A Change of Opinion
Pinkie jumped nonstop, causing the carriage to bounce as it flew through the air. “Are we there yet? Are we!? Are we!?”
Princess Celestia found amusement in her excitement. “Patience, Pinkie Pie. We will be there in a moment.”
Applejack looked out the window and saw they were heading straight towards a large mountain with smoke coming from the top. “Ya tellin’ me they live at that volcano?”
“It only appears to be one. And yes, they live within it.”
As the group came closer, they noticed a small settlement on the ground below. There were several buildings under construction by several changelings and there was also a group of children playing while being monitored by several guards. “Then what about down there?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“They live there, too. Now that their existence has become known, they have no reason to stay underground and many wish to live outside. They are beginning to establish some settlements on the surface within their territory. There are still some who will remain underground as they do not think it is safe until they are granted Equestrian citizenship.”
Earlier that week, Celestia finally got a day off and went to go visit her favorite student, Twilight. When they began discussing changelings, she discovered something very troubling. Twilight and her friends all had extreme resentment of the changeling race and were reluctant to allow them to live in Equestria. She understood that they had reasons to have doubts and concerns, but they had heard some rather horrible lies about them, making it even harder for them to accept them. She had tried before to have them give the changelings a chance and assumed their trust would gradually come, but this was not the case. As a desperate attempt to help them understand them better, she requested them all to accompany her during her visit so they could learn about the changelings. They were shocked and outraged by her suggestion, but she managed to convince them that they were safe.
They saw a large cave opening at the base of the mountain and the carriage entered. They went through a long tunnel that was filled with changelings passing through, who were all looking and waving at them. They then entered an opening and the ponies awed at the sight.
“Welcome,” said Celestia, “to Bugartha, capital city of the Changeling Kingdom.”
They stared at the city in wonder. Bugartha was built inside of a large opening in the hollow mountain where fungi and moss covered most of the walls, which many changelings were currently gathering for food. They could see some other large tunnels below, likely leading deeper underground toward other colonies. There were many buildings built against the walls high above and some small buildings also cluttered the ground below, with changelings walking and flying through the streets.
The city was illuminated by both torches and some of the large fungi that glowed with greenish light. Some light came from the opening above, allowing ventilation for the smoke. Right under the opening was the castle itself, which was built with glimmering black and green stone and towards the back of the cavern. It wasn’t as large as Celestia’s palace, but it still overshadowed the other buildings.
“Now girls,” started the alicorn, “I expect you all to be on your best behavior while we are here. The changelings are just as nervous as you are by our visit and I do not wish to cause any trouble.”
Twilight was still slightly shaken for being in the enemy territory. “Do we have to meet the queen?”
“Yes, but you will not have much time to see her today as she is incredibly busy. We will be able to sit down with her tomorrow for breakfast and you can get to know her then. Now here are a few rules you all need to follow. You must be respectful to the changeling culture, you must try not to talk about the wedding, and do not cause any trouble. These negotiations are delicate and I want them to feel welcomed by our kind. They have never trusted another race before, so they are very nervous about coming to Equestria.”
“Okay, Celestia,” said Twilight.
“One last thing and this is the most important. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT mention Chrysalis in the presence of Nymph. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Princess,” they all said at once.
The carriage descended into the castle’s courtyard, where many changeling guards stood. Once it came to a complete stop, a pony guard came around and opened the door, allowing Celestia and the rest to exit. Twilight and her friends looked in wonder and fear of the large castle. “Come on, the queen is expecting us,” said Celestia.
As Celestia walked ahead, the others trailed behind and whispered amongst each other. “This place is really scary. Are we going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked while quaking with fear.
“Princess Celestia would never have brought us here if she didn’t think it was safe. I already checked her for mind control twelve times before we left,” Twilight reassured.
“So what do ya think Nymph is like?” asked Applejack.
“Celestia speaks highly of her, but Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor have their doubts about her. I don’t blame them as nothing good could come out of anyone related to Chrysalis.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I remember perfectly well how evil Chrysalis was. Nymph is probably just like her.” Rarity shuddered at the memory of their first encounter with the changelings.
“I still don’t trust this whole citizenship thing one bit,” spoke Spike “It’s just too shady how they attack us one day and then ask for help the next. I bet they’re all up to something.”
Twilight nodded at him. “Just be ready for whatever Nymph has in store for us. I doubt she’s going to be happy to see any of us.”
Rainbow Dash pounded her hooves together. “We’ve got your back, Twilight. Queen Nymph might want payback for foiling Chrysalis’s plot, but we’ll stop whatever she has planned.”
They stopped walking as the large doors of the palace opened and a figure approached them, who all of the guards saluted. She was slightly taller than Luna and just as slim as Celestia. Her horn was long and jagged, intimidating the ponies who stood before her. Her tattered hair was a jade color and it had an incredibly long length, hanging only a few inches from the ground. It was smooth in appearance and it shined from the sunlight that fell upon it. On her front legs were two golden bracers, each with an emerald embedded into them. On each of her hooves, she wore emerald footwear that resembled Celestia’s. She wore a green robe on her back, matching the color of her mane and it was covered in golden stitches. On top of her head was a small, black crown that they were very familiar with. The expression on her face, however, was not what the ponies were expecting.
“Princess Celestia, I'm so glad you could come!” Nymph took her hoof and kissed it.
“Hello again, Nymph. You seem to be doing well,” the alicorn replied warmly.
“Only because you’re here now; you certainly liven up the place.” She finally took notice of the ponies behind her. “Are these the ones you have told me about?”
“Yes. I have brought them here so they could learn about the changeling civilization and possibly speed things up with the negotiations. As the Elements of Harmony, their opinions on this issue can affect the opinions of other ponies and help them accept the changelings.”
“How delightful.” She scanned her eyes across the group and fixated on one of them, gasping. “You hair is magnificent!”
Rarity smiled and ran a hoof threw her mane. “Why thank you. I spent all morning-”
Nymph walked past her and approached Rainbow Dash. “I have never seen a mane as unique looking as yours aside from Celestia and Luna. It’s so colorful!”
The pegasus was surprised that she immediately went up to her and not Twilight. When she saw Rarity’s horrified expression, she couldn’t help but play along. “Impressed? It’s totally my thing.”
“And now mine too!” Nymph’s hair flashed green and was now a rainbow color like Dash’s.
“Hey!”
The queen flicked her hair. “I think I might keep this. Maybe I can turn even more heads now.” She looked back at the pegasus. “I assume you’re Rainbow Dash.”
“You got it! Top Equestrian flyer and future Wonderbolt!”
“That sounds wonderful.” Her smile shifted into an expression of confusion. “What’s a Wonderbolt?”
“They are the best fliers in the world. They do all sorts of stunts for their shows and go on dangerous missions! It’s been my life’s dream to become one. They’re going to be better than ever with me and my sonic rainboom on their team.”
“How nice. I’m sure you will be the best there is. Maybe I’ll even see one of your shows in the future.” She turned towards Rarity, but her attention was immediately set on the dragon she was carrying. “Hmm, I didn’t think you would have brought your pet dragon.”
“I’m not a pet! I’m Twilight’s friend and assistant!” shouted Spike.
Nymph gave him a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry. You must be Spike. I apologize for my earlier comment. I am still amazed that Celestia had managed to make you so civilized. All of the dragons I have encountered have been rather nasty.”
“They were nasty to me, too. I don’t like dragons either and I just prefer being with ponies, who are much friendlier.”
“Good to hear. Celestia has always told me of what a nice dragon you are and I have been interested in meeting you for some time.” Nymph then started blushing. “Do you mind if I…pet you?” she requested shyly.
Spike expected many things from the sister of Chrysalis, but this was not one of them. “W-what?”
“Well you are kind of adorable.” The dragon blushed as the ponies and even some of the changelings snickered at him.
“I-I am not!” he protested. “I’m handsome and tough!”
The queen loudly giggled, completely emasculating him. “Of course you are. So can I?”
He wasn’t sure how to answer her, so he shot a look to Celestia, who gave him a nod. Knowing what he had to do, he gulped. “I guess.”
