What Didn't Happen

by Zeg

Return of the Queen

What Didn't Happen

by Zeg

Chapter XVII – Return of the Queen

The following night, reports of a daylight bright flash of light in the north made their way to Canterlot. Princess Luna had dispatched a squadron of her pegasi Nightguard immediately upon hearing the news, and they had returned in less than a day’s time with reports of an enormous, magical dome. The dome was an impenetrable shield letting nothing pass through. It was massive in size, easily large enough that it could encompass an entire city, and even though it wasn’t possible to see what was hidden underneath, the location was exactly where the fabled lost empire of the north used to be.

The working assumption from that point forward was that the Crystal Empire had returned from the curse that had locked it away. It was also assumed that Chrysalis had likely had a hoof in it, and possibly the other five bearers as well. Unfortunately, assumptions were all they had, and days had passed without any new revelations since then.

Not a single changeling had been spotted in the city proper since Chrysalis’s escape. To ensure that none were parading around in disguise at the palace, every single being that stepped hoof or foot inside was required to wear a small crystal pendant at all times. Twilight and Luna had come up with the countermeasure, enchanting small shards of crystal with some of the properties of Twilight’s changeling revealing magic. When tested on the few captives that they did have, each shard emitted its own dim, reddish glow when only a few body lengths from a changeling. Each of the shards had been crafted from a single source, and so would resonate with other shards when they were nearby, giving off a soft, bluish-white glow instead. Even if the changelings were clever enough to attempt to create their own facsimile or even a counter measure to the detection magic, it would still be possible to tell a true pendant from a fake. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on one’s perspective, they had not yet gotten the chance to put the pendants to a real test.

Every evening since Celestia’s return, during the hours when both princesses were awake, the two sisters had been meeting at the Canterlot Archives along with Twilight. It was a location that Twilight had recommended herself. It provided easy access to any reference material she might need during their talks, and doubled as a neutral location that didn’t favor either sister. These meetings had gone markedly better than the first one between the two sisters, though there were still moments where Twilight had to put herself between them to give them a moment to let their tempers cool. Even Celestia had begun showing a temperamental edge that Twilight had found to be very uncharacteristic, something that she attributed to the differences in Luna. The Moon Princess was no longer the perpetual younger sister that would defer to her elder sister more often than not, and instead seemed to challenge Celestia at every chance now that she was a true equal in both size and power.

They had just been in the middle of one such confrontational discussion that centered around the possibility of a changeling hive existing beneath Canterlot and what to do with it, with Luna vying for some sort of action to ‘drive them out’ and Celestia believing that such actions would only ‘stir up the hornet’s nest’. “Well at least I am suggesting that we do something,” Luna said, punctuating her statement with an annoyed huff as she leaned over the table that the trio were seated at, her eyes squinting ever so slightly in a thinly masked glare at her sister. “I for one am tiring of us sitting on our plots while the world falls to pieces around us!”

“It has only been three days,” Celestia began.

“Very nearly four,” Luna pointed out as she pointed a silver slippered hoof in her sister’s direction.

“...Four days then,” Celestia said with a light sigh. “We still know very little about what is happening yet. We shouldn’t make any rash choices.”

Luna leaned back. “We won’t be making any at all if you have your way,” she grumbled just loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

Twilight’s eyes darted back and forth between the two sisters from where she was seated at the side of the table between them, following the conversation. She noticed the very slight change in Celestia’s facial features, picking up on the tension at the corners of her eyes and edges of her mouth as the elder sister stared across the table at the younger. It was time to step in again.

“Well,” Twilight said as she leaned in on the table, drawing the royal sisters’ attention to her. She tapped her hooves together just in front of her muzzle, her forelegs resting just barely on the edge of the table as she looked to each princess in turn as she spoke. “Luna, I can understand how you feel, believe me. My friends are still missing and it has been days, so I’m getting pretty anxious to do something.” She got a quick nod from the Moon Princess before she turned her attention to the other side of the table. “Celestia, I also understand your feelings as well. We shouldn’t go stirring up trouble under our hooves if it means others get caught in the crossfire. That would just be irresponsible.” The Sun Princess nodded once in response. Twilight let out a tired sigh as she slumped back in her seat, allowing her hooves to drag off the table to fall to her sides as she did so. “What I wouldn’t give for some useful information,” she said through a wry smile.

Twilight raised her tired forelegs up above her head, crossing her fetlocks against one another and arching her back as she gave her body a good stretch. The joints in her ankles released a satisfying crack just before two quick taps at the closed archive doors behind her interrupted the stretch, causing her forelegs to quickly dropping back down as she glanced over her shoulder. The latch clicked and one of the double doors opened into the room just enough for a pegasus to make his way inside. Twilight rose from her chair when she recognized him as one of the Nightguard’s message runners, Swift Wing. “Pardon the intrusion,” he said as he stopped to kneel to the alicorns present in the room.

Both sisters began to speak, each stopping on the first word and quickly glancing to one another. Luna arched a single brow at Celestia in a silent challenge, and when her sister glanced away to the tabletop she turned her attention back to the guard. “Rise. What news have you?” she asked.

Swift Wing pulled himself up from the floor, standing tall as he looked to Luna. “A changeling has turned himself in.”

Shocked looks filled the room all around, followed by a silence as the three alicorns each looked to one another as if to make sure they had all heard the same thing. Luna returned her attention to her Nightguard. “Explain,” she said as her brow furrowed.

“He walked right up to the forward guards at the castle gate and asked to talk. When they got close, the pendants turned red,” Swift Wing said, placing a hoof just over his own pendant. “Then, right there in the middle of the street he just dropped his disguise and asked to be taken to Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight cringed slightly at the sudden confused glance that came from Luna. “He... really asked for me specifically?” she asked as her eyes darted back and forth from Luna to Swift Wing.

Swift Wing turned his attention to Twilight, giving her a quick nod. “He claimed you would know him, but he didn’t give a name. He came with us quietly, and he also had this with him,” he said as he took a couple steps forward and unslung a woven bag from his right wing. The bag klinked with some contents that sounded a lot like glass on glass as he gently rest the bag on the floor, and Twilight cautiously tugged at the opening to peer inside. There was a collection of green bottles that were near perfectly round except for the small opening on each one that was stopped with a cork. “We’re not sure what’s in them, but he said to be careful with them and that he would tell you what they’re for himself.” Turning his attention back to Luna, Swift Wing asked, “What would you have us do, my Queen?”

“Princess, my Nightguard,” Luna corrected. “We have left that title behind.”

“Of course,” Swift Wing said as he quickly bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

“Worry not. Where is this changeling now?”

Swift Wing looked back up to Luna’s eyes. “Down below, in a cell.”

“Princess, if I may?” Twilight asked. She waited until Luna gave her a silent nod before turning to Swift Wing to ask her question. “Did he say at all why he was looking for me, or mention anything about my friends?”

Swift Wing slowly blinked his eyes as he shook his head. “Sorry, I’ve pretty much told you everything he told us. We think he came to us expecting that we were going to take him in. He didn’t seem at all bothered by it.”

Twilight hummed to herself, lifting a forehoof to tap it to her chin as she worked her jaw back and forth. She glanced off to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly as she pondered the information. “Maybe he’ll have some answers if we ask the right questions.”

Twilight glanced up to Luna, who seemed to already know what the next question was going to be as she preemptively answered. “You may speak with him. However, I urge you to be cautious. He wants something bad enough to allow himself to be captive. Find out all you can from him, but do not be taken in by his stories.”

---

Three laid stone walls beside and behind and a wall of iron bars ahead were all that the changeling had seen for quite some time now. His body was bound with an enchanted restraint about the base of his gnarled horn that jutted out from his fiery orange mane, along with four more that were each bound around one of his ankles. A body harness restraint usually meant for a pegasus had been strapped around his body to hold his wings to his sides. Given that his didn’t fold the same way pegasi wings did, the harness was far less than comfortable, what with some of the body straps having been tightened down over the wing tips. It was still better than he had hoped for, given the situation. So far, he had been treated as a prisoner instead of a pest to be exterminated.

He had sat in his cell with only silence as his companion ever since he had been placed there. Given the urgent nature of his reason for being there, and the lack of a visible sky, the few hours he had spent there already felt like an eternity as the moments dragged on. Only a single, lonely arcane light flickered from the hallway, providing the only noticeable change in the surroundings as the light levels dimmed in time with the light’s silent dance. Each passing moment only served to add to his worry of being forgotten for far too long in this dimly lit place.

His ears twitched and pivoted about. He held perfectly still, even stopping his breathing for a short moment to be as silent as possible. For a few seconds, the only thing he could make out was the sound of his own heartbeat drumming in his ears from the moment of excitement that had gripped him. And then, he heard something echoing through the dim halls. Tapping sounds that were gradually growing louder, maybe even closer. The sounds of hooves on the cobblestone floor.

He remained seated where he was, waiting as patiently as he could despite the feeling of anxiety welling up in his chest. If it were really her, he would likely only get one chance to plead his case. He didn’t want to come across as a desperate idiot that was half out of his mind. No, that wouldn’t do at all, even if there were some truth to it.

