//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Immortality Diaries // by PhoelynFabulous //------------------------------// November 30, 1085 Dear Diary, I haven't written in here in a while. So much has happened, I'm not sure I've had time. All I know is that I'm very glad I decided to speak with the strangest of the strange ponies... Ha. I have trouble writing that now. So, I'll try to explain what happened in the past month the best I can. So, on November 6th, I went outside that morning and took a bit of a walk. I wanted to find the Strange Pony, and I assumed that taking a stroll through Ponyville would help me find her. After about an hour, I realized that it wasn't working, and headed back to the castle. Ha! Imagine my surprise when I see the Strange Pony about to knock on the castle doors. I guess she was trying to find me too. I think I startled her when I yelled 'Hello!' from a bit behind her. She jumped a little and whirled around surprisingly fast. She then looked both ways, and approached me. "Hello. A-Are you Princess Twilight Sparkle?" she asked me. I smiled, and nodded. "O-Oh, good. I need to speak with you somewhere private, I thought that the castle would be good. My name is Reflection." I thought that was an odd name for a pony at the time, but I still shook her hoof and brought her into the castle. She was always looking around, being incredibly cautious, seeming worried about something, she kind of reminded me of Pinkie Pie trying to keep a secret and she looked a little like she was trying to hide something. Finally, she stopped and told me, "Don't scream." Suddenly, yellow fire erupted around her in a circle, firing upwards in a pillar of flames. I was shocked and took a step back in surprise. Now, before me was a young changeling princess, cowering slightly in fear. At least now I understood her name a little better. 'Reflection' makes sense if you're a changeling. Now, having a bit of bad history with changelings, including several adventures I went on with my friends to fight Chrysalis, I reacted instantly. I quickly activated my magic, and incased her in a magic shield bubble. She panicked a bit, most likely thinking I was going to harm her. Instead, I angrily asked what she was doing here. What she told me actually surprised me. "Please, don't hurt me! I-I'm here to help you! Ponyville is in danger! W-We need to save it!" She told me with pleading eyes. I asked her what she meant, why Ponyville was in danger. She told me that her mother, Queen Chrysalis, was dead. Because of this, and the fact that she was Chrysalis's heir, meant that she must prove herself to the changelings that she can be a successful queen. She failed at every single test she had to pass, and the changeling hive became an awful anarchy. Finally, one of the changelings, Retho, stated that they should attempt to take over Equestria with no queen, and claimed that the queens were the problem in the first place. Retho said that they should head to Ponyville, all disguised, and carefully take it over. "I bet they never knew I would try to save you, huh?" was what she said when she finished. And that's when it hit me. All the mean ponies were not ponies. They were changelings. I instantly said that we need to capture them, when Reflection interrupted me. "I am to be their Queen. I must regain control of my changelings. I need your help, Princess Twilight." I thought on this for a moment, and then I realized something. I asked her changelings really did feed on love like I remembered Chrysalis saying a few times, and she tilted her head and said yes. I told her I had and idea, that there was a way that the changelings and the ponies could co-exist. I just needed one question answered. "Does love-eating hurt the ponies?" She said that no, it doesn't. I wouldn't even notice if she was feeding on me right now. So finally, me and Reflection planned how this would go... A day later, me and Reflection stood on a balcony on my castle, Reflection being undisguised, looking out over Ponyville. We quickly got everypony's - and everyling's, according to Reflection - attention. Reflection addressed the disguised changelings, telling them that though she failed every test they had her attempt to pass, she could do something that noling had done before... get enough love to feed the hive out of the starvation issue. Together, me and Reflection told everypony and ling in the crowd that we were going to form an alliance - the changelings could freely eat the love from the ponies without hurting them, and would be kind, careful, and respectful to every pony around them. While the ponies would do the same to the changelings - the being kind part, at least. We would all treat eachother as equals, and co-exist peacefully. Everyling looked around at everypony, and vice versa... and smiled. It had worked. Another day later, I told Celestia of the new changeling alliance, along with something else. I could not speak for Equestria, so the alliance was only with myself, not Celestia and Luna. So therefore, I made it official: Ponyville is now the capital of the Kingdom of Harmony, which is allied with the Changeling Hive, Equestria, and the Crystal Empire. I'm so excited to start ruling over my new kingdom! -Twilight Sparkle December 3, 1085 Dear Diary, So far, the changeling alliance is going okay. Changelings are having a little trouble adapting, as they are used to hiding, and the ponies feel a little off with the shape-shifters around, but it could be worse! Also, I realize, rereading my previous addition to this diary, that I could've been more specific about how things went when I created the alliance with Reflection - now Queen Reflection, but she said I could call her whatever I liked - and what we both gained from this alliance. Reflection and the changelings would get love and shelter, and, with time, they would be treated as equals among the ponies. It would be like adding a fourth (fifth? Do alicorns count?) tribe into the mix. In return, the changelings would serve the kingdom like ponies do - get jobs, all that. And also... we would get to learn more about the changelings. Soooo.... RESEARCH TIME! -Twilight Sparkle Notes on Changelings: Changelings work in a Hivemind system, meaning that the leader of the changelings - currently Queen Reflection - is connected to the changelings' minds. A Hivemind system means that they all can get problems solved by asking the Queen telepathically. Imagine it like this: All of the changelings are hungry, but are arguing over what to eat. About half of the changelings say that they should head to Equestria, and raid it for love. The other half of the changelings say that they should just have the leftover love that they already have. The changelings all ask the Queen, looking for answers. The Queen debates this, before deciding that they should take over Equestria: That way, they can get more leftovers later, get nice and full, and have a better source of love for a longer time. Because they all trust the Queen, they go along with that plan. (...And yes, Queen Reflection says that this is a basic interpretation of what actually happened before the Canterlot invasion attempt about eighty or so years ago.) Changeling colors: They're very interesting, actually. A changeling's colors determine which hive they go in, and is the best way to tell without using the Hivemind (see above). It also all depends on the Queen, and her colors. A changeling's colors will change when their hive changes, if it ever does, and a changeling with no hive is grey and white. As mentioned earlier, it all depends on the Queen's colors. There is a primary color, and a secondary color. For example, Chrysalis's primary color was blue, and secondary color was green. Therefore, all of her changelings become the primary color, blue, with the secondary color for their magic, green. The Queen's hair color will be a blend of the two colors, as well. Queen Reflection's primary color is orange, and secondary color is yellow. Can you figure out what she and her drones look like?