//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Twilight Sparkle Becomes a Changeling Queen, Book 1 // by bahatumay //------------------------------// After another examination revealed no further injury and Twilight was soon presented with a clean bill of health, and she was back at the castle by dinnertime. As much as it was unbefitting a princess, she found herself requesting seconds, and then thirds. Celestia smiled playfully. “I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much at one time, Twilight. You must be starving.” “Yeah,” Twilight said, shrugging as she shoved yet another forkful of food into her mouth. “Just really hungry, I guess.” “Leave her alone,” Cadence interrupted. “It's probably from not eating for a week in the hospital.” “That's quite alright.” Celestia smiled as she patted Twilight on the head. “Growing ponies have to eat a lot so they'll grow big and strong,” she teased, earning chuckles from all present. Even Twilight smiled in spite of herself as she levitated another roll over. * * * After dinner and dessert--had those cheesecakes always tasted so good?--Twilight returned to her room. She tried to immerse herself in more of her studies (especially on the changelings that would soon be loyal to her), but what she found were more old pony tales and legends than actual hard research. This was frustrating. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the suggestion to lay a line of salt over the windowsill to keep a changeling out was ridiculous. It would just fly over, if it even noticed it at all. She tossed the book aside and flopped back over onto the pillow. It was like changelings didn’t even exist. Which, upon further reflection, was exactly their modus operandi. To make matters worse, for some reason she was still hungry. It was like there was this pit in her stomach that just wouldn't be filled. As hard as she tried to ignore it, she was still hungry. She had almost determined to sneak back down to the kitchens for a late night snack when there came a knock on the door. Her ears pricked up. Grateful for the distraction, she rushed over and opened it. There stood a solar guard, his helmet under his foreleg. “Your highness!” he greeted her, bowing deeply. “Granite,” Twilight returned. “I'm glad to see you!” He hesitated, and a confused look briefly crossed his face. “I mean, what can I do for you?” Twilight quickly corrected herself with a weak smile. He scratched the back of his neck. “We were wondering—that is, me and some of the other guards—if you'd come down and talk to some of the changelings in the dungeons. They just… they're asking for you, and they just don't shut up.” Twilight nodded, both grateful for the distraction and kicking herself that she hadn't thought of that herself. “Of course. I'll follow you.” * * * The dungeon door creaked open, casting a stark light on the stone walls. Twilight followed Granite in. “He's in here,” Granite said, pointing. “This one’s been here the longest. And he's the loudest.” Twilight came to a stop in front of a cell where a single changeling stood. His eyes widened as he recognized his visitor, and he dropped into a deep bow with his face nearly pressed up against the ground. He whispered something respectful that Twilight didn’t quite catch. Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “Could you take a pony form? Just so we can understand each other?” He straightened up and burst into flame. There stood a gray stallion, much like the royal guard he had been disguised as. “You wanted to see me?” Twilight asked. The changeling nodded eagerly. “I wish to plead for forgiveness. I want to be accepted back into the hive.” Twilight nodded slowly. “Well, thanks, uh… Drict, you said your name was?” Drict nodded. “You know, as I recall, you sounded pretty adamant about being for Chrysalis’s plan,” Twilight said. “She was my queen. Now you are my queen, and I will obey you and only you. Any order you give, I will follow,” he said firmly. Twilight chuckled nervously. “I'm not so sure I'll be giving you too many orders,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. It had the exact opposite effect. “Not…” Drict froze as he processed her words, and his eyes widened. “Are you… banishing me?” he whimpered, clearly terrified of that idea. Twilight knew. She could literally taste the sour fear emanating from his body. She tried to verbally backpedal. “N- no; I just…” “Please!” Drict cried, falling to his knees and reaching out with his forelegs pitifully, desperately reaching through the bars for her hooves. “I will be a loyal servant! I will serve only you! I can do it, I promise I can! Please, let me prove myself, I beg of you! Please!” It was disturbing to see a fully grown stallion grovelling in front of