A group of ponies walked into view in the hallway just on the other side of the bars, all but one of them clad in guard uniform. The one that wasn’t was the one he had hoped to see. Though it had been brief, he still very clearly remembered the alicorn from their first meeting.

Twilight Sparkle cast a quick spell that sent two small glowing orbs from her horn that each found their way to the corners of the cell walls. The orbs slowly grew brighter, chasing away the darkness. “I remember you,” she said as she traced her eyes over the changeling’s form.

“I had hoped you would,” the changeling said, his mouth forming a weak smile for a fleeting moment. “Seems we met under similar circumstances the first time, only reversed,” he said as he glanced about at the walls of his cell. Tucking one of his forelegs against his chest, he made a slight bowing motion to Twilight as he introduced himself. “I am Graphite.”

“And you already know who I am,” Twilight said in response, which drew Graphite’s attention back up.

“Of course.”

Twilight turned and held a hoof out to one of the guards, who hefted a bag off his back that clinked when it shifted as he hooked the strap over Twilight’s hoof. She rested the bag on the floor. “What are these?” she asked as she stared expectantly into the cell.

“Ah, good. They did bring them to you. Those are for the princess that was injured,” Graphite said. He noticed Twilight’s stare shifting more toward a glare and thought it better to explain exactly what the contents were. “Bottled changeling venum. I doubt your doctors have any.”

Twilight glanced down, pulling the opening of the bag toward herself as she looked at the green bottles inside for a moment before looking back up. “Why would you give this to us?” she asked as she lifted and hoofed the bag back to the guard, not breaking her gaze from Graphite while doing so.

“With the proper preparation, it can be used as a component to create an antivenom—”

“I know that,” Twilight said, a perturbed edge on her voice as she cut off the explanation. “Why would you bother helping us? What do you want?”

Graphite took in a deep breath and slowly let it out to calm his nerves. This was his one and only chance. He only hoped that she wouldn’t turn away the very moment he spoke.

“Your help.”

There was no readable reaction to his request. The group of ponies only silently stared at him from just outside his cell. “That is a gesture to show that we... I am serious in my request,” he added, pointing toward the bag of vials.

Graphite could see the gears turning as Twilight silently studied him. He wondered what she could be thinking. After all that had happened, his request had to sound very strange to her. She finally turned her attention away for a moment to speak with the guard that was handling the package of vials. Her horn glowed just slightly as she spoke, and though he could see their mouths moving just barely, he couldn’t make out even muffled speech. Likely some sort of sound dampening spell, he thought. A clear indication that she didn’t at all trust him, which was going to be a very large hurdle to overcome. The conversation between Twilight and the guard ended, and the guard departed from the group with the package as Twilight turned her attention back to the cell.

“You know I have a really good reason to not believe you,” she said as she raised an eyebrow.

“If this is about the first time we met, you must know that I didn’t have a choice then.”

“And now you do,” Twilight said, as if predicting the answer. It was clear that it was a statement she didn’t believe.

“Yes,” Graphite said through a heavy sigh. “Something has changed. The False Queen has gone silent for days.”

“...False Queen?” Twilight said in a half whisper. Confusion played on her face as she pondered the meaning of the title.

“The one who captured you,” Graphite offered.

“Why do you call her that?” Twilight asked cautiously. “You know she’s—”

“From the future?” A wry smile appeared on Graphite’s muzzle once again. “Yes, we all know. At first, we believed she had come to warn us.”

“...Of what?” Twilight asked, her head tilting slightly.

“You,” Graphite said as he pointed a forehoof directly at Twilight, which caused her to jerk her head back. “Turns out she had ulterior motives. We were simply a means to an end, and by the time we discovered this, there was nothing we could do about it. To try to deny her will is simply impossible.”

“...Yet, here you are,” Twilight noted.

“Yes, here I am,” Graphite said as he once again looked around at the cell walls. “Like I said, something has changed, and if nothing is done to bring back our true queen, I’m afraid there will be a larger problem for us all soon.”

Twilight seemed to struggle with deciding on her next question for a moment, tapping her hoof on the floor as she pondered on what to ask. She finally settled on one as she simply asked, “What problem?”

“Our Queen has always relied on others to keep a measure of control over all changelings. Others such as myself,” Graphite said as he gestured to himself with a single hoof.

Twilight recoiled slightly as she looked Graphite up and down. “You’re... a hive queen?”

“No,” Graphite said, a light chuckle on his voice. He quickly cleared his throat when he noticed that he was the only one there that seemed to find anything humorous about Twilight’s statement. “Definitely not. I doubt your understanding of changelings is completely accurate. Though I am different from the ones you’ve mostly seen, obviously,” he said as he gestured to his own face, which was very pony like despite being covered in a black carapace. His eyes, though they housed black slits for pupils set within emerald green irises, were still far more pony like than the compound eyes most changelings had. “I am part of what is known as the coven. We that are closest to the Queen, and chose willingly to give ourselves to her service.”

Twilight blinked a few times, her mouth hanging slightly open. “Huh,” she commented as she sat on the floor just in front of the cell bars. She spent another few seconds pondering over what she had been told before quickly shaking her head. “You know, you really aren’t doing a good job of making me want to help you.”

“I’m being truthful, is that not what you want?” Graphite asked, shrugging his shoulders. “Normally, I wouldn’t even be capable of speaking to you about the coven. It’s simply forbidden by her will, part of the agreement.”

Twilight tilted her head once again, her eyes narrowing curiously. “What agreement?”

Graphite hesitated for but a second and then remembered that he needed to humor his hostess’s questions if he wanted to maintain the chance of gaining her help. “That in trade for the power we gain, we will serve our Queen’s will unconditionally,” he explained shortly, hoping it would suffice.

He watched as Twilight thought about his explanation, her eyes tracing over him as if to puzzle out something that he was hiding from her. “So, you didn’t come here because she willed you to?” she asked in turn.

“No. That was my choice alone.” Graphite’s eyes looked toward the floor as he took a moment to reflect on that fact. “For the first time since I underwent the change, I’ve been able to make a choice completely of my own free will. I didn’t have to ask for approval.” He glanced back up to Twilight. “And I want to use that choice to save my Queen,” he said, putting as much conviction as he could behind his choice as he spoke it. “I need your help to save the true Chrysalis.”

Twilight’s eyes widened slightly as she sat silently staring back at Graphite as if she couldn’t believe what she had heard. After a moment, the shock seemed to fade and she slowly shook her head. “I doubt that’s possible now,” she said in a half whisper that carried in the silence of the halls. Graphite couldn’t help but feel his heart sink at what sounded like a rejection of his request for aid, his ears splaying back against his head as he let out a defeated sigh. His eyes closed as he slumped toward the floor, his head hanging below shoulder height. However, after a few seconds he glanced up again when he heard Twilight try to explain further. “When I was captured, I was told that your ‘true Chrysalis’ was dead.”

Graphite’s expression slowly went from dejected to confused, and then something resembling anger. “You were told that? By whom?” he asked forcefully. He held a hard gaze on Twilight for a moment until he remembered that he was the one being interrogated. Realizing his place, he softened his glare and looked away toward the floor.

Surprisingly, he got an answer from his captor. “The one you keep calling False Queen,” Twilight said simply.

Graphite pondered the answer silently for a moment. It didn’t make sense, since it definitely were not true. Perhaps the False Queen had fed Twilight a lie, or she had simply misunderstood. “Well, what ever she may have said to make you believe that, you shouldn’t,” Graphite said before looking back up toward Twilight. “Though it’s possible by now that our Queen wishes she were dead, she’s simply been trapped by the False Queen for quite some time now.”

“She’s alive somewhere?” Twilight asked, her brows raising high.

“Alive, yes, but only just so. Her body remains as part of a magical construct. Her mind is somewhere else, beyond my reach. None in the hive have been able to reach her since the day that the False Queen created that spell,” Graphite said as he recalled memories from years ago. Gesturing to Twilight, he then said, “You’ve seen it, even studied it. My hope is that you can find a way to the other side where she is. You are from the same time, so you must know something about the magic that she weaved into that construct within the Everfree Hive.”

“I see,” Twilight said. She sat there silently afterward, seeming deep in thought.

“She is the only one that can control the coven. With the False Queen now gone from the hive mind, if she doesn’t return, then even I can’t predict what the others might do with their new found freedom.”

Twilight furrowed her brow, a look of concern playing on her features. “Do you think they would openly attack us?” she asked cautiously.

Graphite nodded. “Anything is possible. Not all believe in keeping our existence a secret and quietly coexisting.”

Twilight considered the information for a time before she stood. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?” she asked. Though earlier Graphite could tell that much of the information he had given her had come across as surprising, Twilight was now putting forward an unreadable mask.

“Do you believe me?” he asked.

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “That’s a question, and I’m not answering it.”

He could feel his heart starting to race again. “I’ll do anything within my power if it means gaining your help,” he offered.

Twilight’s chest heaved with a heavy sigh just before she lifted a forehoof and turned a quarter turn away from the cell. She paused there for just a second looking back to Graphite. “Not my call,” she said before turning away and starting down the hall.

