25 - Magnanimity is Magnificent
Just like you did me?” Twilight Sparkle asked her former mentor.
Celestia hesitated to nod. “Nearly. It wasn't quite the same, Twilight. Back then, my motivations were different. I really do believe it was your destiny to become what you are now and Luna agreed, but Cadance...I just don't know. Sometimes I wonder if I made her into something that was never meant to be.”
“Pfft,” Rainbow blurted without any restraint. “Yeah right. No offense princess, but Cadance had to be what she is. Last time I checked, the Crystal Empire would never have survived without her. Heck, Canterlot would have fallen to that one,” she pointed to Chrysalis, who smiled in a way that would show her sharp teeth.
“Rainbow is right,” Twilight backed up her friend. “I may want to know more about this dark magic but you shouldn't regret turning her into an alicorn and making her immortal. She's important to all of us and I mean that personally.”
“But it didn't stop there,” Celestia shook her head. “The alicorn transformation is not the same as making one immortal.”
“Huh?” Spike squinted.
Luna looked at him and whispered. “Just imagine what we would have endured if Sombra himself had been immortal.”
“The dark magic I gathered from Sombra's studies was related to immortality and permanent physical alteration. All of it was incomplete and I was forced to use some of Star Swirl's work to finish it. It was dangerous but I was desperate. In the end, I had both pieces I needed to make somepony like Luna and I. The first was the alicorn spell. Sombra's work only went as far as providing a rudimentary horn and wings, while Star Swirl's work smoothed it out - made it more natural. The second part, the immortality, was only a solid lead. Sombra was obsessed with it but never managed to create magic for it. His extensive travels, however, gave me the hint I needed and one I assume he never realized himself.”
“Hint? Lead?” Pinkie Pie enthused happily and bounced once more on the chair she had returned to. “I love guessing games!”
Celestia proceeded without pause for the pink pony. “I must confess, it took everything I had to follow the trail and survive the journey. The hint was in a journal entry detailing a golem fortress on the other side of the world. There were inscription reproductions in the journal that indicated some entity called the 'Life.' Sombra didn't make any other entries about it, so I assume he didn't catch the significance. He probably marked it off as some cultural lore irrelevant to his work.”
“I don't understand. An entity?” Twilight's logic raced to put the pieces together.
Celestia patiently answered, knowing she was about to reveal something that very few beings could be trusted to know. “Luna and I traveled much in our younger years and met many different races and beings. That was how we became aware of these unique entities, immortal beings that wield the most fundamental aspects of the world. For convenience, Luna and I refer to them as the Origins. The Tree of Harmony is one such being.”
“Harmony?” Rainbow Dash spoke up. She couldn't help but figure the name was important to them.
“Yes,” Luna answered. “The Elements of Harmony that you bear are originally from the Tree. We borrowed them so that we might defend Equestria.”
Twilight looked to Rainbow, who exchanged the same look that passed to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. They were all thinking the same thing. A trip to the Tree of Harmony just might hold some significance to them.
“The Tree is not the only one, though,” Celestia continued. “We met others in past millennia. The Vine of Life is the one that decided Cadance's fate. I met with it, not for the first time, at the end of my search and bargained with it.”
“You bargained with a vine?” Rarity's expression turned as green as her imagination of it in pure distaste.
“I assure you it's no simple plant,” Celestia giggled, lightening the mood. “Its eccentricity is the only reason I managed to get the magic from it to make Cadance immortal. Make no mistake, the Origins are powerful. Even without the Elements, the Tree of Harmony continues to keep the dangers of the Everfree from getting out of control. Likewise, the Vine continues to keep entire races alive with its magic.”
“Like the golems,” Twilight finished her internal conclusions. “Rocks don't exactly have a pulse.”
“Hey, some do!” Pinkie jumped in. “My sister says that-”
“Only some of them are rock,” Celestia remarked over Pinkie. “Some are crystal. I even met one that was diamond.”
“A diamond golem?!” Rarity widened her eyes and asked with a gleeful squeak in her voice.
Spike patted her on the shoulder to calm her down.
“He was quite the gentlecolt...gentlegolem,” Celestia frowned and looked troubled at figuring out the proper terminology. She forgot to ask the golems how they preferred to be titled. But then, they didn't talk much.
Chrysalis looked thoughtful throughout most of the revelations. She had plans forming in her mind as to how she might use this information for her queen's advantage. What made Twilight happy would make her happy and so she knew she would have to take action to ensure her queen was not dragged into some avoidable tragedy. She knew how much Twilight cared about her friends and it would hurt her to see them fade away while she stayed the same for eternity. Maybe the alicorn wouldn't say as much but she would still feel that way.
