An undisguised Twilight chewed on her lip as she paced back and forth behind the main doors of the town hall. She could hear Princess Luna making her opening statement. All of her friends stood off to the side with their respective Elements.
“Do you think wearing the Elements is a bit much? I mean, they’re basically the symbol of Equestria.”
“That’s the point, darling,” Rarity answered with measured poise. “You want your hive and Equestria to be allies, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” And hopefully a single nation, one day. “But wouldn’t the Elements make it seem like we’re pushing too fast?”
“Shoot, Twi, hidin’ the fact that you’re still the Element of Magic wouldn’t sit right with me. Besides, ain’t nopony going to argue with the six of us and the Princess.”
Twilight stopped pacing to give Applejack a weak smile. “I hope so.”
Twilight tried to take several calming breaths, but her growling stomach made it somewhat difficult. “Anypony have any snacks?”
“I do!” Fluttershy announced meekly while she flew over to rummage around in her saddlebags.
Spike gave Twilight a sardonic look. “How can you possibly be hungry? You ate a whole day’s worth of food for breakfast.”
“Sorry,” Twilight whined, “It’s just that my appetite’s been huge ever since I started laying.”
<I don’t know if I should say it aloud,> Ratchet began, <but between developing the next three days’ worth of eggs, and that you’re also growing to reach Cadista’s height, it’s no real surprise you need to eat so much.>
<I can’t believe I’m changing so much so quickly.>
<Well, we are called changelings for a reason.>
She rolled her eyes. <Hardy har har.>
Rainbow Dash noticed Twilight reacting to a silent speaker as she hovered above the group. How can she stand having somepony else’s voice in her head? Rainbow was about to ask her what she was talking about when Mayor Mare poked her head through the doors.
She did an admirable job not visibly reacting to Twilight’s appearance. “Five minutes, Miss Sparkle.”
With the doors cracked open, Luna’s voice carried into the chamber. “Twilight Sparkle has been healed, and has returned to Ponyville. Show your fellow citizen of Ponyville that Equestrian ideals are more than just words.”
Luna glanced behind her to the slightly open door, prompting Twilight to emerge with a nervous canter to the princess’ side. Ratchet stayed behind the door as everyone else followed Twilight. The Element of Magic rocked slightly on the quaking mare.
Twilight walked out to find the crowd watching her intently. Their faces ranged from curious to pensive. Well, no pony’s booing me off the stage, so that’s a start.
She stepped up to the podium as Luna stepped aside. “Greetings, Ponyville, I want to thank you all for coming. As you can see, I am not quite what I used to be.
"I know many of you have heard rumors about who almost claimed my life nearly three months ago on that fateful day. Many claim that it was changelings who attacked me.” She singled out those who faced her with mistrustful faces and narrowed eyes and matched their gaze with graceful poise. “It’s completely true.”
Twilight saw many whisper and gasp. You didn’t think I would lie, did you? “It was changelings that attacked Canterlot with malicious intent, and it was changelings who tried to claim my life.”
She surveyed the crowd, seeing uncertainty in their eyes. “And yet, it was changelings that saved my life. I asked myself: why would a race capable of such horrid actions, spare me from death? The moment that question left my lips, I already had the answer.”
Twilight’s heart raced as her passionate words continued. “Changelings are not the monsters Chrysalis would have you believe. They are scholars, bakers, farmers, teachers, and factory workers. The changelings I have seen, spoken, and dined with, are just like anypony else. Everypony is capable of good, evil, and everything in between.
"Mistrust and fear has been allowed to fester in our hearts because of Chrysalis’ unconscionable actions. I know that all of you have it within you to show historians for generations to come, that Equestrian ideals are more than just pretty words we tell ourselves to feel better.”
As Twilight spoke the next words, her friends stepped forward one by one. “Kindness, honesty, loyalty, generosity, laughter, and friendship. These have always been Equestria’s watchwords. The true changelings of my hive live by these very same virtues.” Her gaze swept across the crowd. “Those of my hive wish to extend the hoof of friendship. It’s up to you to accept it.”
It was slow at first, with a few individuals needing to prod the others, but soon the crowd started cheering and stomping their hooves with a fervor Twilight didn’t expect. Her relief, and that of the collectors in attendance, reverberated throughout the local changelings who expressed their gratitude over the Link.
Luna grinned at the display. It still amazes me how accepting the ponies of this era can be, once they get over their initial fear of the unknown. As much as they wanted to bombard Twilight with questions, most of the townsfolk regrettably returned to their livelihoods with only the scant few news reporters remaining behind.
Luna paid close attention to the reporters as their questions ranged from innocent to conspiratorial. Few piqued her interest, until a slick-maned, violet unicorn stallion stepped forwards.
“Miss Sparkle, you claim that you were attacked by feral changelings, correct?”
“Calling them changelings is a bit generous, but yes.”
“Yet you were supposedly saved by the changeling hive you are currently a part of, correct?”
Luna glanced at Twilight who had a slightly raised eyebrow. “Yes, that’s right.”
“So tell me, why was it necessary to convert you into a changeling to save your life? Doesn’t that sound rather suspicious to you?”
Twilight’s tone remained definitive. “The feral brood used poison from a ghast spider, a denizen of the jungles around changeling territory. That poison makes magic based healing impossible. Even if I had been brought to the best medical minds Equestria has to offer, I was too badly injured to survive.”
“I understand the changelings had a method to heal you, but my question is: did it necessitate you becoming one of them?”
Twilight’s mouth hung slightly agape, and she broke eye contact with the questioner. “I—I,” Her eyes hardened and faced the reporter with steel in her voice. “Yes. The method was designed to repair a changeling’s life that was near death. It worked in the only way it could, by remaking me into a changeling. Could the process have been redesigned so that I remained a unicorn? Possibly, but not in time to save my life.” She shifted her eyes to the rest of the reporters. “Now is not the time to pass blame or fabricate conspiracies when none exist. The changelings of my hive are not Equestria’s enemies, and as long as I draw breath,” her determined eyes centered on the original reporter, “we never shall be.”
