That Which was Lost

by LadyRFC

Reunion

Twilight could hear her friends long before she saw them.

“Oh, come on, Twilight,” Discord whispered in her ear excitedly. “Just one little prank?”

Twilight sighed. “Only after we reveal that we're alright. They're too high strung right now. And you know how Rainbow gets when she's high strung.”

Discord wrinkled his odd shaped nose and crossed his arms with a pout. “Oh, fine. But remember how good I've been lately when we report back to Celestia. You owe me, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I what?!” Twilight's head shot around to face him, ready to ask him what kind of insubordination she was going to have to cover, but the draconiquus was long gone.

Twilight let her head drop as she sighed, exhaustion filling her every limb. “Great.”

She crocked her head to one side, listening closely for the loud whispers to draw nearer, not being able to hold back a smile at the sounds of their voices. She didn't want to jump out and give them all heart attacks, so she instead called out to them from the shadows of the cave tunnel.

“Girls?”

All sound stopped for a second. Then pandemonium broke out.

“Twilight?!” “It sounded like Twilight!” “Wait! It's a trap!” “TWILIIIIIGHT! ARE YOU A CHANGLING QUEEN NOW?!”

Twilight held back a laugh and began walking towards them, forcing her horn to cast a light about her. Even that small spell was a drain and her light flickered more than once. She warmed the color to make it more friendly until her friends came into view. Rarity was casting about her own light and Twilight was more than willing to allow her to continue the honor.

Before she could speak, however, Rainbow Dash flew up to her and asked cautiously, “How do we know you're the real Twilight?”

With a sly look, the alicorn answered, “Who else would know about you banging your hooves on my door at two in the morning, asking if I had the latest Daring Do volume and then crying yourself to sleep next to me when I informed you that you'd caught up to the most recent published issue?”

Rainbow blushed a deep shade of red.

“You... read?” Blue Flame asked with an odd look on his face, staring at the embarrassed pegasus.

After fumbling for words for a moment, Rainbow puffed out her chest and said proudly, “Yeah, I read. Books are awesome! You can go anywhere. Do anything. Even if it's impossible!” She cracked one eye open and gave him a hauty look. “What kind of books do you read?”

Now it was Blue Flame's turn to blush.

Twilight only shook her head as her friends quickly gathered around her and began their round of hugging and cooing and concerned questions as to her well being.

“Really, everypony, I'm just fine,” she assured them for what seemed like the hundredth time, pressing her cheek against Rarity's affectionately in an attempt to wipe away her worry lines.

“Well, that's good. But how'd you escape them changlings?” Applejack asked, with a confused look.

“And where's Princess Lily?” Blue Flamed asked anxiously.

Twilight held up a hoof and everypony became silent.

“I didn't escape. Not really. I didn't need to. They've been... taking care of us.”

Rarity put a hood on Twilight's forehead. “Are you alright, dear?”

Twilight laughed, though it sounded weak, even to her. “I'm a bit tired, but sane. I think. They're not what we thought. And the Princess isn't either.” At Blue Flame's odd look, she quickly added, “She's also safe and she's been negotiating with the darklings here. It isn't what it seems. Silverline is here, too.”

Twilight turned her back and began to walk further into the caves, back the way she had come. After a short pause, she heard the familiar hoofbeats of her friends following her.

“Ah just don't get it, Twilight,” Applejack admitted, walking up beside her. “Fluttershy said you were captured by those critters. That doesn't say much bout good intentions.”

“Oh, no!” Fluttershy come up to Twilight's other side, a worried look on her face. “I never said that! I only said the darklings took them away.”

Applejack blinked, more confused than ever. “But you said that was... 'bad news.'”

Fluttershy smiled kindly. “Oh, that was because it meant we had to come in these scary caves, that's all. AHHH!” Fluttershy bolted forward at a gallop, her face wreathed in terror.

“It's just me, dear,” Rarity cooed, forcing the light on her horn to glow brighter.

Fluttershy stopped, waiting for them to catch up, a shaky smile on her face. “O-oh. I-I knew t-that.”

“Twilight?” Rainbow flew just over the alicorn's head. “You kept saying that all this wasn't what we thought. So... what is it?”

“This -” a loud voice stopped them all cold, bright light flaring up all around them, making their eyes water. “- is theeeeeeeeeee LOVE SHACK!”

Twilight forced her eyes to squint open enough to look around, recognizing that voice all too well. “Discord!”

The cavern they had just entered had been transformed by the draconiquus into a party room. Disco balls hung from the ceiling, bright spotlights were placed everywhere, the rough cave walls were lined with food tables and groups of changlings milled around with wide eyes. They apparently had no idea what was going on either.

“Love shack! Baby, love shack!” Discord sang out, moon walking in the middle of the cave ballroom. “Come on, everypony! Time to cut a rug!” Immediately a large embroidered rug and giant scissors appeared in his hands and he began to take the phrase literally.

Twilight was about to bark out another warning when Fluttershy zipped past them all and wrapped her hooves around the draconiquus fondly.

“Discord! Oh, I'm so glad you've come here, too!”

The chaos expert grinned happily and returned the hug, the mutilated rug disappearing and the overly bright lights dimming to a more pleasant level.

“He's here, too?” Rainbow asked with a displeased tone.

Blue Flame stepped forward, his brow creased. “Where's the princess? Where's Silverline?”

“Right here,” a calm male voice answered.

All eyes turned to see four figures entering the room, all ones that admittedly looked quite odd next to one another. Chrysalis, the changling queen, Princess Lily of Sheon and Silverline, leaning heavily on his changling healer.

Silence dominated the room for a moment. Princess Lily looked over at the changling queen and they exchanged a nod.

Looking over her collection of subjects and their newest guests, Chrysalis announced, “Welcome, everypony. Welcome to our conference of peace. Welcome... to the threshold of a new age.”

Author's Note:

Sunday's are very busy and exhausting for me. BUT I'M STILL ON TIME! Well, in my state I am. With 30 mins to spare. Nothing like cutting it close, eh? Till tomorrow everypony!

Comments

[Starcat5]

“Welcome, everypony. Welcome to our conference of peace."

Too bad Lily's pappy just declared war.

[Jirodyne]

3742279 Indeed... We can't have bad blood in the royal family. We'll have to get rid of her too, and put Rainbow on the Throne.

[LadyRFC]

3742084 Stop breaking mah brain!

[HgSpartan]

Ahh... Love shack, the threshold of a new age. The party was still happening when she said that right?

[Razzy]

Can you dig it?!