The following morning Twilight was barely able to enjoy a rather fast breakfast before being led back to the queen’s chambers and having two of her sisters assault her with brushes while another two filed and polished her hooves. Cadista was having the same done to her, but was taking it with far less reservation than Twilight.
“I don’t see why I can’t groom myself,” she whined. “I have telekinesis after all.”
Cadista sent the antsy purple mare some calming stoicism via the hive mind. Twilight's wings stopped buzzing in irritation, but she couldn’t stop squirming every so often. “Normally I would let you do that Twilight, but Celestia will be here shortly and I want expert hooves to make sure you’re more than just ‘good enough’.”
Twilight didn’t have any reason to resist against the need for perfection, but a different question entirely sat in her mind. “I don’t understand why it’s so important that I meet this Celestia person though.”
“She has requested to see you, and I have no intention of denying her that right.”
Cadista’s phrasing sounded odd to the lavender mare. “The right? What do you mean?”
The orange haired matriarch smothered a sad sigh and instead her expression turned downtrodden. “I will not lie to you Twilight Sparkle. This meeting will not go easily for her, and I have a strong feeling it will not be easy for you either. From what my eyes and ears in Equestria tell me, you were her star protégé for most of your past life and she cared—cares,” she corrected, “for you greatly.”
Twilight’s shock was so profound she lost her voice for a few seconds. “Protégé? I used to be a personal student of a different country’s queen?!”
“She prefers the title Princess, but yes. By all accounts you two were close friends.”
Twilight stopped fidgeting against the groomers. I wish I could remember her. “If you don’t mind my asking, why did I go from being her student to yours? I can’t believe you would take me against my will if you’re allowing my old teacher to come here freely.”
Cadista was satisfied with how both Twilight and her own appearance turned out so she dismissed the groomers with a silent command via the Link. She waited until the drones left before climbing off her seat to stand next to Twilight. Cadista was horribly uncomfortable showing overt displays of affection. Not that the drones would have thought any less of her, but that Twilight was the first person outside of Yumia that was not only nearly her social equal, but an ally as well.
“Twilight,” she began sadly. “The truth is…” The matriarch couldn’t believe how difficult it was to speak. I can win shouting matches against other queens and can even stare down their armies to make them back off, but I can’t say a word to this poor mare.
She finally let go of that depressed sigh and pulled her chair over with her kinesis before sitting down next to Twilight. “Your name has always been Twilight Sparkle. That much hasn’t changed.” The lavender pony focused on her queen with trepidation and trust in equal measures. “You used to be a unicorn under Celestia’s rule. Our hive has had cordial relations with each other for years now and the hive has grown dependent on trade with Equestria. When one of the other changeling queens invaded Celestia’s capital city, she risked the whole changeling race by having the races of the world mark us as enemies. So in an attempt to salvage the situation I revealed our hive’s existence to Celestia and managed to keep our two nations at peace.”
Cadista could sense Twilight’s growing confusion as to where she fit into any of that. “Three weeks after the invasion you joined one of our trade caravans after Celestia and I agreed to let you come to Stripped Gear in order to help facilitate more open diplomacy than we had been practicing in the past.”
Twilight felt a spike of malice from her queen, and was grateful that it wasn’t directed at her. Nevertheless it still made her cringe as she caught a glimpse of the face that was the focus of her matriarch’s ire. “It was another queen wasn’t it?”
Cadista’s mouth became little more than a pressed line as she reigned her emotions back in. “If you were able to pick that up, then your connection to the hive must be strong enough for you to witness the collective memories. If you wish, I can show you what happened. I must warn you however that it will not be pleasant.”
Twilight remained silently contemplative. She couldn’t help but to pick at one of the larger holes in her right foreleg and her wings flickered every so often in agitation. The formless beast danced on the edge of her mind, trying to repel her from investigating. “I’m scared to see it. But—I need to know.” She looked up from her hooves to meet Cadista’s sad motherly gaze. She shuddered in apprehension before shaking it off and replacing it with determination. “Please, show me what happened.”
Cadista nodded and touched horns with Twilight. “The hive will attempt to push upon your mind. Do not resist or the memories will not form properly.”
Twilight closed her eyes and listened to the chorus in the back of her mind grow louder and surge forth to envelop her. She fought the urge to withdraw. I am part of the hive, and the hive is a part of me. I will not run from myself. Twilight's world collapsed and everything went black.
From the blackness, color started to return. A blue sky emerged along with sporadic clouds and dense trees, but the details were extremely fuzzy. Twilight felt greatly disoriented until Cadista’s voice spoke to her left. “Be at ease Twilight. The hive is not usually called upon to reconstruct memories like this; it will take a few seconds for everything to stabilize.” She didn’t want to add that the memories that were being rebuilt were all from dead changelings and thus were scattered across hundreds of different drones rather than the original witnesses.