A scowl pulled at the edges of the stallion’s neutral expression. “Thank you,” he replied coolly. He tilted his head towards Luna. “Your Highness,” he said respectfully before leaving.
Luna watched him go out of the corner of her eye. She let the reporters have a few more minutes before stepping forward. “I believe that will suffice for now. There will be time for more questions in Canterlot.”
She gestured for Twilight to re-enter the town hall, an act she was all too eager to obey. Twilight leaned against one of the pillars while trying to rub a headache away. “That could have gone better.”
“Canterlot will be difficult on you,” Luna warned. “Tia’s words carry a lot of weight, but the invasion is still fresh in people’s minds.”
Twilight looked around to find no one was within earshot. “I wish I didn’t have to lie to them.”
Luna’s brow furrowed and she drew closer while casting a spell to keep their voices from carrying. “About what?”
Twilight stared at the wooden floor for several seconds with pensive expression. “I don’t honestly know if rebirth was necessary, or that it had to change me to work.”
Luna hummed contemplatively, and a long silence echoed through the hall. “Celestia said you were fully aware of what would happen to you if you underwent rebirth, and of what it would cost you.”
Twilight nodded, but couldn’t look away from the floor. “I remember…”
“For what it’s worth, Twilight, the fact that you are capable of questioning this is a good sign. Find out more about the rebirthing process if you can. I assume Cadista is grooming you as her heir, so I doubt she would hide the specifics about rebirth.”
Twilight gave Luna a weak smile. “I really hope my lie is the truth.”
“As do I. For now, spend the day as you wish. The train for Canterlot leaves this evening. We need to be there before the tabloids have too much time to paint a bad image.”
Twilight gazed through the walls towards the train yard and stifled a yawn. “I’ll ask her when I’m in Canterlot. In the meantime, I think I’ll just take a breather. I don’t think I’ll get a chance to do that much in the near future.”
Luna nodded slightly. “Such is the life of those in power.”
And those that give birth to an entire hive, Twilight brooded. “Are you going to be riding with the rest of us?”
“I will, actually, I felt it was best to arrive with you so the public knows you have the trust of the crowns.”
“Thanks, Luna.”
“Naturally.” She paused to watch as Twilight’s friends started breaking up to tend to their jobs. “Twilight, this may come across as rather opportunistic, but I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the changelings on a more personal level.”
The proto-queen tittered at the sentiment. “I was hoping we could do more than just reconnect.”
Luna’s reply was interrupted by Rainbow Dash. “Hey, Twilight, Princess, the rest aren’t going to be able to go to Canterlot, but I’m still coming with you. What time does the train leave?”
“Seven PM. What about Spike?”
“Come on, Twilight, everypony can tell Canterlot’s going to be two things: a reunion with your family, and a media circus. None of us want to intrude on the reunion, or be anywhere near the paparazzi.”
Luna let a playful smirk break through her regal poise. “So, why are you going then?”
Rainbow flexed her forelegs. “Because somepony needs to represent the Elements who are still ponies. Uh, no offense, Twi.”
She waved off any insult. “Just admit it, Dash, you’d do anything to get your name in the paper.”
Rainbow grinned. “Hey, if I can support one of my best friends, and get in the paper at the same time, then why not? Anyway, I better get ready. See ya later Twilight, Princess Luna.”
Twilight couldn’t help but snicker as Rainbow Dash departed. Eventually she turned to Ratchet, who was staring off into space. <Sorry to keep sidelining you like this Ratchet, but could you make sure our stuff is transferred to the other train. I’ll inform the caretakers to make sure the incubator car is moved over as well.>
<Think nothing of it, Twi. You’re here for your pony friends and family, after all.>
As Ratchet flew off, Twilight’s stomach growled. “Princess, I need to head down to the train yard as well.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it… Actually, there is one thing I’d like to ask before you go. What do you mean by more than reconnect?”
Twilight pawed the ground as she searched for the right words. “Luna… I know what I am, and I know that my place is with the hive now. However, I don’t want the hive to be mutually exclusive from Equestria.”
“What do you mean?”
Twilight sighed. “Luna, Equestria was founded by the three pony tribes. Do you think there’s room for a fourth?”
A sly grin crept over the lunar alicorn. “There is if I have anything to say about it. Although,” she said with a short titter. “You would technically be the fifth behind my bat ponies.”
Twilight giggled. “How could I forget them?”
“The fault lies with both of us. Like myself, they are nocturnal, and a bit reclusive. Much of that was from my prolonged absence.”
A smile crossed Twilight’s face. “Then that’ll give us some common ground.”
“Aye, that’s always a good first step.”
After talking with Luna for a few hours, Twilight traveled to the mobile incubator. She announced herself over the Link before entering with five steaming shish kabobs hovering by her face as she bit one of the pieces of smoked meat. The Element of Magic swayed back and forth as its bearer tore through her meal. “I have to say, being an omnivore has opened up so many wondrous foods.”
The nearest caretaker sighed in relief that Twilight had the presence of mind to keep a plate under her dripping lunch. “I see you found Hot Spice’s kitchen. I’m sure he gets rather busy in herbivore lands.”
Twilight hungrily took two more bites before answering. “He isn’t the only place around here that serves meat. Servin’s Galley caters to all sorts of patrons. The restaurant’s only a block away from Sugar Cube Corner.”
The second caretaker wrote a mental note to make sure to mop up any juice that dripped off Twilight’s plate. “The traders don’t normally venture far from the train yard. Less likely to spook the ponies that way.”
