//------------------------------// // 12: The Little Librarian // Story: Mother of the Hives // by law abiding pony //------------------------------// Autumn Breeze was not a happy drone. From the day she had hatched, she was given a very specific role. One she was greatly looking forward to, and with a single command it was all over before it really even began.  The new Ponyville Librarian was packing what little possessions she had acquired during nymphhood. She was so fresh from her adolescent cocoon she swore she could still smell the hatchery.  Her job was not officially over until the city council confirmed it, but as far as her queen was concerned, it ended the moment the new librarian arrived. “Whoever that is,” Autumn growled to herself. “Couldn’t even give me a week to prove myself.” There wasn’t even an assistant or chief librarian around to console her. All of her training had been during her childhood. “What am I going to do now?  Be sent off to Canterlot and be just another archivist among a dozen others?!”  Autumn wanted to kick something but the only kickable things nearby were books, and she couldn’t harm such lovelies.  With the late hour and the closed sign on the door, there weren’t even any patrons around to distract her. The heavy drumming of rainfall on the tree only deepened her sorrow. “So here I loaf…” she muttered, sitting on her only suitcase full of personal books and a few toys. She sat waiting on the lip of the library’s loft, waiting for her replacement to march on through and lay claim to her birthright. “...Waiting for obscurity to swallow me whole.” The absence of anything left to do weighed heavily on her.  Autumn opened her suitcase and pulled out the plushie of her mother she got on her third birthday. She gave it a squeezing hug and thought of Twilight. As ever, her queen sensed her unvoiced request and brushed Autumn’s mind with a motherly love so rich it briefly pulled her out of the slump she was in.  A rap on the door snapped Autumn away from her mother’s psychic embrace.  Childish anger filled her, and she went to shove the doll back inside, but stopped herself so she could do it gently. With a quick buzz down to the entrance, Autumn slammed the lock and jerked the door open. Only to be met by Intel ‘La Gence herself. “Guard Captain?!”  Autumn’s anger abandoned her, being replaced instantly with palpable dread. “I-I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?” “Not as far as I know,” Intel answered plainly as she walked in as if the rain was no issue. Only her wringing out her soft cap gave any indication she was bothered by it. “Have you finished packing?” “What little I had,” Autumn answered morosely.  Intel forgot her soaked hat and took note of Autumn’s somber mood. Yet her first thought was interrupted by an elderly unicorn cantering inside. The mare’s jacket and hood were drenched and she was quick to take them off. “I didn’t think any city needed such a downpour.” Autumn zeroed in on the newcomer. Oh yes, this one had a librarian’s look about her. Autumn grumped.    Autumn inwardly chided herself for focusing so much on her orders to pay attention to all the noise. She didn’t have to wait long to pick the answer up. Her eyes widened completely and she screeched at both of them. “You’re that Velvet?!” The mare in question jumped at the sudden question, but managed to let it pass as she hung her jacket on the nearby hanger. “I suppose I am. And you are?” She asked while presenting a tired hoof. The long day had dragged her down, but she wasn’t out yet.  The young changeling looked to Intel who shook her head. No help there. Still, given that Intel was not clapping Velvet in irons, Autumn refrained from being overtly hostile, or tried to at least. “I’m Autumn Breeze. I was going to be Ponyville’s librarian, but I guess you talked your way into stealing it.”   Velvet’s ears and weak smile wilted. She withdrew her offered hoof. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”. She stopped, trying to make sense of the situation.  “Why must I take your position at all?” Autumn pulled her head back out of surprise. “Uhh, because there can’t be two chief librarians.” Intel finally spoke up. “I guess it has been a long time since you were last here, Velvet.  Mom has taken great care of this library after she found out the previous pony curator’s… let’s call it ‘poor habits’ were killing the tree.  She’s made sure that one of us always stands as chief librarian, something Ponyville sort of made official. If only to avoid pissing her off a second time.  