Twilight’s mind was frozen from sensory overload. Between the shock of laying four eggs, her friends clamoring to see what had happened, and every last local drone sending her queries to see if she was alright made it impossible for her to think. Wild hairs were popping out of her mane and tail so quickly she looked like an electrocution victim as her panic spun out of control.
I can’t—I can’t do this… no no no no!
Twilight’s downward spiral continued until Cadista’s powerful voice silenced the alarm across the hive mind, and jolted Twilight back to her senses. <Twilight, speak to me. Are you alright?>
At the same time, Rainbow Dash pushed her way past Ratchet and stopped dead at the four purple eggs. “Twilight, what the hay are those!?”
Twilight’s burgeoning ability to hold two conversations at once kicked in. <Cadista, I… I laid eggs!> “M-my eggs.”
<Listen very carefully Twilight, I want you to get to a room somewhere quiet where you can calm down. There is much you need to learn about caring for your eggs.>
Rainbow Dash was bowled over by Fluttershy as she rushed in to inspect the eggs. “Oh my, so I wasn’t imagining things. You really were about to lay eggs. Isn’t nature just marvelous?”
Twilight went slack jawed. “Wait, you knew I was going to lay eggs?!”
The same question was mirrored by the others outside of the bathroom, making Fluttershy cower under the scrutiny. “W-well, I take care of a lot of oviparous animals. I’m just not used to seeing the signs in a pony.”
Cadista soothed Twilight as much as possible through the Link. <I know this is a momentous event, but try to remain calm. Let me know when you have a chance to speak at length. The caretakers from the mobile incubator are en-route, but for the moment, you need to keep the eggs with you.>
Twilight’s thoughts slowed down, and her hyperventilation returned to normal. <I will, thank you.> This is big, really big, I have to get the girls to not freak out about this. She raised her voice a little to stop all of her friends’ frenzied chatter. “Girls! Please. I just laid four eggs, I’m sticky, I don’t know what to do, please just give me some time to think.”
Fluttershy squeaked, and started pushing Rainbow Dash out of the cramped bathroom. “Come on, Rainbow, you wouldn’t want a bunch of gawkers staring at you if you laid eggs, would you?”
Rainbow blushed. “Well… no. Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
Twilight sighed in relief as Ratchet closed the door. <Please tell my friends everything Cadista will allow.>
<You have my word Twi,> he replied.
With her privacy finally obtained, Twilight promptly fell onto her haunches, erected a sonic barrier around her head, and screamed for a whole minute. Believing that wasn’t enough, she screamed for another two minutes before she expelled enough emotional chaos to think clearly again. Okay, Twilight Sparkle. Keep it together. Keep. It. Together! Marshaling up her courage, she faced the eggs. <Cadista. These… eggs of mine. They’re just blanks, right? I don’t… have relations with anypony.>
Cadista was glad to hear Twilight was much more collected. <You self-fertilize your eggs in the absence of a mate.>
Now Twilight was even more confused. <Self-fertilize? But… doesn’t that mean they’ll be clones of me?>
<Yes, but that’s what alchemy is for - genetic modification. I’ll teach you about it later. For now, it seems that Ponyville is in the middle of summer, meaning temperature shouldn’t be a problem, and the shells will be hardened for the next three hours. So, you have time for a quick shower, but afterwards you will need to feed your eggs a large amount of love.>
<Okay, I think I can handle that.> Twilight grabbed a towel and cleaned her eggs with warm water, then dried them off and wrapped them in another towel, before tending to her own needs.
During her shower, Cadista continued. <Because of how our hive mind works, you will need to saturate them with love before they can be placed inside an incubator.>
<Do we really need incubators, or is it just for safety?>
<Both, actually. A problem Yumia and I ran into is that our eggs simply don’t contain enough nutrients, due to our children requiring such a heavy investment of resources. So, rather than perform risky improvements on ourselves, we turned to technology. Our scientists developed incubators to provide a constant supply of food and love via the crystals. This allowed the much simpler task of re-engineering our eggs to be semi-permeable. Each egg has a three hour period where the shell is extremely durable, so transport to an incubator is not hazardous.> Cadista paused, <One more thing: by being the first to give your unhatched children love, it will permanently link you to them via the hive mind, just as I was the first to give you love in the chrysalis.>
Twilight ended her shower and unwrapped the towel around her eggs, looking at them with trepidation. This is really it. My first clutch of eggs. <Will that cause problems with our hive mind?>
<No. So long as you remain within our Link, all of your children will as well. However, should you or I be severed from the Link at any point, your children will remain with you in a new hive mind. This is how each new generation of queens rise from the old.>
The implications hit Twilight like a truck as she laid down to get a closer look at her eggs. The future changelings within were barely a lump of cells, but to Twilight, they represented a point of no return. <I understand. How will I know when I’ve given them enough?>
<You will know.>
Twilight tried to lick her lips, but her tongue was just as dry. I… I… She swallowed the lump in her throat. I’m not going to let them starve just because I’m scared.
