//------------------------------// // My Little Protector // Story: My Little Queen // by Pen Mightier //------------------------------// Big Apple Inn, Appleloosa, a few hours later Twilight's mind was still a foggy daze. Much too much had happened much too quickly, her mind was tripping over itself just trying to catch up, let alone begin to organize everything into the neat little folders she liked to sort the whole world into. And as if that wasn't enough, she felt as if the entirety of Cloudsdale had crash landed in the pits of her heart. Just what kind of sorting can you manage amidst the smouldering fallout? And why won't it just go away no matter how she tried to rationalize it? Chrysalis wasn't even an acquaintance, let alone a relative. Why her passing had left Twilight feeling so distraught was a mystery unto itself, one Twilight simply couldn't logically suss out to quell her tears. She didn't get to ruminate on it in silence for long. For one, the filly had woken up from her short nap. With a happy little coo she had yawned widely and opened her big wide harlequin eyes, uncurling herself out of her warm little nest in Twilight's blanket before stretching her little hooves and wings luxuriously. She had bounced on her hooves a little as she tested out the bouncy new land she had found herself on. Giving a delighted squee of delight in approval, she cast her bright, curious little eyes about, taking in the wide new world for the first time. Her gaze fell upon Twilight sitting at the desk, drawing a happy coo of familiarity. The little filly didn't know why the reassuring figure looked familiar to her, but it brought with it a sense of safety, warmth and comfort. For the child that was all she needed, a secure anchor in an uncertain world, one she could return to whenever she needed it. Like all changeling fillies her first instinct was to rush up to said figure and lavish it with affection. But the deep dark and heavy tune she sensed emanating from her anchor figure told her to steer clear, at least for now. Many a changeling foal had met their ends by ignoring the telltale tunes that warned of trouble. But said figure had been crying. She didn't know why she had been crying but it wasn't something she could ignore. She knew it deep down inside, nobody should be crying. If they were, then they shouldn't be crying alone. There wasn't much she could do, she knew, but the little filly had done her best to try and help with her tears at the very least. Then there was laughter, sudden and jarring, mixed in with the tears, which she found confusing. The tune behind it hadn't changed, it was still one of deep, blue sadness, the colour of sour grapes and dying violets. It simply did not fit together with the forced laughter. But she didn't argue, deciding to laugh along happily. Perhaps the figure was trying to make herself feel happier? Maybe make the little filly feel happier? Either way, it was an improvement. And now she had woken up from her nap to find the deep dark tune still there. Nope, the laughter had not done its job, silly useless laughter. She found that odd, as sleep usually clears up most things, like darkness, thunderstorms, and most sad and angry tunes. Frowning, she decided something must be done, and soon. With a determined expression she looked about the new world for anything she might be able to offer the sorrowful one. Fruits? A lively insect? Maybe a curious-looking stone or maybe even a gem if she's lucky. Or, better, a distraction of some sort? Her bright little eyes came to rest upon long thin strips of white lying all around the soft bouncy land. Perfect! She got to work immediately like the good little filly she was. She hadn't been at work long before something interrupted her rather suddenly. And loudly too. "Hurnyaaaaaaah!" A battlecry seemed to send the door to the room flying open. Lower down stood the real culprit, a baby dragon, one clawed foot raised in a high-kick. Let it not be said that he had quietly and carefully turned the door knob before sending the door flying, like any decent little hoof-fu dragon warrior. "Alright, where's the changeling army?! Where are their battle collosi?! The dragon warrior of awesome's ready to save you, Twi! Just point me in the direction of the flank-kicking!" The little dragon bellowed, arms raised in what would have been a Hoof-Fu stance in someone with a little more limb than tummy. A little changeling filly in the middle of the room stared back at him with wide-eyed fascination, frozen mid-prance. A roll of bandaging clasped tightly in her mouth trailed