True to her word, the landscape solidified and Twilight could see several dozen changelings along with a small contingent of Equestrian soldiers closely escorting a very familiar face. Eight large train car sized wagons loaded down with coal and steel were in a jagged line down the stretch of a wide, yet unfinished road. The wagons were being pulled by large steam engines that chugged along at a trotting pace upon six large bronze painted steel legs arrayed out like an ant. The engines were as large as train engines and the legs allowed them to navigate rough terrain and had the necessary strength to pull the wheel based wagons over the numerous rocky outcroppings. The road itself ran along a stretch of land that the jungle flora had difficulty claiming due to the rock being unnaturally toxic to plant life. What few boulders that the steam engines were unable to drive over had been moved to provide an inconsistent divider between the road and the jungle. It was a path that was designed to look uninviting and up until now, no Equestrians had risked venturing along the southbound road.
Twilight instantly noticed the figures were all frozen in time, but the biggest thing that confused her were the swaths of black emptiness. In many places only part of an object was visible while the rest of it was inky black space. “Why are some pieces missing?”
The orange crowned matriarch manifested fully into the waking dream. “This is a reconstruction of every changeling’s memory of the events leading up to the attack that nearly claimed your life. The Link is only able to build from what it has available, and as I said before the hive mind is not usually called upon to do this. As a result, only what the drones see and hear can be accurately recreated.”
Cadista brought Twilight towards one of the wagons and showed her the black emptiness up close. “Since none of the drones are looking at this spot the hive cannot render it.”
Realization dawned on Twilight and her scholarly curiosity roared its way to the forefront. “So that’s why we’re not assuming the place of one of the changelings? We can see from any angle we want thanks to the Link compiling everything at once.” She felt Cadista’s wordless affirmation. “Astounding!”
Twilight recalled seeing a purple mare towards the center of the convoy and flew over to see her. There, sitting upon one of the steel bearing wagons sat the unicorn Twilight Sparkle. Surrounding her were five Equestrian guards: two unicorns, two pegasi, and an earth pony stallion. By the look of their armor, rank, and stern faces, Twilight surmised they must have been veterans. The lavender changeling inspected the unicorn doppelganger intently.
The frozen mare had an amazed expression on her face as she watched the steam engine behind her wagon raise its leg to kick a loose boulder out of the path. The unicorn’s mood was not Twilight’s focus. Twilight looked at her old self with a haunted gaze. The lack of fangs, holes, wings, and that she had round irises, a straight spiraled horn, and no orange coloration made Twilight acutely aware of how different she was now.
Memories long dormant revealed themselves and shot to the forefront of her mind. She winced as a migraine started forming from the onslaught of more faces, sounds, and names. She pressed her hooves on her head to try and suppress the headache.
Cadista flew over to lay a comforting hoof on Twilight's withers. “If you are in pain Twilight, we can continue this another time.”
The migraine started to subside a bit. “No, no its okay.” A brief memory of a blue furred minotaur crossed her mind. “No pain, no gain right?”
Cadista was still concerned for her newest daughter’s wellbeing. No matter what she decides our relationship will be in the end, she still carries my blood in her veins. “I don’t wish for you to overextend yourself.”
“I remember why I was here,” Twilight muttered, inadvertently cutting her matriarch off. Cadista ignored the unintentional slight to let the mare speak. Twilight studied the frozen unicorn’s exuberant expression. “I was traveling with the changeling merchants to Stripped Gear. I was going to learn about you and your—our people.” She corrected herself after seeing the holes in her upraised forelegs.
Twilight shifted her gaze to the Equestrian soldiers. All of them were keeping constant watch over the changeling caravan guards as if they didn’t trust Twilight’s new brothers and sisters. By contrast, the guards paid the soldiers no mind, with only one directly looking in Twilight's direction. A couple of merchants were looking in the unicorn’s general direction so she was one of the few ponies that were completely rendered by the hive mind. The Link informed Twilight that the guards were worried about the lavender unicorn’s presence and didn’t want her there.
Twilight was stumped by the revelation. I can’t sense any malice in his desire for me, or the old me, at least to be elsewhere.
Being so deep in communion with the hive mind, Cadista was able to clearly pick up Twilight’s thoughts even if her connection was still incomplete. “You are an important pony Twilight. Both the unicorn you used to be, and the changeling you are now.” Twilight hung on her queen’s words like a lifeline. “We feared that if anything were to happen to you, our hive would suffer Celestia’s full wrath.”
“But something did happen to me.” The formless massive beast reared up in her mind, causing Twilight to feel ghostly pain all over her body. By strength of will she tried to push the memory and the haunting pain to the dark recesses of her mind.
Cadista had been prepared for that memory to surface after Twilight informed her of it yesterday. The queen redirected most of that perceived pain throughout the hive mind. With it being dispersed by thousands of minds, none of them felt more than a tickle, if that. “I’m afraid so.”