Twilight polished off her first skewer and started on the second. “I think that needs to change. We would be stronger allies if we were friends as well.” The caretakers could only shrug in response. Fine, I’ll bring it up with Cadista later. “Anyway, I’m here to check on my eggs, and start learning alchemy.”
The caretakers’ cheered before scrambling to work. “Ah! I wish you had told us ahead of time, we would have had everything ready to go when you got here.”
Twilight waved her hoof. “I need to learn the basics before I go anywhere near one of my eggs with this.” Speaking of which, she thought while gnawing on her food, <Cadista, is now a good time to learn some alchemy?>
<Absolutely,> Cadista replied. <Prepare yourself Twilight, the information I’m about to share comes only from me, rather than everypony on the hive mind. The transfer can be… jarring.>
Twilight swallowed the last of the second kabob, and lowered the plate down to the floor. <I’m ready, I guess.>
Cadista’s closely guarded secrets of alchemy poured into Twilight’s mind, but the Element of Magic eliminated most of the pain that Cadista had warned about. Cadista took the lack of distress from Twilight as a sign that she could handle a faster influx.
<Twilight, are you alright?> She asked after passing a week’s worth of study material. <That was far more information than I thought I could safely share with you.>
The purple mare’s mind was buzzing with ideas and possibilities. <So much knowledge so fast! Is there any more to it? I want to learn everything!>
Why did she experience no pain? Am I underestimating her again, or am I missing something? Knowing her, I better focus on the task at hoof for now before she accidently over-engineers an egg. <Twilight, I have only given you what is necessary to screen out any birth defects, and decide your children’s gender.>
Twilight’s rampant train of thoughts slowed a little. <Why gender?>
<Because, as of right now your eggs are near genetic copies of you. All of your children will be female, and while that in and of itself is not an issue, I suspect you would like to have sons as well.>
Twilight sat down, and started gnawing on her still hot food. <Gosh… I didn’t really think about that.>
<Whatever gender ratio you decide on is entirely up to you Twilight. They are your brood, after all. For now though, you should screen your eggs for any defects, and fix them accordingly.>
Twilight walked over to the eight purple eggs suspended roughly at shoulder height. Magic flowed out of her horn as she swept the eggs for defects, the act coming to her as naturally as breathing. She didn’t notice faint traces of lavender weaving through the stream.
<I don’t see anything that stands out as a defect. Is that normal?>
Cadista hummed approvingly. <Be mindful that eight eggs are hardly sufficient to garner an accurate estimate. Even so, it is a good sign. It seems my work upon you went well.>
Twilight wasn’t sure how to take that. <You mean when you reengineered me into a royal?>
<Twilight… I never wanted this to happen. The rebirthing process is rooted in alchemy, and as you now know, all of it is centered around manipulating changelings. There was no other option to save your life other than converting you.>
Twilight was only able to focus half of her thoughts to her eggs as a twinge of loss struck her. <Is… is there anything left of my old self?>
<Only in your brain. The difficult part was the creation of a new lobe to allow you to integrate into the hive mind and then interweaving it into the rest of your brain without causing permanent memory loss.>
Twilight balked at the profound difficulty after reviewing her modest knowledge of alchemy. <You... hybridized my brain! By Celestia, finding the balance between pony and changeling brain chemistry and making it work is impossible!>
<Says the product of such work,> Cadista replied with a hint of playful mockery. <We are not as incompatible as you might think.>
Twilight stopped scanning her eggs entirely. <T-that means you didn’t actually know if you could save me.>
<Yes, I took an immense risk in offering that procedure to you. Had I failed, or if your personality had been changed, Celestia and the hives would likely be at war right now.>
Twilight remembered Celestia’s actions on the day she was placed inside the chrysalis. Yes…we would be. <I’ll do everything I can to make sure that never happens.>
<I know that you will. Now, back to the task at hoof. Your eggs came back clean of any defects?>
Twilight weaved her spell again to triple check. <None that I can detect.>
<Excellent. Now, the primary reason a queen is so finely genetically tailored is to minimize the amount of effort the new queen has to invest into alchemy. Because your drones are near genetic clones of you, you will know their make-up, and that makes alchemy comparatively trivial. I have already given you what you need to decide their gender, I will leave it up to you as to how you wish to use it.>
Twilight grimaced as she stared at the eggs. <It feels kind of wrong to choose their gender for them like this. Shouldn’t they get a choice?>
<A choice?> Cadista asked with genuine surprise. <I don’t see how that would work, assuming you mean when they’re of age to make a rational choice on the matter. I’ve never thought to try to give them that option, but even if they did, some might choose hastily, or be pressured into the one they don’t prefer, some might even come to regret their choice.>
Twilight’s wings buzzed every so often as her mind raced with new possibilities. <It still feels awkward because some feel that way even when random chance determined it. So what if… they could switch back and forth?>
<…That… might be possible. Although the complexity of such an ability hinges greatly on how you would implement it.>
<I’ll find a way. In the meantime, I’m fine with just daughters.>
<Very well. Since the eggs have not been put under any strain thus far, we can move to other aspects of alchemy.>
The hours melted away as Cadista gave away her knowledge of alchemy bit by bit. With the Element of Magic protecting Twilight against what would have been crippling pain, she absorbed it all with ravenous hunger for knowledge. Twilight was oblivious to the mobile incubator being moved and hitched up to the train leaving for Canterlot.
In fact, she was so engrossed into her theorycrafting that it took one of the caretakers placing dinner beside her, along with the aroma to bring her back to the present. “Dinner? Is it that late already?”
The younger caretaker nodded. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
Twilight started politely gorging herself on the rotisserie. “To think there’s an entire branch of scientific magic exclusive to changeling queens! I could spend a lifetime delving into this and never unlock all of alchemy’s secrets.”
“Such is the way of any science, no?”
Twilight chuckled, and nearly choked on a piece of food in the process. The caretaker patted her back until Twilight stopped coughing, only for her to fall back in laughter. “Thanks. Truer words have never been spoken.”