Graphite felt a wave of dread wash over him as Twilight and the group of guards turned away to leave. “Wait,” he called out in a weak voice before he stood and made a quick dash to the cell bars. He pressed his face up against the bars, hanging his forelegs over the cross bar as he reached them out to the group as they left. “Wait! You must help!” he called out, but his plea seemed to fall on deaf ears. Gritting his teeth together tightly, he screwed his eyes tightly closed as he drew in a hissing breath between his teeth. “I can take you to your friends!” he yelled.

The sounds of hooves on the cobble hallway stopped immediately. Graphite cringed as he waited for the reaction to what he had just done. The trump card he had just played could either gain him the help he wanted or gain him a lot of suffering. His ears lifted from where they were laid back against his head just slightly as he heard the sounds of a single set of hoofsteps making their way back to his cell at a brisk pace. The hoofsteps stopped just before him, and he opened his eyes to see Twilight glaring at him. Where only a moment ago, the alicorn had kept her emotions hidden so well that Graphite had barely been able to read any shifts at all, now he felt an overwhelming flood of anger saturating the area. The sudden change caused him to pull back from the bars slightly.

“Where,” Twilight demanded through a low growl.

Graphite fought back against a sudden urge to pull away and hide himself, holding his ground as he tightened his grip on the bars instead. “They’re perfectly safe,” he began, but was suddenly jerked forward. His face hit the bars, not hard enough to cause pain, but it had done well enough to unnerve him as he squirmed against the telekinetic grip that Twilight now held him with.

“Tell. Me. Where,” Twilight demanded, ending on the last word by applying more pressure with her grip against the bars.

“I will!” Graphite said frantically as his back hooves scrambled against the floor. He struggled for a short moment longer before willing himself to fight off the panic long enough to speak. He gripped the bars with his forelegs again and forced himself to look the fury that was staring him down directly in the eyes. He had to stand his ground, even if it meant facing down an alicorn. “I must have your help,” he stated in a shaky voice. “I’m sorry, but I did say I would do anything within my power, which means even this. Help me and I will take you to them. I swear to you, no harm will ever come to them.”

Twilight jerked Graphite against the bars, causing them to rattle. Now it was starting to get painful. “Unless I don’t do what you want,” she growled as she leaned in closer and narrowed her eyes at him.

“No!” Graphite yelled as he struggled against the grip once again. To his surprise, Twilight lessened the hold slightly, at least enough that it didn’t feel like he was being crushed. He took a few seconds to catch his breath before speaking again. “No, I would never have the bearers harmed. By the end of all of this, we very well may need them to face the False Queen.”

There was a long, uneasy silence that followed after that. In the span of only a few seconds, Twilight’s expression once again became an unreadable, emotionless mask. The two of them ended up standing there silently for minutes, Graphite being held in Twilight’s spell grip the entire time, long enough to the point that it began to feel rather awkward, but he didn’t dare protest. Finally, the spell dissipated, taking Graphite a bit off guard as he flinched and gripped the bars to keep from knocking his chin against the crossbar. He watched Twilight closely, waiting quietly to hear what her answer might be. She stood there in the silence for a while longer before she spoke again.

“Tell me something,” Twilight asked quietly as she looked Graphite directly in the eyes. “Do you believe your Chrysalis would be willing to face her future self?”

Graphite relaxed his grip on the bars, allowing himself to settle back down to sit just on the other side. “After the betrayal she’s faced, I’m sure it would be her pleasure, and mine as well.”

---

Convincing the royal sisters that she should be allowed to help Graphite in his quest had proven to be quite a task for Twilight. They had spent nearly an entire day discussing, and at some points flat out arguing, over it. It wasn’t that Twilight believed releasing another Chrysalis was a good idea, it was that not doing so could actually be even worse. They knew next to nothing about this coven that Graphite had spoken of, other than the fact that they were now free to operate how ever they pleased independently of one another. It was an unknown that Twilight wasn’t willing to risk a chance on right now. She could deal with a past Chrysalis, if it became necessary. And on the off chance that Graphite was actually speaking the truth, they very well could gain a very powerful ally.

But what if the two were to join forces, Luna had asked her. Twilight didn’t believe this Equestria’s Chrysalis would be that forgiving after having been imprisoned as part of a spell for over a decade, and obviously her Chrysalis hadn’t been willing to share leadership with her past self, so she considered that event to be highly unlikely.

After being very persistent, Twilight received the very reluctant approval to take Graphite along with a squadron of Nightguard pegasi led by Gale with her to the Everfree Hive. When they arrived, they found the hive still deserted. Graphite led them all to one of the lower platforms that hung just below the base of the large crystal within the hive, where a very large, pulsing mass was attached to the bottom of the crystal through dark veins that snaked their way along its surface. Twilight remembered it from her earlier visits to the hive, and it wasn’t any less disgusting than it had been then.

“Let me guess,” Twilight said as she turned away from the large mass and looked back to Graphite, all the while trying to suppress her gag reflex. “That’s her, isn’t it?”

“Partially,” Graphite said as he walked ahead of the group to the large mass. He stopped just within reach of it, watching it for a few seconds before turning back to the group. “Her body is contained within, being used as a source of power.”

Twilight glanced up at the crystal hanging overhead shortly before looking back toward Graphite. “Her body has that much power?”

“No,” Graphite said as he took a few steps back toward the group. “Her body would have died long ago if it weren’t for the prisoners here. To keep itself alive, her body absorbs energy from them, which then gets siphoned into the spell, which in turn causes her body to draw more energy, and so it goes,” he said, waving a forehoof in a lazy circle. “It’s not normal. Usually a changeling’s body couldn’t stand up to that sort of abuse, but our Queen is far more resilient than the rest of us.”

“How do you know all this?” Twilight asked.

Graphite tapped a single hoof against the side of his head as a small smile played on his muzzle. “A changeling learns many things from the hive mind. It’s difficult for any one changeling to hide anything from the rest. Even the thoughts of the False Queen became known to us all eventually.”

Twilight hummed to herself as she glanced up at the crystal overhead again. “Yet you don’t know how to get her out,” Twilight said as she glanced over the crystal’s surface.

“Knowing what to do, and being able to do it are two separate things,” Graphite noted as he approached and sat directly before Twilight. “I don’t have the power to get past the wards, but if I could, I would be able to reach out to her through the hive mind, and lead her back.”

Twilight looked back down to Graphite, setting herself directly in front of him. “So, you just need a way in?” she asked. When he nodded back to her, she smiled and looked back up to the crystal. “I can do that,” she said as she began to concentrate on drawing her magic together.

She had already studied this spell construct with a team of unicorns in detail. There appeared to be a myriad of protective spells interlocked with one another, all flowing back to a self destruct hidden deep beneath them all. Any attempt at dispelling or even modifying the enchantments that prevented tampering with the crystal would likely detonate a very large amount of stored energy all at once, leaving a huge crater in the middle of the forest. This had left Twilight and her team with very little they could do as far as disabling the spell was concerned.

Now, the goal was different. Instead of attempting to defuse the magic that protected crystal, they simply needed a way past it, so Twilight would simply go around it. She was surprised that Chrysalis hadn’t thought to protect against that effect, but then it was a rather unique ability that only Twilight had ever exhibited. Using her magic to shift the space around the spell, she managed to create a bypass through the wards without disturbing them, feeding enough power into it to keep it stable for a while. Now they had clear access to whatever might be on the other side.

“Your turn,” Twilight said as she looked to Graphite expectantly.

Graphite blinked once, glancing up to the crystal and back to Twilight seeming a bit confused. “Just like that?” he asked. Twilight nodded back to him. “Huh,” he said as he glanced up, seeming lost in amazement at how simple the task had been. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, calming himself as he lowered his head and concentrated. His eyes slowly opened half way, casting a dim greenish glow on the floor along with his horn. He remained in this trance for a while, long enough that the guards posted around them had settled into idle chatter with one another while they waited for the changeling to do his changeling thing.

Finally, the trance was interrupted, and Graphite blinked as he looked up, not seeming all too happy. “I can’t get inside,” he said, a bit of frustration edging in on his voice.

Twilight immediately reached her mind out to her bypass spell, finding it still intact. “You should be able too, there’s nothing in your way now,” she said.

“No, not that,” Graphite said as he shook his head. “Inside the hive mind. There is something there, and I can’t get inside it.” He began to pace back and forth, staring down angrily at the floor. “Why is something like that even there? It doesn’t make sense.”

“What did you find?” Twilight asked as she watched him.

“A library,” he said, stopping to face Twilight. “An enormous one. There was no way in that I could tell, but there’s no where else to look.” Graphite grumbled to himself as he began pacing once again. “She has to be in there.”

Twilight quietly watched for a moment, only stopping to look up at the giant crystal overhead. If Graphite wasn’t able to find Chrysalis, there wasn’t much left that they could do. “So, now what?” she idly asked.

Graphite paused mid step, his eyes blinking as he seemed to struggle with his thoughts. Finally he turned himself toward Twilight, setting just before her once again. “I’ve already asked quite a lot of you,” he said, casting his glance to the side as he did so.

Twilight waited, and when he remained silent, prompted him to speak again. “Just ask.”

Graphite looked up to her, and then to the crystal overhead. “You found a way past this,” he said as he gestured to the crystal just before looking back down to her. “Perhaps you could find a way inside this library?”

