If Twilight didn't know any better she swear she was in a nightmare created by Nightmare Moon herself. Here in front of her was what she guessed a Changeling Queen with Rainbow Dash's features. Was the Rainbow that visited her this queen the entire time? She did what any rational pony would do, RUN. Or in this case a quick teleport to the old castle. She ended up in the private area of the library section. Taking a quick glance around and seeing no pony she cautiously got out and as stealthily as possible. She had to get to Ponyville to warn them and get a letter to the Princesses.
She manage to make it out of the old castle and had just crossed the bridge. She looked behind her to see if she was being followed. She did see more activity but nothing heading towards her. She was turning her head back when she ran into something. They both fell to the ground but Twilight recovered quickly and took a defensive stance till she saw who it was she ran into.
“Applejack!” Twilight ran up to the earth pony and pinned her while she did a magical scan. “Good you're still you.”
“Twi!?” Twilight backed off as Applejack got back up and adjusted her hat.
“Sorry about running into you Applejack but we have no time to lose. Changelings are in the Everfree Forest and the Princesses need to know.”
“Twi, are you okay? I mean changelings in der forest, oh course they are. They're you kids and the Princesses put you there.” Twilight couldn't think. She just couldn't think.
'KIDS! Those changelings are my KIDS!?' Applejack looked over her and whistled.
“Ah do wonder why you are looking like that though Twi. Sure it's a good look on yall. Like you were before the attack though you didn't have wings then.”
“This...this is just crazy. I feel like Discord is trying to pull a fast one on me. The last I checked there was no Changeling hive in the Everfree Forest, I didn't have kids much less Changeling kids, and “ Twilight looked to the skyline. “...And my castle is missing.” Twilight slumped to a sitting position looking at the ground. She stayed like that for a minute till she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Applejack with the same look she had the night they opposed Nightmare Moon.
“Sugarcube, I don't rightly know what's going on, but no matter what yall know I'm always there for ya.” That got a smile from Twilight and she offered her thanks as they both heard a buzzing sound and a pair of the lavender changelings appeared.
“Thank the First Mother that you are alright Princess, Mom and Auntie are worried. Please Princess Twilight, we mean you no harm. Our queens are willing to answer any question they can. Please return to the hive.” Twilight looked over at Applejack. The earth pony gave her a reassuring grin and put a hoof on her shoulder.
“Ya'll be just fine. I'll be with ya the entire way.” Applejack then looked to the Changeling on the left. “Ya send a message that the farm lesson is canceled for today, a friend needs me.” The Changeling nodded. “Come on Sugarcube.”
* * * * * *
Twilight was nervous and pacing despite Rainbow Dash's attempts to placate her sister. Her kids have told her that the other Twilight was heading back with Applejack in tow. She didn't know how to handle this. The last time she ever met another her was when the future version came back to stop her from worrying about the future. This was something else. She was meeting a Twilight that not only still a pure pony but an alicorn at that.
“Sis, for the last time chill out. It will be cool okay.” Twilight decided to do the breathing exercise Cadance taught her. She breathed in, held for a second, and breathed out. She did it a couple more times before she felt okay. Through the Link her children were watching the other Twilight, many full of curiosity. She couldn't blame them, they were seeing a glimpse of what she was like before her rebirth. She even smiled a bit when she saw the other Twilight do the breathing exercise on the other side of the door.
'Well here we go.' Twilight thought to herself as the door opened and Applejack and the other Twilight came through. Applejack's eyes got wide when she saw Queen Twilight.
“What in tarnation is going on here? Two Twilights?” Queen Twilight stepped up to her other self and took a good look. Other Twilight looked a little taller then she was when Queen Twilight was still a unicorn. She also wore a four pointed crown with purple jewels at the tips.
“So this is what I would have looked like if things were different. Interesting.” Queen Twilight looked over to Applejack. “Yes Applejack, currently there is two of me though clearly she is not from my past.” Queen Twilight noticed her other self looking over her and noticed the cutie mark.
“That's different.' Princess Twilight stated.
“That's a side effect of when I was reborn. Now are you willing to here what I think happened?”
“In a minute. Why is Rainbow Dash's, assuming that you are Rainbow Dash, cutie mark unchanged?”
“Because I'm awesome.” Rainbow Dash replied causing both Twilights to groan at the same time. Which they both noticed and chuckled.
“Alright everypony here's what I think happened.” Queen Twilight began. “Let me ask you Twilight, after the wedding of our brother and Cadance did Celestia hold a meeting to discuss the situation with the Changelings?” She got a nod in reply. “Was the meeting interrupted by an Ambassador from another kingdom?” That got a shake of no. “Then there's the key difference between us, my was interrupted by an Ambassador who turned out to be a Changeling from another hive. Her hive was cordial with Equestria and harbored no hostile action. After months of talks I was sent to observe their hive. While in route the convoy I was with was attack by yet another hive with the goal to kill me. They......they almost succeeded. The only way to save me was to go through what the Changelings call Rebirth. You see the result before you.”
“Yeah that never happened with me. Things were pretty normal for the kingdom and Ponyville after the Crystal Empire returned. There was Discord's reform then the whole incident with Starswirl's book that led to these.” Princess Twilight flapped her wings to point them out. “And I became the fourth Princess of Equestria.”