“So it gave you the magic for immortality?” Twilight got the talk back on the rails.
“Only a one-use spell that would work on Cadance alone,” Celestia clarified. “It might be eccentric but the Vine isn't stupid. It ensured I could only give immortality to Cadance, the one I described to it. As for you, I had to ask again. Thankfully, I've come up with long-distance communication magic since then so I didn't have to reiterate the journey.”
“And it just gave you another spell?” Rainbow gawked. “Just like that?”
“Bargaining for Cadance was much more difficult,” Celestia quirked a brow. “The Vine was practically insisting that Twilight be allowed immortality. It seemed very interested in you,” she ended with a look to the purple mare.
Twilight felt her stomach churn. She didn't know if she wanted the attentions of some weird millennia-old plant that determined the life or death of entire races.
“Does this have anything to do with the dark magic's reaction to Twilight?” Rarity hazarded the question.
“I believe it does,” Luna put in her two bits.
Celestia gave her sister a neutral look. “Destiny might not even come into the equation if Sombra's physical alteration magic originated from the arachnes. They're one of the races the Vine oversees directly. It could just have been the Vine pushing its interests again. In any case,” the elder Mare of the Sun turned back to Twilight, “I believe your initial question has been answered.”
“Yes,” Twilight sighed deeply, still trying to figure out how she was going to come to terms with it. Even though it didn't affect how she saw her friends, it did mean she would outlive them...her family...
There was a silence as various occupants of the room began to think how it would affect each of them in turn. Pinkie Pie rocked back and forth on her stool while Rarity stole a glance to the dragon beside her. Spike caught the look but didn't know why she looked troubled. He knew why he felt that way but not why she might feel that way towards him. Or was she looking to him about her feelings on Twilight?
“There's something I need to talk to you about,” Twilight ended the lack of noise as she spoke directly to Celestia. “But I'd like to think first. Can we talk again later?”
Celestia's motherly smile returned. “Of course, Twilight. You can talk to me any time you want to. I'll have your things sent to your rooms and have one of my maids show you to them. I have something to talk to my sister about, so take your time.”
“About those rooms...” Twilight said sheepishly.
Normally, Celestia wouldn't have given it a second thought when Twilight asked for a large bedroom to accommodate all of the girls at the same time. Something about the way she asked, though, made her wonder if there was something more to it. Shrugging it off as needless paranoia, she got her mind back to the conversation she was now having with Luna in her own secure bedroom. Hers was brighter than her sister's, which made Luna squint a bit from the light and generally face away from the windows.
“I owe Cadance too much,” Celestia continued their conversation from where she sat at her bedroom desk, “to betray what she intends to do with Shining Armor.”
Luna leaned from one side to the other where she stood but masked how emotionally moved she was about the prince and princess of the Crystal Empire. Love that strong was rare. “I knew it would eventually happen when they married. Have they left yet?”
“She wouldn't just tell me, Lulu. As much as she trusts me on other things, I don't think she trusts me to give her approval. No doubt that's why some of my journals went missing and why she intends to sideline me by going there directly. If they haven't left yet then they will soon. Shining Armor doesn't know about the Vine and I suspect she won't tell him until it's already over.”
Luna said nothing, unsure of whether she should voice her personal approval of Cadance's intent.
“She may have the greatest talent for love,” the white mare remarked, “but that has only given her a greed for her husband's life. Honestly, I think the Vine will grant her wish. Especially if it discovers their connection to Twilight.”
“It would. Sniveling little weed. Twilight will be pleased with it, though.”
“Still nursing your grudge against it, hm?” Celestia provoked her sibling while trying to get rid of some of the court cases that had piled up for signatures.
“It insulted your mane, Tia,” Luna protested adamantly. “The nerve!”
“You care much more about it than I do,” Celestia laughed gingerly while shaking her head. “Anyways, Twilight can't know about this until after it's already done. She still worries too much over the implications and might try to stop Cadance from going through with it.”
“What about Sombra then? He doesn't have much time left now that he's been unfrozen from the time spell. Those backed into a corner can be very dangerous, sister.”
Celestia stopped her signatures for a moment and turned back to her sibling, meeting eyes. “He'll have found out about us by now, but I can tell just from his magic that he's very shrewd. He could have died many times throughout his studies and the altercation at the Crystal Empire, but he's a survivalist. He cares too much about his own life to risk doing anything that would unite us against him.”
