Plan B? We Have One?
Twilight slept, peacefully for once.
She dreamt of home. She dreamt of her friends. Her family, neighbors, and her mentor. She dreamed that she was still in Ponyville, happy and safe. She took care of the library, helped Applejack with the farm, sometimes even helped Fluttershy. She had tea with Rarity, went to Pinkie's parties, and watched Rainbow Dash practice her tricks for the Wonderbolts.
Twilight's dreams were her refuge among the stormy hell that her life had become. Her daily routine now consisted of waking up, avoiding the mirror that adorned one of her cell walls, and hoping that they wouldn't come. Then she would cry herself to sleep.
She didn't even pray to Celestia any more. She wasn't sure who she believed in anymore. But... it had been too long for her to believe that she was remembered.
Two months. That's how long it had been since she had come to this... this hell. That led to two months of torture, pain, and transfusions.
Twilight shivered in her sleep, her dreams taking a darker turn. Everything in her dream faded to black, leaving her alone.
"Who are you! What have you done with Twilight?" A shout echoed from the darkness, causing Twilight to jump around.
"I am Twilight! Please, you must believe me!" She shouted, desperate.
"Why should I believe you? Changelings are nothing but liars!" Came an accusation, this time to the left of Twilight.
Swinging her head towards the sound, she answered. "I'm not a changeling! I'm me! I'm Twilight! You know me!" She yelled back.
"I knew Twilight. She's dead. She died at the hands of changelings like you!" This time it was a different voice.
"No! I'm not dead! I'm Twilight! I'm a unicorn! I'm-"
"A changeling! Have you seen yourself? You're not fooling anypony!"
The darkness around her morphed into mirrors. There were mirrors all around her. She could see herself completely.
What stared back scared her.
She had a dark purple sheen on her, but it wasn't the familiar gentle sheen. It was harsh, with a highlight reflecting purple. As the light faded from around the highlight it faded to black.
Her legs hadn't gone untouched either. They had sharpened, with slight groves becoming more pronounced each time she was subjected to the transfusion. Along the way, she had become slightly taller.
The tail... It had bonded, formed into one, long and broad strand, ending in a ragged edge. It had grown larger in the two months, as did her mane. She hadn't had access to anything to cut it with. Chrysalis didn't trust her with anything even remotely sharp after that first incident.
Her ears had grown sharper, and the angle of chin had grown sharper. When she growled, canines showed. The thing that struck Twilight the most was her horn.
It had been the first to change. Growing black, the holes that were prominent in a changeling mage had appeared.
Staring back at her from in the mirror was herself. She had become this. This... half-breed. This crossover of pony and changeling.
Twilight opened her mouth to scream.
---
Gasping, she woke up, struggling against a hoof in her mouth.
"Shh! Be quiet Twi! We're here!" Came a hissing voice as the hoof was removed.
"Waa? Who? What's going on?" She asked, blinking the tears from her eyes, trying to see who was there through the darkness.
"Shh! It's me! Hey, are you done with those guards yet?” A mare’s voice piped through her muddled vision. It sounded familiar.
A face came into view. One of many faces that Twilight had given up on seeing again.
"Rainbow! I can't believe this! I..." Twilight broke down, hugging her friend. Dash hugged her back.
Twilight felt strange. She felt stronger than she had in awhile.
“Easy, easy. We’re not out of the woods yet Twi.” She twisted her face away from Twilight. “Shining! Those guards?”
“Done. They’re tied up, and ready to be moved into here.” He said, walking into the small room, nearly hitting his horn on the overhang.
“Shining! I can’t believe this! I… I can’t believe that you’re here! Oh, big brother.” Twilight said. She was dumb-founded. “I thought that you weren’t coming. I thought…”
She was cut off with a hoof in her mouth. “Twily, we’ve got to be quiet. We snuck in here. Getting out is going to be harder.” He said, giving her a quick glance.
He couldn’t see where they had hurt her. She look physically fine. Except for maybe being a little malnourished and dehydrated, she checked out.
He smiled, and gave her a hug. “You thought that we weren’t coming, didn’t you?” He let go and faced her, giving her nose a small bop. “I will always, always, come and get you Twilight. No matter where you are.” He whispered, giving her one last hug before he became all business again.
“We need to get out of here, stat. We can’t expect the route we cleared to stay open for long. Twilight, can you walk?” He asked, concern flitting into his voice.
“Run too, if necessary.” She replied, her eyes flashing for a moment.
“Twi?”
“Yeah?”
“Did your eyes… just turn green?” Shining asked, wary.
In an instant, she was up against the wall, held there by a light blue foreleg.
