Silver Shield

by David Silver

10 - The Sun Rises

Princess Celestia strode with stately propriety. Her head was held high and her guards marched in proper formation behind her. The crowds that watched were cheering and stomping in roaring celebration of her presence. Equestria had survived another dire threat, and their princess was safe and ready. They needed to see it, and it filled her little ponies with hope and purpose.

She turned off the main road, away from the more wealthy areas. The crowds thinned quickly, and soon she and her escort were alone. They were pressing towards the less reputable portions of town. Not terrible, she wouldn't allow that, but not... as perfect as the others.

It was there that the changeling hive rested, and where she had business to conduct. Ahead, she could see the tall warehouse that was their hive rising as it came closer. She could have ridden her sled or carriage, but it felt right to walk that day. Her entourage knew where she wanted to go, and did not waver in accompanying her towards it.

The changelings that stood at the door were quivering faintly, clearly cowed by her presence. She smiled at them. "I come with good news, for your princess and all your people. Is she available?"

They seemed surprised at her words. The one at the right drew itself tall. "I'll check, um, Your Highness?" It sounded like a he, so she settled on that pronoun. He scurried off into the hive in a rush.

The other one rubbed its cheek lightly. "So... Princess?" This one sounded female.

Celestia nodded. "I am Princess Celestia."

The changeling nodded and gave a fanged smile changelings were good for. "Nice to meet you, Celestia, but you're not my princess." She shook her head. "Princess Fast Change is my princess. You are an honored visitor." She dipped her head a little. "I hope that does not offend you."

Celestia heard her guards start with surprise, but she took it in step. She gave a gentle smile. "That was very brave of you. Brave, and honest. What is your name, good guard?"

"Puce Ruse, honored guest." The changeling settled on her haunches. "Don't take it the wrong way. The princess speaks very highly of you, and your country is... mostly well run."

Mostly? "You have found things amiss, Miss Ruse?"

Puce's smile grew. "Since you asked, yes. This area--" She waved a forehoof at the neighborhood. "It's a slum. There is no kinder word for it. Ponies are not happy here. Most of our clients come from richer parts of the city. Those who live here can't afford our services. Some of them can't even afford food. This is a slum. Right here in your own city."

Celestia tried to keep a straight face, and she was quite good at it. To all but the very alert, she revealed nothing. "Surely you are over-blowing the situation a little, for dramatic effect."

"I am not," assured Puce. "If my words make you take a second look, then it's worth whatever terrible revenge you have planned for my smart mouth."

Celestia smiled, expression softening. "There will be no revenge, certainly not for any pony, or changeling, speaking the truth. Puce Ruse." The name was said with force, and the changeling snapped to attention. "Thank you for speaking to me, where others would not have dared. There is one thing that I know you are wrong about."

Puce frowned faintly, "And what would that be...?"

"This is not my country." Celestia swept a hoof broadly. "This is our country. Let us, together, do what is best for it."

The door to the hive opened and the first guard emerged. "She's waiting for you inside, Princess Celestia." He dipped his head low and scurried aside.

"Thank you." Celestia stepped forward. "The rest of you wait out here. I'm safe here."

Her words seemed to do little to put her guards at ease, but they did not disobey her by following. She vanished through the door and their princess was gone.

Fast cleaned her room in a hurry, other changelings working rapidly to spruce things up. She threw herself onto her couch and rolled to face the door, faking a nonchalance with an equally fake smile. When Celestia's magic glittered on the door, Fast winced faintly before widening that smile. "Celly! Can I call you Celly?"

Celestia gave a soft chuckle as she stepped inside. "That name is fine in private, as we mostly are." She glanced to the other changelings darting about. "Is my timing poor?"

Fast gave a sharp whistle and all changelings stopped to look at her. "Enough." They scattered like the wind, leaving them alone. "What brings you by? Glad you're safe, by the way. What did they do, specifically?"

Celestia shook her head. "Nothing I won't recover from. Let's not talk about that, instead let's talk about you. You and your people. Our people. They've suffered so long and hard, and I have amazing news for them."

Fast sat up, blinking. "What kinda news?"

"The key to the changeling curse," breathed out Celestia. "It wasn't just shapechanging that corrupted them. It was far more... basic. It seems so obvious in retrospect, but what doesn't?"

Fast slid down from the couch, standing upright. Her attention was captured thoroughly. "What? I mean... They can be ponies again?"

"Maybe you... Maybe not." Her eyes darted to Fast's one hole. "Not a pony, not exactly, but something else, something blessed and lovely. Whole of flesh and full of love, always. That hunger, gone."

Fast moved one hoof to cover that hole. "So... how?" It sounded too good to be true. "How do you know it works?"

"Chrysalis' hive." Celestia nodded lightly. "All of them. Every single changeling there turned all at once. It was instant and dramatic and without any room for doubt. The only old changelings left are here in this hive, and those of Chrysalis' hive that were not at home at the time."

Fast felt her jaw moving wordlessly a moment. "You got Chrysalis too?" she asked, full of doubt.

"No." Celestia shook her head and let out a sigh. "She fled, and will likely gather her remaining changelings. But that has little to do with you and your people, here. The answer, the thing that eluded us for so long... All they have to do is give love instead of taking it. Give, and you will gain so much more in return."

Fast reeled, almost toppling onto her haunches. That was beyond her knowing. It... "Is that why I felt so giddy around Silver?"

