//------------------------------//
// The Preparations 
// Story: The Fractured Unity 
// by Time Reaper 
//------------------------------//

As the train reached Ponyville and the ponies (and, future, changeling queen) dropped from the station, preparing themselves to go back to their houses and rest a little bit. This would remain true for Twilight, who wanted to use her resting time to write her report to Princess Celestia about what has transpired so far.

Sadly, this would not be, as a group of ponies were waiting for both her and Diamantis on the library. They were all wearing cloaks covering their bodies, making it hard for the unicorn and changeling to see who they were, but one of them decided to speak.

"Oh, Celestia, I'm so glad to see you finally back."

Despite the cloak, Twilight managed to recognize the pony in question as the one in charge of educating the foals in Ponyville.

"Miss Cherilee? Is that you? Why are you wearing those clothes?"

The pony professor, as well as the other ponies besides her, flinched when asked but, thankfully, they started to remove their clothes, only to reveal how their eyes no longer looked equestrian, as their irises were now gone and only a huge blue was there; the horns of the unicorns were now filled with holes and, in the case of Cherilee, there was a protuberance growing on her forehead.

"As you may have noticed" -, responded Cherilee, - "our bodies have been transforming in the last few days and we're no longer capable of going outside without rising any suspicion. If I remember correctly, you said that we cannot talk about this to anypony under the risk of being disappeared, but me growing a horn isn't something so easy to cover!"

Just hearing the exasperation in her voice was tough but, thankfully, Diamantis didn't look concerned. In fact, she simply turned over to Twilight and said with a calm voice.

"Twilight, do you remember when  I told you, and your friends, of how we would have to discuss about your transformation once we got back to Ponyville?"

Twilight nodded expectantly, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well" -, Diamantis continued, - "gather your friends and the other ponies in here, we'll have to do that conversation now."

Twilight nodded and looked at Spike, giving him a simple order.

"Go get the girls, we'll have to gather the other ponies who are transforming as we're speaking."

Spike nodded and moved to the library's door just to see Rainbow going through it while being followed by other pegasi.

"Twilight" -, Rainbow almost shouted, - "I think we have a problem in here."

"Oh, I have to agree with you."

The ponies, and dragon, turned around and saw Rarity also entering into the library with even more ponies in tow. Before anyone could react, the library was already filled with the 30 ponies Diamantis once foalnapped, with Spike offering drinks to the guest while Twilight was trying to discuss with her friends (as well as Diamantis herself) about what should be said to the ponies.

"So" -, started Twilight Sparkle, - "what could we tell them?"

The ponies looked at each other as they wondered what was necessary to inform the other ponies.

"Well" -, commented Rarity, - "we could tell them that we now have the protection of a queen, as well as we are now developing a spell that could disguise them."

Diamantis gave it a thought after hearing Rarity's idea and agreed with it but, before they could agree on anything else, the ponies started to ge impatient.

"Hum, excuse me" -, said Lyra Heartstrings with her now twisting horn and with a falling coat, - "when are you going to begin? We are getting anxious here."

Diamantis looked at the ponies and, after some quick thought, decided to step up and started to talk.

"Alright, my little subjects, tell me what is troubling you."

Cherilee stepped up and removed her cloak, revealing how her hair was falling from her body and her back was starting to develop a small pair of transparent wings, which were quickly fluttering as they were growing.

"As you can see" -, started the school teacher, - "the transformation has been developing at a much faster rate than any of us could predict. At the beginning, I could just make some faulty explanations here and there saying that I was having an allergic reaction of sort, but, by this point, I cannot explain this... wings neither my friends here can explain why are their horns twisting or getting holes."

Lyra moved forward and added.

"Not only that, but some of us have jobs that require our services be done on the outside. This condition is making it harder for us to properly work without endangering our lives."

Many of the gathered ponies started to nod as some of them started to notice something from the element bearers.

"And why they don't have signs of being transformed as many of us?"

Twilight reacted in that moment and decided to respond before it could get out of control.

"This isn't true, we are transforming just like you are" -. In that moment her eyes turned blue once more as she started to open her mouth, revealing a small group of growing fangs. - "As you can see, we are transforming like you. It's just that, for some reason, it's slower paced on us."

The ponies then started to look at Diamantis for answers, at which she said with a sigh.

"When I took you, you were placed on the transformation wax so Twilight and her friends were put last. At the same time, Twilight and her friends were released from the wax first, so the speed at which they are transforming is much slower than the rest of you."