“That might be slightly more difficult,” Twilight said as she thought about the request. The problem wasn’t that she was being asked for more help. “If it’s something that only exists in the hive mind, I can’t really reach it.”

“I could lead you there.”

“...You mean inside the hive mind,” Twilight said, to which she received a nod. She knew that such a thing were technically possible, but hadn’t planned on taking her help quite that far. “You’re absolutely sure you can’t get inside yourself?” she asked, hoping there might be some other option.

“Twilight.” Gale’s voice called out from just behind her, causing her to glance back to see the Sergeant waving her over. She quickly trotted over to see what Gale wanted, though she had a fairly good idea already what it was about. “There is only so much I’m willing to put up with,” Gale grumbled once Twilight made it close enough to her.

“You think I shouldn’t help him with this.”

“Of course I think you shouldn’t!” Gale said, her voice momentarily rising in volume. She glanced around to where Graphite was patiently waiting, narrowing her eyes a bit. “How can you trust him?” she asked in a half whisper.

“Who said I did?” Twilight asked, drawing Gale’s attention back to her. “There simply isn’t any other option. If we don’t come back with Chrysalis, we risk a sudden breakout of random changeling attacks. And besides” — she glanced back over her shoulder to Graphite — “call it a gut feel, but I don’t think this is an act. Usually I can tell if somepony is trying to pull a fast one on me.”

Gale leaned to look around Twilight to the changeling once again, letting out a frustrated huff. “Fine, it is your call,” she said, shaking her head as she dismissively waved a hoof.

Twilight reached forward, clasping a hoof over Gale’s shoulder. “I trust you to keep us safe,” she said, giving Gale a quick smile. Gale managed to give a wry smile in return along with a nod before Twilight returned to help Graphite finish what they had started.

---

Linking to the hive mind only required a single extra step on Twilight’s part. Once Graphite had once again focused his energy on bridging his own mind with the rest within the hive mind, Twilight performed her part by using a deep mind reading spell. The effect would bring her own consciousness in direct contact with his, and in turn, with the hive mind. She only hoped that he would keep his promise to keep any other curious changeling minds at a distance.

Her own consciousness interpreted the hive mind as an endless expanse of greys. Her presence within the hive mind took a form that was a perfect replica of her real body. As she became aware of the area around her, she realized that she was staring directly at a unicorn stallion that was looking back to her. She was shocked at first, seeing another pony in this place, but then she made the connection when she noticed his fiery orange mane. She wondered why Graphite would choose to disguise himself within the hive mind, appearing as a dust gray pony that looked nearly like his changeling form.

“I always appear like this here. It’s how I used to look,” he said, answering the curious look that Twilight had given him as she looked him over.

“So, you really were a pony once.”

“I thought it was obvious,” Graphite said, a light chuckle playing on his voice.

“Why?”

The question seemed to carry on an echo though the vast space around them. Graphite took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly with a thoughtful hum before he began to idly walk in some direction he seemed to have chosen at random. Twilight quickly cantered up beside him, still looking to him as she waited for an answer. “Why become a changeling?” he finally asked as he gave Twilight a side long glance. “Power. Being able to be anypony you wish, and to know what others know. One’s identity and what they know can be used to gain a lot in life. That,” Graphite paused for a moment as his gaze turned upward before he continued, “and it meant a chance for something... different.” On that, he stopped, turning himself to face Twilight. His eyes glanced at something behind her and he nodded his head toward whatever it was he saw as he said, “We’re here.”

Twilight turned herself around, and was surprised to find a large, white cinderblock building that had somehow been just behind her that she hadn’t noticed while they had been walking. It was tall for a single floor building, and looking to the left and right she could see that there was no visible end to how wide the building was. It stretched far beyond what she could ‘see’ in either direction. The wall had a repeating pattern of bay windows along the center that were each beveled above and below. “Wow,” was all Twilight could manage to say as she worked to wrap her mind around the endless size of what she was looking at.

“I’ve never actually seen anything like this before,” Graphite said as he took a few steps forward, stopping just at Twilight’s side. “Usually nothing like buildings ever manifests in this place, even when we connect this deeply to it.”

“I wonder if it is too much to ask for a door,” Twilight mused as she traced her eyes over the perfectly repeating surface of bricks and windows. As if answering her question, the bay window just in front of them began to distort and stretch. The area beneath the windows extended forward, forming a set of stairs, while the windows settled back in toward the wall and morphed into a pair of glass doors. A quiet click echoed through the otherwise empty expanse around them as the two doors slowly swung open toward them.

Graphite slowly looked to Twilight, his brow raising slightly. She only shrugged her shoulders and shook her head quickly. “Well then,” he started as he looked back to the open doorway, “it appears we’ve been invited in.” Graphite took a few steps forward toward the opened doorway, only to have it quickly slam shut when he placed a hoof on the first stone step. He narrowed his eyes at the door, tilting his head slightly as he said, “Or not.” As he took a few steps back from the door, it clicked and then slowly swung open once again, leaving him with a puzzled look. “Is it playing with me?” he asked as he curiously looked to Twilight.

“I’m not sure,” Twilight said as she chanced a step forward, lightly putting a single hoof on the steps. The door stayed wide open, and so she tried another cautious step, and then another. She stopped just before the threshold, turning to the side to look back. “Maybe it doesn’t like you?” she asked in a half joking tone.

Graphite rolled his eyes and took a step forward, but he immediately stopped his advance when the double doors began to close again. Twilight winced, dodging a quick step backwards to avoid being sandwiched between the two swinging doors. As Graphite withdrew his hoof back a step, the doors once again swung fully open. “You may be right,” he said as he stuck a single hoof forward, swinging it forward and back as he watched the door mirror his actions by swinging on their hinges. It seemed every time he so much as neared the doorway any at all, it would begin to close. “I guess the invitation is only for you.”

Twilight turned her head to look into the endless depths of the library, and then back to Graphite. “You would be okay with me going in alone?”

“Do we have a choice?” he asked with a heavy sigh. He sat at the base of the stairs, looking up to Twilight. Something about his gaze was different, perhaps easier to read now that he appeared more equine. Before he even said anything, she could see the plea for help looking her straight in the eyes. “I’ll stay here. Just bring her back, please.”

---

Twilight had been traveling on hoof for a few minutes now. At least, she believed it had been a few minutes, as it was actually somewhat difficult to track time. The entrance to the library appeared as a distant spec behind her that seemed much further away than it should. It acted as her only bearing on her location in what appeared to be an infinitely vast library, and so she hadn’t dared to stray off of the main path yet. To her right and left were rows upon rows of book shelves, each being a few body lengths in width and towering above her to touch the ceiling. As she had glanced down the gaps between the rows of shelves, she hadn’t yet been able to see where the rows actually ended as they stretched off into the distance. Each shelf appeared to be packed with books as far as she was able to see. Every few rows there were crystal chandeliers that glowed with pure white light, illuminating everything within the endless expanse of the library.

Her mind was struggling to come up with a good reason for such a vast virtual space to exist. If this place were meant to represent a library, why did it need to be so huge? She considered that the size might just be an illusion of some sort, a trick of the mind made to hide something important. When hiding something, if you make the search area impossibly big, that makes the chances of it being found impossibly small, she reasoned. But why a library?

Twilight stopped, turning toward one of the shelves. She had a theory, and any time she had a theory she would want to put it to the test. If the library were just an illusion, then everything contained within it would be as well. Reaching her magic out, she drew one of the books from its shelf at random. The book’s cover was a simple brown shade without any discernible markings on the outside. Twilight’s muzzle slowly displayed a confident half smirk as she hummed thoughtfully at the book. Turning it over in her magic, she opened it toward herself, expecting to find nothing but blank pages.

Instead, she saw a sudden flash, and then a scene as it played out before her. Her mind didn’t recognize the place, nor did it recognize the group of ponies that appeared to be speaking to her. It was as if she had been dropped right into the middle of a random conversation at a random place and time, but her body seemed to know exactly what to do as it continued to speak with the strangers. It was at that moment when she attempted to look elsewhere that she was surprised to find that her body hadn’t responded. Her body seemed to carry on, oblivious to what she was commanding it to do. She began to feel a wave of panic, frightened by the sensation of being completely trapped within a body that would not listen to her.

There was a flash again, and then she blinked rapidly. She was suddenly aware of her surroundings again, finding the bookshelf before her that she had drawn the book from, and she was immediately relieved to find that she was once again in control of herself.

“You probably shouldn’t do that,” a young voice said from her side. Twilight nearly jumped out of her own fur at the sound of another voice there in the library with her, her wings snapping open as she turned toward the voice and peddled back a few steps. She found a small form huddling on the floor with its forehooves wrapped around the brown book as if to hide behind it. A small violet horn was all that peaked out over the top of the book until a few seconds later, when the small filly raised her head just high enough to glance over.

Twilight found herself staring back into a smaller pair of matching violet eyes. The mane, the face, even the curious expression on the young filly’s face; it was like looking at a living picture of herself in her youth. The filly’s horn lit with a magenta aura, the aura enveloping the book as she pulled it to the side and stood. “I’m sorry. I guess I startled you,” the filly said, her ears splaying back as she glanced up with a sheepish grin.