“Shining! We never did the reveal spell!” Dash hissed at him.
“Rainbow, stand down! We don’t know yet!” Shining hissed back angrily.
“Shove it. I’m not one of your Canterlot guards.” She whispered back. “Are you Twilight? Don’t lie to me!” She asked Twilight, who was still lodged up against the wall.
“Yes! I’m Twilight! Dash, choking!” Twi said, scrabbling against Dash’s arms.
“Oh… Sorry.” Rainbow loosened the pressure on Twilight. “Shining, you still remember that spell?”
“Yeah. Give me a moment. It would help if you would let her down…” Shining said disapprovingly.
“Oops. Here you go.” She dropped Twilight to the floor. Sitting up, Twilight shot her a glance, one that conveyed all her feelings at the moment. “Hey, don’t give me that look. I really hope you’re Twilight, but I can’t take any chances. I’ve been hurt too much for that. I’ll apologize later.”
Twilight nodded. “Fine. I’ll remember that. So, this spell. Which one is it?” She asked, although she already suspected.
“It’s the changeling identification spell. The variant that you created. Stand still and all you’ll feel is a slight tickling, and maybe some-”
Twilight cut him off, blushing slightly. “I know the side affects of this particular version. It’s already been used on me before, so I know how it feels. And it is not funny Dash!” She whispered harshly to the pegasus next her, who was stifling a laugh.
On the outside, she showed nothing, her expression a poker face that rivaled Celestia’s. Her insides, however, were a completely different matter entirely. Despite hoping against hope in this matter, the time had come to face her worst fears.
She was a changeling. She was still her.
What does that make Twilight? Was she a changeling? Was she a pony? Or was she a pony in a changeling body?
Was she something to be feared?
Could she, after all this, just step back into the life she had once lived?
“Twilight, you okay? You got that far away look you get when you’re thinking hard.” Shining Armor asked. “I’m just going to do this quickly, and then we can go.”
His horn started to glow, charging up with mana.
“Wait.”
Her voice was flat, emotionless. It betrayed nothing.
“What? Twilight, please, just let me do this and we can go.” Shining asked, nearly pleading. He was this close to getting his sister back. What was she delaying for?
“Just… give me a moment. Please.” Twilight said, her voice still telling nothing of how she was feeling inside.
Did she really want to do this? Did she really have a choice in this matter anymore?
Come to think of it, did she really have any choice at all on where her life was headed since she was kidnapped?
Even if she didn’t do this, what was the alternative?
She sighed. She had no choice.
“Just a quick warning. Life throws random screwballs at ponies that don’t deserve it. We just have to take what life throws at us, right?”
“Of course. What are you talking about?” Dash asked, impatient.
“This.”
Twilight concentrated, letting her fake glamour fall away in a puff of green light. She stood there, exposed, with possibly two of the closest ponies she had in her life.
They just stood there, slightly stunned for the moment.
She just gave a grim smile.
“Yup. Life’s a bitch.”
She was going to say more, but was cut off by a magical glow encasing her body and throwing her against the wall.
“Who the hell are you!” Shining yelled, no longer caring about staying quiet.
“I’m Twi-” She said, pleadingly.
“Don’t give me that bullshit! Twilight isn’t a changeling!”
“They did something to me! Please! You must believe me!”
“Why should I!?” He yelled, getting up in her face. “Twilight was taken by changelings! Why should I believe a changeling who says she’s Twilight? Tell me!”
“Because I am! I am Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Twilight Velvet and Aurora Dawn. I am the-” She started, listing off everything, that a few months before, she thought made her her.
“No. You. Are. Not! You can’t be her!” Shining yelled, tears brimming in his eyes. He impressed each word with a slight pounding of Twilight into the floor.
Twilight started again. “I- I am the personal student of Equestria’s elder princess, Celestia. I am your LSBBF. We used to play in the park down the street from our first house, even after we moved across the city. You were away at camp whenever I passed my acceptance test to the magic academy. ‘Passed’ being a relative term.-”
“No! No, no no!” Shining yelled. He released the spell, dropping Twilight. “No, you can’t be… you can’t…” He said, his voice dropping throughout his monologue. He slumped against the wall, sliding to the ground.
Rainbow, who had been strangely quiet throughout this entire exchange, walked up to Twilight, offering a hoof up.
“And me? Who am I?” She asked softly.
“You’re Rainbow Dash. You’re the only pony to have pulled off a sonic-rainboom. You’re also the element of loyalty, and my best friend. You were always there for me throughout my stay in Ponyville. My confidant, you could say.”
“Alright. I don’t want to believe it, but you… you’re Twilight.” Rainbow Dash threw her arms around her friend, not caring about how she looked. “Celestia damn it, I’ve missed you Twilight.”