As Nymph began to reach over towards him, Rarity got in front of her face. “I swear if you harm one scale on the head of my Spikey-Wikey…”
“Spikey-Wikey!?” Nymph and her guards broke into hysterics. Spike’s face turned red and he looked angrily at Rarity, but then the queen pulled on his cheeks. “Well he is certainly a wittle adorwable cutie, isn’t he?” She gave him a quick hug before talking to Rarity. He felt total embarrassment and it only became worse when he saw Celestia put a hoof over her mouth to hide her chuckling.
“Now what is your name, unicorn? I am ever so curious to know more about you as I can sense a certain emotion between you and Spike.”
“My name is Rarity. Spike and I are not in a relationship right now as he is too young, but I still love him to death.”
“Ah yes. You are the dress making pony of generosity. You are as beautiful as Celestia told me.”
Rarity gasped, mood brightened by the compliment. “Really?”
“Yes, you’re the fifth most beautiful person I know!”
The seamstress's smile immediately became an expression of horror. “F-F-FIFTH!?”
“Well there’s you, then Luna, then Cadance, then Celestia, and then the best one of all, me!” Rarity’s eye twitched as Nymph looked at her strangely. Not knowing what was wrong, the changeling shrugged and moved on to the next pony.
Applejack was next of the six ponies and she felt pretty good about speaking with her after seeing how she played around with Spike and unintentionally offended Rarity, finding it pretty funny that she took it so seriously. “Now what is your name?” asked the queen.
“Name’s Applejack. Ah’m a farm pony and apples are my specialty.”
“Of course. I should have known that from you cutie mark. I don’t think I have had apples before. Fruits are a bit rare here since we barely have any fruit crops within the kingdom.”
“Well Ah happen to have some on me, so help yarself.” She took an apple from her bag and held it out towards her.
“Why thank you. That is very kind.” Nymph took the fruit and bit into it, but then she scrunched her face upon tasting its contents and spat it out. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I do not find them to be as appealing as you ponies do.”
If there was one thing anypony in Applejack’s family did not tolerate, it was having their family crop insulted. “At least Chrysalis tried to be polite,” she sneered.
The apple fell onto the ground and was instantly obliterated under the hoof of the queen, causing a thunderclap that made everyone else in the area jump. As Nymph approached Fluttershy, the other ponies examined the spot where the fruit fell. All that remained was several chunks of the apple and even cracks on the stone ground. Applejack looked at the alicorn and she was as nervous as they were.
Fluttershy was ready to faint, completely afraid that she was going have to speak to Queen Nymph right after her flash of anger. The royal changeling stood in front of her and Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair, whimpering. She found her to be extremely intimidating from her large height and how she bore strong resemblance to Chrysalis. “Is there something wrong?” the queen asked her.
“N-n-n-n-no, nothing at all.”
“You’re shaking an awful lot.”
“Nymph," Celestia intervened, "this is Fluttershy. She gets nervous around strangers, so please be gentle.”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember you mentioning her now.” Nymph leaned around and looked at her cutie mark. “Ooooh. Fluttershy is like butterfly and she’s even shy! That’s just cute!”
Fluttershy was beginning to calm down, but she still could not look her in the eyes. “Thanks.”
Nymph noticed how uncomfortable she was by how quietly she spoke. “Are you frightened of me?”
“N-n-n-no! Not at all.” Nymph just stared at her and she quickly caved in. “Maybe a little,” she squeaked, making all of her friends gulp.
The royal changeling knelt down in front of her. “There’s no need to be afraid of me, Fluttershy. I don’t bite.”
Fluttershy slowly looked at her. “O-ok.”
“Can you give me a smile?”
“Huh?”
“Come on. Just a nice little smile for me,” requested Nymph as she batted her eyelashes.
The pony felt more comfortable and produced one. “Like this?”
Nymph happily nodded. “Yes. Do you feel any better?”
“I do, actually.”
“Excellent. Just keep smiling and everything will be fine. You are safe here, Fluttershy.” Nymph stood and approached the next pony as Fluttershy produced a relieved sigh.
Pinkie was hoping in place as the changeling queen moved to her. “Hi! My name is-”
“Wait, let me guess!” The queen put a hoof on her chin and examined her. “Is it Redie?”
Pinkie shook her head. “No.”
“Blueie?”
“No!”
Nymph pondered for a moment. “I got it! You’re Purplie!”
“No! No! No!” Pinkie shouted with some anger. She wanted Nymph to guess her name and not think she was somepony else.
The changeling thought some more, but then shrugged. “I’m sorry, but I cannot possibly think of what your name is. I guess you just won’t have one!”
Pinkie’s jaw dropped. Not having a name would have been horrible, much worse than being mistaken for somepony else. With incredible rage, she screamed, “MY NAME IS-”
Nymph put a hoof over her mouth and was laughing hard. “I’m only messing with you. I know your name is Pinkie.”
“Ooooh.” Pinkie started laughing along. “You really had me going.”
“Celestia told me that you loved jokes, so I thought you wouldn’t have minded if I played one on you.” Nymph took a look at her cutie mark. “I like the design of your cutie mark. I have heard that your parties are like no other.”
“You bet! Speaking of parties, can we have a party now? We can throw ourselves our own welcoming party!”
She sighed and shook her head. “Another day. I cannot afford to stray from my duties and I do not feel like partying at the moment.”
“Aw.” Pinkie examined her and held some of her mane, admiring it. “Wow, I really like how long your hair is!”
Nymph smiled at the complement. “Thank you. You can only imagine the styles that are possible. I just have to keep track of the length, otherwise I might trip over it again.”
The pony looked up at her head. “And I like how big your horn is!”
“It is big, isn’t it? The crooked appearance makes ponies uneasy, I’m afraid.”
“And Nymph, what huge eyes you have!”
Nymph was taken aback. “D-d-do you really think they’re that big?”
“They’re totally ginormous! They’re bigger than my hoof! Is that where the term ‘bug-eyed’ comes from?”
Nymph placed her own hoof close to her eye. When she saw that there was truth to her statement, green flashed on her face and she turned away. “Pinkie, I think you might be making her uncomfortable,” addressed Celestia.
“Speaking of uncomfortable, does it hurt to have those holes in your legs? But then again, why do you have such goofy looking legs in the first place?” Every changeling guard was now looking at their own hooves, feeling insecure of their own appearance.
The queen quickly left Pinkie, only to go from one uncomfortable situation to another. “And you must be…”
“Twilight Sparkle,” she responded harshly.
Nymph visibly winced, knowing full well of who she was. Even her guards knew her and just looked away or whistled innocently. “Yes…the princess has always spoken of you. Glad we could meet.” She extended a hoof towards her and Twilight reluctantly took it. “I can clearly tell that you are not happy to be here.”
“You’re absolutely right. I am not happy to be here at all.”
“Twilight!” snapped Celestia.
“No, it’s all right.” Nymph looked Twilight in the eyes. “I know everything that Chrysalis has put you through and I wish I could have stopped her back then. Just the thought of her stealing your brother and turning him and your friends against you is just sickening. I am so glad you had exposed her before it was too late.”
All of the ponies were confused. “You…are?” asked Twilight.
“Of course. Chrysalis would have conquered all of Equestria and imprisoned everypony were it not for you. Such a horrifying event should never come to pass. There would also be the other races, who would become afraid by Equestria’s fall and wage a war on us that we could not win. Because of you, we have avoided such a conflict. You are a hero in my eyes, Twilight.”
“…Thanks?”
“I know you still have your doubts about our kind, but I hope that your stay here will change that. We are not the monsters you saw us as on that fateful day. A lot of ponies in Equestria still fear us and continue to spread lies, reducing any chances of us becoming accepted into the world above. They must learn that the changelings are just like any other race in the world, only that we were given a rather unique method of survival.
“As such influential individuals, I hope you all can see and accept us for who we are and to spread the word across Equestria. As long as the ponies and the other races fear us, we have to remain here in order to prevent conflicts. For many generations, we have been isolated here, living in the dark, but as soon as all these fears are put to rest, we plan on exploring the world. I always did want to go see Prance.”
“We’ll do the best we can,” Twilight replied, unsure of her own words.
Celestia stepped forward and looked at her student with a reassuring smile. “I am confident you will succeed. Now, Queen Nymph and I have important political and economic matters to attend to, so you may all explore Bugartha by yourselves.”
