//------------------------------// // The Queen and Twi (and her Friends) // Story: The Queen of Hearts // by Pumpernickel Rye //------------------------------// The Queen and Twi (and her Friends) After the chaotic dinner, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were brought to the guest room so they could calm down as they were completely hysterical from what happened. It didn’t help that the rest of their friends felt the same way when they discovered what was being served to the changelings. While eating emotions from other species was one thing, parasprites was a whole other story. “H-how could she just do such a thing!?” shouted Rarity frantically. “She just ate the thing alive!” Celestia was seated on the edge of the bed next to the unicorn, holding Rarity’s hoof in attempt to calm her down while Spike held the other one. “Well changelings are omnivores,” she pointed out. “You should have told us about the food!” yelled Dash as she pointed a hoof in the alicorn’s face. “I tried to, but you two ignored my warnings.” Rarity grabbed and shook the princess. “You didn’t say anything about eating parasprites!” “I didn’t know about that. I was just thinking about my first visit, where they had-” “I don’t want to know!” screamed Rarity as she threw her hooves over her ears and jumped back onto the bed. “At any rate, I knew you would think badly of them if you knew too much of their eating habits, which is why I never said anything specific.” “They eat cute little animals!” cried Fluttershy. Celestia wrapped a wing around her. “It’s all a part of nature, Fluttershy. I know it is quite gruesome, but I hope this doesn’t change how you feel about them.” “Ah’m mad at Nymph cause she was laughin’ at poor Rarity and Dash,” said Applejack. “Don’t take it too hard. I think she was expecting them to react like that. I am so sorry I didn’t try harder to stop you two. I did not think things would get out of hoof as much as they did.” “I guess we should’ve tried listening,” admitted the blue pegasus. Celestia stood up. “It is getting late and I need to do some reading before I retire for the night. I will be in my room if you need anything from me. Goodnight, girls.” “Goodnight, Princess,” they all said at once. Celestia left the room and right before she closed the door, Twilight appeared. “Celestia, can we talk?” “What is it, my faithful student? Is everything alright?” Twilight entered the hall and closed the door. “Everything’s fine. I just want to ask you a few things.” “Ask away.” Twilight took a moment before asking, “What happened between Nymph and Chrysalis?” Celestia’s smile faded and her expression turned into gloom. “So you know about their relationship.” “Yes.” The alicorn sat against the wall and her student joined her. “Poor Nymph. I don’t know how she could have possibly endured the torment Chrysalis inflicted upon her.” “What did she do?” “Chrysalis at one point became incredibly hostile to her and was emotionally abusive to her to such an extreme. It was so bad that Nymph was sometimes reduced to tears by her and gained the title, ‘The Weeping Princess.’” Twilight could feel her chest ache. She could easily see Chrysalis being cruel to ponies, but to her own sister? “How could Chrysalis do that to her?” “There was an incident that happened between them and it made Chrysalis vile towards her.” “What happened?” “If you want to know, ask Nymph, but I strongly doubt she will wish to share that information as she has yet to tell me, so please do not try. I fear of what will happen if you bring up such a delicate subject.” “I won’t. I’m sure she just wants to never see Chrysalis again and move on.” The alicorn took a deep breath and sighed. “Not exactly, Twilight.” “Huh?” “Nymph has become restless trying to locate her, worrying that something has happened to her since that has yet to be any sign of her after all these months.” Twilight’s theory of the garden really seemed to hold water now. “Why would she want to do that? Chrysalis was horrible to her!” “I’m afraid the poor girl is going through severe denial.” “Denial?” “Even after everything she has been through, she wants to believe that Chrysalis can be redeemed. She clings onto the memories of their close bond that had lasted for over three hundred years. She refuses to accept that her sister cannot be turned and has even asked a lot of questions about Luna and me.” The unicorn stared at the floor, feeling sorry for Nymph. “I see.” “Is that all, Twilight?” “Just one more question. What do you think of Chrysalis?” Celestia just looked up at the ceiling. “That is a tricky question. I am still very bitter about her invasion, but I am trying to see her the way Nymph does since she knows her better than I. I understand what it is like to have your sister turn against you and I would hate to think Chrysalis is beyond any hope. While Chrysalis had good intentions in trying to aid her kind, she did not care for us in any way and has proven to be very sinister and uncaring and that was without a nightmarish force.” “So do you think she can be made good?” The alicorn merely sighed. “Maybe. I would not worry about that until the time comes. Don’t worry about her too much, Twilight. I am keeping a very close eye out for her.” “Okay, Celestia.” Celestia stood up. “You should get some rest. Remember that you will be speaking to Nymph tomorrow.” “I know. I just feel really nervous.” “It’ll be fine, Twilight. I would have never brought you here if I thought otherwise. Just enjoy the night with your friends and forget your worries. Goodnight, Twilight.” Celestia then walked away, heading to her own bedroom. Twilight reentered hers and saw that her friends had calmed from the dinner earlier, now making themselves comfortable and making small talk with one another. She laid on her bed as she began thinking over everything from today. At this point, she was more than convinced that Nymph could not possibly be siding with Chrysalis and she began to believe that Nymph was not as evil as she originally believed. She still had some fears about the changeling race because they did want to invade Equestria before, but she was sure Celestia would know how to handle things. Although she felt sorry for Nymph, Twilight still held contempt for her. The one thing about her that drove her up a wall was what she decided to do with Chrysalis. She could never wrap her head around why Nymph would think it was a good idea to not punish her. Chrysalis was powerful, clever, and extremely manipulative. The fact Nymph let her go free as a bird to plot her revenge bothered her to no end, even more now that she knew about how Chrysalis mistreated her sister. She even had night terrors about her return that often resulted in Spike being used as a teddy bear. She remembered when Celestia first informed her about Nymph’s arrival in Canterlot, she completely freaked and demanded that Celestia arrested her before another invasion occurred. Once Celestia calmed her down, she explained to her what had happened. While she and Luna were in the throne room, busy creating laws and security plans in the case of another attack, several guards sprinted to them, informing that the changeling queen was in Canterlot and wished to speak with them about an important issue. Luna wanted to just arrest her, but Celestia wanted to hear her out before deciding anything. Reluctantly, the guards brought the queen and her guards to them. The first thing that caught Celestia’s attention was that this queen was definitely not Chrysalis. Before she could ask anything, Luna took action. She flew in front of the changeling and with the belief she was Chrysalis, exploded at her in her Canterlot voice, threatening that there was going to be serious retribution for her attack. Celestia worried how this other queen would react, remembering that Chrysalis had overpowered her, but her response took everyone by surprise. The queen simply fainted. The changeling guards immediately flew into panic and formed a protective stance around their unconscious ruler, begging to be spared as they knew they could not possibly fight either alicorn. While Luna was completely baffled, Celestia rushed over to help the queen by carrying her to the infirmary. Once she was in a bed, Celestia questioned the guards about their visit. They told her that Queen Nymph was the sister of Chrysalis and she wanted to make peace, wishing to save the changelings from war. While the news of her identity surprised both princesses, being informed of the previous queen’s fate was a complete shock.They were disappointed that she was still running free and both had a suspicion that her being banished wasn’t true as neither of them trusted Nymph. Once Nymph woke up, Celestia thought it would have been best to let her changeling guards see her first to help relax her. Since Luna left a wonderful first impression, she was made to bring Shining Armor and Cadance from Ponyville, where they were visiting Twilight. She was also made sure to not tell them what was going on until they were in the palace in order to prevent the news from spreading and causing a panic. Once Nymph was calm, Celestia decided to go see her alone. Nymph was very shy and it took some effort to get her to say anything. They talked about the invasion and Nymph told her that it was only carried out because the status of her kingdom, where famine was taking toll. Celestia remembered Chrysalis saying it was her duty as queen to provide food for her subjects, but did not consider the idea of the changelings suffering. That was when Nymph asked her for help. Now that the changelings’ existence was known across the world, feeding became much more difficult and hunger was on the rise. Nymph wanted Celestia to help tell the ponies and other races they were no threat so they wouldn’t be persecuted and that they needed to start feeding off the large population in Equestria to stay alive. Celestia was extremely surprised by her request after what she and her city had been through and when she slightly raised her voice to protest this idea, the queen immediately trembled before her and apologized nonstop. The alicorn noticed during their entire conversation that the changeling seemed to be very nervous and had difficulty maintaining eye contact. At first, Nymph denied that anything was wrong, but after constant pressure, she admitted she was scared for her life. She knew that Celestia was extremely powerful and feared that she would punish the changelings for the attack led by her sister. Celestia reassured her that she just wanted to talk and was not thinking of any punishment for the moment. The white alicorn felt unsure about believing the queen, still mad at herself for not noticing the false Cadance’s behavior, so she asked about her and Chrysalis. Nymph simply said she hated her and left it at that. With a little pushing, they talked for a while about their previous relationship and Celestia began to believe more and more that Nymph did not share the former queen’s ambitions. Whether or not Nymph was deceiving her, there was still an issue she knew must be dealt with. She could not bear to think that there was an entire race suffering and knew something had to be done. She asked many questions about the process of draining as Shining Armor suffered from fatigue and headaches for a few days and the changeling told her that those effects were only temporary and only occurred if a changeling took in a lot of their love. Celestia also asked Nymph about how to feed so many changelings, worried that their effects could really damage things in her nation. She was told that if the changelings simply stayed in Equestria, it would be enough to sustain them all because how much the land carried. Love could be stored into crystals and distributed to other locations, so not all changelings needed to move. The changeling population was much lower than what Celestia had estimated as there was barely enough food to create a population boom in their history, which might have happened if they started doing this solution. However, Nymph was sure she would find a way to deal with this when the time came. Celestia had another