Ponies are going missing, and despite his wedding being just months away, Shining Armor is willing to do anything to get to the bottom of it.
Going deep undercover, Shining Armor will have to enter a whole other realm to stop the strange disappearances that are seeing ponies vanish all over Equestria. Can he get to the bottom of things and come out the other side intact?
I won't lie, this story has been harder to give a title to, and describe, than it has been to write. I don't want to give it all away, because there are going to be quite a few twists and turns in here. At least one later-on character I will be leaving out of the tags, it is such a surprise.
Art by the wonderful Mix-up (link to their DA). Please head to their Deviant Art page and leave a nice comment.
Contains: Parasitization, transformation, gender (and sex) changing, a little roughhousing, mental conditioning, the strangest egg laying you will ever see (I have since made stranger), and a very confused Cadance.
Looking over the gear, Shining Armor started with the saddle bags. Picking them up in his pink magic, he checked the contents. Nothing yet, of course. First came the two vials that were on the bench beside him, each with a grimy label on them—one green, one red. "Life." He checked the stoppers, it wasn't hard considering the smell the concoctions within put off. Bundling up the vials carefully—using the pillowcase from his bed—he worked them down inside the bags.
"So clever, a disguise and distress alarm in one." Shining's magic played over the dark-colored glasses, folding them closed and slipping them in so the lenses were pressed to the pillowcase in the pack. "Not that they will scuff," he commented, to nopony in particular. The other side of his pack got the headphones, big and bulky, they caused the pack to bulge heavily.
"Are you done, Shiny?" Cadance found her future husband working on his gear. "You can't let somepony else do this." They both knew it wasn't a question, it was a statement she had learned Shining Armor treated as his personal code of honor. "I love you, Shining Armor."
Spinning around at those three important words, Shining rushed toward Cadance and pressed his cheek to hers. "I love you too, Mi Amore Cadenza, the Cadance of my heart." He closed his eyes just to feel her.
"Shiny, you know it isn't…" Cadance leaned her cheek more solidly against his. "You are packed and ready?" She drew back, lips brushing his own.
"Yeah, the night is young, I plan to fill it with life." Shining floated his saddle-bag and cloak over, fitting the former to his back, and draping the latter over himself. "Come on down to the courtyard and give me a proper goodbye." Shining walked past his fiancee, but heard her hoofsteps hurry so she could walk beside him.
In silence the betrothed made it into the warm night, stopping at the gate to face one-another. "You are the best, you know that?" With his head pressed to the side of the alicorn he loved, Shining's throat was thick with emotion.
"And you have to do this." Cadance wasn't wearing a cloak, wasn't wearing anything to hide her nature from the guards or anypony who might wander past the courtyard of Canterlot Castle. She stood with her shoulders slightly slumped. "When will you be back? Is this a long one?"
"Don't worry, I will be done before the wedding." It was easy for Shining to make a joke, it was definitely better than crying. "Tell me again why I am doing this?" The tears came anyway. 'Silly colt, brave stallions don't cry. You aren't even going to be gone long, if all goes to plan.'
"Because there must always be somepony to stand between the good ponies, and the things that mean them harm. Because of everypony you know, you would put yourself forward, first, every single time." Cadance sighed. "Because you wouldn't be who you are unless you did this."
"Thank you, of all of those reasons, the last is the one I needed. I promise not to be any longer than I need to be, I will not be late for our wedding." Shining drew back, reluctantly. A part of him had to go out, had to do this; the other part of him wanted to follow Cadance back in and stand guard over her, and just her.
"If it wasn't for this Yakyakistan delegation I would be out there with you, but one of us has to be here for it." Cadance had her turn, smaller tears than her coltfriend, but no less demanding in their need to be loosed.
"Cheer up, Cadie, when I get back, we are going to get married." Shining kissed the mare's cheeks, stealing her tears away in each salty nuzzle. "I'll meet in the usual place, the usual stuff, you know what happens."
"I do." Cadance barely got the words out than she felt Shining's lips, still a little off-taste with her tears, press to her lips. She melted into the kiss, the big stallion before her easily taking her heart.
Shining was hungry, for the love of his fillyfriend, for the life she represented, for the entirety of him that she loved and accepted. He had to end the kiss, he knew that if given her way that Cadance would keep kissing him all night. Drawing back slowly, memorizing the taste of her lips, tongue, and mouth, he gave her snout one last little peck. "Those are the only two words I want to hear from you, Mi Amore Cadenza, my love."
Cadance knew well his game, knew he meant every word too. "Go you over-sentimental colt. Be the hero you need to be."
Staying to stare at Cadance, to commit her shape, color, and her eyes to memory, Shining gave a little braying sound like a colt and turned, galloping off into the evening.
Watching her love go, carrying himself away, Cadance sighed. "Be safe, my hero." She turned, her own plodding steps carrying her away from him even faster.
Shining hated the strain of leaving Cadance behind him, but there was something wild growing inside, let out from the shackles it normally called its domain. He gave another loud, inarticulate sound of joy as he ran through the streets of Canterlot. Normally there would be the first of the night-owls, or the vendors who would cater to them, but not tonight. The streets he ran through were empty, and Shining knew why. "She's performing tonight."
Slowing at last, Shining dropped from gallop to canter, then down to trot and finally he walked the last few dozen steps, heart beating wildly. The house was nondescript, in an average neighborhood, in a quiet part of Canterlot. He walked right up to the door and knocked twice, then five times, then just once. When the door opened he slipped inside and barely had the door closed before he was wrapped in a mare's dark forelegs. "Tavi, chill until I change."
"You don't need to change, Shining Armor." Octavia squeezed a little more and pressed herself against him. "You are perfect no matter how you look."
With the mare attached like a limpet, Shining shook his head. "Right, but you know I don't feel comfortable hugging so much… not as Shining. Shining Armor doesn't hug a mare who isn't his fillyfriend." He floated his cloak and pack off, setting the latter on the table. "You aren't going to let go?"
"Shining Armor, needs to lighten up." Octavia let go at last, dropping back to all fours. "Well? I want my hug."
He pulled the pack open, and Shining fished out the first vial, the dark liquid inside eating the light that fell on it. "I hate the taste, I really wish they could improve that." He pulled the stopper off the vial and gulped the contents down. Just like every time he tried to stop the horrid stuff from touching his tongue, but just like every time, he failed. "Gah, I think they are actually making that worse!"
Octavia watched Shining intently. She noted all the heavy lines, the sheer bulk of a stallion in his prime. She studied the angles of his snout, the shortness of his mane. Then the potion started to work. 'It's happening.' Before her eyes all the points she had just picked out, the obvious markers of a stallion, faded. Shining seemed to shrink, the heavy build melting down, his face softening and reducing to that of a young mare. His mane extended somewhat, tail too. Even the feathering on the stallion's fetlocks lengthened and smoothed.
"Shining Armor doesn't give hugs like that." Shining's voice was different, lighter. "But Vinyl Scratch? Vinyl gives hugs." The last shackles of "Shining Armor the Royal Guard" sloughed off Vinyl's personality. She tossed her mane and reached into her pack for her trademark glasses, barely getting them and her cans on before almost being bowled over by the same dark mare, giving the same hug that hadn’t shifted Shining Armor one bit. "There's my Tavi."
If a pony could purr, Octavia Melody would have. She clung tightly to Vinyl Scratch, pressed herself to her as fully as she could and not have to explain very complex things to her friend's future wife. "Vinyl, welcome back."
Vinyl reached out with her magic, lifting the big glass of dark juice over and gulping it down. "Shining might drink the potion, but I am cursed to taste it. At least the other one is just as bad." She savored the strong taste of the drink, coating her tongue in sweetness. She already had one foreleg wrapped around Octavia. "How were things at the venue?"
"You know it is packed. They were climbing up the walls until the warm-up group took the stage. You best hurry, you don't want to keep your fans waiting." Octavia finally let go of the hug. "I will never forget what Shining Armor and Vinyl Scratch did for me. I would still be… with my family, if it weren't for you."
"Hold on." Vinyl made sure everything was put down and pulled Octavia—with both forelegs—into a deeper hug. "You help give me a reason to keep doing this, you know? How was your concert?"
"You know I suck." Octavia was not going to give up the chance to hug Vinyl, so clung tight to the other mare. "But I am getting better. Some ponies might even pay to see me one day."
"Liar, I have heard you play." Vinyl knew this was taking too long, that she would be late. 'Shining Armor wouldn't be late, not now, not ever.' Vinyl gave a laugh, and hugged the other mare a little more. "I should leave eventually, much as this would be a lovely way to spend the night."
"You flirt, you are engaged to the most beautiful mare in the whole of Equestria, an alicorn, and you still say you would hug me all night?" Octavia pulled out of the hug first, giggling. "Don't stop though."
Vinyl spread her smile wide under her shades. A twitch of her eyebrow and the enchantments in the glasses fired up, first flicking through distress beacon, then to a "keep back" warning, and finally disengaging all the features. "See you on the train, Tavi."
Octavia watched Vinyl Scratch slip from the room, her glasses down as her own shield against the world. Not for the first time did her heart skip a beat at seeing her go out into the night. "You are being silly, Octavia," she said, once the door was closed.
The night was alive to Vinyl. Her world wasn't far away, but her ears already swiveled to pick up the sounds of ponies vying to get into a nightclub, the short blasts of music from within as they passed the doors. She was Vinyl Scratch, a lesser artist might use the back entrance, but she walked right up to the back of the queue to get in. "Hey, I hear there is going to be a kick-plot act on tonight?"
"Yeah, DJ Po-" The stallion at the back of the line turned to see who the new arrival was and froze. "D-D-D…" His eyes were wide and it was clear he couldn't finish her show-name.
"Mmm, somepony a little more articulate. This your filly-friend?" Vinyl poked the next pony on the flank. "Hey, how're you going?"
"DJ Pon3?" The mare started bouncing.
"Perfect. Both of you, I need an escort." Vinyl looked between the apparent couple and started walking past the queue. 'The mare was quick on the uptake, her coltfriend recovered fast. This is great.' She reached the front of the line and gave the security a wink. 'Gotta make a fan's night, even if it is one night.' "Hey, we're comin' through!"
The guards knew her style and opened the doors not only for her, but the two random ponies she had grabbed up from the back of the line. The moment the doors opened, Vinyl's real life hit her square in the face.
"YOUR QUEEN IS HERE!" Vinyl shouted the words, and felt the bass drop from the warm-up act—they had timed it perfectly.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Vinyl slipped out the back door of the club, her heart-rate still not dropping after a six hour set. She bobbed her head, her headphones hanging around her neck, but she knew when the stallion came up from behind her.
"A friend in need…"
"Is a friend indeed." Vinyl finished the code phrase. "Two ponies were in back, cutie marks like bags of bits, probably fake. White coat with a blonde mane, green coat with a violet mane. Don't hesitate with them, I saw them selling the stuff." She tilted her head, looking up at the stoic-looking stallion. 'Why did they send Flash?' "Nothing on the real targets, Canterlot seems quiet… relatively so." She didn't wait any longer, pushing her headphones up and sinking herself back into her music.
The walk to the station wasn't far, shorter still with her thoughts tracing over what had happened in the club. 'I just wish I could put on my shows and not look for ponies like that.' The station was in sight, the last train out waiting on the platform, Vinyl flicked her headphones off and could hear a mare's raised voice, arguing. "I am always late, she knows that."
Octavia's voice was raised, as was her pulse—the train should have left minutes ago. "You don't have to wait long, she will be here-"
The conductor checked his watch again and frowned. "We have to leave. If your friend isn-"
"Vinyl!" Octavia rushed forward and hugged the white unicorn. "You're late!" The tone was accusing, but she knew her friend too well to not smile as well. "Come on the train needs to leave."
'Few ponies can make Vinyl Scratch hurry up, but you, Tavi, are one.' Vinyl was pulled toward the train and Octavia bulldozed her way to their seats. "What's the rush?" Vinyl was pushed into a seat, her eyes spotting their luggage.
Octavia fell down beside Vinyl, leaning against her friend. With the train car empty apart from them, she spoke without looking at the unicorn. "How long is this one for? Remember, you have a wedding coming up."
"This one lasts a month, no more." Vinyl disliked treating this as a mission, it was her life, and the only time she got to really feel herself. "I am going to sleep in so long tomorrow, it is expected after all." She turned her head and rested it atop Octavia's withers.
The train trip was short, mercifully so. When the call came for Ponyville station Vinyl lifted her head and shook some of her tiredness free. "Tavi? Tavi?" She gently shook her friend. "We are home."
Octavia was a little disorientated at first, jerking up and making ready to fend off an attacker. The soft voice of Vinyl stalled any violence, plastering a smile on her lips. "I'll head straight home, can you manage the bags?"
"Leave me to handle all the heavy lifting?" Vinyl puffed some air out the corner of her mouth, blowing some of her mane away. "And here you did all the resting so far." Her magic already grabbed the bags, including the saddle bag with the potion in it. "Warm my bed up, will you?"
"Vinyl Scratch, have you finally decided on a darker shade of mare?" Octavia loved teasing, tempting, and other words ending in "ing." She gave Vinyl a view of her profile on the platform, batting her eyelashes.
'Shining Armor wouldn't be able to deal with this without getting flustered.' Vinyl loved it when she could pull the pole out of her plot and just relax. "Depends, I like my mares exotic."
Octavia laughed and set off at a gallop, heading across Ponyville for their home.
'He would also not stare at her plot quite so long.' Vinyl adjusting how her magic had a grip on the bags and started to walk home. Behind her, the train's whistle sounded and the big locomotive began pulling the mostly empty train off into the darkness of Princess Luna's night.
A glint of white from the corner of her eye got Vinyl's attention, she turned and stopped. 'And of course something would be going on in Ponyville, when all the guards are watching the big cities.' "Hey! Hey there. What are you-" She cut off, seeing the oddly familiar ponies carrying a small yellow earth pony with a red bow in their mane. "Put her down, you are all-"
"This is nothing to worry about." Shining Armor strode out from where the townsponies were headed to. "This is official Royal Guard business. Please move along."
Vinyl blinked, confusion plastered all over her face, but mostly hidden by her shades. "S-Shining Armor?" She looked up, not realizing just how bigger the stallion really was than her. "What are you doing here?"
"Official business for the Princess!" Shining Armor stood straight and proud, his form having hidden most of the things behind him from Vinyl's view.
Her eyes narrowing, Vinyl started picking out the little details that were wrong. "Shining Armor had an accident with a spear last week and is missing some fur off his left-rear fetlock. He also has slightly duller highlights, and I am pretty sure his eyes are a little closer together." She could see more, but figured those were enough. "Good illusion, though." Her horn lit.
Eyes widening, the false Shining Armor started to take a step forward when a flat rock, wrapped in light-blue magic slammed into the side of his head.
"What the…" Vinyl stared in shock as the big, white stallion before her burned with green fire, revealing something vaguely pony like. "Okay, I wasn't on anything tonight except my music, and even I think you look freaky. Some kind of bug pony?" She hefted the rock in her magic, rejudging its weight, and stepped past the unconscious thing.
"Did you chase off the pony?" Twilight Sparkle looked Vinyl right in the eyes. "And why did you take on their disguise?"
Vinyl started to bring the rock up, but the image of her little sister was a tough one to attack. A weight landed on her back before her magic brought the stone in on the next of the strange creatures, she fell sideways with the weight on her back and tried to turn to see what it was.
"Guess we take four." Twilight shrugged and watched as the bug-like creature clung to the pony's back.
"Get off me!" Vinyl tried to make some noise, her voice rising in the hope that the real Ponyvillians might come to her aid. Sharp spikes touched the back of her neck and she froze in fear, only for the spikes to push into her. Burning heat erupted when the thing on her back bit her, she knew it wasn't the wound itself, but even as things started to get blurry, she fought. 'Gotta… trigger...'
Looking down at the limp white unicorn, Twilight Sparkle glared at the bug creature. "Put your disguise back on and bring her too.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
The world felt bad for Vinyl, she tried to open her eyes and instantly regretted it. There wasn't a lot of light, but without her glasses on she was blinded by the little spark of daylight that seemed so far away. "Hey… where-" She stopped and gasped, deep inside, her body protested something and she felt a retching spasm empty her stomach onto the floor.
When at last Vinyl couldn't void any further, she dared to open her eyes again. "What… where am I?" Something secured her hooves together, all four covered in something that stuck them tightly. Next, despite her brain-numbing headache, she tried to use her magic. Pouring power into her horn, she felt every bit of it fizzle. 'You idiot Vinyl, you found who is foalnapping everypony.'
Movement—just past the tip of her snout—caught Vinyl's attention. The thing only looked like a hoofball; a hoofball didn't glow green, it wasn't just transparent enough to reveal a squirming grub inside, and it definitely didn't contain any strange grubs.
"H-Help!" Vinyl marshaled her stinging, sore throat. "Help me, somepony!" It hurt to yell, with the burning bile still in her throat. She closed her snout and whimpered when the egg suddenly ripped itself open on one side, as if her yelling had triggered it. Her eyes widened at the black and green, slimy grub squeezed out, lifting its head blindly as if sniffing the air.
Vinyl didn't blink, didn't move, and didn't breathe. It seemed to be searching for something, and she had a terrible sickness in her stomach that she was its intended target. A tickling started in her throat, a burning from the bile getting worse and worse until she snorted a breath out. It moved like a caterpillar, squirming and pushing, dragging itself closer to her, opening its mouth and gnashing sharp-looking teeth.
The only thing Vinyl could think to do was crush it with her weight. Rolling back a little, she shifted her mass as best she could, waiting for it to come closer before rolling back. Slamming down on the grub, Vinyl tried to press her shoulder down onto it, but just as her weight started to press down solidly, there was a sharp stab of pain. Her eyes flew open as its bite came again, but the second time brought no pain at all.
"Get it off me!" Vinyl thrashed, the thing at her shoulder feeling like it bit again and again, but worse than that was the sensation of it pushing into her. Whimpering, she couldn't feel it bite anymore, but it was certainly moving around inside her body. She angled herself to look at her bloody shoulder, seeing the grub's tail disappear into a neat hole it had opened.
She didn't care what bones she might break, she didn't care if she hurt herself, the fat grub moving inside Vinyl felt so wrong that every part of her rebelled at the invasion of her body. Her eyes widened when she felt it move up through the cavity of her body, slowing its movement when it reached a spot just into her neck, under her spine.
A tingle of pain came, then stopped. Vinyl knew they clearly had some kind of venom. 'Is this how those things grow? They plant their foals inside a pony and they… eat…' Vinyl stiffened in fear when she felt an odd chill flood her body.
Spotting that red bow again—now her eyes were better adjusted to the dark—Vinyl was struggling to fight off the darkness settling in around her. 'This… this isn't normal… I shouldn't be tired… I… I should…' Vinyl gave a soft whimper as she closed her eyes, darkness pushing down around her, and despite her struggles, pulling her mind into a soft embrace.
Sweetie Belle bounced along with her friends. The day was bright and sunny, and without any school to keep them busy, she and her friends had a day of "crusading" to do. Not that Sweetie had a problem with school, but spending most of such a glorious day inside was a crime akin to forgetting to wipe your hooves when going inside.
"Did you want to try for the hoof-stand cutie marks?" Scootaloo was bouncing a little in excitement. "That would be the coolest thing ever if we got them!" As if to demonstrate, she immediately jumped forward, flinging her back legs in the air and balancing on her forelegs only.
"Wow, that is pretty neat." Apple Bloom didn't even get to finish before her friend was wobbling, then falling. Moving quickly, she caught Scootaloo and stopped the pegasus filly from landing on her own back. "You need to be more careful, Scootaloo."
Rolling to her side and getting back on her own hooves, Scootaloo struck a pose even Rainbow Dash would be proud of. "I need more practice!" When she jumped froward and repeated her stunt, she felt a gentle touch on her back legs. It wasn't enough to support her, but it was enough for her to balance with. Looking up/down at her back legs, Scootaloo gave a cheer. "Great work, Sweetie Belle! You're the best!"
As her face pulled into a big grin, Sweetie Belle's horn fizzled and popped with the effort to help her friend. "I don't know how long I can hold it… oh no!" As Scootaloo started to walk around on her forelegs, Sweetie had to work even harder on her magic.
Scootaloo stopped moving when she saw her friend's face. "Let go, Sweetie Belle." She waited until Sweetie's horn stopped glowing before falling back onto all-fours. Rushing up to Sweetie, she hugged her friend tightly. "Thanks for that, you are getting to be amazing with your magic!"
The praise was like honey to an ant, Sweetie Belle's face pulled into a bigger grin and she hugged Scootaloo back. "No, you are amazing, I just helped a little. How can you balance like that?" She gave her friend an extra little squeeze and then they both let go at the same time.
"My wings help a bunch, did you see how I flicked them to keep steady? And from there it is just like being on my scooter." Scootaloo buzzed her little wings in demonstration, "But maybe that is something to work towards. What else do we have for today?"
"I'm going to go practice apple bucking later." Apple Bloom smiled wide at the thought. "Applejack said she would help me practice." She looked to Scootaloo next.
"Rainbow Dash is going to kick some clouds down low so I can get some practice working with them. Just as soon as my wings get bigger I will be the best weather pony in Equestria!" Scootaloo stuck her tiny wings up and hit a pose.
Sweetie Belle kicked a hoof on the ground with a scuff. "And Rarity said she was going to give me another lesson with the sewing machine today…" All three Crusaders looked around and gave a sigh.
Apple Bloom smiled at her friends, fighting the slightly depressed mood. "Then let's go get our things done we have to, and meet up back at the tree-house after, okay?"
All three lifted their hooves. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, learning from others!" Laughing, all three turned and took off in different directions from the tree-house.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Sweetie Belle walked along the path back to Ponyville with her head held high. She had spent most of the morning crusading, and now she got to spend some time with her sister.
"Hey, uh, Sweetie Belle!"
The voice caught Sweetie off-guard, she turned to see her sister. "Rarity!" Something in the back of Sweetie Belle's head yelled at her, but she never would have done half the crusading she had if she ever listened to that. "I thought we were meeting at home?"
"Of course we were, but I couldn't resist coming out for a stroll." Rarity reached out both forelegs to hug her little sister.
Her warning voice ignored, Sweetie Belle stepped up and hugged back, only to squirm a little. "Uh, Rarity, you are squeezing-" Her eyes widened when two black pony-like creatures dropped down out of a nearby tree, on buzzing wings, and flew toward her. "LET GO! RARITY, HELP!" But her sister kept a tight grip, a mean-looking grin plastered on her features.
"I'll get this one, the other two said they would be with their siblings."
Sweetie struggled for real now, her brain kicking her, reminding her that not-Rarity had acted odd from the get-go. "Let go of-" Sweetie Belle froze in terror as the not-a-pony leaned in, opening its mouth wide and clamped on to her shoulder. Two sharp fangs sank into her soft flesh, before a rush of warmth blossomed there.
"Don't give her too much!"
Looking up at not-Rarity, Sweetie felt her panic start to pour out of her. Smiling and staring into her sister's face, she suddenly couldn't even remember why she was struggling. "I love you, Rarity." She hugged her sister back tightly. "Are we going to… to…"
"Follow me." The changeling disguised as Rarity gave the filly a last squeeze, adoring the love Sweetie gave up without restraint. "I have a special game to show you."
Sweetie's face split in a huge, if slightly blank, smile. "A game? I love games!" She felt a slight chill run through her, something making her feel cold. But it didn't matter, her big sister was with her. "Where are we going? Is it to a game? I love games!"
"We will meet you back at the cave. Good work." The more "bitey" changeling flashed with green fire, shrinking down and quickly appearing just like the filly being led away.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Scootaloo climbed onto her scooter and pulled her helmet on. Waving one last time to her friends she set her wings and started buzzing them rapidly. Kicking off with a back hoof Scootaloo was flying along on her namesake, squeezing her eyes half closed against the wind hitting her face.
The world became a blur for the filly, trees and houses flew by and she only vaguely heard ponies call out welcomes to her, by the time she heard them she was always well past. Looking up, expecting to see the mare she thought of as her big sister, part of Scootaloo daydreamed about flying, actual flying.
In her head, the filly soared through the sky, zooming around and through clouds, over houses and trees. Nothing could stop Scootaloo.
"Hey, Squirt!"
The two words yanked Scoots back to reality. She spun her head and saw her idol, hero, and big sister—all in one—standing just behind her. Reaching out a hoof, Scootaloo grabbed hold of a lamppost, did a screaming one-eighty turn and was speeding back toward Rainbow Dash. Turning her scooter sideways at the last moment, she ground out nearly ten feet of ground coming to a stop. "Hiya Rainbow Dash!"
"Uh… Hey, Squirt!" Rainbow Dash smiled at the filly, spreading her wings a little.