bandages all across the room forming an intricate little web. In one corner The dragon's unicorn guardian sat on the crude little writing desk the inn had provided, face deep in her hooves. She seemed entirely unaware that somefilly had gone and turned her and the chair she sat in into a bandage maypole. The little dragon interpreted the situation the best way he could. "The changeling ninjas have cast their shadowy web of doom!" He gasped, "Don't worry, Twi!" He did a dive-roll towards the little filly before leaping up into a Hoof-Fu stance, one reminiscent of the 'Praying Manticore' style. "I'll protect you!" The little filly's eyes seemed to glimmer with excitement as she opened her mouth, "Pwotec!" She squeaked with an excited little hop, mimicking the dragon in her own high-pitched voice. Unfortunately it meant she opened her mouth and released the bandage gripped in her teeth. Even more unfortunately, the bandage was elastic. Ever-Lastic(TM) to be precise. The dragon gasped as the stretchy roll of bandaging zoomed away from the filly's mouth like one of Fluttershy's rabbits overdosing on sugar, picking up speed as it spun and whizzed around odd corners. He went cross-eyed, struggling to keep up with the speeding roll with his eyes. There was a ferocious twang as it slipped around one nightstand leg, whizzing around straight at him like a heartseeker missile. But the dragon warrior of awesome was more than ready. With a deft backflip (more a lopsided roll, but it's the thought that counts) he dodged it. "Hah! Your Hoof-Fu, weak!" He declared, righting himself. He felt something catch on his tail. Where his body had dodged the rampaging bandage roll, his tail hadn't been so lucky. "Oh..." He mouth formed a grim 'o' as the bandage spun round and round his tail, binding him firmly, before pulling taut. "...horseapples." He muttered. He was thrown onto his belly with a whomp. He dug his claws into the floorboards, his nails scratching across the wood as he fought for purchase, before his nails finally gave way to physics, sending him flying like a whip. "WhoaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaoooooaaaAAAAAaaooooo..." The little dragon screamed as he zoomed around the room, tracing the entire course of the filly's web on the whims of the roll of bandage. Many, him and Twilight included, would later ponder how the little filly managed to pack that much kinetic energy into a length of bandaging by simply prancing around the room with it. Many debates and theories simply boiled down to one conclusion - the little filly loves to break rules, and not even the rules of physics were immune to her mischief. "WhoaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaoooooaaaAAAAAaaooooo..." The little filly mimicked like a good little doppler echo. She hopped about excitedly in place as she watched Spike whizz in and around the furniture, her ears and wings twitching, her fluffy tail wiggling excitedly. It was official. She had found her new toy. "What have you done now, little one?" Twilight slowly picked herself up from her own dishevelled mane warily to glance down at the little filly. The child's ears perked up as she hopped around to look up expectantly at Twilight, glimmering eyes proud of her handiwork. Twilight looked up to see her number 1 assistant jammed underneath the ensuite bathroom door, his body tightly mummified in bandaging like the dragon pharaohs of the Neighle river. Fortunately for him the space underneath the door the bandage lead into was too tight for his tummy. Unfortunately for him it was not too tight for his rump. As if reading the disapproval brewing in Twilight's mind, the little filly's ears drooped back onto her mane, her shoulders drooping as she fell backwards onto her haunches, peering up at Twilight with what looked like wide-eyed guilt. "I'm not angry at you, little one." Twilight was quick to say, breaking into a weak smile in an attempt to reassure the child, "But that's not safe. Somepony might get hurt." She said, expecting it to be a one-sided reprimand. She really didn't expect the little filly to understand a word she said. "Huwt?" To her surprise the little filly repeated the word back to her, ears twitching with interest, cocking her head to one side, as if making an attempt to understand her. "Yes, you know, like 'ouch'." Twilight went on, feeling encouraged by the child's show of interest. She tapped her chin with a hoof, mind churning on how best to demonstrate pain. "Ouch!" She saw many little fluttershies flitting about her eyes as she unsteadily lowered the book she had magically whomped herself on the head with. "H-hurt. Ouch." Twilight murmured woozily, pointing a hoof at her head, wincing exaggeratedly for emphasis. She felt silly then, there really must have been a better way. The little filly gave a little giggle much to Twilight's indignation, forehooves cupped over her snout as she peered guiltily up at Twilight. Then she gave a gasp, "Huwt!" She raised a hoof pointing at Spike. "Huwt?!" 