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"I have a brother?!"
Celestia gave Twilight Sparkle an apologetic smile, stirred a little more love nectar into both her tea and Twilight's untouched cup, and took a sip. "I know it's awkward, but —"
"Awkward? Awkward?! One of my five best friends is the Element of Honesty, Princess! I'm already lying by omission about so much to her and the other ponies. What am I supposed to say when she asks me to my face why I've never mentioned him before?"
Celestia's smile turned hard, but her voice lost none of its mild tone. "You'll forgive me, I hope, if I'm less concerned about the ability of my most brilliant 'ling to adapt her cover story than I am about a deranged, rapacious rival queen and her 10,000 drones."
Twilight exhaled, pacing around the room. "I know. I know. But there's got to be a better way."
"I assure you there isn't." Celestia gestured out the window and down at Canterlot, where pink banners with Cadance's crystal-heart mark were fluttering in the day's mild breeze. "The other hive couldn't have arrived at a worse time — Cadance's alicorn ascension makes her so transparently important as to be a guaranteed target for replacement, but if they learn why she's so important, then we'll have all-out war over the heart of the Crystal Empire before we can secure control of it. So I need to make it look like we're coronating her simply as leverage." Celestia set her teacup down and strolled over to the window. "Grooming a 'ling for marriage to neutralize an ambitious prodigy whose selective barrier spells pose too much of a threat. It's a painfully classic play, which is what makes it so plausible. Chrysalis — and we have to hope her mother didn't survive her insurrection; Arachne would be clever enough to look for a deeper angle — will be too busy scrambling to neutralize Shining Armor herself to examine the golden prize that's in her grasp."
"If you need that sort of bait, why not marry Cadance to Providence Eye or to Blueblood? Not only do they have the right pedigree to justify her coronation, but if my cover is blown, the implications could reverberate all the way back to Project Luna."
Celestia's voice, for the first time, got strained. "I'm aware, Twilight. But I'm not teaching a pony that kind of spell, and I can't falsify the paper trail of a new noble without bringing ponies in on the conspiracy. The instant the queen stares into the eyes of a pony who knows the truth, this plan is dead in the water." She walked back to the table for another sip of tea. "Your lineage, on the other hoof, is under our complete control, and unassuming while also clearly being groomed for power. I need a new Equestrian hero on zero notice, and the only plausible source is from the bloodline that unlocked the Elements of Harmony."
Twilight massaged her aching temple. "What makes you think this is going to work? Do we even have an exit strategy?"
"Luring them into an attack, then modifying that barrier spell with an anti-changeling kinetic burst —"
Twilight whirled to Celestia, jaw dropping. "What?"
"— keyed specifically to their hive. If we can stall them until the wedding, Luna can capture an infiltrator and adjust the targeting accordingly."
"Even if that doesn't literally blow up in our faces, you're talking direct confrontation and a nationwide changeling panic! This is madness!"
"Then suggest a sane solution."
Twilight's mouth opened and closed. She plodded to the window, staring out at the spiraling towers of Canterlot and the city streets beneath, ponies in scurrying perpetual motion like a disturbed anthill.
"We could try telling them what we really are," Twilight said.
Celestia frowned. "I said a sane solution."
Twilight turned and frowned back. "Elements of Harmony, remember? We're preaching to ponies that one of our core virtues is honesty —"
"— and that is important. But you're talking about revealing ourselves now. Upending everything ponies thought they knew, right before an invasion rips their nation apart. If you don't think Chrysalis will take full advantage of that — marching into Canterlot as the 'real' me, and accusing us of being the infiltrators — you're madder than she is. And there's no way that revealing ourselves after the assault would go over well." Celestia's voice softened. "I know how you feel, Twilight, and I swear to you we'll tell ponies everything — just as soon as the Crystal Heart heals us so that we no longer have to steal ponies' love to survive. And in the meantime I'm as honest with ponies as I possibly can be ... not about what I am, but who I am."
"… I'm not certain I understand the distinction."
