This is Home.

by Lucy_Marigold

Chapter 19 - Blood Among The Lilies.

Applejack shifted away, letting loose a yawn as she stretched her hooves out. Her eyes darted towards where Rainbow Dash slept as her wings flicked open and closed when she snored. 

AJ’s hoof went to the side, trying to wake her up but only to find the sleeping bag completely empty. And then panic ran through the hivelink. Darting upright, Applejack went to wake Rainbow Dash. Grasping the mare’s tail between her teeth, the old changeling yanked down. RD let loose a hiss, grumbling as she turned to see a concerned Applejack.

“What’s up?”

“Twilight’s missing. And she’s panicking about something.” The two adored their usual disguises as Rainbow Dash instantly caught onto what was going on.

“Uh oh.” 

“So you know who I am, bug?” Shining Armour scowled, stalking forward. His armour clunked as he walked. He levitated his sword forward, seemingly preferring it over holding it with his mouth.

“I didn’t tell you did I?” Twilight muttered, taking a step back. “Shining, it’s me. It’s Twilight!” Her legs were trembling as her brother stepped closer. 

He narrowed his eyes, hate and rage radiating off of him. “Liar! How dare you pretend to be my sister, you vermin! You may be brainwashing the princesses but I’m going to stop you.”

“Shining, it’s me! What are you talking about?!” He swung the sword forward. She dodged it, the sword lodging itself deep into the nearby bed frame. “What are you doing?!”

“Destroying you!” He dislodged the sword. Why was Shining doing this? Twilight thought as she dodged another blow. She began to ignite her horn but there was a loud thunk as the hilt of the sword bashed her skull. The changeling stumbled back, raising a hoof to her now spinning head. 

Her flank bumped into the bed as she tumbled back into the moth-eaten sheets. She was grabbed by her throat as magic lifted her up, slamming her body onto the floor in front of him repeatedly. “Why…? BBBF, it’s me.” She croaked, tears running down her cheeks. His expression shifted for only a moment before rage took over once more.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you? Why shouldn't I erase you from Equestria?!” Her against her chest, he glared down at her.

“SHINING ARMOR, STEP DOWN!” A loud voice boomed, hooves clattering against the ground. Celestia strutted into the room, glaring down her Captain. 

“No no no! Stand back! I’m trying to help you, Princess!” 

“I order you to stand down, Captain!” Celestia snapped, flaring her wings. “I SAID STAND DOWN!”

“No no no no! Can’t you see, that thing is-is manipulating you! It’s making you say these things!” Shining Armour spluttered out, raising his sword toward Twilight. The regent of the sun levitated the sword out of Shining’s grasp, glaring down at him with utter disappointment radiating for her. Her expression shifted upon seeing the battered and bruised Twilight. 

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO ENGAGE! WHO GAVE YOU AUTHORITY TO DO SUCH A THING?!!” The air around them became hotter as Celestia glowered at the stallion. 

“It’s-It’s telling you to say these things!” He shouted back. “I-I’m right! I’m right about this!”

Celestia stood protectively over Twilight, wings arched menacingly. She turned slightly, glancing down at the changeling beside her. “Twilight, are you alright?”

“Shining, it’s me. It’s Twilight. Not one of Chrysalis’s changelings. They went back to her hive. We-” She spluttered up some blood as it spilled onto her hoof. “We used to make forts out of my textbooks and when I’d come home for the holidays, we’d make cookies shaped like our cutie marks.” 

Shining Armour became confused, eyes darting between the two mares. He stumbled back, emotions shifting so fast, she couldn’t discern what he was feeling. “What… No. It can't be.” Shining stared at her before glancing at his hooves. The sword clattered to the ground, the sound echoing around them. “Twily…?” He choked out. “Is… that-? Are you-?”

She nodded.