idea to help with Nymph’s plan, but she knew this would be very difficult to pull off. Cadance was powerful in magic and could easily sustain many changelings if she tried. Of course, there was the obvious reason why she would refuse. When Luna returned later with the royal couple, Celestia briefly told them what was going on and, not to her surprise, Cadance started to have a panic attack. Once they calmed her down, Celestia begged her and her husband to give aid to the starving race. It took almost an hour before they decided to help and they took their time filling the crystals Nymph brought with her. After much discussion with her sister and niece, they came to an agreement. As long as the changelings’ problem existed, they would be a potential danger to other races as fear and desperation could make them do desperate things. They decided to help the changelings in hopes of saving them and turning their enemies into allies. Celestia returned to the queen and informed her that they would not attack the changelings and would give aid to them. Nymph was overjoyed to hear this and swore her absolute loyalty to her and Luna. Since then, they both had continuously visited each other to help the changelings integrate into Equestria. While Nymph was having much trouble convincing the ponies to aid their plight, there were still other issues that would arise from a large population suddenly showing up. Twilight hated the changelings before, but she was beginning to let go what happened months before. But her mind had sprouted another plausible scenario. Nymph was desperate to get her sister back and Chrysalis was an evil and deceitful creature. This combination could lead to something disastrous. Chrysalis, aware of her sister’s woes, could pretend that she is sorry for what she did and act like she wanted to make amends so Nymph’s desire for them to reunite would not allow her to see the truth. Chrysalis would take advantage of her sister and somehow use her and her subjects to gain vengeance. Twilight could not allow this to happen, no matter what. Pinkie brought over her large suitcase to her friends. “Well since this is technically one big slumber party, what games do you girls want to play!?” Upon opening it, a bunch of sleeping bags, pillows, bags of candy, and board games flew out. Twilight took the items with her magic and stuffed them back into the suitcase, which she slid under the bed. “We don’t have time for games, Pinkie. We’ve got work to do.” All of her friends became confused. “Huh? What work?” asked Fluttershy. “Important work. I want you girls to give me a status report on what you have learned about Chrysalis and Nymph.” Rainbow Dash flew straight up, pounding her hooves together. “I’ll tell you what we learned! Chrysalis is a real piece of-” “Ahem!” interrupted Rarity. “What she meant to say is that Chrysalis is too dreadful to possibly convince Queen Nymph in helping her.” “I think the same thing,” Twilight admitted. “Besides the abuse, Nymph has worked too hard for peace to give it up. All of the changelings seemed happy about living with us and I don’t think she would want to change that.” “So does that mean Nymph isn’t evil?” asked Fluttershy. “After thinking over the evidence, I can conclude that she is most certainly not evil,” Twilight answered happily. All of the ponies gave out a sigh of relief. “So does mean we can have a slumber party now?” asked Pinkie. “No. We need to investigate the royal garden.” Her friends were now even more perplexed. “Royal garden? Why do we need to go there?” questioned Fluttershy. “Because I have a gut feeling of what we will find there.” “Twilight, what is goin’ on in that head of yars?” asked Applejack. “I think there’s something going on with Nymph and I need to know the truth.” “Ya don’t trust her?” “I do, but I’m worried about something else right now.” Her friends looked at each other, understanding her concerns. “So what are you thinking?” asked Dash. Twilight began pacing back and forth in front of them. “All the changelings claim to have not seen Chrysalis for months, but I cannot accept the idea that Queen Nymph would let her go so easily. I think Chrysalis is being kept hidden somewhere in the kingdom and there is only one possible place she could be hiding.” “The garden,” answered Rarity. “Correct. No changeling has been allowed there during Nymph’s reign, making it a great place to hide someone.” “You think Chrysalis has been hiding out in the garden the whole time?” asked Rarity. “She has to be. I can’t think of where else she could possibly be. No pony has sighted her even once and it seems like a long time for her to not try anything.” “Are we really going to sneak in there? I think we could get in a lot of trouble,” said Spike. Twilight firmly nodded. “If that monster is hiding there, then we’ll have a lot more to worry about than getting caught.” Rarity came over and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight, I understand you’re worried, but don’t you trust Celestia’s judgment?” “I do, but I’m not sure about Nymph. Celestia has told me herself that Nymph misses Chrysalis dearly, despite everything that happened. She thinks that like Luna or even Discord, she too can be fixed. I think she might be keeping her there in futile events of reforming her while Chrysalis is plotting something. Besides, can we really trust someone who just releases Chrysalis after everything she has done? Nymph may not be evil, but I don’t think she’s smart either.” Pinkie rubbed her hoof on the carpet, feeling slightly ashamed. “I don’t know. This doesn’t feel right. Queen Nymph has been so kind to us and we’re betraying her trust now that she specifically asked us to keep out.” “We have to go. If Chrysalis is there, Celestia needs to know this immediately,” argued Twilight. Applejack nodded and faced the group. “She’s got a point. We need to take the chance. We were takin' by surprise last time. Ah don't want that to happen to us again.” Twilight watched as all of her friends exchanged worried glances before looking at her with the same determination as Applejack, bringing a smile out of her. “The fate of our home could rest on what we do tonight. If she is there and we do nothing, I dread to think of what will happen.” She stuck her hoof out. “I cannot do this alone. I will need all of you if we are to take her down and protect Equestria. Are you all with me?” One by one, her friends placed their hooves and claw onto hers. “Great. Let’s go when it’s dark.” “So until then…” Pinkie rushed to her suitcase and opened it, releasing its contents once more. “It’s party time!” After over an hour of board games and a very memorable truth or dare session, the group arrived outside the entrance of the garden and hid nearby around the wall. Twilight peeked at their destination and saw that it was still guarded by two armored guards. “So how are we going to get past the guards?” asked Spike. “I’ve got it figured out. Just don’t make a sound.” Twilight’s horn glowed and flashed a bright purple light, teleporting them deep into the mouth of the cave. They looked behind them and saw the guards had not taken notice of them. They quickly and quietly went deeper into the tunnel. The gang traversed the passage without saying a single word, worrying that their voices would alarm someone if there was in fact someone ahead. The silence only increased their tension, all afraid of what was lurking in the dark. After about a minute, they saw faint moonlight in the distance. They dashed on ahead and exited the underground, wanting to escape the creeping darkness. They were now in a large meadow that was surrounded by large walls of rock from the mountain, isolating it from the outside world. The meadow was decorated with many types of flowers and trees. The glowing floral illuminated the area and they could see some butterflies flying around the flowers. A small pond was against one of the walls, reflecting the night sky. There was also a transparent barrier above it all, keeping the outside elements from disturbing the garden. “It’s so gorgeous,” spoke Fluttershy in absolute awe. Twilight shushed her. “Keep it down. Chrysalis could be here.” “So now what?” asked Pinkie. “We stay low and look around. We should stay together or she will pick us off one by one.” The group quietly explored the area. While some of them were admiring its beauty, the rest were keeping an eye out for the former queen. The area being so silent made it much scarier to them. Their only comfort was the light provided from the flowers in the garden and Luna’s moon. They also came across many glowing roses that outlined the shape of a heart and Rarity was tempted to take one, but was stopped by the other unicorn. Twilight was surprised that the changelings held something so beautiful and thought it was a shame Nymph was keeping out any visitors, but she remained focused on her mission. After about ten minutes of scouting, they returned to where they came from. “Guess she isn’t here,” said Spike with a hint of relief in his voice. Twilight gritted her teeth as she glanced back into the garden. “She has to be here. We just need to look again.” She tried to go look a second time, but was stopped by Applejack, who placed a hoof in front of her. “We’ve already checked the whole thing and nothin’. Chrysalis just ain’t here.” The unicorn bit her lip. While not finding her should have been a good thing, she was very afraid of being wrong. “I was so certain she would be.” “Let it go, Twilight. We looked all over and there has been no sign of her. She must really be out of the kingdom,” suggested Dash. After some consideration, she gave a defeated sigh. “I guess. We better head back before they notice we’re missing. I wouldn't want to make Celestia worry about us.” Right as they approached the mouth of the cave, a giant ring of green fire immediately surrounded them. All of the ponies screamed and huddled together. “W-what’s happening!?” cried Pinkie with fright. “See!? She really is here!” screamed Twilight. The emerald flame fully surrounded them, obscuring their view of the outside. After some seconds, it disappeared, revealing that they were now in a much different area. It was a large room that was mostly dark, only receiving light from the open window and the lit fireplace. The room was well decorated with a massive bed and a carpet that showed pictures of changelings and flowers. There were several shelves of books near the bed and a work desk by the window. The window showed the city down below, meaning that they were back in the castle. “I hope you all enjoyed your stroll through my private garden.” The ponies jumped and looked towards the source of the voice. Lying next to the fireplace was Queen Nymph, naked of any of her royal clothing and holding a glass of wine in a hole in her hoof. Her dark appearance had camouflaged her in the shadows. “How did you know?” asked Twilight. Nymph levitated a green crystal towards the group. In the glass, they could see the garden that they were just in. “A queen must always be vigilante of her own kingdom.” “You were spying on us?” questioned Twilight, shocked. “I was actually just looking at my garden to see where I wanted to plant the apple seeds later. I just happened to notice you all walking around and I was very surprised.” She placed it aside and looked back at them. They couldn't help but feel afraid as they were not used to seeing her stern look. “So which one of you wants to tell me why you were all trespassing?” The ponies gulped and shifted their eyes around. The changeling got angry with their silence and decided to make things happen. “Twilight.” “W-we just wanted a look.” “And so you did, but I know there’s more to it since you went through the effort of sneaking pass my guards.” Nymph sipped her glass and placed it on the floor. “Princess Celestia wants there to be trust between us and that cannot be done if you lie to me. Just tell me why you went there and I’ll forget the whole thing.” “I don’t get why you’re so upset. It’s just a garden,” said Dash while trying to hide her nervousness. “It is the garden that my family has kept for thousands of years. It