Twilight feared what she might see might cause the pain to become unbearable. If just seeing its outline is enough to hurt me, actually seeing it might cripple me. “I don’t want to see the attack right now. I—” She looked pleadingly to her matriarch. “Can I at least know if I chose to become what I am?”
Cadista frowned sadly. “You did. Your wounds were so great there was no other alternative to save your life.”
“May I see?”
The orange crowned queen did not respond with words, but by commanding the waking dream to shift. Twilight found herself back in the hatchery where it all began. The vision formed much faster this time as the memories came from living drones that witnessed the event. As before, the scene recreated in front of Twilight was frozen in time. An empty transparent pod was open on top and was filled with the familiar orange liquid Twilight remembered waking up in. The hatchery was crowded with three burly changeling soldiers off to the side, a frozen Cadista stood still as she weathered an extremely cold and seething fury of the pearly white alicorn in front of her. The frozen Cadista was extremely uncomfortable looking into Celestia’s frigid rage that was carefully concealed by the mask of someone who had seen many battles in her time.
Nevertheless, now was a situation the past version of Cadista was terrified could spiral out of control in a heartbeat. The queen knew her hive’s future rested on somehow placating Celestia, but the diarch didn’t act like how she was used to dealing with.
The other queens range from coy to flying rages when they are wronged, Cadista mused to herself as she once again looked death in the face, but Celestia tempers her indignation behind that frighteningly frigid mask of hers. The alicorn made it crystal clear she was angry, but also that she would never again let that fury cause her to make mistakes.
Lying suspended in the air and wrapped in the orange glow of a stasis spell was the achingly familiar, broken and bloody unicorn who was positioned between the two royals and the unoccupied chrysalis.
Cadista turned to Twilight who was at her side. “Prepare yourself, I will begin the memory momentarily.”
Twilight wasn’t sure how to do that, so she stood there to await the specters of the past to move. An instant later the memory started playing and both visiting changelings were chilled by Celestia’s ice cold tone of voice.
“I trusted you to protect her while she was in your lands and now her life hangs on the edge of a knife. If you had let me send a full battalion with her, this never would have happened.”
The Cadista of the past maintained a strong front, but she knew her small hive could never stand against the full might of Equestria with Celestia spearheading the fight. “Please be reasonable Princess. The other hives are still in uproar from Chrysalis's attack on your people and the revelation of our existence to those beyond the jungle. If you had sent even a small platoon the rest of the hives would have seen it as an act of war upon us all.”
The alicorn’s ear twitched as she used her profound willpower to keep anything but a frosty expression from showing. “You stated time and time again that the other hives would ignore her presence. I saw the battlefield on the way in. The assailants didn’t steal the cargo-“
“They came for Twilight Sparkle, yes I know,” Cadista interjected with a flash of emotion. “And every last one of my children in that convoy died to protect her!” Celestia’s frigid mask cracked as the orange crowned queen pressed her point. “My brood did everything in their power to keep Twilight safe, and it was through both their and your soldiers’ sacrifice that she emerged alive at all. Believe me Princess, this is the last thing I could have possibly wanted.”
A single tear escaped Celestia’s right eye, but a quick spell made it evaporate. She gathered her courage to look upon Twilight’s broken body. There was more blood on her fur than visible purple. Her horn was chipped and cracked down its length and her left eye was swollen. The lavender changeling felt her stomach churn at seeing the extent of her injuries. Only the unicorn’s left foreleg escaped having a broken bone or shattered hoof.
Changeling-Twilight could only guess what kind of internal injuries were present as well. Twilight absently touched her abdomen where she remembered the worst of the pain. Celestia’s ability to hold her fragile mask in place was weakening by the second. Cadista used the pause to speak again. “My stasis spell is imperfect, and the window of reviving her is shrinking every second we waste arguing who is at fault. I’ve already spoken with Twilight and she’s already agreed to go through with it.”
The alicorn gestured a wing at the four guardponies behind her and they left the hatchery without question. Cadista took the hint for desired privacy and told the nearby drones to depart as well. The alabaster mare inhaled sharply to keep her composure. “I want to speak with her.”
“Princess, time is-”
Celestia’s frosty tone raised hundreds of degrees but her volume never rose above a speaking voice. “I will speak with Twilight to see if she truly wants this or we are at war.”
Cadista ground her teeth but held her peace. “I can bridge your minds so I can keep the stasis spell active, but please be brief.”
An orange glow began at Cadista’s horn before two tendrils of magic split off to touch Twilight and Celestia’s horns. Celestia’s inner voice was much more emotional than her exterior one. Twilight, can you hear me?
The unicorn didn’t respond at first, and when she did it was faint. Celestia? Are you-
Casting decorum to the winds, the alicorn bent over her prized pupil and wanted to caress her mane, but feared that even the slightest touch could cause further harm. I’m here Twilight. I’m right beside you.