Luna stammered. “Y-you mean you're intentionally letting him go?”
A disturbing smile came over the elder's face. “It came to me a few nights ago when I was trying to get to sleep. Twilight needs a reason to come out of the bubble I put her in. Chrysalis helped at first but I'm beginning to wonder if that hive mentality of hers is making Twilight pull back.”
“So we're really going to go through with it? Twilight cannot handle Equestria as she is now, sister.”
“Perhaps not,” Celestia tapped the quill on a scroll behind her on the desk, “but that is why we need Sombra.”
“Great stars, Tia!” the Mare of the Night exclaimed. “And you said he was the shrewd one. Has Discord been playing with your mind?”
Celestia giggled. “No, but we might need his help if we're going to confront the ones that attacked the dragons. He has far more power than even he himself realizes – probably because he only ever fools around with it.”
Luna sighed in relent. “I don't want to do it, Tia. Just thinking about them gives me nightmares. I see mom's face-”
“Shh,” Celestia soothed her sister as she suddenly got up and approached her. She didn't like it when Luna trembled that way. “It'll be okay, Lulu. We're not fillies anymore. We can face them together.”
“But we are two and they are thousands. Even in their prime, our entire race couldn't defeat them.”
“We have many advantages over them now. No, let's not speak of it anymore. Today should not be so grave. Especially when we have plans for little Spike.”
Luna lightened up finally. “Oh? Are we sure about this? Once we start, it will be very hard to reverse events.”
“Rarity has always struck me as an interesting mare, much alike all of Twilight's friends,” Celestia mused and began levitating over a book that had been sitting on her desk. “She thinks herself socially clever but wears her heart right out on her sleeve. And as for Spike, he wears it on a fifty hoof high bulletin board.”
Luna giggled, past conversation intentionally forgotten. “I can't argue that.”
“I believe our mischief will begin with you, dear Lulu,” the taller mare declared as she flipped through the book that had no title or identification on it. “A dragon's dreams do have such an effect on them. There's no telling how much of his magic will start to show.”
“It will be the easiest of any dream-making I have done,” Luna straightened with pride. “I have seen his dreams and they are often of her in the first place. Innocent but persistent.”
Celestia paused and started walking to her bedroom's balcony as she found the place she was looking for in the book. It was her own notes on what she knew of a magic dragon's ability to access unicorn magic. “Just don't overdo it. I don't want him getting half as tall as a mountain again. The castle staff weren't too happy cleaning up after the hatching incident – nevermind what happened in Ponyville.”
“Who are you talking to?” Luna blanched. “I weave dreams as subtle as your aging face.”
“Indee-” Celestia began and then whirled around with pursed lips. “What did you say?”
Luna laughed as she swiftly darted out the door to go her personal room and the entrance to her dream world that was her bed. Celestia just stood there in her own chambers with a scowl and a mumbled promise to herself that she'd show which one of them had the “aging face.” But she had other matters to attend to, notes to take, and a quartet of sisters to unleash.
As for the dream-specialist, she knew Spike was prone to sleep earlier than the others and even nap in-between. Luna would have to exploit every moment if she was going to unlock the leviathan hidden inside. Even if her sister had not discussed it with her, she would have seen the meaning in it. Equestria needed all the help it could get for times ahead, to say nothing of the drake's adoptive mother, Twilight Sparkle.
Spike and the girls had assembled in the one massive bedroom that Celestia had arranged for them while the four guards stood at attention outside, two in the castle hallway and one at each of the other doors facing the outer courtyard. It had been a room specifically designed and built as an addition to the castle for use by a visiting dignitary from Saddle Arabia. Its use, however, had come and gone, which left it mostly worthless in spite of how well it was upkept by the proud castle staff.
The room was everything Twilight needed and, in fact, had a bit too much space. It was generally shaped like an oval but had two protrusions that stretched into the outer castle garden while opening up at the ends with a glass dome and door. It was a kind of layout Twilight had never seen before but vaguely remembered from one of the random books on foreign architectural norms she had read one night on a whim.
The most prominent feature besides the wealth of indoor plants, both standing and hanging, was the bed. It was at the center of a round stage that had short easy steps leading up to it, but there were no legs to it. Essentially, the bed was just a thick mattress laying on the floor with oversized sheets pooling at the sides. It made Twilight feel like she was touching a different world, all the sheets and various room decorations of peculiar color combinations and ornamental stitchings that could come only from Saddle Arabia itself.