is our sanctuary and I would rather keep it to myself for now. The only reason I am mad is because I ordered you all to stay out and yet you all disobeyed. It makes me feel like that you don’t care about what I say and I find it to be extremely disrespectful.” Twilight knew there was no way out. “We were looking for someone.” “Is that so?” she replied in an unbelieving tone. “Now who could you have possibly hoped to find there?” “Chrysalis.” Nymph poured herself another glass. “My sister? I thought that you were more than aware than I had banished her months ago.” “I just wanted to make sure.” The queen glanced at her from behind her glass. “Are you implying that I would withhold a criminal here and keep it a secret from Celestia?” “It wouldn’t surprise me,” Twilight answered in an unfriendly tone. Nymph’s eyes narrowed as she stared down the unicorn. “Now what is that supposed to mean?” “Chrysalis had us all fooled before. As her sister, I’m sure you are just as capable.” The queen just rolled her eyes. “Trust me. I do not share her ideas of ruling your kind.” She looked at the group. “I can tell by the looks on your faces that you do not believe me.” “The changelings did not seem to care about us too much when they were invading Canterlot,” reminded Spike. “And I apologize on their behalf. I hope you do not let the past affect how you see us today. The only reason the people agreed to do such a thing was because they were desperate and Chrysalis was charismatic.” “Where is Chrysalis, anyway?” asked Pinkie. Nymph gave a quick shrug. “The truth is that I do not know. The last time I have heard from her was the day I forced her out of the kingdom. I honestly find it surprising she has not returned with some sort of scheme or something.” “What do you think she’s up to?” asked Fluttershy timidly. Nymph sighed. “Most likely trying to overthrow me. I sometimes do hope she would hurry up if that were the case. I am prepared for anything she might try; I just want to make sure she’s still all right. I would hate to think she has gotten hurt or worse.” “Wouldn’t that be nice,” muttered Twilight loudly. Nymph threw her glass into the fireplace, causing a loud shatter and the fire to erupt briefly, turning green in the process. Everypony cowered from her with the exception of Twilight, who held her ground. All of the friendliness that was on Nymph’s face from earlier that day had vanished and now resembled the elder sister. “You have a lot of guts to say such a thing to my face, Twilight Sparkle.” “I don’t get why you would care, Nymph. She is a horrible changeling.” “She is my sister, I will always care.” Celestia’s student gritted her teeth. “You should have just given her up, that way we wouldn’t have to worry about her turning up and hurting somepony!” “Had I done that back then, you would have punished her very severely. I just wanted to keep her safe.” “Well who’s keeping us safe from her? She is too dangerous to be left running around!” Twilight countered. “She will not be much of a threat to any of you. She is nowhere as powerful without an army behind her and she knows better than to lay a hoof on any of you. Doing so would bring the wrath of two kingdoms down on her head.” “You seemed to have everything figured out.” “I thought long and hard before banishing her. I guarantee she is not as big of a threat as she was during her invasion.” “If you thought the invasion was so horrible, then why didn’t you stop her?” asked Twilight aggressively. “I tried, Twilight. It is extremely difficult to convince the public to oppose the word of the queen, especially when there was so much food to get out of it. She eventually had me jailed and I wasn’t released until the news of her failure came a week later.” “You must have been pretty happy to hear that she lost.” Nymph’s anger diminished and she seemed to be slightly sorrowful. “I was actually scared out of my mind. We received word that a few of the changelings did not survive the impact and I was scared the same had happened to her. I was going mad with fear until she appeared two days later.” “Well you know what? I think it would have been a good thing if she didn’t return at all!” All of Twilight’s friends gasped. “Twilight!” yelled Rarity with shock. The queen stood up, towering over them. “Don’t you dare say such a thing about Chrysalis!” “Well why not? She is an evil changeling who treats everyone horribly, especially you!” Nymph’s face immediately paled. “We know what she did to you, Nymph. How could you possibly stand up for a heartless monster?” The queen started to tremble. “S-shut up.” “While you’re off living in some stupid delusional world, everyone else is living in reality. Chrysalis is a horrible, cruel, unloving changeling and that will never change, no matter how hard you try! You said it yourself! She’s probably working on some sort of plan to get revenge on all of us and it’s all because you allowed her to! What you did was foolish, you knew it was foolish, and yet you did it anyway! You need to grow a brain and see her for what she really is! You’re not going to be a very good queen if you’re this stupid!” The green flames intensified as Nymph got right up in her face. “SHUT UP, TWILIGHT!” “Please stop, Twilight!” begged Pinkie. "I know you're upset, but you need to calm down!" Twilight ignored her, still feeling furious. “What could you possibly see in her? She nearly tore my family as well as my country apart and never once did she feel remorse. She never took pity on you either, so there’s no reason for you to protect her. There is no way that fiend could ever be the changeling you want her to be. She is the absolute worst person I have ever met in my life and because of you, I have to spend every day worrying that monster is going to hurt my friends or worse! I hate Chrysalis more than anything and you know what? I wish she died that day!” Faster than any of them can react, Nymph lunged her hoof and grabbed Twilight by the throat. She held her above her head and slammed her onto the floor. All of the unicorn’s friends screamed in absolute terror and Twilight lost all of her courage as she looked into the enraged queen’s glowing eyes and her razor sharp teeth. After several seconds, the fire restored into its original color as Nymph slowly released Twilight and walked back to where she originally sat. She lied on the carpet and just looked at the floor in front of her. “I’m sorry.” They all gathered around Twilight as she tried to catch her breath. “You…you attacked me!” “I know and I am sorry. I just lost control back there.” She looked up with moist eyes. “Why would you ever say such a horrible thing, Twilight? Why would you wish for the death of another?” Twilight felt her rage subside as she looked into her eyes, leaving only guilt. “I was angry and I just said it without thinking. I’m sorry, Queen Nymph. I never meant what I said. I just can’t accept her in any way.” Nymph sighed. “I understand why you feel so strongly about her. She had no right to do such monstrous things to you ponies. I know she meant well in regards of helping the changelings, but it went way too far.” “How come you didn’t just imprison her instead of having her run free?” questioned the unicorn. “I was afraid of two things. The first thing was that the ponies would demand I hand her over for punishment. I knew that I could never bring myself to doing that and that would make it much more difficult between our two nations. If I did manage to surrender her, I thought it might have been the last time I would have seen her. The second thing I was afraid of was her. Despite me saying how hard it is to convince the changelings to oppose the queen, Chrysalis is charismatic enough to actually make such a thing happen. I worried that she would speak out from her prison and somehow make things worse than they already are.” “And you thought it was a good idea to let her go?” questioned Dash. “As I’ve said: Without her kingdom, she won’t do anything against you. I promise you that she wants revenge on me first before she sets her sights on any of you.” “What are you going to do if she does show up?” asked Fluttershy. “I will imprison her this time, and after much discussion, she will be left in the hooves of Princess Celestia. I trust her in handling Chrysalis and I think some justice will be needed to set her straight. I will also personally see to it that I fix her. I don’t care what you think, Sparkle. I will never give up on her.” Nymph looked at the clock in her room. “I think I have kept you all here long enough. You may all return to your rooms. Goodnight, ponies and Spike, and I think it would be best if none of us mentioned to anyone of what happened here tonight.” The group got up and left the bedroom after saying goodnight to her. When they were outside, they huddled together. “Now that was scary,” said Spike. Applejack shuttered as she looked at the door. “No kiddin’. Let’s get out of here.” As they were about to go down the hall, somepony spoke. “Wait.” The ponies stopped and turned. “Pinkie?” asked Twilight. “I think we should stay. We were totally wrong about her and you hurt her feelings, Twilight. You went way too far with what you said about Chrysalis. We’re here to make friends, not enemies!” Twilight lowered her head, sighing. “You’re right.” “Twilight?” Fluttershy asked with surprise. “Princess Celestia brought us here so we could learn and understand the changelings, which also includes her. I do not think we have left a good impression on her and Celestia may not be happy about it. And also…I feel really terrible about what I said.” Spike clung to Rarity’s leg. “Are you sure it’s safe?” “She could have done whatever she wanted but she’s letting us go. I’m sure it will be fine,” Twilight assured. They broke from their huddle and opened the door to Nymph’s chambers. “Queen Nymph?” She was slightly startled as she had not noticed them enter. “Yes?” “Can we stay a little longer?” “Stay? Whatever for?” “We just want to get to know you better. We feel bad for not trusting you and we were kind of hoping that we could clear the air.” When Nymph looked at each of them, she could tell that they were sorry for what they did. Relieved that they were going to give her a chance, she smiled and nodded. “Very well. Lay by the fire.” They all sat in a circle as the changeling clapped her hooves, bringing on the other lights in her room. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, Queen Nymph,” said the purple unicorn. “I was just scared of thinking you and Chrysalis were up to something. I just had to be sure.” “It is quite alright. I know it must be hard to trust the sister of Chrysalis, but I intend to prove you wrong.” “So you forgive us?” “I do, but promise that you will never do anything hurtful to Chrysalis. She still means a lot to me.” Twilight nodded. “We promise.” “Why do you stick up for her?” asked Dash. “I thought you two hated each other, especially since she kept hurting you.” “I know it’s hard to believe, but Chrysalis was much different before. You’d think she was an imposter had you seen her about thirty years ago.” “So what was the ‘good’ Chrysalis like?” asked the dragon. “Chrysalis was a very bold changeling who loved her family more than life itself. She always took good care of me and I always admired her. Chrysalis loved both our parents to death as I did and she did whatever she could to please them. She was kind of like me in a way, only with a bad temper. That temper of hers had gotten her into trouble many times, even as an adult. Still, beneath that tough exterior was a very caring changeling, as long as you don’t make her mad. Oh, how I miss the old Chrysie.” The ponies giggled loudly. “Chrysie?” asked Pinkie. “That was a nickname I gave her as a child. I always loved calling her that and she never minded. When she got older, she hated it when I called her that in public, but that never stopped me. The only thing that ticked her off more was when someone outside the family called her that.” “Sounds kind of like her,” commented Rarity. “I know it does. She was kind of a spoiled child and felt entitled to everything. She stepped on a few hooves with her attitude, even after I helped her readjust to some extent, but around me and our parents, she was the sweetest little thing imaginable.” “I just cannot picture her like that,” said Twilight. “Perhaps this will help.” Nymph stood and went to her desk, pulling out a large book. “Before cameras were brought to us, we simply painted our pictures. There are many paintings of my family, but there is simply not enough room to hang them all. I had this book made to keep them in a more organized and condensed version for easier access and to allow my people to view them.” She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She levitated the art book to the center of the circle for them to see. It was a painted picture of two young changeling girls and one was hugging the other. They could immediately tell the one with the short green hair was Nymph while the changeling hugging her sister was Chrysalis herself. They were both sitting right next to each other and wearing pink dresses. While Nymph was giving a cute smile, Chrysalis was giving an excited grin. Twilight could not believe that was Chrysalis she was seeing. “Is…is this real?” “Yes it is. I want you to see this one also.” The pages magically turned until another picture appeared. “Whoa,” they all said at once. It was a painting of Chrysalis as an adult. What had surprised them was the peaceful expression she carried. Without anything sinister or vile they saw from her during the wedding, they thought she was beautiful and even gave off a motherly appearance. “She looks so graceful,” said Fluttershy in awe. “I hope she does. It took me forever to have it come out the way I wanted.” They all looked up at her. “Wait. You painted this?” asked Dash. “I most certainly did. I made this for her as a gift for her hundredth birthday. When you live as long as I do, you tend to learn many skills. Painting is just one that I enjoy deeply.” “What was Chrysalis talented in?” asked Pinkie. Nymph placed the book on her desk and sat down. “If I could name one thing, it would have to be singing.” “She sang?” questioned Fluttershy. “We both did, actually. Mother taught us for many years and we were both masters. Sometimes, changelings from all over the kingdom would come to hear us whenever we held performances. Of course, neither of us could ever outperform Mother.” “Wow. Can you sing something to us right now?” asked Spike. Nymph blushed. “I’m afraid it’s been a while as I have not really been in the singing mood lately. We used to do it together all the time for the children.” “Aw, that’s so cute,” commented Rarity. “Does Chrysalis even like kids?” asked Spike. Since he was close enough, Nymph reached over and pulled on his cheek, causing him to blush while the others giggled. “We both adore children very much. They are ever so precious and I suppose who we are also plays a factor as to why we care so much.” “Huh?” “One title that the queen carries is The Mother of All Changelings. I believe this is because since the queen is always much older than any of her subjects and cares so much about them, she is essentially their mother. I’m surprised Celestia has never thought herself as one for her own subjects.” “I don’t think it’s possible to put motherly and Chrysalis in the same sentence,” pointed out Twilight. Nymph chuckled. “Oh believe me, she was. The only reason she never had any children of her own was that she could never find any changeling that could make her happy enough for her to consider marrying.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Shocking.” The changeling grinned. “I did say she was spoiled.” “Then why aren’t you married?” asked Spike. She briefly blushed. “It’s much more difficult than you think to find someone I want to make my king.” “But you’re the queen. I’m sure everyone would want you,” said Rarity. “That is exactly why it is difficult. I get marriage requests every day, always more than Chrysalis, but I want you to guess why they want to marry me.” “Because ya are of the highest authority and technically the most beautiful changeling around?” guessed the farmer. “Exactly. I want someone who I can bond with and who will love me with all their heart, not use me as a stepping stone or see me as a trophy. I will admit that I can be a bit spoiled as well. I’ve dated many changelings who I really liked, but I kept turning them down because they were not exactly the changeling of my fantasy. I want my husband to be perfect in every way I want him to be. It is tradition that despite our long life span, royal changelings are to only marry once because if we are to have children with different fathers, the two families would most likely compete for the throne and that could get bloody.” “That’s dreadful,” Rarity said sympathetically. “Not really. I still have a lot of time to look for the one. It’s just that with Chrysalis and I being the last of the royal changelings, the family feels very small, especially now that she’s gone. We do have some very distant relatives, but I do not know them very well. I would love to know how Celestia handled this for a thousand years.” “She didn’t,” said Twilight gloomily. “Poor thing. It’s hard for me to imagine she was the only alicorn around for so long. A similar fate…” She looked away, lip quivering. “…could have happened to me had things gone differently.” “Are you okay?” asked the party mare worriedly. The queen looked back at them. “Yes. I just worry about my sister, which is why I plan on possibly breaking the tradition. Had Chrysalis died that day, I would have been the last royal changeling and if anything happened to me before I had a child, we royal changelings would become extinct. Without our leadership, I’m sure the royals would start a civil war to claim the throne, or even worse, my people would choose a government that runs on…” the queen shuddered, “democracy,” she hissed hatefully. “If all goes well with Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, I plan on expanding the royal changeling population as much as I can, meaning I will marry more than once. With their lessons on friendship, love, and tolerance, I’m sure they can keep any future royal changelings from fighting amongst themselves and hopefully create a peaceful existence. I probably should be careful about how many of us there are since we do live for about a thousand years.” “That sounds like a lot of work with you pumping out so many kids,” remarked Dash. Nymph laughed as she blushed. “It will be, especially since I can only produce one every seven months, but I am more than willing to try. I just wish Chrysalis was here to possibly help, but she might not exactly be the best role model.” “So tell us more about Chrysalis,” said Twilight. The changeling only shrugged at them. “What else can I really say about her that you don’t know?” “How about some embarrassing stories?” suggested the cyan pegasus deviously. Twilight laughed and shook her head. “Dash, I don’t think she would-” “Okay!” said Nymph happily, which took them by surprise. “Let me think for a moment.” She was silent until her expression brightened. “Here’s one! One time when we were little girls, Chrysie asked Father to teach her how to fight. She always did admire him for being a soldier and she wanted to be tough like him. He agreed, thinking she was old enough. The first thing they did was practice some physical fighting by doing boxing. She was sloppy at first, but she got the hang of it eventually. I was there watching them, but I never participated because I was too soft to fight. So after an hour, Chrysalis felt like she could take on the world. She thought fighting was so great, that she wanted me to practice too. I was reluctant at first, but she managed to talk me into it. So she tells me, ‘Just try hitting me, I can block it!’ My first swing got her right on the nose, not even that hard, mind you, and the next thing I know, Chrysalis is screaming bloody murder on the top of her lungs.” All of the ponies laughed. “Oh the poor thing,” said Rarity in between breaths. “She was absolutely hysterical while Father tried to calm her down. After about a minute, Mother comes flying in, asking what was going on. Chrysie points at me and says that I was trying to kill her.” That caused them all to laugh even harder. “She doesn’t seem like the type to overreact,” said Twilight. “Well you should have seen me. I was in tears as well, feeling so bad about what I had done and also believing that I could have killed her. I kept apologizing, but she didn’t believe me. Our parents kept us separated so Chrysalis could calm down. Once she did, we made up. Sometimes when she acts all tough, I remind her about that incident and she just gets so embarrassed.” “What a cute story,” said Pinkie once she got a hold of herself. “Here’s another one. It was Chrysalis’s seventh birthday and she had a huge party as she does every year. I was only four the time, so I barely remember much. I happen to know this story because Father told me, much to Mother’s dismay.” “Her dismay?” asked Fluttershy. “You’ll see. Anyway, so after they all sang her the birthday song, Mother tells her to make a wish. Chrysalis didn’t have to even think of what she wanted.” “So what did little Chrysalis wish for?” asked Spike. “She blows out the candles and says, ‘I wish for a brother!’” The entire room roared in laughter once again. “I can only imagine the look on our parents’ faces when she said that. I heard that all of the nobles there were cracking up and making rather crude jokes toward them. Now of course, they had to tell her it was not possible, which was true since Mother could only produce more royal changelings, which are only of the female sex. Chrysalis was disappointed by their answer, but they told her to make another wish. She thought hard, but she didn’t know what she wanted. But then, one of the nobles suggests that she should wish that everyday should be her birthday so she could have more parties.” “I would totally wish for that!” said Pinkie excitedly. “Maybe you would, but then Chrysie said, ‘But I don’t want to be an old lady like my mom!’” The ponies continued throwing fits of laughter. “Oh, poor Mother. I only wish I could see the look on her face as her own daughter said that right in front of so many people. I am sure all of her friends called her that for weeks. Because of that, she didn’t allow any more birthday wishes.” “Wow, Chrysalis was such a darlin’ little thing,” commented Applejack. “I suppose that story was a little more embarrassing for Mother than Chrysalis, but I just thought it was cute. Now here’s one from when she was an adult. Chrysalis always believed she was talented, even if in fields where she clearly wasn’t, and one night she decided to make us all dinner without telling us as a surprise, just something for all of us to enjoy. Finally, dinner arrived and we were allowed to start. Not even one minute passes and something went horribly wrong. The moment the potatoes touched my tongue, I started gagging nonstop. I remember that I was starting to break out in sweats while some of the other changelings were tossing their food aside.” Dash was clutching her sides. “That’s so awesome!” “I am afraid it gets much worse. So after Chrysalis sees how disgusted we all were with her meal, Mother immediately calls for a doctor and an investigator, believing that someone was trying to poison us. Father had all of the cooks brought in for questioning. When they asked what was going on, Father said that the food tasted like a diamond dog’s butt and Mother was sure it was fatal for anyone to eat. So after we and the others angrily shouted our complaints, my sister slams on the table, silencing us. Chrysalis, in tears, stands up and says that she made dinner that night as a surprise.” The laughter had died down as the ponies and dragon felt bad for making fun of the incident. “Oh my,” said Fluttershy, feeling very sympathetic. “We immediately felt even worse, which was apparently possible after eating her ‘food.’ That moment was beyond a shadow of a doubt the most awkward event I have ever been through in my long life. The poor girl storms out of the dining hall, completely crushed. She just wanted to treat us all with her talent, but it turned out she had none for cooking. We all felt so guilty about what we said, and Chrysalis never dared cook anything beyond a simple meal again.” “Maybe that’s going to be her revenge plan: to force us to eat her cooking,” jested Celestia’s student. Nymph cracked up. “It would certainly be a fate worse than death. Some of the nobles had food poisoning for days and we had to stop one from surgically removing his tongue. Later that night, I went to my sister’s room and the poor thing was just lying there, tired from crying.” “Wait, wait, wait,” interrupted the blue pegasus. “Chrysalis was crying? What a big baby.” Nymph gave a hateful stare to Dash. “There is nothing wrong with crying, Rainbow Dash, especially after what happened. Chrysalis has emotions just like everyone else. I did believe she was slightly overreacting, but maybe we went too far with what we said. She may be a very stoic changeling, but if there is one thing she cannot tolerate at all, it is failure. She toiled for hours, trying to gives us something nice to enjoy, and we just spat it out and said the worst kind of things. We talked for a while and then she felt much better as we laughed about it. Just because she was a failure in that field didn’t mean she was a failure at everything. But I do remember one other thing that happened that we all swore never to tell her.” “What?” asked Applejack. “When one of the chefs went to put out the garbage, he found many rat bodies around the garbage can that carried her dinner. I think it is safe to say they were all victims of her cooking.” “Those poor things,” said Fluttershy. “So I guess she has a talent for being an exterminator,” Dash joked. This caused them to break into laughter once more. “Now that is funny.” Nymph took a moment to catch her breath. “I think I’ve said enough about her for now, but speaking of Chrysalis, there's something I need to ask you all. What gave you the idea that she was in the garden?” All of Twilight’s friends looked at the unicorn, who just grinned nervously. “The guards outside said you had yet to let anyone in during your time as queen and Celestia said you really missed her. I kinda thought you kept her around.” “I see. I suppose my answer from earlier only made me seem more suspicious.” “Your garden is very beautiful, by the way,” complimented Rarity. “Thank you. I personally tend to it.” “Really? You take care of that whole thing by yourself?” asked Pinkie. “It’s how I take my mind off things. With my current access to Equestria, I have been planting more flowers and fruit trees. Shame the garden isn’t as large as I want it to be. It’s still a lot of work to manage, however, but that’s what magic is for. It’s usually nice and warm there and after some hard work, I just relax my beautiful body in the water and let go of any worries.” “So why do you always keep your people out?” queried Twilight. “Most of the time, royalty like myself need a place of escape; somewhere we can relax and do whatever we please without anyone knowing. Sometimes we allow some of the citizens to enter and admire it. I also like to give out the fruit whenever they are grown. I don’t often allow them in as I like the idea of it being all mine.” Nymph giggled. “I guess that makes me a little spoiled as I am hording one of the Kingdom’s treasures for myself.” “I certainly envy it. It is so peaceful and beautiful,” said the orange pony. “That’s the idea. It is considered to be the most sought out place to hold weddings in the whole kingdom and we occasionally allow a few. I’m sure some are not too happy I have been preventing this opportunity from them, but I’ve only kept them out because I need to go there a lot since my time as queen. Asides from the negotiations, the kingdom still has other issues that I must oversee that take up a lot of my time. Being a queen is not as fun as you would think.” “I loved that heart you made from the roses. It felt so romantic,” complimented Fluttershy. “You like it? I thought it up myself. It might be a while until I put it to use.” “Put to use?” asked Applejack. Nymph giggled uncontrollably while blushing furiously. “What’s so funny?” asked Pinkie. “I’ll tell you if you promise not to ever repeat what I say to a soul, not even the Princess.” All of the ponies and Spike exchanged curious looks. “Okay. So what’s the big secret?” asked Dash. “It is sort of tradition that whenever a royal changeling gets married, they go into the garden with their spouse to make love.” All of the ponies felt their faces heat up. “Can you imagine how romantic it is? The first night of your marriage, you go to a private sanctuary and it is only you and your lover, where you perform the ultimate act of passion out in the open and under the stars. You can do whatever you want and no one can hear you scream in pleasure. I just thought the little rose bed would enhance the mood for the love making.” An awkward silence filled the room as the queen swooned over her thoughts, which only made them feel more awkward. “So wait,” Spike said suddenly, “if you can make love, then why do you need to drain it from ponies?” Everyone slowly turned their heads at the dragon with expressions filled with surprise. The silence was broken when Nymph burst out laughing. “It appears I have forgotten how young you were, Spike. I was sure you would have learned by now after living with Twilight for so long. Surely she would have a book on it.” “Maybe I’ll go find it when we go back to the library.” “NO!” shouted Twilight. “You are not old enough to learn about such a thing!” “But she said it’s the ultimate act of love. I just want to try it with Rarity.” Rarity was next to blush as everyone was snickering at her. “D-darling, I think you should listen to Twilight!” “Fine.” He took a moment before turning towards the blue pegasus. “Hey, Rainbow Dash.” “So Nymph, how are things with Princess Celestia?” Dash asked in hopes that Spike would immediately forget the subject entirely. “They are going great. I always love having her here. I am glad she is still working with me on the many issues that the ponies have with my people. They’ve been deadlocked for some time, but I’m sure that will change soon, she just needs to work on her charm.” “Have you met Luna?” asked Fluttershy. “I have. She was rather unhappy with my presence at first, but she came around. She also supports my people and for that I am thankful. It is a shame they can’t force Equestria into accepting us, but this might be for the better.” “What about Princess Cadance?” questioned Applejack. Nymph shifted around uncomfortably. “Along with her husband, we still have some issues to work out. They refuse to come here and see me and I understand their choice.” “They’re still willing to let the changelings come to Equestria,” said Twilight. “I know, but they still have doubts. It might be best if we don’t integrate into the Crystal Empire for some time. Speaking of the empire, what is it like? I am dying to see it for myself.” “It is simply marvelous,” stated Rarity. “The buildings and even the palace are made entirely of crystal and there’s green as far as the eye can see. The citizens there have bodies that shine like actual crystals.” “It sounds wonderful. Twilight, you really need to convince them to let us go there. I want to see it with my own eyes.” “I’ll try. Did you know Spike actually helped save the Crystal Empire?” “Oh really?” She looked at the timid dragon. “Come closer. I want to take a good look at you, little hero.” Spike gulped. “Uh…” When she tried reaching for him, he recoiled behind Rarity. “You seem to be afraid. Is everything all right?” asked the queen. “M-me? Afraid? Why would that be? I didn’t do anything wrong.” She was now watching him very carefully. “I never said you did.” Spike began to shake as he worried that she would find out about the scare he gave the citizens and seeing how she attacked Twilight made him fear the royal changeling much more. “Well I didn’t, if that’s what you’re thinking.” “Then why are you trembling?” “Because…” His eyes shifted around until his stomach growled. “Because I haven’t eaten much all day and I’m starving.” “Oh, Spikey, did I not pack enough gems for you?” asked the seamstress. “I know! Why don’t we have some candy?” Pinkie suggested. Dash couldn’t help but grin. “That sounds really good right now. Want any, your highness?” “Of course.” Nymph suddenly grinned as well. “Spike, would you kindly go fetch Pinkie’s candy? I would like to try some.” “Alright.” Spike got up and quickly left the room. He made his way back into the guestroom they were staying in and found Pinkie’s large bag of sweets in her suitcase, carrying it over his shoulder as he left. On his way back, he was met with a friendly face. “Good evening, Spike,” greeted Celestia, who was wet with a towel around her waist. “The bath here is amazing. You have to try it for yourself.” She then noticed the bag he was dragging. “What are you up to?” “I’m just bringing some candy to the girls.” “The girls? Where are they exactly?” “In Nymph’s room.” Celestia was surprised. “Really? I hope everything is going well.” “It is. We’re just getting to know each other.” “I am happy to hear that.” Celestia took a pile of candy from the bag with her magic. “Well just come to me if you need anything, Spike. I'm always available for you.” “Okay I will,” said Spike as he continued down the hall. When Spike returned to the royal bedchamber, he saw the mares looking at him with anticipation. “I’m back. Did I miss anything?” “No, not really,” said Fluttershy. “Bring the candy over, I’m starving!” demanded his soon-to-be marefriend. “Uh…sure, Rarity.” Spike dumped the stash in the center of the circle. The mares began taking some, while Rarity and Twilight were wolfing down whatever they could grab. “Are you girls alright?” “Sure,” answered Rarity, hardly taking any notice of anything besides the treats. “I’m doing super amazingly super now!” said Twilight as she devoured a chocolate bar. Spike scratched his head. “You girls are acting weird.” The farmer shook her head while eating. “Boy howdy, Spike. You should just eat some candy, I tell you what. Nothing weird here, no siree bob.” Believing her, Spike just shrugged and started taking from the pile. “So Spike, I have yet to hear of how you feel about changelings,” said Nymph. “They’re all right, I guess.” “Poor Rainbow Dash had a nasty encounter with one and was viciously attacked,” Fluttershy informed. The drake gasped. “She did!? Are you okay, Dash?” “I am perfectly fine,” she answered while eating a chocolate bar. “Her ego isn’t since she was attacked by a baby,” added Fluttershy. The room filled with laughter as the pegasus blushed. “It wasn’t just one, it was a whole group of the little guys!” stated the blue pony. “Are you saying you were attacked by an army of babies?” asked Spike. “That happens much more often than you think,” said Nymph. “Our young are trained to be lethal fighting machines. Why, even I have personal baby brigade that carries out secret missions for me.” The whole room roared in laughter except for Spike, who just stared in confusion. “The way Dash took the pain was so heroic. You should have been there, Spike,” commented Rarity. “There’s just something about Rainbow Dash that brings out my wild side.” All of the ponies’ snickering became louder. “So what did you three do today in Bugartha?” asked Nymph. “We went to the library and saw all of the books that had!” answered Twilight. “I’m sorry, but you need to stop reading so much, Twilight. You’re the only one who has yet to have a special somepony because of your nerdiness. Maybe you should think about hiring Cherub to help with your serious problem,” said Rarity. The other unicorn happily nodded. “Maybe you’re right. Perhaps I should ask her and Pinkie for some dating help. I get to even hang out with Pinkie Pie!” “Now just hold a minute,” said Applejack. “You are perfectly fine the way you are. I’m sure there’s somepony who will love you for you.” The whole room smirked while Applejack huffed under her breath. “Speaking of which, how is Caramel doing?” asked