Since then we’ve been letting it grow to meet the town’s demands." "And I was to be the first permanent, made to order, chief book bug for the job.” Amber declared heatedly at Velvet. “I did see the tree was much bigger than I remember.” Velvet raised a foreleg, silently asking to step past Autumn.  Rolling her eyes as obviously as she could, Autumn dramatically waved the guests deeper into the library.  Autumn had spent her whole nymphhood in this very library when she was outside of Phoenix Roost, and as its new caretaker she took pride in the sheer astonishment in Velvet’s aura upon entering the main atrium. It towered ten stories tall, and was three times wider than when Twilight had resided here. Bookshelves covered the walls where the spiral stairs and adjoining rooms didn’t take up space.  Tracks of brass and bronze allowed a contingent of small clockwerk trains to move the last few books that needed to be reshelved. However, the machines were typically only used after closing hours due to the noise. Intel grinned at the monument to her mother’s past. “The Tea’la were instrumental in keeping the tree healthy and growing as we expanded the interior to match Ponyville’s needs.” “It certainly is a boomtown.”  Velvet turned around so she could observe the wall above them. “Hardly a mystery why, what with this being the only railroad between Phoenix Roost and the rest of Equestria.”  Autumn was feeling ignored and by the time Velvet hid a yawn behind a hoof, she felt her presence was no longer needed. “I guess I’ll go then.” Not that she expected the real adults to hear her. It was off to the Waiting House back at the hive until a new assignment was given to her. I guess I could request an entrepreneur stipend and find something on my own. Or go to the engineering university.  It was a tantalizing thought. I am a brain strain after all. I’d run circles around the other students. The oil in her blood called to her, but her spirit wasn’t up for it. The university would involve plenty of delightful reading, to be sure. But I wanted to read fiction as part of my job too. To help kids find the perfect book to make them excited to read!  Alas, it was not meant to be. That would be the pleasure of her infamous pony grandmother, of all ponies.  With a resigned sigh, Autumn hefted her bag over her head to protect against the rain and made for the door.   The rain blasted through the moment the door opened. Her face was already soaked, and not just from the rain. She wanted to look back, but if she did, she might see that usurper. “I’ll just wait outside.” Blinking away the rain, Autumn tried to leave, but found something pulling on her tail. Before she could even see what it was, the door glowed blue before shutting. “Please don’t leave.” Autumn set her bag down and turned to see Velvet giving her a tired, sagging look while Intel observed silently. “I don’t deserve to take your job from you.” “My queen made it very clear,” Intel said with a tone that was tired of repeating itself. “If you’re serious about repairing your relationship, you must remain in Ponyville. She won’t support you financially, and I doubt an archivist’s salary afforded you enough cash to survive a job hunt.  Not for somepony of your - ahem - narrow experience.” “Then I’ll sell my condo and furniture back in Manehattan. That’s worth a pretty penny, and it’s not like I’ll be needing it anymore.” “A nice gesture,” Intel admitted with a nod, “but property prices in Ponyville are booming right along with the local economy.  You’ll be wanting to look into a house sooner rather than later.” “Autumn Breeze, was it?” Velvet said with sudden fire. Autumn jumped at the sudden address. “What are the library’s operating hours?” “Umm. From eight to two.” “And do you earn a salary or a wage?” “The city pays a salary. Why?” Velvet flashed a strong smile. “Perhaps what a boomtown needs is a library that’s open for more hours. We could expand the operating hours and keep the doors open earlier and later without tiring ourselves out.” Autumn’s wings buzzed with so much excitement she stayed in the air and flew over to beg at Intel's hooves. “Please please please?! It’s a great idea. I could totally work up a schedule and pass it along to city hall for approval!  They probably won’t even process my removal from office until the morning so I’d still be the chief librarian in their eyes.” “Where would she live?” Intel questioned just for clarification. “Last I knew, there was only one bed and bath here.  