“...Um,” was the only word that Twilight could get her mouth to speak as she continued to stare at the younger likeness of herself. Her mind was far too busy with trying to figure out the what, who, and why of this filly that had just appeared before her to be bothered with helping her form any coherent words.

“I’m sure you’re confused,” the filly said as she walked over to the bookshelf. Her magic lifted the book up and placed it back neatly within the slot that it had been drawn from. “I mean, I would be. Or I was, when I first got here. That was a while ago. This place was a mess. There was everything everywhere.”

“...You’re... um,” Twilight managed to say, despite her brain’s refusal to help her speak.

“Twilight,” the young filly said, turning herself toward Twilight and nodding once as she did. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and so are you.” The filly giggled and then added, “Though I guess that’s just as confusing. You can call me Little Twilight, if you want.”

“Little Twilight...,” Twilight said quietly. Her eyes slowly widened as her brain finally connected the last set of dots. “You’re the Twilight from this time.”

“That’s me,” Little Twilight said with a proud smile. “Welcome to my library.”

“Your library? You made this?” Twilight asked as she glanced around.

“Well, I did have a little help,” Little Twilight admitted. “Like I said, everything was everywhere. There was all kinds of memories all over the place. I couldn’t even think straight, but then I found that if I just organized things a little, everything started to make a lot more sense. Anyway, there’s something I’m supposed to show you. Follow me.” Twilight hopped back a step as the little filly scampered by her forelegs and off between a set of book shelves.

“Uh, wait,” Twilight said as she cast an unsure glance back to the library entrance shortly before taking off to follow. She could just make out a violet streaked tail disappearing around a corner up ahead. She galloped forward to catch up, skidding to a halt at the row of book shelves that her younger self had disappeared into, and once again just barely got a glimpse of Little Twilight’s tail zipping around another corner. “Wait a minute,” she called out as she tried to catch up once again. She wondered for a fleeting moment if galloping around in what amounted to being an imaginary library really made any sense, but pushed the stray thought aside as she tried to focus on catching up. She made it to the next turn just in time to once again spot the little filly scampering around a corner. “Wait!” she called out frantically as she pushed herself to gallop down the row as fast as she could.

She skidded to a halt just as Little Twilight poked her head back out around the bend, stopping only a few hoof widths away from the filly. Little Twilight just looked back up with curious eyes, her head tilting slightly to the side as she did so. “What’s wrong? You don’t have to worry about getting lost in here. Just stay with me.”

“It’s not that,” Twilight said through a heavy breath. She was surprised that she actually felt short of breath, which her mind tried to tell her shouldn’t be possible, but she shook her head as she once again tried to chase the random thoughts away so she could focus. “Why are you here?” she asked as she reached out and gently place a hoof on the filly’s shoulder.

Little Twilight hummed and lifted a forehoof to her chin, rubbing it underneath in a perfect mimicry of Twilight’s nervous thinking habit. “That’s a vague question. There’s lots of possible answers to that one. Why are any of us here?” she asked as she shrugged her shoulders.

“No, no,” Twilight said as she shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to get into a philosophical discussion with her younger self, even if the opportunity to do so was tempting. “What I meant to ask is why are you here in this place, and not out there, in the real world. Have you actually been here all this time?”

“Well,” Little Twilight started, squinting her eyes as she thought, “I can’t leave here, and I have been here ever since I was brought here.”

“Brought here? By who?”

“Cadance, I thought, but it ended up being Chrysalis. But not that Chrysalis, the other one.” Little Twilight scrunched her face up, shaking her head. “Hrm, no, that’s even more confusing. Maybe if I named each of them something? Like, Bad Chrysalis and Good Chrysalis?” she asked as she carried on a little debate with herself. She let go a small sigh and shook her head again. “No, they aren’t really bad and good. Oh! I got it,” she said excitedly as she clapped her forehooves together. “I’m Little Twilight because I’m younger, I guess you could call the younger one Little Chrysalis! Though... actually she isn’t smaller than the other one that came from the future. Darn, that doesn’t really work either,” she said through a little growl.

“No, I think I get what you’re saying. Future Chrysalis brought you here, didn’t she?” Twilight asked, trying to cut straight to the truth.

“No, that was Little Chrysalis,” Little Twilight said with a shrug. “Future Chrysalis tricked her though. We’re calling her Future Chrysalis, right? Anyway, I guess Future Chrysalis told Little Chrysalis that I was a threat. That’s the reason that I was told.”

“Okay, hold on,” Twilight said as she sat back, waving a hoof as she screwed her eyes closed. “So, both of the... Chrysalises... were working together?” Twilight blinked her eyes rapidly as she rubbed at her temples. Her mind was now telling her that feeling a headache didn’t make sense in this place, to which another part of her mind told it to just shut up already.

Little Twilight rocked back and forth on her forehooves as she sat before Twilight. “They worked together for a little while, but that ended a long time ago. Little Chrysalis has been fighting against Future Chrysalis since then.”

“...Fighting?”

“Well, not like hooffighting or anything,” Little Twilight said with a smirk. She hopped up to her hooves and took a few quick steps down the nearby row of books. “Anyway, I’ll take you to see her after we go get Dusk.”

“Dusk?” Twilight asked. She didn’t know anypony named Dusk.

“You’ll see,” Little Twilight chirped as she took off prancing down the row of books.

---

As confusing as the library seemed to be, Little Twilight had easily navigated a path to bring them both to a clearing within the endless forest of shelving. The very moment that Twilight saw what was hovering just in the center of this clearing, she felt a shiver travel through herself. A staff, with a shaft of solid white and two deep violet crystals, one each seated in an intricate silver filigree at each end, silently floated vertically in the center of the open space. It slowly spun in place, causing a cascade of violet reflections to trace the floor around it. It was a perfect replica of the one that had been in her nightmare nearly a week ago.

“This is Dusk?” Twilight asked in a whisper.

Little Twilight nodded. “Yep. You’re supposed to take it with you.”

“Take it... but this place isn’t really real. I mean, taking that with me would be like taking one of these books with me, not really possible.” And logically, Twilight knew she was right, but she had already noticed things about this place that left her with a nagging doubt.

Little Twilight made a quick hop to put herself just in front of Twilight, sitting herself as tall as she could manage as she puffed her chest out and cleared her throat. “Celestial Weapons are as much a part of the mind and soul as they are a part of reality. It’s here just like we’re here, even though we’re really not,” she said in a lecturing tone. A satisfied grin appeared on her little muzzle at the surprised reaction she got. “Anyway, just touch it, and then you’ll understand,” she said as she hopped to the side to allow Twilight to pass.

Twilight was curious. A bit frightened as well, but mostly curious. Little Twilight had called it a Celestial Weapon, of which there were only a few known to even exist, and each one was unique. This one was not familiar to her, but it had existed in her dream. She wanted answers, wanted to know why she had seen it before, and why it was in such a strange place. She cautiously approached the staff, looking over its details as she took a moment to walk around it and study it. Her curious behavior must have seemed amusing, as she caught a giggle coming from her younger self. It was likely safe to touch, she reasoned. After all, what reason would Little Twilight have to mislead her? Finally settling on following through, she reached out and laid her fetlock against the shaft.

There was a blinding white flash, so bright that screwing her eyes tightly closed did nothing to lessen the glare. A high pitched whine filled her mind, causing her to flinch away and cringe. However, the glare and noise very quickly fell away to nothing. Twilight rapidly blinked, looking up to where the staff had just been and finding the space now empty.

It was at that moment that she realized, that she knew, exactly what Dusk was. It was hers. It was her own Celestial Weapon, created by her own power. She didn’t know how she knew this, or even when or where she had created the staff, but she knew that it was a part of her power, a part of herself. “How can that be possible?” she said in a quiet whisper. “I mean, I understand that Dusk is mine but... when did I...?”

“Huh. I guess she didn’t want you to know,” Little Twilight said. Twilight glanced back to the little filly, immediately wondering who ‘she’ was, but before she was able to form a question, Little Twilight jumped to her hooves and began to scamper off toward the maze of book shelves again. “You still want to see Little Chrysalis, right? I can take you to her now. Come on!” she called back as she galloped down a row of shelves before Twilight could protest.

Twilight let out a tired sigh, only sparing a moment to wonder if she had really had that much boundless energy when she was so young before once again taking off after the filly.

---

Twilight looked up, taking in the full height of the mahogany double doors. They spanned clear up to the ceiling, set in the center of a wall of packed bookshelves that made up a small enclosure within the vast library. A far more impressive bookfort than she had ever created herself.

“She’s in here?” Twilight asked to the filly at her side.

Little Twilight cantered up to the doors that were easily a hundred times more than her size, cheerfully chirping back with a ‘yep’ as she raised her forehooves, placing them upon the double doors. She leaned into them, and with not too much extra effort, pushed both of the doors so that they swung open into the room. Obviously, one’s size didn’t necessarily equate to how strong somepony was in this place, Twilight reasoned. That, or the door was just much lighter than it appeared.

Twilight followed just behind her little guide, finding a room that was lined from wall to wall with full bookshelves just like the outside. In the center of the room stood a pedestal, and Twilight was surprised to find something there she recognized. Hovering just a fraction above the pedestal was a magenta stone in the shape of a six pointed star. A dim aura glowed about it, shimmering periodically to reveal some sort of protective barrier that surrounded it. Twilight was so shocked to see the Element of Magic right before her that she didn’t immediately notice who was sitting just behind it. Chrysalis sat on the opposite side, her glowing gaze locked on the Element.

