Chapter 6
Twilight woke up feeling much less tired than she had expected, especially for how little she had slept the previous night. She performed her morning checklist—she made her bed, brushed her mane and her teeth, ensured that she would have enough toothpaste to last until her next scheduled shopping trip (a bit of a moot point now that she was a princess and could simply order another tube brought to her room at any time, but it was still part of her ritual and she didn’t much feel like changing it), and prepared breakfast.
Prepared for breakfast, to be more accurate. And preparation included a little light reading until the appointed breakfast time. Having exhausted her search for changeling literature, she instead moved to another topic that interested her.
Twilight found herself so engrossed in String Theory and the Multiverse—How They’re Connected and What You Should Know that she failed to notice that she was late for breakfast until there was a gentle knock on her door. She looked up to see Shining Armor.
“You hungry?” he asked. “Breakfast is ready.”
Twilight jumped out of bed and grinned sheepishly. “Right! I knew that...”
“You’re energetic this morning,” Shining observed. “Did you sleep well? I know I did,” he said with a self-satisfied smirk.
Twilight blushed ever so slightly. “I can imagine,” she said, her voice rising nearly an octave in pitch.
Shining gave her a confused look, but thankfully didn't ask for clarification.
Breakfast looked delicious. It was Twilight’s favorite, oat waffles with strawberry cream and a heaping helping of raspberries. For some reason, though, Twilight did not feel like eating. She poked at her breakfast, but only ate a few bites.
Celestia, ever observant, had to comment. “Do you want something else?”
“No,” Twilight shrugged. “I don't know what I want. I’m just… not sure what I want. Nothing really appeals to me this morning.”
Cadence looked concerned (understandable, as she’d just come out of the hospital), but Shining Armor gave her a gentle nudge. “Twily is a big girl,” he said, giving Cadence a little nuzzle. “She can take care of herself.”
Twilight licked her lips, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She slid her plate away and stood up. “I'm going to go see the changelings.”
Shining's jaw dropped (and he briefly regretted his previous statement). Cadence also bit her lower lip, but before she could protest, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “So soon?” she asked.
Twilight shrugged.
“You can't even understand them,” Shining pointed out.
“I know,” Twilight said, “but I really feel I need to be there. They're lost and looking to me for guidance, I can feel it. I need to try whatever I can. Like you're always there for your ponies.”
Celestia nodded. “Then go in peace, Twilight,” she said.
Cadence watched uneasily as Twilight left, and when she leaned on Shining again it was a wordless plea for comfort, which he wholeheartedly offered.
* * *
It was easy enough to find the changelings' temporary hive in the crystal caverns beneath the castle; it was almost completely surrounded by guards. There was only one small entrance on this level, and it was guarded by two guardsponies who paused only long enough to scan her and then bow as she passed.
As she entered, every changeling paused and turned and bowed as well, deep bows that Twilight had never seen ponies use before.
"Hail, your highness," one said.
Twilight nodded... and then turned and stared at the speaker in surprise.
"Did I displease you, my queen?" he asked hesitantly, subconsciously shifting backwards to present as small and nonthreatening a target as possible.
Twilight hesitated, and she caught a whiff of his fear. “No, it's just... You’re Bruch, the traitor, the first changeling I met.”
“Yes...”
“And I understand you now."
“Yes.”
“And you’re in changeling form.”
“I am.” The changeling licked his lips, not sure where she was going with this. “Should not a queen understand her subjects?”
“I… I guess that makes sense,” Twilight said hesitantly. Perhaps it was some magic—they had accepted her as queen, so maybe she picked up their language… somehow? This was going to require some research… of which there was none available. Twilight exhaled. Ah well. Field research was even more fulfilling at times, and she had come prepared. "Also, I am just a princess. You may refer to me as such."
"Yes, my queen."
There was a slightly awkward silence as her willing subjects remained in their bowing stance, making Twilight feel extraordinarily awkward. She still hadn’t gotten used to this whole ‘ponies bowing to her’ thing. “Um… As you were,” she said, waving her hoof in a gentle shooing motion.
The bustle returned slowly as the changelings resumed their various duties. Twilight stared, watching them work almost like a swarm of bees. There were changelings flying, walking, or doing some combination of the two, but there were no crashes. Some carried crystal pieces, perhaps for building or disposal, while others hauled small shiny green spheres and still others carried tools. Twilight found herself slightly mesmerized at the constant flow of motion.