“It would be rather ignoble to die to a piece of meat after surviving that attack a couple months back.”
Twilight nodded in agreement while continuing to eat. <Thanks for dinner.>
“Ratchet told us you might get carried away with your work and forget to eat.”
<He’s a really good pony. I’ll have to do something nice for him later.>
“Are you going to make any changes to your brood?”
<Not yet, I want to let a few dozen or so reach adolescence so I know what my children’s baseline is. Even if they’re clones of me, there are still a lot of differences between a royal and a drone. I can seek improvements after that.>
The caretaker nodded approvingly. “I’ll close down the alchemy section then. You should get some rest sister, I’m sure you’ll be busy quite a bit in Canterlot.”
Twilight downed a fruity beverage. <I might as well. I’ll see you in the morning.>
Twilight used the Link to locate her room and stifled a yawn before entering. She was pleasantly surprised to find Ratchet reading a technical manual. “Ratchet? I didn’t know you’d be here.”
He looked up in time to receive a friendly nuzzle, to which he eagerly reciprocated. “Booking put us together. Rainbow Dash is two cabins over while Luna got a whole car to herself.”
“Such are the perks of being a princess.”
Ratchet closed his book. “If you want some peace, I can find another place.”
Twilight smirked. “Peace? That’s hard to obtain with the Link.” She sat down next to him and leaned against him. “I’d rather spend time with you, if that’s okay.”
“Well, sure, if you like, but I must admit I’m a bit distracted at the moment.” He sheepishly held up a twine bound tome filled with both normal and drafting paper that was half a hoof thick.
“Ohhhh, what is it?”
“It’s the latest design manual for the new Spider Walkers R&D put together. They handed them out to first class engineers so we can spot any flaws before a prototype is built.”
Twilight cooed as her eyes dilated. “Sounds fun.” The page had a dizzyingly complex schematic with formulas covering every square centimeter of space. “That’s a multi-tiered planetary gear assembly using… an aluminum alloy?”
“Good eye, the land surrounding the outpost between Equestria and Stripped Gear is rich in aluminum. Metallurgy thinks they found something else that can be used as a substitute for steel. Personally I don’t think it should be used in a ground vehicle, but it would make larger airships more feasible.”
Twilight scooted next to Ratchet and nuzzled the top of his head. “Mmmm-hmmm?”
The night flew by as the two changelings read the design manual together, debating various aspects of mechanical engineering. It was well past midnight when Twilight was interrupted by a large yawn.
“—Oh, my, I’m sorry.”
Ratchet smirked. “Maybe we should call it a night.”
Twilight tipped over and flopped on to the bed, her only response being a vague noise of approval. As Ratchet put the book away, he suddenly realized just how small the bed was when he was sharing it with a proto-queen.
“Um, these beds are intended for drones, so I’ll just sleep on the floor tonight and let you have the bed to yourself.”
A whine emanated from the proto-queen. “Nooooooo~ I don’t mind sharing the bed with you, Ratchet.” She scooted backwards and patted the mattress next to her.
Ratchet paused. Well, a bed beats the floor any day of the week. He rolled on to the bed next to her, and she wrapped her hooves around him. He had to admit, he enjoyed spending time with Twilight. He didn’t understand why Equestrians were so physically affectionate, but it was a nice feeling. He felt warm, wanted, and at peace. It didn’t take long for low rumble of the train to lull him into a deep slumber.
Between them flowed a faint whisper of love, a strand too tiny to be noticed by any changeling.
Twilight awoke to the sound of a blowing train whistle and screeching wheels as Canterlot Station rolled into view. She barely registered Hot Spice give a last call over the Link for breakfast as she slid off the bed to stretch in a catlike fashion.
Ratchet yawned and sat upright. “Morning, Twilight.”
She flapped her wings a few times to get the blood pumping. “Good morn—” she hesitated when an egg shifted in her abdomen and her breath quickened. “Ratchet, can you find that blanket Rarity gave me yesterday? It should be above you.”
“Not a problem.” He took to the air and found the item in question before handing it over.
Twilight coiled the cloth into a puffy mound on the floor. “Thanks, I’ll summon the caretakers.”
Oh! That’s why she wanted the blanket. “I’ll, ah, go guard the door and make sure nopony else bothers you.”
“I appreciate it, Ratchet.” After he left, she whirled around assumed the position over the cloth.
Ratchet ignored the faint grunts from behind the door as he waited for the caretaker. I don’t know if I could handle being a queen. Laying eggs everyday, and this is what? Twice now that she’s done this right after waking up? I’d rather stick with coffee as my personal wake up button, thank you very much. Speaking of waking up, I better ask a brother to bring us some food.
Right as he sent the request, Rainbow Dash cantered up to him. “Hey Ratchet, is Twilight up yet?”
“She is,” he answered simply.
Rainbow tilted her head. “Are you going to stand in front of the door all day, or can I see her?”
“She’s, uh—” he was interrupted by a caretaker signaling her arrival through the hive mind and he stepped aside to let her inside.
Rainbow arched a scowling eyebrow. “What is this, changeling only morning or something?”
“She’s laying right now,” he deadpanned.
“Again!? Well whatever, just tell her Luna said she doesn’t need a disguise to walk around town.”
“Certainly, Miss Dash.”
Rainbow slinked off a few minutes before Twilight and the caretaker emerged with the glowing purple eggs wrapped in cloth. “I’ll be sure to have the blanket washed for tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you very much,” Twilight replied happily as she faced Ratchet. “You wouldn’t mind packing our things while I get cleaned up would you?”
“Not at all.”
The train lingered at the station for half an hour as the overnight passengers slowly woke up and departed. That gave Twilight just enough time to make herself presentable before stepping off the train as the conductor gave a final boarding call for the next stop. Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna were waiting for her, along with more paparazzi than Twilight knew existed.
