//------------------------------// // Reflection // Story: Changing Diamonds // by ShowShine //------------------------------// Rarity watched as the scenery whizzed by. The sky was dark, and the stars shined brightly. She sighed, leaning into her hoof. Wind from the open window brushed across Rarity’s face. She let her eyes flutter shut. The air smelled sickly sweet. It was unfamiliar yet alluring. It made her stomach growl and her heart ache. The ache felt like a want. No, a need. “You alright, Rarity? You’re awfully quiet.” Applejack asked, snapping the mare from her thoughts. Rarity quickly regained her composure, placing her hooves on her lap. “Oh yes, I’m quite alright. I’m just decompressing, that’s all. Today has been…eventful.” Rarity recalled. Fluttershy sighed lovingly, bringing her hooves to her chest. “The wedding was just beautiful.” Fluttershy gushed. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, shooting up from her seat. “Who cares about the wedding? We fought off changelings!” Rainbow Dash reminded, much too loudly for Rarity’s liking. She wanted to scold Rainbow, reminding her of ongoing passengers. But a quick look around reminded her they were the only ones in the railcar. “My hindquarters still hurt from all that kicking,” Applejack commented, stretching her legs. “They were so scary! I don’t know how we got away.” Fluttershy trembled. Pinkie Pie popped up from seemingly nowhere, wrapping her arms around Fluttershy’s neck. “Don’t worry, Shy. If any more changelings show their ugly faces, I’ll blast them away with my party cannon!” She cheered, miming shooting a canon. Rarity scrunched up her nose and furrowed her brows. Her friends seemed far too happy to terrorize a whole species. They were practically ponies, just like them! “I think it’s quite rude to celebrate the attack of a species.” Rarity defended. Her friends stared at her as if she had grown three heads. “Are you crazy? They were going to take over Canterlot!” Twilight exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air. Rarity gave a dismissive wave of her hoof. “I understand that, but you girls were relentless! Their screaming was rather harrowing, and you showed no mercy.” Rarity recalled.  Her mind went back to the battle. Despite fighting before, this battle seemed much too intense for her liking. She held back as much as she could, but the attack couldn’t be helped. “Screaming? I didn’t hear any screaming.” Twilight tilted her head. Rainbow nodded with her. “Yeah, I just heard hissing.” She pointed out. Rarity’s brows furrowed. Hissing? That couldn’t be right. She could hear the changelings protests so clearly.  “Why are you getting so defensive, anyway? They’re just changelings.” Rainbow shrugged off. Rarity opened her mouth to defend herself but quickly clamped it shut.  Why was she getting so defensive? They were just changelings. Nothing more, nothing less. Rarity put her hoof to her head. All of this talk about changelings was beginning to give her a migraine. “My apologies. I think exhaustion is catching up to me.” Rarity apologized, dramatically draping her hoof across her forehead. Perhaps her brain was just foggy from the eventful day. Yes, of course, that was the only reasonable explanation. The train slowed to a halt, catching the group's attention. Rarity hopped from the seat, hoping to avoid all of this changeling talk. It made her feel peculiar. The train doors slid open, letting in the moist summer air. Rarity rushed ahead of her friends, taking a deep inhale. The air still smelled sweet. It was nearly addicting. Rarity’s ear twitched as she heard her friends chattering. She brought her hoof to her mouth, feigning an obnoxiously loud yawn. “It’s getting rather late. I’ll talk to you girls tomorrow. Ta-ta.” Rarity bid her farewell, hopping off the train platform. Such a long day really took a toll on her.  Rarity walked through the empty streets of Ponyville. It was rather peaceful at this late hour. A soft buzz whisked through the air, making Rarity’s ears twitch. She froze in place, quickly looking at the sky. Something was calling her; she could feel it. She was almost tempted to follow. Rarity shook her head, continuing her way home. Rarity swung the door open to Carousel Boutique. It was dark, just as she had left it. She flicked the light on, lighting up the room. Rarity pulled her dress over her head, ensuring it didn’t touch the floor. She had spent ages making this dress; there was no way in Equestria she’d let it get dirty. That’s why she had taken it off when she fought off those icky changelings. Her mind wandered back to the fight. The changelings felt familiar. The way they moved and hissed felt like a missing part of her, almost like a lost memory. A migraine began to form around her temple, pulling Rarity away from her thoughts. It was much more intense than before. Her knees buckled, and she quickly caught herself on her vanity. She pulled herself up, placing her head on the flat surface. Rarity covered her face, letting out a long-drawn whine. What was going on with her tonight? Rarity looked at her reflection. Something seemed…off. She couldn’t tell what it was. The unicorn fixed her posture, getting close to her mirror. She was so close that the mirror began to fog with her breath. Was she different? She didn’t look any different.  