Daybreak
Celestia stood in the center of the crater. The burned husk of the Changeling hive lay dead and black around her, the tearing wind and pouring rain having washed away the blood and the grime of a battle once fought. Equestria's closest town lay as a dark smudge on the horizon, the flowing grass replaced fluidly by rolling golden sand. A few barren, spindly trees reached their dead, gray fingers to the unforgiving sun, pleading for rain that rarely came.
A golden crown hit the ground with a crack, a layer of dust billowing out from the impact.
"Do you see?" The Princess whispered. "Do you understand what I had to give up?"
She looked around, knowing full well she was alone here.
But despite her soul being the only one, she felt an energy flowing through the ground that she had not known before. She recognized it now.
It was love.
The love of Changelings rushing to defend their families. The love between the parents making their final stands over pits of foals. The love released as their lifeblood ran on the stone. The love left to fizzle away.
Celestia fed her own energy into the ground, her energy merging with that of the hive.
"Do you understand what I'm willing to do?"
Spires of green-gray crystal began to spike from the edges of the crater, stone and love congealed into a solid form. Branches spread like fans, stretching and connecting.
"Do you understand what I'm willing to give?"
The spires arced, connecting at the top of the dome. The last of the crystalline fans wove together, the last of the unfiltered sunlight dying out.
The Princess of the Sun and the Queen of the Changelings stood still, the emerald sunlight wreathing her in a warm embrace. A late whirl of wind from her spent magic blew a cloud of sparkling dust into the air.
"Do you understand at all?"
---A few months later---
"My Queen, the third nursery is complete."
"Thank you, Chimera."
The small Changeling scuttled away, replaced by yet another.
"My Queen, the fifteenth embassy has returned from Ponyville, and they say it was a success."
"Thank you, Seethe."
Celestia looked up as a series of hooffalls echoed above, the oddly heavy sound of Equestrians. A tall Changeling mare strode in, grinning happily. "And this is the main chamber, that over a hundred Changelings go through each day! It's also home to our Queen, Celestia!"
A series of small faces peered over, around and under the guardrails, each foal scanning the chaotic mass for the Queen. Celestia rose up, spreading her wings and soaring up to the platform. With a sudden thud, she landed, the class of foals scrambling behind the surprised Changeling guide.
"A-ah, Queen Celestia!" She bowed quickly, her wings instinctively fanning over the foals. Shouldn't you be working? She projected into the hive mind.
Celestia laughed, nodding her head for the guide to stand. "I'm here to look at our latest batch of Changelings." She grinned evilly, flashing her fangs. "I hear foals are quite juicy."
The schoolchildren screamed and reversed, except for one. "What if we wanna be Changelings?"
"Well, you can come back when you're older. We accept new Changelings all the time, but you have to be old enough." Celestia softened her smile, drawing the young foal into a nuzzle. "Now, Sketch, run them along. Don't want them to be late for the chariots."
"Of course! Come along, colts and fillies! And don't mind silly ol' Celly, she's just prickly when she has to work all day." With that closing statement, Sketch trotted away, a double line of foals trotting after.
Another Changeling landed beside Celestia with a grunt, watching the foals depart. Celestia confirmed it was Sky with a sidelong glance. "So, my Queen, what do you think? This new life fitting you?"
Celestia smiled, turning and scanning the hive, bustling with life and energy. She sighed happily, a wing draping over Sky. She remembered Queen Chrysalis, her tyrannical ways and the ways she had branded onto her Changelings. She remembered her own failure, sentencing her to death, killing thousands of Changelings in the process. A little tingle of respect, of love, sparked inside her. I forgive you.
"You know what, my little Changeling? I think I'll be just fine."
---END---
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Freaking magnificent.
beautiful ending.
I look forward to your next story.
1639603
Don't worry, there's a lot of them.
1639533
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.
1639657
I know, I've read many of them.
Heh a somehwat happy ending, reminds me of the latest episode.
We just cant be sure if the real one is still there
1639880
For a second I was like "Sombra...?"
And then I remembered.
Also you weren't the first one to comment!
1639919
I was busy playing Tropico 3 As El Princesa
1639965
1639982
What? Totally reminded me of MLP, everyone is happy and the ones that aren't just disappear.
1639989
1639997
You can have a female avatar as "president" (maybe you didnt know it so had the huh
) (sanbox mode at least)
I actually didnt name her Celestia or even play a female but now i totally will AND call her Celestia.
1640034
Well, good luck with that
1650428
Whoops - that's I saying I only hear in speech, so I must have messed it up. Thanks!
I really liked this. The way this story turned out was entirely different than what I expected going into it. Very well done.
The only issue I have is with Celestia's revealing herself to the public. One would think that for as long as she has ruled, she would know by now that a big, flashy entrance in a form either alien to or considered monstrous by her easily frightened and highly judgmental subjects would be doomed from the start. She should have known that at least some form of subtlety would be required for such a shocking revelation. Granted, it can be argued that she was not in her right mind; but that was the reason she waited in the first place, was it not?
1652034
Band-Aids is my only explanation. I would have thought that a gradual re-entry would fire up rumors all over the place, and the time could be used to plan and readjust.
Thank you for reading.
Very fitting end, though I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that I hope to see more in the future.
Do you have any plans for a continuation or possibly a sequel?
1659501
Nope. Well, not yet. Maybe once I finish my 5+ WIPs.
great story
Well done indeed.
Stumbled across you from someone else's recommendation. Glad I did. Your stories to not disappoint.
You've earned a like for this, and a follow from me - neither frequently given.
Frostwyrm.
1994851
I'm glad I earned your respect, and I hope my future stories are as good, if not better, than those you enjoy.
2568736
I did. I'm sorry.
2568746
Did what? I dont understand, but I want to.....
Hmm, I'm impressed. I think that's the first story where Chryssie dies that I liked. Plus, since Celestia now has a mix of their memories, she kinda survives.
Yeah, I like her so much I tend to avoid stories where she's does, but this one was so good it didn't matter much to me in the end.
I liked the ending, Celestia actually taking responsibility for her cruel and kinda racist ways in the past and trying to at least forge a better future. I think the ending was happy all in all, promising a much happier future for the entire changeling species now that Celestia can see both sides of the coin.
Fav from me.
Cya
Raziel-chan