Bruch raised a hoof hesitantly. “Did you require anything, my queen?”
“Yes,” Twilight said, shaking herself out of her reverie. She lit her horn and pulled out a list. “I made a checklist of all the things I would need as I assumed power. Number one. Where are her advisors?”
“Advisors, my queen?”
“You know, po- uh, changelings who give her advice, who she bounced ideas off of?”
Bruch looked mildly amused at this concept. “There are none, my queen. Chrysalis did everything herself.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Ok, royal decree number one. No more calling me 'my queen'. Just 'princess' or Twilight is fine.”
The changeling flinched. At first, Twilight thought it was just from being reprimanded, but to her surprise, the changeling beyond him shivered too. As did his neighbor. As did the female next to him. Almost like a wave spreading out with Twilight as the epicenter, every changeling twitched and then returned to work.
“What was that?”
“You gave a royal decree, princess,” Bruch said simply. “We must obey.”
Twilight frowned. “That was... weird.”
The changeling cocked his head. “Do not the ponies also obey their leaders?”
“Well, yes, but they’re not forced to,” Twilight said.
He nodded. “Ah. As long as I am in the hive, I must obey the queen.”
Twilight picked up on his word choice. “Then are there changelings not in the hive? Like rogue changelings or something?” she asked. Drict had mentioned banishment. Perhaps that was the highest punishment a changeling queen could inflict?
The changeling nervously licked his fangs. “A few, of course. Renegades, outcasts, that sort of thing; but we live better under a queen. We’re social creatures.”
Twilight nodded. “As are ponies. Maybe we’re not so different after all. Follow me. You can be my advisor for now.”
Bruch bowed. “Yes, Princess.”
The two walked through the crystal caves. Twilight observed much. She saw changelings flying, walking (on both walls and floor), hovering; yet they never crashed. To her surprise, she noticed that the changelings seemed to have a societal structure as well, such as when two changelings carving out a doorway through the crystal were communicating and drawing very specific lines along the wall as guides. She even saw one larger changeling leading a group of smaller changelings, much like a teacher leading her class.
As they entered a larger chamber, Twilight recognized a few of the scorch marks on the crystals, and suppressed a shudder as she remembered the last time she was here. Yet at the same time, it felt comfortable; familiar somehow. She shook her head and spoke. “One of the things Chrysalis said during the wedding was it was her responsibility as queen to provide food for her changelings, and that responsibility is now mine. I would like to know all there is about how changelings feed on love.”
Bruch rubbed the back of his head with a nervous hoof. “I… I really don't know, Princess. We just absorb it.”
Twilight nodded and then asked the burning question she'd been wanting to ask for a long time. “Do you harm your prey?”
Bruch snorted derisively, then flinched, quickly bowing his head and bending his whole body in submission. When Twilight’s only reaction was to cock her head in confusion, he slowly straightened up and and shook his head. “That's a good way to make sure you lose all your prey,” he said. “Emotions are like sunlight; ponies just freely emit them. They're already there and are ours for the taking. We just absorb them and store them.”
Twilight tapped her chin. "Ok, then… Can changelings eat anything else, or is it just love?”
This one Bruch could answer. "Any emotion, really. Positive ones feel good, and negative ones make us sick. Love is best, but we can feed on just about any emotion. We can also digest simple fungi. I think Grahm is growing some right now, if you’d like to see."
“I would, but maybe later. What kind of love, specifically?” Twilight asked, pulling out a piece of paper and taking notes furiously.
"A mother's love is purest and most nourishing, but it's difficult to get. Romantic love is sweetest. We can get a little nourishment from ambient love, like loving life or loving your job—that's what we're living on right now, actually—but love directed at us is best.”
Twilight nodded as she continued scribbling. “That helps explain why she chose Equestria, and also why you take the form of loved ones,” she mused. “Alright. And what about the opposites, like hatred or fear?”
Bruch made a disgusted face. “Both disgusting, but they'll keep us alive if we're desperate.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And lust?”
“Slightly bitter, but quite palatable.” His voice lowered. “Some changelings like the taste a little too much, actually,” he confessed.
“And admiration?”
“Edible, but fairly thin, so you don't have to worry about the Wonderbolts being replaced anytime soon.” He grinned and flapped his membranous wings. “Besides, our wings are designed for hovering and hauling heavy loads, not speed. Learning to fly as a pegasus is a whole new experience.”