“But one thing before you go,” added Nymph. She pointed at Spike and Rarity. “You two,” she then pointed at Pinkie and Fluttershy, “and you two should remain separated.”
“Huh? Why?” Pinkie asked as she suddenly hugged Fluttershy tightly.
“I can sense the love between you, so all the other changelings will as well. Food is a little scarce right now, so I’m sure that they will want a little of it, but when twenty or so changelings want to try just a little of your love, you’re going to be tuckered out rather fast.”
“Oh. Thanks for the warning,” said Spike.
“Just remember to return by six for supper,” the queen reminded. Celestia and Nymph turned and headed back towards her palace with their guards following. “Bye, girls! Enjoy the town!”
Before they were out of sight, they could hear Celestia talking. “I think your eyes are fine, Nymph. No, I’m not just saying that to make you feel better.”
The group just stood there as they were left alone in the courtyard. From their encounter, the whole group was left entirely confused. “Are ya tellin’ me that’s Chrysalis’s sister?” asked Applejack.
“Are they even sisters? They seem like total opposites!” remarked Dash.
“She seems really nice. What do you think, Rarity?” Fluttershy saw that her friend was whimpering. “Rarity?”
“I’m not as pretty as her? I’m not as pretty as a bug!?” Rarity then wailed with sorrow as she fell onto the floor.
Spike tried comforting her by holding her hoof. “I don’t like her either. She completely embarrassed me in front of everyone!”
“But she’s so apologetic and friendly!” said Pinkie. “She is totally not like Chrysalis at all!”
“It’s just a load of bunk.”
All of her friends looked at her. “Twilight?” asked Pinkie.
The purple unicorn stood in front of her friends with a stern look on her face. “She may act all nice and friendly, but don’t forget that she is Chrysalis’s sister, so she is probably just as bad. Not to mention she's a changeling: a race who grew up learning how to trick others.”
“There’s no way that’s true. It seems so unlike her,” argued the pink mare.
“Just remember that Chrysalis fooled you all before. Nymph is probably much craftier to have Celestia fooled for this long. We cannot let our guard down for even a second while we’re here. She could be planning anything.”
“So what should we do?” asked Applejack. “Princess Celestia wants us to go explore the city.”
“And that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll split up and study the changeling culture. Know your enemy, right? But while we’re out there, we should ask the locals of what they know of the royal sisters. Somehow, I don’t think Nymph really sent Chrysalis packing.”
Fluttershy began to tremble and hid under Pinkie. “Y-y-y-you mean she could still be here?”
This was a question that made them all afraid, filling the air with tense silence. “It is very possible,” answered Twilight. “Just remember to stick together and to stay on the lookout. Come back before six and we’ll see if we find anything. Pinkie, Spike, you two will be with me while the rest of you go elsewhere.”
“But I don’t wanna leave Fluttershy!” cried Pinkie as she tightly hugged her once more.
Twilight went over to pry the pony off Fluttershy. “We don’t have a choice. Nymph’s warning is something we need to consider and we cannot afford any mistakes. It will only be for a few hours.”
Pinkie reluctantly let go. “Promise you’ll protect her.”
Applejack nodded. “Course we will. Ya just keep an eye on yarselves since it’d be Twi they want.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve been practicing magic for a moment like this for a long time. I am prepared for anything.”
“Ah hope ya are. Come on, girls.” Applejack led her group towards the gates.
Rarity stopped for a moment and ran back to the others so she could plant a kiss on Spike’s forehead. “Please be careful, Spikey.” She then ran to catch up with her friends.
Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy explored the busy streets of Bugartha. As they moved through the crowds, many changelings stared at them and muttered between themselves. “Why are they all staring?” Fluttershy asked nervously.
“Well we do sort of stand out,” answered Rarity. “We are certainly much more colorful than any of them, not to mention probably the only ponies ever allowed to see their city.”
“Ah keep feelin’ like they’re gonna jump us at any moment,” Applejack said while keeping her eyes on them. As they continued, more changelings continued to stare and their voices became louder.
“Those are the ponies with Princess Celestia?”
“Look at that one. She’s gorgeous!”
“I have never seen anypony like her.”
“Do you think she’ll let me take a picture with her?”
Rarity stopped walking and her friends noticed. “You are all so very sweet. I work so hard to-” She was shocked when all the changelings suddenly gathered around Rainbow Dash.
“It’s like a rainbow!”
“What does her cutie mark mean?”
“Rainbow colored lightning? Does that even exist?”
Rainbow Dash felt her ego swell by the sudden praise she was receiving from the crowd and was smirking as Rarity glared at her. “Come on, we’ve got more of the city to look at,” said Applejack as she dragged Dash away.
After moving from the crowd, they took notice of many changelings going in and out of a tunnel and most were accompanied by infants. A small changeling girl took notice of them and tapped on her father. “Daddy, what are those?”
“Those are ponies, sweetie. They are here along with Princess Celestia.”
“They’re so pretty and colorful!” She looked up at him. “I want a pony, Daddy!”
“I don’t think you can own one.”
“DADDY, I WANT A PONY RIGHT NOW!”
They watched as the father dragged away his screaming child, clearly embarrassed as many changelings stared. “What a little cutie,” said Applejack with a smirk on her face. “Might as well see what’s over here.”
They entered the cave and were hit by a slightly cold draft. “Awfully chilly in here, isn’t it?” commented Rarity.
Rainbow Dash mildly shivered. “No kidding. What’s down here?”
They entered a large cavern filled with the sound of chirping. The area was cluttered with many changelings, most of them handling infants or eggs. There were several green eggs covered in slime against the walls and they could hear a female scream that sounded as if she was going into labor. “I think this is a hatchery,” said Fluttershy in awe.
“That is correct, pony.” They turned around to see a female changeling approach them. “Changelings bring their eggs here and we care for them until they hatch.”
“Why is it so cold in here?” questioned Dash, lightly shivering.
“This area is constantly kept at the optimal temperature for the eggs. We are used to the cold after living here for so very long.”
They looked over the many hatchlings in the area. The infant changelings were very small and had not grown in their wings yet. They did not give off any intimidation like the ones they met a long time ago and watching them play was adorable to them. “They’re so cute. Can I see one?” pleaded Fluttershy.
“Of course. I have one whose parents are currently not here, so they shouldn’t mind as long as I keep an eye on him. Just mind your hooves.” The nurse brought over an infant in a bundle. The baby looked at the ponies and began giggling happily. He moved his hooves out of the bundle and reached out for them. “It seems he has taken a liking to you pony folk.”
Fluttershy took the bundle and gently rocked him. “Hi there, baby! You’re so adorable!” The baby took some of her hair and began playing with it, enthralled by it.
“I thought that the queen had all the children,” spoke Rainbow Dash. "Isn't that how it works with all bugs?"
The nurse looked at her with annoyance. “Of course not. Where did you even hear of such a stupid thing?”
Dash blushed and chuckled nervously. “Never mind. So does Queen Nymph have any children at all?”
“No, she doesn’t. With everything going on, I’m sure it will be some time until she wishes to expand the royal family. I really hope I live to see it. The birth of a royal changeling is always such a historic moment. The entire kingdom celebrates every birth for a week.”
“When was the last one?” asked Rarity.
“Over three-hundred and fifty years ago, when Queen Nymph herself was hatched.”
“That long ago?” asked Applejack with surprise.
“Strange, right? There are actually not many royal changelings as our ancient history tells about how larger families competed for the throne, so the amount of royal changelings is kept small to prevent conflict.”
“So what do you think of the queen?” questioned the white unicorn.
“Seeing how we aren’t starving so much and not at war with Equestria, Queen Nymph has my full support. She even comes by here sometimes and it is always a blessing to see her.”
“Why does she come here?” queried Dash.
“Queen Nymph absolutely adores children and they adore her. She is such a sweet, motherly queen. She wants some of her own, but she simply does not have the time to go out and find a mate. I’m sure she will make a better parent than Chrysalis would have.”
“So ya don’t like Chrysalis?” asked the farmer.
“Not at all. Other than some of the controversial things she has done during her reign, her plan ended in disaster and we were all scared of war. I don’t understand how she could have possibly failed after beating Celestia. It should have been a sure thing.”
Dash got in front of her, confronting the nurse. “So you’re saying you would have been happy if she won?”