Steeling her nerves, she bent her head down to point her horn at the eggs, dipped into her exorbitant reserves of love, and poured a large amount into each one. As the transfer progressed, the eggs started glowing with a pale lavender light. The orange-colored magical bridge between her horn and the eggs developed faint flickers of purple, but it went unnoticed to Twilight.
Slowly, the glow intensified, and Twilight stopped after she felt the love was no longer being absorbed. Each egg radiated a gentle purple light. <Are they supposed to glow like that?>
<I cannot see through your eyes, but yes, they will glow for a few hours before the light fades. Do you notice their presence on the Link?>
Twilight didn’t understand. <They’re too underdeveloped to have a brain yet, how can they be in the hive mind?>
<Instead of trying to find their voices, find the spots that have been reserved for them in the Link.>
<How do I do that?> Twilight had barely finished asking the question when Cadista gave her the answer over the Link. Armed with this new knowledge, Twilight quickly found four empty holes within the hive mind. <So, each drone has a place reserved for them within the hive mind?>
Cadista was pleased with Twilight’s rapid comprehension of new information. <Yes, and once their minds have developed enough to link with you, they will do so automatically.>
Twilight had calmed down considerably, and her maternal instincts began to take hold. She smiled weakly at her eggs, and carefully rubbed one with a fetlock. <How long until they hatch?>
<Thirty days, but they will spend nearly three years as nymphs until they molt into what you would know as pony adolescents. After that, they will age as normal ponies. For the time being, you should let the caretakers handle them. Right now, I think it would be wise to save Ratchet. Your friends are very worried about you.>
Twilight stood up and wrapped the eggs back in the towel, and levitated them between her wings as she left the bathroom. <Knowing Rainbow Dash and Applejack, one of them probably have Ratchet in a headlock by now.>
Twilight felt a much more familiar grumble in her gut. <Guess laying eggs works up quite an appetite.> She cantered towards the stairs with a little spring in her step.
<Understandable. Not only is your development towards a full queen commencing, but you need to sustain your laying rate.>
Twilight’s canter slowed into a walk. <Rate? How often am I going to lay?>
Cadista was hesitant to answer. <As a proto-queen, you have little control over this beyond starving yourself. I laid a clutch every day.>
Twilight froze halfway down the stairs. <Every day?!>
<Until you mature into a full queen, yes. It’s not pleasant, but it’s part of a queen’s lifecycle, and nopony has dared tamper with it. You’ll just have to bear with it.>
Twilight groaned. Ok, whatever, that’ll be future Twilight’s problem. Right now I have to make sure my friends stay my friends. <I’ll do my best. Thanks for helping me.>
<Your gratitude is not necessary, Twilight, but it is appreciated. If you have further questions, you can speak to me at any time.>
Twilight took four slow, deep breaths after Cadista severed communications. I have tons of questions, but I can’t make my friends wait anymore. After making sure her eggs were secure on her withers, she ventured downstairs.
Twilight heard Ratchet speaking as she made her way to the ground floor. “…And that’s why Twilight is a proto-queen.”
Rainbow Dash spotted Twilight first, and flew over. “So it’s true? You’re like a bug queen?”
Bug queen? Twilight frowned. “I am a changeling proto-queen, yes. I was hoping we could just drop this whole egg thing. I haven’t seen you guys in months, and I just want us to be normal friends again.”
Rarity tittered at the thought. “Darling, we’ve been anything but normal since we became the Elements of Harmony, but I’m willing to ignore this… unpleasantness, for your sake.”
Twilight wasn’t sure of Rarity’s wording. I’ll take what I can get, and build from there.
Applejack gave Rarity a critical eye before turning back to her friend. “Well shoot, Twi, this is all a bit over my head, but I can appreciate you and Ratchet being honest rather than trying t’ hide everything from us. I don’t see any reason we can’t still be friends.”
Pinkie barely managed to let her friends speak their minds before exploding from her seat to try and peek at the eggs as Twilight made it to the ground floor. “Ohh ohh ooohhhhh! If you need a foalsitter I can totally do that!” Pinkie frowned, and then sat on her haunches. “Wait, they’re eggs, not foals. Would that make me an eggsitter? Do I have to sit on the eggs to keep them warm? Is that the only way to be an eggsitter?”
Twilight took a step back from Pinkie while flaring her wings. “We don’t sit on our eggs, but thanks for the thought, Pinkie.”
Twilight spied Fluttershy whispering with Ratchet before she ran out of the library. The purple changeling wanted to ask Ratchet what was going on, but Rainbow Dash got in her face again. “How can you be so okay with laying eggs?”
Twilight frowned again. “I’m trying to be okay with it, and you aren’t helping.”
“Yeah. Well, you seem awfully protective of a bunch of eggs you never knew were coming. How do we know you’re not being brainwashed into some super bug mom or… something?!”
