looking for?"
Twilight took the hint. "We're looking for intelligent, dedicated students. There'll be a lot of classwork and studying, no question about that. But we're also looking for students who'd like to meet creatures from all over the world, and learn totally new ways of making friends. And above all else, students who are okay with having fun, and enjoying the process of learning. I've always said, if I'm going to run a school, it will be one that my students will want to attend, and will find worth their time."
"Well!" Thorax said. "I think I know of at least one of our number who would fit that description perfectly. Let me introduce you to Ocellus!" He gestured with a forehoof.
Twilight smiled, then looked puzzled. "Uh, sorry -- where are you pointing? Which one's Ocellus?"
Thorax looked himself, and realized he was gesturing at a rock. He sighed. "Ocellus, we've talked about this. Stay in your own form when meeting guests for the first time. It's the polite thing to do!"
The stone erupted in shimmering light, and in its place was Ocellus, looking sheepish. Thorax put his forehoof comfortingly around her shoulders. "She's a little shy, that's all."
"I understand." Twilight stepped closer, and gently put out a hoof for a shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ocellus," she said. "And I want you to know how much I'd look forward to having you in our initial class. Both for what you can learn from us... and for what you can teach us about changelings."
"You love reading and learning, Ocellus," Thorax gently encouraged her. "And you'd like making some new friends, wouldn't you?"
"I... suppose..." Ocellus's shoulders hunched, and she nodded minutely.
Thorax smiled, and gently ruffled the fronds on her head. "I know it makes you a bit nervous. But trust me... these ponies have helped all of us, the whole Hive! I have to admit, their approach can be a little confusing at times. But I know they'll do everything they can to help you feel comfortable among them."
"Absolutely," Twilight said. "That's what the School's all about."
Ocellus looked up, a hopeful light in her eyes.
And then Pharynx snorted loudly.
"Great!" he grumbled. "More lessons in being kind and polite. Never seems to be anything coming out of Equestria about defense or security... about protecting the Hive from threats. Stuff that really matters!"
Before anyone else could speak, Tempest trotted closer.
"Oh, tell me about it," she said, with feeling. "I mean, I'm Twilight's bodyguard, and it's left entirely up to me to ensure she's kept safe. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one considering it." She gestured with a forehoof at the smaller black warships holding station overhead. "You see those? They're on constant watch for any dangers to the School or its students. Vigilance, preparedness, and the ability to defend ourselves if need be... that's our security."
"Huh. Doesn't sound very friendly," Pharynx sneered.
"It isn't," Tempest agreed. "But it's important to the School's mission. I'm here to see to it that Twilight and her students don't need to worry about their safety. That way they can focus on the much harder task of making friends. Which... in the long run, will do more for their safety than an entire fleet of ships could." She shrugged. "But even so, keeping them all safe in the meantime... well, let's just say it's not a easy job."
"But it's an important one," Twilight added. "And I can't think of anyone better suited for the role than Tempest. Everyone at the School respects her, and we're glad to have her keeping an eye on us!"
Pharynx looked sour. Then he eyed Tempest. "Does she do stuff like changing her plans at the last minute, welcoming complete strangers in, without a word of warning? And then being ridiculously tolerant when they turn the place upside down?" He chuckled. "Thorax here loves to pull that crap!"
"You have no idea," Tempest shook her head. "But I try not to take offense at it. It keeps me from getting lazy, keeps me on my hooves... at least, that's what I tell myself, to maintain my sanity at times."
Pharynx huffed. "How well I know that!" He rolled his eyes, and gave Thorax a baleful stare. Then he waved a disparaging forehoof. "Okay! Fine. Just as long as at least one of you ponies is keeping an eye out for trouble!"
Twilight turned back to Ocellus. "So," she said hopefully, "what do you think? Would you like to give the School a try?"
Ocellus was staring up at the huge lavender ship.
"Does... it have a library?" she asked, worriedly.
Twilight glanced around at the assembled changelings, and then smiled at her.
"You're joking, right?"