“I do apologize, Twilight,” Rarity offered sincerely from where she was nestled on one corner of the massive mattress. “I'm just so overwhelmed right now.”
“You're overwhelmed?” Twilight groaned near the pillows at the top. “What am I supposed to be? Elated? Oh, sure. I get to live forever. I wonder what hayburgers will taste like next century!”
“My queen,” Chrysalis buzzed patiently and crawled over to calm her. “You're beginning to panic.”
“I was wondering how long that'd take,” Spike commented from across the other side of the mattress. He was engrossed in some comic book and didn't look away from it. “There was a little extra incubation time for that meltdown.”
“Incubation?” Rainbow raised a brow at him. She finally turned her attention from messing with the sheet edges, trying to figure out how such things were supposed to fold.
“What?” he put down his comic and defended himself.
“I don't know, sport,” the pegasus grinned. “Don't hear you use the ten bit words very often.”
Spike tried hard not to blush in embarrassment, especially with Rarity right there. “H-hey,” he stuttered, “I know how to use a dictionary, you know.”
After the words were out, Spike realized how bad they sounded. There he was making himself a goofball again. Nopony else seemed to pick it up, though.
“At least Spike will be with me. Oh dear Celestia...” Twilight's eyes widened as she realized again how none of the others around her would live as long as her, save for the dragon.
“Careful, my queen,” Chrysalis whispered close to the mare's ear, but had a joking grin on her muzzle. “The princess might hear you using her name carelessly.”
Twilight frowned at her changeling and bopped her on the head with a forehoof. “You're not helping.”
“Hey, Twi,” Rainbow hovered over with her wings and landed so close that she nearly dropped onto Twilight. “When were you going to tell Rarity?”
“Tell me what?” the fashionista narrowed her eyes but kept suspicion from her voice. In truth, she had been curious about many things and couldn't guess as to which Rainbow had just implicated.
The purple alicorn cringed. She had never told Rarity why she had insisted on the large bedroom. She could only presume the unicorn went along without comment because she wasn't against the idea of what was essentially a group sleepover. But it went deeper than that. Much deeper.
In reading her friend's face, Rarity took the tactful route. “You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, Twilight. I do respect your privacy.”
“No,” Twilight waved it off. “You need to know – just as you needed to know whether or not I might be immortal now. We're best friends and I don't want any secret coming between us.”
“Best friends?” Rarity smiled and cooed. “It's so nice of you to say that, Twilight.”
Before the pony queen could make any response, the Element of Generosity stepped over and nuzzled her friend.
“I'm serious,” Rarity insisted. “Pinkie may have plenty of friends but not everypony is so lucky, especially with having true friends. I'm honored to have you as mine.”
Twilight softened at that unexpected response. She really hadn't meant to invoke such a thing and was moved by Rarity's forthcoming attitude. Applejack would be proud of that honesty if she were with them. The alicorn simply nuzzled her friend in return.
“Well, you've always been so understanding, Rarity,” Twilight began. “I need to tell you that something has happened in my life.”
“Oh?” Rarity sat straight in front of Twilight. Her interest was genuine. Twilight phrasing anything in such a manner was bound to be important. Of course, her mind went directly to wondering if she was about to confess starting some romantic relationship. But, then, Rarity was such a romantic herself that she couldn't help such fascinations.
“I...well, Chrysalis...” the queen fumbled on her start. Where exactly was she supposed to start anyways? “Do you know anything about changeling hive mentality?” she finally landed on. It was better than nothing.
Rarity's lips went slantwise as she thought. “I am afraid I am only more familiar with, ehm, relationships as it were. Do tell, though.”
Chrysalis laid back onto the bedsheets and sprawled out in relaxation. Her mind was patiently working out how she would rig the bedroom for her queen's sleep. The number of necessary connections were considerable, but she was confident she could do it. Meanwhile, Rainbow sat her head on her forehooves where she was laying and watched for the reactions Rarity might show. Pinkie Pie moved over to another corner of the bed and drew out some mechanical items from her mysterious item-carrying mane, putting on some equally mysterious goggles as she worked with the gears of the equipment.
Spike kept reading his comic but kept his ears elsewhere. He had been neither here nor there on Twilight's entire hivemind situation. He knew what she was basically going through but he had limited experience of it. It did come to his curiosity whether or not something was happening with the ponies as he slept beside them but he didn't know what. As far as he could tell, it was a matter concerning them and not him. On the other claw, if Rarity would be affected by it then he would definitely want to know.