“I am not being brainwashed, Rainbow Dash!” protested Twilight, “how would you feel if you had a foal, huh? Would you just leave her on the side of the street?!”
“That’s different! At least I’d know if I had a foal coming. You were waaaay too shocked to have known you were gonna lay eggs.”
Twilight was almost against the wall. “I was told, Rainbow, repeatedly. Practically every day since I hatched; I just didn’t want to think about it! I thought it might be years, or at least a few months, but no, it happened today, okay?!” Twilight’s eyes watered as her voice cracked. “So now I have to deal with it, because that’s what I am. I’m a changeling queen! I lay eggs! If that’s such a problem for you, Rainbow Dash, then I’ll just leave you alone!”
She pushed past the mortified pegasus, and was briefly surrounded by orange flames as she donned her drone disguise before turning back to the group. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the train yard.” Twilight sent a command to the nearby caretakers to return to the mobile incubator as she left her friends behind.
Applejack glowered at the sullen pegasus. “Expected or not, Rainbow Dash, those eggs are her family. I would have thought you’d know better than to attack somepony’s family like that.” Rainbow Dash stood there, silently, and AJ turned to the others. “Come on, y'all, we need to show Twilight that most of us are more understanding.”
Rarity lingered long enough to speak to Rainbow where the others couldn’t hear. “You bring up a good point, Dash, but you need to learn some tact.”
She angrily kicked at the ground. “Yeah, I’ll work on that, right after I learn how to keep my hoof out of my mouth.”
Rarity opened her mouth, but thought better of it, and chased after Applejack.
Spike rode on Applejack’s back as they chased after Twilight. Even with her drone disguise, she was easy to spot with the towel on her back. Before long, spike spotted the purple changeling. “She’s over there, AJ.”
Applejack bolted towards Twilight, who was trotting along on the ground at a slow pace. Her wings were flared to keep her eggs from falling. “Hey, sugar cube, wait up a sec’.”
Applejack had half expected Twilight to lash out, but all she got was a depressed look. “Hey, AJ.”
“Listen, you know how Dash can get, she’s just looking out for you.”
“Yeah,” Spike chimed in, “Dash is too dense for her own good, sometimes.” Applejack shot him a sour glance.
“Thanks guys. I was really hoping to spend some time with you, but then this happened, and now you guys think I’m weird.”
Rarity moved to Twilight’s other side. “I’ll admit I was… put off by the whole thing, and for that I must apologize. I told myself after that catastrophe with Zecora that I wouldn’t let such preconceptions color my actions, but there I was, doing precisely that. Can you ever forgive me?”
Twilight gave a weak smile, and nuzzled her alabaster friend. “Of course, Rarity. I’m just glad to have my friends back.”
Pinkie leapt forward to start bouncing backwards in front of Twilight. “And we really need to throw you a ‘New Mommy’ party. It’ll be even better than the one I threw for Mister and Missus Cake because you have four instead of two!”
Twilight inwardly cringed. Yeah… four, for now. No, think about it later. Right now I need to spend time with my friends, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to come back to Ponyville.
<If you wish, I can take the eggs to the incubator,> interjected Ratchet. <That’ll give you time to catch up.>
<No, I want to bring my first clutch to the incubator myself, but I appreciate the offer.>
Twilight spent the long walk to the train yard catching up with her friends. Most of the townsfolk cast the mixed group a curious eye, but largely left them alone. The six mares were known to have unusual acquaintances. The scant few changelings kept a respectful distance as well.
Fluttershy returned around the same time the group arrived at the first set of tracks. “So sorry about that, but I needed to do a bit of grocery shopping.”
Spike voiced the shared question. “Kind of an odd time, don’t you think?”
“Well, it’s just that, I thought it would be difficult to-”
Pinkie interrupted by pointing at the train car they were closing in on. “Oh, oh! Is that it?”
Two female caretakers approached the group. The one on the left felt it would be rude to speak via the Link with so many non-changelings around. “I can take your eggs off your hooves for you, Twilight.”
She waved her off. “I’d rather do it myself, for the first clutch, at least.”
Her friends, save Ratchet and Fluttershy, raised an eyebrow at the word ‘first’. The lead caretaker nodded her compliance, and gestured towards the incubator. “I must ask that everypony else remain outside.”
Twilight’s friends looked miffed as Fluttershy cautiously walked up to Twilight’s side. “Um, I can be really gentle and out of the way. Could I please see? B-but if you don’t want to, that’s okay…”
Twilight wrapped a foreleg around her canary yellow friend. “Fluttershy is one of the best caretakers I know. I think it would be a great idea if she could tag along.”
The female drones were wary. “Twilight, an incubator is sensitive technology. Only caretakers and royals are ever allowed in.”
Fluttershy squirmed under the pressure. “Oh, okay then.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I trust Fluttershy with my life, and the life of my children. Is that not enough?”
The second caretaker sent her companion a request to be silent as she took over. “Of course, Twilight. We’re just not used to letting anypony see an incubator from the inside.”