"Are… are you okay, Rainbow?" Scootaloo walked a little closer, catching up her scooter and tossing it onto her own back. "You don't look so-" She froze, but not out of shock or anything else she could do, her legs were literally stuck to the ground in an odd green puddle. "Hey, what gives?"
"Squirt… uh…" Rainbow Dash looked behind the filly, nodding to somepony out of sight of Scootaloo. "Just relax, nothing bad will happen."
Scootaloo's back-fur tingled and she knew somepony was behind her. She turned her head to look and found it to be no pony. "Hel-!" Her voice was cut off when the black, pony-like creature moved fast and latched their mouth to her flank. Pain snuffed out her yell, but something else happened. A hot rush and some tightness, her brain processed the sensation and she was reminded of getting bitten by a snake once.
Her heart began to race for a moment, but then a cool haze seemed to pour down over the world. She smiled as her eyes drooped a little. "Hey… leggo my flank. Ah need that for crusadin'!" Her words were slurred, but Scootaloo couldn't work out why that would be bad, or even what was happening to her. Looking down, she saw the goop her hooves were stuck in. "I am stuck…"
"You gave her too much. Now she doesn't even taste good!" Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof and struck the goop around the filly's legs, shattering the odd substance and lifting Scootaloo up under a wing. "Hide them in the house until sundown. I got this one, go and help with the last."
The undisguised changeling nodded, burning with fire to become a duplicate of the filly that not-Rainbow Dash was leading away.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"And I do it like this?" Apple Bloom showed the style she had been practicing. Lifting first one leg up, she gave a little hop. Curling her back legs under her, all her weight shifted forward, Apple Bloom started to let herself fall backwards. Two hard thuds sounded as her little legs bucked into the tree. Shaking, the plant gave up a bounty of nearly ten apples, but still twice that many remained.
"Pretty good action there, sugarcube." Applejack stepped up and squinted at the tree. "Ah think just-" She spun and lashed out, a resounding thud echoing through the orchard as her hooves collided with the tree. Sure enough, the remaining apples all fell, every single one. "There. Now, you get the next one and see if you can get more'n a third."
"You got it!" Apple Bloom beamed widely and marched to the next tree.
"Hey Apple Bloom!"
Two voices stole Apple Bloom's attention right away. "What are you girls doing here? Didn't you have lessons with Rarity and Rainbow Dash?" She watched her fellow Crusaders walk between the trees and up to her.
"Who-all are ya talkin' to?" Applejack walked over to where her little sister had gone. "Well shucks sugarcube, you shoulda said your friends were comin'." Applejack waved to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "You girls want to skedaddle? Ah bet yer got something planned."
Apple Bloom tilted her head and looked at her friends, questions painted all over her face. "Well, we didn't-"
"We sure do, Applejack!" The changeling disguised as Scootaloo reached out a foreleg and put it over Apple Bloom's shoulder, and whispered, "We got something really cool in the clubhouse, you gotta come see this."
The line was more than enough to catch Apple Bloom's attention, she turned her head to look at Scootaloo in curiosity, when Sweetie did the same on the other side.
"This is going to be awesome!" The moment they said it, the changeling realized their ruse was on the brink of being smashed to pieces. "We can take my scooter!"
Apple Bloom quickly backed away from her two friends. "That… that's okay, I think we can walk." She looked around for an escape from near-death-scooter-rides. "Uh, hey, let's race there!" Without another word, Apple Bloom took off at a gallop.
"Well ya better try ta catch her!" Applejack gave a laugh as the two remaining fillies took off after her little sister. "Dang those little scamps are just adorable."
Her heart pounding in excitement, Apple Bloom was first to the clubhouse and raced up the ramp. "I WIN!" She did a little dance in celebration and headed inside, and froze. "Who… what… what are you?"
The changeling smiled wide at the filly. "Your new best friend. Hold still." The filly, however, didn't seem quite ready to be captured and started to turn. "You can't ru-"
Apple Bloom's back hooves connected with a solid THUMP, sending the black creature flying across the room. "Help!" Her yell was shrill, all the shock of the attack poured from her lungs.
"What happened?" Scootaloo was first inside. The scene made her blink. "Uh… what is that?" She pointed at the shell-shocked changeling in the corner of the room. Apple Bloom turned to point at their compatriot, opening her mouth to explain.
Sharp fangs pressed into Apple Bloom's shoulder, she turned her head to see another of the monsters behind her, right where Scootaloo had been. She wanted to yell, to scream, to lash out again, but a strange lethargy came over her as the hot sensation that blossomed in her shoulder started to spread out through her body.
"Get up, quickly! You need to bite her with a half dose, I used up most of mine on the pegasus!"
Apple Bloom blinked up at the larger bug-like pony. "Wh… I don… who are…" Every time she thought she had a sentence put together in her head, the thoughts were scattered before she could finish saying them. She blinked at the pony.
The downed changeling got up, wobbled over to the subdued filly and leaned in to bite her other shoulder.
"Come with us." The changeling re-disguised as Scootaloo and turned, leading their latest capture away.
Something felt wrong about following her friend, her strange friend, but Apple Bloom just couldn't pin down what it was. In the end, all she could think of was them asking for her to follow. She smiled wide and trotted along.
Barely recognizing the odd little house on the edge of town, Apple Bloom couldn't for the life of her remember who lived there. Following the quiet-Scootaloo inside, she smiled wider. "Now there is twelve Crusaders! But why are there ropes?"
The real Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked up from their position bound on the floor.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, escape artists…" Sweetie Belle blinked at her own joke and giggled. "Hi Apple Bloom. Are you the real Apple Bloom, Apple Bloom?"
For some reason Apple Bloom found her friend's words worth giggling at, even as stout rope was wrapped around her, binding all four legs together. "What are they?" Trussed up, she was put down on the floor with her friends. "What are those things?"
"Dunno…" Scootaloo was having trouble focusing, she kept blinking to attempt to fix the problem. What her friend was talking about, however, was the three little round ball things that were placed in front of them. "Big chicken egg!"
Apple Bloom saw the one before her open first, watched the little worm-thing inside crawl out and toward her. "Must be a strange chicken!" She giggled a little and stretched her head forward to lick the side of the thing. "Ugh, tastes horrible!" The worm moved quicker than the filly could really track, pressing itself up and against the side of her neck. "Ouch! Hey that… that doesn't hurt… where are you going?"
The larva squirmed and wriggled at the opening it had bitten and began to crawl into the pony's neck. Instinctively avoiding any major blood-vessels or organs, it traced the path it needed to take slowly, squirming ever closer.
A strange pressure grew, Apple Bloom's neck felt oddly itchy, but then it stopped. A chill passed over her body, a strange chill. She watched another of the things approaching Sweetie Belle beside her, but found herself yawning widely and closing her eyes. "Sleep ti-"
Sweetie Belle looked at the odd worm-thing and laughed. "I remember Diamond Tiara dared me to eat a wormy once!" Leaning forward, she opened her mouth and giggled as the slimy thing crawled into her maw obligingly. Gulping hard, she expected to feel it flow down into her belly, but halfway down, it squirmed in her neck. Coughing, she felt a little soreness that was gone before she really felt real pain.
Finding the easiest of paths, the larva crawled the short distance to the filly's spine and bit, its special teeth breaking a tiny hole through the bone there and letting it attach. Sensation came to the parasite, it felt the pony's body, its heartbeat, every vital part of her in the poisoned state. It even felt her mind curiously poke the sensation it was causing her, so it reached out and pushed her into sleep.
"Girls? Apple Bloom? Sweetie? Why are you both-" Scootaloo stopped talking to her unconscious friends when she spotted the worm approaching her. She struggled and tried to shift, something didn't quite feel right. "What did you do to them?"
Bound up, the pony wasn't getting away. The larva wasn't fully capable of thought, but it could sense a warm pony body, and as it connected with flesh it initiated its first bite.
Scootaloo felt the pain in her belly start and then go completely numb. "What… what is that thing? What is it doing?" She watched as the worm slipped inside. The feeling of it moving inside was strange for the filly, she tossed and squirmed, almost managing to break free of the ropes before she felt a sharp pain in her neck. "No, stop, I don't want to…" Her words stopped, she couldn't say anything as a chill passed through her, spreading from her body up into her head. She trembled a moment before the world went dark.
Memories of countless nights huddled in her soft bed, after a late show, had Vinyl relaxed. But her bed wasn't soft today, it felt a lot more like stone than the feather-filled mattress she normally slept on. She opened her eyes, slowly since she couldn't feel her glasses on her face, and tried to look around her bedroom.
"Our little surprise is awake." The harsh voice reminded Vinyl of a recent event, possibly the night before. Her brain latched on to the memory of the strange, pony-like creatures, just as her eyes adjusted to the darkness to reveal it. "I wonder if this one remembers everything? Tell me what you remember, pony."
Vinyl blinked a few times, feeling almost sublimely relaxed. She gave a slow sigh, the sensation was not unlike some of the substances the less moral ponies sold at her shows. She had tried some, of course, to judge their effects. "Got off tha train." Her voice was a little slurred, but what startled her was that she was just telling them what happened. The confusion didn't last long, she was too relaxed. "Walkin' home and saw Shining Armor." She sighed, she would be able to weave in small lies of omission, so long as they didn't ask for too much detail.
"What did you do? Before taking the train?"
She couldn't help but smile, all the joy of making her music poured back through her. "I performed in Canterlot, I made music." She felt oddly good, something about whatever drug they had given her was making her more high for having given in. 'Buck, this is some kind of conditioning drug.' It was Shining Armor's training that let Vinyl know, she hated that she knew how effective such things could be, despite attempting to resist them.
"Very well, pony. And when you saw me, how did that make you feel?"
"Scared. I panicked and reached for… for…" Vinyl didn't want to admit she knew how to fight, for fear it might lead to more questions. "I reached for a rock." Vinyl's eyes had adjusted enough now to see three more shapes nearby. Yellow. Orange. White. "What'd you do to 'em?" Shining Armor's values were every bit as strong as Vinyl's on this, she struggled to get up, to move over to the fillies.
Something was wrong with her legs. Vinyl felt them moving, but it all moved wrong. "What did you do to me?" Finally, giving up on walking, Vinyl crawled over to the three fillies. Seeing them brought back a memory. She noticed the dark stain on Scootaloo's side, it wasn't oozing blood, but there was definitely a wound there. The culmination of the night came back to Vinyl, of something biting and crawling into her, of feeling it moving inside and then— "What Is inside me?" Her voice was soft, barely a whimper.
"You got lucky." The creature walked around, so that it was on the other side of the three fillies, from Vinyl. "We were only going to take these three, but we had a spare egg, and you seemed alone."
"What is inside me?" Vinyl looked up at the odd creature, looked into its odd, blue eyes. She begged it on every level of her being. "Please? Is it… is it going to hurt them?"
"Of course not. We want healthy, happy drones." The creature smiled, showing off more of its teeth than just the two prominent fangs. "Our larva will grow inside you—"
Vinyl whimpered at the initial description, her worst fears growing in strength.
"And it will change you, slowly, into one of us. A changeling. Won't that be nice?"
"Changeling?" Vinyl's worst fears were smashed, but worse than the fact that it told her it would be changing her body, was that its question made her feel happy about it, warm and light-headed. "It…" Vinyl tried to fight the sensation, but she knew when a drug was manipulating the mind directly, it was impossible to avoid the effect. Part of her wanted to say yes. "It… it will." The warm flow of ecstasy flooded her brain.
"Good pony. I am Chitter. You will follow me when I direct you, it will feel nice to follow me." The changeling kept smiling. "We need to move fast, don't want to get caught outside the hive with you changing all the way."
'What are you training us for?' The words struggled to come out. Vinyl fought her soaring mind to think what she needed to. "What… what is the training… for?" She leaned in and gently nuzzled Scootaloo near the wound, inspecting it.
"Leave her be, she will wake soon. And I am training you for our Queen." Chitter's wings chirped a little as he rubbed them together. "You will love her, we all do."
Vinyl's attention was on each of the fillies, checking them over. 'Don't think about a queen, laying lots of eggs. Don't think about loving her or that damn drug will make it good.' Scootaloo had the wound in her side, and Apple Bloom in her neck. "Sweetie Belle? You didn't have one for her?" She looked up to the chatty changeling.
"She was smart. Opened her little mouth wide and let the grub in. Less pain that way." Chitter was watching Vinyl checking the fillies.
"Are they going to… going to be trained?" As quick as the thought to fight the changeling came, it slipped from Vinyl's mind. She struggled to bring on the frame of mind needed to fight, but it was a losing battle. "Where are we going?" The question popped into her head, even as she felt one of the fillies move a little.
"To the hive, for training. Stand up, walk around."
The command was irresistible, Vinyl's mind was making up all kinds of reasons for why standing up and moving was a good idea. In the end, she knew that the drug was doing its thing. 'If I don't get up, my brain will take it as punishment and only make this worse.' She began to stir, moving her legs under her and putting weight on them one at a time.
Taking a deep breath, Vinyl waited for her legs to stop wobbling before moving one, slowly. "So this thing will turn me into one of you?" Vinyl worked her legs, her brain really wanting to walk, giving her little spikes of happiness with each step.
When Apple Bloom started to stir, however, Vinyl moved too quickly and fell in a heap beside the filly. "Wha' 'appen'?" Apple Bloom looked around, coming face-to-face with Vinyl. "V-V-Vampony!"
"I'm not—" Vinyl's words were cut off by a pair of shrieks, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both hearing the word "vampony," seeing Vinyl, and letting loose.
"Be quiet." Chitter's voice cut through the two fillies' screams like a hot knife through butter. "Good, now, tell me what you each know."
"Ah was buckin' apples wif muh sister." Apple Bloom shook her head, then instantly regretted it. "Then Ah went with you guys, to… Ah can't remember anymore, what happened?" She tried to get up and fell back into a slump.
"I was about to start practicing with Rainbow Dash and…" Scootaloo looked down, her ears folding back. "I don't remember what happened."
"Me too. I was just… I don't even remember where I was, I left you guys and it is all blank!" Sweetie Belle started to shake.
Vinyl's heart almost broke, she reached out and pulled all three fillies into a hug. "It'll be okay." 'I hate lying' "You'll see, we will be back in Ponyville in no time." 'At least I am better at it as Vinyl.'
"No you won't. You will all be turned into changelings, and join the hive." Chitter's words only encouraged the three fillies to hug Vinyl back. "All of you, get on your hooves and start walking around, tonight we have a lot of ground to cover."
"Come on, I can help." Vinyl was still shaky on her hooves, but helped the fillies, one by one, to stand. 'I don't know what is worse now, feeling rewarded for doing what they tell me, or knowing the fillies are too.'
"What is that other pony?" Sweetie Belle gestured at the changeling, as it walked from the cave toward the entrance. "It reminds me of something…"
"Shh, just focus on standing up." Vinyl was desperate to stop the fillies poking at those memories. "You'll see, once we can all walk right, I'll buck that changeling and we can run away."
"Ah know things are getting confusing when I want to trust the vampony." Apple Bloom took a step, wobbled a little, then took another. "What is that changedling going to do with us?" She started taking more, smiling wide when she did.
Rubbing her forehead with a hoof, Vinyl shook her head. "I'm not a vampony."
"You sure look like one." Scootaloo was more focused on buzzing her wings, everything felt wrong about her body, but despite wanting to just lay down until it got better, she found herself needing to move around.
"Huh?" Vinyl caught Sweetie Belle in her magic, when the filly's leg started to falter. "Careful, just stand still until you are sure you can move." She helped the filly back up.
Sweetie looked up at the similarly colored unicorn. "Uh, thanks. I have never been helped by a vampony before, but I just can't stop trying to move. What is happening?"
'You have to tell them, Vinyl. You have to.' "They drugged us, whatever they are using it… it makes us want to do what they say." 'Chicken.' Vinyl sighed at her own dilemma. "And I am not a vampony."
"I… I read one of Rarity's books once, the start of it. There was a vampony in that. He seemed nice, but then when he got too hungry he…" Sweetie Belle blushed. "Rarity took her book off me before I could find out. You seem like a nice vampony, though."
"I don't even have the wings!" Vinyl was a little slow in realizing what the fillies were getting at, but finally she did. "Look, I have had a good-sized meal…"
"We knew it!" All three Crusaders exclaimed and giggled.
Vinyl didn't care if they called her a vampony all day long, it was their fantasy, and it kept them distracted from the real situation. She started walking, as unable to fully resist the command from the changeling as the fillies were. "How are you doing, Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie's legs kept wobbling, she gave a little sigh. "They just don't want to work." When the filly took a step, the leg holding all her weight buckled, slumping her down into Vinyl's magical grip. "I never thought a vampony would help me. What do you drink?"
"Wubs." Vinyl ruffled the filly's mane. "If you can't walk, I can carry you." She helped Sweetie back up to her hooves, guided her into trying more steps.
"What are 'wubs'?" Scootaloo was the first to crack, she had to know, and even in the face of a potentially vicious vampony, she asked. "Are they like apple cider?"
"Oh! OH!" Apple Bloom bounced in place. "My Applejack and Granny make the best cider, I bet you would drink all you could of their wubs."
"Yeah, cider." Vinyl gave a sigh of relief as Sweetie finally got an unassisted step. "There you go, keep working at it."
"You aren't all walking yet?" Chitter's voice cut in on the four ponies' conversation, all four turned to look at him. "Okay, forget it, just follow me, and don't run off." He turned and started marching out of the cave.
"Are you alright, Sweetie?" Vinyl's heart-strings were firmly tugged, and as the filly tried to follow the changeling, had to catch her as she fell. "You get to ride a vampony, today." She lifted the filly up and set her on her own back. The weight was not insignificant, and while she had been walking fine on her own, Vinyl's hooves now stumbled a little with Sweetie in place. "How are you other two doing?"
Scootaloo was wobbling, but walking. She looked up at her friend, riding on Vinyl's back. "It'll be alright, Sweetie Belle, I am sure you can walk properly with a bit more practice. The chaffling should have given you just a little more time."
"Changeling!" Chitter's ears had swung around, picked up the filly's comment. "And we don't have time to waste, you will move now."
Apple Bloom did what any filly would do, when faced with such a creature. She blew a raspberry. "You don't frighten us!" Her voice was steady, she was the rock for her friends. But even so, all four of them were soon out in the light, walking passively behind the changeling.
"You can let me down now." Sweetie Belle squirmed a little on Vinyl's back. "You don't have to carry me all day."
Vinyl kept trotting along after the changeling, but looked back over one shoulder. "Nah, it's cool squirt, enjoy the ride." She smiled, entirely for the filly's benefit. "You are still going the same way I am, right?"
Sweetie giggled and nodded. "Yeah, but I… I want to walk… that is the stuff in me, right?"
The big, soft, innocent eyes ripped at Vinyl's heart. "Yeah, it is." She turned back to the changeling. "Hey, bug-plot," the euphemism got a giggle from all the fillies, "can you tell her it is okay to ride on my back?"
"Yeah, sure, do whatever." Chitter hated being without his hive-mates, although he had to smile at the thought there would soon be more. "You can ride instead of walking."
Not realizing that the filly had still been tense, Vinyl now felt her really relax. "That better?"
"Yes," Sweetie looked past Vinyl, to Chitter, "thank you!" She gave the best smile she could, remembering that whenever anypony did something for you, it was important to thank them—so her sister said.
Chitter stopped and turned back to the little pony. There was the slightest waft of affection coming from her, but it was dimming as he looked, and already carried some taint. "Keep following, or riding." He turned and headed off again.
"Look, Chitter, the fillies need food. At least let us look for berries or something." Vinyl wanted to be out of ear-shot of the changeling more than anything, it would give her a chance to get away. 'As long as I can stop wanting to follow him everywhere like a filly!'
"You get food tonight. No berries, you'll see." The changeling's words held no anger, but it was obvious that was all they were going to get out of him.
"Okay then," Vinyl blew out a breath she had been holding, "I spy, with my left eye, something beginning with… B." It was an old game, one she had played with Twilight, as Shining Armor. "You are supposed to try to guess what I saw that begins with a B."
Scootaloo looked up at Vinyl, then turned to look around, her hooves working to keep her going. "Branch!" She looked back at Vinyl and saw her head shake. "Come on Apple Bloom, it is your turn to guess."
"Huh? Oh. Um…" Apple Bloom looked around the path they were taking, not recognizing any of it. "Boulder?"
"Where?" Scootaloo blinked, then followed her friend's gaze. "That is barely a rock."
"It isn't a boulder. Sweetie Belle?" Vinyl looked over her shoulder at the filly, finding her fighting the edges of sleep. "You don't have to play if you don't want to."
"I want to play." Sweetie yawned widely. "Bug-plot." She giggled a bit, covering her mouth with a hoof.
"Sweetie Belle wins!" Vinyl gave a little dance of victory. "Now you have to choose one."
"I spy, with my left eye, something be…" Sweetie trailed off as she looked at the hoof coming away from her face. "My fur…"
It wasn't the words that made Vinyl turn to face the filly, it was the fear in her voice. She looked at Sweetie and watched as the filly casually plucked some of the fur from her hoof, the stuff coming away in a big wad. "Let me look." Vinyl caught some fluff with her magic and lifted it up to examine. "It doesn't look to be cut. Did you rub yourself raw?"
"I just— I woke up like this!" Sweetie Belle felt panic and confusion rise. She began to tremble and look around, as if she wanted to run and get away.
"You napped?" Chitter looked back, his face pulled into a smile. "Then you start to change. It happens when you sleep."
Vinyl filed the information away while she walked. "Hold on, Sweetie Belle. I am sure a big brave pony will come and save us. Like Shining Armor." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince now, herself, or Sweetie.
"Who is Shining Armor?" Sweetie looked away from her hoof—and the dark flesh the depilation. "Is he big and strong?"
"He is. A big and strong unicorn in the Royal Guard." Vinyl gave a soft sigh, barely holding onto her own emotions, as she tried to calm the filly. "And I bet he knows exactly where we are, and would tell you not to worry right now."
"He sounds amazing!" Sweetie Belle snuggled forward and pressed her snout into Vinyl's mane. "But it's alright, you're a vampony, a nice vampony, who feeds off wubs. You can protect me until he gets here."
The soft sounds of the filly's sleep wafted to Vinyl's ears. She looked down to see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom yawning too. "Does this stuff make us drowsy or something?" Thinking on it, she realized she was fighting at sleep too.
"Of course. Since it only changes you when you are asleep, it is best if you sleep more." Chitter pointed to a cave ahead of them, and to the side. "Food's in there. Wake her up to feed."
"I am really starting to dislike you." Vinyl didn't jiggle Sweetie awake right away, so that each step left her aching to do it, to step oddly, or jolt her. "Come on, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo." She couldn't stop the big yawn, fighting against tiredness, but not wanting to shake her head to dispell it.
"Why is it always caves? Why don't you have houses like normal ponies?" Apple Bloom reluctantly followed Vinyl into the cave.
"I bet it's the bug thing." Scootaloo walked beside her friend, sparing a look up to the sleeping Sweetie Belle. Finally, she lost her fight with her urges. "Sweetie Belle!" She covered her snout the moment she had yelled.
"What are you doing? I said wake her, not call down every pony looking for us!" Chitter grumbled and pointed to a corner of the cave. "Go on, there is a bag of oats there. Eat as much as you want."
Vinyl walked were directed, and lit her horn. There was a big sack of grain that she opened. "You got us any bowls?" She was already snorting at the idea. "Hold on, girls, this will take a little focus." She sat down and cupped her magic three times. Filling each magic bowl with oats, she passed them around to each filly.
"That's nift—" Apple Bloom couldn't believe how hungry she suddenly was; her tiredness seemed to be on hold while her belly felt like an empty pit. She didn't even get to finish her sentence before her snout was in the bowl and she was literally eating as fast as she could.
"And what about you? You will eat too." Chitter looked at Vinyl, watched the mare wince at the command. "Then you will sleep."
"I know, but… stop telling me to do it." Vinyl's apathy crushed her anger before it could even grow enough to want to buck the changeling. She watched Sweetie Belle devouring the food like a filly possessed, then it occurred to her what this was all about. "The change needs energy, this gives it that."
"Clever. You will be a good changeling, maybe even work in the field, capturing ponies." Chitter gave a soft chirp with his wings. "They are done, now have yours."
Making sure each of the fillies was asleep, Vinyl drew their three bowls together, then added more oats to what they had left. "You don't have to be like this, you know." She dug her snout down, felt the elation inside at doing what she was told, and began to eat.
"You don't realize." Chitter turned and put his back to Vinyl, watching the cave-mouth. "Think about what I have told you, about what happens at the end." His voice was bitter, but his words stopped now.
Vinyl finished eating one bowl, and grabbed half of a second, gulping that down too. "Still don't need to be a buckin' annoyance about it all."