All of them wanted to confirm the rumors surrounding Twilight Sparkle’s return. Luna’s Night Guard provided a cordon keeping them at bay. <I am suddenly really glad I lay first thing in the morning,> Twilight thought.
Ratchet felt the breakfast in his saddlebag starting to cool. <Think we’ll get a chance to eat?>
<I hope so.>
He didn’t have a chance to say more as Luna stepped up to her. “Twilight, as a symbolic declaration of trust between us, I will escort you personally to the castle.”
Twilight nodded. “I appreciate it.”
Luna guided the purple changeling through the station as she was bombarded with flashing camera lights and constant questions. Most of them directed about her transformation, and why she possessed the Element of Magic.
Thankfully, the contingent of bat ponies and the princesses kept even the most reckless reporters from crossing the cordon. As they passed into the main street, Twilight could see an open chariot and the signs of active reconstruction off in the distance. A few scattered pegasi hovered above the bustling crowd as some ponies were too preoccupied with their own lives and deadlines to give Twilight anything more than a passing glance.
She craned her head back to see Ratchet was starting to hyperventilate under such intense scrutiny while Rainbow Dash basked in the attention. She hovered just behind Twilight while waving at the crowd. “That’s right! Element of Loyalty and future Wonderbolt captain right here!”
Luna weaved a spell that would keep outside noise from interfering with conversation as rest of them boarded. “As you might have guessed from our method of arrival, Twilight, Celestia is catering to the aristocracy with this archaic ritual of accepting a friendly foreign dignitary.”
Twilight watched the streets of Canterlot slowly pass by as the carriage took the scenic route so every citizen could see them. Ratchet took the opportunity to give Twilight her much needed breakfast. “I remember Celestia doing this for Kavir Maranjab from Camelu. They’re sticklers for ancient traditions.”
Rainbow fidgeted in her seat. “Hey, Princess, do I have sit here the whole time too?”
“You agreed to represent the Elements of Harmony, those who are still ponies, when you came with us. The public must see that both the crowns, and the rest of the Elements recognize Twilight for who she is.”
Twilight reached across the carriage to grab Rainbow’s hoof. “I know it’s boring Dash, and I really appreciate you coming with me.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. I still owe you for that manure talk yesterday.”
Twilight smiled. “It still means a lot to me. Why don’t we go flying later? I’ve never seen Canterlot from above outside of chariots and tower windows.”
“Sightseeing? No offense Twilight, but that’s not my speed. Now if you want a free airshow, I’m the mare to talk to.”
Twilight giggled and pulled Ratchet into a sidelong hug. “You’ve never seen an Equestrian airshow before, have you?”
“I’ve never even heard of an airshow. What happens in them?”
Rainbow’s jaw dropped, much to Luna’s silent amusement. “You’ve never even heard of an airshow!?”
Luna saw a choice opportunity. “You know, Rainbow, the western castle courtyard is going to be hosting one of the nobility’s social gatherings tomorrow evening, and several prominent Wonderbolts have been dragged into attending. They could use some entertainment in that depressingly empty patch of sky above them.”
“Princess, you had me at Wonderbolts.” She turned to her friend to seal the deal.
Twilight wrinkled her nose at the idea. “Personally, I’d rather avoid any prolonged contact with the nobility. I had a miserable rapport with them even when I was still a unicorn, and I’d rather not listen to veiled insults all day. But…” She flapped her wings a couple times. “I—” she leaned against Ratchet, “we can watch you from a rooftop.”
Rainbow pumped a hoof. “I get to show off to the Wonderbolts and educate the ‘Lings on what an airshow is? Best night ever!”
Twilight giggled at her friend’s enthusiasm. <You’re in for a real treat, Ratchet. Dash’s boasting isn’t just a bunch of hot air.>
<I’ll take your word for it.>
The carriage ride lasted well past lunch, and by the time it finally arrived at the castle gates, everyone was hungry and Luna was seconds away from passing out in her seat. Just stay awake a bit longer, old girl. Wave goodbye to Twilight, pass her over to Tia, and then that sweet, warm sun-forsaken bed will be all mine.
The long stairs between the carriage and the open front doors of the castle were lined with royal guards with Celestia standing at the top. Several dozen nobles stood behind the Guard and observed the changeling queen that dared to claim to be Twilight Sparkle. The Element of Magic upon her brow caused many of them to erupt into furious gossip.
Ratchet glanced about, doing everything in his power to keep from fleeing. Can’t run, too many guards. Can’t hide, too many eyes. How can Twilight be so at ease?
Twilight easily picked up on his nervousness over the Link, and followed Cadista’s example by sending him calming thoughts. <We’ll be fine Ratchet. We don’t have to hide anymore.>
He gulped as Luna stepped to Celestia’s side as the group reached the top. <I hope you’re right.>
Celestia wore both a smile, and a slightly curious glint in her eyes. She spoke in a loud but gentle voice that carried its way throughout the gathered nobles. “On behalf of Equestria, I welcome you back to Canterlot Castle, Twilight Sparkle.”
“It’s great to see you again, Princess.”
Celestia was pleased to see Twilight’s overly eager face. “As am I,” she said while gesturing a wing inside. “I must apologize for the city tour, but the nobility are insistent that you be considered a foreign dignitary. There is only so much I can ignore from them before they become passive aggressive for a few decades.”
“Really, it’s not a problem, Princess. It was good to see my old hometown.”
Rainbow Dash was stretching to get the cricks out of her joints from sitting for so long. “Well, it was for me, no offense, Princess.”
Celestia shared a chuckle with her sister. “None taken, Miss Rainbow Dash.”
“So, uh, Twilight, I bet you want some personal time with your folks, and all that jazz. You mind if I take off for a while?”
