Twilight looked up as Celestia walked into the room, smiling for the first time since this whole mess had started as she got up to hug the older mare. “Princess, I’m glad you came.”
Celestia hugged her back; glad her student was starting to recover, before parting and giving her a soft smile. “Of course I came Twilight, you are very dear to me, and I hope you can always trust me to help you in matters like these, no matter how strange they may get.”
Twilight giggled at that, until she remembered all the questions that she had been preparing for Celestia, and immediately she stopped laughing, which caused her mentor to give her a knowing look.
“I suppose you have some questions for me, no doubt relating to what Chrysalis has told you.”
“Yes,” said Twilight, “especially seeing as how she told me you gave birth to her mother.”
Celestia nodded, “I figured she would, after all with things being the way they are, there is no longer reason to hide that connection, so what do you wish to know?”
Twilight sighed, “…I need to know what it was like for you, why you did it in the first place…and anything you can tell me on how this might…affect me.”
Celestia nodded, “very well, I shall try to be as thorough as possible. I shall begin first with why I did it, for I had many reasons. But the main one, the one that was most important, was that I knew the child would be immortal.”
Twilight cocked her head to the side, causing Celestia to sigh before speaking. “Twilight, I know you remember what I told you about the odds that an alicorn child could be born, and how astronomical they are. Even if I were to get pregnant, those odds would still be the same, resulting in me bearing a mortal child. I have had many children in my lifetime Twilight, all mortal…all dead, and after the last one I could not bear to have one again…knowing they would die.”
Celestia closed her eyes then; tears gracing her cheeks as the older mare repressed a sob, for the memories were always there, waiting to torment her. “When…when Anthra came to me and asked me to carry her child, I was overjoyed, for it meant I would have a child which would be able to follow me down the vast stretches of time, and into the future. It was a selfish reason I know, but it was one I would make again in a heartbeat. As to what it was like…it was like any pregnancy, though with some…minor differences, which lead into your last question.”
Celestia draped a wing across Twilight’s back, pulling her close as she began to speak again. “There will be many strange changes as you go through the pregnancy, many of which will be very frightening the first time you…experience them. The first change will be that you will be able to ingest love, which your child will need to grow healthy and strong. The second change will be to you mind, for while your child grows, you will be connected to the hive mind, and that connection will remain, for the rest of your days.”
“Wait, are you saying you are connected to the changeling’s hive mind?”
“Yes, and before you ask, I never sensed anything from them, for they had shut me out of the mind to keep me in the dark. Now, this change will be intense at first, for you will have full access to the hive mind, but as the child grows it will ebb away, till the only time you will hear the song…is when one of them directly contacts you.”
“S…song?”
Celestia smiled at that, “it’s the only way I, or anypony who has ever been connected to the hive mind, for it sounds like a massive choir. Even when you are speaking to one individual out of the entire hive, the rest of the voices sing to you, calming you as you expose yourself to them. It’s a…rewarding experience, but it is also trying at times, but we can talk about that another time. The final change you must be aware of is also to your mind, for all changelings are empathic and your child, if you choose to keep it, will impart this ability to you, which will allow you to sense the emotions of others on a level not even your normal magic can do.”
“Like you,” said Twilight.
“Like me,” said Celestia, “it makes it very easy to be a negotiator when you know the mood of those you are negotiating with, even when they do not know it themselves.”
“I see,” said Twilight, “then I just have one more question. Should I keep the child, what am I to do about the other changelings, especially Chrysalis?”
“Ah,” said Celestia, “I had not thought of that, but I do have a suggestion.”
“I’m all ears,” said Twilight.
“I would suggest you move them to Ponyville, for if the changelings are to be a prosperous race again, they need to start fresh in a place which accepts all who arrive there.”
“That would be reasonable, but I don’t know how that would work, I mean I guess I could construct some housing for them…”
Celestia began to laugh at that, causing Twilight to cock her head in confusion before the princess managed to calm down. “I am sorry Twilight, but you should know that changelings do not live in buildings, they live underground.”
“Really?”
“Yes, for they prefer to be surrounded by the earth, for it reminds them of where they came from.”
“And…where would you suggest they build their new hive, assuming that I carry the child.”
“Where do you think it should go?”
Twilight remained silent for a long moment, going over all the possible locations that could hold such a hive. Sweet Apple Acres was out; no way the apple trees could survive such a burrowing in among their roots. Anywhere else in Ponyville was also probably out, for the citizenry was still on edge after the attack by Tirek. So, the only logical place in her mind would be…
“Under the palace,” said Twilight.
“What?”
Twilight turned to her, “the changelings are going to want to protect me right, if I accept the child. If they want to protect me, they will need to build the hive close to me, so the most logical place to build the hive would be underneath my new palace. Its roots are indestructible, and through magic I can move them so that they do not interfere with any tunnels that might be built underneath. In addition, having the hive underneath the palace creates a readymade defense force that can defend not only the palace, but Ponyville as well.”
“Ah, a wise move, I honestly would never have thought of that.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to, after all your palace isn’t a giant crystal tree.”
Celestia chuckled at that, “no, no it is not. However, this does lead me to one thing I need to warn you about, should you accept to carry the child.”
“What’s that?”
Celestia sighed, “if you accept the child, you need to be prepared for Chrysalis to become very affectionate of you over the course of your pregnancy, and also after the child is born. The same thing happened to me over a thousand years ago with Anthra, and while yes, I was initially weirded out by her, but eventually, I grew to rely on her, and even love her. I know that may seem odd to you, but Chrysalis will be looking to you for affection, and strength, I only ask that, if you feel you cannot accept that affection, that you let my granddaughter down gently.”
“Um…ok,” said Twilight, “though I don’t know if I will ever be comfortable with…eh, her affections, as you say.”
“That is understandable, now…I believe you owe my granddaughter an answer, if you are ready to give it.”
“…I think I am now, do you know where she is?”
“In my room, on the balcony from which I raise the sun each day; waiting for your answer.”
“Then I better get going,” said Twilight, getting up and heading for the door, before turning back and smiling at Celestia. “Wish me luck, ok?”
“I will Twilight, now go.”
Twilight nodded, and then left, leaving Celestia alone…till an old familiar chuckle filled the room.
“You know she is going to say yes right,” said Discord, appearing in the room and sitting down upon the floor.
“Of course I do, and I know it will be for the right reasons.”
Again Discord chuckled, “of course they will be, but are you sure your ponies are ready for what the changelings will give to them, after all, it was the reason I tried to wipe them out after they attacked me. They give your ponies the deep magic, something I have long thought only beings like you and I should have access to.”
“And I already thought I made my views clear on the matter,” said Celestia coldly. “Ponies need the deep magic, despite what you might think, and you did them a disservice by taking the deep magic away from them.”
“Well,” said Discord calmly, “if by disservice you mean making sure they could not stand against me, then yes, I probably was. Just remember this, 40 years from now when your student stands before you with thirteen queens behind her back, her wings spread wide and banners of war flying, I will not help you, no matter how much you beg.”
With that he vanished, but Celestia only smiled, sighing as she felt another familiar presence appear by her side and an odd whispering noise filled the air, before laughing as she got up with the presence to leave. “Your right Anthra, he never could understand the beauty of your race, but I am sure this will finally make him see, after all, friendship is magic.”