Twilight nodded again as she wrote that down, too. “Ok. I think I understand. But I don’t get how changelings who don’t go outside get nourishment.”
Bruch smiled, revealing more of his pointed fangs. “Oh, that one I can answer, too.”
* * *
Twilight followed Bruch into a deeper, darker section of the hive. Ducking under a web of slime that served as a sort of partition, she paused at what she saw.
“This is our food storage,” Bruch said, pointing. “Love is converted into liquid form and stored, like that.”
Twilight took in the new sight. There in front of her was a small pool, apparently hollowed out from the crystal floor below. It didn't appear very deep at all. A changeling stood on an outcropping built of rocks and slime, holding a long, metal pole with a rounded paddle on the end, which he was using to stir the thick greenish-blue goop underneath. Next to him, there were small balls of what looked like some kind of gelatin, but with different swirling colors inside, looking like marbles about the size of billiard balls. Twilight could see that, when still, the top of the goop quickly began to form a slight crust; but the constant stirring kept it liquid. The changeling was engrossed in his work, but when he felt eyes on him, he looked back. Seeing Twilight, he snapped to attention, bringing the stick up like a spear in a salute—and accidentally flinging sticky remnants of the liquid into the air.
Twilight flinched as specks of green… whatever it was hit her in the face. She was moderately annoyed that she hadn’t seen that one coming or been fast enough to cast a shield to block it.
The changeling, however, reacted very differently, and quickly dropped to a deep bow, quivering fearfully.
“My apologies, princess,” he whispered. “I know I'm unworthy, but...”
“Rise,” Twilight said wearily. She was getting really sick of that sour taste. “It was an accident.”
The changeling looked up in shock, and his jaw hung open. Bruch nodded encouragingly and he stood up warily.
“What is your name?” Twilight asked.
“Jarret,” he answered hesitantly.
“And what do you do here?”
Jarret cracked a half-smile. “I keep the food supply.”
“Can you show me how it works?” Twilight asked.
“Certainly,” Jarret said, somewhat confused that he should have to explain this process (which to him had always been instinctive), but he was never one to turn down an invitation from the queen. Picking up his stick again, he stirred quickly and kicked one of the pods at his hooves into the pool. It floated on top, submerged halfway. With practiced efficiency, he lit his horn and shot a tiny spark at the pod, and scored a direct hit. The pod melted and began diffusing into the liquid as he stirred. He dropped the stick and slid on two small metal hooks on cuffs over his forehooves. He dipped them in and with a surprisingly dexterous movement, he spun them around each other and formed a small ball, looking for all the world like a master glassweaver. He balanced it on one hook and held the ball out respectfully in front of his queen.
She picked it up and examined it, and then hesitantly bit it like an apple. Green liquid spurted out, coating the inside of her mouth and her chin and making her cough and sputter helplessly.
Jarret also had to suppress the urge to cough, but his sounded suspiciously like laughter.
Bruch shook his head, also trying valiantly to suppress a chuckle. “That's not how it's usually done, Princess,” he said.
“I gathered,” Twilight said dryly. “What was that? It was a little…” She licked her lips, trying to think of the words, “thin,” she finally decided, “and very bitter, a bit sour. Kindof tingly.”
Jarret winced. “It's better when there's more tender love in it,” he said apologetically. “It's whatever we can scrape together right now, and that's mostly apprehension, fear, and some ambient love. Next time, it'll be better.” He grinned, already feeling more at ease with his new queen. “And next time, maybe pierce the shell with a fang and suck the stuff out like a coconut,” he said with a grin, miming the actions.
“I don't have fangs,” Twilight protested.
“They'll come in time,” Bruch said comfortingly.
Twilight frowned and was about to ask him to explain further when two changelings walked in behind. Upon seeing Twilight, they bowed respectfully.
“As you were,” she said instinctively.
The changelings nodded and continued, heading over to where Jarret stood. “Pot or side?” one asked.
“What do you have?” Jarret asked.
“A little residual love, mostly work stuff. Found this bucktoothed guy cleaning windows and having the time of his life while doing it, so that was a pretty good conversation.”
“Wait,” Twilight interrupted. “You’re leaving? Like, going out on Canterlot streets? And the guards are letting you do that?”