The other librarians and the clockwork mechanic lives off-site.” “She can take over one of the smaller reading rooms, and we can share a bathroom. With us on different shifts we shouldn’t interfere with each other. Plus we could always use a public toilet if the private one is busy.” Intel was about to say something but stopped herself and thought for a moment, glancing between the two librarians. “I’m sure the queen would have no objections to this arrangement. What of your belongings in Manehattan?” “As I said, I'll sell them. Condos are always in demand,” Velvet replied with slowly mounting energy bolstered by Autumn’s excitement. “I’d give it a week before a respectable offer is made. That should fund the moving company and any sort of remodeling the reading room would need.” Intel grunted in approval. “Tell you what, I’ll have one of my siblings make the property listing for you. What should the starting asking price be?” “I’d say one and a half million bits.”  Both changelings stared at her with dumbfounded expressions. Velvet couldn’t help but to smirk a little. “Not everything from my PCE days was a mistake.  I got quite good at playing property markets to produce funds .” “You could buy Aunt Rarity’s old place for that,” Autumn said, finding her voice.  “And then some.”  Velvet shook her head. “Actually, I would prefer to live in the library with Autumn, if that’s alright.  My bones aren’t what they used to be, and I could use the help.  We can put the extra into an emergency fund of sorts.” To Autumn, That seemed an easy price to pay if it meant her not getting kicked out of her dream job. She barged her way into Intel’s personal space. “She can live here. That’s the best plan!” Intel slowly nodded and gently pushed Autumn out of her face. She looked around and levitated some paper and a quill over. “Why don’t you write down the specifics for the paper ad?” As the older adults busied themselves with the rest of the details, Autumn had raced back to her loft. She quickly returned her suitcase’s contents back to their proper places, going so far as to make sure every corner was straight and the brushes were arranged smallest to largest in just the right way.  The process did not take long and soon enough she was at the last and most important part. Autumn crept back to the lip of the loft and saw the adults were still busy. “Good.” Since her loft was often visible to the public, mostly ponies, Autumn moved the pillows aside to take her mother’s plushie back into her waiting embrace. She hopped back in the bed and brushed her mother’s mind and was, once again, rewarded with love. “I knew you’d never really do this to me. This was just a test for both of us.”  She hugged the doll and rocked slightly, feeling as if Twilight herself was right there.  Autumn was so enraptured by the wellspring of Twilight’s love washing over her mind that she shrieked when someone tapped her withers. The sudden movement made the doll fall away from her, and left Autumn briefly hyperventilating and staring wide eyed at an utterly confused Velvet.  “I… am sorry for interrupting. But I heard you chittering and, well, I’m not familiar with what that means.” “I’m - I’m fine.”  Autumn blushed furiously at a non-changeling seeing the Twilight doll.  She flung the doll back under the pillows and stood between Velvet and the pillows. “That was just goodnight love. That’s all!” “I see.”  Velvet tried to look nonplussed.  “You weren’t going to leave that here as a welcoming present were you?  Not sure how to feel about having a doll of one's own child.”  Autumn tried to read Velvet’s aura to sense any mockery, but she was both inexperienced with pony auras and Velvet was newer still, so she was left with reading the unicorn’s body language. Something she was even worse at. “No!” she cried defensively and tried to deflect her embarrassment by turning her head away in a huff.  “I was going to take it with me. I was just unpacking, that’s all.  It’s perfectly normal ya know!” Autumn fumed, presuming insult. “Momma can send her love anytime we ask. So it’s like hugging her for real.” “Oh. That makes sense,” Velvet replied carefully. “I always thought you needed to feed on love in person.” “We do!”  It wasn’t often Autumn got to educate people, and she relished the opportunity. “I can’t feed off of the love, but I can still feel it. I’ll have you know all of us get dolls! It isn’t weird!” She stopped short and looked away. “Well… usually. I guess, depends on what we’re doing.” Velvet retreated and waved a foreleg dismissively. “I believe you. I really came up here to see the reading room. I’m too tired for a tour tonight.” Now that Autumn had a moment to actually think she suddenly didn’t care for the deal she had jumped for. Great. Now I have to work with the blood traitor. Even with Rainbow’s name for her at the top of her head, Autumn couldn’t bring herself to be actually hostile anymore. But she found a way for me to keep my job.  “Why not just wait until morning and sleep at the Pink Suites?” Velvet levitated out a purse and shook it to the sound of silence. “I don’t have any bits with me, so I have no way of paying for a hotel room.” Autumn hummed and turned to the spare closet beyond the loft. “I have some spare linens up there, but no extra mattress.” “My old bones will be fine with only sitting cushions for a few nights.” Autumn wasn’t sure how to take the tired, but growing smile on Velvet’s face. I thought she was supposed to hate us.  “Well, if you say so. I’ll show you the room.” Twilight watched it all from both Intel and Autumn’s eyes and ears.  Autumn was so young, she was entirely unaware of her queen-mother’s subtle viewing, and would stay that way even as Twilight removed herself.  The weary queen felt a tightness in her chest, but refrained from gasping upon hearing buzzing behind her. Rainbow Dash flew in through the window and locked it behind her. “Feeling better?” “I should be asking you that.”  Rainbow pulled a sitting cushion over to sit next to her sister. “What are we going to do about her?” “Velvet or Light Rain?” Rainbow huffed scornfully, but ultimately rested her head on Twilight’s withers. “Both, I guess.  Blitz and Aegis seem to think Velvet’s on the level.” “I’m starting to get that feeling too.”  Twilight surprised herself with her answer. Something Rainbow mirrored by pulling back to give her a puzzled look. “She acts differently now. Even from what I remember from my pony days.  She had always been a bit of a xenophobe.” “Different how? Saner? Weirder?” “I can’t put my hoof on it.”  Through Autumn’s eyes, she watched Velvet taking measurements of the reading room and asking Autumn to take notes on furniture placement. “I don’t want to label anything yet.” “You didn’t ask how I feel about it.” Rainbow stated flatly before her voice started theatrically dripping with morose tones. “My own sister, uncaring, unfeeling.” Twilight let off a snort laugh. It was a moment of humor she desperately needed. “As if I needed to. You’d rather punt her back to Manehattan.” “And we’d be better for it,” Rainbow grumped, dropping the melodrama. “You were doing just fine leaving her out of your life.” “Says the mare who didn’t even bother telling her parents about becoming a changeling until long after your first eggs.” Rainbow gently swatted Twilight with a wing.  “Not even remotely the same, and you know it.  You. Were. Fine!” Twilight’s moment of levity deflated, and her mood along with it.  “Aegis doesn’t seem to think so…” Twilight moved backwards so she could nuzzle Rainbow.  Rainbow leaned affectionately into the nuzzle. As before, Twilight’s love for her was just as powerful as before, but it was still hollow. “Fine. She’s your problem then. But I reserve the right to watch her like a hawk.” “Thank you.” Rainbow was more than happy to remain quietly nuzzling her sister. Hollow though the love was, it still felt good to feel it. To know it was as strong as ever.  In the end, it was Twilight that broke the moment. “So what are we going to do about Light Rain?” “Nothing, as far as I’m concerned.”  Rainbow felt some military matters draw her attention, but not enough to pull her out of the room. “We wear the knickknacks Schadenfreude gave us and that’s that.” “Is it though?” Twilight challenged softly.  Rainbow refused to give any sort of answer at first and turned away, revealing some splotches of soot covering her neck.  Without thinking, Twilight telekinetically pulled a glass of water and a cloth over. Using both, she cleaned off a few bits of soot that had gotten on Rainbow. She started cleaning her sister off, subconsciously feeling no different than if she were cleaning herself.  “Rainbow, we can’t just ignore what has happened.”   Rainbow didn’t flinch away from the grooming, but did look down to see what exactly Twilight was doing.  “Oh, thanks.”  For a long moment, Rainbow’s gratitude derailed Twilight’s train of thought until she realized what she was actually doing. Rainbow had no issue with it either until she actually thought about it. “Wait, why are you doing that?  Just point out the spots, and I can do it myself.” “... Because you are doing it yourself,” Twilight stated as the revelation of her actions struck her fully. She paused getting a spot off of Rainbow’s front left wing. “There’s no use in lying to ourselves. We’re the same person now. The crowns don’t change that.” Rainbow started sweating and she clenched her jaw. “That’s bogus. So what if we’re sharing a soul?  