"Who is Princess Celestia?" Celestia spread a hoof. "She's the one who unified the tribes, founded the surrounding cities, and built this castle a few centuries ago. That was me. She's the immortal ruler who leads happy ponies in a fragile but amazingly persistent utopia. That's me. When I ask them to believe that Princess Celestia cares about them ... I've had a long time to observe what loving ponies do, and I do all those things, and when ponies respond to that by filling to bursting with love ... what's the first rule of our hive?"
Twilight nodded. "Nopony gets drained. Ever."
"Right. They said it was impossible for changelings to live without draining their victims, but our ponies hold me in such adulation that I've been able to skim the ambient excess to feed the hive for centuries." Celestia walked to Twilight's side and stared out the window. "What they love is my mask, but I've become my mask, and it only and ever reflects my actions. I cheer for their successes and mourn their losses. I steer them toward smart decisions and away from indulging their worst excesses. I protect them from threats and help them thrive — not to keep our food secure, but because ponies matter." She touched Twilight's shoulder with a hoof and smiled. "And I'm proud to raise 'lings who believe in that principle with such unwavering faith."
Twilight gave Celestia an uncertain smile, though it quickly fell away. "But I'm their friend, Princess. Secrets hurt."
"I know," Celestia said softly. "But never forget that you are Twilight Sparkle, in every way which could possibly matter. Twilight Sparkle just isn't quite what ponies assume her to be." She smiled wryly. "And if you weren't who you are, you wouldn't have been able to use the power of those friendships to work the miracles that have kept your friends safe."
"Yeah." Twilight exhaled, shoulders sagging, and stared at the ground. "… Yeah. I know."
Celestia stared out at the city in silence for long seconds. "I'm sorry," she finally said.
Twilight put her forehooves up on the windowsill, staring at the lavender fuzz coating her legs, her eyes occasionally flicking past them out to the city beyond. "No. I get it. You're right. It just hurts."
"I know," Celestia said, draping a wing over Twilight's withers. "That's why I'm sorry."
Twilight chuckled humorlessly, resting her head against Celestia's shoulder, and closed her eyes. "Can we at least start laying the groundwork for the truth? Once the invasion and all the rest is dealt with, I mean?"
"Of course," Celestia immediately said. "Once the invasion is dealt with, and we've secured the Crystal Empire, and I've produced a new queen Cadance can 'give birth to', and we've attuned her essence to the Crystal Heart …" She sighed. "That's a lot of 'once's. But the very next step is to openly start introducing changelings into pony society. That's a promise. And I'll want you to help with the test program."
"You know I will." Twilight nuzzled Celestia's shoulder, feeling the warmth of her carefully restrained balefire, letting herself pretend it was the warmth of skin. "You know I'll do anything for you."
Celestia smiled. "And your brother?"
Twilight thought for a moment, then nodded. "Take me to him."
There was something almost guileless in his expression, Twilight thought, one hoof on the yet-to-be-decanted pod. The chitin was still softening and sprouting fur, leaving his muzzle curled into an artificially lopsided smirk, but his closed eyes were relaxed, fluttering in the rapid motions of empty dreams.
She stared for quite some time at the floating sprawl of electric-blue mane over white coat — had Celestia used Template 3 again? — then bit her lip and considered.
"Make her my old foalsitter," Twilight finally said.
Celestia blinked, turning back from her inspection of the thick, acrid-smelling tubes twining through the egg-chamber. "Pardon?"
"Cadance," Twilight said. "Give me a reason to know her well. Luna will need time, which means the queen will need a distraction, and I'm in the best position to provide one by digging in too deeply where I shouldn't. But more importantly, that makes my brother's silence toward me even more inexplicable — I can get out in front of that and declare it fishy, giving me a built-in reason to be going after Chrysalis. And either my friends will get caught up in my protestations of weirdness, or they'll write me off as out of touch. Either way, that will punt the question of his sudden appearance until well after the other hive is exposed."
Celestia thought for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Done. And … Twilight? Thank you."
Twilight stared at the thing which was to become Shining Armor, then gave Celestia a wry smile.
"Well, you know Twilight Sparkle," she said. "When it comes down to it, she'd do anything for family."
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I'm tagging this one AU because, while I have tried to keep it 100% compatible with all directly observed present-day show canon, I'm pretty certain that the showrunners did not actually intend for Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor and Celestia to be changelings.
