A gentle rapping stirred Silver from her unconscious state. Unlike when she slept, being knocked out generally had no dreams. It was just lost time. She started awake and noticed very quickly that she wasn't laying on anything or standing. She was floating, upright. She was in a changeling pod.
Celestia, or who Silver was forced to assume was a fake, smiled at her. "Good morning, my dear little pony."
Silver tried to gather power, but the sludge around him immediately pulled away at any amount of current and dispersed it. She could draw nothing. No horn magic, earth magic, pegasus magic or any other. She was helpless.
"Yes, let that soak in." She tapped on the clear part of the pod. "You're stuck here, with me. Isn't that awful?"
Silver could move, and put her snout against the window. "Whoever you are, why are you pretending to be Celestia?"
"Are you furious?"
"... No... Really, I'm pretty damn curious. I didn't think a changeling could put out such fierce magic." Silver tilted her head from in the translucent goo. "One of my wives was a changeling, don't forget. I don't... think you have to be bad, though you have been pretty shitty to me so far. Maybe you think I'll hate you by default."
'Celestia' raised a brow. "Not even awake a minute and you're trying to analyze me and figure out how we can be best of friends." She flashed her fangs, every bit as menacing as a lunar pony. "She was right, you are absolutely delicious. You don't fool me so easily. You're not trying to be friends for the sake of camaraderie. You're scared. You're scared and alone and you desperately want to be safe, and with as many friends as possible."
Silver shrugged softly. "That may be. I claim to be many things, but perfect is far from true." She put a hoof on the pod. "Will you talk with me?"
"Isn't that what we're doing?" 'Celestia' turned away with a flick of her tail. "You make it hard to get properly angry at you. Human, outsider." She spoke with Celestia's voice, perfect and clear. "You are more pony than pony, because you are not. You can see the perfect ideal, and you are always thinking about straying from it." She flashed a smile. "I sympathize... Do you know how hard it is to pretend to be this? I have to worry every moment of every day. If the mask comes a little loose, well..."
Silver gently ran a hoof across the clear part of the pod. "Do you like being a changeling, or do you regret it?"
She spun on Silver. "Which do you think? Which disgusts you more? I'm not some foal that needs a stern talking to."
"I wasn't saying that." Silver tilted her head at 'Celestia'. "You can be yourself. We're the only ones here. You're still you, mask on or not."
She stared at Silver firmly for a few quiet moments before a line of green flames washed over her form, and she ceased to be Celestia as great wings unfurled of gossamer nature. Her body had a few holes, but not as bad as Silver had seen in others. She was fed more love than she took, or so Silver assumed. She was big, easily as large as Celestia. If one didn't mind the insect look, she was a fetching mare. With a toss of her mane, she smiled at Silver. "Here, behold. You can stop pretending now."
Silver perked an ear. "What am I pretending?"
The changeling slowly turned left, then right. "Your eyes are locked on me, but you look curious, not disgusted. You were hurt by changelings. They stole your wife once. You were held by Chrysalis once. I foalnapped you! Stop pretending."
"They didn't steal her. They needed Fast, desperately. She rushed to their aid. It was my own stupidity that tried to overreact to that. I broke a promise to myself, and for that I'm pretty ashamed, but none of that was a changeling's fault." Silver scrapped a little on the inside of the pod. "Let me out. Let's talk.
"We are talking," she reminded with a roll of her eyes. "I'm afraid you aren't coming out until I batter you and parade you before town, a ruined mess. I wasn't lying about that. Simply no avoiding it."
"What's your name?"
She scowled at Silver. "I've been Celestia's for so long... I don't even remember."
Silver tilted her head. "Was this her idea?"
"Wouldn't that be easy?" The changeling smiled. "Oh no, I came up with this on my own. I thought I could get you and her closer. I made a few... miscalculations."
"Enough." Silver clopped on the pod. "Enough lies. Please, let's stop the deceit on deceits."
She suddenly pressed her face against the portal, close to Silver. "Oh, should I dance down the road as I am, proclaim loudly how Celestia knew of us long before Chrysalis blew everything apart and made it so hard on us?"
Silver set her hoof to where the other pony's cheek was. "Do you have a hive?"
"W-what? No." The changeling flushed and sat back. "Practicing to perfectly match Celestia takes quite enough time, human. Now, about that beating..."
Silver tapped at the cocoon. "What if, instead, you pretended to be me, and then became a changeling after being 'defeated', and flew off, to return later. We can say I was replaced by a changeling for a while, and that I was fine and loyal and..."