Twilight followed after the second caretaker. “I understand, but we are trying to become stronger allies with Equestria, are we not?”
“Absolutely,” the second caretaker agreed.
The interior of the mobile incubator was clean and well lit. The entire front third of the compartment was composed of machinery while the rest of the car was filled with empty glass tubes that had more than enough room for an egg. The first four tubes were being filled with an orange liquid solution. Fluttershy was surprised by the complexity of it all.
The first caretaker pointed towards the machinery. “This is the primary environmental control suite that takes care of temperature and supplies nutrients via pipes along the floor and ceiling. This model even allows mass love feeding by either crystal, or through your horn, if you wish.” The second caretaker manipulated several levers and dials to make the machine stop filling the four tubes.
“Each egg will remain here until it is ready to hatch, or can be moved to the hatchery in Stripped Gear. During which time you can employ alchemy to change the drone to your liking.”
Fluttershy gave a quizzical hum while Twilight spoke. “Is that necessary for every egg?”
“I don’t believe so, but it is not my place to say. Regardless, your first clutch will be very capable as they are,” the second caretaker explained while she removed the lid on the filled incubator tubes. “Everything looks to be in order. All that’s left now is to place each egg in a tube.”
Twilight craned her head around, cradled her four eggs in her magic, and gave one to each mare present while keeping one for herself. “Fluttershy, would you like to place one?”
Fluttershy gently grasped the small purple egg. “I’d love to, Twilight, but I think you should be the first to place an egg.”
Nodding, Twilight carefully levitated her egg and placed it inside the incubator. The painstakingly tailored solution suspended the egg right in the center of the liquid. Twilight was barely aware of the others doing the same as she glanced around the rest of the room. There are over two hundred incubators in here. I can’t believe Cadista thinks I’m going to lay every day. She gazed back over all of the glass incubators with renewed panic. Then again, there wouldn’t be so many incubators if it wasn’t true.
It was in that moment, when the ramifications of there being four thousand drones within the hive struck her. By Celestia, Cadista laid that many, plus no telling how many more since her first time. I-I’m going to be like her one day… A mother to thousands, tens of thousands.
The caretakers could feel Twilight’s distress, and Fluttershy noticed it too. She rested a comforting hoof on Twilight’s withers. “I have a feeling you’re going to make a great queen, Twilight.”
“You… really don’t mind? Even if I’m so… alien, now?”
The caretakers backed away to let them have some space while Fluttershy wrapped her friend in a hug. “Oh, Twilight, your body may be different, but you’re still you where it counts. You’re still a good pony. It doesn’t matter if you’re a changeling, or a parasprite, or a mule. I’ll always be your friend.”
Twilight’s eyes misted over and she returned the hug. “Thank you, Fluttershy, I… I needed that.”
Fluttershy let Twilight cry away the stress and anxiety while gently patting her purple friend on the back. While silent, the two caretakers watched on with bemusement. <Intriguing. She’s able to comfort Twilight without use of the Link. Do you think this technique might make raising nymphs more effective? Especially if they’re Twilight’s?>
<It is certainly worth investigating. I’ll notify the hatchery staff in Stripped Gear at once. In the meantime, we should tend to our duties. This is a critical time for her, and we can’t afford a single failed egg.>
<Right, of course.> As the younger caretaker began to work, she kept stealing glances at the two friends embracing each other. These Equestrians have such a strange power, and they don’t even seem to realize it.
Twilight sobbed into Fluttershy’s fur for five minutes before her stomach growled loudly enough to startle the pegasus. Twilight’s cheeks flushed and she rubbed the back of her neck while glancing at her eggs. “Sorry, I guess I worked up an appetite.”
“Oh, I understand. In fact,” She started rooting around in her saddlebags and withdrew a lumpy mound wrapped in brown wax paper. “Ratchet told me your hive are omnivores, so I went down to the local griffin merchant, and bought some choice cuts for you and Ratchet. I was going to cook my mother’s famous De’ Magnavious recipe, to celebrate.”
“I didn’t know you knew how to cook griffin dishes.”
Fluttershy put the meat back in her bags. “Well, Rainbow Dash’s mom and my mother always got along with the griffins who came to visit Cloudsdale, and… they’re carnivores, so she learned how to cook for them. She taught me some basic recipes.”
Twilight smiled. “I’m sure it’ll taste wonderful.”
They hugged one last time before departing, and found Rainbow Dash standing outside, alone. Were it not for the apologetic look on the pegasus’ face, Twilight would have brushed past her.
“I’m sorry for jumping on you Twilight,” blurted out Rainbow Dash before Twilight could speak, “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that.”
Twilight pointed towards a nearby passenger car. “Why don’t we talk in there so I don’t need my disguise.” Rainbow nodded slowly, and flew over while Twilight told the nearby drones to give them some space. “Fluttershy, I’ll see you at the library later okay?”
“Okay, I need to get some spices from home, anyway. See you later, Twilight.”