“Changelings exist in what we know as a 'hive' society. They are connected by telepathy - basically linking minds to each other so they can easily share information and coordinate as one large group.”
Rarity nodded, showing her comprehension.
“This mental connection is something we refer to as a 'hivemind.' But changelings can choose to forcefully remove members from it should they collectively decide to do so.”
“You did mention something about that happening to Chrysalis when you first told me you had...saved her,” Rarity subconsciously brought a forehoof beside her cheek as she contemplated where Twilight was going with it.
“Yes,” the alicorn reiterated. “Chrysalis was removed from her hivemind. But now there is another.”
“Another?” Rarity raised her brows and dropped her hoof, awaiting the answer.
Twilight didn't hesitate this time. “Mine,” she clarified.
Rarity blinked. Across the bed Chrysalis smiled.
“She was having a hard time without one,” the queen explained. “She set things up so I could be the center of a new hivemind and I decided it couldn't hurt. She needs my help just like she did back then.”
“You seem to care about her wellbeing quite a bit,” Rarity spoke softly in a form of reflection.
Twilight straightened her posture and breathed deep. “I do. But I care about all of my friends. I didn't plan it exactly but Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all wound up connected to me through this hivemind. I found out stuff I never knew about them and strange things have started happening, but I'm glad it all happened.”
“When?” Rarity furrowed her brows in mild concern.
“All in the last few days,” Twilight admitted.
Rarity shifted in her spot and looked for words to say.
“My guards as well,” the queen added, getting another brow-rising from the unicorn. “The two I've connected with so far have been quite the gentlecolts,” she giggled, having only realized that fact herself.
“My apologies, Twilight,” Rarity pressed her lips in lack of certainty. “What do you mean about finding out things? What has happened exactly?”
“The hivemind is a full mental connection,” Twilight repeated. “I see everything in one member's mind just as they see mine, so memories are shared too.”
Rarity blushed as she glanced quickly to the others in the room. “Everything?”
“Yes,” Twilight answered cheerfully.
“Is that not a bit, ehm,” Rarity was careful to phrase it, “embarrassing?”
Twilight flipped her mane aside so she could also glance around at the others. That's when she noticed Pinkie doing something odd, but she kept taking to Rarity. “Yes. At first, I mean. But it's unbelievably calming afterwards – like having a stone removed from your back. I guess that's because everypony I've connected with so far has been very open and understanding. I have some pretty awesome friends,” she enthused at the end.
Rarity forced a smile but still felt conflicted on the privacy of the whole thing.
“Anyways, that's the reason I asked for this room,” the purple pony concluded. “Chrysalis needs to create a temporary link for us to connect while we sleep because this hivemind of mine is a little wonky right now. I guess it makes sense, though. Ponies don't usually have their own hiveminds.”
“That explains the queen business then,” Rarity decided. “I thought it might just be an old changeling's habit of terminology, but I see it was literal now.”
“Who's old?” Chrysalis buzzed in retort from across the bed.
They all laughed, though in good humor.
“You're not old, my little changeling,” Twilight soothed.
“Nor am I little,” Chrysalis returned in the same tone, a smile returning to her face.
“No,” Twilight agreed flatly. “You're not.”
Pinkie Pie looked up from her increasingly complex mechanical contraptions and offered an ominous-sounding inquiry. “So when does the Rarity Fairy get to join the party?”
Twilight opened her mouth but said nothing and looked back to her white unicorn companion.
“I admit I am concerned, but I also have to admit I am curious,” the fashionista tapped a hoof to her chin. “How were the others...connected...as it were?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.03 seconds
Total duration
600 users online
912,536 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
You mean "telepathically". "Telekinetically" involves moving objects with one's mind, like what unicorns do when they grab things with magic.
The word you're looking for is "affect".
4443203 Affect and Effect, such minor differences in the wording yet such a profound difference in their impact and power over a sentence.
Also Next chapter will be awesome.
4443203
Yes, as Jphyper here points out. The word is Telepathic, not telekinetic.
From the words:
Tele: Which is a prefix to mean 'over long distances'.
Pathic: Which is defined as 'denoting feelings'.
Where as...
kinetic: 'Relating to, or resulting in motion.'
(I love knowing the component meanings of composite words. It's a lot harder to get them mixed up when they go together like lego blocks.)
Why do I get the feeling that Luna trying to influence Spike's dream while he sleeps in the temp ring will lead to complications?