The changeling felt annoyed by the tone she was using. “Don’t talk to me like that. Before Celestia came and helped, acquiring love was a long and difficult process and it only fed some of us. I was just glad Chrysalis was doing something to help us.”
“But what about all the ponies that would be drained?” asked Fluttershy.
“They would have been hypnotized into believing they were with the love of their life. Not that bad of a fate, in my opinion.”
“But it’s wrong!” Rarity covered her mouth when she heard some of the infants becoming upset from her shouting.
“I’m sorry, but we were desperate. Our minds were more focused on our stomachs rather than right and wrong. I didn’t want us to starve.” The nurse looked at the infant that was being held by Fluttershy. “I want you to imagine that this child here is hungry and screaming for food, but you have none to give. Even worse, there are many more like him in the kingdom. It is one of the most horrible experiences I have ever been through and we all just wanted it to end.”
They looked back to the child, who giggled as he was being nuzzled by Fluttershy. Imagining such a thing was very hard for them to do. “I guess I can see where you’re coming from,” said Rarity. “Are you at least glad about how things are now?”
“I am. I really do wish to see the world and meet ponies, which is something I never thought I’d be saying. My husband and I have been saving up money for months so we can go on a long vacation.”
Fluttershy turned toward her friends. “Do any of you want to hold him? He's really friendly.”
“I might as well.” Rarity took the bundle and hugged him. “It’s hard to think that changelings start out so adorable. I’m sure Pinkie would have loved to see them.”
She then handed him to Applejack. “Quite a happy little fella. Ya want him, Rainbow?”
“No thanks. I don’t like babies.” The child whimpered as it reached out for her, desperate for her attention. Dash sighed and scratched his chin. “But maybe they’re not that bad. He is pretty cute for a big bug.”
The changeling took her hoof and put it in his mouth, causing Rainbow Dash to yelp and pull away. “What’s wrong? Afraid of a little slobber?” taunted the farmer.
“He bit me!”
“That’s why I said to mind your hooves. Changelings get their fangs really early and they tend to chew on things. I’ll go get some bandages.” The nurse left them behind. The baby, unaware of what he had just done, laughed and smiled, showing the only four sharp teeth in his mouth.
Dash rubbed her hoof while grumbling. “Aw, do you want me to kiss it and make it all better, Dashie?” teased Rarity while Applejack and Fluttershy laughed.
The assaulted pegasus groaned. “I hate kids.”
The rest of the group had been exploring the far side of the city. While Twilight and Spike kept to themselves, Pinkie was going around introducing herself to any changeling they came across. Twilight was not sure of what she could do as she felt unsafe around them. Another thing she had noticed was that several of them were wearing jewelry with green gems, wondering if they were of any significance. After walking for twenty minutes, something caught her eye and her mood took a turn for the better. “Hey, there’s a library over there. Let’s go check it out,” she said happily. Learning about the species through a book instead of directly dealing with them was much more pleasing to her.
As she made her way to the building, she could feel someone tugging on her tail. “But didn’t Princess Celestia say for us to explore rather than just read?” reminded Spike.
The mare brushed him off. “We’ll just be in there for a quick bit. It’ll be fine.”
They left the street and entered the library. The shelves were cluttered with many books and the unicorn wondered what kind of knowledge she would obtain from here, eager to start with their history. The librarian looked up from her book and saw them entering. “Twilight Sparkle!” she greeted. “I have been expecting you!”
The group looked at each other in confusion. “You have?” she asked nervously.
“Yes. I have been ordered to give you this.” The librarian reached into her desk and pulled out an envelope addressed to her. “Please read this as soon as you can.”
Twilight was now very afraid. The fact she knew who she was and was even waiting for her made her worry of a trap. After taking it, she scanned it with her magic, checking for any curses. Once she finished and found nothing, she slowly opened the fold and emptied its contents. What was inside was not what any of them had expected. The item inside was a large photo of Queen Nymph herself, blowing a kiss to the camera. On the back, there was some writing.
You need to stay out of the library, Twilight Sparkle. There are some things in life that you need to experience instead of just reading about.
XOXO
Queen Nymph
Twilight placed the photo down in total disbelief that she had somehow known she would be at that library. “I’m not that predictable, am I?” The changeling librarian reached inside her desk and pulled out a second envelope. “Oh Celestia no.” Twilight took it and slowly pulled out another photo. When Twilight looked at it, they all gasped.
“What the!?”
It was Nymph again, who was winking while sticking out her rear towards them. She turned it over to read the message.
Yes you are predictable, you silly filly. Princess Celestia has told me much about you and it wasn’t hard to guess the first place you would go. Now go out there and learn. If you don’t, I can have Celestia force you to write a fifty page essay about changelings.
XOXO
Queen Nymph
Twilight stomped her way towards the exit of the library, scowling as Pinkie, Spike, and the librarian laughed at her. Pinkie ran after her and Spike followed after collecting the two photos. On her way out, the unicorn glanced at one of the shelves near the entrance and halted. “Hey, I know these books. What are they doing here?”
“Oh, changelings usually bring back things from your people as we are always curious of the other races. Those are just some we snatched over the years”
Twilight turned and marched back to the desk. “So changelings steal from us?” she asked in an accusing tone.
“We prefer to call it scavenging. The other civilizations have so much to offer and we would never get enough for the kingdom if we tried buying everything using their currency.”
“So what else do changelings ‘scavenge?’” questioned the unicorn aggressively.
“Food, films, clothes, any new technology, whatever we can get our hooves on.”
“Can’t you just make your own stuff?” asked Spike.
“A little difficult, considering we are mostly underground and worry about our survival more than anything else. At least Princess Chrysalis helped speed things along during her rule.”
“What do you mean?” asked Pinkie.
“Shortly after her crowning, she sent masses of changelings to do scavenging and technology research of races all over the world. Our technology rapidly expanded in a short number of years.”
Twilight remembered there were some books that were yet to be returned to her and wondered if this had something to do with it. “So she made you all steal?”
“For the greater good, Twilight. Our people became more intelligent because of it. We had more books to read, new ways of running schools and hospitals, and even a stronger military to protect our homes. We just discovered radio a few years ago and that has helped boost morale during the harder times.”
“Do changelings still take stuff?” asked Pinkie.
“No, Queen Nymph had to ban that after negotiations started to keep positive relationships. She believed that the other races would not think kindly if we continued to collect things that do not belong to us. She has been recently investing in technology to make up for the loss of scavenging and I am curious to see what our species can create when food is not longer such a vital issue.”
“Well thanks for talking with us, but we need to get going now.” Twilight still felt uncomfortable with the idea of Nymph knowing where she was and just wanted to leave.
“Very well. Enjoy your stay.”
The trio exited the building and returned to the street. “See how much we learned by going to the library?” asked Twilight with delight.
“I think we could have just as easily learned that from asking Nymph,” remarked Spike.
“Do you want to talk to her?”
He gulped. “On second thought, maybe not.”
“Great. Now let’s try to find another library.” Both of her friends groaned. “Oh come on. We’re here to learn and where else is better than the library? It’s not like Nymph could have possibly predicted I would go to more than one.”
“Can’t we just talk to the other changelings? They seem nice!” pleaded Pinkie.
“You can go do that, Pinkie,” groaned Twilight.
As Pinkie proceeded to introduce herself to more changelings, Spike tapped his friend. “Twilight, I’m hungry. Can we get some food now?”
The unicorn sighed. “I guess we could grab a bite, but what do changelings even eat besides love?”
After having Pinkie ask directions for them for about ten minutes, they entered a market area and browsed the stands, finding moss, mushrooms, and some other vegetables on display by various vendors. As they continued searching, they picked up a strange smell. “Something smells good,” said Spike.
“It’s coming from over here!” Pinkie hopped over to the stand where many changelings were standing.
“Can you see what they’re serving?” asked Twilight as she attempted to poke her head over the crowd.
“Let me check!” Pinkie disappeared into the crowd to check on the food being made. Several seconds later, she returned and her face was completely white. “Let’s go somewhere else,” muttered Pinkie as she walked right past them. Twilight and Spike decided not to ask what she saw as they were sure they didn’t want to know. After they left, a changeling left the stand and sat at a table, ready to dine on his centipede spaghetti.