'Silly, but it worked.' Twilight thought to herself, nursing the sore spot on her head with a hoof. "Yes, Spike is hurt." She nodded. "You..." Twilight pointed at the filly, "Hurt Spike." She said, pointing at Spike, before shaking her head with a pained look on her face. Twilight could almost see the gears turning behind the little filly's bright eyes. "Ma quel wa zash rre hes?" She suddenly gasped. 'With earnest presence of mind, he's hurting!' Twilight felt the meaning of the little filly's words sink into her mind once more almost effortlessly, even easier than reading a book if that was even possible. "Ma gwanme wa guAwd hes!" She stomped one hoof determinedly. 'With a wish to protect, I must protect him!' she had declared. "Yes, protect." Twilight nodded. That wasn't the intended lesson. The child didn't seem to realize it was her fault, but it was a good lesson nonetheless. "Pwotec!" The little filly turned to aim what was perhaps Equestria's cutest doe-eyed deathglare ever at the evil door thing trapping the thing that was hurt. She achieved something between holding her breath and miming constipation. "Twilight, what is she...?" Came Spike's muffled voice from behind the swath of bandages around his face. "Wait wait NO-AAAAAAA!" He shrieked as the little filly began galloping towards him. "Nyaaaaaaah!" A little echo of Spike's earlier battlecry filled the room as the little filly launched herself into a high kick, wings fluttering madly, emulating the little dragon warrior's stunt flawlessly. Her hoof hit the door right above Spike's head, sending it flying open, releasing its poor draconic captive. What remained of the bandage behind the door chose that moment to snap, smacking Spike in the rump like a vengeful whip. "Geouch!" Spike yelped. "Good girl." Twilight said, reaching down to give the child a pat of approval...then paused midway before quickly pulling her hoof back, giving the filly a little smile instead, "You did well." The filly hopped in place happily at the praise, beaming with immense pride. "Just what is going on?" Spike demanded as he fought to unravel himself from the bandages. "Well, I think you've taught her how to open and close doors." Twilight sighed. "The Hoof-Fu way." She added, watching the little filly run off and flying-kick the bedroom door shut with yet another pitch-perfect 'Nyaaaaaaah!'. She winced, sympathizing with the door. "Thanks, Spike." "No, what I meant was, you were supposed to sound out every 30 minutes and you were due to report in like..." Spike studied the wall clock with a thoughtful claw on his chin, "2 and a half minutes ago. So when you didn't I got ready to Hoof-Fu your flank out of danger!" He threw out a few more hoof fu chops and punches for emphasis. "It's alright, Spike, there's no changeling army. I was just...preoccupied. Thanks, though, for flying in to my rescue." Twilight said with a tired smile. "But we will have a word about your language later." She added, not quite liking what the more recent action flicks had added to the young dragon's impressionable vocabulary. "Oh? No changeling armies? Phew, that's a relie-...I mean..." He cleared his throat while making a valiant attempt at ignoring Twilight's quip about his language, "The dragon warrior never rests. For as long the shadow ninjas of doom roam, I shall be watching." He declared as he pulled another stance, one most may recognize as the 'crane', though in Spike it was more reminiscent of a turkey. Twilight couldn't help but notice how Spike's knees were actually shaking. The poor little guy had rushed to her rescue despite his fear, all because he thought she may be in trouble. She quietly decided that he had at least earned himself an extra gem that week. "Nyaaaaaaah!" The bathroom door was slammed shut by the force of a filly-powered flying kick from inside. "Just what is she doing?" Spike asked Twilight, pointing a clawed thumb at the bathroom door. Scratching noises began to come from the other side, courtesy of the pair of small forehooves scraping on the inside. It would appear that opening doors from inside was still a bit of a closed book to the little filly. "Copying her uncle Spike." Twilight