Little Twilight scampered around the pedestal, rearing up and placing her forehooves gently upon Chrysalis’s side. “Chrys. Chrys, she’s here,” she said as she gently nudged Chrysalis to catch her attention.

The glow from Chrysalis’s eyes faded, and she blinked once as she looked forward to Twilight across the pedestal before turning her attention to the little filly at her side. She lowered her head close to Little Twilight, smiling as she rest a foreleg across her. “Why don’t you run along for a moment, I need to talk with her,” she said.

Little Twilight nodded and quickly took off, bounding toward the open doorway. Twilight’s eyes followed the little filly, watching until she stopped near a pile of books just outside the door and took one up with her magic, where she settled down near the pile to start reading.

“So you did come,” Chrysalis said, drawing Twilight’s attention back into the room. She watched as Chrysalis slowly walked around the pedestal toward her, only stopping once they were barely a body width from each other.

“You were expecting me?”

“Perhaps. Though I can’t say I truly believed you would come until now.”

There was a short silence as they stared at one another. “She told me that you brought her here,” Twilight said as she stole a quick glance toward the doorway.

“What else has she told you?”

“That you’re not working with the other Chrysalis. At least, not any more.”

Chrysalis hummed in thought as she turned and started walking back around the pedestal. “Yes. That partnership ended some time ago, when she decided I would be better use to her as part of her spell.” She continued around until she came nearly full circle, standing on the other side near Twilight as she turned to face the pedestal. “Too bad for her that it only put me exactly where I needed to be to guard the Element of Magic. We managed to find it first,” she said with a quick grin to Twilight. “I’ve hidden it here ever since, right under that harpy’s nose. She even seems to have given up recently. It’s been weeks since she’s last tried to scry for it.”

“She didn’t give up,” Twilight said, which drew a confused look from Chrysalis. “She has the Element of Magic.” Chrysalis silently stared at Twilight for a moment, and then she looked to the Element of Magic and back, her brow furrowed. “Not that one,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I brought it with me from the future, and she managed to take it from me.”

Chrysalis’s eyes widened. She quickly leaned in, a bit too close for comfort. “Do you even understand what terrible things she could do with that power?” she growled through her teeth.

“Maybe you could inform me,” Twilight said as she narrowed her eyes in response. “Since you are her.”

Chrysalis stared back at the glare that Twilight was giving her for a short moment before she glanced to the side. Twilight followed the glance toward the open doorway, and just briefly caught Little Twilight looking toward them before the little filly hastily buried her muzzle back in the book she had been reading.

Chrysalis’s sides heaved with a sigh as she looked away toward her hooves. She stood there silently for a moment, and then quietly said, “Her and I are nothing alike.” She turned and began pacing back around the pedestal again, watching the spinning Element as she spoke. “I don’t plan to blindly follow in her hoofsteps simply because she comes from some possible future. My kind has lived among the other races of this world unseen for centuries and there is no reason for that to change, but I do see one possible reason why that would have changed,” she said just before she stopped on the opposite side, focusing directly on Twilight. “You.”

Twilight jerked her head back slightly at the sudden accusation. “Me?” she asked defensively.

“Yes,” Chrysalis said as she continued pacing around the pedestal to the other side. “She showed me what the future held for us, although she was very selective with the memories she choose to share at first. Hundreds of our kind were driven out from society thanks in no small part to your spells, in the name of making Equestria ‘safe’ for your little ponies.”

Twilight frowned at the bias accusations that were being leveled against her. “We had to do something. The attacks weren’t stopping.”

“Yes, I know,” Chrysalis said as she stopped just before Twilight. “I saw that afterwards, when she choose to stick me in here. Being much more closely tied to her mind magic, I finally got a glimpse of the other half of the story. Yes, I know she started the entire mess, and antagonized you for decades afterwards.” Chrysalis turned herself toward the pedestal, sitting just beside Twilight. “She still blames you, you know,” she said, letting a moment of silence linger in the room before glancing toward Twilight. “For her failure to take Canterlot, and for every failure after that. She’s a very sore looser. I should know. And I know she pushed you into a corner, but in response you just pushed back twice as hard. If only you knew just how close you both were to starting a war that neither side would win.”

Twilight let go an exhausted huff as she sat down next to Chrysalis. “Look, I didn’t come here to discuss which one of us was more wrong. Graphite sent me.”

“Graphite,” Chrysalis said as her eyes suddenly seemed to light up with surprise. However, her expression quickly changed to something more unsure. “But how would he break away from her will?”

Twilight shrugged idly. “She may not be cursed anymore.”

Chrysalis jaw dropped open slightly, a quiet gasp escaping from her. “Did she really do it?” Chrysalis asked in a ghostly whisper. “Did she actually defeat him?”

“We don’t know for sure what has happened yet, but I do have a theory. The Empire has returned, that much we’re fairly sure of. If she did defeat Sombra, then it might be possible that she found a way to cure her own curse as well.”

Chrysalis glanced back to the Element of Magic, her eyes watching it closely. “And so she would no longer be a changeling... no longer connected.” She sat quietly next to Twilight for a time, her face holding no expression as she remained deep in thought. “But I’m curious,” she started as she looked back to Twilight, “why would you be here on Graphite’s behalf. I could sense your disdain the moment you entered this place.”

Twilight let out a quiet grumble. A changeling’s ability to read others had always rubbed her the wrong way. It felt like they were cheating. “To be completely honest, I’m not sure any of you can be trusted, but I have my reasons for being here.” Chrysalis arched an eyebrow, silently waiting for more. “Graphite claims to have my friends. I want them back,” Twilight admitted.

“I see,” Chrysalis said, nodding. “He offered you a trade then.”

“That isn’t the only reason,” Twilight said, which drew another arched eyebrow look from Chrysalis. “If what he told me is true, then the situation could really get out of control without you to keep the coven in check.”

“Oh, so he told you about them,” Chrysalis said as she rolled her eyes. She shook her head, clucking her tongue just before she let out a drawn out, disappointed sounding sigh. “Like a bunch of unruly children while their mother is away. Yes, he’s probably right about that.” Chrysalis furrowed her brow into a hard glare. “Not that I’m very inclined to clean up the mess my over achieving alter ego has no doubt left behind for me. Despite what things may seem, I’ve been rather content here.”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to give Chrysalis the arched eyebrow. “You really don’t mind being trapped?” she asked.

“Oh, I knew the day would come when I would be ‘freed’ from this place. I was simply waiting for you. If anypony here is trapped,” Chrysalis paused and glanced over her shoulder toward the doorway before quietly saying, “It’s her.”

Twilight glanced toward the door, seeing Little Twilight as she scanned over the pages of an open book. The little filly seemed like she was completely off in her own world as she laid there on her belly with her forehooves resting just on the corners of the pages. She nudged a page with her muzzle, flipping to the next one as her tail happily swished back and forth behind her. “We can’t just take her with us?” Twilight asked as she looked back to Chrysalis.

“No,” Chrysalis said flatly, and then seemed to take notice of the disapproving look that Twilight was giving her. “Don’t misunderstand. I would rather not leave her here. In the time we’ve spent together, she’s grown on me,” she said as she watched the filly. “But one can not exist in the outside world without a body.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight glanced back to the filly and then back to Chrysalis. “What happened to her?”

Chrysalis hesitated, worry playing across her face. “Part of the ritual that I aided in was to separate her mind and soul from her physical body. I was told that if we used her essence, the Element of Magic could be coaxed out of hiding before its time, and that we could prevent the ‘disaster’ that was to come.” Chrysalis paused for a moment, grinding her teeth together and letting out a frustrated huff of air. “Of course, it turns out my future half simply wanted the Elements for her own use. I really don’t regret many of my choices, but I do regret what I did to her.”

“So she’s... dead?” Twilight asked quietly.

Chrysalis looked directly to Twilight. “What is death?” she asked. The depth of the simple question caught Twilight off guard. “I certainly don’t know,” Chrysalis admitted with a small shake of her head. She then looked back to filly as she asked, “And what is a life? And, is a body required to have one? Despite how she may look, she has grown so much in this place. And she is always eager to learn more.”

Twilight quietly pondered the depth of the question, of whether existing in this place could be called living. “You think she’s happy here?” she asked.

“You tell me,” Chrysalis said as she arched an eyebrow at Twilight. “Since you are her.”

Twilight held the gaze quietly for a moment before begrudgingly admitting, “I guess I deserved that one.” Chrysalis chuckled to herself as she stood and began to walk toward the doorway. Twilight called after her, asking, “Where are you going?”

Chrysalis stopped, turning a quarter turn to look back. “To say goodbye,” she said very simply before walking away toward the little filly.

---

The reunion of Chrysalis and Graphite had left Twilight with mixed feelings. There was a connection there that was deeper than a subservient minion would normally show to his master. And when Graphite had thanked Twilight, even going as far as to embrace her, it had left her questioning her preconceived notions of what changelings were. She had only ever know them to be tricksters at best, and at their worst, uncaring beings that preyed upon others.