Twilight followed Rainbow Dash inside before dropping her disguise. “Look Twilight, I’m sorry I called you a bug, and razzed on you for the whole egg thing. It just weirds me out to see you laying eggs and all, you know?”
Twilight’s face fell, and she pawed at the floor. “It’s alright, Dash. It’s not easy for me to accept, either. But, brainwashed or not… those eggs came from me, and I’m responsible for them.”
Get to the point Rainbow! she growled at herself. “No, it’s not alright! I’m better than this! I was friends with all kinds of non-ponies before moving to Ponyville, this shouldn’t work me up so much.”
“Rainbow,” Twilight said cautiously, but the pegasus was beginning to rant.
“All that should matter is that you’re still you, but…” She hung her head in defeat. “It isn’t. I can’t just look past it.” Twilight bit her lip as tears started falling from Rainbow, as she looked at her with steel in her eyes. “That’s why I’m going with you.”
Twilight’s plummeting mood halted in an instant. “W-what do you mean, going with me?”
“You’re my friend Twilight, and I can’t stand having… prejudice towards you just because you’re a changeling.”
“Rainbow, you can’t help that—”
She ignored Twilight’s justifications. “No, you’re wrong. Just because you’re different on the outside, and what Chrysalis did doesn’t excuse it. Not to me. That’s why I’m going with you, when you return to the hive.”
“Y-you would really come back with me?”
Rainbow puffed her chest out at seeing Twilight’s hopeful expression. “Of course I would. I’m the Element of Loyalty, remember?”
“What about everypony else in town?”
Rainbow’s ego flattened a little. “Twi, when I heard about what happened to you, and how the only way to save your life was to turn you into a changeling, it made me realize something. My dream to become a Wonderbolt would take me on tours all over Equestria. I might not see you guys for weeks or months. Rarity always wanted to open a shop in Canterlot one day, and she’ll be gone for most of the time when that happens. Even if you were still a unicorn, there’s no telling where your studies with Celestia would have taken you.”
“What are trying to say Rainbow?”
“I don’t know!” Dash replied, frustrated. “All I know is, at some point, you’re going back to with the rest of the changelings, aren’t you?”
Twilight nodded slowly. “I’m a proto-queen now, and I won’t be able to stop laying eggs until I’ve fully matured, and I can’t care for hatchlings in Equestria.”
“Then that’s just another reason for me to go. I need to get over my prejudice, and you need somepony around to let you know you always have a home back in Equestria. It’s win-win!”
“You would really do that for me?” With a huge smile and tears of joy, Twilight wrapped her friend in a tight hug. “Thank you, Rainbow, thank you.”
Rainbow felt this was a time she could indulge in a sentimental moment, and hugged her friend in return. For a little bit, anyway. “Yeah, yeah, enough of the sappiness already. I need to tell the weather team I’ll be leaving for a while and all that. I’ll see you at dinner, right?”
Twilight wiped a stubborn tear away. “Yeah, Fluttershy’s going to be cooking dinner tonight at the library.”
“Awesome! I’ll help her out if she’s dishing up something good. See you then.”
Twilight sat on her haunches as Rainbow left. “They’re…” She let out a shuddering deep sigh. “They’re still my friends. Thank Celestia.”
Twilight gave herself some time to calm down while a drone brought her lunch. She returned the love crystals, having fed far more than she needed.
I still have a few hours before dinner gets started, so I might as well visit one of the love collectors. She sent out a general query. <Can any local collectors take a few minutes to talk?>
Over twenty replies answered her, but one stood out above the rest. <I’m not busy, Twilight. You can visit me in my home, if you wish.>
The hive mind gave Twilight the identity of the speaker. <Rose? I never knew you were a changeling.>
The drone gave a weak laugh. <Well, if you had, I wouldn’t have been doing a very good job.>
<Touché.>
<Please disguise yourself as a normal pony. Until Equestrians are more welcoming of us, I’d rather not raise undue alarm.>
Twilight scowled as she conjured up a green furred pegasus disguise. That shouldn’t be necessary, but I won’t put one of my sisters in the spotlight. <Of course.>
Twilight found Rose’s home easily enough. Rose ushered her inside as if she were an old friend. The house was much like any other in Ponyville. Now I know why she used mirrored windows.
Rose dropped her disguise. “Would you like some tea, or a snack?”
Twilight was transfixed by Rose’s appearance. “You look just like your pony self, only with-”
The pseudo earth mare possessed the multitude of changeling attributes: holes, wings, horn, and the eyes. What gave Twilight pause was that her mane, coat, and cutie mark remained. “Oh, did mother not tell you?”
Twilight followed Rose into the kitchen. “Tell me what?”
“The collectors of our hive live most of our lives as a pony of our creation. As a result, our disguise ends up permanently marking our fur and hair. This has been my normal appearance for years, now.”
“Have you tried different disguises to keep that from happening?”