said, pulling out a blank sheet of paper absentmindedly. "Huh, yeah, her uncle Spi-...whaaaAAAT?!" Spike cried. "WhaaaAAAT?!" The little filly behind the door mimicked Spike's voice perfectly, causing Spike to almost leap out of his scales. "...I do not sound like a sissy." Spike muttered indignantly at the door. "...sissy." The door said with a giggle, as if reflecting his words back at him. "Am not!" Spike retorted. "Amm!" The door replied, giggling even louder. "Am not!" "Aamm!" The rather one-sided argument went on heatedly across the already abused bathroom door. Twilight couldn't help but remember the story of the pony who had an argument with his own echoes. How did it end? The pony fell in love with himself? Oh dear. She gave a weary little chuckle, impressed that the little filly could actually hold a coherent conversation with nothing but mimicry. That must be the way changeling foals learn, by mimicking others, she thought to herself. Watching her play without a care in the world brought Twilight to only one conclusion - Chrysalis' spell had worked. The child had no recollection of the mother she had just lost. As sad as the idea was, Twilight realized that, at least in the short term, it was for the best. "Twilight, just, what happened? I still don't understand." Spike finally asked in exasperation as he finally opened the bathroom door to let the filly out. "And where did Chrysalis go? Did she escape?" He asked, eyeing the open window suspiciously. "Tch, told you we should have written to Celestia first." "No, Spike....Chrysalis is gone." Twilight sighed. "I can write a letter now and have the royal guard down here with their changeling lanterns in 10 minutes flat." Spike said, whipping out his ever-ready parchment and quill. "They'll find her from the air lickety split." He was quick to hold his quill and parchment high up out of harms way. He didn't miss the filly watching the quill, eyes gleaming, ears and tail wiggling excitedly. "No, Spike. I mean, she's gone." Twilight said, shaking her head. "Oh..." Spike blinked, "Oooooh..." Understanding dawned. He slowly turned to face the little filly, "What...what about her?" He asked, his face the very picture of sympathy and concern. "She....doesn't remember." Twilight said, feeling a little hiccup get stuck in her throat at the thought. She had noticed that the little dragon's first concern was the filly's wellbeing. She couldn't help but feel proud of him for that. "Chrysalis cast a spell on her so that she wouldn't remember anything." She felt her lower lips quiver a little but bit it just in time. No, Twilight, no. "That's....that's just sad." Spike said, "So, where is she going to stay from no-....wait a second, when you said 'uncle Spike', you meant....?" "Yeah, she's staying with us, at least for now." Twilight said. "Who are you and what have you done with my Twilight?!" Spike demanded, lowering himself into another stance, ready to deal some Hoof-Fu style justice. "Did you take me for a foal, Chrysalis?! Or whatever changeling you are?!" "Ugh...I guess it's fair for you to suspect it. Points for quick-thinking, I suppose." Twilight sighed wearily, feeling more exhaustion well up from the now bottomless pit of tiredness. "Fine, Spike, ask me something, anything." Spike seemed to give this some thought, all while eyeing Twilight cautiously. "Hmmm, something only the real Twilight would know. Ahah, I know!" he said with a triumphant grin, "Where do I hide my Best of Alabaster Mares photobook?" "...you have a what now?" Twilight almost fell over from her chair from having been caught completely off-guard. "Hah! You don't know! But I know the real Twilight discovered where it is because I found them on TOP of my basket last week, not UNDER it where I hid it!" Spike declared triumphantly, obligatory accusatory finger aimed levelly at Twilight's nose. "....But, I honestly didn't know, Spike. That wasn't me." Twilight admitted sincerely. "Yeah, course it wasn't you. Cause you're not Twilight! Give yourself up, changeling!" Spike shouted. "Changewing!" The changeling filly giggled along happily, pointing a hoof at Twilight alongside Spike. "You're not helping." Twilight muttered at the little filly. "Umm, it must have been..." Twilight thought hard and fast, tapping her chin with a hoof, "Oh, Rarity went up there last week looking for the...fashion magazine...I....borrowed...from...her." She trailed off, raising a hoof up to her mouth. "Ooooh....Oooooooooh..." She rocked back and forth, eyes wide. Spike had quite literally frozen. Chills and reptilian cold blood did not mix well together. "We can...deal with the fallout later, Spike." Twilight murmured sympathetically, "Now, is that proof enough?" The temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees, courtesy of the Spikecicle standing frigid in the middle of the room, silent as the grave he wished he was in. "I'll take that as a yes." Twilight said, turning her attention back to the piece of paper. With a sigh she dipped a quill with her magic and began writing the header, 'Filly To-Do-List'. Then she stopped, staring blankly at the empty page, as if hoping that if she stared hard enough the rest of the list might give up and reveal itself to her. 