If you're lost, author's notes of the Writeoff version have a more detailed explanation of my premise and the backstory to this conversation, but I'm hoping that the expansion offered me sufficient room to work that exposition in.
Not too shabby. Certainly a very well done execution of this premise, and I do really like how the warring hives idea came off.
I love it when this sort of expansion works, especially when it completely dodges the negative fix-fic feel like this one did while still tying together all the details and even addressing some contentious points. Probably my favorite of the genre since "Even in Dreams".
Awesome! I loved this in the Writeoff and I love it now... though, looking back on the old author's note, I still didn't get the "all alicorns are well-fed changelings" thing. In hindsight, it's pretty obvious; it's not like Flurry Heart could disguise herself, and even if she could, given the way she was flapping and zapping, she'd probably disrupt the disguise at the first opportunity. Still, had to look back at the notes to be reminded of that tidbit.
Aside from that, a fantastic way to answer one of the show's more troublesome questions in the most insane way possible. Thank you for it.
Because I totally need more plot bunnies to think about at work.
No, seriously. I'd love to see this made more. It's too damn good to leave as is.
~Skeeter The Lurker
7519673
I totally agree!
Would definitely love to see this become a full-fledged fic but I agree with with the author note that it would be better to start from the ground up around when FiM started.
this look like good idea for story of twilight and Celestia and Candace being changeling with either Candace or Celestia as the queen in place of royalty, then luna get back form the moon and none the wise, sound like good story to me,
Horizon!
I am not disapoint. Upvote and fave for a nice little slice of "What if?"
Gah, I only wish it wasn't so short! The premise is awesome and the execution is great. I wish this story could be expanded to around the length of The Iridescent Iron Rat (though I wish that story could also be expanded even further as well).
At any rate, nice story; I enjoyed it.
7514785 My mind.
She's tripping balls at the sheer conspiracy theory...
THAT IS SO PLAUSIBLE!
It's a good short, only thing I don't like is that a few lines are too crammed with headcanon exposition where the dialog would be better skipping a few details. The Princesses being benevolent changelings is a cool idea and the only rational explanation for Shining Armor's sudden existence.
This story still properly amuses me.
Also, I took the liberty of adding this to a few groups.
Interesting, this raises the very complex question ofwould it matter. Though I just can't see it being as air-tight as others personally, so the AU tag really helps me suspend my disbelief.
wow... mind blown.
This makes complete sense.
Now what comes next.
Hah! This is some brilliant work. Well done!
I kinda want more, now. Look what you've done.
I love the idea, but this story feels like it should be twice as long. Secret conspiracies and political ju jitsu are some of the things that get my writer motor running (right behind pirates, cosmic horror, beefin' over turf, and world building), but there are so many 'what ifs' and as Celestia put it 'onces' that it's asking me to swallow for the sake of story. Perhaps I am missing something because I still haven't finished last season bu this is a lot of groundwork to cover. I see this was a writing prompt, and perhaps that was the source. Was this pressed for a deadline and some content cut?
Welp, I'm now properly interested. Too bad it's just a one shot.
Everything suddenly makes sense now.
I'm so impressed by this horizon, this has so much content in so little space while being entirely plausible.
I think I have a new favorite Changeling story.
Well done.
vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/e/ec/FANMADE_Twilight_Clapping.gif/revision/latest?cb=20120228224010
Just one question.
Who is Arachne?
~Leonzilla
A different approach, but none the less well written, and plausable in its setting
I always kind of figured Cadence must have been already pregnant when they got married. It's not exactly an uncommon reason to get married in the first place.
You have my attention and my interest.
Please, continue.
Please continue. This looks like a very interesting premise and could go in a lot of directions. I'm assuming that Sunset was either a rogue changeling or on a top-secret mission to the EQG 'verse that became the mask?
7520665 no it was all off screen it's been about three years, plenty of time to have a kid.
... Soooooo, you ARE going to write like a bajillion stories in this AU, aren't you? Because under 2000 words and you've already sold me on it so hard.
7520665 I can't remember who,but one comedian had a bit on this. To roughly paraphrase from memory:
"yes, I was born in the usual way. My parents met, fell in love, got married, and then two months later my mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy"
Sequal plz.