Twilight returned the hug. “I’ve missed you too Dash. Life hasn’t been exactly a picnic in this hell hole. Give me a moment, and then we can get out of this place. I need to fix my brother.”
“Okay Twi. Just remember to tone it down on the cussing back in Equestria, m-kay?”
“Okay Dash.” Twilight nodded. She hadn’t realized how much she had picked up from her guards until Dash had said something.
Walking over to her brother, she nudged him. “Shining, please. Believe me. I may be different, but I’m still me. I’m still your sister.” She said this, while dragging him up off the ground into a sitting position. He stared at her, looking at her sadly. “Please. Let’s go home. I miss mom. I miss dad.”
A hint of life behind those dull eyes.
“Shining. I missed you. Please don’t push me away.”
Shining moved and gave Twilight a hug, crying into his sister’s shoulder. He let it all out. He hadn’t cried since Twilight had disappeared. He let out all of his worries, his problems...
He had his sister back.
“I’m so sorry Twilie. I am so sorry. I love you. Nothing will ever change that.”
Twilight hugged him back. She didn’t cry. She couldn’t. She had cried enough the last two months.
Shining stepped back abruptly and took a deep breath, getting his emotions under check.
“Okay. We need to leave here immediately. Once we are out of this compound, we can activate a transporter spell and be returned to Equestria post-haste.” He said, automatically switching into his Captain voice.
“Yeah, plus we probably have Lyra and Scootaloo worried sick by now. We sorta got sidetracked by this little reunion.” Dash said, getting in-between the two siblings.
“Lyra? And Scootaloo? You let a filly come out here!?” Twilight said in astonishment.
“Wasn’t our idea, trust me. She just came along. We didn’t even know she was there until we were past the point of no return.” Dash said.
There was a scuffling from outside, a noise that got the attention of everypony in the room.
“Shining… You used the sleep spell that you learned when I was still in magic kindergarten, right?” Twilight asked, worry seeping into her voice.
“Yeah… Why?”
“The one that lasts for fifteen minutes?”
“Yes…? I’ll cast it again before we leave. They’re bound. The can’t go and warn anyone.
“Shining, you idiot!” Twilight said, startling both Dash and Shining Armor. “Changelings are a telepathic race! A hive mind! Which means…” She said quickly.
A low horn sounded, reverberating along the walls and corridors.
“They already know.” Finished Dash.
“We’re leaving. Now.”
----
“Lyra!”
“I know Scoots! I’m not deaf!”
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know… They should have come out already.”
“Maybe we should go in aft-”
“No. They told us to stay here. We’re plan B, remember?”
“Yeah…But!”
“No buts! Stay here. And stay quiet, will you! They can't see us because of my spell, but they can still hear us.”
“Okay, Lyra…”
---
“Run!” Shouted Dash, who, of course, was flying.
“I am running!” Shouted Twilight.
“Well then, run faster!”
“Quiet! Both of you! Next left!” Shining yelled back at them.
“No! They’re waiting! Keep going forward!” Shouted Twilight.
“How can you tell?” Asked Dash.
“Don’t question it now! Question it later! Back in Equestria!”
“Okay, fine! Straight!”
They ran past several turns, making a left, sometimes making a right, and rarely, if ever, going straight forward.
Everything was going smoothly, until they ran into a problem. A ‘T’ intersection, with changelings coming in from both sides.
“Shit! We’re screwed!” Shouted Twilight, scared, and definitely not for the first time that night.
“Which way Twilight? We can still make it!” Shining asked, remaining calm.
“Um… Either! They both lead to a stairwell that leads out.” Twi said, her breathing becoming erratic.
“Focus. We can make it. You hold them off from the left, and I’ll power through on the right. I’m going to use everything I’ve got to get us out of here. Dash, you might have to carry me out once all of the changelings are disposed.” Shining said, spouting off his plan.
“Got it boss. Twilight?”
Twilight sucked in a breath. “Yeah! Of course!” She said, giving a nervous laugh.
“Good. Let’s start!”
Twilight turned around, conscious of the others behind her, and faced the horde of changelings. She could do this. She could use her magic.
Except she couldn’t. She hadn’t been able to access her mana stores since the first transfusion.
She had to try. For her friend, and for her brother.
‘Where are you going Twilight?’
Twilight’s head shot up, glancing around. That voice in her head…
It was the Queen’s.
‘Why are you leaving us? We’re the only ones who truly understand you.’
“You dragged me here against my will.”
‘Ah, but we have done much to help you.’
“You put me through hell. Get out of my head.”