The unicorn couldn’t move her eyes to try and see, so she opted to speak only. I’m so sorry Princess. I should have listened to you.
Even through the stasis spell, the lavender mare cried at causing her second mother such anguish. Twilight's memory of this moment broke free of the fog of her amnesia and she cried too while her mouth silently parroted the unicorn’s words.
I wasn’t ready for this. I-
Celestia heard Twilight’s voice was getting weaker. The diarch in her pushed its way to the forefront. Twilight, listen to me. Cadista says she can heal you in one of her chrysalises. Did you agree to let her turn you into a changeling?
Twilight’s voice was wracked with fear and sobs. Y-yes. I’m scared Celestia. I don’t want to forget you, but I’m too afraid to die.
Celestia knew time was running short as Twilight’s voice continued to grow weaker. The lavender changeling’s returning memories became increasingly clouded and blurry as her past self came closer and closer to death’s door. Thankfully the waking dream remained clear.
Twilight’s confirmation was the last thing making Celestia hesitate in letting her go. She faced Cadista and shouldered the weight of her decision upon her withers. “Do it. Save my daughter.”
Cadista acted with great care and levitated the unicorn above the open egg and slid her through the top of the chrysalis and into the orange fluid below. A caretaker drone entered silently and applied a gel to seal the cocoon. Neither member of royalty uttered a word until the caretaker left.
The alabaster alicorn’s composure was hanging by a thread when she spoke to Cadista. “Please, leave us.” Cadista nodded her compliance and turned to leave. As the past version of Cadista departed, the hatchery turned black and was soon absent completely when the queen closed the door behind her.
Even though the room was visually gone, Cadista remained by the door. This left the lavender changeling in a black void with only the sound of a broken heart weeping in pain. Eventually that too faded as the morose queen moved further down the hall.
Twilight was silent for a long while. Cadista gave her time to brood before offering some words she hoped would sound comforting. “She came to visit you as often as she could. The moment you hatched I had my ambassador inform her of the news.”
Twilight listened silently. She finally spoke again a minute later. “We really cared for each other,” the lavender mare said sullenly without looking away from where Celestia’s ghost disappeared.
“She still does, Twilight Sparkle.”
This time she did face her matriarch. “Then why don’t I feel that way towards her? I feel pity and sympathy for Celestia, but none of the love that passed between them.”
Cadista sat down next to the young mare. “Love like that doesn’t come in an instant. You have only seen one memory of her and whatever fragments that have returned to you. I’m sure when you recover more memories of her, that love will return.”
Twilight kept playing the hatchery scene over and over in her head. “Was there really no other way to save me? It caused her so much pain to let me go.”
“I’m afraid so.” The queen’s tone grew bitter. “You were poisoned with venom of a ghast spider. It’s not overly lethal in of itself, but it prevents magical healing in the victim. This toxin was present in all but the lone earth pony who survived. Whoever perpetrated the attack wanted to make sure you stayed dead.” The queen detected Twilight’s confusion and elaborated. “The perpetrator was obviously not expecting Celestia to allow you to undergo rebirth into a changeling, it’s the only process we know that can counteract the venom if the victim is too far gone to survive their wounds until the poison passes.”
Twilight’s depressed mood shifted to righteous anger. “Someone or something wanted to make sure I was dead?”
Cadista nodded. “That is what the evidence tells me at least. As for who, I only have conjecture and a hunch to go by. All of the hives have easy access to ghast spiders because they are found all throughout the jungle to the north and east.”
Sensing that Twilight would not be able to emotionally handle any more memory projections, the orange crowned matriarch ended the waking dream and both changelings’ perceptions returned to the queen’s bedchambers.
Twilight’s expression softened as she accepted Cadista’s words as truth and took the shift in perception in stride. “I’d be dead if it weren’t for you. I can never thank you enough.”
Cadista’s mood fell at Twilight’s gratefulness. “I cannot accept your gratitude Twilight. It is, at the very least, partially my fault that your life nearly came to an end in the first place.”
The queen paused to pick her words carefully. “When I heard Celestia say you expressed a desire to visit my city to learn about the hive, I thought that was a perfect opportunity to show you our splendor. If I could convince you, Celestia’s star pupil, that not all changelings are like Chrysalis’ ilk then you would in turn convince Celestia of that fact as well.”
Confusion marred Twilight’s features. “But it was my idea to come here in the first place wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was. But I should have insisted somepony less important to the Equestrian crown come in your stead. The other hives need time to reconcile the aftermath of Chrysalis thrusting us into the global spotlight. But my ambition and need for Equestrian trade spurred me to hastily accept your offer to come here.”
Twilight stood up and gave Cadista a hard look coupled with a forceful tone that surprised the orange matriarch. “But I chose to come here! Seeing how much the Princess cares for me, I have no doubt she probably tried to stop me or at least gave me plenty of warning. I believe you did the same, even if you may have downplayed it a little just so I would come anyway. None of that changes the fact that I came here willingly, now does it?”