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/308/929/87b.jpg
It might be AU, but that was really clever how you together all of the show's retcons. *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
Equestria and all its society and works as a giant farm. Interesting. Not to mention that Celestia also gets access to the resulting civilization, scientific and magic advances, research, resources, and things like the Elements, all of which provide rather advanced defenses against other hives.
Now I'm wondering if Celestia would be sneaky enough to mass-issue a not-quite-Changeling-detector spell which operates by identifying which geopolitical area, culture, and/or leader an individual associates themselves with. Of course, ponies would show up as Equestria/Celestia+Luna, but so would changelings of the Equestria hive. The spell wouldn't even need to have any sneaky filters including or excluding Equestrian changelings specifically, which might be detected by a mage picking it apart.
7520622 the way it was stated, Arachne sounds to be Chrysalis's mother, and is likely dead.
7520752
I wasn't aware there's an actual timeline to the show. Everything seems to happen in Cartoon Space until now. I suppose that only makes the pregnancy less abbreviated, though. Plenty of time to stuff three foals in there.
7520777
Well, my own timeline was "my mother got pregnant, had me, and then my parents got married some ten years later," but same sentiment, really. I'm sure falling in love happened at some point.
I so need more of this. An interesting premise and tantalising hints of so much more happening behind the scenes. Please, PLEASE expand this into a bigger story. This twilight specially intrigues me. I'd read the stuffing out of it
7521182
I not sure about three years, but in S4 premiere it's two days till Summer Sun Celebration. So from S1 to S4 one years elapsed.
7521261
...I think I'll just go back to simply not paying attention to that kind of thing. The way everyone tells you something different just makes it too annoying to bother with.
Well, I'm sold. Sequel please?
7519634 Is this the story you are talking about or is this the story you are talking about or other?
I'm freaking out... This is AMAZING!
Big Bug Brother Changelings Forever?
7521261
Nothing there says it has to be the next SSC after the one we see in the pilot, though. Celestia just says that this is the first one where Luna will be participating fully.
Ahhh, yes. I remember this story from the writeoff. I think you did quite a good job with it.
One question occurs to me that I don't think you really covered here or in the writeoff retrospective: Why did Shining Armor have to be a brand new changeling? Wouldn't it have been easier for an existing changeling to just assume his form? Or where you trying to imply that Twilight, Shining, Cadance, Celestia, and possibly Luna are the only changelings in this hive, or at least that their hive is small enough that they don't have any spares available?
What I like about this? You take a really, potentially creepy subjectt...and make it reasonable.
There's something known as an "Epileptic Tree" which is an insane theory that makes no sense...until you look at it, and it starts making a LOT of sense. (You know, a crack theory)
However, there is something known as a "Poison Oak" Epileptic Tree. This is one that makes the entire show...poisoned. For instance, the theory that Pinkie Pie secretly kills people. The theory that some bad guy actually WON, and the good ending is just a dream. Etc, etc. That Celestia is brainwashing everyone.
This may be an Epileptic Tree. But it doesn't POISON the show. And might even add to it. Which is an incredible accomplishment. (For instance, see that one fic by Titanium Dragon, where Diamond Tiara faked her turning good. Well-written fic, but it means any scene with Diamond Tiara is...darker, now.)
This is an interesting spin on a couple of different concepts. Have a like.
7520622 I'd also imagine a poke at the other arachne of greek myth. Given the nuance of weaving plots.
My newest bit of alternate head-cannon.
perfect depiction of tia! she's a lying, deceitful, manipulative, backstabbing, oppressive tyrant with velvet gloves that are actually her skin well chitin but still
Linglestia is best queen.
Very interesting bits of worldbuilding here, and it does seem to fit into canon without too much squinting. After all, if the show staff didn't want people to imagine Celestia and Twilight as members of a changeling hive secretly ruling Equestria, they should be more up front about whether or not Twilight is a changeling.
I reviewed this story as part of Read It Now Reviews #92.
My review can be found here.
7521182 My timeline is "My parents fell in love, had me, and my younger brother, and they're still not married.