Fluttershy mischievously. The farmer suddenly had red on her cheeks. “Oh, he’s fine. We like to kiss and stuff.” “So what base are you on now, Applejack?” asked Nymph with a dirty look on her face. “I don’t remember playing baseball with him.” The entire room fell dead quiet. After a few seconds, everypony but the cowgirl and Spike exploded in laughter. Rainbow rolled onto her back and kicked her legs in the air. “Looks like Applejack needs to borrow some of Twilight’s books!” “Hey, I don’t need to read any more books! I know exactly what I’m doing. Giddy up, yeehaw!” They all stopped and just looked at her. “Um…yar?” Applejack buried her face into her hooves as the laughter resumed. “So Nymph,” asked Pinkie once they quieted down, “do you have anyone you’re interested in?” The queen tapped her chin, thinking. “To be honest, I think I like Princess Celestia!” All of the girls gasped. “You…do?” asked Pinkie. “Of course I do. Princess Celestia is the most elegant and beautiful pony I have ever met, besides Rarity, and she is so very kind. I think I…love her.” The whole room fell dead quiet. “Congratulations?” said Spike with uncertainty. She smiled widely and clapped her hooves. “You know what? I think I should go tell her how I feel right now!” Nymph stood, but Twilight stood up as well. “Not so fast, Queenie! I can’t let you have Celestia!” “Is it because of what my sister did? I promise you that my love for her is sincere.” “No, because I love her too!” The whole room gasped. “Oh wow,” said Fluttershy. At first, Nymph looked shocked, but then she laughed. “She would never pick you over me. I am a queen while you are just a lowly student.” Twilight got up to her face. “Well I’ve got news for you! I’m…pregnant!” The whole room let out a louder gasp. “What!?” exclaimed Spike. “HUH!?” screamed Applejack. “I think it’s cute,” said Pinkie warmly. “That’s right, I am carrying her child! It will be the symbol of our love!” “Twilight, your parents are going to kill you!” exclaimed Spike as he clutched the sides of his own head. “The power of love will shine through!” countered Celestia’s student and apparently lover. Nymph scowled than lowered her head to get it in front of Twilight's. “Well guess what, Sparkle. I’m carrying Princess Celestia’s hatchlings!” The whole room produced another gasp. “In fact, I’m carrying a hundred eggs!” “SERIOUSLY!?” yelled Dash in shock. “Well I’m going to marry Celestia!” argued Twilight. “Not if I propose first!” The two mares glared at each other. “Here’s an idea,” said Fluttershy, causing everypony to look at her, “why don’t you both marry her?” The two thought about it for a moment. “I’m fine with that,” said Nymph calmly. Twilight happily nodded and hugged the changeling. “Me too! Looks like it will be a double royal wedding!” The whole room filled with cheer and laughter with the exception of Spike, who still had not gotten over the shock of Twilight's pregnancy. “Spike, in light of recent news, we have a very special responsibility for you,” said Nymph with a smile on her face. Spike gulped. “Uh-oh.” “You see, I am much too busy to raise all one hundred of my children as I am a queen, so I will need you to take care of them for me.” “WHAT!?” shouted Spike as the ponies laughed. “Hope you know how to change a diaper,” said Dash. Everything was going insane for the young dragon. In five minutes, Twilight and Nymph admitted to being in love with the princess and were having her children, which he would be forced to take care of. He slowly curled himself into a ball and rocked back and forth. “You okay there, Spike?” asked Dash. “I’m in a happy place. I’m in a happy place.” He was cut off from the world around him. “Spike!” Rarity snapped. He broke from his trance. “Huh?” “My back needs a good rubbing. Get to it, lover boy.” “Sure, Rarity.” He hoped on her back and began to massage her. Rarity let out a sigh of pleasure while her hind leg twitched. “Oh yeah, that’s good.” She noticed Nymph giving her a deathly glare and stuck her tongue out in response. “So Spike, I’ve been thinking about us.” Spike cringed, worrying of what other surprises awaited. “What do you mean?” “I think it’s time we have an open relationship.” He paused his massaging. “A what?” “It means you can now date other ponies along with Rarity,” said Applejack. “Really? Is that legal?” Rarity laughed. “Of course it is. Just try not to like your other marefriend too much.” “But I don’t know who I like besides you, Rarity.” Twilight waved her hoof excitedly. “Pick me! Pick me!” “But you’re almost my sister!” Spike protested as he backed away from her. “I think that just makes it so much hotter,” said Rainbow Dash in a dirty manner. Spike was visibly sweating while they laughed. Totally bizarre things were happening and none of them paid any heed. All they did was laugh. “You girls are acting really crazy!” Pinkie was trying to contain herself. “I think I know somepony who would like you.” “But aren’t you dating Fluttershy, Pinkie?” questioned Spike. “I don’t think she was talking about her,” said Applejack as she was snickering. Before Spike could ask what she had meant, he was suddenly covered in a blue aura. He was lifted off the ground and placed into the forelegs of Nymph. “I’ve always had taken a liking to dragons,” she said playfully. Spike was struggling desperately as the changeling smothered his face with kisses. “W-what are you doing!?” “Relax, Spike. I will take good care of you,” she cooed lovingly. “Come on, Spike. Isn’t Queen Nymph the loveliest creature you have ever laid your eyes on?” teased Rainbow Dash. Spike looked into the warming smile of the changeling with his shrunken pupils. “You’re just so adorable.” She ran her tongue across her fangs. “I could just eat you up!” That was the last straw for the drake. He immediately started struggling like mad and was screaming at the top of his lungs. “HELP! PRINCESS CELESTIA, WHERE ARE YOU!? SAVE ME!” All of the ponies were rolling on the floor laughing and Nymph ceased her actions. “I think we’ve traumatized the poor thing long enough,” said Dash. Her forehead glowed green and light engulfed the entire room. When Spike’s vision came to, he saw that they were all sitting in different spots. He was no longer being held by the queen, but by Rarity instead. “Huh…wha…who?” he babbled. Rarity hugged him tightly and gave another kiss. “Relax, Spikey. We were just having fun with you.” “But how?” “I have the power to disguise others,” explained the real queen. “I’m surprised you did not catch on by how we acted.” “That was the best prank ever!” exclaimed Pinkie. “Don’t you think so, Spike?” The dragon did not reply and just stared into space. Rarity waved a hoof in front of him, but received no response. “Oh dear, I think we’ve blown his little mind.” “Serves him right for scaring my people." The changeling looked at her. “And Rarity, seriously? Me carrying a hundred hatchlings? My figure could never handle that.” The seamstress blushed. “I’m sorry, but I felt that I needed to one up Pinkie. It certainly made things more entertaining.” “Making me sound like I have romantic feelings for the princess was certainly odd, but it all worked out much better than I expected,” commented Nymph. “Aw, you don’t like her?” asked Pinkie as she pouted. “I do, but not in that way. I’m not into females like my sister is.” “Oh, she’s a lesbian?” questioned Pinkie with increased interest. “Bisexual, to be accurate.” Pinkie scratched the back of her head. “Bisexual? If being straight means liking boys and being gay means liking girls, what’s bisexual!?” “She likes both.” Everything in Pinkie’s mind came to a complete stop. Her mouth fell to the floor and her pupils shrunk. “B-b-b-b-b-both?” “Yes, Pinkie. Chrysalis likes males and females.” They all noticed Pinkie convulsing. “Ya okay there?” asked Applejack. The pony only babbled as foam formed around her mouth. After several seconds, her eyes rolled up and she fainted. Nymph gasped and ran to her side. “Is she okay!? What happened!?” Twilight laughed as she got Pinkie onto her back. “She’ll be just fine. She just had a brain overload. This has actually happened a few times. She just needs some rest and she’ll be back to her old self.” Rarity placed Spike on her back. “Speaking of rest, I think it might be getting late.” Nymph looked at her clock. “Oh, how the time flies. I was having so much fun, too.” “Well we better get going to bed. It’s been fun, Nymph,” said Twilight. “I suppose I shall turn in for the night as well. Goodnight, ponies. I look forward to seeing you all in the morning.” The ponies left the room and began walking back to their room, each talking about their fun moments with the queen. When they weren’t looking, Applejack went up to Rarity. “Hey, Rares?” “What is it, Applejack?” She leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Third.” The earth pony walked ahead with a smug expression as Rarity stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide and mouth agape. After she got a hold of herself, she ran ahead to catch up with her friends. Morning arrived and Celestia awakened all of her subjects staying in the Changeling Kingdom. Once they prepared themselves, they followed her to the dining hall, where Nymph awaited them. Not wanting to repeat the previous disaster, she had her chefs prepare cinnamon rolls. “I hope you all slept well,” said Nymph as the ponies seated themselves. “Most of us did,” remarked Twilight as she looked at Spike, who just crossed his arms and looked away. “So was everything all right last night?” asked Celestia. “Everything was fine, Princess. They are a lot more fun than you have described,” answered Nymph “I didn’t think you were even going to meet them until today.” “I wasn’t, but then I caught them sneaking around in my garden, so I brought them to me,” said Nymph as she bit into her breakfast. Celestia slowly turned her head to the ponies, causing them to shrink. “They did what?” Nymph swallowed. “Twilight was convinced that I was hiding Chrysalis there and she and her friends decided to take a quick peek.” “Twilight!” scolded the princess, causing her student to cringe. “Now, now,” said the changeling calmly. “She was just making sure you weren’t all in danger. I think it was rather noble of her to take risks to protect the ones she loves.” “I suppose.” “And let us not forget, it was her that discovered my sister, not you.” Celestia's face flushed. “R-right. Um…good job, Twilight.” Nymph patted her on the shoulder. “I’m glad she went, Celestia, otherwise we would not have bonded. We got to know each other very well last night.” “Hey, Nymph, we didn’t really get to talk much about you,” informed Twilight. She set her breakfast down. “I think you’re right. Why don’t you all ask me something?” “Did you always want to make peace with ponies?” queried Pinkie. Nymph hesitated for a moment and then spoke in a slightly serious tone. “The honest truth is I did not. Like everyone else here, I did not trust your kind or any other for that matter. I was content with living in secrecy, despite wanting to see the world for myself. You have no idea how terrified I was when I went to Canterlot to meet with Celestia for the first time.” “I did notice you hyperventilating when I first saw you,” teased Celestia. “Well what did you expect? I heard stories about you as a child, so I knew how powerful you were and when I heard what you did to those like Sombra or even Luna, I feared a similar fate would befall me. But in the end, you treated me with great kindness and every day I am thankful for that.” “And I am grateful that Chrysalis had such a reasonable sister to take over.” “Indeed. Chrysalis, on the other hoof, has always been very…racist. As a child, she had dreamed of taking Equestria by force. We both blamed ponies and other races for isolating us underground because they would fear us and even attack us if we were discovered. She thought it was wrong for us to be pushed around by our prey and always desired setting things right. As for myself, I didn’t want conflict, just for us to survive. I won’t lie to you. I sometimes supported Chrysalis’s dreams when I was younger, but when she