Blooming Days

by Hoofprintz

TCE: Regret

"Okay so... that's... horrifying," I shook my head in a mixture of disbelief, disgust, and repulsion. Sun was walking next to me and Sunburst was leading the way to the queen's quarters. I was moving with my head down, trying to fully register in my mind what I'd just been told.

They'd gone into explicit detail on several concerning topics on the way to Cantata's chambers. I was now privy to exactly what the changelings were, who Princess Chrysalis was, and how those... things went about kidnapping creatures. It all sounded like a horrible nightmare.

A horrible, yet very intriguing nightmare.

So that's why... We're the same.

These bugs, their princess... they weren't that different from me. From what I understood, they replaced a populace with their own kind before completely overthrowing the powers that be and taking the location for themselves. In doing so, they created a kind of eutopia, a society that functioned exactly how they wished. Unlike myself, they were able to do what I never could manage. They were able to spread their influence far and wide across the nation, much like the most infectious of viruses.

While I hadn't been able to steal away an entire society, -- Arguably -- I had managed to build my own eutopia, complete with mindless drones who did my every bidding. If that's what Shining Armor was planning on doing to the Crystal Empire, he had another thing coming.

But... why do I care so much?

I couldn't answer that question.

Well... not honestly, anyway.

I lifted my head, turning to face Sun. She'd already been looking my way, her somber expression shifting to a beautiful smile when our gazes met.

No. I can answer it.

I held in a disgusted sigh, my face twisting in despair. Disgust in myself. Disgust in my actions. My head fell.

Because of her...

and...

because it's wrong.

Because it was wrong when I did it.

"Hey, Sunny?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but my words were enough to get her to stop walking forward. Sunburst followed suit immediately after the mare. Thankfully, he'd kept his barrier running along with us as we moved so that we couldn't be heard by anypony else the entire trek.

"What is it, Star?" the kindness in her voice made it so much easier and so much harder to speak my mind. To tell her the truth.

It was beyond embarrassing, but I had to tell her no matter who might hear.

I have to be honest with her.

"I'm... I'm really sorry, Sunny," I couldn't lift my head. I wanted to, it just wasn't possible.

"Star..."

...

"I'll uhm... I'll give you two some space." By the pitch and sound of his voice, I was making Sunburst a little uncomfortable. "Just... let me know when you girls are done." His horn began to sing as he cast another spell to give us our privacy. As soon as he was finished, Sun moved closer to me.

"Hey," she laid a hoof on my shoulder, sending a jolt of adrenaline through me. The sweet smell of Sunflowers that enveloped me was heavenly. "I'm here, okay? Talk to me, Star."

"I'm really, really sorry," I kept my head low. She stayed silent, allowing me to continue. "What I did to all of those ponies... to Twilight... to YOU..." I tried to look at her, but the shame was far too great. "I'm... I'm awful."

...

"Awful?" she rubbed my shoulder gently. "I guess you were," she giggled. I kept my head down. I knew she was only telling the truth, but it still hurt. It's not like I didn't deserve it after all the terrible things I'd done. "But that's not who you are anymore, Star," she raised my head, her hoof gently lifting it by my chin. "You're my friend... and you may not think so, but I know you're a good pony."

I grabbed onto her hoof, moving it to my cheek and nuzzling into it.

"With lines like that you're definitely gonna make me awful," I chuckled.

Why does it feel so.... good?

She felt good. When she touched me. All I wanted to do was experience it as much as I could.

"Try not to worry about trivial things like the past, Star," she nuzzled into me, sending shockwaves through my body. "Just do the best you can to be the best you each and every day."

"Is that what you do?" I asked in the hopes that keeping the conversation going would keep her this close for longer.

"Pretty much," she giggled.

When did I fall in love with that sound?

It wasn't the only thing I'd fallen in love with.

"Hey, Sun?" I grabbed her with my forelegs pulling her into me and hugging her tightly.

"Yeah, Star?"

She smelled so good.

"Can I... can I tell you something?"

"You know you can," she rubbed my withers with a hoof, returning my embrace.

"Sun... I think I'm... I think I might be..."

Why was it so hard to say to her? I had no issues being blunt before. Flirting, even touching, had been no problem for me in the past, so what was making me tremble? What made my heart race whenever I was near her? I knew the answer, I just didn't want to admit it.

Just SAY it, Starlight!

"You... you like Twilight... don't you, Sun?" I sighed, knowing just how much of a coward I was for not confessing to her. Even more of a coward for asking her something so personal.

"Of course I do," she replied without hesitating, though she did back up a bit, ending our hug. "She's my friend. Just like you, Star."

