An alternative office was found while the castle staff cleaned up the crime scene that was the office of the archmage.
The room was tastefully opulent as any in Canterlot castle. Which is why the occupants were lying on the floor on beat up and worn cushions. Between them a plate of half eaten snacks a half empty tea pot, eight empty twenty ounce bottles of coke, two I-pad tablets and ream of paper strewn about the room. Twilight was going to learn everything about her new daughter.
"So Shining, tell me about yourself." said Twilight.
Shining Dawn thought to herself she was born a tool, one of dozens of eggs but unlike most changelings she had emerged from her egg an adult filled with knowledge of war, deception and harsh discipline. She knew what she was, but no idea who she was. Shining Dawn had no memory of a childhood
" I.. " she stuttered
The singular idea of an individual was still a foreign concept, she was half insect. She began, as best she could, but sounded more like an A.I..than a pony.
" I became aware a few moment before I hatched, It was dark and I knew I had to free myself. tthe others called to me in my mind. "break free" they told me as I burst from my cocoon. I was met with acceptance for a short time, than my queen looked into me and deemed me a failure.. My brother, Blood Armor offered to end me."
Twilight was appalled! " End you ?, as in kill you, for what reason?"
"He said I was defective. I had to much of you and him in me." the dejected pepsis mumbled.
Twilight was torn, she wanted to just soothe her daughter's many scars, but with all the information she was inadvertently dropping , Twilight the archmage and Knight Elemental of Equstria needed that information just as much as Twilight, the mother, wanted all the hurt to disappear. "Shining, you want to be more like a pony right?"
The pepsis nodded her head. "I want to be more like you and my father Shining Armor. I have some of his memories not like a day for day journal but glimpses and feelings of thing and ponies. Like when we arrived here at the castle, I thought I should be scared of the soldiers. I still look mostly like a changeling .she sighed, When Sgt Swiftwing stepped forward. I got this feeling that he was a good pony and he would never hurt me.. even when he called me a "blunt horned prancy who couldn't buck his way out of a paper bag. Whoa! where did that come from?" Shining Dawn's head shot up with a puzzled look on her face.
Twilight tilted her head her jaw dropping. Sgt Swiftwing was one of the most seasoned drill instructors in the royal guard he had been part of the cadre that Shining Armor had trained under Her daughter had a memory from her brothers experience. Twilight had a eureka moment.
"This groundbreaking Shining!" Twilight squealed in delight." Almost all genetic research has been banned in Equsteria due to a series of eugenic experiments done hundreds of years ago."
Strangely enough Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony were the current generation of that legacy
Our friends on human earth have been moving forward under very strict controls.
They have made leaps and bounds in genetic research such as gene therapy for diseases and cloning organs and bones for transplant. Genetic memory has only been a theory and believed to be nothing more then a left over gene string that could be traced to a start point.
Do you have others? Do you remember our parents? What Impressions do you have of Cadance? The adorkable researcher had a fire burning now, one she had not felt in a long time. She was in full "egghead mode" as Rainbow Dash would call it.
" That memory appeared to come from a strong emotional response." Twlight's horn lit up, "Let me get a photo album and see what other impressions you have?"
Twilight and Shining Dawn meticulously went over the Sparkle family album mixing explanation with revelation,Shining had strong reactions to a number of the family photos. Shining dawn recognized Twilight deceased parents but most of the general memories like pictures of birthdays,and holidays did little to expand the nature of changeling genetic memory.
"And this was the day Shiny was promoted to lieutenant, any impressions? Twilight asked.
Shining Dawn was studying the album like a textbook before a final exam. Her early training as a soldier of the hive had instilled the need to look at details. They were essential for a successful infiltration. Her focus was more on how to be more like her pony heritage. "Do all pony families have a mother and father, and we’re they brother and sister like you and my father? "
One of the greatest minds of Equstria went completely blank. "What? er yes....no. not like that!" twilight gasped.
Shining flattened her ears sensing her mother's distress. "I'm sorry" she turned her head down and away from her mothers perplexed gaze.
Twilight quickly recovered "No, sweetie it's just that.. that was a big question. " she began," Most pony families consist of a male and female pairing, although in the past ponies formed extended family herds which consisted of a stallion and several mares, but that practice went out of centuries ago. Same sex couple are more common now and inter-species couples of ponies with zebras,donkeys and griffons are rare, but not unheard of. When we made contact with human earth.Your cousin DJ didn't even know of our existence .She believed herself to be alone on human earth. Now pony- human couples are now becoming more prevalent. Your cousin DJ, who was raised on earth is married to a human male, as is my good friend Lyra who is the Ambassador to human earth. Siblings are not suppose to marry or engage in sex. It's not unlawful in Equesteria, it's just considered immoral behavior. Some of the noble houses, well, there are nasty rumors of incestuous relations to keep the bloodline pure, to breed an heir to the title, but nothing has been proven. Yes. I am your mother and will always love you, and you have both my brothers, and my DNA in you, but were not a "traditional" family in the current understands of blood relations. I did not give birth to you... that makes you ,extra special, because you are my adopted daughter, which means, I love you even more because we chose to be family." Twilight finished her lecture with a gentle smile.
“Ok, i think i understand. said Shining Dawn, “ The hive is all one family with just the queen mother as the only one who can lay eggs. I know that humans and ponies have sex to produce offspring, My brother and the human Chrysalis made me work for had sex with me, but there was no emotional attachment .I get more love energy from smile mother than anything I ever did with them.”
Twilight strained at keeping her best Celestia poker face. Inside she wanted to core a mountain like an apple. This beautiful soul still full of so much innocence after what she had been through.
“Wow ,your grandmother and grandfather at least waited till I was nine before a had the sex talk” sighed twilight.
“Why?” asked asked shining.
Twilight was saved by a knock on the door, “Come in” she sighed with relief.
“Your grace, Princess Cadance request that you and your daughter join her in her private chambers.” said Sgt.Swiftwing.
Thank celestia thought twilight, maybe Cadence can help me be more objective. “Thank you sergeant, we will be right with you.” Twilight then spoke to shining dawn, “ Shiny we are going over to talk to Princess Cadance. She was Shining Armour's wife, that makes her my sister in law and your aunt. It will be very emotional for her. If it gets to be too much for you ,let me know I know you can feel others emotions, and it may be very intense considering the relation between her and my brother. “
“I’ll do my best mother.” said Shining dawn as she rose from her cushion.
‘I know you will sweetie, I know you will.” replied Twilight.