//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Three // Story: The Day My Life Continued // by Authora97 //------------------------------// The Royal Hospital Wing did not see as many ponies as one would think. They had the occasional patient of a royal guard who was hurt in training, or a servant that had dropped something heavy on their hoof. They rarely had the Princesses inside, or any of the Element Bearers. For the first time, they had a changeling patient. It was a changeling male, they could tell that much. He had upgraded to a more advanced natural form. The medical staff was monitoring his new vitals, in case of emergency. They were told the other changelings would arrive the next day for their own tests. It was going to help Equestrian/Changeling relations. Not that the doctors cared much for the politics, just the patients. Their first had agreed to all of the doctors exams, on one condition. He share his room with Princess Raspberry Stardust. The dark pink alicorn came in before the changeling. She had been comatose since arriving earlier that morning. According to Princess Celestia, the alicorn has suffered a painful transformation back to her pony self. Her magic had also been restrained, unleashing in what was reported as a ‘unicorn foal surge of power’. Based on how long she’d been unconscious, it must’ve been painful. The medical staff let Thorax have it. As soon as he was situated, he kept his now purple compound eyes on Princess Raspberry’s prone form. He had adjusted himself during whatever test so that his gaze was still on the Princess. It was the middle of the afternoon when the medical staff had all the data they needed. As soon as their tests were done, they left the two alone. ==DMLC== Thorax knew if she was awake, she’d be calling her a creep for watching her sleep. She would tell him it was as creepy as stalking her before their relationship. He couldn’t help it, or explain it. Thorax thought that if he looked away from Starry that she would disappear. The last week had been such an emotional rollercoaster. Thorax’s head spun when he though about it. (Could his head spin now? His new body had new abilities he wasn’t sure he liked) Thorax looked over the dark pink alicorn. She was sleeping peacefully. He couldn’t stop picturing her human self. He compared them. Raspberry’s coat, and Morgan’s skin, both giving him that same sense of comfort. Raspberry’s freckles that matched the ones on Morgan’s cheeks. Those amber eyes that didn’t change in shade, merely in size. Her same smile, smirk, and grin. Her same frown. The same eyebrow creases when thinking. They were the same being. Thorax knee that, he’d seen that. He was a changeling. He knew a thing or two about shape shifting. The way Morgan screamed as she changed back...watching her excess magic leave her body so rapidly...Thorax was terrified. Not of her. Never of her. He was scared that the pain would keep her from ever waking up again. There was a knock on the door. “Come in.” Thorax mumbles, distractedly. A pair of Royal guards came in the room. Thorax sighed. ==DMLC== Thorax was brought to the Throne Room by the guards. Under normal circumstances, he would have gawked at the colors. He would’ve thought about how much Queen Chrysalis destroyed just so she lead from this room. He didn’t. His mind was back in that hospital room, where Morgan was unconscious. Thorax noticed the other Princesses had been gathered. Prince Consort Shining Armor had been a surprise. He’d been at the Hive, yes, but Thorax didn’t think Shining Armor would want to sit in a room with a changeling. With the four Princess, the Prince Consort, and the new Changeling Queen in the room, and despite his new larger body, Thorax felt lesser. He could suddenly see with sharp accuracy his last visit to Canterlot. He wanted Morgan by his side for this. If she there, then that meant she was okay. He noticed -in the same way one notices a sword in their side- that Lilac and Cookie weren’t there. He remembered the report Pharynx gave before Thorax arrived. Were the girls alright? had all of Thorax’s girls been hurt? “Thorax.” Princess Celestia greeted him. Thorax didn’t respond, too lost in his inner panic. “I was so happy to hear you were well.” “As was I.” Queen Thorne added. “Has there been word on the-what did you call her? Raspberry?” Shining Armor narrowed his eyes at the green changeling. Thorax still didn’t answer. “It’s Morgan, actually.” Twilight corrected. “Morgan Spencer.” Thorne grimaced. “A peculiar name. What kind of species was she? Not a single ling of you has said.” “Yes, it’s almost like you’re hiding it from us.” Shining Armor hinted. He glanced at his LSBFF. The purple alicorn frowned, sad by her brother’s anger to Morgan. “Morgan never wanted anypony to know. She was-” “She was lying again, to get what she wanted.” Shining Armor argued. Thorax’s ear twitched. “She knew you’d react like this!” Twilight countered. “So she kept herself a secret?” Princess Cadence asked. “Why? We would’ve understood.” “My friends and I, we weren’t happy when we found out about Morgan. She was terrified to tell us. She was worried