After distancing themselves from the stand, they decided to check the vegetables again as they were sure there might have been things of the changeling diet they were better off not knowing about. Twilight went up to a stand selling mushrooms and examined them. “Twilight, I don’t really like that kind of stuff,” addressed Spike.
“Unless it’s on a pizza!” added Pinkie.
She didn’t look at either of them. “Oh, I’m not eating them. I’m going to buy them so I can study them later.”
“But Twilight, I want to eat now,” complained her assistant.
“Just give me a minute.”
The dragon crossed his arms and grumbled, knowing that she was going to take her sweet time while he starved to death. But as he waited, Spike’s nose picked up something else. He turned away from his friends and followed the trail. He found a stand that had something that made his stomach growl. The merchant was selling green crystals, most in the form of jewelry. What really caught his eye was how cheap they were. He grabbed a large crystal and went to the merchant. “I’ll take this, please.”
The changeling just eyed him. “Now what would you want to do with that?”
“Eat it. It looks so good!” Spike licked his lips.
The merchant gasped and swiped it. “You will do no such thing! These crystals are too vital!”
“But they are just gems,” said Spike.
“They are not! These are magical storage crystals.”
“They’re what?”
“Storage crystals, an essential part of changeling society. They are used to store the emotions we extract from the other races. Each changeling has their own in order to keep themselves sustained without the need to always hunt. A crystal of this size could keep an adult changeling satisfied for a month.”
“A whole month? If such a little thing can hold that much, then why are you all starving?” asked the dragon.
“Because that’s a lot of love. Normally, it takes two very affectionate ponies to fill one. However, if a pony has powerful enough feelings for somepony, then they could fill one by themselves, maybe even more.”
“Wow. So how long do you think Shining Armor’s love would have lasted? You know, the groom from the royal wedding?”
“According to the previous queen, there was enough in him to keep her hunger away for months. That one pony had enough to fill up half a crate of crystals. I can only imagine what his honeymoon must have been like,” he said with a perverted grin.
Spike suddenly remembered about the changeling they were on the lookout for. “So…what do you think about Chrysalis and Nymph?”
The merchant sat on his stool, looking displeased with the subject. “Probably the most vicious of mortal enemies. I always expected a bloodbath to happen between them.”
“They hated each other?”
“Hate is not a strong enough word to describe the bad blood between them. You couldn’t believe the things that Chrysalis did to poor Nymph. Perhaps it was for the best she did not succeed in her invasion if she was truly as horrible as they say she was.”
“Chrysalis bullied her own sister?”
“It was dreadful. It was so hard to believe too, considering how they used to be so friendly to each other.”
“Why did they stop being friends?”
The merchant shrugged. “I have my suspicions, but I’m afraid I do not have the answer. Politics is not really my thing and I’d rather not talk about such issues. I'm here for business, not chit-chat.”
“Oh, okay then.” Spike looked backed at the counter. “So can I have the crystal now?”
The changeling grabbed it and put it away. “Go away. You’re scaring the customers.”
“Fine,” Spike huffed. He turned back toward where Twilight and Pinkie were. When he got back, he noticed that they were missing, causing him to panic. He looked around the area, but neither of them was there. He was completely alone and helpless in a large street filled with changelings. He ran around and looked for them, hoping they weren’t captured or something while he was gone.
“Twilight!? Pinkie!? Where are you!?” He kept calling out their names while running, attracting the attention of the many changelings around him. He continued searching for minutes until he heard a voice of distress.
“Look out! There’s a dragon in the street!” Spike stopped and saw all of them panic and distancing themselves from him.
“Why is there one here? Where are the guards!?”
“I saw him with Princess Celestia! Why is he running around without anyone watching him? He could be dangerous!”
Spike could clearly see that they were all terrified of him, which he found to be very strange as he had always feared them since the invasion. He held up his hands in attempts to reassure them. “Let’s all calm down. I’m just looking for my friends. I have no intention of-” Spike was cut off as he suddenly belched out a scroll.
The changelings saw the fire and broke into panic. They were all screaming and trying to get away by flying or running. “Run for your lives! He’s attacking!”
“The wrath of the Princess is upon us! This is the end of us all!”
“This stuff never happened when Chrysalis was the queen!”
Within a minute, the entire street was deserted and Spike just stood there in surprise. He was sure that both Celestia and Nymph were going to be very mad at him for starting a panic, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. He looked at the scroll in his hand and unrolled it, learning that it was from Luna and it was addressed to her sister. It seemed that she was worried about Cherub, who had recently cut off contact with her and declined her offer of visiting. The alicorn seemed to be very distraught about what was going on with her friend and reading her letter made Spike feel bad for her.
“Spike!” He quickly turned around, only to be tackled by Twilight. The unicorn held him in a very tight hug and had a few tears in her eyes. “Where did you go? I was so worried!”
Spike returned her embrace, thankful they found each other. “I’m sorry, I just left for a minute and I couldn’t find you.”
Twilight lifted her head and noticed the empty street. “I heard screaming from here. Where is everyone?”
“Uh…there was a misunderstanding.” Spike held up the letter to her. “I got this from Luna and I think we should give it to Celestia right now.”
“Is it about Chrysalis?” she queried, hoping that she had been finally caught.
“No, it’s about Cherub.”
“Cherub?” Twilight asked, disappointed. “What about her?”
Spike handed her the letter, which she and Pinkie quickly read. “Oh no!” exclaimed Pinkie. “Why is she avoiding Luna?”
Twilight rolled it up and stashed it into her bag. “Why are you asking us? You’re the one who works for her.”
Pinkie sat on the ground and sighed dejectedly. “She’s been acting weird lately. She’s totally not herself. She’s being mean again, but now she is also really sad.”
Spike and Twilight gave each other worried looks. “She is? About what?” questioned the dragon.
“I don’t know! She doesn’t like talking to me anymore and she just seems sadder every day! We have to go back right now!”
“We can’t. We have important things to do here and we can’t go home until tomorrow,” reminded the unicorn.
“But Cherub needs me!”
“She can wait a day. Maybe we can give the princess this letter. I’m sure Celestia will help Luna in dealing with her.”
Pinkie swiped the letter. “You’re right! Let’s go right now!” She was ready to bolt, but Twilight stood in front of her.
“Celestia’s busy until six, so we have to stay here and learn more about the changelings. I know you care about Cherub and Luna like we do, but we can’t do anything until later.”
“Okay…” After several seconds, Pinkie sprung up. “That means there’s more time to meet changelings!”
She hurried off while her friends followed. When she was out of earshot, Twilight looked at the dragon. “Do not ever run off like that. You had me scared to death.”
He looked away, ashamed. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just wanted to get some food while you were busy.”
“Well we’ll go look for something for you to eat. Just promise you won’t do something like that again. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“I promise I won’t.” When Pinkie wasn’t looking, Twilight lowered her head and kissed him on the cheek, causing both of them to blush.
The other group of ponies was strolling through a shopping district, wanting to take a break from research and see what was being sold. So far, they haven’t learned anything too interesting about Nymph or Chrysalis and had been barely asking any changelings since it would look suspicious if they asked too many about them. As for the changelings themselves, they were very polite and some were even nervous about meeting them. They certainly did not resemble any of the changelings they fought against during the wedding. The ponies kept looking through the windows and browsed the various shops. Rarity was going on a spending spree as the changelings carried many rare materials for her craft at a low price and she was eager to try some new designs. Even though the incident occurred hours before, Rainbow Dash kept looking at her bandaged hoof. “Ya need to let it go, Rainbow,” spoke Applejack, amused by how worried her friend was.
“I know, I know. But do you think changelings are like vampires?”
“What do ya mean?”
“Like a bite could turn me into…” she gulped, “a changeling?”
Fluttershy gasped fearfully. “Maybe we should get Celestia!”
“Now just hold yar horses. Ah don’t think ya’re gonna turn into a changelin’ on account of ya bein’ bit by one.”
“But they’re so like vampires! They have sharp fangs and they drain ponies by sucking the life out of them!” argued Rainbow Dash. “They even remind me of bats since they live in caves.”
“They’re more like big bugs,” countered Applejack.
