This is Home.

by Lucy_Marigold

Chapter 5 - An Empty Teacup.

“Ha! That’s crazy!” Twilight snorted until she saw their faces. They were dead serious. “Wait, you're- Oh Celestia.” 

“Twi’-” Applejack was interrupted when Twilight let out a squeal before Rainbow covered her muzzle as quickly as she could. Rainbow could feel Twilight’s rapid heartbeat and the heavy breathing under her hooves. 

Sure, Applejack and Rainbow Dash being changelings seemed plausible but her? It was an utterly ridiculous notion. 

“Twilight, calm down,” Dash shouted, trying to hush her. Slowly, she removed her holed hoof, glancing warily at Applejack. 

“Oh, Celestia,” Twilight repeated, slumping to her hindquarters as she gripped her forehead. “This can’t be real. This is just a joke!” 

“Why did you have to make her a walker?” Dash sighed.

“Hey, ah told you she wouldn’t take it well. Noling does.” AJ said, rising from her seat. “Twilight,” Applejack placed her own curved horn against Twilight’s ordinary one. “Just breath.” There was a blinding flash of lavender flames, licking up Twilight’s body. She wanted to scream but discovered that the fire around her was actually quite pleasant and… Familiar. Twilight screwed her eyes closed, allowing herself to be wrapped in the flames. Somehow, against all odds, her instincts told her it was alright. 

When the flames evaporated, leaving nothing in its place, did Twilight finally open her eyes. Glancing downwards, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Black chitin replaced her lavender fur coat, the new coating shiny and undamaged. Holes littered her hooves where bone might have been. She felt an extra set of appendages on her back as she glanced behind herself to spot two flowing and transparent wings, shaped like the wings of a butterfly. Raising a hoof upwards, she felt along her differently shaped horn, a single dent near the base of the magical limb.

She was a changeling. No, she was a changeling Queen. 

“Wow…” She heard Rainbow breath out, awe coating her voice. “You’re all grown up. I can’t believe it.”

“Beautiful. Ya look just like…” AJ suddenly looked sad, regretful, shutting her muzzle closed. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, an ancient look appearing on their face. 

“Odonata.” 

Twilight creaked her eyes open, sleep caking them as she shook her backside once she rose from where she lay. Morning light streaked through her window, bathing her in the warm light. Her bed was unkempt as well as her mane. Ignoring the blankets that were haphazardly tossed back in place, she glanced at the two other ponies in the room. Applejack and Rainbow Dash lay, asleep, on her bedroom floor, tangled in blankets and pillows. 

Despite having transformed back to normal after a brief lecture on how to transform, the night’s events still lingered in her mind. She was a changeling. Of all the creatures she had to be other than a pony, she would never have imagined she’d be a changeling. Although, now that she thought about it, it made sense. All those magical outbursts and strange habits she possessed would seem like changeling behaviour. Was it changeling behaviour?

Removing her gaze from her changelings bundled on her floor, from her friends, electing to quietly trot down the stairs. She still had so many lingering questions. Exiting her bedroom, heading down the familiar steps, her thoughts followed her to the kitchen. Out of sheer habit, Twilight prepared a bowl of cereal, turning on the kettle in the process. Sitting her behind down at the table, she took a spoon full of the oat mush before scoping it into her mouth. 

“You know you don’t have to eat right?” A voice startled the lavender unicorn, her spoon cluttering into her bowl with a splash of milk. Rainbow Dash let loose a small snicker, rushing to grab her a towel. 

“Just because I don’t have to, doesn’t mean I don’t want to.” Wiping away the liquid from her muzzle, the unicorn shifted her hooves before resuming her breakfast.

“Rightt. Well, I’m gonna head out. Gotta go clear the sky today.” With that, Rainbow Dash donned her disguise and fled the library before Twilight could even get another word in. 

The kettle rang out as Applejack set hoof downstairs, her disguise completely flawless. “Would you like a cup?” The unicorn asked tentatively. AJ nodded, sitting down at the table and glancing away. She poured two cups of tea. “You knew my parents right?” Twilight quietly spoke, mildly biting her lip for a second as she watched the startled reaction of Applejack. 

“Well, uh, yeah. Ah knew yer mother. Ah was part of her… hive after all. I’d rather-”

“What happened, Applejack?” Twilight was the one asking questions now, the looming mystery of her mother and father was evident now. She knew Twilight Velvet and Night Light weren’t her real parents after last night’s realization. And Twilight wanted to know the truth more so than ever.

“Ah would rather not tell ya, Twilight.” She dodged the question, shutting her mouth as Twilight brought over the tea. “Look, Twi’, I understand that ya want to know more but I’d rather not tell ya. It’s harder to tell than ya think.”

“Can you at least tell me what she was like?” Twilight said, easing herself into her seat across from her friend.

Applejack let loose a long sigh, pausing in thought as she lowered her drink to the table. Her jaw opened a few times as if she was slowly gathering the courage to speak.

“Y-Your mother was a wonderful ling.” She finally muttered. “She didn’t do nuthing that wouldn’t make others hate her. Ah remember the day she took charge of the Hive. Your Grandmother was an amazing one too. Her name was Queen Lantana. Your mother didn’t quite like her methods that much though.” Applejack had a slight smile on her face before it fell as second later. She visibly shivered, brow scrunched. “Your mother didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

“What about my-”

“She died, Twilight. Ah saw it with mah own two eyes. Ah won’t go inta details but it wasn’t nice. After… after ah left you with Miss Velvet and her husband, ah… came back here.”

“Why?” Twilight spoke up after a long silence between the two of them, sips of their drinks conjoining one another.

“Ah had ta be honest with the ponies ah and yer mother befriended. Your mother was always friends with the Apples of this here town, ever since they first settled here. Quite easy ah say to blend inta their family, Twi’. And Rainbow, well, she did her own thing. Ah heard she went to an orphanage.” Applejack stopped, glancing out at the window before looking down at her now empty cup of tea.

She didn’t say anything else, shifting her hooves before there was a knock at the door. When Twilight Sparkle opened it, she discovered Applebloom bouncing up and down, asking for Applejack. The orange earth pony took that as a sign to exit, leaving the lavender mare alone with her thoughts, a half-eaten breakfast and an empty teacup.