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
The dream was chaotic. Vinyl felt like she was one among thousands, packed in tight and brushing against others. She started to recoil back from what was certainly a nightmare, when another presence touched her. "Princess Luna?"
There was no reply, but the horror seemed to ease. The other being stood beside her, shielded her from half of the swarm. As dawn came, Vinyl thought she felt a kiss on her cheek.
Opening her eyes, Vinyl blinked into the predawn light filtering from the cave mouth. She groaned a little, but realized she felt warm bodies pressed to her barrel. Looking down, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were tucked in as tight as could be against her, while Scootaloo had her little wings spread, trying to share her warmth with her friends. Something seemed off, but Vinyl couldn't work out what.
Vinyl wished she was a pegasus, just this once; she wanted to wrap wings around the fillies and warm them up properly. Part of what she noticed was wrong, she realized, was her legs. From nearly her shoulders and hips down, her fur had fallen out, revealing hard, black chitinous flesh. What was worse, was the holes in her lower legs.
"Big sis?" Apple Bloom turned over in her sleep, snuggling against the warm bodies. Opening her eyes, she realized her snout was pressed into white fur, and not orange. "Applejack?" She felt like something was out of her reach, that something was wrong, all at once, her memories of the previous day's walk came back, of Vinyl, and of the monster that none of them could disobey. "V-V-Vampony?"
With a huff of air, Vinyl leaned her head down and breathed softly over Apple Bloom's exposed ears. "What's up?" She couldn't bring herself to contradict them now.
"Thanks for lookin' after Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom was interrupted by her belly rumbling. She lifted her head to look around for the bag of oats, but had a glowing blue aura held the loose grain right before her snout. She couldn't stop herself, it felt good to eat, felt really good. She ate and ate until her belly was puffed out a bit, but she almost couldn't stop. A black hoof resting on her head startled her so much that she gave up the bowl.
"That will be more than enough to get through the day." Vinyl ruffled the filly with one of her black, hard hooves. "Scootaloo? Are you going to wake up next?" Gently shifting the second filly, Vinyl finally realized another odd thing; all the fillies had the same black legs as her, but with their holes in different places.
Scootaloo jerked awake, suddenly kicking and grunting in shock. When a black hoof tried to subdue her, she lashed out at it with her own. Kicking, she opened her mouth to scream and froze. Vinyl scratch was desperately trying to calm her, as was Apple Bloom. She snapped her mouth shut. A magic food bowl, shoved right under her snout, proved what she really needed.
"Wow, look at her go. Was I like that?" Apple Bloom watched her friend eat almost like an animal, devouring the oats as fast as she could. "Guess I was…"
"Did you have the bad dream too?" Vinyl couldn't look Apple Bloom in the eyes, and although the filly didn't say anything, she felt her nod. "I was stuck in a crowd of changelings, hundreds…"
"And then a nice one came and hugged me, told me I would be alright." Sweetie Belle joined the conversation, clearing the sleep from her eyes.
"They actually told you, in words?" Vinyl gave Scootaloo's mane a little rub as the filly ate.
Sweetie looked down, her belly gurgling hungrily, but her brain working to make sense of the dream. "No, she didn't talk!" She actually bounced a little, feeling excited she had remembered. "But how did I know, then?"
"Because I think the thing turning us into changelings is not just a stupid bug." Vinyl pulled the bowl away from Scootaloo, refilled it, and offered it to Sweetie Belle. 'I never thought this day would come.' Vinyl took a deep breath, and smiled. 'I will blame Cady, definitely her fault I care for foals so much… maybe Twily too.'
Waiting for the third filly to finish eating, Vinyl fetched her own bowl of the grain. Eating away at it, she watched the fillies stand up, move around. Then the moment came that she realized what it was that had been confused her. "Hey, you have all grown bigger." She smiled at the fillies, expecting it to at least lighten the mood. Then Chitter walked up to them. Vinyl looked up and up, realizing that she had lost more than a few inches in height overnight.
"That is the changeling inside of you." Chitter looked down at the four ponies, smiling a little at their limbs showing signs of their changes. Something seemed to relax in the changeling. "It might seem like it… I sort of remember feeling like it, but they aren't monsters. They are learning from you, connecting with you."
Vinyl's jaw almost dropped, the changeling seemed almost completely different, softer and nicer—she almost didn't want to say anything. "And it's changing us? It is… I am shorter now." She hated that aspect a little, but as usual the heat behind the negative emotion drained away. 'Ugh, this drug is annoying.'
"She doesn't have a choice." Waving a hoof, Chitter pointed at all four of the ponies. "They will grow a little inside you, but when they are freed of your body, they will become a perfect copy of you." He gestured at Vinyl. "Which means you will both end up as mares." He squinted when the target of his example snorted loudly. "Eat now, we are marching a long way today."
The tone-change surprised Vinyl a little, she couldn't help but take note of it. "Yeah, yeah. Let me get them all fed." She began funneling out magic-bowls of food for the three, and just dunked her own head into the bag. The oats were dry, of course, and while it filled a hollow feeling inside Vinyl, it did nothing to settle the cold feeling growing inside.
"Enough food, time to move." Chitter's words, punctuated by four groans, carried to the ponies forcing them to pull back from their meal. "You all walk today, no carrying." He marched out of the cave, not even bothering to see if he was being followed.
"Are you up to it, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom turned to her friend, a worried look on her face. "We can…" She struggled against the command they had been given. "We can support you."
"Besides," Scootaloo pointed to Vinyl, now not quite as big, "I think our vampony friend hasn't gotten enough wubs. Look how she is shrinking."
Sweetie couldn't help but grin a little. "Maybe she got washed too much? Rarity complains when I wash her clothes and they end up smaller than when I started."
"I didn't shrink in the wash." Vinyl had to fight to keep the annoyed tone out of her voice. "And I am really not a vampony."
"Then why don't you have a shadow?" Sweetie Belle pointed at the ground under Vinyl.
"Reflections, Sweetie Belle. Vamponies don't have reflections." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.
"It's dark in here." Vinyl spoke the words in shock, a little surprised that it was dark enough that no shadows could fall, but light enough to see reasonably well. "Of course I don't have a shadow in here, neither do you."
"She infected us!" Scootaloo squealed in mock-fear. "RUN!"
Rolling her eyes, Vinyl gave chase. 'I am only doing this to make sure they are okay. This totally isn't playing a game with them.'
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"This is where you have a lunchtime nap." Chitter watched as three ponies yawned the moment he said it. "The more changed you are by the time we reach the hive, the easier your transition will be."
Vinyl snapped her mouth closed, biting back the nasty comment she had for the changeling. 'Sweet side, callous side. That means something, but I can't figure it out...' She looked at the three fillies, finding the height change disorientating. "So why am I smaller? What is going on?"
Chitter gave a chirping laugh. "There is a reason we take foals, rather than ponies." He made sure the four were trotting after him along the trail south. "All changelings start as nymphs."
"What's being a wimp got to do with it?" Scootaloo looked up at Chitter, starting to get a little confused by their mercurial changes in moods.
"He said 'nymph,' " Sweetie Belle replied. "A nymph is an immature insect." She beamed in delight at knowing the word. Then she frowned and looked to Vinyl. "Does this mean we are going to become young changelings?"
"All of you, yes." Chitter looked back to see Vinyl had stopped. "Curl up and sleep."
Vinyl's head spun at the implications. She stared ahead as if blind, but her hooves began to move—it was just too hard to keep from doing what he said. "But… I am an adult… I am a—" She cut off and trembled; her legs still trotted forward.
"You will shrink to about their size. See what comes of butting-in on others' business?" Chitter gave a grunt of self-approval. "If you had ignored us, everything would have been smooth, nopony would have been—"
"You foalnapped them!" Vinyl's confusion had a bare moment of becoming manifest before it faded, sluiced away by the drugs in her system. She frowned at the changeling, wanting to be angry, mad, at the very least mildly upset. "Girls, please cover your ears." She waited for the three fillies to dutifully cover their ears with their hooves. "You are a bucking horse-apple."
Two of the fillies' faces went as white as the third. All three stared at Vinyl. "I told you to cover your ears." It was the best she could come up with before everything started to tumble in around her. She sniffed loudly before the first sob came. "I was… I was getting married in a few months!" Three not-so-little-to-her forms clustered around Vinyl, their forelegs pulling her to a stop and hugging her.
Vinyl felt more tears come, more and more. She saw hopelessness in how effectively the changeling had taken control of their lives and, worse, she wasn't sure how long it would be before she was missed. Her legs folded under her and she was guided down to a soft landing by her three little supporters. 'Not so little...'
"No biting my—" Apple Bloom's words were cut short by a yawn. "No biting my neck, vampony." She smiled and nuzzled in against Vinyl, hearing the mare mumble something about not being a vampony.
Waking up immediately, Vinyl raised to a sitting position and looked around. Something strange had happened, however, she was Shining Armor again. "What is going on? Where are the fillies?"
"We are dreaming." The words felt odd, indistinct. The thing that confused Shining the most was that the word "we" was an amalgam of "we," "I," "you," and "me." A shape formed in the edge of Shining's vision, pulling his vision toward it. "We," the voice did the same thing again, "are not quite normal, are we?"
At the risk of going crazy by talking to himself, Shining shook his big head. "All my life I haven't been 'Normal.' I had to be Shining Armor, tough stallion, big brother, brave guard, captain of the guard." He snorted sharply. "Vinyl is—" No sooner had he said the name, than the other being walked toward him, looking just like Vinyl. "You aren't Vinyl Scratch, I am!"
"Vinyl is the mare you are inside, what you would be if you could be." Vinyl looked at Shining. "Okay, this is a little confusing."
"No!" Shining froze, those red-rimmed eyes looking into his own, something finally making sense to him. "You can be Vinyl, if it makes you comfortable." He shifted his plot a little on the ground. "You are inside me, aren't you? Okay, that was a stupid question."
"Vinyl has always been inside you, doofus." Vinyl grinned at Shining, although her voice wasn't doing the mixed pronouns anymore. "You have more questions, just ask." She lifted up a perfect hoof and booped Shining on the snout.
"You are me?" Shining couldn't help asking it, it was the first thing that came to him.
"Kinda. I can feel… up until I…" Vinyl grumbled something dire under her breath. "You would think I would know all about what I am, and what I am doing. All I know is that I am inside myself, doing horrible things to the only pony I know, and I can't stop it." Two powerful forelegs wrapped around her as the tears came.
Shining couldn't keep from comforting Vinyl, hugging that mare was something he had always dreamed of doing, of thanking her for being his escape. He held her close as she cried. "It's alright."
"No it's not. You didn't want this, I don't want this. Why do I have to hurt you?" Vinyl looked up at the stallion face she could remember seeing in a mirror for most of her/Shining's life. "And what am I doing to your head? You have to listen to that bug-butt? Ugh, if you could kick his plot, I say go with it and live with the consequences."
"Hey, just relax, Vinyl." Shining gave the mare another squeeze. "Life is sometimes not fair. Sometimes a pony is born a stallion who has a destiny of duty to princesses—"
"A hot princess." Vinyl couldn't help herself.
"One of them is very hot, yeah." He gave her another squeeze before loosening his grip a touch. "So then what are we going to do about it?" Shining looked Vinyl in the eyes, seeing they were now both perfectly blue.
"Whatever we can do, we do it together." Vinyl leaned up and nuzzled Shining's chin. "But if things ever get bad, and we have a choice to make, you save yourself."
"Vinyl?" The word was loud, cutting through the dream like a knife. "Vinyl? Wake up!"
Shining had a moment of confusion before he was Vinyl again, lifting a groggy head up. "Ugh, Cady, it's too early…"
"Vampony," Apple Bloom used the word that would snap the nice mare back to the present, "we have to get up and start moving. The High-Lord Stink-bug said so."
The words had the desired effect, Vinyl was pulled back to the present, the strange dream fading from her mind. "What? Lord…" Vinyl fished for a suitable insult, "chirpy-pants, is demanding we do something? Amazing!" She reached a black, hole-filled hoof up to rub Apple Bloom's mane. "How did you sleep? Meet a new friend?"
"How did you…" Apple Bloom blinked. "You dreamed of yours, too?" She watched Vinyl nod. "So I guess even a vampony can be affected by these things." She laughed and dodged the weak hoof, swinging at her head. "Help girls, the vampony is after me!"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo jerked awake, each trying to make sense of their friend hiding behind them, while Vinyl, now smaller still, seemed intent on catching her.
"I am not a vampony! I was only telling you that to distract you from Prince Ant-Plot!" Vinyl couldn't keep the giggle out of her voice, and spotted each of the fillies—the bigger than before fillies—laugh too. "That's it, I am going to scare the wubs out of you!"
Three shrieks and a laugh cut through the peaceful countryside, as the four chased each other around until a voice cut through their play. "Stop, keep quiet." Chitter almost snarled at the display. "We are supposed to be sneaking to the badlands, not playing."
Vinyl looked at the changeling, then back to the fillies she had been playing with. 'Playing, really playing. They are cute and adorable, and don't deserve what is happening either.' Leveling her head, looking up at the changeling, she blew a raspberry.
Giggles and soft laughter rang in peals from Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo. All three had been given a few moments when they didn't have to think about what was wrong.
At last, Apple Bloom got her giggles under control and reached out a hoof to Vinyl. "Come on, vampony, we have a long way to trot."
Vinyl blinked at the filly, a sense of relaxation coming over her. "Yeah, we do." Not waiting to be told, not making the changeling force them to walk, was oddly freeing. She trotted up to the fillies, now significantly less "filly sized" compared to her, and as one they began to trot south.
The tension in Chitter's head eased again, his urgent need to keep the ponies moving sated without him having to give an order. He couldn't keep from smiling a little too, but for different reasons to the ponies. "Not far now, just two days or so."
The next morning, as soon as Vinyl could focus enough to see the fillies were also awake, Chitter had walked up to them.
"We are walking all day, no more sleeping until tonight, and no talking." Chitter turned and walked off, leaving the ponies grabbing what they could to eat as their hooves ached to follow him.
Vinyl tried to talk, she opened her mouth and grunted, but couldn't make a distinctly word-like sound. The fillies were now "bigger" still, and no amount of self-deluding could hope to convince her that this was really what was happening. She was short, her legs felt smaller, and she knew her horn was shrinking too. 'We must be going close to a town or something.'
The day ended much as the previous, with them ducking into a cave stocked with food. All of them had sore legs, not that they could complain. Vinyl looked at the three fillies, their torsos now bereft of fur, showing hardening black plate underneath. Walking to each, Vinyl gave them a nuzzle and a hug, her eyes almost wet with tears. Silently, they curled up together.
Stirring first, Vinyl felt certain there was something she should be remembering from her dreams, something important. "You girls awake?" She was careful sliding free of them, each of the fillies now looking to be the same size as her. "Let me get the food."
Apple Bloom opened her eyes and gave a fraction of a nod, when she saw Vinyl, however, the tiredness quickly fled. "Are you alright?"
Vinyl turned from her task and looked at Apple Bloom, and froze in shock. The filly had lost all the fur around her head, her mane was scraggly, and she had a pair of protruding fangs. Poking her tongue forward, Vinyl felt two large projections from her top gum.
"Ah guess that answer that. Ah'm the same?" Apple Bloom looked back at herself, her torso now bereft of all fur, but showing some brighter markings of a carapace.
"Yeah. Missing almost all your fur, some of your mane, and tail. The fangs…" Vinyl trailed off as she saw something else. "Hold on." She approached Apple Bloom, her hooves moving the filly's head so she could look down on it. "You are growing a horn!"
The unguarded exclamation got Chitter's attention. "What's going on back there? Keep it down."
"Ah'm getting' a horn?" Apple Bloom's surprised question didn't need a full answer, and all she got from Vinyl was a nod. "That's… wow."
"I feel really strange." Sweetie Belle approached the two, then did a bit of a double-take with Vinyl. "You're a filly…"
Sweetie Belle's fur was all gone, her mane was almost all lost to where she slept, and the only tail the filly had left was the little fin of a changeling. She bore fangs, a curved, black changeling horn, and she had a pair of swelling marks on her back. The most shocking change to the filly, however, was her eyes.
Vinyl forgot about the food and reached up to give Sweetie Belle a hug. "I don't know how, but I will make sure this turns out okay. We are going to get out of this."
Apple Bloom joined the hug, and a moment later a tired and confused Scootaloo joined as well. "What is the hugging for?" Scootaloo looked between her friends. "Oh, I know, the vampony just wants to get us close, to steal all our wubs."
"Really?" Vinyl's groan got a giggle from all three of the fillies. "Well, let's get some food before old Buzzy-bossy-pants realizes we just hugging." She felt all three squeeze her a little tighter.
"Crusader meeting." Apple Bloom looked to her friends. "I vote we accept Vinyl Scratch as the first vampony member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders."
"Probationary member." Scootaloo narrowed her eyes at Vinyl. "If she gets too bitey, we are going to have to review her membership."
"All in favor?" Apple Bloom looked at her two best friends, waited for them both to nod. "And those against?" She gave a brief pause, for the sake of keeping everything legal. "Then I pronounce Vinyl Scratch a probationary Cutie Mark Crusader."
"Hold on… uh, I have a…" A chill ran through Vinyl. She didn't want to look at her side, but a glance at the fillies showed that if things were progressing the same, she shouldn't have any fur on her flanks. She couldn't pull out of the hug, the three fillies she had tried to save wouldn't let her.
"You are a Crusader now." Scootaloo looked in Vinyl's eyes. "That means we all work together to make things right."
"Yup." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom chimed in just after Scootaloo.
Vinyl couldn't help but squeeze them tighter. "Thanks."
"Quiet, we are walking again. Grab some food and follow me." Chitter's words stung each filly's ears, but they all let go, got as much grain as they could down, and followed their captor back out into the world.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Trudging along, Vinyl felt as if she were going to be walking for the rest of her life. She wasn't sure when they had left the cooler grasslands behind, but her black hooves now marched the dead soil of the Badlands. From time to time she would check on the others, giving each a nuzzle to see if they were still thinking.
It was while she was checking on Sweetie Belle, that Vinyl saw the huge edifice. She froze, her eyes widening at what looked like a big termite nest.
"That's your new home. That is our hive." Chitter smiled brightly at his home, in the distance. "When we get there I will take you to the latest batch of nymphs."
Vinyl blinked and focused more on the changeling than the nest of them. 'He sounds happy, relaxed.' She tried to put together what was happening with her captor, but soon was led forward again, their rest over.
"Aren't going to ask me about it? About life in the hive?" Chitter was practically prancing now; he looked back at the four captives and realized his problem. "You can talk now."
"Well, thank you." Vinyl used critically dangerous levels of sarcasm. "What is it with you? One moment you are cruel to us, the next you seem happy and positively dancing."
Chitter blinked a few times at the question. "I was commanded to bring you here, if anything happens that stops that, I… I… it isn't nice." He shook his head. "Your turn." He pointed at one of the other ponies.
"Uh…" Apple Bloom pondered what to ask. "How many o' you are there inside?" As they walked, the structure just got bigger and bigger.
"There are a lot here, nearly six hundred last time I heard anyling count." Chitter gave a chirping chuckle. "A lot more of us in the main hive."
"Main hive?" Vinyl blanched at the thought. "H-How many hives are there?"
"We build a hive whenever we are going to take something." Chitter was in such bright spirits he didn't care what he said. "Our wonderful Queen wants something in Equestria… besides more drones."
Vinyl's blood ran cold, she felt her heart thumping away in her chest as if it were fit to burst. Her throat was so dry she couldn't even try to ask for more information, not that she could get free.
"Why don't you just ask? Princess Celestia said we could visit the royal gardens when we asked." Sweetie Belle saw Vinyl slow a little, and moved up to her side to help guide her along. "Are you okay?"
"N-Not really. We need to get away and warn somepony. This is… hundreds…" Vinyl shook a little, felt the fillies close in around her protectively. "I should be protecting you…"
"What?" Scootaloo, and the rest of the Crusaders, were ignoring Chitter, focused on their newest—probationary—member. "You were taken just like us, it isn't like you are part of the Royal Guard or anything."
When Vinyl slumped a little between them, Apple Bloom leaned in to the filly-sized mare. "You were in the Guard?" When Vinyl nodded, she gasped.
"Please don't tell them, I was… actually, I was hunting for them, not that I realized it then." Vinyl kept her voice down low and safe from being overheard, easy to do with Chitter walking ahead. "If any of you can ever get away, go back to… go to Canterlot, go to the castle, tell them you… you need to see Princess Cadance, that Vinyl sent you." It hurt to have to abbreviate things, cut stuff out for the fillies.
"If we make a break for it, we're takin' you with us." Apple Bloom gave a little laugh. "No Crusader gets left behind!"
"What are you talking about?" Chitter turned at the excited filly's exclamation. "Come on, hurry up!" He broke into a trot.
The four fillies picked up their pace, keeping close as they moved into the shadow of the changeling hive. When two big changelings stepped out of a tunnel nearby, they couldn't even slow their hooves.
"Good haul, Chit. Take 'em in." The two changeling guards fell back into the cave once one had spoken.
Almost on cue, a hole in the side of the hive opened up right before Chitter. "Come on, inside." Of course the little ponies ran through the portal, they couldn't refuse him. "Welcome to your home. You will enjoy it here."
Vinyl almost snarled at the changeling, but her emotion bled away by the drugs in her system. Her memory stirred, a sensation of somepony apologizing for everything seemed… real. Nonetheless, the four kept following the changeling deeper into the hive. "What are you going to do to us here?"
"You are going to learn. We have a school for you and everything." Chitter gestured to a blank wall, that opened a moment later. "In you go, and go to sleep."
It was a command, and none of the ponies could fight it. Walking through the open wall revealed a cozy chamber, and no other exit. Turning, and giving a yawn, Vinyl was about to say something snide when the wall closed. "You… you bug-butt." The giggle of the other three fillies reminded Vinyl that she wasn't alone.
"My sister doesn't like it when a pony swears, but I think she would be okay if you said something worse." Sweetie Belle looked at Vinyl, a little grin on her black features.
The room wasn't dark, there was a soft green glow seeming to come from all over, but none of them could fight the command and soon, all of them were curled up in a little bundle, ignoring their empty bellies as sleep claimed them.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"Shining Armor!" Vinyl raced up to Shining in his sleep. "I don't like this place… it… it's scary." They were in a perfect replica of the hive, and before Vinyl—the parasite living inside Shining—could say another word, a big pair of forelegs wrapped around her.
"I don't like it either, it is… horrible. Everything keeps changing, and I don't think we are going to like the teaching." Shining wrapped tighter around Vinyl, memories of all the time he spent being the big tough stallion so she could be free.
"They will want to teach us how our new bodies are going to work, probably magic for the fillies who didn't have horns, flying for those who didn't have wings." Vinyl Scratch sank her snout into Shining's fuzzy neck-ruff, inhaling deeply, relaxing.
"You are all of me, right?" The moment Shining asked, the mare he was hugging was suddenly replaced by a big stallion, too. "Whoa… okay, and I am still—" The change in perspective was sudden, and Vinyl found herself looking up at Shining. "This might take some getting used to. How about we both be Vinyl, I just want to cuddle."
Shining Armor shrank down, becoming a perfect copy of the other mare. "Yeah, a cuddle sounds good now." The changeling had urges, feelings that she had to do things to the nice pony she was part of. Cuddling up with her. "I'm scared, Vinyl." She nuzzled in against her twin.
"It's okay, we can fight this." Vinyl rested her snout on the changeling's cheek.
The voice had the slight insectile feel that Chitter's had, but it was definitely not that enigmatic changeling. Vinyl opened her eyes and, as she did, she watched the soft green glow before them turn blue. Lifting her head up, she realized the cave was much easier to make out, details were no longer hidden in shadows.
"Welcome to the hive, you are the last for our latest pail to be trained. I am your pledge leader, Thorax." Thorax looked down at the four little pony-changeling mutants. "When you can walk, follow me."
Vinyl groaned and climbed to her hooves. Looking down at them, she saw the small black appendages and chirped her wings together in frustration. Then she froze in place and chirped them again. 'And now I have wings too.' She took a deep breath, having to fight her modified behavior to direct a question at Thorax. "We will do what you want, but can you ease up on making commands… at least to the fillies?"
Apple Bloom climbed to her hooves and looked into Vinyl's eyes. "Wow, you dun shrunk a lot." She shook her legs, working them to get ready for walking, as she had been instructed.
"If I don't give you instructions, someling will notice and I will be replaced with someling who does." Thorax gave a sighing-hiss through her mouth. "You will have to pretend like you are going along with everything."
"Yeah, pretend…" Sweetie Belle proved her adept knowledge of mockery well. She felt so strange now she doubted she looked anything like a pony anymore. "Why should we pretend?"
"Because I told you to." Thorax almost recoiled from the harshness of her own voice. "Look, we tell that to all the new nymphs, if you go along with things it just makes the training go faster. Fighting it… is not worth it." She turned and stepped out of the cave.