Rose started boiling some water. “That becomes impossible for us collectors. During our training, we condition ourselves to be able to maintain our disguise around the clock for potentially years at a time. It reaches a point where my pony guise feels as natural to me as my true form. A side effect of that conditioning is that it is impossible for me to assume any other disguise, which makes escape quite difficult if I’m discovered.”
Twilight mulled over the information when a stallion’s voice called out from the lounge. “Honey? I didn’t know you were bringing guests.”
Twilight frantically gestured for Rose to put her disguise back on, but Lucky trotted inside too quickly. Twilight was stunned to see he was completely unfazed by Rose’s appearance. The drone smiled, and pecked him on the lips. “Well it was sort of a last minute thing. Twilight wanted to see how I did my second job.”
Lucky turned to the disguised proto-queen. “Twilight? You don’t mean the Twilight Sparkle, do you?”
<It’s okay, Twilight, Lucky’s quite comfortable with our kind.>
Trusting her sister, Twilight flared orange, and revealed herself. Lucky whistled in surprise. “Well, I’ll be a hydra’s uncle. Who would’a thought the Princess’s star pupil had been a queen all along.”
Twilight nervously tapped her hooves together and sunk in her seat. “Actually, I’ve only been a changeling for two weeks.”
His face fell. “Oh… Oh. Well… huh. So wait, that’s what the Princesses meant by you convalescing at the hive?” Twilight nodded weakly, making him glance between both mares. “This isn’t the culmination of a ten year plot to have a three way with me, is it?”
Everyone burst out laughing, and it took several minutes for Rose to catch her breath. “You scoundrel!” she protested.
“Come on, you can’t tell me she’s really Twilight Sparkle,” he mocked playfully before looking back at Twilight. “You must be one of the other changelings in town.”
She averted her gaze with a frown. “Afraid not.”
His playful grin quickly fell into a frown. “I…see. Do the Princesses know?”
“They do,” Twilight replied reassuringly, “Luna’s going to reveal what happened to me tomorrow morning.”
Lucky’s tension eased up. “Well if the Princesses are okay with it, I see no reason not to be.”
The three of them settled down as Rose brought the teapot over. She was about to grab the cups when the front door slammed shut. “Mom, I’m home!”
Rose gave Twilight a reassuring look before yelling out. “We’re in the kitchen, Scootaloo!”
Twilight watched the familiar orange filly race over, and happily tackle Rose. “You gotta hear what-” She stopped talking as she noticed Twilight in the room and stared at her for several seconds as her brain froze.
Twilight waved a hole riddled hoof at the filly. “Hello Scootaloo.”
The filly’s face scrunched. “Wait a second, you’ve been a changeling all this time!?” She turned to Rose. “I thought you already told me about all of the local changelings from your hive.”
“I did, Gumdrop,” Rose said while tousling the filly’s mane. “Twilight became a changeling two weeks ago.”
Scootaloo studied Twilight. “The Princesses couldn’t have been very happy about that.”
Twilight was too distracted by the filly still cuddling with her undisguised mother. “They weren’t, but we’ll get over it. I didn’t know non-royals could have foals.”
Rose lovingly squeezed Scootaloo. “We can’t. Lucky and I adopted my little gumdrop here last year.”
Scootaloo nuzzled her adopted mother. “I’ve got the coolest mom ever! ‘Course, I’m just glad to have parents.”
Twilight felt a surge of hope as Lucky held his wife’s hoof in his own with a caring smile on his lips. So it really is possible. My hive and Equestria might be able to be not just allies, but close friends. If a filly and stallion can love a changeling, anypony can. “Thank you for having me over for tea, Rose. This has been most enlightening, but I must say I’m surprised. Scootaloo, isn’t it hard to not tell anypony you have a changeling mother?”
The orange filly’s ears flattened. “Sometimes. I find it easier if I just don’t bring her up, but I’m glad she trusted me with her secret. And I’ll keep it forever.”
Rose stroked her adopted daughter’s mane. “You’re a wonderful little filly, Scoot. Why don’t you go ahead and grab your spare crusader cape,” she said with a knowing grin, “I know that’s why you came home so early.”
Scootaloo’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t go through that many.”
Rose raised an amused eyebrow. “Sure you don’t. I left your cape on the bed, try not to get so much tree sap on it this time.”
“No promises,” the filly replied teasingly as she nuzzled her mother, before bolting for her room.
Lucky chuckled, and checked the clock. “I better get down to the shop. The guys will give me grief if I make them wait any longer.” He kissed her before leaving.
Rose was practically glowing from his affection, a fact Twilight noticed quickly, but she didn’t speak of it until Lucky left. “You’re really lucky to have such a great family.”
“Thank you, Twilight. I’m so glad mother allowed me to be a collector. Stripped Gear will always be in my heart, along with my brothers and sisters; but my home is here with my second family. I risked a lot with Scootaloo,” she shed a few tears of joy, “and she’s proven herself to be a wonderfully loving and understanding child. I can’t express how guilty I felt about hiding my true self from her, but she hasn’t told a soul.”