And then shortly after that, there was the hatching. When Twilight and Graphite left the hive mind to return to the conscious realm, Chrysalis followed closely behind them to awaken within her body for the first time in over a decade. The large fleshy mass beneath the crystal cracked open like a massive egg, sending a glowing orange pus to ooze out onto the floor as the black shell broke and fell open. Chrysalis, covered and dripping with the same slimy substance, had feebly stumbled out, gasping for breaths of air as she stumbled about shakily on her hooves. Many of the ponies present had to turn away from the sight. There were some aspects of changelings that Twilight knew she would never be able to get used too.

Once Chrysalis had managed to recover enough of her strength to travel, the group made their return to Canterlot. Chrysalis would be allowed to enter the Crystal Caverns, and in turn, Twilight would have her friends returned to her. Graphite admitted that he had been keeping them within the caverns for the last few days. When Twilight asked exactly how he had managed to find them and bring them to Canterlot without her knowing, he revealed that they were found by chance, and that he had simply taken advantage of the situation to gain her help. He admitted that it was a desperate move and claimed that he had hoped for another way, but he hadn’t elaborated much beyond that.

Twilight now found herself waiting near the cliff side in eastern Canterlot, standing in a back alley behind a worn building. Graphite and Chrysalis had disappeared beyond an illusionary false wall on the cliff that hid an entrance into the caverns, leaving Twilight and her escort of Nightguard with the promise that they would return with her friends. That had been over half an hour earlier.

Doubt was starting to creep its way into the edges of her mind. Her subconscious was doing a good job of chastising her for trusting a being who’s kind was known for manipulating others as a way of life. She considered going after them herself, but knew that wasn’t a wise choice. There was no guarantee that the entire thing hadn’t been a lie to begin with just to get her help, no guarantee that her friends had actually ever been anywhere near the caverns, and no way of knowing if she would be stepping into a trap if she choose to enter them.

The cliff near her shimmered as something walked out of it. Graphite’s sudden appearance there in the alley way caused the Nightguard to jump to attention. And then, one by one, the five missing bearers appeared from the other side of the cliff.

“And here we are,” Graphite said casually as he turned back toward the group that had followed him out.

“Sky!” Rainbow Dash called out excitedly as she leapt from the ground. She did a few quick figure eights just above them before settling down back to a hover just above the group.

Twilight felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest at the sight of her five friends alive and well standing in front of her. She began trotting over to them, slowing a bit when a stray thought caught her off guard. What if they weren’t real? What if they were changelings pretending to be her friends? She hesitated for a moment, standing there as she grasped a hoof over the pendant that was dangling about her neck. She was almost afraid to look at it when her friends noticed her and started coming her way.

Closer, closer, and then they were finally close enough. Twilight took in a breath and held it, gathering up the courage to look down.

The pendant remained as it had been, with no glow.

Twilight let out the breath she had been holding. She looked up to her friends, a smile on her muzzle as she blinked her eyes to clear the haze. She sniffed once, clearing her throat before she spoke. “Are all of you alright? None of you are hurt, are you?”

Rarity was the first one to reach her. She reached out, giving Twilight a quick hug before stepping back. “We’re quite alright, Twilight. Though I did hear that you had a time of it.”

“I’m just glad you’re all safe,” Twilight said as she turned toward each of her friends, giving each one a quick embrace. Twilight noticed Graphite standing back near the cliff side, and took a few steps toward him, sitting before him on the street when he looked up to her. “Graphite, I’ll admit, I don’t think I really believed you were going to keep your word.”

“Understandable,” he said, nodding once.

“No, I didn’t fairly judge you.” Twilight slowly bowed her head to him. “Thank you for keeping your word.”

Graphite smiled, bowing his head in response as he said, “I should be the one thanking you.”

Fluttershy walked up next to Twilight, waiting quietly until Graphite noticed her. “Will he be okay?” she asked to him.

Graphite frowned, looking off to the side. “I really can’t say for sure.”

“He did help us out, you know,” Applejack said. The rest of the group gathered around next to Twilight, all looking to Graphite.

“And I’m sure our Queen will consider that,” he said in response.

Applejack scrunched her muzzle to the side as an annoyed grunt escaped her. “Well, she didn’t seem to be considerin’ it much when we left.”

“Wait, what are you guys talking about?” Twilight asked, looking to her right and left at her friends.

Fluttershy let out a light sigh, sitting down next to her. “Oh, Twilight. She wasn’t being very nice to him.”

“...Who?” Twilight asked, shaking her head slightly.

“Somepony that calls himself Sombra,” Applejack answered. “We kinda let him out, not really knowin’ what was goin’ on.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped open. Her gaze shot toward Graphite, “You brought Sombra to Canterlot!?”

Graphite sat back, raising his forehooves up and waving them defensively. “He brought himself here, along with your friends.” He slowly lowered his hooves back to the ground, waiting a moment for Twilight to calm herself before continuing. “They would still be stranded in the north if what he claims is true.”

“It’s true,” Fluttershy said. She shifted toward Twilight, reaching her forehooves out and cupping them around one of Twilight’s. “Oh, Twilight, he isn’t a bad pony. He was just really confused.”

“If it helps,” Graphite began as he took a step out from the wall, “I’ll give you my word that Canterlot is not in any danger.”

Twilight sat there thinking to herself for a moment. She glanced back and forth between her friend’s pleading eyes and Graphites serious look. “You can guarantee that?” she finally asked, giving him a sceptical look.

“It’s just plainly obvious,” Graphite said with a tired sigh. He shook his head disappointedly, and when he noticed the confused look he was getting, he explained further. “If you meet him yourself, you would see why I say that.”

A thought occurred to Twilight at that moment. “Can I meet him?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Graphite seemed taken aback by the request, but quickly regained his serious outward composure. “I can’t make that choice,” he said, but then seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment. After silently considering the question, he added, “But, I will ask.”

Left on that note, Twilight and her friends bid farewell to Graphite, and he returned to the Crystal Caverns. “I hope he’ll be okay,” Fluttershy said after he had left.

Twilight was left once again with more questions than answers. Now somehow Sombra was in Canterlot, or at least beneath it. She honestly couldn’t predict how such news would go over with the royal sisters. And for some reason, her own friends seemed to be defending him. She only hoped they could give her a good reason why. “I hope we all will be,” Twilight said.

Comments

[Zeg]

So!

Yeah, it's been a while. Sorry about the two month wait on this one. December didn't leave me with any time to write, so my usual monthlyish schedule got all thrown off.

I have to say, going through a company merger really sucks.

Aaanyway, hopefully you'll all find this chapter worth the wait.

[Astarea]

As more and more is revealed I am more and more confused.
So, what will happen with past Twilight?

[kingtiger666]

“It’s just plainly obvious,” Graphite said with a tired sigh. He shook his head disappointedly, and when he noticed the confused look he was getting, he explained further. “If you meet him yourself, you would see why I say that.”

And then What Didn't Happen crossed over with Hail to the King.

[Starlight Nova]

3872554 Can I have a link to that story please?

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

Dang, that bit with past twilight is pretty bittersweet.

[Starlight Nova]

If Graphite was voiced, what would he sound like?

[kingtiger666]

3872608 Here ya go.

[Zobeid]

This story just piles plot twist upon mystery upon plot twist upon mystery... It's fiendishly convoluted. I love it, but I really hope it all pulls together into something that I can understand eventually!

[Zeg]

3872636
Well, at least when he appears as a changeling, his voice has a similar 'buzzing' sound like what Chrysalis's has.

As for how I imagine his voice, I'd say Hugo Weaving's voice is a pretty close approximation.

[shyguy7829]

The mysteries are back with a vengeance!

Mysteries

The Origins of the Changelings: Chrysalis's true identity is that of the former Everfree and Crystal Empire Queen Chrystallyn.
Timey Wimey: Even though the past has changed, those who are from the future still exist. How could such a paradox happen?
The Missing Spark: Chrysalis manipulated her past self into sacrificing the past Twilight in an attempt to draw out the Element of Magic. The little girl remains trapped with the past Element of Magic within the hive mind. While there might be a way to conjure a body for her, it is highly unlikely that she can be saved.
Chrysalis's Strange Behavior: It turns out that Chrysalis had orchestrated a deal with Celestia to safeguard the Elements in exchange for a place to build a Hive without being ostracized by the public.
Secrets of a Changeling Queen: Chrysalis is attempting to reclaim her former kingdom, the Crystal Empire.
The Truth about the Elements: It turns out that Chrysalis is the true creator of the Elements and Tree of Harmony. Certainly there are things that only she would know about them.
The Chessmaster: Celestia has been guided by the powers of her visions in all of her plans.
What the Mad God Knows: Discord has proved that he might be aware of Twilight Sparkle from somewhere. Is there anything else that he might shed a light on?
Dual Destinies: Both Twilight Sparkle and Chrysalis have received rather harrowing visions. Have their fates been sealed?
Amplifier Artifact: Twilight has acquired a Celestial Weapon, Dusk. When was it created? What was it doing in the hive mind in the first place?
Sombra's Strange Behavior: Twilight's friends claim that the once king of darkness Sombra aided them in their escape to Canterlot. Not only this, but he refuses to deal with the alicorns directly, preferring to use the changelings as a third party. Why would the dictator who once enslaved an entire subspecies of ponies suddenly act in such a manner?