All four fillies felt the pull of the earlier command. All four fillies started marching out of the cave.
"Wow." Scootaloo looked around the cave, changelings like Thorax crawling everywhere. "What's a pail? Oh, and what is our pledge?"
"A pail is a large group of changelings, in this case it will be the group you are training with. Your pledge is just you four, smaller in number than a pail, a pledge is usually a tight-knit group." Thorax led the way through the hive.
"What is this all about? Why did I shrink like this?" Vinyl had questions, lots of them, some more would be about why the other fillies... 'Other fillies? I am not a filly, buck it.' She shook her head and listened for Thorax's explanation.
Leading the way into a side cave, Thorax gestured to the group of nearly thirty changelings. "This is your pail. I am not only leader of your pledge, but I will be teaching your first class. You shrunk because the grubs re-pattern the host to be a changeling nymph, not an adult. This, is all about teaching you, and the immature changeling growing in you, all about the hive."
Vinyl became herded in by the other three fillies, the similarity between the room and the Ponyville classroom too much for the three to resist. "Hey, you three relax. We aren't here to learn how to be good bugs, or anything like that. We are only waiting until we can escape. Ignore what they said, don't 'go along with it.' "
"Now that our pail is all gathered, welcome to the hive." Thorax gestured up and around. "This is literally the best place to live. All your family is here, you can do everything you want—"
"Except leave." Vinyl couldn't resist it, she had to interrupt.
"Please be quiet while I speak, watch, and learn." Thorax glared at Vinyl. "Now, let me go over what is happening to you all now, and what will happen." She reached up with her magic and pulled down a blackboard that had been stolen from an Equestrian school. "Many of you will remember the eggs, and the grubs that hatched from them, but some of you won't, so we are starting there." Thorax drew an egg, and then a little changeling parasite-grub.
"This is the first stage of changeling growth. The grubs will literally burrow into a pony host however they can. At this point they aren't even intelligent, they are just a bunch of directives. Once they attach to the spine of a host, they start to grow their own intelligence, as well as release chemicals and magic that will begin the pony's transformation. You," Thorax pointed right at Sweetie Belle, "come up here."
Her eyes wide, Sweetie trotted up to the front of the class, her little wings rubbing together with worry. Standing where Thorax pointed, she turned nervously at her direction to face the pail.
"Now, this is an example of a superficially complete nymph. Note she has the wing-structure, a horn, and even the fins of a changeling. But inside, she is mostly pony still." Thorax tapped Sweetie's horn. "This won't even be fully working yet. If she was a unicorn before, the changes to her horn will have, by now, rendered it useless, and her changeling power is not yet active."
"Please try to buzz your wings." Thorax's voice was even, she lifted a hoof to Sweetie's back. "Watch how little strong control she has over her wings. She can chirp them, or even rub them together to make other sounds, because those are fine-muscles. Only once more of her internals are converted will she have the larger muscles needed to fly properly." Stroking the filly's back, Thorax leaned down. "You can go back now."
Vinyl tried to tune out, tried to block the speech being given from her thoughts, but the earlier command held strong. She learned about all the ways her body was changing right now, and what things to look for as it progresses further.
"Any questions?" Thorax knew what was coming, what was always coming with such a new group. Every single changeling nymph raised a hoof up high. "Okay, starting at the front, but I am only answering questions in regard to your body." Her ruse worked, half the hooves lowered. "You, little miss loudmouth."
"How long does this take, for us to become changelings?" Vinyl pulled her leg down, acutely aware of how much this really did feel like school.
"It varies. For example, your group was all parasitized at the same time, yet the nymph I used as an example—" Thorax gave a soft sigh as she was cut off.
"Sweetie Belle." Vinyl glared at the changeling, daring them to refute the filly's name.
"As I said, the nymph I used as an example seems like she is days ahead of you." Thorax pointed to another random nymph. "Yes?"
"What about the… the other me… the one in my head?"
"That is a good question, but it is one that I will answer next time. Don't be angry at your twin, it isn't their fault all this happened to you." Thorax took a slow, deep breath. "They are in this just as deep as you."
Vinyl's eyes shot wide, her memories suddenly started spilling over. "Shining?" She whispered the word softly, it was thankfully drowned out by the next question—that she was ignoring. Memories of her dreams, of curling up in the big stallion's grip, or wrapping his forelegs around Vinyl, assaulted Vinyl's head.
By the time the parade of memories stopped, Vinyl realized that Thorax was walking for an opening in the wall that had suddenly yawned wide. "I will see you tomorrow, pail." Thorax marched out, and a changeling that looked almost exactly the same entered.
"Greetings and all that. My name is Glimmer Wing." Glimmer looked around all the faces that gazed up at her. "Blah blah blah, oh woe is me. Forget all that, you need to learn as fast as you can, but you are lucky, Thorax, myself, and others will tell you everything you need to know."
The change between the two teachers was astounding. Glimmer seemed to be constantly talking down to them, but when she said, "Listen to what I have to say," there was nothing any of the foals in the room could do, but listen.
"So, I get to teach you about our hierarchy. It would be easiest if I just told you, 'Keep out of everyling's way, they can stomp you without warning.' And while that is true, I have to teach you everything, from top to bottom."
Scootaloo had her foreleg up in the air, but their teacher seemed to be completely ignoring her. Eventually, she leaned over to Sweetie Belle. "What's a hierarchy?"
"It means who is in charge, and who isn't." Sweetie leaned over to her friend.
"Ah thought it meant a tall doorway?" Apple Bloom looked between her two friends, then over to Vinyl.
"Sweetie is right, hierarchy means 'leadership structure.' " The moment Vinyl said the words, she knew what was coming.
"Well, it seems someling knows this already." Glimmer pointed right to Vinyl. "Get your buggy-plot up here and explain it for everyling."
The wild heart within Vinyl railed at the teaching method, wanting to jump out of her seat and kick her table over. I should really take advantage of you, big guy. Shaking her head, letting the control of Shining Armor pour over her, Vinyl's features faded into a more stiff look. "Sorry, Glimmer Wing, I was trying to help my pledge understand what you were saying."
Glimmer's blue eyes narrowed. "You aren't lying now? You were the last batch in, what am I saying? You are still mostly pony." She almost spat the last word. "Okay, so starting with the queen."
Shining Groaned, she wanted to just shift her focus to other things, ignore the lecture, but the command kept her odd little ears pointed toward Glimmer.
Queen was at the top, she had Overseers who took care of major sections of each hive, they had their workers, and all the way at the bottom was their group. Shining Armor thought about the system, what she could do to disable it. 'Obviously, cutting off the head would be the best way to gain advantage. I don't know what this Queen is, but she can be… subdued.'
It took a few moments to realize the second instructor had left, and another changeling entered the cave. "My name is Articulate, and I am going to teach you about lying." Articulate was already bored, even before he entered the room. "So, I am a pony from Manehatten, and I work for an up-and-coming fashion shop. I have a mare waiting for me, two foals, and we have a third on the way." Articulate gave what—on a pony—could be a very loose interpretation of an honest smile. "Just yesterday I was making this fabulous dress for Princess Celestia. We don't fit her in the shop, of course, we have to…" Articulate grinned, a real smile this time. "The secret to a good lie, is preparation. The secret to a great lie, is details."
"A lie is about overwhelming your target with a pile of facts they cannot verify, so that they don't realize there are ones that they can. So each of you, I want you to come up with a cover story, what you do, where you live. But in your story you are not allowed to use the town where you lived, you can't use your old profession, and you can't even use your old gender, go." Articulate looked around at all the shocked faces. "You." He pointed right at Shining.
"Uh," Shining almost recoiled from the request, this was very much a Vinyl thing, "I am a pegasus weatherpony from Cloudsdale…" She fumbled for more. "I don't have a wife, but I am in the market…" 'Cady, please forgive me.' "And I was, just this morning, spending some time with a mare from… Canterlot."
"A first try, and a good one." Articulate pointed to another nymph. "Now you, where are you from and what do you do?"
After three more nymphs in Shining's pail gave their stories, Articulate pointed back at Shining. "Can anyling here tell me what her job was, or what they did today?" A whole pile of blank faces stared up at the teacher. "Perfect. You had facts in your story, but they weren't the kind to stand out. That is exactly what it takes to make a good cover story, as a changeling."
'But I don't want to be a good changeling...' Shining stood proud, but on the inside she trembled in fear. A foreleg reached out and pulled her into a hug.
"It'll be okay, brave vamponies always live on." Apple Bloom squeezed Shining Armor to her side, not realizing quite how much the hug was pulling the former stallion back together.
Shining worked her mouth, crunching the oats that had been provided. A shiver ran through her, but before she could even think about a way to warm up, Apple Bloom had moved in beside her, the other nymph pressed to her side. "Thanks." She meant the word more than she realized. "Here I figured I would be protecting the 'poor, defenseless fillies,' " Shining gave a little snort, "and I wind up needing to be looked after…" The situation stung Shining's pride.
Scootaloo slipped in on Shining's other side, lifting her translucent wing and resting it on Shining's back. "You are handling it great, what's the matter?"
"Yeah, not like me," Sweetie buzzed her little wings, chirping them together a few times, "I can't even tell a good lie."
"That's what her problem is." Apple Bloom eyed Shining, watching the other nymph sink her head down into the little pile of oats. "Ah feel the same, really. Ah'm kinda good at the whole 'stories' thing, and all my family—back home—makes it easy to remember that higher archery stuff."
"But I don't want to be good at this. I want to work on ways to get us out, I want to be the brave knight who rescues the fillies…" Shining Armor crunched at the oats a little harder than was needed. "If it was a matter of rescuing you three, and me staying behind, I wouldn't think twice. But it feels hopeless; they are going to teach me all these things, and I can't do a thing to stop them."
Sweetie looked at Shining, taking note of how her ears slumped down, her folded crest. "Maybe Thorax was right, we just have to stick with it and—"
"Hey grubs." Thorax stepped into the alcove the four had been assigned as their "home."
Shining lifted her head, her attitude lifting slightly. 'That is strange, just another "strange" to throw on the pile, I guess.' "Hi Thorax, what's up?" The words tumbled out on their own, Shining realized she even sounded a little more chipper.
"Just getting away from things. Queen Chrysalis is going to be 'visiting' later today. Classes are called off." Thorax looked back outside, pulling her head back in before the hole in the wall closed up. "So I figured—"
"You are hiding in here." Shining was blunt. "So what is it you don't want our Queen to know about?" She managed a smile for the first thing, apart from their ongoing indoctrination, that actually seemed interesting.
"It's complex." Thorax looked at the four nymphs. "Besides, gotta be somewhere while there are no classes." She looked around the nymphs. "What's wrong?"
"Vinyl is—" Sweetie Belle found Apple Bloom's hoof in her mouth, she glared at her friend a little.
"Nothin'." Butter wouldn't melt in Scootaloo's mouth, it had only been a week of "training," and she was already miles better at lying than she used to be—or so she hoped.
"Please, you aren't even fully moulted of your pony-selves; I have been a changeling for years. Tell me what is going on?" Thorax's eyes darted from nymph to nymph.
"Doesn't work anymore." Scootaloo stuck her long, forked tongue out and blew a raspberry with it. "In our biology lessons, they told us that as we adapt more, the venom our other self produces, and now that we produce, won't affect us." She wore a big, wide grin.
"You will tell me, what is the problem?" Thorax repeated the question, looking around at each of the former ponies.
"Vinyl is upset." Apple Bloom couldn't stop herself, and felt bad about it until Shining stretched a leg up and over her shoulder. "Sorry."
"It's okay, Thorax is being a mean bug." Shining glared up at the changeling, giving Apple Bloom a little squeeze.
"I'm sorry." Thorax gave a sigh and slumped down to the floor. "You think you have been having a hard time of it? You should see how it is at the end of all your training." She flopped over on her side and stretched her legs. "Wish I could be a pony, or just out of this place."
"W-W-What's it like at the end? Isn't it all jus' training?" Apple Bloom didn't move from her position beside Shining, after all, Shining was a Crusader now.
"Oh yeah, just training. I don't even know why they are doing the full training anymore, you are probably just going to get thrown at Canterlot when Queen Chrysalis invades." Thorax realized how bitter her tone was, but at the same time didn't care.
Shining tilted her head to the side, looking at Thorax. "You don't like her, do you?" She saw the startled look on Thorax's face. "That's it, you really don't like her. What did she do?"
"What did she do? It is what she keeps doing. She killed my pony-half." Thorax closed her eyes. "If you tell her… I don't think I even care anymore." She felt the pull of sleep and let the soft embrace of unconsciousness pull around her.
"She's asleep?" Sweetie Belle got up and walked closer, poking at Thorax. "Yup."
"It's okay, leave her be." Shining squirmed a little, getting more comfortable. "Might even have a nap myself." She yawned widely, showing off the two prominent fangs, along with the other assorted new mouth-cutlery.
"Don't do that, or I will start… start…" Scootaloo lost her battle and yawned too, slumping the last of the way into relaxation beside Shining. "No fair." She lifted her head a moment when Sweetie Belle curled up at her side. "Cutie Mark Crusaders…"
"Nap takers." Apple Bloom lowered her head down beside the already-asleep Shining armor.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"Shining." No sooner was Shining asleep, than Vinyl pounced into him, hugging him tightly. "Fight it, Shining Armor."
"Yeah, fight it. But why does it all seem so… so easy? It is… It just feels right to learn, I can even justify it. I am helping to learn the enemy—"
"… so we can report back exactly what is going on. I know. I am a lot like you." Vinyl grinned. "Those fillies… well… nymphs now I guess, they take good care of you."
"I don't want to let them down, I want to fight, protect them." In the calm of his mind, Shining could get as angry as he wanted. "But I just—"
"You can't right now, these changelings seem very good at this. They are breaking you down, I don't think I like them one bit." Vinyl nodded firmly.
Shining grinned at the forthright attitude of his other-half, the way she could make a decision based on the smallest bit of information, and see it through. "Thank you."
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"Wake up, grubs. Training again." Thorax wasn't sure when she had ended up snuggled in with the four nymphs, but she felt oddly good for having been like that. 'Probably just a little leftover emotion in them.'
"Ah don't wanna go to school, my leg is broken." Apple Bloom tried to turn over, ignoring the demand to get ready.
"It is not." Thorax couldn't keep the grin off her snout as she reached down and gave the lying nymph a nip on the back of the neck. "Get up, have some oats and get ready for another long day."
Shining, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom all piled in and started munching, but as soon as Sweetie had a mouthful she spat them back out. "Ugh, what did you do to my oats?" She tried a bit more and spat that out too. "I'm hungry!"
"You were changing ahead of the others…" Thorax squinted at the nymph. "Okay, you are probably all ready for this. Stop your eating, we have a new meal-plan." Thorax walked for the stone wall, timing it perfectly as it opened.
Walking after Thorax, the four nymphs kept close, avoiding the other changelings in the busy hive. It wasn't long before Thorax led them down a wide tunnel, deep into the lower section of the hive.
"And here you will find our farms." Thorax gestured to the huge underground cave. Lit only by soft green glowing goop, they could all make out ponies working in a field of mushrooms.
"You have ponies trapped down here?" Shining felt anger start to rise. "You really are monsters!"
"Monsters?" A pony had heard them, walking closer they eyed off the four nymphs with Thorax. "Changelings aren't monsters… they…" The pony sighed. "My name is Bright Hope." Bright held up a hoof to the first nymph, which happened to be Sweetie Belle.
"What… what kind of pony are you?" Sweetie Belle was staring at the offered hoof, realizing she could see part of the way through it. When she realized she was being unfriendly, she lifted up her own black limb and gave it a little clop.
"I am a crystal pony." Bright Hope smiled. "This a new bunch, Thorax?" Looking up at the adult changeling, Bright gestured to the four Crusaders.
"Yup," Thorax chirped her wings together as a friendly greeting, "that little nymph just refused her oats. Figured you would be the best to teach them what they need to know about feeding."
"Well, if anypony in all Equestria could be an expert on changeling feeding, it is me." Bright tapped his chest with a hoof. "So tell me, little-un, what do you know about changelings?"
"They are mean, and stinky, and not nice!" Sweetie Belle, looking just like a little changeling herself, seemed to be the most precocious nymph ever. "Did I mention mean?" She turned to Shining. "Did I mention it?"
"You mentioned mean, but you left out annoyingly vague, and icky." Shining grinned, an oddly playful temperament showing through her normally glum one. 'Was sleeping beside them all it took? No, there is something else about Thorax that… I like being near her...'
"Oh, I remember this one." Thorax flashed with green fire, becoming a crystal pony not that unlike Bright. "Uh, mean, unfair, and changelings are all horrible liars!" Thorax grinned. "Did I get them all?" A round of giggles surprised even the nymphs.
"Hey, there is Glimmer." Bright lifted a hoof and waved to Glimmer, walking into the huge chamber behind Thorax's little pledge. "Bet she has one or two refusing oats too." He raised his voice and asked as much, "Glimmer, need to teach your pledge how to feed?"
Glimmer Wing trotted forward, raising an eyebrow at Thorax's disguise. "Yeah, nearly all of this lot decided it was time to eat big-'ling food." She looked at Thorax at last. "Thorax." Her greeting was a little stony, cold.
Flashing with fire, returning to her normal shape, Thorax gave a soft sigh. "Hi S—"
"Glimmer Wing, don't call me by that other name!" Glimmer rushed forward, glaring at Thorax. But her anger faded quickly. "Just… just don't. I am not a pony, no matter how much you wish I was."
"Please." Though Bright's voice was soft, both changelings froze and turned to look at him. "We are here for the nymphs, not for you two to fight. I have never seen a pairing fight as much as you two do…" He turned to Sweetie Belle. "So, you are hungry?" She nodded. "And the oats aren't doing the trick? Taste a little bitter?" She nodded again. "Then you are a changeling now, and a fine one by the look of you. Close your eyes, and stick your tongue out, all the way."
Shining looked at the older stallion leading Sweetie through… whatever it was. 'I think, at this point, I am numb to whatever they do short of actually hurting her. I… I wish I could help…'
"Now, can you taste something sweet?" Bright watched the nymph's closed eyes bob up and down along with the rest of her head. "Good, now open your mouth, and take a bite of the sweet thing."
Sweetie did that. She knew whatever it was floated right before her snout, so opened her mouth and started to reach forward for it, when she was overwhelmed by warmth and vitality. Her eyes snapped open and focused on little waves of pink that left Bright, twirling like streamers, before flowing into her open mouth. If it didn't taste so good, she would have snapped her mouth shut, and run screaming.
"Rest of you, now. Come on, a few hungry nymphs aren't too much for me, yet." Bright chuckled, gesturing to Shining, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. "You three, before they lead me away to become a changeling myself."
"Wait," Sweetie Belle looked at the crystal pony in confusion, "what made me full just now?" She looked up at the pony. "Was that wubs?"
Shining lifted a hoof up and clopped it against her forehead, realizing as she did that it didn't save her from seeing the scene unfold further. "Sweetie, we are not—"
"Vamponies!" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shrieked together. Each nymph looked at the other, as if seeing their new fangs and faces for the first time.
If Shining Armor could lift both forehooves up and thump herself in the head, she would have. 'If I was lucky I might knock myself out.' "So what did she feed on?"
"Love." Bright Hope smiled at Sweetie's worried look. "It is given freely, so is pure and sweet. Small amounts—like what little nymphs need—isn't a strain. But big and bitter bugs can consume quite a bit if they are fresh back from a long trip away."
Sweetie Belle blushed a little, a green glow entering her cheeks. "It… it was tasty…" Turning on a dime, the nymph bolted to hide behind Thorax.
Looking to Sweetie with a little consternation, Shining realized she thought of Thorax as a "guardian" too, and it riled her a little. 'She's part of the problem, she is trying to brainwash us!'
"Hey, it's our turn." Apple Bloom walked up to Shining. "If we are turnin' into vamponies, at least you can show us how it is done." She leaned in and gave Shining a hug.
"Yeah, I am not sure if these are… if they are the same kind of vampony as I was." 'Now they have me doing this. It is kinda cute though.' Shining gave Apple Bloom a hug back. "Hey, Scootaloo, you wanna learn how a real vampony drinks wubs?" Shining let go of Apple Bloom and marched over to the crystal pony.
"Well, a vampony huh?" Bright saw a level of "leadership" in Shining and smirked. "Well, I guess the way changelings eat is sort-of like that, but completely different. So, close your eyes, open your mouth, and smell."
Shining checked to make sure Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were beside her before closing her eyes as instructed. Inhaling, she caught an odd scent. "Sweet, but with… well, a touch of vinegar." She scrunched her nose and took another deep breath. Before she could add more, she was cut off by a laugh behind her. Turning, she saw Thorax and Glimmer Wing snorting to themselves. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, but you hit the mark for Bright. He was meant to be made a changeling last year, but got turned down because we really need the food." Thorax waved a hoof at Bright. "But word is he will be getting his wish soon. The Queen needs more drones, and is finally giving in to his request."
"She is?" Bright's attention was focused on Thorax.
On a hunch, Shining inhaled again and smelled the bitterness had gone, replaced by sweetness and extra spice. Without thinking about it, she followed the instructions from earlier, closed her eyes and leaned in to take a bite. A rush of sensation poured through Shining, she opened her eyes wide at how good it tasted. Unlike Sweetie, she had eaten oats, but the fullness inside was now infinitely better than just the dry grain. "Wow."
"Bet he is sweeter now." Glimmer laughed, then realized she was close to Thorax and backed off soberly.
"Sweet, with some odd spice. It tasted…" Shining blushed a little. "It tasted really good." She sniffed again, smelling the wonderful scent more. "Do all ponies smell that good?" 'What am I thinking? Ponies aren't food, they are ponies. Is… is this what I have to do for the rest of my life?' The jokes about "vamponies" seemed to mock Shining then.
"Almost like zap-apples." Apple Bloom tried it out for herself, slowly nibbling at Bright's aura. "But sweeter. Wow that tastes good!" She nibbled more and laughed. "Really good."
"A gourmand are you?" Bright reached a hoof up to ruffled Apple Bloom's crest. "Different nymphs eat differently. Your friend there liked to take a huge bite," he pointed at Shining, "but you are like a little filly with spaghetti, slurping and nibbling over and over."
Scootaloo didn't like the idea of biting, she mentally squinted at the problem. As the smell of sweet-spice rolled over her, she remembered back to something that she loved to do. Imagining a straw in her mouth, Scootaloo slurped up the wonderful tasting… wubs.
"What… what did you do?!" Bright Hope's voice was raised and he was staring at Scootaloo. "I have never felt a single changeling feed like that, it… smooth, slow, but really odd. You have to tell me what you did!"
Shining couldn't help herself, she moved between the crystal pony and Scootaloo, glaring at the former. "Be nice, I am sure she didn't mean it!" She was surprised when she realized Thorax had moved up, and was shielding Scootaloo from the other side.
"Just because some nymph imagines their feeding a little different doesn't mean you can interrogate her, Bright." Thorax turned to the two nymphs at her side. "Make some room for Glimmer's nymphs."
Feeling a little more disposed to liking Thorax, Shining took the command without railing against it. "Come on Scootaloo." She lowered her head and bumped the other nymph in the shoulder to get her walking. "You worked out how to do it, right?"
"Yeah, no thanks to him." Scootaloo gave a little harrumph and trotted back to her friends. "Thanks for that, Vinyl. S-Sorry I kept making fun of you for being a vampony."
Shining blinked a moment, realizing that the other three nymphs didn't know of her secret. "That's okay, it was all—"
"Yeah, being a vampony is a whole lot better than being a changeling." Apple Bloom's grin was a mile wide, showing off all her sharp teeth. "And you are pretty cool, for a vampony."
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, emotion vamponies!" Scootaloo raised a hoof, followed immediately by two more, and finally by Shining's.
"What are you four yelling about?" Thorax trotted after the four nymphs in their pledge. "Sorry about Bright, he thinks he has seen everything. What did you do to him?" She leaned down and brushed her cheek against Scootaloo as she drew alongside the nymphs.
Scootaloo felt a warmth from the touch; a glowing sensation inside that was like the feeding, but a lot smaller. "I didn't like the idea of biting, nibbling, or gulping. So I imagined a straw and sucked through it."
"Ha, that old coot doesn't know what a straw is. They live down here…" Thorax's tone turned a little melancholy. "That doesn't matter. I have something we need to talk about in private, but you need to help me with something else, first." She noticed she had all four nymphs' attention.
'This sounds interesting. I wonder what Thorax wants from us?' Shining felt more comfortable, relaxed, with the changeling now. "What do you need us to do?"
"Simple. I need you to persuade her to sleep in your cave tomorrow." Thorax closed her eyes a moment and shivered in excitement. "I promise you won't get in trouble; if anybuggy does, it will be me."