Twilight snickered and gave Rainbow a brief nuzzle. “Sure. I’ll see you at that garden party, right?”
Rainbow groaned at the physical display of affection, but didn’t pull away. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. ‘Later!”
Luna stifled a yawn. “I fear I must take my leave as well. Until we meet again, Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia watched her sister disappear in a puff of swirling maroon smoke before facing Ratchet. “You must be Ratchet Altair.”
He quaked a little under her partially stern gaze. “I—I am, your majesty.”
Twilight shot Celestia a pleading look, but she only responded by studying him more closely. “Twilight writes good things about you in her letters.”
“Princess!” Twilight hissed under her breath.
Celestia’s lip curled up a bit as confusion washed over Ratchet. “She does?”
“Oh yes, in fact—”
Twilight flushed while interposing herself between the pair. “It’s really wonderful to see you again Princess, but I was hoping to see my parents and B.B.B.F.F.”
“As much as I would like to keep you to myself, I won’t keep your family from a much needed reunion. Shining Armor wanted to be the one to escort you to the family estate. He’s waiting for you in the west courtyard.” She started walking in that direction, prompting the two changelings to follow.
Ratchet worked up the courage to ask a question as the conversation fell into a brief lull. “I heard Twilight say you were heading a public relations campaign for our hive.”
Celestia’s weak smile faltered. “I am, although I have had nothing but setbacks. It was going to be hard work to begin with thanks to the invasion. While your… hive possessing fur makes you easier for the public to accept, the discovery and removal of numerous infiltrators from other, less pony-like hives, is making it difficult for the public to differentiate you. Even more so since all of you are called changelings.”
“Are you sure you’re not mistaking them for love collectors?” Twilight inquired.
Celestia gave Twilight a troubled look. “Cadista, through Ambassador Gloss, informed me that her collectors stay out of government positions with one exception being a mayor and several low level administrators. I have allowed her to keep her position because of her long dutiful service, and quite frankly, her surprisingly efficient administration. However, Luna’s Night Guard has discovered a number unmarried government and military officials who turned out to be changelings, and the majority of them were in no position to gather love. Based on their appearance, they are obviously not from your hive, and the sensationalized newspapers have drawn the same conclusion.”
“So they think we’re trying to take over Equestria.” Twilight replied with a downtrodden tone.
“You see my dilemma. Thankfully, Cadista has made it clear that the other queens will not act against us for cleaning house, as the saying goes.”
Twilight scowled. “The Summit basically said we’re the only one who will have open relations with the outside, and most queens care little for the individual lives of their drones. As to why they’re there, I believe many of them are for information control.”
Ratchet shot Twilight a startled glance. <We can’t tell her about that!>
Celestia’s frown deepened. “What form of information control do you mean, Twilight?”
<Celestia is our ally, Ratchet, and my former mentor. I’m not going to taint that by lying to her.>
Ratchet sweated with his ears folded back as he glanced between both mares. <Mother won’t like you divulging that kind of information, Twi.>
<Then mother should have told Celestia already.> She faced the princess with an apologetic look. “Sorry about the silent conversation. As I was saying, one of the other queens’ main job was information control. She made sure our race remained a secret from the outside world. It’s likely that she couldn’t just pull those infiltrators back out because they had been in their positions for so long that it would have raised suspicion.”
Celestia closed her eyes briefly and sighed slowly. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear you say that. There are many who think Gloss has been… filtering what we need to know. Thank you Twilight, for putting my fears to rest.”
Twilight sent Ratchet a jolt of smug satisfaction over the Link while nodding at Celestia. “Cadista only wants peace between us, Princess. As do most of the other hives. I’m sure Gloss has already told you the appearance of the drones that still have hostile intent towards Equestria.”
“She has. She also knows that I will not stop cleaning out the actual infiltrators, friendly or not. Although I would prefer that they leave of their own accord.”
“I don’t know if they’ll do that. The only thing Cadista can do is ask, she holds no authority over them, just as no other queen holds any over her. The only exception is the Summit, and I can tell you already, the vote for that would be vetoed in a heartbeat.”
“Which only makes my position all the more difficult.”
Twilight hummed as her thoughts turned to Rose. “It would be easier for ponies to accept us if they knew all the good we’ve done for them.”
“The good?”
“The collectors of my hive don’t just sit around absorbing love. They live just as any other pony does. They’re bakers, farmers, school teachers, mothers, and fathers.” She looked at her former mentor with a weak smile. “And they genuinely love the ponies around them. Just as their spouses and adopted children love them back, even though they might have no idea they’re in love with a changeling.”
Celestia halted by the doors with a fetlock rubbing her chin. “Acceptance for your hive would come easier if such individuals revealed themselves in a controlled event. That would make the public aware that changelings are not the enemies Chrysalis would have us believe them to be.”
“I can only ask them to volunteer. We need love to survive, Princess, and if their pony families or neighbors drive them out, we all lose.”
This is still rather odd, if the changelings are capable of love, as she says, then why do they need the love of other species to survive? “Very well, Twilight. I will bring these matters up with Gloss so she can speak with Cadista on this directly. I don’t want to distract you from your family reunion.” She opened the door with her magic to reveal Shining Armor standing near a covered carriage. “I’ll leave you to it. Contact me, should you have need.”
Twilight couldn’t look away from the pensive Captain of the Guard. “I will.” She tripped on her hooves as she galloped to close the distance.
Shining Armor choked up at seeing his sister bearing a haunting resemblance to Chrysalis, albeit with fur. Twilight stopped in front of Shining, afraid to touch him. Ratchet wisely stayed back and out of sight.
Glad I told the guards to turn away, he thought as he used every ounce of his training to keep from breaking down at seeing his sister become the very thing that haunted his nightmares for months. That was made all the more difficult as he could see his sister behind the fangs and slitted eyes. The way her ears were partially drooped, biting the left side of her lower lip, and that he could see her debating on what to say first; all of it screamed that the changeling queen in front of him was Twilight Sparkle.