Twilight sipped from her tea. “Kids aren’t known for their discretion. That’s why so many don’t adopt, right?”
Rose nodded while staring at her reflection in the still liquid. “Yes. Adoption is the only way we drones can have children, and not every collector has been as lucky as I have. I can’t tell you how much I worry that it might slip one day. I am ashamed to admit that the first few months after I revealed my true self to her, I was terrified that she might use it as blackmail if I didn’t let her have her way. Over half of our collectors are too scared to reveal themselves to their partner, let alone a child.”
Twilight reached over to hold her sister’s hoof. “Scootaloo seems to be happy just having a mother at all. I don’t think she’d ever do that.”
Rose jittered with her teacup. “I know. She’s such a great little filly. Gets into trouble, and comes home with bruises and sores from crusading all day, but I wouldn’t change a thing about her. Even with her dedication to keeping my secret, that fear is always in the back of my mind. We’ve hidden in the shadows for so long; it’s difficult to be so open with non-changelings.”
Twilight got up and gave Rose a sisterly hug. “I want you to know I’m going to fix that. I don’t want us to have to hide what we are from Equestrians anymore.”
“If anypony can do that, it’ll be you, sis.” Rose felt Twilight’s sincerity over the Link, and returned the hug. “I’m so glad you’re one of us now, Twilight.”
“Yeah, me too.”
It was dark out by the time Twilight headed back to the library. The moment she opened the door, the drone of conversation filled the air, along with the tantalizing scent of Fluttershy’s cooking.
Rarity was trying to get Ratchet to open up more about Stripped Gear while the rest of her friends, minus the two pegasi, swapped banter. Pinkie saw Twilight close the door, and drop her drone disguise. “Heya Twilight, you’re just in time for the party!”
“Party for wh-” was all she could say before a party cannon blasted her with confetti and pastries. She was barely visible under all of the brightly colored paper falling all around her when she noticed the banner on the far wall.
Happy New Momma Twilight Party!
Were it not for the cake plastering her face, Twilight might have chuckled at it. “Pinkie…! Why do I even bother?”
The party pony ignored Twilight glowering at her as she pulled her over to the dinner table where cakes and a punch bowl were located. Yet it was the dark sapphire blue alicorn standing on the other side of the table that caught her attention. Twilight jumped out of Pinkie’s grasp. “P-princess Luna!”
The alicorn gave Twilight an appraising glance. “Twilight Sparkle. It seems you have need of a bib.”
Twilight hastily bowed before her princess. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”
Ratchet watched the exchange with interest as Luna weaved a spell to cleanse Twilight of frosting. “Rise, Twilight Sparkle. I would not have you, of all ponies, bow to me, when I owe you so much.” Twilight climbed back to her hooves to find a humored expression on Luna. “Especially when you technically outrank my title, proto-queen.”
“Ugh,” Twilight groaned while rubbing her head. “Don’t remind me. I may be one in body, but I hardly feel that way in spirit.”
Luna guided Twilight towards the stairs with a wing so they could have some privacy. “Give it time, Twilight. I too was ill prepared for my role in things when Tia and I assumed the throne.”
Twilight stepped fully into the study with Luna right behind her. “You’re taking my new look better than I imagined.”
Luna gave the younger mare a haunted weak smile. “It may surprise you, Twilight, but I was friends with a few queens before my… episode with the Nightmare.”
“Really!? What were we like back then?”
Luna picked up on Twilight’s acceptance of no longer being an Equestrian. “They certainly did not look as pony-like as you, or Ratchet, and I find that rather peculiar. They were more akin to Chrysalis’ brood, but not in their actions. At the time, my night guard were extremely adept at sniffing out their infiltrators. After three months of inadvertently starving the hives, their queens came forth and offered a deal after explaining the purpose of their infiltrators, which is when I found out they were love collectors.
“I struck a deal, without Tia’s knowledge, that allowed them to harvest the love they needed in complete secret, provided no harm came to our subjects, and they would guard Equestria's borders from the great many external threats we had at the time. Most notably the chaos spawn, which still exist today, much to my dismay. Unfortunately, that all fell apart after I was consumed by the Nightmare. All of my old contacts either no longer answer, or are long dead.”
Twilight scuffed the ground. “Oh, sorry to hear that.”
Luna was able to keep a weak smile on her lips. “It was my mistake, not yours. In any event, I am glad that you are well. I feared the worst when I heard of the attack upon you, but in the end, your transformation will provide a great boon to both of our peoples, don’t you think?”
Twilight perked up in an instant. “You really think so?”
“I do. I was greatly troubled by Chrysalis’ actions during the wedding. I feared my lost allies had fallen in the same manner I had all those years ago, but between you and Cadista, I have hope that Equestrians and changelings can coexist, perhaps more openly this time.”
Twilight grinned awkwardly. “I don’t think we can hide anymore, thanks to Chrysalis.”