‘Very well. But we’ll speak very soon.’
Twilight thought for a moment. The Queen didn’t make promises she didn’t plan on fulfilling. She sounded confident.
A realization struck Twilight.
“This is a trap…” She said as it dawned on her. “Shining! Dash! This is all a trap! She knew we were coming!”
The changelings were almost upon her. Whirling around, she saw Dash and Shining Armor forging through the changelings, but slowly losing the battle.
They had risked their lives to come and save her.
And now? They were going to die because of her.
“No!” Twilight shouted. “This is not. The. End!”
She saw a changeling jump up and grab Dash, bringing her down. A couple more jumped on Shining, forcing him to the ground.
“No!” She yelled again.
Something inside her snapped.
Twilight blinked, and when she opened her eyes, they glowed a bright green. Magic flowed into her horn, charging it.
She ran forward, and using some precise spells, knocked the changelings back off of Dash and her brother.
She could almost laugh. She couldn’t reach her magic before because it was a different type of magic.
Changeling magic. Fundamentally the same, yet different enough that she hadn’t known about it.
“Hey Chrysalis! You know how you bragged that there wasn’t a unicorn alive that could teleport out of here?”
Shining Armor looked at his sister, wondering what had happened since he had last seen her. What had made her this way?
Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight. This… this wasn’t the mare that she had known. Twilight was different know, inside and out. But… Dash could learn to live with it. She could learn to like this Twilight.
‘Twilight, as Queen I am ordering you to stand down’
“Ordering me?” Twilight laughed. “Chrysalis? Watch me do the impossible. I’m leaving. Buh-bye, you-”
With those words, she grabbed Shining and Dash and literally forced the magic out. All of it. With a blinding flash, they vanished.
The only thing that filled the hallways after that was a sound. Only it wasn’t a sound of sorrow, anger, or despair.
It was one of joy.
---
A flash, followed by a thump.
“Lyra! They’re back! And they have Twilight!” Scootaloo shouted at the green mare.
“What are you talking about? I’m still blind from that flash.”
“They’re back! And they’ve rescued Twilight!”
“Lyra! The beacon!” Shining said weakly, about to pass out.
“But… you’re supposed to use it! I don’t have the magic reserves.”
“You’ll have enough! Drop it! Drop the beacon!”
“Okay! Here goes nothing!”
Lyra’s face contorted into a face of concentration, her horn glowing a brilliant amber.
This time, the air around the team swirled, picking up dust and speed as it rotated faster and faster. It connected at the top, forming a half a sphere, one containing all five ponies.
“Lyra, finish it!” Shouted Twilight.
“I- I can’t! I’m going to burn out!”
“Use my reserves!”
Placing her horn against Lyra, she gave the last of her magic to Lyra to finish off the spell.
Lightning crackling among the bowl of dust, a loud banging noise echoed around the empty plain. As the dust settled, it was clear that the five ponies were no longer there.
---
A loud bang echoed around Celestia’s bedchamber. A guard had opened the door with too much haste.
Celestia gasped, and sat straight up in bed having just been rudely awoken. She glared at the guard.
“I’m sorry, Princess. But under your direct orders I am here to tell you that-”
Celestia jumped out of bed, and bolted out of the door, leaving the guard there, slightly stunned.
“-they have… returned….” The guard finished lamely.
Celestia sprinted along the corridors, flinging doors open, not caring who she woke.
“The courtyard…” She whispered, still running.
Door after door, she ran. She ran past palace guards, past servants, and past her sister.
One last door. She flung it open.
Running her eyes over the group, she could see that they all were exhausted, several of them already asleep. The only ones still up were Rainbow and Twilight.
Twilight smiled on at the Princess.
“Princess. I’m back.” She said, with joy in her voice.
And with that, she fainted, both physically and magically exhausted.
A flash of green light filled the courtyard.
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Moved too fast? Meh... They would have rescued her eventually. Why postpone the inevitable?
A friend for her *blank*
Her what?
Lover?
It moved too fast, but hey. As long as you don't cheapen the story by making this an easy pill to swallow I'm okay.
I like it, but if Twilight is still connected to the hive.....
Proceed my good sir
noez
hope you have some plan to screw twi over, because if this goes to a happy stuff from now on ima be very sad (and like angsty stuff about her looks and "what now that ima changeling betwen ponies does not count as sad/screwing her over)
I mean all i want for her is to be happy, there is no further happines then being an obidient little drone-army general or whatever chrysalis has in store for her
other then that i was hoping for some adventure when they like seek out twilight, perhaps form a plan, we see that plan in action, it screws up, you put some elements in there that could be used later
yea it was really...sudden
well other then that...dunno, ima trust you with this, and hope that you know what you're doing
yay! update
next chapter.......oh boy
2074808 agreed.
anyway Celestia is going to be really upset now and probably start shattering the changelings under her furious might in revenge for their actions against Twilight.