Silence overtook them as she shifted upright, placing a hoof against her bruised abdomen. Her nosebleed was slowly stopping, her own magical reserves working overtime to heal her. She’d heal physically but there was no doubt their relationship would recover. 

Celestia helped her, glancing around the room in search of gauze. ““I’ll go get somepony to help.” The princess mumbled. She spared them both one last glance before exiting the room to search for help.

Twilight felt betrayed, upset, at this attempt at her life. He wasn’t thinking rationally, she knew that. She knew he must have been going off of what he knew. How he found the hive, that part she didn’t know.

“I… I didn’t want to tell you because I was afraid of how you’d react…” Twilight muttered, glancing away from him. “I didn’t think this would be the outcome of that…”

“How…?”

“I’ve… always been a changeling. I didn’t find out until a month or so ago. Hehe… according to this, it’s actually my birthday… “ She sighed, lifting the book up before placing it down beside her. “It’s a long story.”

“I tried to kill you… I wanted to kill you. Oh, Celestia!” Shining spluttered out. “Blueblood was right… I wasn’t thinking rationally.”

Twilight closed her mouth, listening to her brother’s statement as a million thoughts ran through her head, some of them not even belonging to her. “I’m fine… I’ve been through worse.”

“Don’t say that! I still hurt you… “

“I mean it, Shining. I’ve been through worse. You and I both know what happens when we don’t think rationally.” Twilight let loose a shutter, remembering past incidents. Silence overtook them again, neither knowing what to say now. She could have fought back against Shining like she did Chrysalis yet what would that have achieved? 

More bloodshed in a room already stained with ichor?

“How’d you find… the hive?” She rasped, coughing up some dust.

“I… heard it was in the Everfree so I just followed the trail.” He mumbled, turning his gaze away from her.  “I… don’t know what to think right now.”

“I completely understand…” Twilight nodded. “You thought I was controlling Celestia, didn’t you?” It was his turn to nod. “I get where you’re coming from. But I assure you, that is a skill only Xenica changelings have.”

“What so there’s different kinds now?”

“Yep. Three actually.”

“That’s so confusing!”

“I know, but it’s like tribes, I suppose. Ponies have different races, remember?” Twilight closed her eyes and with a burst of magical energy, an object landed in her hooves. Her mother’s crown. “This hive, my hive, almost went extinct about twenty years ago. Let’s just say, Chrysalis is a lot worse than a wedding crasher. And there’s only one Libelula changeling alive currently, which is another hive. And this one,” She motioned a hoof around them. “Is what’s left of the Enigma hive.”

“And I tried to kill you. By Celestia, I’m so sorry, Twily.”

“I’d be glad Applejack or Rainbow Dash weren’t here. It would be much worse for you.” She coldly responded. She could sense her friends at the edge of her consciousness, awake and running. They were running and looking for her. A moment later, they found Celestia. 

Hooves echoed up the steps as three figures appeared on the landing. Applejack and a panicked Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt outside the room. AJ hesitated but was shoved forward by the cyan pegasus. Their gaze instantly darted over to Shining Armour and then to the wounded Twilight. “By Anyna, what the bucking hell did you do?” RD questioned, crossing her hooves.

Twilight glanced over at Shining who mumbled something under his breath. Applejack sighed. “Ah knew ya should’ve told him.”

Rainbow Dash wrapped more gauze around the nicks and bruises on the changeling queen’s body. Twilight flinched as she did so, grimacing. Applejack silently sat nearby, seemingly in thought. Celestia was dealing with Shining Armour in another room.

Death’s comments ran through her head, faster than the Friendship Express. 

‘One you trust greatly shall betray that trust and a great evil that shall rise up in them.’ and now ‘When all is said and done, your Hive will thrive but at an unspeakable cost. A cost so great it could unbalance all of harmony.’ 

Could Death be talking about what had just occurred with Shining? Was that what was first predicted or was it something else? Maybe an even greater evil? 

Would she be able to pay that cost Death warned her about?