" 'Anybuggy'?" Sweetie Belle giggled and turned to her friends. "What do you think, girls? Should we help Thorax woo her special somepony?"
"Wait!" Thorax froze in shock. "I didn't mean we—"
"Give up, you can't change their minds." Shining might have hated the situation they were in, and hated the "changelings" as an institution, but Thorax seemed mostly okay. "You will be lucky if they don't make you a picnic, and lay out a pair of bound ponies for you to drink from."
"No, I really mean it, we aren't like that." Thorax turned from Shining to the nymphs, loss and worry etching into her features. "We aren't special some… buggies. Glimmer Wing is… she is the pony I came from. She is my twin." A sudden squeezing pulled her from her negative emotions; four nymphs were hugging her, squeezing for all they were worth.
"Ah can hear me, the other me, when Ah'm asleep. She is confused and lost, so Ah talked to her." Apple Bloom sniffed loudly.
"The other me is just as afraid for Rarity as I am." Sweetie Belle remembered crying in her dreams, cuddling the other filly, crying with her.
"I have a sister." Scootaloo's voice was the softer of the three, but had no less emotion. "For the first time in my life I have a family."
"I…" Shining was on the edge, on the verge of saying what she was, what "he" was. "She supports me. She tells me to buck-up and be myself. She reminds me of me and my little sister combined…"
"That is more of what we need to talk about." Thorax squeezed the nymphs tightly. "Come on, let's get back to the pail so you can finish the day off learning." The moment Thorax finished talking all four nymphs gave sighs of disappointment. "Hey, don't be like that. Pretty soon the learning will be over and real fun can begin." She tapped the side of her snout with one hoof.
Implications swirled in Shining's head, and she found herself grabbing on to each one and filing them away for later inspection. "Bleh, class is stupid, what are we doing today?"
"Lying again, I think. It's not a terrible skill to have for a changeling." Thorax gestured to a wall, that opened up a fraction of a second later to show the classroom filling up. "Go on, in you go." She raised her voice so Articulate could hear her. "Woke up hungry and not wanting grain anymore."
"Oh?" Articulate actually let some real happiness escape his demeanor. "We have some real changelings joining us. Who was their first?" He gestured the nymphs into the room.
"Bright Hope, even stumped the old glitter-plot with how one drank. Ask them how to do it." Thorax chirped her wings and waved to the class moments before the wall closed up again. As soon as it was closed, she let out a sigh. "I hope I can trust them…"
Shining slumped into her seat and looked up at the teacher. More lying lessons. Closing her eyes, she focused on the words Thorax had used, and ran over the implications of what had been said. 'Either this is all smoke and mirrors to get us to give in to the programming further, or she really is as nice as she seems, and she wants to really help.'
"Ah, now, Floating High, how goes the search for a mare?" Articulate's words cut straight to Shining, causing the nymph's head to jerk up.
"There's this one filly, by Celestia she has the sweetest plot you have ever seen! I started to hang around where she works, but you know how unicorns can be. Anyway, long story short, I used the bump-and-apologize trick; it worked! We have a date next week." Shining's brain just leapt into action, the teaching causing her mouth to open and the perfect ramble of a stallion with looser morals and a desire for company coming to her lips.
"What's her wings like, surely you felt her feathers as you bumped her." Articulate gave his student a look that could be read as either interest, or a complete lack thereof.
Shining crinkled her brow, or at least she would have if her features weren't a lot more chitinous than normal. "Might want to check your ears, sir. I said unicorn, and by the sun I could lick her horn all day…"
"Very good, what about you, Light Speed? How is that job going in Cloudsdale?" Articulate turned and looked at Scootaloo.
"So much cooler than last week, I got a raise for doing such perfect clouds… and then lost it when I accidentally put lightning bolts in one. How was I meant to know those stupid weatherponies wouldn't check to see if a 'nimbus was loaded?" Scootaloo waved a hoof in the air dismissively. "You should have seen them run, a bolt hit that fancy flier right in the plot!"
Articulate didn't have any questions for Scootaloo, and looked to Apple Bloom. "And you, Braided Lace?"
"How uncouth. My name's Beaded Lace. My sister is Braided." Apple Bloom gestured to Sweetie Belle. "And I will have you know, young colt, that my day is absolutely none of your business."
"Such terrible manners in the youth these days." Sweetie Belle slipped into her character, ignoring the teacher and looking to Apple Bloom. "Oh, and he is still there. Perhaps if we ignore him completely he will just go away."
"Everyling, this is how it is done. Each of them played to their role, each took an entirely different speech pattern than normal, some even a different gender. Great work." Articulate beamed with pride.
Eyes closed, breathing regulated, Shining focused on that sense of other inside her.
"Now open yourself. Relax and think towards that split. Wait. Wait. Your ears are prickling at the soft voice inside." Glimmer Wing remembered the moment she could first talk to her other self, and smiled despite her recent sour personality. "Perk your ears, listen to your inner voice."
'Are you there?' Shining waited, the silence of the room broken by a gentle whisper in her thoughts. Following the guide, she focused in on that.
'I am always here, Shining.' Vinyl Scratch's voice was distinct, if still soft. 'This is pretty cool.'
"You found her?"
Shining's head shot up at the voice to his left, looking at her teacher. "Yeah. She is soft, and I have to really focus on her." She couldn't hear Vinyl anymore, but she knew she was there. "What is going to happen? Aren't we supposed to lay our other selves?" The ideas seemed a little strange to Shining.
"You will, and soon. Keep quiet now, the others aren't quite as good at this as you are." Glimmer moved from Shining's side, scanning the room for other faces breaking into smiles.
About to go back into her trance, Shining barely touched Vinyl before feeling a mental hug from her. 'Do you have any idea why Thorax wants us to trick Glimmer Wing into sleeping with our pledge?'
There wasn't a physical body involved, and not even mental ones like the dream-scape, but she hugged Shining all the same. 'No clue. Maybe a prank? She probably could do with having that stick removed from her plot.'
The mental image caused Shining to cover her mouth with both forehooves. You are the worst! I almost lost it. No matter what Shining did, however, she couldn't get back into enough of a trance to talk to Vinyl again. She waited, watching Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo, as one by one their faces lit up and they smiled widely.
"And there you have it. Within weeks all of you will finish your changes and lay your other half. They will take another few days to form properly before hatching." Glimmer gestured to a rapidly opening gap in the wall. "Go on to your caverns now."
'Now or never.' Shining walked up to Glimmer Wing, but was beaten to the punch by three bright-eyed nymphs.
"Miss Glimmer Wing…" Sweetie Belle looked up at the bigger changeling, scuffing one little black hoof on the ground. "I'm scared."
"What is it going to do? Will it rip out of me?" Scootaloo actually got some tears to form in her blue eyes, channeling the wheedling and terrified way she had seen Sweetie Belle use this.
"Even our brave vampony friend can't protect us…" Apple Bloom waved a hoof at Shining. "Will you keep us company tonight?"
One nymph, Glimmer could have brushed off. Two might have taken a little talking. With three little nymphs, and now a fourth looking near ready to blubber, she had no hope but to agree. "Don't you have…" She tried to fight their tears anyway, but when the fourth actually started to cry, she lost the battle. "All right. All right! But just this once."
Shining joined her fellow Crusaders in hugging the still-confused Glimmer. "Thank you!" They all chimed together.
"What about us?" Another little nymph walked over to the group clustered around Glimmer. "We are your pledge, you should keep us company too!" Two more nymphs joined them, voicing their assent.
For the first time it really sank in for Shining that these were all foals. All of them were young ponies snatched away from their family. A fire grew inside, a rage at what was happening here. Her blood (or what passed for blood in changelings) ran hot with an urge to do something.
"Hi, I'm Scootaloo." Stepping forward, Scootaloo held up a hoof to the three newcomers. "Pleased to meet you."
"H-Hello. My name's Pickle Beet." Pickle held out a hoof and clacked it to the offered one. "These are my sisters. We were… we were foalnapped just south of the Manehatten Hills." She looked to her sisters and smiled. "This is Silver, and Golden."
"Hey, I heard of you." Apple Bloom bounced forward. "My sister talked about distant kin living up north. I'm an Apple! Hey, Sweetie, come and meet the Beets."
"Are you okay? Vinyl, wasn't it?" Glimmer intruded on Shining's growing anger. "You should talk to them, they are going to need a big sister with her head on straight. I don't really count because I am a nasty bug-monster." She rolled her eyes.
"I… I guess. Doesn't it make you mad that all these foals are being foalnapped?" Shining gestured to the class. 'Wait, I can get angry? Maybe I can sneak away now, too?' Her revelation went unspoken.
"It…" Glimmer trailed off, her eyes going unfocused. She felt something pushing, shoving, making her unable to get angry at that particular thing. "It's none of your business!" In her confusion, she misdirected the anger and stormed out of the cave. 'Why can't I get mad at that?'
"Wait! Glimmer, are you okay?" Shining took off without thinking. "Glimmer, please slow down!" her little hooves pounded and brought her around and in front of her quarry. "What is wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" She knew how silly it looked, but it was all Shining could do.
Glimmer sighed and shook her head. "I am not going to take advice from a filly." She glared at Shining, before realization dawned. "But you're not a filly, are you. Alright, let's go back to your cave." The anger bled away quickly, but it was still inside her, still simmering.
Shining wanted to talk more, but held her own words—privacy was what they needed. She trotted along with Glimmer until the familiar cave wall opened up and both slipped in, barely beating the cave closing behind them.
"I don't know why." Glimmer flopped to the floor, dropping to her belly. "I am sorry I got angry at you, I am angry at myself." She lifted her head from the ground when a little body snuggled in at her side. "Who were you?"
"Why?" Shining looked up at the changeling who seemed so lost and alone. "Why should I tell you?" It just felt right to ask, it was one of the last things she had left, after all.
"Because I can't remember who I am." Glimmer lay her head out again and closed her eyes. "I don't know when it happened, but I can't even remember which changeling foalnapped me and brought me here. I feel so lost and alone it hurts, and I just want… I want something of 'me' back."
"Vinyl Scratch. Shining Armor." Shining had no clue why she was telling Glimmer that, but she could feel that this wasn't a game. "I was born Shining Armor. Eventually big brother of Twilight Sparkle." She felt Glimmer shift a little. "From a young age I didn't feel completely set in stone. I saw the fillies playing their cute games, and tried to join in. It didn't work at first, because I was a 'stupid colt.' "
Glimmer turned her head so she was almost nose-to-nose with the nymph.
Shining appreciated the interest. "I learned ways to look less colt-like. It worked a bit, kinda. A young colt can look like an older filly if he is clever. Then my sister found me, and she knew right away. She was the first of my family who met Vinyl Scratch, the young mare who was wild and did crazy things. Shining Armor joined the Royal Guard—"
"You are in the Royal Guard?" Glimmer's eyes flew open. "But…" She trailed off, restraining herself to hear the whole story.
"Shining Armor, that's me, joined the royal guard. Vinyl Scratch started sneaking out to nightclubs, started getting interested in wild music. Both of them met a mare that stole their hearts." Shining grinned, thinking of his Cady. "Vinyl was coming home one night from a club, when she found three fillies being foalnapped. You can guess the rest."
"You are in the guard?" Glimmer's eyes were wide, and she had been struggling to keep a lid on her questions. "You are in the guard and will be missed?" Her excitement grew.
"Yeah, but first, what do you know of yourself? Can you remember anything, Glimmer?" Shining looked at the drone. "Have you tried using your trances?"
Glimmer blinked in surprise at the turn-about. "Uh…" She fished for the words she wanted to use. "I haven't." She smiled a little. "You seemed to know what you were doing today, I don't suppose you could help?"
At just that moment, six little nymphs burst through an opening in the wall and crowded into the cave. Shining looked to Glimmer. "Tomorrow, before classes." She smiled widely.
"What're you two talking about?" Apple Bloom stifled a yawn as she neared Shining and Glimmer.
"I was telling Glimmer all about the wubs." Shining felt comfortable that it wasn't actually a lie. "She heard about how I was a vampony from someling, and she wanted to know everything." Shining rolled to her back and startled cycling her hole-filled hooves in the air.
"What are 'wubs'?" Golden Beet yawned, trapped in the vicious cycle of yawn-contagion that left no survivors. She spared a look back to her sisters.
Pickle looked between Silver and Golden. "Don't look at me like that. Of course we are all going to snuggle together; it's way too cold to lay in two different piles." Despite her sure words, she flung looks to the other nymph, and then to Glimmer.
Glimmer smiled to Pickle, but leaned her snout to Shining's ear. In a soft whisper she murmured, "Bringing me here was a ruse, but why?" Curiosity bit more than annoyance at being manipulated.
"To help somepony," Shining stressed the word, "I thought could use it." She closed her eyes and yawned too, the big front-fangs arcing forward.
In barely a few moments, all the nymphs were cuddled around Glimmer, and she felt the weight of sleep coming to her. Vinyl Scratch was still a conundrum to her, their story having generated more questions than it solved. As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that it wasn't Shining who had started the ruse to get her to sleep here, but the other three.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Thorax slipped into the cave; it had been a long night so far. She buzzed her wings as softly as she could, but her own four nymphs knew the sound. Eight blue eyes lifted and looked at Thorax.
Shining couldn't help the soft thump her tail made at seeing Thorax. She blinked and tilted her head to Glimmer Wing. 'I haven't even trusted Thorax with my secret, why did I tell Glimmer? Well, I hope whatever Thorax has planned, works.'
Walking carefully around the nymphs, Thorax was pleased to see three new little changelings nestled against Glimmer. 'I hope you can remember who you were. I hope this works.' She settled down and focused on her body. Squirming a little, she snuggled closer to the other changelings and hoped she could repeat what had happened to the nymphs the previous night.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Glimmer woke, feeling warm and comfortable. Her head tingled with an odd happiness that seemed impossible to deny. Lifting her jaw, she yawned widely. 'I should sleep beside more changelings more often, I haven't felt this good since…' Glimmer's eyes went wide and she stared ahead.
"Mmm." Shining turned and squirmed around to face the 'ling that had woken beside her. "Morning." Cracking her eyes open, Shining saw Glimmer's shock. "Are you alright?"
"I…" Glimmer trailed off a little, her mouth working without any sound coming out. "I can remember… some…" She turned to look at Shining, and spotted Thorax too. The world collapsed inwards on Glimmer. She stared at Thorax, as the other changeling stirred from sleep. "Th-Th-Thorax?" She turned to look at them, only getting a few flashes of her memory, but it was enough to remind her of one thing. "Thorax…" longing tainted her tone, "I have missed you so much!"
"You are back?" Thorax fell sideways as Glimmer tackled her. She stared up at the confused smile. "Well, some of you is. You remember us?"
Glimmer nodded. "I remember us parting, I remember laying you, and you hatching. I remember…" She trailed off as an old terror threatened to swallow her.
"Shh. We can work on it more. I have learned a trick, my Sunny." Thorax booped Glimmer on the nose. "I have a secret, something entirely new for you to remember." She waited for Glimmer to nod to her before leaning up and whispering right in Glimmer's ear. "I am growing into a queen."
"A queen?" Glimmer blinked at the announcement. "But Chrysalis is the only queen." The moment she said the phrase her terror returned. In the back of her mind the pony that Thorax had started to free screamed in pain. Huddled against Thorax, however, made that lost pony a bit stronger; she might be terrified, but it was better than not being there.
"Well, now there is me, too." Thorax chirped softly to Glimmer. "Try not to think about Her."
"Easy for you to say." Clenched teeth were never the easiest thing to talk through, but Glimmer Wing managed. "What did She do to me? To us?" She pressed her snout into Thorax's neck and felt some of her pain ease.
"What I am doing now." Thorax was focused on what she wanted Glimmer and the others to be able to do: be themselves. "I tested it out on the nymphs," she tried to look apologetic, "and it worked. There is something about this place that makes it harder to be yourself, and I am sure it has something to do with…" she almost said Chrysalis, "with Her."
"Wait," Shining cut in on the private conversation and stalked up on the two cuddling changelings, "so something is mind controling us in here? You are fighting it with… well, if you say it is the same thing then 'it' must be the Queen's doing, and you are stopping it?" With her thoughts still a little scrambled from thinking there was a direct line from Shining's thoughts to her mouth.
"Pretty much." Thorax blinked and shrugged. "Most aren't so bad, their memories end up distant. I have been testing others. But you…" She hugged Glimmer a little tighter. "She took all of you, Sunset Shimmer."
Glimmer shook her head. "N-n-no… I said not to say…" Tears started to pour from her closed eyes. "I didn't even realize I was targeted; didn't even know what a changeling was, when I first met one."
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"My new private student will be..." Princess Celestia looked around the group of fillies I was sitting in. One eye was hidden in her ever-blowing mane, but the other rested on me. "Sunset Shimmer."
"M-m-me?" My eyes widened more than I had ever thought they would and I stared at the Princess. "ME!" Hugs came from all around, other foals hugging me—I barely felt them. My spirit soared, everything had been "work work work" until this moment, and now I had done it. Pulling free of the celebratory hugs, I raced up to the Princess' forelegs and hugged her tightly.
"Yes, Sunset Shimmer, you. I have not seen another pony as dedicated to their study as you. But don't think books are all you will be studying." Celestia's words put me into my element, literally. It felt like the warmth of the sun was pressing down around me, and my own cutie mark responded.
I didn't hear a single word the other fillies said. Enamored is a big word for a little filly to know, but who wouldn't want to do their best for Princess Celestia. She promised to test me, to push me, and she did every day. Soaking up magic and learning like a sponge, I didn't have time for friends—except for Te Amo.
"Hey, nerd!" Te Amo always greeted me the same, it only ever annoyed me the first million times she said it. "What did you do today in nerd-school?" The pink unicorn—who was my best, and only, friend—trotted over to table I was sitting at.
The old reply came easily. "Pfft. Nerd stuff." I stuck my tongue out at Te. "What about you? Learned to use that thing coming out of your head yet, or are you finally going to get it amputated?" Slurping on my milkshake, I gave my friend a grin.
"Oh, sure. Rub it in. Hey! Can we get another of these over here?" Te called out to the waitress passing us. "I was wondering, did you want to come around to my place tonight? It's… well, it's my birthday and—"
I didn't let her finish, driving a hoof into her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me? Duh, of course I want to come over! I haven't seen your place before, where do you live again?"
Te slipped me a scrap of paper with the address on it. "Here you go, but don't bring any of your dweeb friends; it will be bad enough with one dweeb dweebing the place up." Sometimes, when Te's usage of dweeb got too high, I promised myself I would tie her horn in a knot.
"Yeah. You know I can't stand them, Te." Rolling my eyes, I slurped up more of the tasty drink. "They are terrible at magic. Teleport spells that make me shudder, shields that seem more like a ball of jello… Don't even get me started on their—" I cut short at the laughing from my friend. "Yeah, well you might think it is funny, but they are hopeless!"
"Well, if they are that dweeby, I don't want any more of it rubbing off on you. Got anymore classes today?" Te's own drink was placed on the table, and with a swish of her platinum mane she started to slurp on her drink.
"Nope, all done with school. I am meant to do some homework…" I trailed off and saw that if Te wasn't drinking her 'shake she would be groaning. "But I can ignore that for one night." Her look immediately turned into a grin.
"Dweebs can grow up. Awesome." Te slurped more of her drink and looked right at me. "So let's ditch this place, mom is probably setting things up already." She stood up abruptly.
"Hold on, I want to finish my drink first." I had never seen Te so pushy. Slurping for all I was worth, I noticed that she had barely even started on her own. Getting to the bubbles at the bottom, I gasped in delight. "Okay, lead on."
"This is going to blow your socks off."
"You just see, this will be awesome."
"Your dweebiness is getting lower already."
"Okay!" I groaned loudly and shook my head. "I get it. How much further?" Almost walking into Te, I followed her head to see the nice-looking house.
"This is it. Come on in." Te opened the door and walked inside, leaving me to follow. As soon as I was past the door my eyes adjusted to the dimmer light and I saw black, pony-like monsters. Charging my horn, I was about to put up a shield when a weight landed on me and pain blossomed in my neck. "Such a dweeb." The monster that spoke like Te was huge and grinning down at me.
It was hard to focus, hard to think. They dragged me deeper into the house and bound my hooves together.
"Sunset Shimmer. Prized student of Princess Celestia. Future hopeful for ascendance to alicornhood. Food for my hive." The monster I thought sounded like Te leaned down over me and opened its mouth. A chill ran from my nose all the way to the tips of my hooves. I tried to scream, I tried to yell, and I tried to use my magic. "You aren't very tasty; I guess it is because of all the dweebiness."
"T-T-Te… what…?" My mouth barely worked, the whole thing felt full of cotton wool.
"What am I? I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings." I was trying to memorize everything she said, every word and every shape. Counting the damn bugs was impossible, but I know there is at least her plus another. "And I have a very important decision to make. Do I drain you away and leave you dead, or do I let one of my drones grow inside you."
There was a hooful of things she could have said, but none made me want to be sick as much as what she did say. Throwing all my magic into it, I tried for a teleport spell, but I just couldn't get any magic together; glaring was apparently my best bet right now.
"Well, that made my mind up for me." Chrysalis grinned in a way that made me want to throw up more. "With that much anger I can't feed off you." To my confusion she turned around and lowered herself to her belly. "Probably the better way to go. No inconvenient body lying around to be found, and I get to play with you; break you down."
I got a front-row seat as her body seemed to heave and undulate, pushing out a leathery-looking ball of slime about the size of a small bowl. My mind raced to the only conclusion I had left. She had said, "Drone grow inside you," and it seemed like that was going to be my fate. I stared at her with the hate of somepony who is sure they are going to die, until the goop moved. Staring now at the thing she had deposited in front of my face, I had the urge to lunge forward and bite it in half.
Managing a groan of success, I clamped my jaw down as hard as I could. The thing broke, splitting in my mouth satisfyingly. My victory was short lived. My eyes narrowed in fear as I felt something squirm and push into my mouth.
"So eager!" Chrysalis stalked around into my field of view. "Feel it squirm down your throat? I have heard many ponies tell me this is the nicer way, the more relaxed way. It should be biting about—" Scrunching my eyes closed, I blocked out the rest of her words as the thing squirming into me bit through my esophagus and pulled its way deeper into my body. Nothing I could do would stop it; I kicked and bucked—weak as my movements were right now—but all too soon I felt a chill spread over my body, and then…
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"Then I heard Thorax's voice for the first time." Sunset Shimmer looked into her twin's eyes. "You told me I was safe, that I should sleep."
"Princess Celestia's lost student! I still have a guard detail covering that horse-apple of a mirror!" Shining Armor stood up—to all her nymph height—and pointed a hoof at Sunset. "You didn't run away?"
"Run away?" Sunset shook her head and had a hard fight to not get angry. "She boasted and laughed at me, while I was turning." She looked at Thorax. "You were there."
"Yeah. That is why I…" Thorax trailed off, looked around at the nymphs gathered in the cave. "That is why we are going to get out of here and take as many of our pail with us as we can." She turned her eyes back to Sunset, grinning. "But first," she turned to Shining, "you said you 'have a guard detail,' I need your story."
Shining looked at the other nymphs and took a deep breath. "My name is Shining Armor," when Apple Bloom looked about to say something, she lifted her hoof in a placating gesture, "and my name is also Vinyl Scratch… DJ Pon-three too, technically." She giggled to herself.
"You were a guard? Undercover?" Thorax's wings buzzed in excitement, then chirped. "How long until the Royal Guard come and stomp this place?" The look on Shining's face caused her to tone down a little.
"My undercover persona, Vinyl Scratch, is a lot more than just that. Since I was a filly, I loved being Vinyl. She was a happy filly, she got to play fun games with her little sister without worrying about being a responsible stallion. The night when I was caught, I was trying to find… well… this place." Shining gestured at the hive. "I saw the fillies being carried away, and tried to stop them."
Thorax pulled Shining into a hug with Sunset. "But if we get you out, you can speak on our behalf, right? I don't recognize your name; my information is a little out of date however…"
"Shining Armor," Shining sat up straight and lifted a hole-filled hoof to her head in a sharp salute, "Captain of the Royal Guard." She giggled at the stunned looks on Thorax and Sunset.
"Hold on a minute here!" Apple Bloom stomped forward and poked a hoof into Shining Armor's chest. The gesture only drew more giggles from Shining. "You mean to tell me, it is your weddin' that Applejack and her friends were going to?" The moment she said it, she regretted it.
Everything sunk home for Shining. It was meant to be "his" wedding, she wasn't even sure if it had happened yet. Tears started before she could try to stop them. "I miss my Cady…" She was swarmed in dark-carapaced bodies, all trying to hug her, but the pain inside chewed at all the confidence she had felt moments ago. "How can she love me now?"