4444623
Oooooh, snap.
4444623
Yeah, I can see this coming as well.
Started reading yesterday and just finished catching up - I'm hooked and looking forward to more.
thanks for the update
... Oh. Oh dear.
And they thought Fluttershy was bad.
Can't wait for more either way!
4443768 Only mildly?!
I'm not trying hard enough...
Damn, we're getting a real fleshed out plot! I know I've heard of the Vine somewhere else... ugh, all I can remember is it was part of a good story.
4449312
It was mentioned earlier in the story. It helps Discord, I think.
So... is Chrysalis going to be Shining's sister-in-law? Because that would be an interesting conversation to see.
4452215
It hadn't occurred to Chrysalis until just then. Oh, the irony of it all. She had impersonated Cadance with the intent of taking Shining Armor's love and now, though she impersonated none but herself, she was taking Twilight Sparkle's love instead. It didn't make her feel bad because it was truly genuine. On the other hoof, it made a snide fang-filled grin creep onto her face.
The wedding itself would be nothing in comparison to the look on the faces of her new in-laws. Shining Armor and Cadance would definitely make for the best extended family. What presents would they offer at the reception? What ill and uncomfortable looks would they have? She would have to make for the most magnificence banter. The dinner table jokes would be priceless.
Well, I couldn't nab the brother so I figured I'd shoot for the sister.
Chrysalis laughed so hard that her transparent wings started to buzz about in a spasm. She could just imagine the horrified looks on their faces. How would they respond to that? Nervous chuckles and ill stomachs? There's was simply too much fun to be had with the new relational dynamics she'd have.
Rarity sighed in aggravation. "This is the last time, Chrysalis."
The unicorn was getting tired of how many times Chrysalis would fall onto the floor in a fit of laughter and wrinkle her perfectly tailored wedding gown. The changeling, of course, didn't give a muffin. Her inexhaustible supply of love she received from Twilight gave her the magical strength to fix it a thousand times in half a second.
DING!
A chime had suddenly sounded somewhere outside the waiting room.
"There, you see?" Rarity grouched as she got the changeling back to her hooves and smoothed out the folds. "It's time for the walk and you've gone and creased it again."
"You worry too much," Chrysalis hummed as a flash of green magic fixed the rest. "There won't be any problems today."
Rarity puffed a cheek stubbornly as she led the shape-shifter towards the double doors. "A thousand things can go wrong at such a grand Canterlot wedding as this. What makes you so certain?"
"Because, dear Rarity," Chrysalis purred with head held high. The doors opened. "This day is going to be perfect..."
...is one possible answer to your question if I totally wanted to mess with you.
4453527 4444623 4447312
I got a feeling that Luna entering Spike's dream and by doing that is gonna make her apart of Twilight's hivemind.
4453527 I already shipped TwiDash. I now find myself shipping Chrysalis/Twilight as well. You're a horrible monster.
... And now I don't know whether to just ship it as a herd, or not.
4455808 Yes, that seems to be the general agreement.
I'm impressed and intrigued. 116,995 words consist of about 3 or 4 days of storytelling. That's a wonderfully detailed story right there. Your over 100,000 words in and i feel like you have barely scratched the surface. You have my full interest. I eagerly await the next chapter.
And to think you planed for this to be a one shot, ha, you make me laugh. Once you start you can't stop.
Also I declare you master of sub plots. So much is going on at once that my mind is raging up a storm on all the implications, something big is coming. Not a moments rest in this story, just one mind blowing revelation after the other. Makes me wonder why Twi isn't completely losing it like she should be. I suspect that the hivemind has a buffer system of some sorts to act as a safety net to keep the queen grounded. It has fundamentally altered her mind to deal with more bullshit before breaking. I have a feeling that the more people she links to the more stable she will become, each mind acting as a pillar to help stabilizer her as well as the personality drift of the other calmer individuals to work as a coping mechanize.
In laymans terms, their minds deal with bullshit as a collective rather then as an individual significantly decreasing the strain on a singular mind.
I'm still trying to figure out if this is a good thing...
I just really, Really, hope that they don't get too much personality drift and manage to keep their mind connected but separate. Otherwise things might get... Complicated.
4456693
Thank you.
Yes, the hivemind presents great opportunity but also great danger. It could prevent overload on any single member by distributing stress. The connection could even allow for new powers or abilities never heard of in a changeling hivemind. But there's just as much concern there. They could lose themselves in the collective. If something goes wrong, it could go straight to every member's mind and that would be the end of the Elements of Harmony. But have faith. Twilight is no pushover. She can get serious like nopony's business (ref. Twilight's Kingdom).