'Gather yourself, Twilight Sparkle' She thought to herself, fiercely, digging her forehooves deep into her temples. 'I need to do something other than cry! I can't be comforted by the foal I'm supposed to be comforting! I can't be crying in front of her! And laughing just so you're not crying isn't the answer, at least not in the long term, at least not in the interest of sanity!' She looked up at the mirror hanging over the writing desk and saw a mare with a dishevelled and frizzled mane and a twitching right eyeball threatening to pop out of its socket stare back at her. '....err...what sanity I have left.' She corrected herself. 'Come on, Sparkle, let's at least write a list. A list, that's all we need. There will be a list. Then everything will be alright. Just alright.' She took in a few deep breaths to steady herself, quill drifting off absent-mindedly And then there was no quill. It had been snapped out of the air by a very eager little filly. "W-what're you writing, Twilight?" Spike finally thawed enough to say, seemingly eager for something else to talk about. He peered over the edge of the table at the list-in-progress, before rolling his eyes up at the ceiling. "I see how well you've thought this through." He said, offering a replacement quill helpfully. "Aaaaargh..." Twilight groaned weakly as she planted her face in her hooves once more. "Aaaaaargh!" The little filly mimicked her, tone-perfect, though an octave higher in her squeaky little voice, as she ravaged the poor innocent little quill in her tiny maw of doom. "Put it down." Spike said, gesturing for the filly to return the quill. There was a fwhip, a rush of air, and Spike found the quill lodged in the wall beside his head, quivering gently from the impact. "Put it down!" The changeling squeaked happily, having been more than happy to return the quill having determined quite decisively that it wasn't edible after all. "Err....Twilight, that plan had better include bullet-proof armour somewhere." Spike said, slowly, gingerly reaching up for the quill embedded in the wall. He tugged once. Then tugged again. Then gritted his teeth and gave an almighty pull. Achieving nothing, he stepped back and opted for glaring at the quill disapprovingly instead. "Bulletproof armour, got it..." Twilight murmured, absent-mindedly, pulling the quill out of the wall with her magic and dipping its frayed end in some ink. However she found her view blocked by the little filly who had decided to clamber clumsily up into her lap, standing on her rearhooves, forehooves up on the desk. She seemed intent on joining her in staring blankly at the sheet of paper. Twilight watched blearily as the little filly prodded the sheet of paper with one forehoof experimentally. Confident that it wasn't about to leap up and eat her, she attempted to pick it up in both forehooves. It slipped about elusively on the desk before her, defying her attempts at picking it up. The little princess seemed to grow impatient at the paper's display of impertinence. And like the little princess she was she was quick to show the price for impudence. She lunged forwards and rammed her horn through its feeble body, running it through in one swift show of force. "Nyaaaaaaah!" She squeed triumphantly as she looked up at Twilight, yet another expectant look on her face. Twilight stared helplessly at the sheet of paper now impaled upon her jagged little horn. The doomed sheet of paper could only rustle pathetically at her mercy. "...." Twilight planted her face flat on the desk. She let out one last moan of defeat. Then there was silence. "Look, you need to calm down, Twilight." Spike said, watching as the little filly patted Twilight's head comfortingly. "Just take a moment and write to princess Celestia for advice..." He very quickly wished he could kick himself in the plot for suggesting that. "Princess Celestia? The Princess?! Off course!" Twilight rose up from the dead. The little filly