“That sounds a lot like what Celestia had planned for me before my attack.”
“So was Rainbow with you when you were attack?”
“No I wasn't but sorely wish I was.” Rainbow replied.
“You would have not have made a difference Rainbow Dash. You would have likely died with all of Cadista's drones and four of my guards. I almost lost you when you were turning into a Changeling!” Princess Twilight waved her hooves to break up the fight before it could get farther.
“Okay then how did Rainbow become a Changeling?”
“To save us all from a five hour lecture on it I'll put it in a nutshell” Rainbow began and ignoring the glare Twilight was sending her way.
<I'm gonna get you for that Rainbow Dash.> Queen Twilight sent over the Link.
<Promises, promises sis.> Rainbow retorted. “My girl Aegis, Twi's daughter of her first clutch and head of her guard bought me a circlet when they came to Canterlot. The seller claimed it boosted the speed of pegasi but in truth it started turning me into a changeling. Twi manage to stop it but not before a was partly a changeling. Twi had just barely start when we learn of a potential foalnapping of her. We spring it to set our own trap up and this group of ponies who were really against Changelings thought they had made a device to revert Twilight back to a unicorn and decided to test it on me. It did the opposite and with me snacking on royal jelly I was changeling into a Royal Changeling like Twi but no memory issues and we have since rule this Hive together. Were now sisters.”
“So you never got to be a Wonderbolt.”
“Actually I did, all the way up to Lieutenant and could have been second under Spitfire.” A frown formed on Rainbow's face. “But the nobles didn't like the fact I still considered Twi a friend so I was stonewalled from going farther despite Spitfire wanting me there. Then after this any chance of returning was gone. But hay, I now co-rule a hive with a former best friend and now sister. And the kids I have got I think this is better. I have to deal with those jerks less.”
“I can understand that. I'm glad my castle is in Ponyville though I rather have Golden Oaks still.”
“Why don't you?” Queen Twilight asked.
“Because it was destroyed by Tirek when I fought him a couple month's ago.”
“Wow, after the attempted assassination against me when I visited Canterlot not long after my Rebirth Celestia stepped up security. Guards in Fillydelphia caught him and he was sent back to Tartartus before he could do much.”
“We weren't as lucky. I had to hold the magic of all four alicorns. I can safely say that four alicorns are a match for the magic of all of Equestria and Discord's magic. But we got the Elements of Harmony back in a way. Did you have to give up the Elements?” This time Queen Twilight nodded. “Well we had a box appear when we did that. We found the keys, my coming from Discord himself of all ponies. We unlocked the box and WE became the Elements and after Tirek was taken care of the box shot into the edge of Ponyville and grew into a Crystal Tree Castle. It has been peaceful, so peaceful that I had time to create a more stable portal between my Equestria and a human world that Sunset Shimmer has been staying in.”
“Wait you actually visited that world?”
“Had to at first. Not long after my coronation We had a conference in the Crystal Empire. Sunset stole my Elemental Crown and jump through the mirror. I had to follow through and met the human counterparts of the girls and got my crown back. I left Sunset there to learn about friendship from them. She's doing well and I get letters from her in a book she and Celestia used to keep in touch.”
“Ours is currently being taught by Luna herself and they seem to work well together.”
“So what do we do now?” Princess Twilight asked.
“Well, we figure out what went wrong with your spell and get you home. Till then you are our guest here at Phoenix Roost. I'll let the Princesses know about you and we'll see from there. But until then no one outside the Hive is to know about you for the time being.”
“Okay.” Princess Twilight said dejectedly. Queen Twilight smiled and put a hoof on her counterpart.
“Don't worry, it won't be in the same room as last time. In fact we have gotten some of the rooms in the Royal Sister's castle done. You can live there during your stay if you want.”
“That does sound nice.”
“Then it's settled.” Over the Link Twilight summoned Aegis and soon she heard the buzz of wings.
“Yes mother?” She said as she bowed a bit.
“Aegis you are to give a tour of the Hive to Princess Twilight Sparkle and assign guards to her chosen room. Now both me and Rainbow have duties to perform so I will see you later Princess Twilight. Oh and don't be scare of my kids. They will be curious about you. You are a glimpse of what could have been.” Queen Twilight left her other self in the hooves of her daughter.
* * * * * *
Twilight watched her Changeling self leave with that Rainbow Dash with her.
“So where do we start your highness?” Twilight looked over to the Changeling next to her. Aegis did look a lot like her with the colors but the fangs, the holes, the wings, the slightly glowing blue eyes, and final the orange stripe that replaced Twilight's purple stripe showed the differences.
“First off, no titles. I hate them. Call me Sparkle if we are to make it clear which of me we are talking to.”
“Sounds fair to me.” Aegis looked over to Applejack. “You joining us Applejack?”
“Nah, with farming lesson canceled for today I'll head over to the farm and help out there. You both take it easy ya here.” With that Applejack headed for the road now in the forest leading to Ponyville.
“Well, I'll show you the highlights of Hive Phoenix Roost.” Aegis stated and with a nod Twilight followed the Changeling that was in a way her daughter.