This was a statement that caused many of the ponies to raise their eyebrows in doubt.

"Hold on" -, quickly asked Rainbow Dash, - "if you were planning to give us important roles under your rule, why we were placed last and not first?"

Diamantis then started to sweat, making the ponies wonder what was she thinking about.

"Well" -, the young queen said, - "I thought that it was better to transform you on the idea of leaving the best for the last..."

None of the ponies openly sighed or facehoofed out of respect to her, but they were all wondering if this hive was going to survive with a queen that committed this kind of mistakes.

"Anyhow" -, Diamantis continued, - "I would also like to add that, in the case of Twilight and her friends, as well as anypony who doesn't seem to be transforming on the outside, that the transformation also affects you on the inside. So, even if you seem normal on the outside, you can be sure that you are still transforming on the inside."

Twilight moved her head sideways as she wanted to ask more.

"How so?"

"Well" -, the young royal said, - "if you are transforming on the inside, perhaps you should be able to use changeling magic by now."

Twilight beamed at that, wondering if it was possible and she then remembered she had a quick way of figuring it out.

"Of course, if that is true, then I should be able to create that spell Queen Fortis gave me the notes of."

"Wait" -, asked a pony who, while it was cloaked, it sounded quite male, - "what spell?"

Twilight then decided to announce the results of her visit to Hive Castleen. 

"Well, while we were away on Hive Castleen, I met with its queen, Fortis, and she gave me the notes to properly create a spell that could allow us to disguise our appearance."

The ponies started to get anxious at the announcement of this development and wondered if the spell was ready.

"It isn't done yet, but I'm getting close. I just need some time to create the spell and, once its done, I'll share it with you."

The ponies were about to complain but Diamantis then interjected before the situation could get out of hoof.

"Now, now. I now this is important to you, but unless you are willing to provide Twilight a hoof, she is already working as fast as she could. I promise you, I saw her working on the spell on our way back and, after seeing the notes left by Queen Fortis, I am certain that she will have the spell done in a matter of days."

Twilight would have it done in less than two days, after working on it almost non-stop, with only one stop made for her to properly sleep for a couple hours.

The ponies then looked at Diamantis, wondering what was she doing in the meantime.

"Well, if you want to know about me" -. The future monarch said. - "I, along my future administrators, went to Hive Castleen, under the rule of, the now officially crowned, Queen Fortis, and we got the approval to be under her protection. Which means that she will provide us with help by both giving us funds later on as well by providing us of 6 more changelings that will be here to help us in the developing of our new hive."

The ponies started to look at each other as they remembered what those new changelings would imply.

"Do not worry" -, added Diamantis before any of her future subjects started to worry, - "Queen Fortis promised me that she will never use those drones as a leverage against us."

"And" -, Cherilee interjected, - "what kind of evidence do we have that she will follow through her promise?"

Diamantis froze for a moment, trying to find a good answer to that. Thankfully, Twilight came forward and answered on her behalf.

"Well" -, the unicorn scholar responded, - "while we don't have sufficient evidence to trust in her word alone, after meeting her face to face, I can say that she at least behave much nicer than the other queens and nobles we met during her coronation." 

Twilight's friends nodded as Pinkie Pie added.

"Yeah she treated us all nice and she even let us sleep in a chamber that had this big picture of a golden changeling queen" -. Nobody noticed how Diamantis' face went into shock as she heard that. - "And she has this little cutey daughter that likes to move everywhere and play with everyone and she may even visit us sometime later."

The ponies gulped as they tried to imagine a smaller version of Pinkie Pie, but in a changeling version, going around the town playing with everypony she met.

Celestia forbid she actually befriends the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Diamantis then stepped forward and quickly added a bit more into the conversation.

"That is right, not only do we have the protection of a major queen and 6 more drones to add into our hive, but we are already working on creating a spell that will help you to stay disguised while the deal is being discussed" -. Knowing this wasn't enough, she decided to add something else to ease the worries of her subjects. - "And, I promise you, once you start to wield changeling magic, I'll help you out to use said magic to properly transform into other ponies, or yourself if you prefer."

This did made the ponies to relax a little, with the unicorns and the ponies who were developing horns (Applejack included) started to see if they had something like that yet.

"And..." - Diamantis continued, gathering once more the attention of her subjects, - "as a sign of good nature, Queen Fortis gave me two of this radios."

She then took the changeling radios given to her by Queen Fortis and showed them to the ponies.