"You do love him..." She said it almost as if it were an answer to a question. "He still misses you. Give him your love and then join him, and us." She smiled a little. "You do know we are--"

"Wed, yes..." Fast glanced away. "Everypony else grabbed him and pinned him down..."

"Everypony?" Celestia raised a brow. "He's not wed to the world, Fast."

"It feels like it," she spat, then trembled. "I'm sorry... The last... It's been stressful. Tell me it's over."

"It's over. It may be over entirely. Tell your people what awaits them and how to reach it. If they all convert, then they will no longer need a princess, and you are free."

Free? Fast felt numb all over. Was that what freedom felt like? She hadn't tasted freedom in quite some time. "I'll call a meeting..."

"I look forward to seeing the results, and welcome a new people to our city." She turned to leave, but she could see magic on the door, holding it. She looked over her shoulder at Fast's glowing horn. "Yes?"

"Will they be who they were this morning?"

Celestia blinked at the question. "That is a matter for philosophy. Some old, dear, ponies once said that no pony goes to sleep the same pony who had awoken." She turned to look at Fast. "Life is change. To fear change is to fear life itself. This is change, but, for the better, I feel... It is yours to handle. Your people look up to you, as their princess, and I will not besmirch that."

Fast gave an uneven nod. "Right... I'll call that meeting." That numbness was only growing. She watched as Celestia stepped from the room, and collapsed where she had stood.

"Are you alright, my Queen?" A little black snout poked free of a plant, an eavesdropped spotted. "What can I get for you?"

Fast sat up slowly and regarded the changeling that slowly approached her. She smiled gently at him and reached out a hoof. The changeling accepted her offer and was soon curled up close, being hugged tight. "Do you love me?" she asked.

"Of course!" piped the small changeling.

"Do you really?"

The changeling looked confused. "We all love you, my queen. You've been nothing but wonderful for us. Some of us... had less good queens before. They especially love you."

Fast frowned faintly. "Did you hear what Celestia said?"

"She said a lot of things. Which part?"

"The part about... breaking the curse."

"Is that what this is?" The changeling rolled over and sat up. "I don't feel cursed."

Fast perked an ear up at the changeling. They were young, clearly not a grub anymore. Perhaps a mid to late teenager, in human years. "You wouldn't, I suppose... but if you could be something that doesn't scare ponies, would you like that?"

"I can do that already." Bright flames overtook the changeling before they became a handsome stallion. Another rush heralded them becoming a fetching mare. "Do you want company, my queen? I've been paying attention in those classes."

Fast laughed, long and loud. "I did not mean that!" She bonked the changeling on the head. With a fwoosh they became a changeling again. "Silly thing. What if your natural form could be what ponies thought was 'pretty'?"

The changeling shrugged. "That's their opinion. Ponies have silly opinions... Changelings have silly opinions sometimes too." They leaned in and nuzzled Fast's chest. "Everything is ugly to something."

Fast gave a slow nod. "Everything is..." She licked her lips. "Are you brave?"

That made the changeling sit up. "For you? Yes!"

"Before we speak to the others... we should know what we are dealing with. Will you give me your love?" She held up a hoof quickly. "Before you answer! Know that saying no will not make me angry in any way. It is your right, and understandable if--"

"I'll do it, for you." The changeling bounced to its hooves. "I already love you. I didn't know I could 'give' love though. I thought love was taken... How do you do that?"

Fast shrugged at that. "I suppose the same way you take it, just... backwards?"

The changeling twisted its little snout. "Vomiting up love, gross!" It laughed at the image. "My queen is asking me to vomit on her. This was not covered in class at all."

Fast pat the changeling gently. "And you'll get to gloat about it forever. Whatever happens, know that I owe you a great debt for being the first brave changeling to try it."

There was a moment of quiet before the changeling began to glow. Its eyes closed. "I love you," it whispered before that manifested. It seemed impossibly bright, a flare to signal a potential new age.

Author's Note:

The first. The last? Is this a great typo, or a cleansing of a typo ages long?

Is Fast handling this properly?

Things are growing in complexity.

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Comments

[HoneyBadgerr]

Cool. I hit refresh at just the right time and saw this update. It looks like big things are underway for Fast's hive :)

[David Silver]

7938577 You are officially 'first'.

[Booster Spice]

Taste the Skittles.

[vorxil]

Vomiting up love, gross!

Hence, the vomit green.

It all makes sense now!

Take that, Discord!

[Daremo]

faking a non-chalance - faking a nonchalance

---

You raise interesting questions here, and having spoken with you on the matter, I know some of your feelings regarding this development. In that light, I think you've set out the debate to be held over the plot elements in "To Where and Back Again" quite nicely.

Is this evolution or simply a step in the changeling life cycle? Are the dark changelings corrupted? Cursed? Are the pastel changelings the 'proper' form? Blessed?

I don't have answers to these questions.

[David Silver]

7944196 We've also had the suffering occurring within Celestia's home turf made clear to her. Things may change.

[tsaukpaetra]

Ha, hive has spunk!
Fast has a previously rocked path cleared a bit once again. Will she rush to take it?
It's nice to see Celestia losing some of those blinders, maybe course corrections are in order?
Keep going! ;)

[harts fire]

change is in the wind and it is a huge change for all the changeling's.
but as in the show ware will this all lead?
and I thing David Silver has his crystal ball working over time and will be proven right queen Chrysalis will defiantly be making a appearance in season 7.

I am wondering way this grate story does not have more followers this is a really good story????