Shining quickly discovered he had the same problem and bulled his way through his emotion-induced silence. “Twily?” She held her tongue while briskly nodding her head. “It’s really you?”
She struggled to find her voice. “Yes big brother. I’m still your L.S.B.F.F.”
He pushed past his misgivings, and locked her into a hug to which she instantly returned. His voice didn’t crack, but he shed a few tears nonetheless. “I thought I had lost you twice over. First you go galloping off into dangerous territory without a proper escort, get hurt, and now you come back as—as…”
She pulled away with a frown. “As one of the beings that ruined your wedding?”
“Hey, hey I didn’t say that. You saved my wedding, and all of Canterlot.”
A flicker of hope lit in her. “I failed to get the Elements. It was you and Cadance who saved us.”
A smile started to worm its way onto his face. “I wasn’t the one who found the real Cadance. I’d still be under Chrysalis’ spell if you hadn’t found her.”
She poked him in the chest. “You were still the one to save us in the end.”
In that moment he could almost see the changeling as her old unicorn self. She’s really still my little sister after all. “You never could take credit when credit was due.” He waved a hoof at the carriage. “Come on, mom and dad want to see you.”
Twilight was about to step aboard when she remembered someone. <Ratchet, I want you to come with me.>
<If that’s what you want,> he replied hesitantly.
Shining Armor helped his sister into the carriage when he spotted Ratchet making his way over. The Captain managed to contain a snarl. “Need something?”
“I, ah, she—” Ratchet stuttered out at the imposing unicorn.
Twilight stuck her head out and shot her older brother an apologetic look. “Sorry about that. This is Ratchet Altair. Ratchet, Shining Armor.”
Not willing to snap at his sister’s friend, Shining reigned in his suspicion a little. “I see.”
He glanced at Twilight whose gaze shifted to one of admonishment. Brother and sister shared a silent debate, one that made Ratchet forget his fear over the Guard Captain. Slowly, Shining yielded to her, and shrugged off much of his hostile demeanor with a sigh. Twilight beamed in victory while waving a hoof at her fellow changeling. “Ratchet’s a really good friend of mine, and my engineering guru.”
“I’m hardly a guru,” he squeaked out. “Just an en—gin—eer,” Ratchet’s voice petered off into a squeak.
The captain saw no threat in the shaking drone, and could feel his sister’s eyes boring a hole into the side of his skull. “I trust you will keep Twilight safe when I cannot.”
Ratchet nodded quickly. “I would do that anyway.”
“Good.” He jerked his head to the carriage and climbed in, prompting Ratchet to do the same.
Ratchet sat next to Twilight who gave him a reassuring look and patted his hoof. “Don’t worry. Shiny’s a big softy once he gets to know you.”
He stole a glance at the unicorn only to see him raise an unamused eyebrow at Twilight. “Have you been treated well, Twilight?”
“Of course, Shiny. Do you really think Cadista would allow me to return to Equestria if she had any malicious intent?”
Shining Armor glanced at Ratchet. Not if she put a leash on you, but then again, he’s not much of a leash if he’s this easily cowed. “I suppose not. I’m glad to see you Twily; mom nearly had a heart attack when she found out what happened.”
Twilight glanced out of the window while rubbing the side of her foreleg. “She always was overprotective of me.”
“Can you really blame her?” Shining glanced at Ratchet before facing his sister again. “Sure, you’re alive and I’m truly glad you are Twilight; but look what it cost you, what it cost Equestria. Somepony else should have gone in your place.”
Twilight scowled. “I know I put you, my family, friends, and the Princesses through emotional pain because I was too eager to learn about changelings, and I’m sorry about that. Really I am. However, I think I’m in the perfect position to aid both Equestria and my hive to even greater prosperity than if somepony else had gone in my place.”
“We nearly went to war because of all this, Twily.”
“We were already at war Shining Armor,” Twilight chided. “In case you forgot, Shining, I was Celestia’s protégé. I know the Army was planning an expeditionary force into the Cresnox Jungle. They still are, aren’t they?”
Shining Armor was torn. My orders are to keep that knowledge out of changeling hooves, but this is Twilight! I can’t, and won’t treat her like the enemy. He worked his jaw as he debated what to say. “…Stripped Gear is not on the target list.”
Ratchet expressed his alarm over the Link, but Twilight made him keep it quiet. “Tell them to call it off, I’ll speak—”
“Twily. Does Cadista speak for the other queens?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Can she guarantee that Chrysalis won’t try to attack again? Or guarantee that all of our foalnapped citizens will be returned, unharmed?”
“We don’t foalnap, Shining,” Twilight insisted.
“Can you say that about the other hives Twilight? You would know better than any of us.”
Twilight’s face fell and she fidgeted with her hooves. “I-I don’t know who exactly, because I didn’t want to know, but—” She recalled how so many queens thought of non-changelings as little more than cattle. “I’m sure some still do.”
“You need to stay on your hooves Twilight. Your hive may be friendly to ponykind, and… I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but you know Equestria will not stand for this kind of behavior. Especially not when Ambassador Gloss has told us that not only is foalnapping unnecessary to harvest the love your kind needs to survive, but that it is generally found to be abhorrent by your own people. We must take action.”
“Shining, please, let diplomacy have a chance first. Equestria doesn’t need to go to war. How do you expect the Princess to be successful in her PR campaign if you send soldiers off to fight changelings?”
Her older brother studied Twilight’s face, finding only sincere concern. “You really don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“The Princesses and Cadista have been in talks for weeks. They’ve already come to the conclusion that there is no other alternative. We must use force to retrieve our citizens. As for the PR campaign, your hive has already agreed to give us guides so we can find our people, and Celestia will be playing that hand to show your hive stands apart and above the others. In the end, it’ll all wrap up quite nicely. The crowns get to show we’re acting in the public’s interests, and your hive gets to demonstrate that you’re not our enemy.”