her. Twilight took the tiniest of steps back and clutched a hoof to her chest, unsure of how to proceed from here. She suddenly became aware of other eyes watching her. As Drict sobbed and pleaded in mumbling, unintelligible words on the ground, she glanced back behind her to see more changelings, pressed up against the bars, their blue eyes unblinking as they watched with baited breath. Twilight turned to face them. “Does he speak for all of you?” she asked. They nodded, silently pleading their case with wordless stares. Twilight exhaled and brought a hoof up to her face. This definitely wasn’t something she’d thought about. She was fairly certain that this situation had no precedent. Changelings had no precedent. Still, they’d asked to come under her judgement. Celestia would trust her. Celestia did trust her. She would just follow her heart. And her heart said… Twilight turned back to Granite. “All of the changelings were loyal to Chrysalis at one point. In a few days, they will all swear fealty to me. I see no reason to single these out, especially if they gave themselves up willingly. Gather a few of the Night Guard and escort them down to the crystal caverns with the rest of the changelings.” Granite saluted, trying--and failing--to hide a relieved smile. “Yes, Princess!” He turned and quickly marched out. “Oh, thank you, my queen!” Drict cried. And then Twilight felt the strangest sensation. It was a moist sensation, on her rear hooves, repeated at rapid intervals. She looked back, and confirmed what she already knew. Drict was reaching out through the bars and was kissing her hooves. Twilight froze and her ears pinned. She had no precedent for this, either. She glanced up at the nearest guard, but he just shook with silent laughter. She looked back down at the changeling. “Drict, you don't-” She grimaced uncomfortably. “Drict, y- you really don't have to-” Drict paused long enough to say “I know,” before resuming. Twilight lit her horn and lifted him up. “You know, Drict,” she squeaked, “you can… show your affec- loyalty some other way. Like at the fealty ceremony in a few days. You can wait for that, right?” Drict nodded, looking slightly abashed. The changelings behind Twilight giggled with hissing laughter. Twilight forced a smile. The Lunar Guard couldn't get there fast enough. They arrived quickly, and worked with their cold efficiency. In an orderly fashion, the changelings were extracted from their cells and marched down to rejoin the temporary hive. Twilight watched as one of the changelings taken from the cells ducked its head and smiled, apparently flirting with the Lunar guard standing at the door; but the Lunar guard merely scowled and gave it a none-too-gentle bump with the butt of the spear, wordlessly telling it to keep moving. It seemed unabashed; Twilight could swear it was still swishing its little tail as it walked. Twilight gently shook her hoof out as she watched the last of the changelings leave. “I bet Celestia doesn’t have to put up with this,” she muttered.* * * * Midnight came, and found Twilight Sparkle wandering listlessly around the castle. She had made the right choice, hadn't she? Releasing those changelings back into the general changeling population? She ate another of the cookies she had obtained from the kitchen, not noticing or caring about the crumbs that sprayed from the edges of her mouth. She had. Right? Ugh! She couldn’t concentrate with this hunger! Not even reciting Starswirl's Seven Magical Postulates backwards was helping, and she was getting desperate. What was wrong? Suddenly, she sensed something she didn’t recognize before. It was like magic; but it felt warmer, fuller, happier. It made her smile. Her curiosity piqued, she set the cookies down and followed the scent along the hallways. It led her all the way back to her brother's room. Soon, she stood in front of the door, wondering what was going on in there. Experimentation? New crystal magic she hadn’t discovered yet? Old crystal magic she hadn’t learned about yet? She pressed her ear up against the door. Strange grunting noises emanated from the inside, interrupting her thoughts. Twilight pulled back and squinted, confused. For a few minutes, she just sat there, wondering what those noises were. It wasn't until she heard her brother’s voice call out, “Oh, Cadence~!” that she realized what exactly she was being privy to. Embarrassed and flushing bright red, she fled back to the safety of her room and buried herself beneath the covers of her bed, magically slamming and locking the door behind her. As she rolled over to try and get to sleep (and hopefully remove those pesky mental images), it suddenly occurred to her that she wasn't hungry anymore Needless to say, Twilight did not sleep very well that night.