“Same thing.” Dash took a look behind herself to see several changelings still following her, which she was sick of. Her brutal encounter with the infant gave her a negative opinion about the race as well as the fear of becoming one. All she wanted was to be alone and not get harassed.
“I’m going to ask for her autograph!”
“I wonder if she’s single.”
Dash turned around, having enough of them. “Look, guys, do you mind just leaving me alone? I’m not having a good day.” Much to her surprise, that caused the crowd to come even closer, all of them eager to please her. She tried flying above them for some room, but they all flew up with her. “Seriously, back off!” she demanded to no avail. She was scared that they knew of her bite and they wanted to make her one of them. She looked at her friends, who were trying to fight through the crowd and help.
A loud whistle was heard, silencing the mob. “Alright, that’s enough! All of you maggots quit bothering these ponies and scram!” ordered another changeling. The crowd slowly dispersed, all of them intimidated by him.
Once they were gone, the pegasus landed. “Thanks a lot,” said Dash, relieved.
“No problem, pony,” said the changeling. “You must be the ones that Queen Nymph was supposed to meet.”
“That’s us,” Applejack replied.
“Is everything going well with her?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“Yes. She seemed very happy to see us, much to our surprise,” said Rarity.
“That’s a relief. She has been fretting over this visit for a few days.”
“How do you know that?” questioned Fluttershy.
“Oh, I have yet to introduce myself." He briefly bowed in front of them. "I am Hornet, one of her personal guards.”
Rarity shook his hoof. “Pleasure to meet you. So why was Nymph so worried about us coming?”
“She knows a lot about you, Elements of Harmony. You all hold a grudge against our kind because of Chrysalis’s invasion and she was hoping she could convince you all that she wasn’t like her sister.”
Rainbow Dash then realized something and got in his face. “Wait a minute. If you’re part of the guards, does that mean you were there during the invasion?”
Hornet gave a faint smile. “I was one of the changelings that captured you.”
She became furious and raised a hoof threateningly. “You little…”
“Save it, pegasus. I was only following orders. I am loyal to my queen as you are loyal to your princesses.”
“If you actually had a heart, you would have refused them!” shouted Rarity.
“Trust me when I say no one says no to Queen Chrysalis. Defying her is scarier than being locked in a room with a starving hydra. Whether or not you want to, you always end up giving her what she wants.”
“So you didn’t want to invade?” asked Fluttershy, who was hiding behind Applejack.
“Well…the thought of free food was nice.” He could see the looks of anger and even fright he was getting from them. “But at any rate, that was in the past. Queen Nymph's plan will pull through and food will never be of concern again, meaning no more incidents like that one.”
They still felt slightly unnerved by him, but Applejack knew they still had a job to do. “Since ya worked for Chrysalis, what can ya tell us about her?”
“Let me start with the good things. Chrysalis was a darn good queen. She had a sharp wit, a silver tongue, and a heart of gold. Before she came into power, we were a struggling and slightly uneducated race. After the mass scavenging started, she put into place so many programs to get changelings working. She made teachers, construction workers, researchers, and even more soldiers. The best thing she did in my opinion was update our security. We do not exactly have the best military in the world, which you might have noticed since we had no weapons and barely any organization during the invasion, but we did better at home where we could drive off any invader with little to no casualties. Things certainly got better when we started using those handy defense crystals.”
“Defense crystals?” asked Fluttershy.
“Probably one of our best inventions yet. You see, us changelings struggle to use magic, besides Nymph and Chrysalis. We can usually only change our form and can barely use simple magic such as telekinesis or shooting beams. So anyway, these crystals are a massive pile of changeling magic and they play with the mind of any other creature that comes close. Whenever a diamond dog or even a dragon wanders too close to our homes, the crystals do their trick. The intruder’s mind would be altered, giving thoughts like they have something else to do that was urgent or that their worst fear lurks within the cave. We never had any more problems after that.”
“Wow. Chrysalis actually sounds like a great queen,” said Rainbow Dash.
Hornet’s expression then turned into scorn, surprising the ponies. “Now let me tell you why I hate her. Chrysalis was an absolute monster. What a lot of us at the castle knew but could not share with anyone outside was the things Chrysalis did to Nymph.”
The ponies looked at each other, confused by his words. “What things?” questioned Applejack uneasily.
“Horrible things. Chrysalis liked to torment her in every way she could at any moment she could. Insult her, create rumors, and even give her the most demeaning tasks. Nymph tried on more than one occasion to stand up to her sister, but that’s like sending a bunny to fight a manticore: It’s quickly over and often very messy.”
Rarity couldn't help but feel horrible. She didn’t like Nymph, but she had no idea the queen had been through so much from Chrysalis herself. “How could she do that to her own sister?”
“Because Chrysalis has no soul.”
“But I thought you said she had a heart of gold,” reminded Dash, suspicious of any lies.
“Let me rephrase what I said earlier: She had a heart of gold if you didn’t oppose her, you were a changeling, and you weren’t Nymph. I have heard otherwise about her and I find it completely unbelievable.”
“Like what?” questioned the yellow pony.
“One day some years ago, I happened to come across Nymph in a study at the castle, crying her eyes out. I went to her and asked what was wrong and she just said, 'Chrysalis.' I sat with her for a while and we talked for a bit when she calmed down. Eventually, she brought up their past together. Unbelievably, Chrysalis used to love her more than anything.”
Rarity remembered how she used to neglect her own little sister and was glad things never got that bad. When she returned home, she would allow Sweetie Belle to come over with her friends more often. “Why doesn’t she anymore?”
“I’ve heard a lot of rumors, but I really don’t know the absolute truth. Nymph keeps avoiding that topic and whenever she and Chrysalis argued, they did it in private. What I can say with absolute certainty is that Chrysalis turning against her like that was what hurt her the most in her life. She is her only family left and she just wants her back. Even though she had many friends who supported and cared for her like myself, it wasn’t enough to fill the void in her heart.”
Fluttershy wiped some tears from her eyes. “That poor thing.”
“And after Chrysalis returned from the failed invasion, Nymph got even. She pardoned everyone involved in the attack except her, making her carry all of the blame for endangering us. Much of the kingdom still thought Chrysalis would have done a better job in bailing them out of their time of crisis, but Nymph was prepared. The first thing she did was expose to the entire kingdom the cruel things that her sister had done to her and how she treated those who opposed her, painting the image in everyone’s mind of the tyrant that was her sister. A lot of changelings were appalled, but it was not enough to convince them to let Nymph handle things.
“She then started telling them about how much danger there was since Chrysalis failed and convinced us all how her plan was doomed from the start. She went on about how the only way we were going to get through this was to make peace and convince the ponies that we were no threat. She told us that we were too few in strength and in power to stand against Equestria’s forces, maybe even more if the other races got scared enough. Chrysalis tried making her own arguments, but Nymph managed to turn the tables on her, winning over her people’s favor. Once all of the changelings supported Nymph, the decision for punishment came.”
“After hearing all that, I am still surprised she merely threw her out,” stated Dash.
“I was honestly expecting a life sentence or even execution, but like the rest of the kingdom, I was shocked by her decision. I was there when Chrysalis left. None of us made a sound as we watched her go up to the surface and disappear. While most of us felt relieved as tossing her out would help have Celestia forgive us, Nymph was very sad. It must have been very painful to have to make such a decision.”
“Oh goodness. That is just a sad story,” said Rarity.
“So have any of you seen Chrysalis since then?” asked Hornet. “I am very curious of what she’s been up to.”
“We haven’t seen her at all, actually,” answered Rarity.
“A good thing, in my opinion. The less we see of her, the better. With Chrysalis gone, Nymph is doing much better now. After negotiations began, she just felt so alive and optimistic with Celestia’s mercy and without Chrysalis’s bullying. It’s so heartwarming to see her like that after all she had been through. ”
“So is she a good queen?” questioned Applejack.
“She is, but she feels like she is living in Chrysalis’s shadow. A lot of programs and laws that her sister had placed are still in effect, but at least Nymph’s likable. Chrysalis tended to use rather controversial methods to get what she wanted, like intimidation. As for Nymph right now, her approach on foreign policy has really put her up there. If she pulls it off, it will be probably the most historical event in our entire history and Nymph’s name will be forever remembered. Of course, she actually needs to succeed first.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind if changelings lived with us. You all seem nice enough,” said Fluttershy, who worked up the courage to leave her hiding spot.