So long as we got the crowns or other doodads on, it’s just you and me.” “Rainbow, you know that’s only true skin deep.”  Twilight went back to scrubbing one particular stubborn streak of soot off Rainbow’s back. “These crowns are the only barriers between us now, and if our love is any indication, they’re imperfect. Logic dictates we accept the truth and go on from there.” “Logic,” Rainbow grumbled. She huffed, but didn’t offer any more protests. She distracted herself by thinking back to Light Rain’s memories, the ones she had been too busy flying to pay any attention to. In that moment, she was Light Rain again. Rainbow remembered seeing through Twilight’s body, feeling everything she touched, tasted, or smelled. The eggs Twilight’s body had laid, they felt like they were sons and daughters as well, not nieces or nephews. Rainbow gasped with a start after realizing that feeling had not faded away, but was as strong as before. Because she was Twilight Sparkle. “I hate logic.” Satisfied with her work, Twilight ruffled up Rainbow’s mane to make sure it was still as rough looking as usual. “But do you deny it?” Smirking, Rainbow saw several strands of Twilight’s mane had gone awry due to all the stress. After the impromptu preening, her other half seemed to need some caring after as well. Without a word, Rainbow pulled a comb over to return Twilight’s mane to its usual square perfection. If she didn’t think about it, she knew all the right strokes to correct it. “No point I guess.”  They remained in quiet company as Rainbow worked. As the mane slowly returned to normal, she felt the purple mane was hers as well. She wanted Twilight to look good because she wanted herself to look good. That’s what really drove it home. As she finished, she stared at Twilight’s face to check her work, only to feel as if she was not looking at her sister at all. But a mirror.   A hundred bits says she feels the same way.. Sighing, but ultimately not feeling negatively about the revelation, Rainbow nodded to her other half.  “So what happens now, Twily?  I don’t like the idea of giving myself up and staying as Light Rain all the time.” Smiling at Rainbow’s acceptance, Twilight pulled Rainbow into a side hug and started guiding her to the door. “I don’t think we should either. LR had some good ideas, but I think she handled the meeting with Emperor Clawed Blade too aggressively. He’s more pliable if he thinks he’s the meanest one in the room.” Rainbow saw where Twilight was going with this. “At least he didn’t even think “LR wasn’t you.  And yeeeah, she was too lenient on those fire bombers we caught outside Sprocket Munitions. Banishment was too good for them.” Twilight nodded.  “Crazy how much can happen in just a few days.”  The pair went outside and headed down to the consort lounge. “The whole point of the two queen system is to avoid such problems. Light Rain has plenty of good ideas, and I think we should regularly fuse back into her so she can brainstorm.”  “But for most part, we are better off thinking individually,” Rainbow finished. “Exactly.  So let’s get these eggs ready to lay when we wake up. We have a lot of work to do correcting LR’s errors.” Two days later at noon, Lyra and Bon Bon were eating a picnic at Canterlot Falls Park. The pair were partway down the waterfall, enjoying the cool spray of water. Lyra was leaning back in a sun bathing chair with a calzone floating near her head while Bon Bon was quietly munching on some vegetable lasagna. “So that’s basically how it all went down. Velvet’s camping out in Ponyville and RD hasn’t gone and killed her or kicked her out of the alliance.” “Then there’s hope yet.” Bon Bon said between bites and a sip of soda. “It’s for the best that I missed out. I got teleported once and was sick for days.  Plus, I’m not sure how much I could have really helped anymore.” Lyra didn’t reply. Her mind was already switching gears.  “Say Bonny?” “Yes?” “Blitzkrieg gave me an offer, and I’m not exactly sure what to do about it.”  Lyra took a long breath, and kept staring at the falling water.  “Let me guess. She either wants you to be a consort, or a queen.”  Lyra sat up in a hurry to look at her unamused friend. “I’m right, aren’t I?” “Close enough to count. How did you know?” “I was afraid this would happen,” Bon Bon muttered to herself. “Those were the two things you wanted me to stop if it ever came up. And let’s face it, Queen Blitz must be fully aware of all the good bringing two Equestrians into the changeling fold has done for them.  It was only a matter of time before she’d end up wanting your genes spread around.  