The changeling who had spoken turned and grinned. “What they don’t know don’t hurt them.” He brought a hoof to cover his mouth to hide his giggles at her shocked expression. “We’re changelings, your highness. Master infiltrators. No offense intended, but we’re in and out before those golden bucketheads even notice that we're gone.”
Twilight decided it was not prudent to admit that she was related to the leader of those golden bucketheads, but also decided she might drop a little hint to him anyway.
Jarret shrugged and continued stirring. “Better than everything else I've gotten today. Pot's good.”
One leaned over the pool and began making hacking noises, spinning his tongue around in his mouth. Twilight could only stare in horror as a nearly identical pod (albeit a bit smaller and purplish in color) slid out of the changeling's mouth, nearly identical to a cat hacking up a hairball. Jarret quickly stabbed it and stirred it into the mixture, sending the color swirling around.
Understandably, Twilight began to feel somewhat ill.
Bruch noticed his queen slumping and quickly tried to remedy it. “Perhaps her majesty would rather see something else? The nursery, perhaps?”
Twilight swallowed and nodded shakily.
* * *
Twilight had seen many foals in her lifetime, and was somewhat unsurprised to see that changeling nymphs were quite similar (aside from the discarded chitin shards scattered around the room, that is). She was standing in the nursery, surrounded by no fewer than fifteen nymphs. The room was sparsely decorated, and it seemed they were using colorful rocks as playthings. The nymphs themselves were little, with that same awkward proportions pony foals had, with the head too large and the legs too small for the rest of their frame. Most were standing around her, looking up in curiosity. One even lifted a little hoof and poked her leg, almost as if trying to see if she were real.
Their caretaker rushed to apologize, but Twilight waved her off. She’d been around enough foals to expec-
“Ow!”
Well, to expect everything; including for one to bite her upraised hoof, as foals often put things in their mouths to identify them. She also learned fairly quickly that changeling nymphs have sharp teeth, either as a vestigial defense or more probably used for getting out of their egg shells. Twilight chuckled, barely noticing the caretaker quivering in a low bow behind her. Perhaps transitioning to lead these changelings wouldn’t be so different after all.
Of course, that just led to more questions. She turned back to Bruch. “And reproduction... What happens now that Chrysalis isn't around to lay eggs?” She paused. “I can't lay eggs, can I?”
Bruch paused. “You can; but all changelings can reproduce,” he answered slowly, as if he feared for his queen's sanity. Surely, that would have been obvious. Hadn’t she heard his speech about how he had lost his wife and both their eggs? A small tendril of doubt crept into his mind.
Twilight blushed. “Oh, I thought… you know, like honeybees.”
Bruch gave her a flat look, and Twilight got the distinct impression that had it been anypony else who had said that, it would have been considered highly offensive.
She turned to the caretaker. “They’re not all yours, right?”
The caretaker laughed… then quickly shoved her hooves over her mouth and dropped to another frightened, low bow. When it became apparent that Twilight was not going to be angry with her, she straightened up and said, though with plenty of respect in her voice, “No, of course not. I don't even have a mate yet. I just really like taking care of foals.”
“It seems like you’ve got a nice system of jobs,” Twilight noted, looking over at Bruch.
“We do now,” the caretaker said with just a hint of bitterness. “In our queen’s absence, we chose our own assignments. Under Chrysalis, we’d often get shifted around as punishment.”
Bruch leaned in and explained, “Piquis here was thought to be too soft to raise warriors, so she often got stuck on pit cleaning duty. That’s no one’s favorite job.”
Twilight nodded.
“But I like working with nymphs,” Piquis said, gathering the closest nymph up and wrapping it in a tight hug. The nymph gnawed affectionately on her ear, and Twilight couldn’t suppress a smile at the adorable sight.
Piquis giggled as the nymph pawed at her body. “Aw, are you hungry, Chichi? Hold on,” and with a quick retching motion and sound, she spat up a small trail of purple energy, letting it dangle from her her tongue as little Chichi opened his mouth and slurped it up from where it was hanging.
Brunch looked over at Twilight and saw that she looked quite physically green, and not the healthy slime color, either.
“I… Uh… I think I've seen enough for now,” Twilight said shakily, taking a retreating step back. “I think I'll… you know… go see what Cadence is doing.”
Bruch flinched at the mention of that name, but nodded. “Very well, Princess. I'll show you out, then?”