Hornet smiled warmly. “Thank you, pony. I won’t lie: it’s going to be a rocky start for us all. Ponies will be wary of us because we invaded and changelings have never really trusted another race before. ”
“I’m sure everything will work out in the end and you changelings will never have to worry about starving again,” said Rarity.
“I really hope so. I’m going to go and enjoy the rest of my day off at the bar. Maybe we’ll see each other again someday, but before I go, I want you all to know that we are not your enemies. The invasion was an act of desperation and fear and we are often a peaceful, neutral nation. You can trust Nymph too, so don’t feel afraid by her.”
The orange mare nodded. “Goodbye, Hornet, and thanks for everythin’.”
“Take care.” He turned around and left them behind. Before he was out of sight, Rainbow Dash flew to him.
“Quick question: If a changeling were to bite a pony, does that pony turn into a changeling?”
“Aren’t those vampires or wereponies?”
“Oh. Y-yeah.”
His eyes caught the bandage on her hoof. “You’re not going to change, kid. That’s just a myth.”
She wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Okay, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Once Dash flew back to her friends and was far enough, Hornet muttered, “Idiot.”
Once Rainbow Dash returned, Rarity looked at a nearby clock. “It’s about time we start heading back.”
“Good, cause my hooves are just sore from walkin’,” said Applejack.
“I just hope the others are okay,” said Fluttershy.
“I’m sure they are,” Rarity replied. “I truly believe that the changelings do not intend any harm. They seem to be much different than our previous assumptions.”
“Let’s not forget about Nymph,” added Dash. “If she really wants peace, then we should be safe. I don’t think any changeling would be dumb enough to lay a hoof on us with Nymph trying to make peace. As for Chrysalis, I really don’t think Nymph would want her to keep around if what Hornet said is true.”
“I hope so. I still feel a little scared by her because how mad she got,” added Fluttershy.
“Yeah, but you know what would totally make up for that? Some delicious grub!” said Dash as her mouth moistened.
“Food sounds really good right now,” agreed Rarity. “I just wonder what sort of food she eats, besides our emotions.”
“Might as well find out,” answered the earth pony. “Ah just hope Twilight is stayin’ out of trouble.”
Twilight’s group decided to head back after examining the rest of the city and learning more about the changeling civilization and even about the queens. At the moment, Twilight grew fond of the species and even approached some herself, feeling trustful of them. From learning about their history, she was beginning to see how the invasion came about. As for her other topic of interest, Twilight never expected what she heard about Chrysalis and Nymph from Spike. She had asked several changelings about this and all backed up the claim of Chrysalis abusing Nymph. As for opinions of her reign, they were mixed. A lot did think Chrysalis was good at ruling but were disgusted by how she treated others at times. Most were very satisfied by Nymph’s plan to have them accepted into the world above, bringing a new age to the changeling civilization. However, Twilight held strong disdain for Nymph for another reason. She hoped that Celestia would have some more answers as it would help determine whether or not the queen was worthy of trust.
Back at the courtyard where they first arrived, Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie noticed a cave entrance guarded by two changelings over at the side. They decided to take a quick look since they still had some time before their other friends came back. As they tried to approach, the guards got in front of them. “Sorry, but no one is allowed this way.”
“But we’re special guests of Queen Nymph,” said Twilight.
One of the changelings shook his head. “Even so, none are allowed through here.”
“What’s in there, anyway?” questioned Spike.
“This tunnel leads to the Royal Changeling Garden and no one is allowed in except the queen. Not even Princess Celestia has been granted access.”
“So why is no one allowed through?” queried the unicorn.
“The Royal Garden is property of the royal family, which is just Queen Nymph and Princess Chrysalis at the moment. Only Nymph is allowed in unless she says otherwise. As for why she chooses to keep it closed, I do not have the answer.”
“What’s it like in there?” asked Pinkie.
“It’s a beautiful place filled with many flowers and trees. It has been part of the royal family probably for our entire history, making it such an important part of our kingdom. I’ve seen it before and it is truly a sight to behold.”
Twilight suddenly became extremely interested as she wanted to see some of the history of the changeling race. “When does Nymph usually allow changelings in? I would love to see it.”
“The last time anyone was granted access was over a year ago, when Chrysalis was the queen. Queen Nymph has not yet allowed entrance during her current reign.”
A worried thought began to grow in Twilight’s head. “Why not?”
“Who can say for sure? I never know what goes on in that head of hers. She always does come here most of the days whenever she has time.”
Her fear was steadily rising. “And how often does she go there?”
“About every other day and she’s up there for hours. I can’t imagine what she does in that garden all by herself.”
“I see. Well thanks for everything.” They moved away from the guards and huddled in a circle. “Are you two thinking what I’m thinking?”
Pinkie began to bounce. “What are you thinking, Twilight?”
The unicorn gulped as she shifted her eyes towards the cave. “I think…Chrysalis might be hiding out in the garden.”
Spike panicked. “What do we do!?”
“I’m not sure. I just wish I had more evidence to prove this theory.”
“I know! Let’s ask the guards.” Pinkie shot her head up. “Excuse me, is Chrysalis in there?”
“Pinkie!”
The guards looked confused. “What? No, of course not. Why would you think such a thing?”
“Because you said Nymph has not allowed anyone in during her reign and the fact that Chrysalis hasn’t been seen in months,” the party pony answered happily.
One of the guards rolled his eyes. “That’s the stupidest thing I have ever…hmm.”
The other guard looked at him. “Are you seriously considering that Queen Nymph has her sister here in the kingdom?”
“Well think about it. Chrysalis has not been seen for months and Nymph has yet to allow anyone in. She always comes and goes through here and she just seems so distant from everyone else, not to mention they were so close before. I know that they came here all the time together as children and adults.”
The guard gulped and looked into the tunnel. “Do you really think Princess Chrysalis is in there?”
The five looked at each other, each carrying fear of what was waiting in there. “Do you think we should look?” asked Twilight.
“I’m sorry, pony, but our orders remain. None are allowed through here.”
“But Chrysalis could be back there!” she protested.
“Let me put it this way: If she is indeed back there, then the best thing to do is stay away. I am confident that the queen will handle her with her best judgment.”
“I hope you’re right.” Twilight turned and headed back towards the courtyard with her friends catching up to her.
“What are we going to do, Twilight?” asked the worried dragon. “Should we get the princess?”
“No. Celestia completely trusts Nymph and we would need more evidence to have her investigate. I need you two to not mention this at all for now.”
Pinkie started whispering to ensure no one else heard her. “Why would Nymph keep Chrysalis in a garden if she was mean? Is she like a bee and plays with flowers to make honey?”
“I don’t know. I need to think about this.” When they returned to the front entrance of the palace, they saw their other friends returning.
Spike and Pinkie sprinted to their special someponies. The dragon leapt in the air and Rarity caught him. “I’m glad to see you’re all safe,” she said as she embraced him.
A brief flash of purple washed over them as Twilight checked to ensure none of them were changelings. “Likewise,” she responded with relief.
“So how’s everything going, Twilight? Get anything good?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Maybe. I will have to do some serious thinking first.”
That caused her other friends some concern. “What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy, who was nervous.
“We’ll talk later. Let’s go find the princess and have dinner.”
They entered the palace and maneuvered their way to where Celestia and Nymph were residing with the aid of guards who pointed them in the right direction. The hallways were in a much lighter color than the exterior of the palace. The walls and floor were colored white and green with purple carpet along the floor. Windows filled much of the walls and they could see much of the city from where they were. As they entered deeper into the home of the queen, they found a hall which contained many portraits. Each picture showed a royal changeling and they were surprised by how few there were. As they neared the end, they saw some particular portraits. There was Queen Widow, her daughter Queen Rhopa Locera, who was the mother of Chrysalis and Nymph, and Chrysalis herself. The way she smiled was devious and Twilight shuddered from the sight of her. The next portrait was the current queen, whose smile was much friendlier.
Finally, they found the room where the royals were discussing their issues and the ponies waited for them to finish. After some minutes, the doors opened. The first to come out were five older changelings in robes, who Twilight assumed to be the Changeling Council that she heard about from Celestia. “Waiting for Princess Celestia, I assume?” asked one.