I bet she does. Shining's head jerked, it wasn't her voice, but rather it was Vinyl's. But there is only one way we can find out. We have to get out.
"We have to get out." Shining repeated her twin's words. "We have to find out..."
"Not just yet, though." Thorax focused on her new talent, trying to reinforce what safety and support her hug was giving. "You all have classes today, new ones. Now that you can drink as a changeling, you can finally learn to use that love inside you."
"Magic?" Scootaloo looked to Apple Bloom. "We get magic?" Her wings gave a curious chirp in her excitement.
"Well o'course we do. We're changelings, remember?" Apple Bloom drew back from Shining a little and faced Scootaloo. "We are also going to learn to fly, eventually." She looked over to Thorax. "Right?"
"You can probably fly already. There will be a class on it after shapechanging, if you still haven't worked it out. By this time next week, however, I want us marching out of here with as many nymphs as we can get." Thorax looked around, particularly at the nymphs. "Each of you need to pick a new friend or two, try to get them to come to this cave to sleep."
"How are we going to do that?" Sweetie Belle was still hugging Shining, keeping one foreleg wrapped around her.
"Sweetie," Shining gave the former filly a squeeze, "we have been getting lessons on that for weeks. We make things up, we lie if we have to." She surprised herself a little with it, but ultimately shrugged. "We have to help as many as we can."
"She…" Sunset paused a moment and looked at Shining. "Would you rather I refer to you as a stallion?" She smiled to show she meant no offense.
A bit taken aback by the question, Shining looked around at the others and realized they were all mares. "I don't really… I don't really care either way." She shrugged. "But I just realized, are all changelings mares?"
"Physically? Yes." Thorax stepped over to the spot where the hole was just about to open. "But some 'lings prefer their pony gender. It is easier to just call everybuggy as they want to be called. Asking can sometimes be its own argument."
"I only asked because you seemed comfortable with it." Sunset's face fell as she remembered their original topic. "Come on. Food first, then class. If you are doing shapechanging today, you will need a good start of love."
The hole leading out of their little pledge's sleeping quarters opened, stopping all further treasonous conversation. Shining watched as Sunset and Thorax fell in beside each other and led the way out. The walk down, into the depths of the hive, was much the same as the previous day. Eventually the huge caverns filled with mushrooms opened up, and made each of the nymphs feel tiny by comparison.
"Hi there."
The group of changelings turned to the three crystal ponies who advanced on them. "Uh, hi." Shining stepped forward, holding out her hoof in greeting.
"I am Jade Diamond, these are my sisters." Jade pointed to each of her sisters in turn. "This is Emerald, and Garnet." She pressed her hoof forward to give Shining's little hoof a bump. "Are you hungry?"
"Where's Bright Hope?" Apple Bloom stepped up beside Shining. "He was very rude to one of my best friends yesterday!"
"Somepony told him he was being chosen to be a changeling. Now he won't stop bugging," Emerald leaned on the word with a little rolling of her eyes, "changelings for more information. So you get us today."
Sweetie Belle stepped forwards and looked up at Garnet (the only of the three yet to speak). "Ex-Excuse me." She folded one foreleg over the other, rubbing them together. "May I please have some wubs?"
Garnet froze in utter panic at the adorable filly. "Of course you can, you little darling." She reached down and picked up Sweetie. "What's your name?"
"Sweetie Belle." As she said it, Sweetie did as she had been taught and drank lightly. A heady rush of love poured into her. Love for her sisters. Love for Sweetie herself. Even a more distant love that the nymph couldn't name. "You taste really nice!"
"That's because I have a cute nymph to hug." Garnet was true to her word and hugged Sweetie Belle. "I used to hug my little sisters when they were still small."
Frozen, Sweetie couldn't stop the tears that threatened. She started to shake and without warning, bawled loudly. "I want Rarity!" She gripped Garnet tightly and cried, her face pressed to the mare's shoulder. "I hate this, I hate it! I want to go home and be a filly again, and I want my SISTER!"
The yell snapped Sunset out of her slight daze. She moved forward first and reached out for Sweetie Belle. "Come on, come on." She used her magic and hooves to pull the little nymph free of Garnet and to her own chest. When her snout was by Sweetie Belle's ear, she whispered softly to her. "A week, two at the most."
When she heard the words, Sweetie's sobs cut off immediately. With a loud sniff she pulled back enough to look Sunset in the eyes. Of course they were blue oceans—like her own—but she watched as they studied her face. "You mean that?"
"I do, even if I have to do it myself." Sunset kissed Sweetie on the nose and felt part of herself slot back into place. "Come on now, you need to finish feeding, little nymphs need to be big and strong for anything that is going to happen."
Sweetie nodded, trying to wipe her eyes dry with a forehoof. She turned back to look at Garnet. "Sorry, I… I really miss my big sister."
"Looks like you have a new one." Garnet looked pointedly to Sunset. "Do you still need some more to eat?" Her heart still ached for the nymph, but for a different reason now. She felt when Sweetie drank again, the gentle touch feeling like a soft lick along her aura.
"Thank you. All done now, I think." Sweetie felt full, but was still getting used to being full without eating actual food. "Did the changelings catch you and trap you in here?"
Shining walked up to Emerald, but had one ear cocked to Sweetie and Garnet's conversation. Her attention snapped back to her own presence when Emerald giggled. "Oh, sorry. Hi, my name's Vinyl Scratch." It wasn't even a lie, not for a long time. "May I drink, please?"
"Only if you promise to remember those manners for the rest of your life." Emerald bowed her head in acquiescence.
Taking that as permission, Shining drank while Garnet started talking.
"A long time ago, a pony did a very bad thing." Garnet relaxed, and waved other nymphs over. "And she became a changeling queen. It is a curse, you see, and she bore it well." She felt two little tingles from other nymphs, but knew she could provide for three. "We promised ourselves to her—my ancestors that is—and begged their families and friends to forgive them. The queen needed love, and without us she would wither away, or worse, would hunt ponies for their love."
Shining was trying to make head or tail of the story. In the end she just relaxed and took it and the love of Emerald in.
"We believe, you see, that one day the pony's curse will be ended, and her children will be free of the curse. Until then we are strong for her children, we keep them fed and trust them to guard us. It is our duty, and we would not shirk it." Garnet's cutie mark—ostensibly a green gemstone, just like her sisters'—flashed brightly for a moment before settling back down.
Finishing her meal, Shining looked up at Emerald and despite her (and her sisters') coloration, couldn't help but seeing Cadance. That is how much bigger than me she will be now. She had to fight her own tears.
Bigger, but if we can shapechange like the others, we could be bigger. Vinyl's voice in Shining's head was faint, but it filled her with hope. Enough to keep away the tears.
"Are you okay?" Emerald looked at Shining Armor, watched the nymph fight to not tear up too. "Go back to your friends. Maybe having mares here really is a bad idea." She turned to look at Garnet, making sure her voice was loud enough to be heard by her sister.
"Is everybuggy done?" Thorax looked around. "Golden?" She waited for the nymph to give a little chirp of surprise and run over to the group. "Okay, let's get to a new class today: shapechanging." She ruffled Golden Beet's mane and led the way back into the ever-shifting caves.
Every time Shining opened her mouth to ask about their plans, another changeling would walk from a side passage, or be glimpsed nearby. By the time they reached the class she was almost paranoid that they were being watched. Thorax and Sunset turned to leave, the latter having spotted the expression on most of their faces.
"We'll be back when class is over. I wish one of us could teach you, but we just aren't the best at disguising." Sunset gave a wry smile. "I will have you for magic lessons, later on." The look of relief stung Sunset, and she realized how much of her life she had been missing.
A pang of realization hit Shining, that her magic—her unicorn magic—was gone. She looked up at Sunset and nodded. "Yes ma'am." When the wall closed between then, she turned and walked over to take a seat.
Articulate waited for the last few nymphs to take their seats. "Welcome everyling, today I am going to teach you how to really be the alternate selves you have been describing to me. First thing, how many of you chose a different pony tribe to your old one?"
Watching as nearly half the class raised their hooves, Articulate smiled. "A good showing. Pretending you are something you aren't is literally what we do, but today I will show you how to back up your honeyed lies with a perfect disguise."
"You," Articulate pointed a hoof at Shining, "describe what you look like, Floating High."
"Tall and wiry, light gray fur and a big wingspan, golden-yellow mane and tail—left long and flowing—and a cutie mark of a wing with little speed lines coming off it." No sooner had Shining stopped describing the alter-ego than Articulate burned with green flame, becoming the living image of the made up pony described. "Deep voice, yellow eyes bleeding to a soft green." Another flash and the teacher's eyes were perfect.
"Is this you, Floating High?" Articulate felt a slight tension ease. Every time he slipped into a stallion's body he felt just a little thrill. "Come up here then, might as well use you for the demonstration. Nice description, remember, the more you fill in the more consistent your forms will be."
Shining walked to the front of the class, looking up at the big pegasus. "Okay, what do I do?"
"Eager? Good. Look at me, picture Floating High in your head. Don't worry if I am different than exactly how you imagined him, I want you to focus on your own pony. Got it?" Articulate waited until Shining gave a nod. "Right, pull that image deeper into your mind, hold on to it and work it until it is near your gut. You want it right about where you feel the love go when you feed."
Following the instructions, Shining pulled the image down and to where the love-magic boiled inside her. "Got it."
"Now, open your magic a little, let it shine through the image you have built." As Articulate said the words, he stepped back.
Shining felt the fire that she let go swirl around her, cloaking her from sight for a fraction of a second. Then he blinked at the crowd of nymphs in the room; he looked down at them, literally. He felt the wings on his back shoot up in alarm and surprise, heard his deep voice gasping in shock. "Wow."
"Next." Articulate pointed to Scootaloo. "You now, Light Speed. Describe your other self and then Floating High, here, is going to try to copy it. Once he has it worked out you can come up and do it."
Scootaloo blinked in panic. "Uh, sky blue fur and wing. A lightning-zap cutie mark, and r…" She froze, not wanting to make a perfect clone of Rainbow Dash. She gulped. "He has a little pink cyclone as his cutie mark."
Rainbow Dash as a young stallion, with a cyclone cutie mark. The image was an easy one for Shining, as Vinyl he had seen Scootaloo's idol many times. Fixing the image in his head, he flashed it with his magic and, again, felt the swirl of fire and his body change. "How is this?" His voice was a little feminine, having accidentally gone with the real Rainbow's, but in a smallish stallion it wouldn't be ignored.
Trotting up to the front, Scootaloo stared at Shining Armor. "That is totally awesome!" She bounced a little as she drew up beside her fellow Crusader. With the image Shining had given her, it was so easy to change to the stallion Rainbow Dash that she didn't have to think about anything but the magic itself. Green fire, a shiver of magic, and she was not a black-carapaced changeling anymore. Scootaloo spread his new wings out, and couldn't help but dive against Shining for a tight hug. "This is awesome!" His voice was almost the same as his idol's, but just a touch lower.
"Okay, before we are done…" Articulate paused for effect. "Go!" The moment he said the word, the whole class flashed with green fire. He grinned at the group, admiring the detail on all the "ponies."
Sunset narrowed her eyes at the blast of green fire, but smiled at the result. "You really are the best at teaching them shapechanging, Articulate." She noticed the shocked look on Articulate's face, and noticed how it turned into a cocky grin. "But don't push it." She gave him a playful shove in the shoulder.
Articulate's mood brightened further at the compliment from the least likely source. "Of course I am the best, I taught you, didn't I?" He flashed into a very stalliony pegasus and strutted from the room. "All yours, my beauty."
The more Sunset was reminded of things, the more she remembered. Articulate's dryness evaporating when it came to teaching shapechanging. "He really enjoys that…" She spoke the words softly, under her breath. Giving her head a shake to banish the memories, Sunset smiled. "Today you are going to learn about love magic. You all have it, and I regret to say the unicorns among you will have the hardest time learning this. Let's get started."
Shining didn't realize for several moments that he was still in disguise. Ruffling his wings, he realized it actually felt good to just be a pony. A glance at Scootaloo revealed a slightly smaller pegasus stallion—closer to being an old colt—showed him smiling and chatting with the pair of very haughty, elegant unicorn sisters: Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
"I said..." Sunset charged her horn and threw a disruption blast into the middle of the room. "Let's get started!" The pop the blast created was underwhelming, but it had the effect of yanking the disguises off every one of the changeling nymphs in the room. "Ready?" Eager eyes, if a little shell-shocked, looked up at her. "Okay."
"Changeling love magic works a little like unicorn magic. We all have a horn for focusing our power, but unlike unicorns our power comes from a limited reserve deep inside." Sunset moved side-on, and used her magic to point to her midsection. "When we cast a spell, or just deliver a blast, we have to envision the spell in our horn and then push magic into it. A bit like how Articulate teaches shapechanging."
Turning around, Sunset levitated some chalk up to the board. "This will be your first, and similar to a unicorn's first spell, you get to learn to make a light." She built the simplest of magic diagrams: simply a star-like rune for "sun." Memories flooded back, and Sunset nearly staggered. A single pattern glowed brightly in her memory. It was a pair of half-suns twisting around each other, and spraying tendrils of bright light off. Hot tears rushed down her cheeks as memories of her own cutie mark came back, and what had been done to strip it.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
There wasn't pain inside, but I didn't feel right. The thing that they had put inside me seemed to distract my thoughts, always making me want to follow directions.
"Stand up." Chrysalis sneered at me. "I said—"
"I heard you." My legs were already unfolding under me, pushing my body up. "What do you want to do now, shove more of your parasites in me?" I wanted to get angry, really angry. I wanted to call down the sun's might and throw fire at every dark carapace. I couldn't even raise my emotions above "slightly annoyed."
"I want you to hear what my drone has to report." I wanted to spit in Chrysalis' face, I wanted to burn her to cinders. "I have never seen a pony get this angry this easily before, curious."
"Your Majesty!" My head snapped around to see… myself. I stared at the mare that wore a perfect copy of my fur-pattern, my mane, and my tail, but spoke in a raspy voice. "It went just as you asked. I told the princess that…" As the not-me spoke, their voice became more and more like mine, until they showed off their perfect tone. "… Your Highness, I… I can't stand this anymore! You keep me locked up in here, and I can't take it anymore!"
The bottom fell out of my world. The not-me sounded and looked more like me than I did now. I wanted to collapse and cry. I wanted to go to Princess Celestia and beg her to believe that it wasn't me. I wanted to be me.
"And how did Princess Prissy respond?" Chrysalis' voice sounded amused. "I bet she gave you such a disappointed look, like you had done something she thought you were above."
I couldn't even fold to the floor and collapse; the last command had been to stand up, and there was no way I could work around it. "Buck you." My voice was a whisper.
"You are correct, Your Majesty." My clone bowed deeply to Chrysalis. "And I ran away from her, ran as fast as I could for the forbidden room. I made sure the guards saw me sneak in—"
"And buck you too!" It was the closest to rage I was capable of. Being this apathetic was pathetic. "Buck…"
"I 'snuck' in, and left the backpack right by the portal mirror." My clone finished her little speech and bowed to Chrysalis. A sharp sting flared in my right flank, then again on the other side. I stared back at where my cutie mark had been. I glared at Chrysalis, her horn still flickering with green magic after denuding my very identity.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Sunset lifted her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. A stallion stood above her. He was big and white, with a beautiful blue mane and tail. She inhaled his scent and knew this was Shining Armor disguising as himself.
"You're safe." Shining stood proud, making sure no changeling crowded around Sunset—none except for his fellow crusaders. "What happened?" His eyes swished to the nymphs in the room, judging their reliability in the situation. Only the Beet nymphs measured up to his standard.
"Safe as houses." Apple Bloom had remembered how comforting it was to be in a snuggle pile with other changelings, and had been the first to cuddle up to the collapsed Sunset.
Sweetie was opposite Apple Bloom. She wasn't as big as Sunset, but she was doing her best at cuddling close and reassuring her. "Are you feeling better?"
Sunset's attention passed over each of the nymphs of Thorax's pledge. Scootaloo was the last, and even she was snuggled in against her. She realized why they were so calming. "Thorax's scent is all over you…" She smiled.
"Yup." Scootaloo buzzed her little wings to stir up more of that scent. "Are you feeling okay now?"
Sunset did in a way. "I'm not alone." She looked to the three nymphs cuddled against her, then up to Shining Armor. "Your 'Cady' is a very lucky mare." She blushed the moment she said it. "Sorry…"
"No, it's okay." Shining reached a hoof down to Sunset. "Please, if you are feeling up to it… I really need to learn this." He smiled, and saw the brightest smile returned. Once she was lifted to her hooves, Shining dropped his disguise and trotted back to her desk.
Giving each of the other Crusaders' crests a ruffle, Sunset walked back to the desk at the front of the class. "Sorry, my pail, but as you can see your future life may sometimes come back to haunt you." Taking a deep breath, Sunset continued with her lesson.
By the time Sunset had finished her lessons, not only was Shining Armor's head buzzing with the new knowledge she had learned, but she was also hungry! She raised her hoof and waited patiently for Sunset to point at her. "I am… I am really hungry…" There was a certain amount of embarrassment in having to "tell an adult" when she was hungry, and it rankled a little.
"Well of course, you all are. You have spent most of the day working magic. Your pledge leaders will take you all to the caves for an extra meal. Don't hold back with your feeding, you are still young as far as changelings go, you need every drop you can get." Sunset Shimmer felt a little better settled, but one thing she couldn't deny; she really hated Queen Chrysalis.
"I'm sorry for all the times we picked on your magic." Apple Bloom looked to Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, this stuff is really hard." The three fillies hugged tightly together, and with a quick burst of magic from all three pulled Shining into the hug.
It felt really good to belong, to fit in with a group. Shining knew she had a bond with the three former fillies that would never break. "You girls are the best." She squeezed them with her forelegs. "But we need to find some other nymphs to bring back with us tonight."
"Of course!" Sweetie Belle felt shocked, and showed it. "How could I have forgotten that?" As she lowered her head, warmth seemed to wrap around her like a cozy blanket. It wasn't heat, it wasn't even touch, she just felt safe.
"Here you are. I have arranged for an old friend to spend the night in our cave, and he is bringing his pledge along too." Thorax gasped as the four nymphs of her pail rushed to her and hugged her tightly. "How was your first day learning magic?" She rubbed crests and ears until she got a loud chirp from each of them.
"Yup, and we're starvin'!" Apple Bloom giggled as Thorax booped her. "She needs it the most." She pointed at Shining. "We all couldn't keep up with the crazier spells, but Shining was working on them right up 'till the end."
"Sweetie Belle was no slouch either." Shining found herself pressing her snout in against Thorax's chitin, inhaling the pheromones she knew the bigger changeling was putting out. Each breath cleared her thoughts a little more, and made the future seem a little brighter.
"I was just trying to keep up…" Sweetie tried to hide her head behind Thorax's foreleg.
"I am very proud of all of you." Thorax rubber her wings together until she coaxed out a chirp of her own. "But now let's get you something to eat before Shining or Sweetie start rattling!"
When Thorax got her pledge down to the under-hive, she found it busy with others getting their groups fed. "Articulate!" She spotted her target and wove over to him with her charges in tow. She focused on the other changeling's face as she neared. "Still up for helping my pledge with their night terrors?" She gave an apologetic look to her own nymphs.
"Help my star pupils?" Articulate grinned at the four crusaders. Unsure why he was in such good spirits, he put it down to the warm welcome from Sunset earlier in the day. "You'll see, I have the most comfortable chitin to sleep against. Isn't that right?" He turned to his own group of nymphs, only to see them rushing towards Thorax.
Warmth spread through Thorax at all the nymphs gathered around her. Closing her eyes a moment, she promised herself that she would get them all out. She felt a tugging at one leg, and turned to see Sweetie Belle there.
"Um… I thought Mr. Articulate was a…" Sweetie blushed hotly. "I thought he was—" A large hoof pressed to the nymph's snout, forestalling any need for further words.
"All changelings are female, Sweetie Belle." Thorax brushed Sweetie's crest back gently. "But some need to remember themselves as they were. For them there might not be anything left of the pony except that."
Sweetie tried to take in the information, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Uh, okay. But why is Vin… Shining… saying she is a… filly-nymph?"
"Shining was a very special pony, and now she is an amazing changeling." Thorax watched the nymph in question as Shining chatted with the new arrivals. "Quite amazing…" She smiled a little more and turned back to Articulate. "Shall we head back to my cave? We normally get nice and snug before sleeping."
Trotting along behind Thorax and Articulate, Shining watched how their shapeshifting teacher reacted to the new queen. She watched the way Articulate even started to defer to Thorax. The slightest pang of terror gripped Shining, at the raw magnetism that being a queen apparently brought with it. "I hope we are making the right choice…"
Screaming tore sleep away from the three pledges of changelings in the little cave. Articulate had woken up early and couldn't stop himself from yelling.
"Wh-What's wrong?" Shining Armor jerked awake from her sleep, memories of gently cuddling Vinyl fading slowly as her adrenaline kicked her body into overdrive. Looking about, she saw the cave was still sealed, and that the screaming changeling was Articulate.
Thorax reacted without thinking about it, and reached out to Articulate, hugging them until the screaming stopped. She comforted and cuddled the distressed changeling tight, but spoke no words to him.
"Sky Soar!" Articulate inhaled the relaxing pheromones of Thorax, pressing his snout in tight against the young queen. "My name was Sky Soar…" The squeezing hug grew a little tighter, and reminded him of a faceless mare from his foalhood. He felt good, safe, and calmed down significantly. "I can't remember what… they took me away…"
"Sky Soar." Thorax held Sky in her grip and felt the drone seem to cling a little tighter at mention of his name. "Welcome back, Sky. I bet you have some questions." She gave a reassuring little chirp of her wings.
All the changelings were now at various levels of awake, most climbing closer to Thorax to cuddle, but Shining Armor sat aside and watched as Sky Soar regained himself. Apple Bloom stumbled up against Shining, and reached one foreleg around her back for a hug. "Good morning, or whatever time it is." She gave a little chirp and hugged Apple back.
"What are your odds of getting back to sleep?" Sunset joined Shining and Apple Bloom, giving them both a hug. She mused for a moment that she had become a lot more "huggy" since regaining her sense of self.
"Not likely." Scootaloo approached her fellow crusaders, Sweetie at her side, and practically fell into hugging them. "What are we going to do instead, then?"
"We didn't really get to know them yet." Apple Bloom reminded her fellow Crusaders that there was two new nymphs in the cave. She pointed a hole-filled hoof at the newcomers and then puffed out her little chest. "Come on."
Sweetie Belle looked at the two newcomers and nodded to her friends. "And then we just need to get the last pledge in our pail, and we will have the whole class." She smiled at the thought of having so many friends. Since becoming a changeling, Sweetie had noticed other changelings didn't trigger her shyness quite so much as they would have, had she been a pony.
Getting to her hooves, Shining brushed past Sweetie, giving a soft chirp to her before walking over to the two newcomers. "Hi." Of the two of her sides, Shining preferred Vinyl for such interactions, and adjusted her mindset to match the entertainer. "How's it doing?"
"Hi… uh, a little strange." On edge from the rough awakening, but getting calmer thanks to Thorax's pheromones, the nymph shook her shoulders a little. "My name's Scarlet Peaches, and this is Pepper Dreams." Scarlet took a step between Pepper and the newcomers.
"It's okay, Scar." Pepper reached a hoof up to touch at Scarlet's shoulder. "Th-They are just normal ponies, like us." He made a point of stepping around Scarlet and holding out his hoof.
"Hi Pepper." Vinyl held out her own hoof and gave a gentle clop against the other nymph's. "My name is Vinyl Scratch."
"They said your name was Shining." Scarlet pointed a hoof at Vinyl. "I heard them, you shouldn't lie!" The words tumbled out of her mouth so quick, just like her mother had used to explain to her, that she didn't realize what she had said until she was done. "Uh… unless you are in disguise… I guess."
"It's a long story, but I guess we got some time to waste." Vinyl settled down and took a deep breath. "It started when I was a little colt—"
"You were a colt too?" Pepper cut in on Vinyl. "I wasn't sure what to do, but Articulate… I guess he is Sky Soar now… he said I could be a colt if I wanted." He tilted his head on a slight angle. "But I don't get why you have two names?"
"Well," Vinyl felt nymphs tuck in around her and couldn't help but feel safe and relaxed, "when I was a little colt, my name was Shining Armor, and I was the best at everything." She grinned. "Running, kicking, even eating."
"There's a 'but' coming." Pepper snuggled between the other "colt" and his new friend, Scarlet.
"Well, it wouldn't be a story if there wasn't a but somewhere in it." Vinyl couldn't hold back a chuckle. "But he wasn't completely happy. Shining wanted to do other things sometimes, he wanted to look pretty, and be friends with fillies… so he started pretending to be one."