Cadista was stunned for several moments in the face of the lavender pony’s heated argument. She blinked after regaining her wits and chuckled lightly. “You surprise me yet again Twilight. I half believed you lived in your mentor’s shadow, but now I see you are your own mare.”
Before she could respond, Twilight heard something just barely unintelligible over the hive mind. Cadista on the other hand understood perfectly. “She’s here.”
Twilight was a bundle of nervous energy that had already started to fray her mane and made her right eye twitch every so often. She was flying through several corridors behind her queen as they made their way to the recently remodeled reception hall. Okay Twi, just try to stay calm. You’re only meeting the one pony whose mere whim could spell disaster for the hive. And you just happen to be her former student. She gulped nervously.
Cadista and the few drones they passed by could taste Twilight’s fretfulness, but there was little they could do to console her. Twilight kept running how she thought the meeting would happen and what she would say. What can I say to her? Sorry I’m a changeling now and my place is here? No, I still owe her much. Whether I remember it or not, Celestia was my teacher and close friend in my past life.
Cadista led her towards a pair of large brass doors and two flanking changeling guards’ horns lit up to start the mechanisms to open it. The chamber was a very spacious room with next to no furniture. The northern wall was actually a large open space with a balcony that allowed flying visitors to enter. A vastly complex set of blueprints made out in bronze relief decorated the floor. The schematics themselves were nonsense, only made by the artists who crafted it to look both scientific and pleasing to the eye. Cadista also made sure the commission was done that way so as to not give away any trade secrets to visitors. Standing in the center of the room with ten pegasi soldiers in gold colored skysteel armor behind her was an apprehensive Celestia.
Remembering that she used to be a unicorn, Twilight opted to stop flying before fully coming into view of the alabaster alicorn and walked inside. The moment the princess locked eyes with Twilight the purple mare hesitated at the intense look of recognition and distress from Celestia. The diarch passed a quick word to her escorts who turned about-face.
Cadista stepped aside as the alicorn tried to mix haste and composure into her race to stand before her protégé. This is between them, not me. Celestia bore two full saddlebags bearing Twilight’s cutie mark with the stars behind the purple starburst still being white.
Celestia and Twilight stopped three feet away from each other with Celestia doing everything in her power to keep from wrapping her forelegs and wings around Twilight in a crushing hug. “Do you remember me, Twilight?” Please, please remember something about me.
Twilight was rendered speechless as she stared intently at the alicorn’s face. Seeing Celestia through the eyes of someone else’s memories was one thing, but hearing that painfully familiar voice address her directly coupled with that pleading expression was another. Twilight could feel the alicorn’s hopefulness that she would be able to see even a faint spark of recognition.
Cadista stepped back a bit. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
The alicorn curtly nodded her gratitude while keeping her gaze on Twilight. With a silent command Cadista and her drones left the chamber.
Celestia risked breaking her regal image and sat down on her belly in front of Twilight so she would be eye level with her. “Do you remember anything at all about me?”
Twilight found her voice after seeing Celestia’s eyes mist over and hearing the emotional warble in her speech. “I- I saw a memory of you right before I was placed in the chrysalis. I-” she winced as pain lanced through her brain and she held a hoof to her temple.
In a vain hope that she could trigger Twilight’s memory, Celestia abandoned her usual regal posturing and unbuckled the saddlebags before running forward to embrace the young mare in a tight motherly hug. “Oh Twilight. I’m so sorry this happened. I should have never let you go.” She wept shuddering tears into the lavender changeling’s fur while constantly repeating her apologies over and over again.
Twilight knew she should have feelings for the princess currently trying to crush the life out of her. But outside of a few brief flashes and the scene in the hatchery, there simply wasn’t enough to spark what she once shared with Celestia.
Her analytical mind kicked in after recovering her wits from being bum rushed into a hug. She was my mentor. I probably owe my life to her at least once, and she must have provided for me greatly if she loves me this much. Twilight was nearly overwhelmed by the intense motherly love washing from the alicorn like a torrential river. She barely managed to remain lucid from the ecstasy of drinking in so much love. Until I remember what we once meant to each other, I can at least try to begin anew.
Casting aside her misgivings, Twilight attempted to hug her old mentor back and buried her muzzle into the alicorn’s neck. If for nothing else, the Princess is in pain, and maybe this will let that heal. A small part of Twilight was more than happy to greedily inhale as much freely given love as possible.
Slowly, over the course of several minutes, the elder mare’s tears dried up and she released Twilight from her embrace. As she pulled away, Celestia searched Twilight’s expression. She found sympathy, and a very faint twinge of recognition, but not the happy smiling face of her beloved student. “I know you don’t know me as I do you, but thank you Twilight. I- I needed that.”