“Is she in there?” asked Fluttershy.
“Yes, she and Queen Nymph are just putting the finishing touches on a few things and will be out shortly.” He studied each of them. “I never expected the Elements of Harmony to be so young.”
“Well I never expected the Council to be so old,” countered Rainbow Dash.
“Touché. I am Councilman Termite, and these are Mantis, Moth, Locust, and Bumble. We are the Changeling Council, elected to represent the interests of the people. We ensure that everything that the queen does is for the better of our kingdom.”
Locust, a rather short changeling, came to Twilight and rapidly shook her hoof. “It is so nice to meet you all! Thank you for gracing us with your presence.”
Feeling trustful of the changeling race, she produced a pleasant smile. “Nice to meet you, too.”
Locust did not stop shaking her hoof. “I mean, you are all so beautiful and smart and talented.”
“Uh…”
“And so kind for sparing our miserable, worthless lives!”
Termite quickly pushed him aside before he could kiss her hoof. “What he meant to say is that we thank you all for giving our kind a chance. We expected the worst when Queen Nymph first left to Canterlot and we’ve been doing our best to keep peace. We’ve never had the luxury of receiving kindness from other species and we do not dare to do anything that would have us lose that.”
Bumble, a very old looking changeling with large glasses and a cane, approached Spike. “Hey look, everyone!” he exclaimed as he picked him up. “My grandson Skipper came to visit me on my birthday!”
Mantis, a female changeling who looked ready to bite his head off, took Spike from him and placed him on the floor. “Bumble, that’s not your grandson, that’s a dragon. And today isn’t your birthday.”
“He sure is a dragon. That young lad has some fire in him.” As the delusional changeling looked at Spike, he suddenly broke into panic. “W-what!? A dragon!? Where’s my grandson, you beast!?”
He charged Spike with his cane raised, but the other changelings held him back. “Bumble, it’s time for supper with a nutritious side of medication,” angrily reminded Locust.
As they carried him away, Bumble yelled, “Someone help me! I’m being taken by changelings!”
“You’re a changeling, you idiot!” shouted Mantis.
Once they were out of sight, Dash went over to Moth, a taller, female changeling who had remained behind. “Why does that geezer work for the council? He should be in a home.”
“Because the queen thinks he’s hilarious to keep around. While he does have his moments of brilliance, it’s mostly like this. We do plan on retiring him very soon, but we’re just waiting for the election. I better make sure he doesn’t do anything extreme.”
“Wait,” called Twilight. “What can you tell us about Chrysalis?”
Moth gulped and looked into the room she just came from. She motioned them closer and whispered, “Good queen, nasty individual. She performed well in her duties and could be sweet like Nymph, but it was her rage that usually got her what she wanted when all else failed, demanding that her subjects respected her royal desires. This only escalated when she was crowned. While a lot of things she has done have helped us, it usually felt like none of us had a say in it. And before you ask, no she did not force us to agree on letting her invade Equestria. We were all on board with her idea at the time and we are very, very, very, very, very sorry.”
“It’s all right,” said Twilight, much to her own surprise. “I’ve learned enough of changeling history to understand your desperation. So what about Nymph?”
“Nicer, but I wish she had the drive Chrysalis possessed. Chrysalis would have had this negotiating all done a long time ago, but I think I prefer having her sister around. She always listens to her people’s concerns and really knows how to compromise. She is doing her best to make her own policies to improve our lives, but she is much too focused on these negotiations. I will also warn you that while Nymph may be friendly, never ever make her angry.”
The farmer gulped. “Too late.”
“Scary, isn’t it? She can get just as mad as her sister, but she has a lot more patience. Just do not ever try her, or else not even Celestia can save you.” Once she finished, she quickly trotted away to meet with the other councilors.
Once the Changeling Council was gone, the princess and the queen appeared. “Hello again, Twilight,” greeted Celestia. “I hope you and your friends found everything well in the city.”
“We have certainly learned a lot,” answered Twilight.
Nymph smiled warmly. “Excellent. You must all be hungry from all of that walking. Come join us in the dining hall and we can discuss what you have learned.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Rainbow Dash as she rubbed her stomach.
While they were walking, Pinkie remembered the letter. “Princess Celestia, I have an urgent letter for you!”
“Urgent?” Celestia took the letter and began reading it while Nymph was peeking over her shoulder. “Oh dear.”
“Is everything alright, Princess?” asked Nymph with worry.
“My sister is just worried about one of her friends. I have noticed Luna’s been a bit down lately, but I did not think it was this serious.”
“Aren’t you going to write back? You have to help Cherub!”
“Calm yourself, Pinkie. I will write to her as soon as I can. I just need to think about what I should do about this.” Pinkie bit her lip, not wanting to wait so long, but reluctantly nodded.
As they approached the dining hall, Nymph asked, “So who is this Cherub?”
“Cherub is a pony that young Pinkie Pie works for,” answered the alicorn. “She runs a dating service and has helped many find love. She is also a very good friend of Luna and they tend to get along very well.”
“My, that sounds interesting. I think the extra love will be very beneficial to my people when they receive citizenship.”
“Cherub doesn’t like changelings at all and I’m sure that she’s not doing this to feed them” added Twilight.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Still, more love would benefit us all, yes?”
“I guess.”
“Speaking of love,” Nymph said as she turned her gaze onto the dragon and the pony he was riding, “I simply must know about this love I am sensing between you both, Spike and Rarity. I never thought ponies and dragons ever got together.”
They all sat at a large table in the dining hall as Spike told the story to her and Pinkie was very eager to go next. Once he finished, Pinkie was about to speak, but was interrupted by Twilight. “So I heard you have a really nice garden, Queen Nymph.”
The changeling happily nodded. “You have heard right. My garden is one of the most beautiful places you can find in the world. Maybe I’m slightly exaggerating since I have yet to see much of the world, but I think I’ve read enough.”
“Can I go see it?”
“No,” she answered bluntly.
Twilight’s suspicion of the queen began to grow. “And why not?”
“Because it is my private garden and I do not wish for it to be disturbed.”
“I won’t disturb it, I promise.”
“I’m sorry, you are not allowed in there. Please just stay out. And that goes for the rest of you ponies.” Before Twilight could ask another question, the pegasi guards came over and brought the food that they had brought from Ponyville. “I see your dinner has arrived,” said Nymph as she stood. “I will leave you to enjoy your meals. We can speak about what you learned after.”
The ponies watched as the queen went over to the council, who were seated at the far end of the table. Suddenly, Dash let out a loud growl. “So wait a minute. Queen Nymph invites us here and then she expects us to sit over here and eat our own food? What kind of host is she?”
“Trust me, Rainbow Dash, it’s better we eat this way. Changeling food is rather…unique,” warned Celestia.
“Well I still want some,” Dash complained as she stared down the changelings.
“If you really want to, you can go over there and ask for some. I just hope your stomach can handle it.”
“Sounds good to me.” Dash left her seat and went towards the changelings.
Rarity got up as well. “I think I shall join her. I am ever so curious to see the royal changeling cuisine.”
“You may go if you wish. Just keep in mind you are entering risky territory.” Rarity left and followed the pegasus. “I think you should all turn you seats this way,” suggested the princess as she magically turned her subjects' seats towards her.
The changelings took notice of the ponies approaching. “Was there something you needed?” asked Nymph.
“We wish to sample some of your delicacies,” requested Rarity. “I am ever so curious of what food royalty such as yourselves dine on.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Bring our honorary guests their dinner.” The servants bowed and left the dining room. “Food is an excellent way of experiencing another culture and I hope you two find everything well.” The servants returned with their dinner platters. Once all were set on the table, the tops were removed. “You may begin.”
While the changelings began eating their food, Rainbow Dash and Rarity exchanged glances. The food was mostly what they had expected. There was a bowl of fresh cave moss and grilled mushrooms, but the soup really stood out. Dash raised a hoof. “Uh, your highness? There are parasprites in our soups.”
Nymph lifted her spoon, holding some soup and a yellow parasprite that smiled and buzzed at her. “Indeed there are.”
“Aren’t you worried, Queen Nymph?” asked Rarity. “Parasprites are known for-”
CHOMP!
Rarity’s ear piercing shriek echoed throughout most of the castle.