"Just like that?" Apple Bloom blinked.
"He was nervous, but then he thought up the coolest name ever, and focused on being the filly who had that name." Vinyl closed her eyes and focused on her own memories. "When I tried to hang out with fillies my own age, they ridiculed me. But then some nice fillies—about your age, Apple Bloom—asked me where I had gotten the hair tie I was using." Vinyl's thoughts returned to that first moment she had been validated. "Shining has to be the big brave stallion all the time. He has to do so much for everypony around him, it leaves him a little hollow. I get to break free, I get to be the mare who sits down at her mix desk and kicks out amazing music."
"But you're a filly now?" Pepper's voice carried a little awe to it. "Uh, well, a nymph like everypony… everyling… else."
"I am a filly again. It feels a lot different to my first time around." Vinyl lifted a foreleg and hooked it around Pepper's neck. "But hey, now we can all be whoever and whatever we want, right?" She let go of the other nymphs and stepped away, turning as she did. "This is me." It still wasn't as quick as she had seen Sky Soar do it, but after the flames left her body she was a perfect image of Vinyl Scratch.
"You were an adult?" Scarlet froze and stared up at Vinyl. "I mean, you are a nymph now, just like us!"
Vinyl flicked her sunglasses up and smiled at Scarlet. "Yeah, funny how that happens, but this is what I look like. The big lug Shining Armor…" She fixed Shining's image in her head, pushed it into her horn and threw her magic through it. "This is Shining Armor." The shift in mental focus was almost as quick as the transformation. "This is me."
"But, both of you are white unicorns, with blue manes and tails!" Scarlet was indignant. "Everypony would have recognized you!" She crossed her forelegs over her chest.
"Only one pony ever caught on." Shining grinned and called his fire to return him to his changeling form. "She is a princess." She grinned and trotted back over to settled down with the other nymphs. "The prettiest, too." Gasps came from almost all the nymphs. "It's totally true." Shining and Vinyl were both in firm agreement on the fact in question.
"But fillies are…" Pepper stopped himself before he said something that would have made his life extremely uncomfortable. "Uh… well, I just mean I am not one." A snuggle pile of nymphs piled around him, each hugging him tightly. "I mean, I don't… I just don't know…"
"That's easy." Apple Bloom booped Pepper on the snout. "You are a colt."
Pepper tried to object. "But I—"
"You think it mattered to Vinyl that she couldn't be a mare for years?" Shining spotted three more nymphs wander over, two rubbing their eyes.
"Why is it so noisy?" Pickle lowered her hoof from her eye and looked at the others all snuggled together.
Scootaloo turned to look at the Beet sisters. "Articulate remembered who he was. He was just a little foal, and was all alone when they grabbed him." Three little gasps of shock met the revelation.
"That's terrible! We were all together… I don't think I would want my sisters to go through this without me." Silver looked to Pickle and Golden. "All together, right?" She lifted her little hoof up in a salute, and had two more clop against it from her sisters.
Shining looked at her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders and grinned, but her grin faded a little when she looked to Pepper and Scarlet. "So what's your story?" She snuggled back down beside Pepper.
Scarlet stared at Shining, and struggled with her feelings. "They took me first. I woke up when the thing was crawling into my mouth…" She couldn't stop a sharp little chirp leaving her wings when she thought back to the memory. "It didn't hurt, it didn't let me. But… but she seems nice."
"I woke up and Scarlet was already there. She said they put something in me already." Pepper tried to reach for the nice changeling in his head, but being awake made it almost impossible. "Scarlet is the best pony in all Equestria." He gave a sharp nod.
It was obvious to Shining that Scarlet had taken care of Pepper, despite her own problems. Even with her heart breaking at the thought of the filly doing that, she watched as Silver hugged in against Scarlet Peaches side. "They did me last, but you are right, Scarlet, it was terrifying."
"Sh-Shining? You're an adult!"Scarlet leveled the accusation, and a hoof, at Shining Armor. "You aren't meant to tell us you were scared!"
"It was scary. And if I can help it, it won't happen again." Shining smiled back and lifted her own hoof to tap it against the accusing one.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"I wonder what they are talking about?" Sunset was sitting with Thorax and Sky, watching the nymphs talking. "Seems like Shining is telling them quite the story." She smiled and leaned a bit closer to Thorax.
"She really cares for them." Thorax lifted a leg up and around Sunset's shoulders. "Shining Armor is also going to be the key to getting our warning delivered. Royal Guard Captain…" She grinned and turned to look at Sky. "How are you feeling now?"
"Calmer…" Sky Soar kept inhaling deeply, not realizing why she was doing it. "What happened? I don't understand. Last night I felt relaxed and normal, and when I woke up all the… the smoke in my head… it was gone."
"Queen Chrysalis." Sunset's mood soured a little, and the scorn in her voice was almost outright hostility. "She messed with my mind." She looked to Thorax and nodded. "Just being around a queen changeling makes your mind…" Gathering her thoughts, Sunset Shimmer pushed at the words to get them out. "A queen can literally control you, make you think, make you believe, whatever they want."
"But why did it wear off now?" Sky Soar looked to Sunset. He blinked at the wry expression, and turned to Thorax. Warmth flowed over him, and he realized it was just nice to be near Thorax now. "T-T-Thorax?"
"I'm turning into a queen." Thorax shrugged. "I don't even know what I am doing, but sleeping near me seems to undo whatever screwed up thing Queen Chrysalis is doing to everybuggy."
"How do I know you aren't doing the same to me? You could be controlling me right now!" Sky was panicking; he had just gotten free of one monster's influence, and now he was stuck in a small cave with another.
"For a start," Sunset cut in on the stallion's panic, "she probably wouldn't let us think about it, if she wanted us under her control. Thorax is my twin, Sky. She is a good changeling."
Sky stared at Sunset, then changed his look to gaze at Thorax. Desire to please Thorax welled in him, and try as he might, he couldn't find a way around it. "Ugh, you are right, it just feels strange wanting to… wanting to please you like this."
"You didn't want to please Queen Chrysalis?" Thorax studied Sky Soar. "Weren't you ready to help trap and brainwash fillies and colts into becoming monsters like us?"
"We're not monsters, Chrysalis is." Sunset glared at Thorax. "And we need to make sure everyling, and everypony, sees that."
Sky couldn't help himself, he leaned in against Thorax and nuzzled against her—it felt really good. "So what are we going to do?"
"There is just Scythe to get next. If we can get her and her pledge, we will have the whole pail with us." Thorax saw amazement dawn in Sky's eyes. "And then we will leave, and warn the ponies of what Queen Chrysalis is planning."
"Okay, I have to admit, that is a pretty amazing idea, but Scythe is not a nice 'ling at the best of times. What about if we just take the nymphs out from under her?" Sky Soar buzzed his wings a little, then let them chirp a little as he set them back flat.
"Then we do what we must. We will be leaving with the whole pail. Everybuggy is leaving here." Thorax leaned in and rubbed her cheek against Sky's, and watched him close his eyes and smile a little.
Sky Soar's heart beat fast as the nymphs entered his class. Under his voice Sky couldn't stop himself saying, "I can't do this," but then all those little faces looked up at him and reminded him that teaching was his destiny. "Welcome class," confidence rose, and Sky flashed himself with his magic and took the form of what he thought he would look like as an adult pony, "and today we have a special topic: using your shapechanging for tactical gains."
Shining's interest perked up at the topic and she found herself paying close attention to the lesson. Seeing her teacher as a pony helped her relax a little more than usual, too.
"Since we have mostly dealt with adult pony shapes so far, you all noticed the drain on your reserves when you changed. Shapechanging only uses energy based off the differences between you and your assumed form. Does anyling have any conclusions to draw from that already?" Sky felt a little twinge of the panic set in, when his mind flashed a memory of dozens of other classes he had taught this to.
Raising her hoof, Sweetie Belle was eager to learn, and wanted to show that she was learning. "So as nymphs we use more energy up doing anything except foal-like forms?" She blushed a little at the end of her question, but immediately brightened when Sky Soar nodded.
Just seeing Sweetie so happy made Sky's heart… soar. "That's right. Now, the first important trick when shapechanging is conservation of injury. Put simply, you can repair any injuries at the cost of energy as easily as adding wings or a horn, but it uses energy. Can any of you suggest ways this could be used to your advantage?"
Scootaloo raised her hoof, but Sky winked at her and called on Golden Beat instead.
"Uh," Golden tapped his forehooves together, "we could heal ourselves when fighting?"
"A very powerful tool, but you must prioritize wounds. A long graze would take far more energy to heal than a clean cut." Sky noticed Shining Armor's extremely interested look. "There is another aspect, and it has to do with lying. Vinyl?"
"You could make yourself look more injured so others leave you alone." Shining spoke his thoughts while his mind raced onward, realizing how much danger an army of such creatures could be.
"Absolutely. A well fed changeling is more than a match for several evenly skilled opponents, more so if they are not aware of them. Then there is the advantages that shifting can give you in combat in a more offensive role." Sky gestured to Shining and smiled. "Would you join me up here, please?"
Plans for the future all crashed in around Shining Armor, and she focused on the here and now. Looking as tiny as could be, she walked slowly up to the front of the class, shapechanging halfway there to look like a little unicorn, filly version of herself. "Hi!"
"A very good start." Sky Soar gestured at Shining. "To ponies, Vinyl would appear as a cute little filly, probably lost and wanting to find her parents…"
"Please? She is around here somewhere…" Shining turned her head left and right, and danced on her forehooves in mock anxiety.
"…But I am a changeling, and I know she is a changeling too." Sky charged magic in his horn and aimed at Shining, only to have the mild blast hit the ground where Shining had been. "Fast, but are you fast enough?"
Shining jumped a second time as another bolt of green fire lanced at her. While she dodged, her mind raced at what she could do to gain the upper hoof. Becoming faster was an idea, but speed was almost the same as luck in a fight. Going on the offensive was another, but she didn't know how to blast without hurting. Her mind raced for a shape that would give her something better, and when she got a chance she jumped on what came to mind.
"Well now I didn't expect you to go that far." Sky Soar froze as green fire unwrapped from Shining to reveal a young timber wolf. "Why did you choose that form?"
"I have fought timber wolves before. They are fast, tough, and have a unique advantage over magic users." Shining stepped up closer and took a blast in the shoulder.
Not having seen a timber wolf before, Sky froze as the branches ripped from Shining's shoulder at the blast, but then when they seemed to flow back into shape he was astounded. "That… I need to learn that one. Very, very good. You analyzed the situation and removed the benefit I had over you."
Shining grinned widely, but didn't shift back from the wolf form. "Was that everything?"
"I want you to come at me again, and stop at first blood." Sky saw shock register on every nymph's face, and doubly so on Shining's oddly expressive lupine one. "It is for the demonstration, please." He stepped back and once more gained a ready stance.
Serious duels had been part of tests in the Guard, and Shining Armor recognized the tone Sky Soar took as one of someling trying to make a point. She bared her teeth and leaped forward.
Sky called his flames, adjusted his pony form only a little, and grinned as Shining's fangs closed around his foreleg. "To 'first blood' is usually used to test well-trained combatants. I used the phrase to prove that sometimes out-thinking an opponent is almost always better than out-fighting them."
Pulling back, Shining looked at the leg she had bitten. Not only wasn't there any sign that she had even been mauling, but she was pretty sure that Sky's fur had actually pricked her mouth like quills. "That is really clever."
"Explain what I did to the class, please." Sky walked forward and made a gesture to call the nymphs forward to examine him.
"His skin is thick and tough, and a little loose." Shining continued to stare at Sky. "And his fur is all prickly, like a hedgehog's back!"
"It's like a bear's skin." Apple Bloom reached her hoof out to rub Sky's leg to feel for herself. "Ah know because Fluttershy let me meet Harry one time, and Ah got to pet him." She froze for a moment, and before anyling could say anything, she started to cry. "I wanna go home!"
To Tartarus with my energy. Shining called her fire and dashed forward, changed back into Vinyl's form, and wrapped both forelegs around Apple Bloom and pulled in for a tight hug. "It's okay, Apple Bloom. Shhh."
"But I want Applejack! I want to see my brother!" Apple Bloom thumped her little hooves on Shining's chest. "I want to go back to Ponyville! I want to go back to my farm!"
Sky Soar saw more faces cloud with tears, and knew he had lost them. In all his time teaching changelings, none had broken down quite like this, and what was worse he wanted to cry with them. "We all do." He didn't lie, he couldn't.
"Sky?" Shining looked across at her teacher. "Why don't you go get Thorax, Glimmer, and try to find Scythe. I think all the nymphs need a break and a snuggle." She nodded her head towards the last four of their pail, Scythe's pledge.
Shaking his head, Sky Soar nodded and dashed for the wall. The door was about to open, and when it did Scythe, Sunset, and Thorax were all on the other side staring right at him. "I don't know what happened, one nymph started crying and now…" He stepped aside.
Thorax's heart nearly ripped in two, and she chirped her wings in shock and rushed in. "Hey, hey everybuggy. Calm down." Nearly every head in the room turned towards her. The four nymphs that weren't part of her little group did turn, once they realized everyling else was. "Why don't we all sit down and have a snuggle, and talk about our families?" She walked to the back end of the cave, all the nymphs following her.
"What… what the bug is going on? I've never seen nymphs like this!" Scythe glared at Sunset, then Sky. "Come on, tell me what it is." She almost snarled the last, not liking how everything with this pail seemed to be strange.
Sunset opened her mouth to reply, but Sky cut her off.
"Why don't you ask Thorax. I got no clue why, but they all seem to fawn over her." Sky yawned. "My pledge wanted to sleep around her last night. Damn little nymphs, you get used to their warmth and then they buzz away to someling else."
"Don't yawn…" Scythe groaned and yawned too. "Ugh, now you have me doing it." Scythe stomped down to the gathering at the end of the room. All the nymphs were gathered around Thorax, and although one of them was talking about some farm, Scythe cut in. "What gives? You are meant to be learning!"
"They are nymphs, Scythe." Thorax glared at Scythe with the first hint of irritation she had experienced for a while. "Let them talk about their homes before they forget them like everybuggy does."
"What do you mean?" Scythe sneered. "They need to get over it and move on." She narrowed her eyes and glared at Thorax. "I think I need to get the Hivemaster, something stupid is going—" Scythe was shoved sideways by a great mass. She looked up from her fallen position, and saw Sky Soar. "Articulate? What the bug are you doing?"
"We are leaving, now." Sky turned and looked at Thorax. "I mean it, this is going too far. We can't keep Scythe restrained forever."
Thorax looked at the last four nymphs who hadn't spent enough time with her yet to fully free their minds. "You're right, but this really is too soon. I wanted to teach them all—"
Would you two mind telling me what you are talking about?" Scythe shoved her legs underneath her and stood back up. "Because from where I stand this sounds like treason!"
"Sky Soar," Thorax smiled to her friend, "please make sure that Scythe doesn't hurt anybuggy." She turned back to the nymphs gathered around her. "Let's get you home." The cheer that the nymphs gave lightened her heart.
"Just come with us calmly, Scythe. You don't need to fight for a queen who doesn't love you." Sky slid into his pony shape, plus his combat adaptions. "Or have you forgotten who taught you how to shapechange, and how to fight?"
The question stalled Scythe's attack, and she stared at Sky. "I… I can't be expected to remember that!" She didn't shift to a pony shape at all, adjusting her changeling form to have long spines and harder chitin.
"Remember who taught you to fight? Or who taught you magic?" Sky Soar dove forward and shoved his way between the sharp thorns on Scythe's chitin. "I remember an earth pony filly who was scared at what was going to come out of her new body." He twisted and shoved Scythe away from the procession of nymphs leaving the room.
"Earth pony?" Scythe froze for a moment, but regained her guard when Sky came at her. "So what! I was young and stupid then!" She adjusted her stance at the last second and Sky yelped when a thorn bit into his hide.
"No poison this time Scythe? I thought I taught you better than that!" Sky flapped his wings and aimed all four legs at Scythe's back. Crashing into the other 'ling, he pinned her down. "I remember when that nymph laid her changeling egg out, and a little head poked free of it. I remember when you were born, Scythe."
"S-S-Sky?" Scythe's fight left her, and she stared at Sky with wide eyes. "But you are Articulate!"
"And you were known as Buttermilk back then. I don't care about you if you still want to fight me, but let us save these nymphs. What Queen Chrysalis is doing is wrong, she is clouding everyling's minds" Sky Soar stood up, and stepped off Scythe. "I am done, we are leaving."
"Sky!" Scythe flashed her fire and shed her combat form. "Sky I… Dammit why am I crying? This is all wrong and feels like I am being a bad bug, but you are right." She was rambling, and knew it. "Noling deserves this."
Thorax looked down the hall, then back to her pail, although now her mind was thinking the word "hive" instead. "Sky Soar, you follow me closely. The rest of you keep back but don't lose sight of us. Scythe?"
"Yeah?" Scythe kept her distance from Thorax, unsure exactly why she did, only knowing that being near her made things hurt in her head. "Look, if you are going to kill me and leave just do it!"
"You said earlier that nobuggy deserves this." Thorax took a step closer to Scythe, then another. "And you are right, nobuggy does. Not even you." She saw Scythe look up at her in shock, then take a hurried two steps back. "Can you bring up our rear? We need a good fighter just in case…"
Scythe took another step back when Thorax took another towards her. "You're taking me with you? But I could betray you!"
"Will you?" Thorax stopped moving towards Scythe, and held her ground.
"No." The one word drained all of Scythe's anger to say. "No I won't. I wish she… Buttercup…" The name sparked more memories for Scythe, memories she couldn't let get in the way of taking care of the nymphs. A terror hit Scythe, a horror that anything would harm her pail or pledge. What the hive was doing to them was real harm, and it helped solidify her view. "I don't know what you are doing with them, but almost anything would be better than what this place will."
Thorax almost took a step back at the fury and dedication that burned in Scythe. She held her ground, though, and gave the other changeling a firm nod. "Then protect them with everything you have, because I don't think we are likely to get away without a fight."
Scythe saluted Thorax sharply, but she waited for the changeling to walk back to the head of the group before she returned to the rear of the strung-out group of nymphs. "I am going crazy. Why am I doing this? And why does Thorax seem taller than normal?"
"The world is already crazy." Shining Armor grinned over her shoulder to Scythe. "You are doing this because the nymphs need protecting, and she seems taller because she is. We are pretty sure she is turning into a queen."
"A… A queen?" Scythe's eyes widened and she looked to the nymphs of her own pledge. "This… this is something big. I have never heard of another queen in the hive."
"Scythe, will it be dangerous?" Mint Paradise, one of Scythe's pledge, paused and looked up at Scythe. "You said you would protect us…"
"She will." Shining poked the stalled nymph with her snout, trying to get her moving. "Come on, we have to keep up with the others. Scythe is right behind us." Thanking everything that she had been given the lying lessons, Shining made sure her vision could always see their rear guard.
Thorax's voice ahead of the group caused the whole pail to bunch up. "… flying lessons. You know how it is." She risked a glance back, and only nymphs were visible. "Need to get this lot trained up, I can't wait to see what Queen Chrysalis plans for us next!"
"Yeah, yeah. How long are you going to be out with them for? My shift ends in an hour." The changeling on guard was suddenly bored again once the group seemed to be mundane.
"Oh, well we were planning on a long session, we brought the whole pail out you see." Thorax lifted a hoof and tapped her chitin. "Hey, you know what? I will send one of the other teachers in just before we return, that will save you having to keep track of us."
Blinking, the guard pondered the plan and gave a huffing breath. "I guess. I wish our Queen would have taken us all to Canterlot."
Shining's blood ran cold at the words, and she turned to Scythe. "Have they already started the attack?"
Scythe's first reaction would have been to snarl at the nymph, but she bit back the angry answer. "They are keeping most of us in the dark, but we know a lot of changelings left the hives, headed north to Canterlot. The normal tactic is for our Queen to go in first, disable any defenses that the town or city might have, and then the hive floods the place."
The world seemed to crush down on Shining, and she stared past Scythe. "I was meant to be the shield." She whispered the words so softly that noling apart from Scythe would have had a hope of hearing them. "I… I'm not there to defend them…"
"How old are you?" Scythe got a strangely adult vibe from the nymph, and knew from experience that sometimes adult ponies were brought in.
"I'm a Royal Guard…" Shining finally noticed the pail moving, and walked beside Scythe. "… the Captain of the Royal Guard." Knowing she shouldn't have said it, that Scythe's best chance of giving them away was coming up, Shining made ready to change shape and fight.
Scythe saw the guard cave, as they drew closer to it. Most of the nymphs were past, and if she yelled now the drones on watch would yell and bring the whole hive down on them. She took a deep breath and walked calmly along.
They drew level with the guard station, and Shining looked up at Scythe, trying to gauge her intent. "It is going to be so fun to be able to fly again!" She knew that walking beside one of the pledge leaders would usually mean they were talking about something. "I mean, I have buzzed my wings and hovered a little, but I want to fly again!"
Flashing an apologetic glance at the one guard visible, Scythe gave a groan. "Look runt, you are the same as every other drone I have ever put up with. Flying is a means to an end, and nothing more." She gave a sharp chirp with her wings. The sound of laughter from behind her told Scythe that she had managed to fool the guard. "We should be clear, now."
Shining giggled openly. "That was awesome, you sounded just like you were really annoyed with me. How do you get that edge to your voice?" She felt a huge weight shift from her back when Scythe hadn't sold them out.
"Right now? I am thinking of whatever the really nasty thing is that makes me get confused sometimes." Scythe shook her head, mention of the mental image brought it up. "Grr, this is the worst thing ever!"
"Huh, I don't have anything like that." Shining was about to ask another question, when she was blinded. "What is that?!" She lifted a hoof up to shield her eyes, and then realized the frivolity of that considering the holes in her leg.
"Calm down." Scythe blinked a few times. "You have an extra set of eyelids. You need to close those to filter out the bright light." She reached a hoof up to touch a particular spot on Shining's forehead. "Think about this spot here."
The touch helped, and Shining focused on it and blinking. Sure enough, between her blue eyes and her regular eyelids, a new set of clear lids closed down. "What the…?" She opened her eyes to see the Badlands. "Why didn't anypony tell us about that inside?"
"Two reasons." Scythe could see Thorax, Sky, and Sunset ahead; going among the nymphs and helping them adjust. "First is that any nymphs that try to run away will get stunned by the daylight." She pointed at the milling group of nymphs, most of them still blind. "And the other is that we forgot."
"Since you're answering questions, why won't you go close to Thorax?" Shining found herself huddling a little closer to Scythe as they neared the group.
"She makes me feel funny, and I am not sure about everything yet." Scythe walked up to Hyacinth—one of her own pledge—and tapped the nymph on the forehead where she had Shining. "You have extra eyelids here, try to close them.
"Scythe!" Hyacinth stepped closer to Scythe and promptly fell over. Blinking, she felt those other eyelids close, but quickly realized she could see through them. "Oh!"
About to help Hyacinth stand up again, Scythe quickly jumped back as Thorax approached. "Stop there!"
"It's your pheromones, Thorax. She doesn't like them." Shining walked closer to Thorax and put her little hoof up against the growing queen's chest. "She is alright, leave her be and she will be good."
"I just want to help you." Thorax looked down at the Nymph holding her back. "Scythe, you can remember everything if you come closer!"
"So that is what it all is? Something that messes with our heads?" Scythe's instincts suddenly flared, and she shifted to a fighting form and huddled her pledge behind her. "I will not let anything harm these nymphs!"
"She is trying to undo what Queen Chrysalis did." Shining glared at Thorax once, then trotted over to Scythe. "She isn't doing anything more than make us feel good and clear headed. But you don't have to go near her if you don't want to," she looked back at Thorax, "does she?" There was only one answer to the question, and it was obvious what it was going to be."
"Of course not!" Thorax stomped a hoof. "Oh blast it, I am just doing my best to fix all this. I don't know what Chrysalis is doing to everybuggy, but getting these nymphs out is the first part of stopping it. You are helping with that, Buttermilk, I don't want to make this worse for you." Thorax lay down on the hot sand looking more upset with herself than with Scythe.
Scythe felt an ache to go and comfort Thorax, and she started to take a step towards the young queen when a little hoof pressed to her chest, the same one that had stopped Thorax just moments ago. She looked down at the nymph, and smiled. "Thank you." She took a step back, putting more distance between her and Thorax.
"It is everypony's choice to make." Shining smiled at Scythe, then turned back to Thorax and did what Scythe couldn't, she trotted over and hugged her queen. "And you respected her choice, which makes you infinitely better than Chrysalis."
Thorax blinked. "But… forcing other changelings to do things would be…" She trailed off, her eyes widening. Gingerly, she hugged Shining Armor, and felt a warmth bubbling from her. "Thank you for helping me not be evil."