4456370
Nopony can escape the Chrysalis lovebug. You're very welcome.
4457877 "No-ling" thankyewverymuch.
I may or may not be a traitor to the hive, but still a changeling, bro.
... We need a Queen Chrysalis emote on here too.
4457658
So either it could be a glorious work of art ushering in an era of peace through unity and understanding of one another that is capable of surmounting any challenge and everyone is happy to live a life of acceptance and love or the minds could degenerate to the point of total personality merge and loss of "self" leading to a "we are legion" scenario with a side of total insanity which would very quickly lead it to being seen as an affliction by the people who would seek to destroy or contain it out of fear forcing the insane confused collective consciousness to defend itself or be destroyed.
...
Great opportunity and danger indeed.
Make no mistake I love reading stories and getting immersed in their worlds. It's one of my greatest joys. I intend to take all I've read and learned to create one huge story of my own one day. For this reason I can get a little... emotionally invested... with the stories I read. When I read the first few chapters I immediately picked up on the danger of personality merging and mental degradation. I'm usually made of some pretty stern stuff but I won't lie. I have a serious soft spot for my precious ponies and the thought of what could go wrong in this scenario...
It terrifies me.
It's not that I dislike dark or sad stories, in fact enjoy the stories that discuss serious ideas. I like the "heavy" or "deep" stuff basically.The stuff that makes you think. I like the happy warm stuff and the dark stuff feels like a weight on my heart that only makes the moment of closure or warm fuzzies all the more elated. I like the stories where the characters have to go through hardship and come out better for it, to not let it defeat them. The heroes fall and redemption.
For we know it is from darkness and pressure that a diamond is made.
It's one of the reasons I likes your story so much. I adore the idea of redemption. True evil doesn't exist. Chrysalis wasn't evil, she was just a mother trying to feed her children. Luna wasn't a monster, she was lonely. All she wanted was to be accepted. All she wanted was a little love. Was that too much to ask for? What of Sombras plight? What of Discords? Celestia was so alone, in so much pain, that she turned the dark magic of a madman on an innocent filly. Can we blame her? Monsters are not born they are made, no matter who or what they are. They only do what they can with the cards they are given, they cannot be blamed for their circumstances. They are shrouded in darkness, lost and hurt. But sometimes all it takes is a strangers kindness, an enemies undeserved forgiveness, a pure heart reaching down to pull you up from the abyss like a drowning man taking a breath. To pull you into the light and give you kindness you didn't deserve. To make you something better. Something brighter. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.
It is a funny thing that the more you understand, the harder it is to hate.
Celestia and Luna must be hurting so much. You showed Chrysalis not as a villain but as a desperate mother, just trying to make her children happy.
And for this I thank you.
4459508
It's rare that I hear those words but it's very uplifting when I do. What you said was the very reason I wrote Queen No More in the first place. In fact, it's one reason why I felt compelled to do a retelling as well (which is set for release in a few months).
When I was growing up, all I ever heard were stories of defeating bad guys and locking them up. I never knew there was anything different. Then I started watching FiM and it started to dawn on me that there might be something better. Nightmare Moon was defeated but, instead of doing the usual by sending her back to the moon, she was brought into redemption by the Elements of Harmony and a sibling that just wanted her little sister back.
I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me too. It's not stories of justice that draw me in but stories of redemption. Maybe it would be "just" to have Luna still on the moon, Discord still in stone, and Chrysalis banished or dead. But then maybe the world is a better place with them in it - experiencing the joys of friendship.
The concept of salvation gives us hope because we can believe that, no matter what happens in life and no matter how bad we mess up, there is someone who will see past that and accept us with open arms. And after this, we can do the same for others. Maybe I'm just too sappy but it brings a smile to my face to think I could cheer someone up by accepting them for who they are and even give them a reason to want to keep living.
I could never be more grateful for the magic of friendship.
4461499
Words well spoke. It isn't sappy in the least. It says something about the world we are in that something like that is "sappy" or that something like friendship is "childish". Like it's not really important in the "real" world. It makes me sad sometimes. and at other times....
RAGE
It shocks me how people can be so blind sometimes.