Thank the heavens celestias a peaceful monarch. A wratjful queen would have incinerated the pony.the moment she transfirmed.
Anyway, good chapter. Dissapointed theres no Grimdark corruption though.
Joy ?
Hmm...And so the interesting continues
Great chapter, and the [redacted] was a nice touch.
A moustache for you
It's actually quite good move. Because it moved fast there was feeling of constant speed.
Oh boy, will they believe her? Cliffhangers...why cliffhanger?
fuuuuuuuuuck
ive had enough of these motha fucking cliff hangers
on this motha fucking website!
(yeah i went there)
well at least the changelings didn't annoy pinkie pie (visible shudder)
More Twiabuse? For Fluttershy
? Please?
I did move a little bit fast, but I don't see what's wrong in there.
You could've written a 10,000 words chapter that would have made the story go forward as much as this 3,000 words chapter.
And when things go fast, it gives a sense of ... Urgency to the situation. I was really feeling like they were running for their lives in the hive because of how fast it was going.
2075648
The way I see it, the Queen is setting up a win/win for herself. Either (a) the average Pony rejects Twilight, thus turning her towards the Queen's cause, or (b) Twilight is accepted back into Celestia's inner circle, thus allowing the Queen to listen in to everything Twilight hears, via the Hive Mind.
To put it more clearly, Queen Chrysalis is either going to gain a new General as the Ponies finish breaking Twilight for her, or Twilight becomes an unwitting and unwilling mole in the Equestrian Government.
Personally, I suspect what will actually happen is that Twilight will become so skilled at Changeling magic that she will usurp control of the Hive away from the Queen.
I wonder what Princess Celestia will think of the new Twilight. Guess I'll just have to wait for the next update.
Great story so far!
Oh God this made me laugh so freakin hard. Great chapter keep it up
And then Celestia obliterated Twilight. The end
interesting. great chapter! i wouldn't really say that it's moving at too fast of a pace, but it was unexpected to see them rescue her without any real warning, we only knew that they were gonna try, we never saw any part of the process, thus i kept expecting it to be a cruel trap by chrysalis, making the real rescue later on go badly as twi wouldn't come with them. anyways, so this was planned by chrysalis, she's either expecting twi to turn back to the hive on her own and be a mole close to the princess, or twi doesn't know that chrysalis can use her in some way from a distance.
gonna be interesting to see the rest of the girls, as well as celestia and luna react to twi's new form.
2074883
Crush.
Haha, well, I hope to show you that I've earned this trust.
2075021
Thanks! I thought I had gotten rid of the redacted with the actual word though... Oh well.
2074834
:O No... At least... not yet...
2078711
Thanks. I wasn't sure how much cussing I could get away with.
2080245
Well, you posted three seconds before me.
I was worried that if I wrote about them going to rescue Twi, that the story would soon shift over to them, and only them. I'm planning on writing a side story centering on them and their travelings.
2080269
works for me!
and lol, literally three seconds!
2080491
It was, and then it wasn't.
Ah yes midnight I actually get my inspiration then^_^ keep up da good work bro
Heh heh see what I did there? :3
2221962
Haha, always!
I did see what you did! I think...
2225433 bro; BRO-ny get it now?
never mind.
Btw it is true due to the fact I have like no free time during the day, whenever I get inspiration I just write on my phone (notes) its difficult yes, but I can always email it to myself so I can check for errors with Microsoft word ^-^
I'm on my phone right now so I don't actually know how to "quote" (another terrible pun) someone using names
Just know I'm replying to V This guy
2226709
You got me anyway though.
And yes. I did get it then. I wasn't sure though.
2228558 now why in the world are you still talking to me? Get back to writing :p
Or living your life! Do something more fun :p
Ramble ramble ramble
What I meant is that it shows up as numbers instead of a name on my screen
I listened to this throughout the chapter, let's just say it made the chapter even more amazing. Fade to black played by Apocolyptica, the all cello metal band.
Wait... What? You skipped the journey?
Why would you skip the journey?
Also, they accepted her FAR too fast as the real Twilight. Least, so I think.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Celestia damn! That made me tear up, beautifully made!
I wonder what that redacted is trying to insue?
Okay, Twilight's dad is NIGHT LIGHT!
Five minutes later
Six minutes later
Appropriate link added
I think you got Twilight's dad's name wrong. His name is Night Light. I really like this story, though. Great job!