Rarity felt something inside of swell, almost like an instinct. It swelled and pulsed, practically itching to be released. Rarity screwed her eyes shut and tilted her head forward. A beam of magic shot from her horn, slamming into her mirror. The mirror burst with a light beam, igniting with a green glow.  Rarity rubbed her eyes. Surely her tired eyes were playing tricks on her. There was no way the mirror didn’t shatter from that blast. But here it was, glowing as if it were the sun. The mirror warbled like a puddle yet crackled as if it were made of static. “How peculiar.” Rarity marveled. Whatever that spell was, it got rid of her migraine. She leaned toward the mirror, rubbing her hoof across it. The reflection cleared, revealing an ugly changeling. “Oh my Celestia!” Rarity shrieked, whipping around. There was a changeling in her house. She turned on the heels of her hooves, hastily scanning the room. To her surprise and relief, she was alone. Rarity looked back at the mirror. The changeling shared the same horrified expression as her. She took a cautious step forward. So did the changeling. Her ear flicked, and so did the changelings. What game was this changeling playing? Rarity knew changelings mimicked, but this was ridiculous. The more Rarity moved, the more the changeling copied. It was as if it were in her brain. “What do you want, you ruffian!?” Rarity asked, stomping her hoof. The changeling's mouth moved with hers, emitting no sound. Rarity got up from her defensive stance, tilting her head. The more she moved, the less the changeling looked like its own being. “Is that…me?” Rarity asked. No, it couldn’t be! That was a changeling. The question felt stupid, but it filled her with curiosity. Perhaps she cast an enchantment on her mirror. “Well, of course, it is.”  A voice echoed across the boutique. The reflection warbled, warping into a familiar face. Queen Chrysalis. Rarity gasped, taking a step back. “Stay back!” Rarity warned, making her horn glow threateningly. Queen Chrysalis only cackled. “Your threats mean nothing to me, little larva.” Chrysalis smiled. “Now sit. We have much to discuss.” She ordered. Rarity wanted to defy her request, but she couldn’t bring herself to. It was as if it were an overwhelming force. She sat down several feet from the mirror. Rarity huffed, staring at Chrysalis with disgust. A smile spread across Chrysalis’s face. “...What do you want from me? And how in Equestria did you get in my mirror?” Rarity questioned. “You responded to my homing signal. Every changeling got it. I need to make sure my subjects are safe.” She said, leaning into her hooves. Rarity furrowed her brows. “Why did I get it? I’m not a changeling.” Rarity pointed out. Chrysalis smirked. “Haven’t you ever wondered why you were so different? Why you seem a little different every day?” Chrysalis asked. “Because you’re nothing but a changeling drone. A spy.” Rarity blinked in surprise. Well, that was just ridiculous!  “But that can’t be true. My parents are ponies! I’m a pony!” Rarity responded, jutting her hoof towards her chest. Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Do you think those are your real parents?” She cackled, throwing her head back. “I planted you there! You’re a sleeper agent!” She said between laughs. Rarity’s heart hammered in her chest, and her mouth went dry. Chrysalis was lying; she had to be. “B-but how?” Rarity uttered. Even if she was lying, Rarity needed to hear what she had to say. She needed to hear. “It was simple. Your parents wanted a child, so I planted you.” Chrysalis began, “Keeping you in one form was the easiest part. I placed a small magical mark on you to stunt your changeling abilities. It could easily be confused for a birthmark.” Rarity stared at Chrysalis, her jaw agape. She looked at the bottom of her hoof. A rather large birthmark resided there, just as Chrysalis described. “Well, I don’t know why you’re coming to me. I’m sure you have subjects to rely on.” Rarity said, attempting to remain aloof. She couldn’t let Chrysalis know she was getting to her. “It’s quite simple, little larva. You’re an Element of Harmony.” Chrysalis grinned. “You’ll be my key to ruling Equestria!” She cackled. Rarity kept a stern gaze, her eyes not straying from her so-called “queen.” “Even if you are telling the truth, I don’t know what you’d want from me. I lack changeling abilities.” Rarity pointed out. Chrysalis eyed Rarity carefully. “It seems the love blast from that pesky princess unlocked your changeling abilities.” Chrysalis sniffed the air. “I can practically smell your changeling magic from here. You’ll be craving love soon enough. And then you’ll come crawling to me, your Queen.” Rarity’s felt something inside of her snap, like a bottle shattering. Her stoic expression faltered, and a scowl spread on her face. “You are not my Queen, and I am a pony!” Rarity denied. She couldn’t be a changeling. She wasn’t a changeling! Queen Chrysalis only chuckled. “I’ll see you soon enough, my little larva,” Chrysalis said, disappearing from the mirror. The only thing left for Rarity to look at was her own broken reflection.