When I saw the world how it was I resolved I would never let my inner child die and hold on to my values regardless if it was perceived as "childish" or "naive". As far as the I'm concerned the world needs a little childish. I resolved to be a light for others in this dark world, to relive a little stress, to offer a hand, to bring a smile every once and a while.
kinda like... well... kinda like a cross between pinkie and shy with a touch of serious.
It should go without saying why I like MLP:FiM so much.
Well anyway thanks for the conversation. I eagerly await the next chapter my like minded friend. Just one thing however...
Never ever let the world defeat you.
There's one thing about this story that bothers me.
Humans have two thumbs (usually) to work with.
Why is it that I can only give one of them for a story I really like?
oh i like the story so far can't waited to read more of it yay.
good job btw i really dso enjoy the story.
4461499 Personally, I started to root for the villains after awhile, seeing how the heroes never really gave them a second chance. It's natural to root for the underdog, and when the heroes always win, it starts to become unpleasant. One of the reasons I didn't like how the changelings were dealt with is it fell into the same pattern as the old hero/villain disney cliche. True love conquers all, villains banished/destroyed/defeated forever. Everyone is happy, hooray.
Thanks for being such a cool author.
Except what about the villains?
And of course Discord gets his redemption, though he arguably did far worse than Chrysalis. But the Queen doesn't get her own chance for redemption. So I really enjoy that so many bronies are brony-lings instead, and write cool fanfics like this one for the Hive.
4469521
No problem there. This is what makes us cool and stuff, ya know?
And we can always hope that they apply the ol' magic of friendship to the changelings in season 5. I mean, just imagine how wicked sick awesome that would be. The possibilities give my face a creepy maniacal look of pure joy.
4469604
Well, everypony and everyling here is pretty cool, but some are cool for other, slightly less cool reasons than reasons like this. 
I'd like it more if, rather than applying the magic of friendship, they'd actually play up the aspect of changeling integration into Equestria. Chrysalis is, after all, a queen. But just playing with changeling/pony dynamics would make for an interesting story, and teach a valuable moral lesson about helping others regardless of the past.
Odds of it happening are low though.
4469863
Don't say that. I can dream. I can dream!
4471328 A stallion can dream, can't he?
Well this is quite a step up from the Queen No More, but I feel like it's going too far in the wrong direction. It's almost like you're compensating for what I felt was mediocre source material.
(Sorry folks, I didn't care for it. I will accept your knee-jerk thumbs down reactions now
)
You made up for the first entry of this alternate universe by starting off really well after the time skip. Chrysalis's plight was very engaging and the way she went about it was great for a reformed villain, but my interest is waning having finished reading chapter 15. I just don't feel like continuing with how random some of these ventures you let us see don't seem to really matter. If it doesn't build up to something anywhere in a later chapter, the first half of that chapter at this point would be summed up easily in a few sentences of Pinkie getting distracted without losing anything except the unnecessary world building. The idea of Chekhov's gun keeps coming to mind...
Anton Chekhov
In the same light, these little romps we go through with other characters at where I'm at right now seems to be a journey followed without reason. I saw no reason to hang out with Pinkie Pie or Discord for as long as we did in the previous chapters.
I want to keep going because some of it is interesting me, but other stuff just keeps happening and I don't know why we are spending time with it. It's like you're juggling a multitude of different balls when three would sufficiently impress me. Am I the only one who feels this way?
4475744
I gave you a thumbs up for honesty.
4475744
Since the author has not responded this, and since I liked how you explained your thoughts, but disagree with them, I propose my counter argument.
In most stories, your criticism would be spot on. The plot is rather slow moving. Chekhov's guns either have a really long firing delay, or are simply malfunctioning, and just won't fire.
But the plot isn't really what this story is about. It isn't about a build up to the climax, and then an epilogue. Its about the normally boring stuff, the simple interactions and thought processes of the characters. Yes, there is clearly a plot. But it isn't the center of the story.
The center of the story is the interactions of the ponies, and how the masks they wear or different, or in some cases basically the same, from who they actually are. We see how the dynamics of their relations change as their secrets are exposed for all to see in the hivemind. This doesn't allow for a plot like an action movie, but it is still interesting and good.
I will give you that some of the content is boring, and sometimes unnecessary. Your Pinky example is a good one of this. But in general I feel this story works for what it sets out to do. It may not work for you, but I feel it is still well written.
4453527 I wish I could upvote this comment more than once. Hilarious!
Keeps getting better and better. I just hope Chryssie finds a way to live forever too.
The others too, I guess. :B
Considering it's a fundamental aspect of the world shouldn't it be billions of years old.