The changeling slammed a hoof on the pod so hard it fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground. Silver couldn't see her anymore. "You think you have answers? You want me to take your heat for you?"
Silver pushed against the edge, trying to get it to roll over so she could see, but it refused to move. "Fast would do it for you, if you get her. Anything besides more violence. Don't we have enough of that?"
Silver winced as a hoof thumped against the pod several times. "Get angry, damn it all. I took your precious foal, wore the face of your beloved sun god, and orchestrated your pain and misery."
"That's quite enough." Was that Celestia? "You've done enough. Back away from the pod."
The changeling's voice sounded a little further. "C-Celestia! I... We... were trying to do something for you."
With a sudden warmth, the pod around Silver popped and melted away, freeing her. She could see Celestia standing tall, her horn directed at Silver. "By holding Silver in one of these? What sort of 'plan' would this be?" She turned on the changeling. "I trusted you. Is this--"
"Stop!" Silver scrambled to her hooves. "Please."
Celestia smiled gently at Silver. "Your forgiving nature is showing, but this is my affair, not yours." She trotted to Silver's side and nuzzled her. "Please let me handle it."
Silver shook her head. "No! It's pretty damn involving of me at this point. She was wrong to do what she did, but I want to know her, and to fix this, not to throw her out for it." She turned to Celestia. "How long has she served you?"
Celestia raised an ear. "Since shortly before Luna was banished, why?"
Silver rolled a hoof. "Is this the first time things got out of hoof?"
"Yes..."
"Everyone deserves one." Silver smiled gently.
The changeling swallowed heavily. "I truly had your best interests in mind, Celestia. Please, believe that."
Celestia let out a slow breath. "Tell me what happened, everything. We'll fix this, as Silver prefers, and I expect it will be the first and only time it comes up again."
The changeling sank with relief. "Of course, Celestia. You have... curious tastes in mates."
Celestia swiveled an ear at Silver. "Is that what I am?"
Silver leaned in and nuzzled her great sun mark, and said nothing. It was enough for Celestia, who gave a serene smile. "I suppose I do. Now, from the top..."
A low thump came from a wall to the left, drawing all eyes. The thump repeated twice more, getting louder each time before Night bucked down the wall and spun around, Fast on her back with a spear at the ready. "We have arrived, bitches!"
Celestia stared at them a moment before a musical laugh began to shake through her, one that spread to her changeling servant and Silver Stars in short order.
"What? I thought I delivered that entrance perfectly." Fast tossed the spear aside and hopped down from Night. "I get the feeling we're late to the party."
Night nodded in agreement. "This is clearly the case. Princess Celestia, please give us good news."
Celestia dipped her head lightly. "It's over."
Night let out a loud sigh. "Thank Luna."
Celestia raised a brow at that. "She's not involved in this. I think we have enough ponies involved."
Silver approached the changeling as they spoke, looking her over. "I have a feeling you have a story worth hearing."
The changeling spun her ears back. "You should be so angry with me right now."
Celestia gestured to Night, who rolled her eyes. "She isn't, and won't be. If you let it go, she will too."
"But before that." Night held out a hoof. "One foal, kindly."
Celestia recoiled. "Foal?"
The changeling shrank back. "I... might have... taken their foal... For leverage, you understand."
Celestia stomped with a clap of fire. "I most certainly do not understand. Return their foal this instant!"
The changeling shrank back before looking to Silver. "If you had fought the real Celestia like that, when she was ready to make it count, you wouldn't be standing here."
Celestia perked her ears. "You fought?" She shook her head quickly. "No more distractions. Get their foal immediately, then we can talk. Silver isn't wrong, you have a lot of stories worth hearing, and I will hear them."
Night tilted her head. "If she's so strong, why did she lose to Chrysalis?"
Celestia frowned at Night. "Not a topic I wish to revisit... But since you ask, she was bloated with power stored over some time. Shining Armor's shield cut off the flow of solar energy. Not entirely, but enough to tip the scales. I don't even think she intended that, unfortunate coincidence. Add to that my desire to not destroy my own castle, or my precious ponies... If you fought my doppelganger, then you know when I cut loose, it is not as focused as some. The entire area will feel the pain of my blows, making using it in a place I don't want destroyed... tricky, at best."
The changeling spread her wings, white and pristine. She was Celestia again, and she took off, to undo some of the damage she had done.
The true Celestia sighed and turned to Silver. "Are you certain this is wise?"
"No," replied Silver honestly. "I do think it's right."
Celestia nodded. "That will have to do. Come, all of you. I would speak with you, as family." She turned to the hole Night left behind and began walking towards it. "We have so much to discuss."