Twilight hung her head in defeat as her thoughts drifted towards Chrysalis during the Summit. “There has to be a better way.”
The carriage came to a halt shortly thereafter. The Sparkle Manor was just as she remembered it, albeit with vines covering more of the red brick walls. The lawn was carefully manicured and as pristine as always, a testament to her father’s dedication to perfect landscaping.
“Shiny, can we leave the politics at the door? I just want a day where we can be a family again.”
“I was about to propose the same thing. Cadance should be inside too.”
Twilight stepped out of the carriage and onto the marble porch. Shining Armor saw her teeth were chattering slightly as he walked up alongside her. “Come on, Twily, we have to save my wife from mother’s small talk, you know how she can get.”
She cringed, but never turned away from the doors as the family butler exited the house to greet them. To the old brown earth stallion’s credit, he was completely unfazed by the two changelings as he bowed his head. “Shining Armor, you simply must visit more often. The Mistress has expressed concerns over the danger of your occupation constantly as of late.” The unicorn suppressed a groan before the butler faced the lone mare. “And you Miss Sparkle, for shame. Galloping off to the wilds only to nearly die in the process? ‘Bout gave your mother a stroke it did.”
After all these years, I still can’t tell if he’s joking or being serious. “Mister Pranceston, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Twilight replied indignantly. She glanced back and forth as both stallions gave her a mocking look. “You can’t blame me for getting ambushed while on a trade convoy. That would be like blaming you for the chandelier that nearly dropped on Miss Information.”
Pranceston nodded the point to her. “That still didn’t stop the harlot from trying. That old nag was as pleasant as an infected cracked hoof, Celestia rest her soul.” He cleared his throat. “Well it’s good to see your mind is still intact, Luna knows it couldn’t get any stranger up there.” Twilight’s face twisted into a pout, but Pranceston turned about face before she could think of a scathing rebuke. “Come along now, your parents want to see you, posthaste.”
Shining Armor hesitated as Twilight cantered after the butler. Before Ratchet could slip past him to remain near Twilight, Shining held out a hoof to block him. “This is a private affair. I suggest you remain out here.”
“Oh, um, sure, okay.”
“And disguise yourself. I don’t want anyone seeing a changeling around the house, my sister excluded.”
“W-whatever you say, s-sir.” Ratchet flared orange and was replaced by a charcoal pegasus with an orange mane.
Satisfied, Shining’s scowl eased up slightly. “Don’t wander out of the yard.”
Am I a dog to you? “Yes, sir,” he replied tersely. He watched the unicorn follow his sister inside with a frustrated grimace. Do they really have to treat us like dirt just because of Chrysalis?
He kicked a rock and started pacing around the various shrubberies over the front lawn. If Twi wants me, she knows I’m just a thought away. Despite his foul mood, he couldn’t help but to give a curious look at the surrounding area. Sparkle Manor sat on a hill near the edge of the mountain face so he had a fantastic view of the noble district.
Why are they using carriages pulled by other ponies? I can understand the other hives not bothering with technology, but surely these Equestrians would have invented a self-propelled civilian transport by now. I mean, they have magic more advanced than us, right? Shouldn’t that have done the trick?
Twenty minutes passed until he decided to go over his latest designs in his head. Ratchet sat down heavily on a wooden bench in the front garden. The prolonged boredom and unfriendly atmosphere left Ratchet in a jittery mood. I don’t really see what mother sees in these ponies to model us so closely after them. Sure, they’re successful, but also stagnant, just like the other queens. Then again, mother knows what she’s doing. I could be missing something about these odd ponies.
He studied the architecture of the surrounding buildings, and of the castle in the distance. “Still, there’s a certain elegance to the place. Mother paints a lot. Maybe she wants us to adopt some of Canterlot’s architecture. There’s got to be something here that would improve the hive.”
When a quick survey of the nearby houses revealed little of interest, he kicked a pebble out of place on the shrubbery border. “I had a nice set up back home. Moving up the career path, mother was pleased with my work, I was a few weeks away from making my proposal to the chief engineers, and…”
His short-lived rant faltered at the thought of Twilight. “…and I… I don’t know what to make of her.” He scanned the skies and nearby street, and found nothing that stood out as strange. “She’s dedicated to—” He looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. “—To the hive, but also Equestria. She learns scary fast, like she was built to study.” A chuckling grin crossed his face. “And she has a nice laugh… she’s had this really peculiar aura as of late.”
His brow furrowed in concentration. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was—”
Movement in the air above the manor’s fence caught his eye as three pegasi landed in the street to join two unicorns and four earth ponies. All of them were wearing baggy clothes and stealing glances at the manor as they talked to one another.
Ratchet raised an eyebrow at them. Odd, they aren’t dressed like everypony else around here, but then, what do I know about pony fashion?
Ratchet lost interest in the group, and looked around to find three more groups gathering around the area. Why do they keep looking at Twilight’s home? They don’t seem to care about the other houses around here. Hmm, weren’t there like five guardsponies nearby? He tried to find the golden armored warriors, but none were forthcoming. Something’s not right here.
He was suddenly glad the bench he was sitting on was behind thick shrubbery, and slowly slid around to stand behind it. He watched as one of the groups broke up and started walking towards the manor’s lone gate guard. An earth pony talked to him while a pale brown unicorn mare zapped the distracted guard with a spell.
Ratchet fumbled back towards the house as the same mare galloped over to the incapacitated guard and cast a second, longer spell on him. Ratchet was unable to determine the purpose for it when all four groups vaulted the fence.
Oh, horseapples! He started running to the nearest window with a bolt of magic growing on his obscured horn. <Twilight! We’ve got trouble!>