"With this, we can now hear changeling transmissions through the radio."

Seeing the ponies were confused, Twilight decided to explain them how the changelings were working on the radio broadcasting, and how useful it would be for them to hear what the changelings were talking about, so they asked them to tune it up and hear a radio station.

Seeing everypony interested on hearing the changeling radio, Diamantis decided to turn on the radio and tune the radio waves until she could find a station worth hearing.

"Let's see..." - sought the young changeling, - "AM..."

As the tuner was moving, the ponies were hearing the stations belonging to ponies.

"Princess Celestia is well intended, we can all agree on that, but this deal only spells doom on us..."

But then Diamantis changed the frequency.

"Now let's go FM and activate the magic transmitter/receiver."

Then the voices changed into ones none of them ever heard before,

"...in a society that is capable of recovering with no problems of an invasion from a species they never heard off, but lose their minds when there is a chance for peace with said species."

"The worst part..." - added a second smooth, and female, voice in the conversation, - "...is that we are talking about a species that likes to think of itself as loving and harmonious, but has an education system that emboldens hatred and distrust towards other species."

Some other voices agreed with the second voice and, after that, the first voice decided to continue.

"And we have to live with them because they are our best love source so far, and it will remain like that until we, as a species, is capable of trusting each other out but, sadly, we are far away from that."

Diamantis decided to look at the tuner and responded.

"Well, it sounds nice but let's see if I can find something else."

And continued to change the tuner after hearing another voice that picked her interest.

"...and look, Caex, the issue with this deal isn't actually about talking with the equestrians, since there has been more and more citizens on the side of opening ourselves up to the outside world. The real problem, Caex, is that, by acting unilaterally, Queen Valeris has created a big uncertainty that makes all of us to feel unsafe regarding our future."

This Changeling's voice was male, raspy and calm, with a certain sense of knowing what he was talking about. He was then followed by another voice, presumed to be Caex, who had a smooth and relaxing tone of voice, which also gave a sense understanding but still willing to ask for clarifications.

"This is, if I understand you correctly, more related to the worries of Valeris becoming the tyrant, most, citizens fear she could become, rather than the idea itself of talking to ponies. Is that correct Pistilum?"

"Yes, if Valeris decides to become the ruler above all, that would put into danger the peace that has allowed us to develop so far ahead because, the truth is, that not a single soul among changelings likes the idea of going back to the era of wars."

"With the exceptions of groups like the CAHL and the HRF."

"With the exception of groups like them, who doesn't have actual support from the populace, they coerce the citizens of other hives, to follow their instruction, while they are being funded by dark figures to disrupt into the union and create chaos among us."

There was a slight silence, as the ponies tried to digest all the information they were being given, but Caex started to talk again.

"I would like to ask you more about them but, alas, our time is up. Hopefully we can talk more about this in another time, Pistilum?"

"Sure" -, quickly responded the raspy changeling, - "it's always a pleasure to talk to you and clarify any doubt you, or the audience, may have."

"That was Pistilum" -, said Caex as he was ending his program, - "head of the corporation Data Gatherers and economist, giving his opinion of the most recent developments on the potential deal between the Changeling Union and the Equestrian Monarchy, as well as the potential effects of our opening to other species.

This is especially important" -, he recapped, - "because the Great Queens will gather in three days to discuss about the deal itself and, for the first time in years, journalist will be allowed back into the chamber with the radio station 'The Union,' FM 90.3 being the first radio station, in our history, to be allowed into the chamber to broadcast, live, the debate among the Great Queens."

This was soon followed with a huge gasp between the ponies listening but the transmission didn't stop from being done.

"This is the station 'The Success,' FM 70.5 and AM 560 and we'll be trying to see if we can broadcast the transmission through them, both by getting the permission and by searching for the proper equipment to do so.

Talked to you Caex, on the show 'The Interview' and I say farewell to you."

Once that was heard, all the ponies tried to digest what was heard but Diamantis was the first to react by silencing the radio and talking directly to Twilight.

"Twilight, I know you need to write a report to Princess Celestia as well as to analyze those notes given to you by Fortis but, right now, I need you to focus now to gather the ponies here, in an orderly manner, so I can discuss with them about what kind of problems they may be facing and give them counsel.

Once we are done with that, you can focus on the spell or write to the princesses. Is that alright to you?"

Twilight tried to think of a response, but this was all so sudden that all she could do was to nod and, with the help of her friends, order the other ponies to properly talk with Diamantis about the issues they were facing right now.