We must have shared a deep personal relationship so she will probably prefer that I drop her title. “I wish I remembered more of my past, Celestia, but the memories just aren’t there yet.”
The admittance nearly crushed what was left of the alicorn’s hope. The inner pain was mirrored by her face as she was not yet able to summon the will to reform her typical, regal visage. “I knew coming so early after your—” she found it difficult to associate her beloved unicorn with the term that came to mind. “Your rebirth wouldn’t have given you much time to recover. But I had to see you. To know you were whole again.”
Twilight attempted to inject some humor to lift the mood and bonked herself in the head with a hoof. “Well I’m not whole quite yet, but I’m getting there.”
Celestia gave a much needed chuckle. “I see some of Pinkie’s sense of humor rubbed off on you.” As that touch of mirth returned to the diarch she finally took in Twilight’s new appearance. Behind the fangs and slitted eyes and stripe of orange hair, my little Twilight is still in there. Relief flooded her and eased her mind. I don’t care if she’s a changeling now, she’s still the Twilight Sparkle I know and love.
Pinkie’s name meant little to Twilight Sparkle, outside of assuming it was an old friend of hers. “I know this may sound weird, but my journey here wasn’t a total loss.” The princess’s mood began to fall again, and Twilight scrambled to elaborate. “What I mean is, I came here to learn all about changelings right? Well now that I am one, I can learn everything there is to know and I can tell you all about it.” She didn’t want to voice her fear that Cadista might object to that.
Celestia decided to count her blessings that Twilight was still willing to help her even if she didn’t fully remember their relationship. “I would appreciate that, thank you.” At least your metamorphosis will have meaning outside of preserving your life. “Are you being treated well here Twilight?”
The younger changeling nodded sincerely. “Yes of course. Cadista has been nothing but accommodating.” She cast her eyes downward to rattle off a list. “I’m not hungry, thirsty,” she remembered the love crystal Ratchet gave her, “everypony’s been very kind to me.” She looked back up to Celestia. “They’ve welcomed me as their sister. I have every reason to be happy here.”
Celestia hung on the term sister for a moment before pushing it aside for later. “I’m glad. I couldn’t bear the thought of you being treated poorly because of all this.”
Twilight placed a comforting hoof on her mentor’s right foreleg. “Believe me, Princess, I may have only been alive again for a day, but what I’ve seen of the hive so far is amazing. Surely you saw it all on your way here.”
“I did, several times when I came to visit you during your—convalescence.” The alicorn turned around to levitate the saddlebag she had left behind and placed it next to the two sitting mares. “I brought you some things I thought you might like to help jog your memory.”
Twilight noticed her cutie mark on the bags, and zeroed in on the fact that the background starbursts were white. The alicorn withdrew several books, scrolls, a few purple and green candles, and a photo album. Twilight eyed the books hungrily, and pouted slightly when Celestia started with the album that had the words ‘Over the Years’ written on its cover. She cracked it open to a bookmark. Two pictures dominated each page. The one on the left was a picture of a filly Twilight with her parents and brother all standing together, the scroll denoting Twilight's acceptance into the School for Gifted Unicorns was floating beside the exuberant young pony in a lavender glow.
The one on the right was of a much older Twilight with her six best friends crushing each other in a group hug. Twilight felt a stab of familiarity from it all and couldn’t decide which photo to focus on first. Knowing that Twilight’s most recent memories would be of her friends, the alicorn started with that photo. She pointed at the list of names at the bottom of the page. “Your friends and family went through your old photo album and put names and dates around the pictures.”
Twilight yipped at finally having names to put with the faces in her memory. “I’ve seen them before! Rarity, Applejack,” she had to keep looking between the faces on the picture and the legend below it to link the names. “Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike. I saw some of them in my dream last night, but I couldn’t tell who they were.”
“They were your best friends in Ponyville.” Celestia drifted her hoof to the other picture. “And this is your—” she hesitated before saying ‘family’ after recalling what Twilight had referred the hive as the same thing. “They are your first family. Shining Armor-”
The pair pored over the captured memories for hours. Every so often Twilight would remember a face, a name, or a place. Unfortunately she was never able to piece together whole events or grasp some people’s personalities. Sometimes what fragments she did have painted the event or person in the wrong light and Celestia tried to correct those she knew about.
They went over a fourth of the photo album before Celestia gave Twilight some of her old favorite books and several letters written by her friends and family. Yet time eventually forced the alicorn to end her visit. By now, both mares were sitting side by side with the unread scrolls sitting off to the side. There had simply been so much of a lost lifetime to share in just the photo album alone.
“Twilight. I know this is selfish of me to ask,” Celestia began. Her mind told her that she should wait for more of her old self to resurface, but her heart demanded that she at least try. “I can take you back to Canterlot or Ponyville. I know your friends and fellow Ponyvilleans would welcome you back.” She held back saying it would please her greatly if Twilight accepted. The alicorn felt guilt and hope in equal measure.