“Nor should you have to.” Luna’s horn lit up with magic. “Now, I might have a gift for you,” she said with a stern expression, “but that depends on how this gift reacts towards you.”
Twilight arch an eyebrow. “Reacts?” A dark blue mist materialized and swirled beside Luna until it solidified into a jeweled box. “Why does that look so familiar?”
Luna tilted her head in amusement. “It should.” She opened it to reveal the Elements of Harmony.
As Luna took the Element of Magic out of the box, Twilight’s perception of the world around her vanished with only the golden tiara remaining, even the voices of the hive mind dimmed to be nearly imperceivable. Luna’s voice was little more than a muffled echo as the changeling stood transfixed by her Element. She raised a trembling hoof towards it, causing Luna to stop talking as she felt Twilight’s magic instinctively attempt to wrestle the Element out of her telekinesis.
The princess let the artifact go, where it was quickly enveloped by Twilight’s aura and dragged into her hooves. While there was no visible trace of magic between the artifact and its bearer, Twilight could feel the Element resonate with her very being.
Twilight found her voice as the world around her came back into focus. “W-what is this?” She looked to Luna while clutching the Element tightly to her chest.
“That is the Element of Magic.” Luna carefully probed both the artifact and Twilight with her magic. “It seems the Element still recognizes you as its bearer.”
Twilight tore her eyes from the princess to stare at the tiara. “It feels like it’s part of me. Just as much as the hive mind is.”
Luna recalled reading Twilight’s letters about the Link. “I believe you are correct. Only, the Element is tied to your strong natural affinity towards magic and friendship. Rather than being one with your mind, it is one with your spirit. To put it poetically, you and the Element are one and the same. It is for that reason my sister and I have agreed that it should stay with you.”
Twilight held on to the golden tiara as memories of standing against Nightmare Moon with her friends, and the short-lived return of Discord returned to her. The Element protected Twilight from the usual pain that accompanied her bouts of memory recovery.
Luna watched with interest as the changeling stared off into space for well over a minute before snapping back into focus. “Luna… I can’t take this back with me. This belongs with Equestria.”
Luna shook her head. “Nearly all of the artifact’s power rests with you, just as the other Elements’ power resides in your friends. The physical embodiments of the Elements simply act as foci for the power gifted to each of you.”
Twilight kept the tiara close to her chest. “I promise you, Princess Luna, should Equestria ever have need of me and my Element, I’ll stand to defend it.”
Luna smiled to hide her uncertainty. She is a pony of two worlds, and she wants to remain part of ours. May nopony give her cause to leave it. “Glad to hear it. Now,” she swept a wing towards the loud chatter spilling out from behind the door, “I believe we’re missing a party downstairs. An event I do not get to attend often.”
Twilight placed the Element of Magic upon her brow. “I wouldn’t want to miss it either.”
Twilight awoke late the following morning to the sound of birds chirping outside her window, and the thunderous snores of Rainbow Dash who was sleeping on a cloud she had dragged inside last night. She flattened her ears, but that did little to save her from Ponyville’s champion snorer.
Twilight was struggling to work up enough cognitive willpower to erect a sound dampener spell when she felt an egg shift in her abdomen. She sat bolt upright as the familiar need to push returned. So early!? At least this didn’t happen during the speech today. With the library filled with her sleeping friends, Twilight groggily made her way to the bathroom, and went about laying her second clutch of eggs with only slightly less difficulty than the day before.
Afterwards, she cleaned herself up and scowled at the poor rug. If I’m going to stay here much longer I’m going to need something I can lay on that won’t get stained.
Twilight’s magic enveloped the four purple eggs so she could clean them in the sink before feeding them all the love they could handle. The orange bridge between her horn and the eggs flickered with slightly larger traces of lavender as Twilight felt the Link grow to accommodate the four new eggs.
Twilight levitated the purple orbs in front of her. To think I’m going to be doing this for the next seventy three days… She turned to her reflection above the sink. Who am I kidding, I’m not going to stop laying after I become a full queen, it just won’t be every day anymore.
She cradled the eggs in her hooves with a faint smile. Still, I can’t wait for you to hatch. I’ll do my best to be a good mother to all of you like Cadista is to the rest of us. She wordlessly summoned the caretakers while wrapping her eggs in a towel. If the three tribes could unite under one banner despite generations of animosity, perhaps my hive can be the fourth.
Twilight crept past her sleeping friends and cracked the front door open to find one of the caretakers already waiting for her. <You got here fast,> she said, ushering the drone inside and levitating the towel bound eggs to the caretaker’s possession.
<To be perfectly honest, sis, tending to the needs of a proto-queen is an extremely rare honor. My partner and I are happy to help.>
Twilight nodded. <Please, take good care of them.>
The drone made sure each egg was tied down inside her specially modified saddlebags before stepping outside again. <Of course, Twilight. I hope your announcement goes well today.>
She watched the caretaker fly off with her progeny, and slowly closed the door.
Yeah, me too.