we would get hurt.” Twilight admitted. “I hate to say it, but she was right. We were hurt.” “By who?” Shining Armor asked, protective instinct rising to protect his sister. Twilight winced. “A traitor in Morgan’s...Home. He attacked us for being on Morgan’s side.” Shining breathes out through his muzzle, angrily. “We weren’t hurt badly, Shining Armor-” “Are Lilac and Cookie okay?” Thorax interjected, panicked. “They’re not here. I heard a changeling say they’d been captured. They can’t be hurt. They have to be okay. Are they?” If they weren’t okay...if they stayed not okay by the time Morgan woke up... “Princess Lilac and Princess Cookie are unharmed.” Luna assured from her sister’s side. “We share your concern for them. Discord vanished as soon as-” Luna cut herself off, seeing Thorax droop at the reminder of Morgan’s pain. “As soon as he could.” Thorax let out a slightly relieved breath. He may have heard that before, at the Hive. He’d been too worried about how Morgan wasn’t waking up as she changed back to her alicorn body. “Where are they?” Thorax asked. “Waiting with Pinkie Pie.” Twilight answered. “They wanted to see Morgan. We don’t want them to wake her up before it’s safe.” Thorax nodded. “Okay...okay...yeah. She needs-she should sleep.” Thoreau could still head her screaming in pain, the heavy dead weight of her in his hooves. ‘You give this back to me when I’m conherant, yeah? Or I’ll hurt you.” He looked down at the necklace in his hoof. He hadn’t let it go. “I need to get back to her.” Thorax insisted. “I need to be there when she wakes up.” “Thorax, there is much we must discuss.” Princess Celestia advised. “Morgan will be asleep for a while longer.” “Yeah. There’s a lot to talk about.” Shining Armor agreed. “Like, just what was she?” Twilight began. “A human.” “Like the beings in the world with Sunset Shimmer?” Princess Cadence asked. “Kinda, but not exactly.” Twilight admitted. “In Morgan’s world, they don’t have our colors or magic. The humans all look about the same.” “She’s from another world?” Shining Armor asked. “Yes.” Twilight answered. “She’s Queen of it, her entire race of Traveler’s and the other humans.” “Queen? Raspberry, a Queen?” Princess Cadence gasped. “Yes. She was a good one-” “Is.” Thorax interrupted. Twilight turned to him. “She is a good one. She’s not- she’s not-” “You’re right, Thorax. I’m sorry.” Twilight apologized. “She was only hurt because she got involved with changelings. Again.” Shining Armor argued “Shining Armor-” Princess Cadence tried to interrupt. “She said last time that she was sorry she lied to us about the changelings. Now I find out she’s been dating one? She knew about the Invasion months before it happened. Twilight, you can't expect me to believe she didn’t know about him too.” Shining Armor pointed out. “That’s just it, Shining Armor! She didn’t!” Twilight tried to reason with him. “Morgan found out I was a changeling while was were inside the Hive.” Thorax revealed. “I tried to tell her before...I couldn’t muck up the courage.” “You were only trying to be her coltfriend so you could capture her and the others!” Shining Armor shouted. “No! I broke away from the Hive because of her!” Thorax shouted back. “You did it to help your Queen with her plan!” “I didn’t know there was a plan!” “Shining Armor, calm down.” Princess Cadence asked. She put a hoof on his shoulder. “He’s telling the truth.” “He’s a changeling! They lie all the time!” “She’s family.” Thorax argued, fierce. “I would never do anything to hurt her. Hurting all of you is the perfect way to hurt her! Look at what my mother did to prove it!” Nopony had a response for that. Well except for Queen Thorne. “Family?” She pointed out. Thorax fought to keep his cheeks from coloring. Well coloring more than their new green. “She accepted my request.” “Did she know?” Thorne asked. Thorax couldn’t stop the coloring. “Yes.” Thorne gave him a look. He was a terrible liar. “Queen Thorne, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked. “All changelings in the Hive are related.” Thorne kept her eyes on Thorax. “There are too many for us to be a collective family. So the drones create their own inner families. They can pick their own brothers and sisters. It’s one of the few freedoms Mother gave them. The only catch was that this couldn’t be done by force. Both changelings had to accept the other, otherwise it would be pointless.” “Which Starry did!” Thorax defended. “Yes and did she know?” Thorne stressed. “...she kissed me back.” “You did it with a kiss?! What were you thinking?!” Thorne asked. “It was a good idea at the time!” Thorax excused. “What was the idea?!” Twilight asked, feeling concern turn to panic. “I asked Starry to marry me using changeling family magic and she accepted but I didn’t tell.” Thorax answered, eyes bugged in embarrassment. Everypony’s jaw dropped. Two guards opened the door for a doctor. He paid little attention to their looks of shock. “Princess Twilight, you told me to come to you if I there were any changes?” Twilight blinked. “Uhh...” “Just thought you’d like to know that Princess Raspberry is waking up.” The doctor revealed.