actually wanted to go through with it, I decided to step in. But…I will admit that when she left for Canterlot, a small part of me wanted her to win. Not only would her success have brought in a new age for us, but I dared not think of our fate if she failed. Anyway, do any of you have a question of a different subject?” “So besides gardening, what do you do for fun?” asked Fluttershy. “Let’s see. I visit my friends, visit the people of the city, paint, make dresses, and read.” “Oh, you read? What kind of books?” Twilight asked with immediate interest. “Adult romance novels,” answered Celestia. Fluttershy choked on her breakfast as the other ponies mocked the changeling. “W-well what’s wrong with that? I am an adult, after all!” “It might not be healthy to have an entire stash. Why, I remember you telling me that you one day wanted to meet a changeling prince who was so strong and handsome like one of the characters from your stories, who would lovingly hold you every night and told you how much he loved you,” teased Celestia as she sipped her drink while the laughter increased in volume. “Well you thought they were pretty good, too!” The alicorn rejected her drink from her mouth as the laughter shifted onto her. “I wasn’t doing anything with them! I-I was just doing research!” The queen gave her a dirty smile. “There’s no need to be ashamed, Celestia. If you’re that lonely, then maybe you should work on your sex appeal.” “Don’t judge me. I don’t make it a habit to spend some nights reading a dirty book by the fireplace while drinking wine. And let’s not forget what happened at that social gathering last month.” Nymph’s smile bent downward. “You promised never to speak of it again!” “Oh, I have got to hear this,” said Rainbow Dash. “Last month, Nymph attended a little party during one of our meetings in Canterlot. She was still not used to how the nobles treated her, so she decided to cope with it by drinking. Of course, Equestrian wine might be a little too much for the changeling queen.” Nymph dug her face into her hooves. “So while intoxicated, she heard that there was a certain nephew of mine attending.” Rarity gave a loud gasp. “Oh…my…alicorns.” “That’s right. She tracked down my nephew Blueblood and tried to seduce him in a drunken manner.” Nymph’s face burned as the ponies laughed. “My life is over.” “It wasn’t that bad.” “He was screaming for help, saying that I was going to drain him.” “Like he has any love in him,” retorted Rarity. “It wasn’t love he thought she was after,” corrected the princess. “Then what?” Celestia turned her head toward the royal changeling. “You want to tell them?” Nymph lifted her head to show her scowl. “The idiot thought I was seducing him so I could have him impregnate me with his ‘perfect children’ and create some sort of super army to conquer Equestria with.” Everypony was laughing again. “That’s a scary thought,” commented the seamstress. Nymph crossed her forelegs and rolled her eyes. “As if I would ever do a thing.” “I meant the thought of Blueblood reproducing.” “What about that other time you got flirty, Nymph?” chimed in Celestia. The changeling gave her the stink eye. “Celestia, why are you telling them these things? These were supposed to be secrets!” “Relax. There’s no need to be embarrassed. You were drunk that one time and it was more embarrassing for my nephew, not you. Besides, it might be better if you tell this story before somepony else does.” “Which story?” The alicorn leaned in and whispered to her, generating a look of agony on Nymph, who just planted her face on the table. “Right. That one.” “Which one?” asked Applejack. The changeling sat up and cleared her throat. “During my first visit to Canterlot, I met a very attractive stallion." Everypony immediately gained interest. "I tried introducing myself to him, but he kept giving me the cold shoulder. He kept asking me many questions about me and my sister like he was interrogating me. I didn’t wish for him to hate me and thought he was cute, so I worked my magic on him. I began to come on to him and it took him some time to realize what I was doing. Upon this discovery, his personality completely changed. He was just babbling in protest, but I told him to just relax. All I wanted was for him to give me a chance. But then, the worst part happened.” “What happened?” asked Spike. “His wife came in.” All of the ponies laughed uncontrollably. “She was furious, yelling at me to stay away and that she would have me arrested for trying to steal him while I kept telling her that I had no idea he was taken. I felt even dumber when she pointed at the ring on his horn, which I stupidly failed to notice as my eyes were lost on his body.” “Wow, Nymph. I’m sorry to hear that happened. Maybe that stallion should have said something earlier. I mean, wasn’t it obvious what you were doing?” questioned Twilight. “I thought it was, but I guess not. I’m pretty sure they’re both still mad about the incident.” “They are,” Celestia added, “but they’re getting over it. They just need time. I just find it funny they never told Twilight after all this time.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Why would they tell me about that?” “Because,” Nymph started, “the stallion was your brother.” Everypony but Celestia became completely still. “W-what?” stammered the violet unicorn. “I was hitting on Shining Armor.” All of Twilight’s friends put their hooves over their mouths to cover their snickering. “I’m sorry it happened, but I had no idea at the time. I only knew the groom’s name, not what he looked like. And I’m sure Cadance was not happy to see the sister of Chrysalis making moves on her husband.” “She wasn’t,” commented Celestia. “But that’s enough about me. My dignity needs time to heal. Can we talk about something that doesn’t involve me being laughed at?” Pinkie jumped on the table. “I wanna talk about how me and Fluttershy became special someponies!” The yellow pegasus just blushed as Pinkie through a foreleg around her and pulled her close. “I would love to hear that. You two seem very adorable together. And afterwards, we should discuss what you have learned about the changeling civilization. After all, that is the reason you all came over here in the first place.” After breakfast, the ponies packed the little luggage they had and had Celestia’s guard’s collect them. As the group was traveling down the hallway, a pair of changeling guards approached them. “Twilight Sparkle,” one of them said. “Yes?” “Queen Nymph wishes to speak with you in her garden.” The unicorn gulped. “She wants to speak with me? Alone?” “Yes. Please go to her as soon as you can. She eagerly awaits you.” Once the guards left, the ponies and dragon looked nervously at each other. Spike then clung to her leg. “Please don’t go! It could be a trap!” She just laughed as Rarity pulled him off. “I’ll be fine. I completely trust her.” “What do ya think she wants?” asked the orange mare. “I’ll go find out. You girls finish packing and wait by the carriage with the princess while I see her.” Outside the palace, they parted ways. When Twilight saw the cave entrance, the guards saluted and allowed her entry. She walked past them and entered the tunnel from the night before. Twilight approached the garden with a knot in her gut. While she was sure that Nymph was nothing like Chrysalis, being asked to speak with her alone in an isolated area just made her feel nervous. She decided the best option would be to keep her guard up. As she stepped into the sunlight, she could hear a beautiful voice singing. When the garden finally came into view, she saw Nymph wearing a sunhat and singing a cheery tune while watering her flowers with a watering can. At last, the changeling took notice of Twilight and stopped singing. She approached the unicorn with a friendly smile on her face. “Twilight! I’m so glad you’re here.” “You wanted to see me?” “Yes I do. Come lie with me in the shade.” Twilight went under a pear tree and lied on the soft grass as the queen joined her. “I will not keep you long. I know you are eager to return home.” “What did you want to talk about?” Nymph took in a deep breath. “First, I want to apologize for how I acted last night. I should not have attacked you like that, but please watch your words more carefully.” “Apology accepted. I shouldn’t have said those things to you and I feel so awful thinking about it now.” “It’s all right, we all make mistakes. Now I brought you here because I just wanted us to talk. I know you have more reason than any other to feel negatively about my kind and I want to change that.” “That’s not necessary. I’ve learned enough from yesterday and I now realize I was wrong about the changelings. You are such a unique species and I hope everypony can see you like I do.” The changeling lightly blushed. “That means a lot to me, Twilight.” “Queen Nymph, I also want to apologize again for not trusting you yesterday and for saying those things.” “Do not blame yourself. I understand fully what Chrysalis had put you all through and I completely understand why you would feel that way about her. She had no right to do any of those horrible things to you.” “I’m also sorry to hear about what she did to you. I’m glad to see you are usually in high spirits after everything you’ve been through.” The changeling sighed. “It’s partly an act, Twilight. The mood of the ruler affects the mood of the people. Times are very tough on them, but as long as they see me smiling, they have hope.” “So you’re not happy?” “Not completely. Being the queen of the changelings was not something I had completely prepared myself for. I had always seen it as more of the role of Chrysalis and yet here I am.” “But you’re doing a good job.” Nymph looked towards the sunny sky. “Yes, but it is only because of Celestia. She is so kind to forgive us for our actions. Had she been more like the other ponies, my race would have been in trouble. I am very thankful for her mercy and her friendship.” “Friendship?” “Yes. She was really curious about the changelings since we were asking for citizenship right after the invasion and we got to know each other from our discussions. She could tell that I was mildly struggling as a queen and she began helping me in becoming a better ruler. Later on, we became close friends.” “She never told me that.” Nymph chuckled. “Probably because you would have been upset at her, but being the queen during a time like this is only the lesser reason of my misery. I don’t think I need to tell you the other cause.” “Chrysalis.” The queen slowly nodded. “When she turned against me, it felt like someone reached inside me and tore out a piece of my soul. She was my very closest friend for over three-hundred years. Banishing her was easily the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. Can you imagine, Twilight, Shining Armor doing something wrong and you have to send him away, with your last memory of him is him telling how much he hates you?” Twilight flinched. “I don’t want to think about it.” “I don’t blame you. I always wonder where she is and the more time passes, the more I worry. The only thing I can do until she is found is fix all of the damage she has caused. It pains me to see how everyone despises her. When these negotiations are done, I will go out to find her. I will bring her home and try to help her. I do not want to think that my hopes for her are misplaced and that she will stop her nonsense.” Twilight nodded, but there was something she really wanted to know. “Why does Chrysalis hate you?” Nymph fell silent and it was almost a minute before she spoke again. “I do not wish to speak of it right now. You already think ill of her and the memories are very painful for me.” “It’s hard to believe she was once like how you described her.” “Trust me, that is the Chrysalis I remember and cherish. I would give up everything to see her once more. You might think it is foolish of me to have any hope for my sister, but it is hope I refuse to let go of. The true reason I kept everyone out of here is because I like to sit here and recollect the memories of her and I. We used to come here all the time when we were younger and even worked