squeed happily, seemingly proud of her success at necromancy. Twilight clapped her hooves together, "Dear Princess Celestia, Queen Chrysalis has just passed away and left her only daughter in my care. Who is also my niece, because she is Shining Armour's daughter, who isn't Cadence's daughter, because she is Chrysalis'." She sang in a shaky highpitched voice. "Hold the Gryphons!" Spike's eyes were wide as saucers, "Who the what how now?" He gasped. His mind churned up nothing but errors as he tried to fit Shining Armour into the already complicated equation. But he wasn't allowed a moment to work out the geometry behind the love triangle as Twilight was quick to plough on with her wailing. "So now I will be looking after a little changeling filly which by your law is illegal as it is tantamount to harbouring a changeling and is considered treason in view of their assault upon the royal family over a year ago. Not to mention she is on the run from someone called the Empress of Changelings who is Tartarus-bent on killing every last changeling queen in Equestria. And while we're at it, can I request an increase in my royal stipend as, frankly, I'm broke as it is and having another mouth to feed and a warm body to provide for would be beyond taxing, it'd be suicide. Please let me keep my head on my shoulders, please don't banish me, please give me strength, your faithful student Twilight Sparkle who I pinkie-promise you hasn't been brainwashed by a changeling." Twilight took a long, deep breath of air as she surfaced from the ocean of despair she almost drowned herself in, "Did I miss anything?" "How about....that' you're really sorry?" Spike suggested, "With icing and bananas on top?" Twilight let out a wail of despair as she buried her face in her hooves once more. "What if she banishes me? Or throws me in a dungeon? Or banish me and then throw me in a dungeon in that place that she banishes me to?" "....I'll just do what you'd do and write to you when you're banished." Spike shrugged, rolling his eyes as he rolled with Twilight's usual runaway imagination, "Unless that place you're banished to doesn't have a post office. Though I suppose I can cough up the letters for you...but that would involve me being there with you. But...wait...I don't want to be banished and thrown in a dungeon." Spike said, logic slowly escaping him as well. "See?! See why I can't write to princess Celestia?!" Twilight wailed, wringing her hooves. "Did you run out of ink again?" An innocent little voice asked, full of heartfelt worry. "Oh dear, that would be dreadful. We wouldn't want you to start writing in your own tears again like last time. Putting out the fires took hours." Spike and Twilight rounded on the figure at the door. A familiar butter-coated pegasus peeked around the corner of the door, a pair of emerald green orbs filled with sincere concern peering at them from under her long, serene wavelets of sunset-pink hair. It was the reassuring form of their travel companion and resident care-giving expert, Fluttershy. To be in her presence was to order a big warm bowl of strawberry milk to drown oneself in. Spike visibly relaxed. Fluttershy's calming effects, unfortunately seemed entire lost upon Twilight. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt everypony or anything. I hope I wasn't being rude..." Fluttershy said in almost a whisper as she allowed herself into the room meekly with the quietest of tippyhooves. "Ummm, if you don't mind me asking, what was everypony talking about?" "Fluttershy, princess Celestia's going to banish me and then throw me in a dungeon in that place that she banishes me to!" Twilight wailed hysterically, on the verge of tearing her own mane out. This earned her another eye-roll from her loyal assistant. "Oh, oh my, that is dreadful." Fluttershy was quick to agree with an expression of sweet concern, "It'd be like that time I borrowed Philomena without asking the princess...*gasp* did you borrow Philomena without asking too, Twilight?" She asked, looking about the room for signs of the phoenix. "Worse." Twilight pointed a hoof at the filly who was sitting on her hindhooves, busy trying to lick the paper stuck to her little horn, big harlequin eyes going cross-eyed as she fought to focus on her target, forehooves up in the air pawing for purchase upon the elusive sheet. "You borrowed a filly?" Fluttershy's eyes had widened to a point that shouldn't even be anatomically possible. "Ummm...Where, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked, twiddling her hooves, "I want one. Umm, if that's alright, I mean..."