Twilight felt a friendship with the royal alicorn, unfortunately it was not the same one she used to have, but one built from scratch as they shared her lost memories. She mulled over the offer carefully. It's obvious I had or have a place back in Equestria. But- Twilight’s face turned grim. “I’m sorry Princess, but I can’t accept your offer. Going back now would make all of the pain and suffering you and my friends went through meaningless. Even worse, with me being a changeling, my very appearance will always remind you of that pain which would never have a chance to be vindicated. I came here to learn about changelings and that’s what I’m going to do with this second chance at life.”
Twilight’s words cut the alicorn deeply, and only her countless years of experience kept that new pain from showing. Twilight placed a caring hoof over Celestia’s foreleg. “For better for worse Celestia, I am a changeling now. And until I can figure out what that means to me, my place is here with my brothers and sisters.”
The diarch had suffered many goodbyes over her long life. The hardest of all had been the banishment of her sister. This was a close second. At least I know for certain that Twilight’s spirit remains intact. “Your life is your own Twilight. I will not take that from you, even if it pains me not to.” She paused to recollect herself. “There is one more thing I need to give you Twilight.”
The princess levitated one of the forgotten circular candles and placed it in front of Twilight. It was made of a light green wax three inches in diameter and half a foot long. “This candle was made from some of Spike’s donated scales. Instead of normal fire, it creates a small flame of dragon fire. If you ever wish to write me a letter, burn it with this candle and it will appear at my side. Any letters I write back to you will appear next to the candle.”
Twilight took the gift into her orange magic and floated it over to sit between her forelegs. “Thank you, Princess. I can’t remember our old relationship, and I know I probably will in time. But until that day comes, I would be honored to forge a new friendship with you. I’ll write at least once a week.”
The alicorn smiled weakly. “I would like that very much.” She stood up and stretched her wings to get the stiffness out of them. “I wish you well, Twilight Sparkle.”
The lavender mare got to her hooves as well. “And I wish you the same, Princess. Have a safe trip home.”
The white pony smiled warmly as she walked over to her escorts. After climbing into her waiting chariot, she waved farewell at Twilight who had followed her to the balcony and waved from the ground until the golden chariot passed through the shield dome and slowly vanished from sight.
Twilight took a deep breath, pressing a hoof to her chest and moving it forward at the exhale. “I think that went well.”
Buzzing wings behind the mare made her turn around to see a male drone had collected her gifts and presented the saddlebag. “I figured I’d save you some time while you watched her leave and repacked your things.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
He nodded while flying to her side to help put it on her back. “Mother will be glad you decided to stay, sis.”
Once it was secured Twilight turned to face him. “Well this is my home after all,” she said with a sense of finality. “But yes, I’m sure she will. Speaking of which, I better go see her.”
Without further preamble Twilight shakily climbed into the air with her burden and slowly started making her way towards Cadista’s chambers. The drone chided himself at seeing her struggle with the heavy weight. What was I thinking letting her carry that much? He summoned another nearby sibling for assistance and took to the air before quickly chasing her down. “That’s a really heavy load for a recent reborn. Why don’t we take some of the weight off your back?”
With her wings already feeling strained, Twilight dropped to the ground. “I could use the help, thanks.” She smiled at her siblings’ thoughtfulness.
The two drones hefted the books out of her saddlebags while the female drone spoke. “Like my work boss always tells me; nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”
Both of her siblings took the heavy tomes in their forelegs and followed Twilight all the way to the queen’s chamber. The doors were open so the trio entered without needing to announce themselves as Cadista felt their presence in the Link. She drifted back out of her communion to speak with the lavender mare more personally as the two drones dismissed themselves.
“Well the palace isn’t under siege by a furious alicorn so I take it your meeting went well,” she said with an attempt at humor.
Twilight removed her bags and levitated her belongings to the side of the door. “It did." She smiled a bit at the humor. "I believe we came to a reconciliation of sorts.” She started walking towards her queen who got up from her couch to be face to face with the purple mare. Twilight became a little apprehensive about what she was going to say next. “I know my place is here with my brothers and sisters, but I would like to reconnect with my old friends and family at some point and visit them in Equestria.”
Cadista smiled at the sentiment. “Family is paramount to every changeling my dear. Once your connection to the hive mind is complete, I think it would be a good thing if you visited your first parents.” She bent down to be eye level. “Let them know that you being a changeling, doesn’t change the fact that you are Twilight Sparkle.”
The lavender pony grinned happily. “Ratchet was right. We are lucky to have you as our queen.” She leaned forward and nuzzled her matriarch.
Cadista was caught off guard the physical display of affection and was unsure of how to reciprocate. After a few moments she opted to wrap a hesitant foreleg around Twilight and pat her mane. We may have changed your body Twilight, but I think you’ll end up changing us more than we ever did you.