together on the garden with Mother when we got older. I cannot go on believing that the evil Chrysalis that you and I know cannot be changed. She is family, and that will never change.” “I really hope you’re right.” “I do too.” She sighed and laid her head on the grass. “Many of my friends think I am fool for putting any faith in her and sometimes I wonder if they are right. Even you think there is no hope for her.” “I never said that.” “I can see it in your eyes, Twilight. It may look like a fool’s errand to try to bring the good out of her, but I need this more than anything. I would throw away everything to get my beloved sister back. If Nightmare Moon or Discord can be reformed, surely she can. I know you hate her and you are even scared of her, but I do not want you to worry. Knowing her, she is attempting some sort of plot to reclaim the crown, but if you happen to somehow run into her, I want you to tell her that she needs to turn herself in. I don’t care if you have to beat her and drag her all the way to Celestia, Twilight. I want her to be somewhere where I know she is safe.” Twilight nodded. “I’ll be sure to do that and I think I should seriously consider the beating part.” The queen cracked up. “You have my deepest gratitude. Speaking of my sister, I also want you to know that I am no idiot.” “Huh?” “You thought I would have blindly taken in Chrysalis after her saying sorry without considering she was tricking me, did you not?” Twilight nervously gulped. “H-how?” “When you went to the bathroom during breakfast, I asked your friends some more about why you thought I would have possibly kept her around despite what you knew about us.” The unicorn turned her head away. “Sorry.” “It’s okay, but just know that I am smarter than I look. I would have brought her in, yes, but I would have been ready for her to stab me in the back. I know better than put blind faith in someone with so much risk involved. And just so you know, if you ever need help with defeating a powerful enemy like my sister, come to me and I will help you. My mind is a very dangerous weapon.” “And so is mine.” Nymph just chuckled and waved a dismissive hoof. “Says the pony who needs a teacher to learn about friendship. Besides, I am much older, so I am also much more intelligent than you. “Oh yeah? What’s the molecular mass of titanium?” “Ha! Trick question! Titanium is a metal, not a molecule!” The queen smiled proudly from her answer, but then Twilight burst out laughing. The changeling blushed at the realization of how stupid she looked. “Okay, I will admit there may be some areas where you are superior in intellect. Speaking of knowledge, I am happy to see you have acquired so much while you were here.” Twilight wiped a tear from her eye from laughing so hard. “My whole stay here has been very enlightening. I am glad Princess Celestia had brought us here.” “I am too. I was never sure if I wanted to meet you for obvious reasons, but now I am happy to have met you.” “I guess this means we’re friends now?” Nymph gave a look of surprise. “You want to be friends with me? Really?” “Yes, and my friends as well. We have learned that-” Her speech was over when Nymph suddenly wrapped Twilight in a very tight hug. Even though she had a frail appearance, she had a large amount of physical strength. “Oh thank you so much, Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight struggled desperately, wondering if she was going to die from suffocation or a crushed spine. She then teleported a few feet away from her and was trying to regain her air. “Twilight, are you okay?” “I’m fine,” she wheezed. “You might want to give lighter hugs from now on.” Nymph blushed as she helped Twilight up. “Sorry. I forget my own strength sometimes. I’m glad we are now friends, Twilight. This is certainly good progress towards the acceptance of changelings.” Nymph began heading towards the entrance of the garden. “Come on. I wouldn’t want your friends to think I’m doing something horrible to you.” Twilight giggled as she caught up. “No, we wouldn’t want that.” The changeling smiled back at her. “By the way, do you have any brothers besides Shining Armor?” “Spike is actually kind of like a brother to me,” Twilight replied. “So I have heard and I think it’s cute, but do you have any brothers who are ponies like Shining Armor?” “I don’t. Shining is my only real sibling.” Nymph pouted her lip. “That’s a shame. He’s a real hunk.” Twilight immediately felt herself flare on the inside. “H-HUH!?” “Well he is. It’s nice that he married that lovely Princess Cadance, but I sort of wish he was single so I could show him what a queen can do. He’s a brave and handsome prince who holds more love for his wife than any pony I have ever met, not to mention he’s got that nice, muscular butt." She happily sighed. "Oh well. I’m sure I will find a nice changeling like him someday.” Twilight was completely unsure how to respond, so she just kept quiet. By the entrance, Nymph took off her hat and approached a neatly placed pile of her clothing. After putting on her royal attire, they continued walking on and returned to the courtyard where the other ponies awaited. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.” “Is everything all right?” asked Celestia. “Everything’s fine, Princess,” replied Twilight. “I’m ready to go home now.” She turned towards the queen. “Thank you for everything, Nymph.” “And thank you as well, Twilight. It will be a while until we see each other again, but I look forward to it.” “Me too. Goodbye, Nymph, and good luck with the kingdom.” Twilight entered the carriage and her friends followed after saying their goodbyes to the queen. Celestia approached the royal changeling. “I am glad to see that young Twilight and her friends have gained wisdom and trust from this trip.” “They are such a fun little bunch. I always thought avoiding Twilight would be best, but I can see I was wrong. It’s a shame Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor are not so forgiving.” “Give them time. I promise you that they will be your friends as well in the future.” Nymph nodded. “I hope so. And Celestia?” “Yes?” “Keep looking for Chrysalis.” The princess approached the queen and hugged her. “I haven’t stopped.” “Your kindness inspires us all. If you were a prince, I would ask for your hoof in marriage.” “You make me blush.” They stopped hugging. “Take care, Nymph.” “You too, Celestia. I look forward to our next meeting. And say hi to Luna for me.” Celestia entered the carriage and closed the door. The pegasi in front pulled on it and brought it into the air. Once she was comfortably seated, she addressed her student. “Is everything okay with Nymph, Twilight? I still find it strange she wanted to see you alone.” “Everything’s great, Princess. She just wanted a few last words about us before we left and I completely trust her. She’s a little too affectionate, though.” The princess looked at the other riders of her carriage. “I hope this trip has changed all of your opinions on the changeling race as well.” Fluttershy was first to speak. “It has, Princess. I am more than willing to allow them to come. As for Nymph, she’s definitely not like Chrysalis in any way. She’s too nice and caring.” Dash put her hooves behind her head and relaxed her seat. “They’re not so bad, I guess.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ya only like them because ya got all of that attention. As for me, Ah will gladly welcome them with open hooves.” “I think Nymph’s a jerk,” muttered Spike, causing everypony but Celestia to laugh. “You’re just mad because you fell for it,” Pinkie pointed out. “Fell for what?” Celestia asked. “Nymph played a little prank on the poor guy and he’s still sour,” answered her student. “Oh? What did she do?” “Gave me nightmares.” Everypony laughed at him as he grumbled. “Don’t ya mean Rarity gave ya nightmares?” asked Applejack. He put his hands on his head. “This is giving me a headache.” “But at least you had Rarity cuddle with you,” Twilight reminded. The dragon rolled his eyes. “Not worth it after what you all put me through.” Rarity began to look worried. “Oh darling, are you still mad at us?” He folded his arms and stared out the window. “Yes. I’m especially mad at you, Rarity.” Hurt by his words and attitude, she pulled him onto her lap. “Is there anything I can do to make you forgive me?” Spike thought for a moment. “Well…there is one thing.” “Just say what it is and I’ll do it, Spikey-Wikey.” He looked up at her. “You have to tell me what it means to make love.” All of the ponies said, “ooooh,” while Rarity become flustered. “S-Spike, that’s quite a tall order.” The dragon harrumphed at her. “Either tell me now or I won’t forgive you.” Rarity became totally panicked when she saw the eager expressions from her friends. “Right now!? In front of everypony!?” “Now this is going to be funny,” said Dash as she watched with great anticipation. After a few hours of traveling, Celestia’s carriage landed right outside of Ponyville. The door was opened and the ponies and the ill dragon stepped out. “Come on, Spike, let’s get you home,” said Twilight as she placed him on his back. Spike only groaned, causing Rarity to rub a hoof against his head. “You poor thing. Did I give away too much information?” “Ah think any amount would have been too much for him,” teased the orange pony. The ponies laughed at the ill drake. Once they settled, Twilight addressed her mentor. “Thank you for taking us, Princess Celestia. It was a really amazing experience.” “I’m glad you all enjoyed it. The changelings are such an interesting race and I would like all of you to do your part in helping them. We must all ensure that we can give them a bright future they can look forward to.” Twilight nodded. “We will.” “Excellent. You may all go now. Have a nice day.” After they said their goodbyes, they headed into town. “Pinkie.” The pink pony looked at the princess. “Could you come over here for a moment?” Pinkie bounced over to her. “Yes, Princess Celestia?” “Is there something wrong with your friend Cherub?” The Element of Laughter’s eager attitude diminished and she stared sadly at the ground. “Yes, but I don’t know what. She was so happy earlier and now she’s all gloomy and she’s beginning to yell a lot again.” Celestia sat next to her and put a wing around her. “Have you tried asking her what is wrong?” “She won’t tell me. She barely even speaks to me anymore!” “Something must be deeply troubling her to cause her to act like this. Luna feels that she has done something wrong and it’s really bothering her. Tell me, what do you know of Cherub?” “Well, she runs a dating service, she has a sister that she doesn’t like, and she almost got married one time.” Celestia was visibly concerned. “You do not know anymore of her?” “Nope. She really hates talking about herself.” “That is troubling. Even Luna knows little of her, despite them being so close." Celestia stood and took a few steps forward, staring into the distance. She then turned back to the earth pony. "Pinkie, I have a very important task for you.” “What is it?” “My sister has taken a real liking to Cherub and she is very upset that she is cutting her off. It is clear that Cherub is incredibly depressed about something and if she does not receive any help with this problem she is dealing with soon, things will undoubtedly take a turn for the worse. She has already rejected you and Luna, so it is only a matter of time before she goes even farther, only to end up hurting herself in the end.” Pinkie became very alarmed. “Oh no! What do we do!?” “I want you to try to help her in any way you can. You are the pony I trust the most for when it comes to bringing smiles onto others. You need to find out what it is that eats her from the inside and help her in any way you can. Do not expect her to open up in a day and please try not to push too much. Just let her know you are worried and wish to lend an ear. It is very important you do this for her own good, Pinkie.” “You can count on me!” She stood on her hind legs and placed a hoof on her chest. “I swear from this moment on, I will work on finding a way to make Cherub happy and I will not fail!”