"That's... not what I meant, Sun," I looked away. It'd been all too obvious since that day in the lab.

I may have been a merciless tyrant... but I'm not dense like Twilight.

At least, not when it came to matters like this. Initially, it hadn't bothered me at all. The idea that Sun was swooning over Twilight was kind of adorable at the time. It was like she was a lovestruck filly. I guess she really was a lovestruck filly. But... then... I started to...

...

"Is it that obvious?" she sighed, running a hoof up and down her face. "Listen, Star... I know y-" I lifted a hoof, cutting her off before she could go any further. She didn't have to confirm it for me. I already knew. It had all just been a pathetic attempt at trying to avoid telling her how I felt anyway.

"It's okay," I looked back at her, a hollow smile on my mouth. Judging by the look on her face, I'm pretty sure she knew I was lying. "I just... I had to be sure." I laid a hoof on her shoulder, wanting nothing more than to go further than that. She stared down at my hoof as if it belonged to her worst enemy.

"Star.... can we talk about this when we get back to Canterlot," she placed her own hoof on mine, squeezing gently, but still not looking at me.

"It's okay, Sun," I rubbed her shoulder. "Really. It's not a big deal." It was a HUGE deal.

"No, it's not Star," she took a step away from me. "You're not as good at hiding things from me as you might think."

"S-Sun!?" I kept my hoof in the air, desperately reaching out for her.

"You have feelings for me... don't you, Star?" Her question sent tremors down my spine. I stared at her wide eyed. Still, her eyes refused to meet mine.

"Y-you... you know!?" I gaped. I had no idea how she'd figured it out. It's not like I was exclusively flirting with her or anything like that. And I was pretty good at hiding my real feelings.

Aren't I?

...

I'm not that easy to read... am I?

"I'm not dense, Star." She finally looked at me, her eyes filled to the brim with compassion, filling my heart to capacity. "Your feelings are important to me," she cupped my cheek with a hoof. "You're important to me. We need to talk about it, this just isn't the time or the place, okay?"

"O-okay, Sun," I nodded weakly in compliance. "When we get back to Canterlot then."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Will Cantata be awake at this hour?" I asked as the three of us approached the two grand doors to the queen's chambers. It was still really early. Early enough that Shining Armor shouldn't have picked up Twilight from our room yet. I wanted to get to him before that happened, but things weren't looking too good on that front.

"The queen doesn't get to sleep much," Sunburst answered. "I guess it comes with the position. I can't imagine Princess Celestia or Princess Luna getting much rest either." As we walked up to the two guards standing in front of the doors to the queen's room they did something unexpected. Both held a hoof up blocking our passage. "What's the meaning of this?" Sunburst's barrier faded away as soon as he began speaking to the pair, an air of authority replacing the lax attitude he'd possessed when talking with me and Sun.

"The Queen has ordered that she not be disturbed," one of the guards replied, staring straight ahead as if we didn't exist. "Regardless of the visitor's title or rank."

"Right," Sunburst wasn't swayed at all by the stallion's declaration. His horn glowed as his yellow aura coated his neck. The guards looked at him, -- unable to ignore a unicorn casting a spell -- but not doing much else. "Your Highness, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and I have urgent news." His voice boomed like thunder, loud enough to shake the doors to the queen's room.

Not bad, Sunburst.

"Y-YOU...!" The guards raised their spears with their wings, Sun and I channeling mana in response to their aggressive maneuver.

Still!?

Conjuring magic still felt... strange. It probably had to do with the junk I'd been given by those bugs. I did my best to ignore it.

Sunburst stood his ground against the guards as well, not moving a muscle. Before any of us could make another move the doors opened of their own accord.

"Let them pass." Queen Cantata's voice came from within. Sun was not as smug as I was, not even looking at the guards as we passed them by. On the other hoof, I gave the duo a condescending grin as I walked by them, drawing a distinct fury to their visages.

Losers.

As we entered the queen's quarters I was struck by just how... quaint the interior was. Compared to Celestia's digs, Cantata's room was the very definition of the word frugal. The pegasus was sitting on a seat in front of her vanity mirror, fiddling with her necklace.

"Your... Highness?" the words had slipped out of my mouth unintentionally. Sunburst was obviously used to the queen in such a raddled condition. Even Sun had to have looked less rattled than I did.

She looks... terrible.

A far cry from our meeting two days ago, she looked absolutely haggard now. It was evident she hadn't slept a wink the night prior and with how bad she looked, maybe not even the night before that.