Even if you are a ditzy string puller.” Lyra’s wings buzzed with irritation. She turned her nose up and didn’t take the bait. “I’ll have you know my queen offered me something else, even if it is along the same lines.  It’s why I’m asking you at all.  I already shot down her request to make me a consort.” “Good!” Bon Bon groaned melodramatically. “The world couldn’t handle Guyra.” “Ah hah, ha ha haaa,” Lyra droned with a flat look. “But no. She asked me to become a sort of mini queen.” Bon Bon gave her a bemused lifted eyebrow as she slowly chewed on a bite, making Lyra squirm a bit. “They have those now?” “I’d be the first!” Lyra stated proudly and put her hand on her chest with a flourish. She doesn’t need to know about the guinea pig.  “To put it simply, no hive, only a few dozen drones, if that, and more independence.” “Independence from what?” “Oh. Uh, the hive mind. Or more accurately, from the queens themselves. I told you drones don’t do so well outside of the link.  I did do that, right?” “I kinda remember.”  Bon Bon waved off any further comment and tapped her chin. “What’s the catch?” “When I said independence, I meant I wouldn’t be getting a free ride like I sorta do now. She’d help me get my crew together, but after that she wants me outta the nest.  Financially at least. I could still rent out hatchery services so long as I can pay at cost.” “Could be worse.”  Bon Bon sucked in a breath. “Wait, did you say you’d be the first?” “Uh huh.  Pretty cool, right?” “Cool?!”  Bon Bon got up in Lyra’s face. “Girl, do you realize what you’re asking me?!” Lyra had to restrain her first reaction. The only time someone got all in her personal space was at the drone orgies and right now she automatically got hot and bothered. Blushing, Lyra had to slowly push her back to keep her labido from doing something she’d regret. “I’m guessing something more important than I think it is.” Bon Bon wrinkled her nose at Lyra's reaction and backed up. “Let me make sure I have everything straight.  Blitz wants to make a whole new type of changeling, something that could have huge repercussions, and you’re resting that future on me?  I’m just a confectioner!” “You’re also the only friend I’d trust for an answer.  All of my siblings would tell me to do it for the queens, in about a hundred different ways. I need it straight.” Bon Bon stared blankly at her friend for a few more moments until she at last grumbled loudly and sat back down. “It really doesn’t matter how you used to feel about being turned into a queen or whatever.” “Blitz is calling it a duchess.” “Duchess, sure.”  Bon Bon looked out over the water, taking some comfort in the spray on her face. “All that matters is if you want to do it for your own reasons. Although why she wants to pick a mare with a hair trigger as the first is beyond me.” “Hey, don’t blame me!” Lyra snorted heatedly. “I just got a double dose of the amora bloodline curse because I'm pony turned drone. At least that's my running theory.” Bon Bon leveled a disbelieving leer. “Curse? You seem to enjoy yourself plenty.” “Only with Lings!”  Lyra shivered and looked around, scouting to see if there were any eavesdroppers. “Do you know how weird it is to be attracted to everypony?  Sometimes even ugly ones? At least among my siblings it isn’t awkward because they’re all the same way.” “Oh,” Bon Bon felt her derisive humor plummet. “Sorry. I thought you liked it.”  Lyra shook her head. “Well, anyway. If you feel like you want to do it, if you think you’ll be happy as a—duchess, was it?—then don’t let me stop you.” Lyra breathed slowly to calm down. “Alright. Really the only thing stopping me was asking you. Blitz already said I haven’t been a drone long enough to lose any memories.” Bon Bon came over and hugged her old friend. “Lyra, we all change.  I always knew your wants and desires would change when you became a changeling.  But I also knew how badly you wanted hands again, so I gave my support.”  She pulled back to look Lyra in the eye.  Don’t worry.  I’ll be waiting for you here when you get back.” She gently shoved her friend away. “Now get going. The sooner you come back, the sooner you can get back to your adoring fans.” Lyra smirked and took to the air. “Sounds like a good plan to me. Be sure to tell those adoring fans I won’t be gone too long.” “Pah, you’ve had one concert.  You have to go on tour if you want to start getting love letters.” Bon Bon teased with a snorty laugh.   “Oh, I’ll get plenty with just one more concert.  Catcha later Bonny!”  After waving her friend goodbye, Lyra zipped away to the train station and her future.