“Please.”
* * *
The dinner discussion topic, of course, centered on changelings. Twilight first and foremost. “I’ve learned a great many things about changelings.” She swallowed. “Many… interesting things.”
“You’re adapting well,” Celestia observed. “Do you think you are ready to lead them alone?”
“No,” Twilight confessed, “but I've got a few good changelings I trust. I think I'll be fine.”
Cadence bit her lower lip and worried. The words 'trust' and 'changeling' didn't seem like they should go together.
That worry almost tripled, though, when Twilight pushed back an almost full plate of food and announced, “Thank you, everypony. I'm going to go explore the hive some more.”
“Already?” Cadence asked.
Twilight nodded.
Cadence bit her lower lip as she watched Twilight leave. She leaned down towards Shining Armor. “That's not normal, is it?”
Shining barked a laugh. “When Twilight gets her mind on something, you can't stop her. Remember when she decided she wanted to quantify all the plants in the Royal Gardens and wouldn’t leave until she got hungry--at three in the morning? She'll be back to normal in no time.”
But for some reason, Cadence was not comforted.
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Cadence is sharp.
And twilight is starting to notice things as well.
and yay seems she is either going to fully transform or go hybrid. either way should be entertaining to watch her freak out.
so looking forward to more chapters good sir.
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6865324 if she does I am so looking forward to her reaction to that!
Ah yes, he did say that, didn't he? Odd of Twilight to forget that, considering how curious and intent she was when she was initially questioning him about that. Is her gradual change interrupting her focus?
Speaking of which, you mentioned in an earlier comment that she won't complete the transformation for some time--and the guards are scanning for changelings. Will she start pinging as a changeling halfway through this?
Does Bruch realize that Twilight doesn't know that she's transforming?
This chapter is incomplete. It lacks Twilight requsitioning a full list of all royal decrees actually in power. I hqve this feeling that this question should REALLY be there.
6865347 Twi can also become a clone Chrysalis; that would be going balls deep without brakes!
You don't say... Twilight is now the Changeling Queen... Do I even need to go further into this than that Cadence???
6865824 very possible, I look forward to finding out what happens.
This is either going to go WONDERFULLY, or turn into an unmitigated disaster.
So her subconscious gets it, if she accidentally asks if she can lay eggs (instead of stating it as sarcastic fact).
I wonder if they can gather from her still...
Keep going! ;)
6866201 The problem is that the author can troll us and nothing happens to Twi. That's what I would call a buzzkill.
And very bitter,a bit sour.Kindof tingly.
It's Kind of not Kindof
6867410 very true but with what Bruch said she will change a little.
6868337 It can be easily thrown out as a "figure of speech".
6868364 hmm...true, guess we have no choice but to read on eh?
6868385 Yeah.
I really enjoyed this chapter, Twilight is going to make a wonderful Queen....
I could see a similar relationship between Ponies and Changelings that a type of ant has with this sweet dew producing caterpillar. Neat!
So... WHY doesn't this have a Comedy tag?
Seriously, there has been stuff making me laugh in every chapter thus far in some capacity! Or is that going to die off after a while? I knida hope not...
Something tells me that Twilight hasn't figured out that she's transforming into a changling yet, I can see it now, see wakes up in a day or so and is a Twilight colored version of Chrysalis
6866334
Of course, which it ultimately is depends greatly on who you ask. The Changelings and the Audience? Wonderful. Twilight, her friends and family? Unmitigated disaster. The population of Ponyville? "It must be Tuesday. *Shrugs and goes back to reading newspaper*"
*Sees a changeling named Chi-Chi*
In the Winters bitter~ and in the Summers warm~
In the city alleys~ and through the forest thorns~
Eyes a glow like emeralds~ and legs through one can see~
Fangs a gleam in moonlight, that bow before the Queen~
If you feel them following, and see their fiery stare~
Young one, watch another~ the Changelings you beware~
The Changelings you beware~
Twilight doesn't seem to be reacting much....
7390726
*applauds* 10/10 That poem was beautiful!
I'm just waiting for when twilight wakes up to find black chitin all over her body.
I like how Twilight doesn't even think to mention that she tasted emotions or that she can understand the changeling language.
'and' is duplicated
'her' is duplicated
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The changelings have been doubled!
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Prepare for trouble, and make it double