"Forgive my... unsightly appearance, Starlight," she turned away, covering her mouth with a hoof. A long yawn escaped her before she turned back to face us. "What news do you bring, Sunburst?" she sighed, her demeanor mirroring just how exhausted she was. "I pray it's good."

The look of discomfort on the stallion's face would've made me laugh if I didn't know just how dire our situation was. If anything, I completely understood.

"AAAAfraid not, Your Highness," he nearly groaned as we walked up to her. "It's about your future son-in-law."

That statement forced her to give the unicorn her full attention. She didn't look shocked or surprised. Mostly, she just looked disappointed.

"You've any evidence?" she asked calmly.

"Starlight is confident," he declared without faltering. "I am inclined to trust her judgement, as is Sunset."

The queen looked at me with ferocious eyes, something I hadn't experienced since we'd first met and I'd nearly maimed her guards.

"You were asked to come here to help us, Starlight Glimmer," she got off her chair and walked up to me, her gaze growing all the more intense as she did so. What I perceived from her as unbridled rage forced me to my rump. I was quickly proven wrong. She lifted a hoof, placing it gently on my shoulder. "It takes a lot of guts to tell a queen her future in-law is a monster... Thank you... for doing as I requested."

"O-of course, Your Highness!" The fact that she believed me so quickly was a little suspicious, but the way she looked at me told me her trust was genuine. It lifted my spirits.

"Sunburst..." she returned her attention to the Regis before walking up to him. "Taking into account the captain's abduction... what is your current prediction of the percentage of changelings already infesting the Empire?"

"Roughly?" he looked her directly in the eyes. "Anywhere from fifty to sixty percent."

"W-what!?" Sun stepped forward, her body quaking at the revelation. It was clear she had no idea the number of trespassers was so high. I nearly opened my own mouth, but thought better of it. "That can't-"

"Is that... the number of changeling replacements or..." the queen wasn't fazed at all by Sunburst's assessment.

"Complete replacement, Your Highness." Sunburst was carrying himself like he held real authority, which, he did. It was honestly a little impressive. "Not infiltration."

"I... see," Cantata sighed, rubbing her face with a hoof as she turned around and walked back to her vanity. "Sunburst... please... speak frankly. Is there any hope for us at all?" She stared sadly into the mirror.

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied without hesitation, drawing the queen's curious gaze. "Even my own vigilance may have wavered, but..." He looked at me and then at Sun, a smile coming to his face. "I'm confident that along with the Princess' reinforcements... we have a fighting chance."

His smile spread to the queen's face as she trotted back over to me and Sun. "I would have it from your own mouths," she looked at me. "Starlight Glimmer," she looked at Sun. "and you, Sunset Shimmer. I want you both to know," she lowered her gaze to the floor, her smile fading away. "I cannot guarantee your safety in this venture. None in the Empire can. This isn't your home. I would completely understand if you don't wish t-"

"That's enough, Cantata," I lifted a hoof, doing my best to appear blasé as the queen stared at me. "Like you said, we came here to help. So that's what we're going to do. Right, Sunny?"

"Your Highness," Sun placed a hoof on Cantata's shoulder, that beautiful smile I loved so much blooming on the unicorn's face. "You can count on us."

"Girls..." the queen threw her forelegs around our necks, tossing away all airs of royalty. "Thank you so much." I could hear her sniffling. Sun and I returned her embrace.

Author's Note:

My YouTube.

https://youtube.com/@MLPDymos?si=VegBp2TJ-4kEdnMx

Still posting stupidity.

Comments

[Foxtrot-Mayflower]

Well… Time to get tactical, ‘cause the bugs got a lot of things that they need to regret, and the only ones that can do something to make that goal a reality are in this room plus Mane Team Six.

I wonder if Twilight is going to get nabbed before they realize what’s happening. I wonder if Shining is replaced or if it’s just a red herring. There’s a lot of wonder in this story.

[Hoofprintz]

11876816
I'm glad the wonder is there. Hoping these next few chapters are as fun as I feel they are.

[The Voice in the Water]

I wonder how insect like the digestive system of a changeling is. Maybe they should try to put a bunch of Bacillus thuringiensis into the food and see how many bugs drop from their gastric juices eating through their stomach lining.

[Hoofprintz]

11876940
That's... actually a really good idea.

[Furious Thestral]

Time for the Counter-attack! Rally up the team and prepare yourselves for battle!

Also I think that Startight really has changed a bit more than I anticipated, not that I complain here but I thought that Starlight would be more like a shark in the water, trying to seduce all the mares and see their reactions but most of all was it to conquer the hearts of her once enemies and now rivals/friends becaise she was used to have it all with magic, bit ising her wits to woo anypony is a treat that one can enjpy slowly.