[Cornebre]

3872958

Additional theory:
"F"FT: Chrys seem to say that changeling like their hidden life, and don't want to change it ==> Attack of Canterlot is FAR from that will

My kind has lived among the other races of this world unseen for centuries and there is no reason for that to change, but I do see one possible reason why that would have changed,” she said just before she stopped on the opposite side, focusing directly on Twilight. “You.”

Say hello to "Future" Future Twilight?
Time is relative right? Does a Celestial weapon is affected by such a thing? So, if it's created "later", did it affect the past? Specifically a "quite visited" past?

Why did I think I'm totally wrong?
Or not?

[BlueNinja]

“But one can not exist in the outside worth without a body.”

*world

There was a connection there that was deeper than a subservient minion would normally show to his master.

And nobody knows subservient minions like Twilight Sparkle.

[NebulaNyx]

Is anyone else having a hard time wrapping their head around everything that is happening? Little twilight is basically dead. Twilight has a celestial weapon named Dusk, Her friends are back and Sombra is a good guy? Hoo boy is this going to need a lot of explaining at the end.

[Zeg]

3872472
3872779
3876086
It's a little difficult for me to see how confusing things are, but that's because I already know the ending, and the reasons for everything that's happened, so it all makes perfect sense to me. I know why Dusk, the library, Little Twilight, and the Element of Magic were all there, and I know how Sombra ended up in Canterlot (which you'll see how that came about next chapter, btw), but the story is primarily from Twilight's perspective, and she doesn't know why yet.

So the confusion is intentional, as that's probably just how the poor girl feels, but Twilight is going to figure it all out.

Five chapters is what I've got left to write, if I don't make any major changes to what I've got planned, and I doubt I will. The ending is the part that I've had planned out pretty solid since the beginning.

[NebulaNyx]

3876946 Keep up the good work. 5 Chapters to go.
The end is in sight people!

[Jake The Army Guy]

Um... did we miss a chapter? Like, a WHOLE lot of things seemed to have happened. Chrysalis freed Sombra, defeated him, the Mane Six(Five) went with her to the Crystal empire, and... well, did they find out it was Chrysalis? Was there a fight? How did they escape? I know that you want to have some tension, but it really feels like you skipped a chapter, made references to events that happened off camera. That's all well and good, but these things feel like incredibly important plot points, ones that I don't see you being able to tell about in past tense without blatant exposition and slogs of boring dialogue.

[Zeg]

3880753
Well, I could have put part of what will be at the beginning of the next chapter in front of this one and it would have filled in some of those details, but I felt like this chapter should just focus on Twilight and Graphite. Plus it would have basically been telling everyone right up front what the surprise at the end of the chapter was going to be.

The next chapter will be focusing a lot around Sombra. And no, it's not going to be just boring dialog. I've got some ideas on how I want to go about it.

When I did chapters 10 and 11, I was covering two parts of the story happening in two different places at the same time. This next chapter will sorta be like that, and until you've read both, it probably will seem like something got skipped since you've only gotten to see half of what was happening so far.

Hopefully it ends up working well.

[Nessos25]

to let little twilight there, leaves me with an unpleasant feeling. even though I know she seems to be happy and can`t live in the outside world anymore.

[source1]

3880753

I thought the same thing. I even checked the last chapter to see if a whole bunch of stuff wasn't edited in. It really does seem like there is a missing chapter.

Part of the ritual that I aided in was to separate her mind and soul from her physical body.

Oh Future Chrysalis you bitch . God I hope she dies a horrible death.
Also why the hell is Twilight so nonchalant about this. By the end of that scene it just seems like she doesn't give a shit about little Twilight.

[Zeg]

3892389
I imagine that Twilight is a bit shocked.

She didn't plan on finding her past self. And, when she learns exactly why it is that Little Twilight can't leave, she basically gets hit over the head with an unanswerable question. Is Little Twilight alive or dead? Is she just what remains of the little filly that was sacrificed to the spell years ago, or is she just as much alive as any other filly would be? And, Little Twilight does appear content with how things are, even if it may seem wrong, so would she even want to leave if it were possible for her too?

I don't think Twilight's reaction (or lack of) means she doesn't care. I interpret it as her having a lot on her mind, probably feeling uneasy about the entire thing, but that isn't something that would really show too much outwardly.

[Starlight Nova]

3872958

The Truth about the Elements

Did I already ask if shouldn't you have crossed that part out?

[Starlight Nova]

3877728 What makes you so sure?

[Starlight Nova]

What's the working title of the next chapter called?

[shyguy7829]

3902430
Yes, you have. Thing is, there's still a lot we don't know about them like when the Elements were used this time around without the proper Bearer of the Element of Magic, the others felt drained in contrast to how they normally operate. We can guess to how this happened, but like any proper mystery novel, our guesses would only be speculation.

[Starlight Nova]

3902545 Sorry, it's just been a while.

[Zeg]

3902519
Right now, I'm going with Destiny Undone. Could still change though.

[Wurd]

A world where Twilight Sparkle never exists...let's not go there..shall we?

[shyguy7829]

3943892
While this is nice and all, some of these mysteries have been answered in later chapters.

[Starlight Nova]

3905178

You know, this is the second story I've read that linked the Crystal Heart to the Changelings,

What's the other one?

[Starlight Nova]

Will Sunset Shimmer be appearing in this story?

[Zeg]

3983126
Nope, she won't be. Don't think she was in Equestria around this time period.

[Starlight Nova]

How many words long is the next chapter going to be for?

[Zeg]

3991995
No idea yet.

Currently, the first scene is over 4,000 words alone, and I've got about 6,000 words written out total.

It won't be a small one.

[Hawkx1]

When this story is done I think a lot of people are going to reread from Crissy's takeover to the end just so that we can put the puzzle together with all the pieces together

[Oddboy]

“Look, I didn’t come here to discuss which one of us was more wrong. Graphite sent me.”

Hilarious. Of course Chrysalis was more wrong. The blame lies solely on her shoulders. No one forced her to attack Canterlot and no one forced her to keep being a bitch afterwards. There's no discussion to be had in the first place. To claim there is would be implying that defending oneself from attack is somehow wrong.

[Emerald Skysoar]

3992087 I have a question. How come Chrysalis was a changeling in the hive mind if Graphite was in his old pony form? Shouldn't she be in her old alicorn form in the mind?

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

I really wish the author would make a sequel based in the alternate past. and Filly Twilight got so screwed in this story.

[CDRW]

I'm trying to figure out why I'm having trouble mustering up the energy to continue reading this when I liked the beginning so much. I think it's because the events have just gotten too big and impersonal. All the conflict is external, driven by outside events that are unrelatable to me. I can get emotionally invested Twilight hiding the whole truth from her friends and deceiving Nightmare Moon. Not so much in a vague prediction doom and a villain who's always offscreen. It feels like there's no human touch anymore.

[Zeg]

5740845
Well, I hate to spoil things, and I can't really say "oh but you're almost to such and such part" without doing so.

I can say that the story goes through three major arcs. The first was in the Everfree, and the second shifted toward the events that began in Canterlot and then sort of split off down two separate paths which does sort of put things in a bit of a lull, but without it the final arc would make no sense.

You're nearly at the end of that second arc which will be coming to a close after the next chapter. Then it'll be time for the final arc of the story, where everything comes together.

[Shepard of Peace]

I think my mind is actually getting stuck in a knot trying to understand all of this because there is so much happening, I'm going to keep reading but God all mighty I am getting mental whiplash.

[Commander Darklight]

Really twilight? I dont know about you but if I found out my 5 year old self from the past was essentially dead and stuck with no human contact i would be pretty cut up about it

think twilight that 5 year old filly will never have friends never have the joys you had

[ForSpite]

5740845
This was the bit that gave me trouble, too. But really, it's even worse than you're painting it, because for at least last chapter and part of this one, it didn't even feel like there was an impersonal threat to worry about. Not only are the personal conflicts resolved but... Celestia is free, eternal night is over, we've solved the mystery of what happened to Twilight's apprentice, Nightmare Moon is Luna again, and Future Chrysalis' evil plans appear to be 'destroy Sombra (that's good), cure herself of her curse so that she doesn't need to eat emotional energy from others anymore (that... also seems good), and restore the Crystal Empire, freeing all those poor Crystal ponies from their undeserved stay in Limbo (that's really good). The audience doesn't even really have a reason to root for Twilight to stop her. So for a while here the story slows way down as nearly everything is either resolved or doesn't seem to be a problem. Then Chrysalis accomplishes all her goals off-screen, leaving us even less to be invested in. Things start picking up again when the changelings approach Twilight but there's definitely a section where it drags.

[Tape Deck]

Mr. M. Night Shyamalan Zeg, I can't say this enough. This is a great story. There's loads of stuff going on, but that is by no means a bad thing.

[Tape Deck]

3872958
I'm reading this story for the first time, and I gotta say thanks to you for your lists. They make it a little easier to keep track of all the things going in this great story.
And Shy Guy's definitely the best Mario enemy. (Unless you mean the SCP thing <shudders>)
Or maybe your username is completely unrelated to anything and I'm just spitting in the wind.