Twilight separated from her elder with a slightly worried look. “I sort of promised Celestia that I would write her about changeling life. Is that okay?”
Cadista climbed back to her hooves. “I made the agreement to share my culture with Equestria before all of this happened, and I will certainly not go back on my word now. Just don’t share our engineering and alchemy secrets. You can tell her about our technology, just don’t go sharing schematics and formulas.”
Twilight was just happy that taking the initiative like that wasn’t met with a reprimand. The conversation lulled as Cadista let Twilight choose if she wanted to share any more of her talk with Celestia. Privacy was not a foreign concept in Cadista’s hive, and if Twilight wanted to keep her own counsel on the little details then she would leave the matter be.
Twilight spied Ratchet’s crystal sitting on the brass end table where she had left it last night. Oh that’s right! She focused on the hive mind and tried to announce a request to be heard by someone other than just her queen.
Cadista was halfway to her couch when she heard the request. The oddity of it made her turn around with bemusement written all over her. “Why would you want nineteen empty love crystals?”
Twilight wrapped the distant crystal in her orange magic and pulled it over to her. “I don’t know what it cost you to save my life. I mean besides worrying about potential war with Equestria. But I’m sure my rebirth was taxing. Especially considering what kind of changeling I am.”
The physical differences between herself and the average drone did not go unnoticed by Twilight. Most noticeable of all was that Cadista and Twilight’s eyes were unique among the hive. “I want to carry my own weight, and I want to start with this.”
Twilight was brimming with Celestia’s love and she held the empty crystal to her horn and carefully refilled it back to its original pink glowing luster. She felt herself grow weaker, but her body was so saturated with love that the effect was minimal.
Cadista was startled at Twilight’s willingness to part with freely given love. “Twilight, that’s not necessary. Our gatherers may be few, but they still more than exceed our monthly love requirements.”
Twilight sent the crystal to her saddlebags. I have to return the favor. “Cadista, how long was I in the chrysalis?”
The queen scowled at Twilight draining herself. “Almost two months.”
Twilight faced her matriarch with determination etched into her grimace. “And when did I start needing love?”
Cadista knew where this was going. “Barely over a month ago.”
“Then I have a lot of time to make up for.”
Cadista felt the need to draw the line and sent out a countermand to Twilight’s request. “If you want to contribute to the hive there are more productive ways for you to do that. Yes it’s true your transformation was greatly taxing on our love surplus, but that’s why I increased the number of gatherers right after you entered the chrysalis. Let them do their job so you can do yours.”
Twilight frowned but did not object after being given a way to repay the debt she felt she owed. “Yes, my queen.” Cadista had to give the young mare a notch of respect for knowing when formality was required of her. “Then can I get started on making my contributions today?”
Cadista glanced at the large clock on the wall by the large bronze and steel doors. “Your commitment is to be commended Twilight. I do not fault your enthusiasm, just your chosen method.” Twilight’s mood lifted at the praise, and a small smile returned to her. “Seeing that you have a strong affinity for scholarly pursuits I want you to apprentice under Chief Engineer Sprocket Altair. It is time for the midday meal, so go take a lunch and then find Sprocket.” Cadista recalled how Twilight just made a deliberate request via the hive mind. “I trust you know how.”
“I do.”
“Very well.” Cadista dismissed her with a gesture so Twilight made for the exit, but not before going over to Celestia’s gifts. Having no time to place them on any furniture, Twilight opted to leave them on the floor. The disarray of her belongings irked her so she used her kinesis to organize everything with the books in alphabetical order, the letters stacked behind them, and the candle on top. The photo album was propped up against the books. I'll take the time to read the letters after work.
Twilight eyed her saddlebags. I might be given books to study so I better bring that with me. After donning the burlap containers she flew off and out of the palace. She had one place she needed to visit before going to the closest food court. After a quick query amongst the Link she was directed to a small tailor store that was built for making modifications rather than new products. Twilight found two of her sisters gossiping while mending some protective jackets. Work amongst machines was not always safe and definitely not clean. It was much easier to wash clothing than it was to scrub stains out of one’s fur or wings.
They stopped chatting when they saw the lavender mare arrive. “Excuse me, can I get a quick alteration done?”
“Depends on what you need and how fast you want it,” the grey mare to right replied. Twilight exercised her voice through the Link to convey her wishes.
The other drone got out from behind her work bench. “That won’t take long at all, three minutes tops.”
Twilight levitated her saddlebags over to the mare’s waiting foreleg. “I appreciate it.”
It turned out to only take two and a half minutes for the tailor to return. “There you go, it's dry so you don’t have to worry about it running.”
Twilight brought the bags over in her magic so she could inspect them. The cutie marks that decorated the bags had the white starbursts dyed to a vibrant orange to match the marks that adorned her flanks. She smiled at the sight of it. “It’s perfect.”