"It's alright. Shouldn't we be moving soon?" Shining pointed north, or where she thought north was.
"We will, but we just need to wait for something first…" Thorax looked to Sunset, and got a nod back from her other half. "… the guards from the hive just checked on us. Now we start moving as fast as we can." She climbed up to her hooves and turned around. "Come on everybuggy, let's get out of here."
Sunset passed Thorax as she headed to the back of the pail. "Shining? Vinyl?" She found the nymph she was looking for with Scythe. "There you are. Would you like to come and join us up near the front?"
"I think Scythe needs more company." Shining's heart was too big, and she knew it. But despite being aware of the fact, she didn't stop from sticking with Scythe. "Cutie Mark Crusaders! Assemble!" The cry startled nearly every changeling present, except for three nymphs.
"Cutie!" Apple Bloom slid to a stop before Shining.
"Mark!" Sweetie landed beside Apple Bloom.
"Crusaders!" Scootaloo was the last to fall in. "Uh, where is the emergency?"
"Yeah, we said only to use that one if there was an emergency!" Sweetie Belle pouted at Shining.
"There is an emergency." Shining lifted one of her little hooves to point at Scythe. "This changeling is in dire need of hugs!"
Apple Bloom caught on quick, and gasped in shock. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, hug givers!" Giggling as her friends fell in with her, all three of them dove at a bewildered Scythe, clinging to their forelegs and hugging her.
"You might not want to go all the way with this, Scythe, but don't for a minute think that stops you from being a great friend, an awesome changeling, and an amazing pony." Shining gave her best lop-sided grin and joined the other Crusaders in hugging Scythe.
"Uh…" Stunning Loyalty, another nymph of Scythe's pledge, groaned a bit and stood still. "I feel funny…" He groaned and fell to his side, clutching at his belly.
"Are we far enough away that we can do this?" Sunset approached Stunning and reached down to rub at his side. "He is going to drop it very soon…" There was a noticeable bulge, when she felt him, slowly moving down his body.
"What's happening?" Stunning looked up at Thorax, as an odd feeling of loneliness settled over him.
"You are going to lay your twin's egg." Thorax focused on calm emotions, trying to spread them with her newfound powers. "We need to keep moving, so I am going to carry you." She lit her horn and hefted Stunning into the air.
"An egg?!" Crying out in shock, Stunning looked between the adults, his eyes locking on Scythe. Struggling in the magical aura, he squirmed and shifted, then lit his own horn and leapt from Thorax's grip.
Scythe saw the nymph running for her, and caught Stunning when he started to collapse. "You need to lay it, Stun." Nuzzling the nymph, she felt concern for the former colt, and burned energy to arrange him into a slightly more comfortable pose. "Come on, you are the bravest stallion here."
"You said I wasn't ever going to be a stallion…" Stunning winced as a rush of pressure wracked his body. "This is really odd."
Shining watched, standing back with Thorax and giving the two room while Stunning laid the egg. The elongated orb was a dull green in color and about half the size of his head. Glancing up at Thorax, Shining had a distinctly odd sensation inside that he hoped wasn't his own egg. "Are we all going to do that?"
Thorax nodded slowly. "Soon, too. There is probably something about the smell, but normally once one nymph lays, the whole pail will lay within a day." She reached a leg around Shining's shoulders. "It is harder for the colts, there is the undeniability of having parts of your body that you aren't meant to. I really want to go over and reassure them…"
"But you aren't." Shining looked up at Thorax. "Because you are a good queen." Feeling good for praising the actions of Thorax was easy, after all Shining was under her sway, but he felt in his heart that it was right. "Speaking as somepony who has given a lot of orders, please never give any."
The request caught Thorax off guard, and she blinked her eyes a few times in consternation. "What do you mean?"
"If you commanded me to forget about Canterlot, to forget about Cadance," Shining's heart choked a little as she said the words, "and to ignore every shred of what makes me, me… "She closed her eyes and dipped her head. "… I would in a heartbeat."
Thorax's face was a mask of terror, and she stepped back a pace from Shining. "That… that is a lot more than I could ever ask, would ever ask." The idea of such power terrified her as much as the effects of it apparently terrified Shining. Taking a deep breath, she dipped her chest down, dropping to her knees before Shining Armor.
Shining could see just what she had hoped she would; a scared changeling queen bowing her head to a nymph. The whole world seemed to stand still for a moment as Thorax took her time.
Getting the words together she wanted, Thorax looked up at Shining. "I promise you, Shining Armor, that I will never command my hive." The words seemed to carry, the way only those with real power behind them do. "This is a terrible power to possess, and it makes me realize how easy it was for Chrysalis to fall into using it."
Chirping erupted from all around, as the nymphs and the four changeling drones of Thorax's hive cheered for her in the way of changelings. But the nymph whose support she needed most wasn't chirping at all. Shining Armor fell to her side and groaned.
Thorax's eyes widened. "They are all going to start! Please separate into your pledges!" She crouched down by Shining's side, and reached a hoof up to gently check the progress. "Hold in there, I can feel her moving through you."
"V-V-Vinyl…" Shining barely got the word out as a coldness filled her. "Where is she? Where did she go?" She wanted to get up, to panic and look for the friend that was closer than even his little sister. A pressure started in her midsection, and without thinking about it, Shining pushed backwards.
"You don't have to rush this, and it won't actually hurt." Thorax brushed Shining's crest, trying to reassure the nymph. "When you can feel her really close to your entrance, then you push."
"I don't want to push at all…" Shining gave a whimper as her body tensed up again, and despite the instructions—and her own wishes—she pushed. Each inch the egg moved only made it feel less comfortable, but each inch also meant it was closer to being over.
"Just a little more, one good push with the next contraction and you will have her out." Thorax could see the green egg crown, and gently rested a hoof on Shining's flank.
"Just one more?" The promise was tantalizing, and when the next contraction started, Shining pushed backwards for all she was worth. Waves of discomfort radiated from her back-end, and she was pretty sure her chitin was not meant to stretch the way the egg needed it to. Despite all Shining's misgivings, the egg was suddenly pushed from her.
Thorax carefully caught the egg in her magic and brought it up to Shining, letting her wrap around Vinyl tightly. "I promise you, she will be everything you hope she is. She will be your twin in every way."
Shining's mind wasn't really processing words, she just felt the emptiness inside where Vinyl had been, and ached to keep her friend safe.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Scootaloo was curled up, her snout pressed to the green egg she had laid. "You'll see, everything will be okay." She smiled a lot at the thought of having a sister of her own. "We are going to be okay. Shining is going to get us all to safety, and tell Princess Celestia that us changelings are all good." She bumped her nose against the egg again and chirped her wings a few times.
"How long until we are moving again?" Shining looked up at Sunset, but despite her brave words, the nymph didn't feel like walking a single step. "I mean, how long until we will be able to…"
"You were the second to lay, how do you feel?" Laying down with her nymphs, Sunset heard every little chirp each made. Although she couldn't sample their emotions, she knew they were all drained, but happy.
"Maybe next week." Shining rolled her eyes at Sunset. "How long do they take to hatch?"
"That was literally going to be your next lesson. But since things got changed, you can learn on the job. They won't take long to mature, the love you have been feeding on has been mostly going to them, once you were fully changed. She will be out before you know it, maybe a few days." Sunset lifted her head and looked over at Thorax. "And once they are out they will amaze you."
Shining followed Sunset's gaze. "She is pretty amazing. If anypony—"
"It is about time you stopped using that." Sunset grinned. "Anyling or anybuggy is acceptable."
"No." Shining shook her head. "I consider us all ponies, so everypony will do." Shining gave a happy chirp at the point she made. "As I was saying, if anypony could be trusted with that amount of power, I think it would be her."
"It's scary to think that Chrysalis used that against me." Sunset slumped down a little. "She took everything from me, she even took Thorax away. I didn't know who she really was… who I really was."
"Another point in Thorax's favor. Being able to break that level of conditioning is amazing…" Shining squirmed a little. "Is my carapace meant to be sore… back there?" She pointed to her hindquarters.
Sunset's attention was snapped firmly back to her pledge. "Yeah, it will ache a little, then it will itch."
"What?" Apple Bloom intruded on the conversation. "It will hurt?"
"Not really hurt, but this will be the lead-up to your first molt." Sunset gestured at her own body, then Shining's. "Your carapace is inflexible, as you grow it will crack and break, and then you will shed it and a softer one will be underneath. About a day of feeling all wobbly, and that will harden into a bigger casing."
"How long until they start to search for us?" Sweetie Belle changed the topic abruptly. "I want to get home to Rarity and forget about all this… this!" She gestured in the direction of the hive, at her friends, and then at herself.
"Sweetie, we are always going to be like this." Apple Bloom thought her friend was starting to finally lose it. "There is no way we can just 'go back' to how everything was."
"You think I don't know that? I just want to go home and pretend everything is back to normal. Disguise as myself, curl up before a warm fire with my sister, and just ignore the world." Sweetie hugged her egg to herself.
"And we will." Shining shifted—with awkward movements—until she was able to press against Sweetie. Slowly stroking the nymph's crest, Shining Armor shared her warmth with her. "We are going to Canterlot first. We are going to storm into my wedding and kick Chrysalis' rear. And then I will take you back to Ponyville, and I promise you that you can spend a whole week not worrying about the hive or anything."
It was the best fantasy Sweetie could hope for, and the slow stroking of her crest soon earned a few little chirps from her wings. Against her belly the egg's shape reminded her that Rarity and her were soon to be joined by another, a third sister. "You can really do that?"
"I got us out of the hive, didn't I?" Shining slumped her head down and onto Sweetie's shoulder. "And I didn't eat much of your wubs to do it, either."
"I knew you ate wubs!" Sweetie jerked her head up and giggled. "Give me back my wubs!"
"Can't. I ate them!" Shining pressed her prominent fangs to Sweetie's belly and blew a raspberry. "Now I will eat more!"
Sweetie had no possible way to get free of Shining, and instead opted to chirp her wings and squeal a lot. "Help! I am being attacked by a vampling!"
Apple Bloom wanted to "save" her friend, but lethargy from the egg laying weighed her down heavily. "Get away from her, you monster!"
Struggling with her own body, Scootaloo managed to get her legs under her and wobbled towards Shining. "I'll save you, Sweetie." Her attempt at saving Sweetie involved slumping on top of the vampling. "Take that!" She chirped her wings loudly.
Giving her friends a moment to have some silly fun, Apple Bloom pulled Scootaloo's egg close and hugged it with her own. "I got your sister covered, Scoots."
"Wait." Shining had a great idea suddenly, but had two nymphs on top of her. "Wait wait! Couldn't we just shift this weakness away?" She looked up to Sunset.
"No!" Sunset jerked fully awake from the slight daze she had been in while watching the nymphs play. "That was a great amount of… changes. Your muscles adjusted and shifted, and you displaced your twin. If you tried to 'undo' that, you would either burn up all your energy in the attempt, or maybe make another egg inside you. It wouldn't be good, either way."
Shining shook her head solemnly. "O-Okay. Well, it isn't going to stop me from devouring all these nymph's wubs!" Two chirp-accompanied squeals met her proclamation.
"Shining Armor, can I speak with you while we walk?" Thorax smiled at the nymph, but with their exodus in progress she needed to get some vital information.
"Of course." Shining trotted a little faster to catch up with Thorax, and fell in beside the queen. "What's the matter?" She had gotten the knack of bracing the egg on her back with her little wings—all of the nymphs had.
Thorax felt markedly relieved to have a former pony she knew was strategically-minded to lean on. "Where should we go? I don't think marching into Canterlot, and right up to Princess Celestia would be wise; Chrysalis is sure to have spies in place."
"Yeah, I was going to ask you about this." Shining walked beside her queen with confidence, but she still felt terrified for her fiancee. "I have a house in Ponyville, where I lived with a friend as Vinyl. It won't fit all of us in, but it is a start."
"We could build a hive there, dig down." Thorax tapped her chin with a hoof. "But I see your reasoning. Close to Canterlot, but not too close. We could get information about Canterlot from travelers."
"And we can meet up with Princess Celestia's personal student… her latest one." Shining felt obliged to add the bit on the end, knowing that Thorax shared Sunset's memories about the alicorn. "Twily is an amazing unicorn, and her friends will help us."
"She is family?" Thorax felt an instant pang of worry.
"She is my sister, and if anypony could get us a message to Princess Celestia, without anyling getting their hooves on it, it would be her." Spike, of course, was exactly who Shining was thinking of. "So let's go to Ponyville, and plan further from there."
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
By the time Shining could see the clock tower spire of Ponyville, their group was near starving—except for Thorax. Shining kept pace at the back, with Scythe, and learned more respect for the odd changeling. Their eggs had grown, now just a little bigger than their torsos, the mass of them made each of the nymphs perk up at nearly reaching their destination.
"I can almost smell the love from here." Scythe adjusted her load of two eggs. "I don't know as I have the energy to shapechange." Shaking her head, she kept her hooves moving.
"Well, if I know the ponies of Ponyville, I expect them to be shocked at first, maybe in a panic, but they won't hate us." Shining hoped her words were true. "I should talk to Thorax about how to approach this." Increasing her pace, Shining Armor walked past the strung out line of nymphs to the front. The closer she got to the queen, the less her fatigue worried her. "You are making this easier for them? For us?"
"I am doing what I can to get everybuggy there alive." Thorax returned to gritting her teeth. "But I am very glad to see the town, we would not have made it to Canterlot."
"About that," Shining fell in beside Thorax, "we don't really have any time or leisure to handle this any way but directly. We have to contact Twilight Sparkle as quickly as possible, and beg ponies to let us feed."
"What's that?!" The shout of a pony from ahead was the beginning of their entry back into pony society.
"They look like monsters!"
"Monsters with their foals?"
Thorax liked the tone of the last question better than all the rest. "Hi, we need to find Twilight Sparkle." Her eyes flicked back to Shining. "It is vitally important we see her."
More ponies approached the little group of changelings, none of whom had seen such creatures before. Among them were ponies that had been waiting for a train. "And who would you be?" Octavia Melody normally liked to hang in the back of any group, but with the gathering ponies around her, her voice would be lost into the crowd.
Shining's ears twitched. Even the weariness of the long days of marching didn't stop her from identifying the tone, but more importantly the accent, of that voice. " 'Tavi?" She looked among the ponies, and saw only one dark-toned mare. "Octavia!"
Avoiding cursing by a hair's breadth, Octavia looked at the foal-like nymph who called her name. Under her breath, she muttered dire consequences to herself. "That is I." She worked her way through her fellow ponies until she was standing at the edge, facing the odd little creature. "And who might I be addressing?"
"V-Vinny. Vinyl Scratch." Shining glanced aside at the crowd, and avoided using her other name. "I went missing a while ago."
"You're not Vinyl, she is already in Canterlot, getting ready for the wedding reception." Octavia narrowed her eyes at the little creature. "Let's start again. Who are you?"
Shining stepped forward and lifted her head as far as she could, obviously offering to whisper something. Thankfully, Octavia leaned down to listen. "Shining Armor, and Vinyl Scratch. The pony who was living with you was an impostor."
The bottom fell out of Octavia's world. Her eyes widened and she stared past the nymph, and started shaking. "She… she is… and you are… what is going on?"
"It's a long story, 'Tavi." Shining blew out a breath, but she could taste something among the fear. As she looked up at Octavia, Shining felt like a shark in blood-infested water. " 'Tavi, you would let me feed on you if… if it didn't hurt?"
"This isn't that stupid 'vampony' thing again, Vinny?" Octavia saw the seriousness in Shining's odd eyes. "Of course I would, I owe you my life." A little chill passed through her, and as she watched, the nymph visibly straightened, hefting the big egg on their back much easier.
"You really are the best, 'Tavi. But right now a lot of us are on the verge of passing out from hunger." Shining hadn't been paying attention to Thorax or the rest of the pail, but now that she felt more aware of the situation she spotted McIntosh Apple with three excited nymphs bouncing around his legs.
Big Mac was suspicious, until one of the little nymphs had spoken words that nopony but his immediate family would know. He narrowed his eyes, and mentally prepared himself for a more advanced reply than "eeyup" and "nnnope" could handle. "I don't know how you know that, apart from being kin. Nopony in town knows ma and pa's names. So, if you are my little sister, and these-here are your friends, who are they?" He aimed a hoof at three fillies who were staring in shock at the pail of changelings.
Sky Soar caught enough love from the big stallion—and what few of the ponies thought the nymphs were cute enough to adore—and sprung into action. Flickering with fire, he leapt into the air and angled down tight behind the three obvious changelings. "Don't even try."
Scythe landed opposite her teacher in the art of combat, and glared at the three infiltrators. "What he said. You aren't going anywhere."
"Why are you all out of your disguises? You will ruin everything!" Wanderlust looked from one of the changelings accosting them to the other. "Oh by the Queen's eggs, this is all over!" She dropped her own disguise—Apple Bloom—just as another changeling from the group came closer. She noticed that one of her attackers backed off as the biggest drone she had ever seen walked right up to her.
"Doppelgangers. Infiltrators. You have been working well at this." Thorax smiled a little. "But your duty is done. She sent a wave of emotion at them; sorrow and comfort was the meal she radiated with her pheromones. The other two disguised infiltrators dropped their disguise in shock.
"You… you can't be!" Selenia looked up at Thorax. "This isn't possible! There aren't any queens but Chrysalis!" He tried to take a step back, but something about the young queen was urging him to stay close. "What…" Staring up at Thorax, the changeling drone who had been disguised as Scootaloo could only focus on one thing.
Shining looked from the action back to Octavia. "Things got complicated. That Vinyl Scratch who went to Canterlot is a changeling working for a rival queen, and she is going to attack my…" Freezing, Shining leaned in close to Octavia again, and waited for the mare's ear to come close. "… my wedding."
"You need to get there fast, then." Octavia pointed up at the city in question, far off in the distance. "Because the royal wedding is tomorrow."
"What?!" Shining shook with fury. "Then we need to go there as quickly as possible. Queen Thorax!" She stomped away to find the changeling in question, only to realize she had applied a title to Thorax, albeit a fitting one. "Queen Thorax. We need to go to Canterlot as quickly as possible. The wedding is tomorrow, and we—"
Thorax shook her head, forestalling further demands. "Not today, there is something very important that has to happen today, before you return to Canterlot." She lifted a hoof and pointed to the opening egg on Shining's back. "Your sister is about to hatch."
Using her magic, Shining lifted the big egg from her back and sat it carefully on the grass. Other nymphs approached Thorax, setting their eggs down too. "Vinyl is—"
"She is coming. Are you ready to meet her?" Thorax reached up and stroked the crest of Selenia, the formerly hostile changeling drone now relaxed and nuzzled in at his new queen's side.
Not trusting the three infiltrators a smidgen, Scythe had quickly disguised as an earth pony stallion when they lost sigh of her. Walking casually around, just outside what she considered Thorax's "control area," she waited for what she knew was coming.
Wanderlust had edged as far away from the "impostor-queen" as she could, and knew one of the rival changelings was keeping an eye on her. Further and further she inched, until she knew that she could do what was needed. "This is mad, I am going to warn Queen Chrysalis!" Shapechanging to a pegasus form, she beat her wings quickly.
Sky Soar spotted the changeling trying to escape, and was after them like a shot. With his diligence now rewarded with response speed, he was soon catching up on the other changeling.
Harsh Buzz watched her sister fly for all she was worth, and watched as the traitorous changeling caught her. "Thank you, I will not forget you." Turning, she called her own fire and took off, silently, in the opposite direction.
"No you don't. I might not want to be in her hive, but you will not ruin Thorax's chances of fixing all this!" Scythe was on the second changeling, grabbing their body and twisting to slam them to the ground.
"This is madness. You know what Queen Chrysalis will do to us all when she finds out about this; I will get squished just for being in the same town as you misfits!" Harsh Buzz kicked and shoved, bucking Scythe off her back at just the right moment to be free of them. Flinging herself away again, she was smothered by a very large pony.
"Nnnope." Big Mac held the strange creature down by dint of sitting on them, and though he wasn't sure about the whole situation, he was sure that one of the little creatures was definitely his little sister, and this one was trying to go against Apple Bloom's friends.
Scythe sauntered up to where Harsh Buzz was pinned. In the back of her mind, old mannerisms shoved their way to the fore and she looked up at the huge red stallion. "Thank you. Her getting away would have been… a problem."
Big Mac grinned widely, thanks to how the mare had spoke he got to use his favorite word. "Eeyup." Slowly getting up, he pressed a foreleg firmly against the trapped changeling's back, and leaned down just enough that they couldn't get up.
"Queen Chrysalis won't find out about us until it is too late for her. I might not have thrown in fully with Thorax as a queen yet, but her way is leaps and bounds better than what Chrysalis did, and is doing." Scythe looked up at Big Mac again with a big smile. "Could you please take her over to Queen Thorax?"
McIntosh liked seeing a smile—even a fang-filled one—given alongside friendly words. "Eeyup." With one hoof he lifted Harsh Buzz up, and carried her back to where something amazing was happening. He froze as he saw the big eggs the nymphs had carried hatch, oozing their contents out on the grass, and soon doubling the number of cute little changelings.
Staring at her double, Shining Armor felt tears pour free at the sight of Vinyl. Words failed her, and she knew she was staring, but she couldn't think of what to say.
"Shining." Vinyl looked at herself, now free of the egg she was just as perfect of shape and proportions as Shining was, without the benefit of being used to her legs or wings. It might have been an accident that had her stumbling forward, but the way Shining Armor caught her was very deliberate. "Brother."
"No." Shining shook her head. "We are both sisters, I am fine with the… change." She squeezed her sibling, and hugged Vinyl for all she was worth.
Scootaloo watched the nymph climb from the egg that she herself had laid. She was completely wrapped up in the moment, and unable to look away as they opened their big blue eyes. "H-Hi…"
"Hi…" Equally nervous as the nymph who had laid her egg, the newly hatched changeling remembered the other's life as if it were her own. Early sadness, along with a loneliness that was only relieved when she was with her friends. "We're sisters, right?"
"Yeah." Scootaloo sniffed, two rivulets of tears staining little trails down her cheeks. "Sisters." As soon as the word came out, neither of the nymphs could hold back, and they dived forward with huge smiles on their faces.
"Sisters!" Squeezing the original Scootaloo, the newborn nymph nuzzled and rubbed cheeks with her again and again, each of them desperate to make up for years of solitude with each passing second. "Scootaloo…" She didn't want to pull back at all from the hug, so just murmured while she clung to her sister. "You need to name me."
"I do?" Scootaloo couldn't hold back a nervous giggle. "I don't suppose Rainbowloo would do?"
"Awesome as that would be, I need a better one. Remember what Sky told us, names need to be unique."
"Scootaling?" Scootaloo giggled more, and both nymphs sat down on the ground, and looked at each other. "What about Buzzaloo?"
Buzzaloo blinked at the name. She tilted her head to the side, and rolled it around her thoughts. "Say it again, a few times."
"Buzzaloo." Scootaloo grinned. "Hey, Buzzaloo, up high!" Both nymphs brought forehooves up, the hole-filled limbs striking with a solid clop. "Ha, it works great!"
"It's growing on me. How are the other Crusaders doing?" Buzzaloo looked around, her body getting more and more used to being its own entity. She spotted Sweetie Belle first.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"H-Hello?" Sweetie Belle leaned towards her twin, where the other nymph was laid out on the ground. "A-A-Are you alright?" Nerves filled her. Sweetie remembered the nervous other-self that she had talked with during their meditation back in the hive, but it was hard for her to reconcile that with the nymph in front of her.
Opening her own eyes for the first time, Sweetie's twin looked up at her older sibling. "I think so. This is all…" She trailed off when onlookers' eyes seemed to take extra notice of her. "A-All a bit rushed." She tried to heft herself upright, at least to a seated position. With the memories of Sweetie Belle as her own, she remembered a life of being a little clumsy—particularly in the kitchen.
"Do you need help?" Sweetie's kind urges overwhelmed any nerves, and she reached out to help the newborn nymph. "I'm Sweetie Belle." Rarity's teaching on etiquette took over, and despite remembering talking with her, Sweetie felt obliged to introduce herself.
"Pleased to meet you, Sweetie Belle." Grinning, on comfortable ground with rigid laws defining her words, Sweetie Belle's new sister lifted a hoof. "Charmed I am sure. I am…" She froze, her eyes widening to big blue orbs.
"Oh, right. We need to name you." Sweetie lifted her own hoof and gave her sister's a little tap. "Shining got off so easy, she already had a second name. We could use my alternate form name: Braided Lace. Rarity would love that."
"Braided Lace is cute, but I want my name to be a little more like yours. If…" Sweetie's sister's voice wobbled a little, "if that is alright?"
Sweetie's eyes went wide. "I think I have something." She paused a moment and looked significantly at the expectant nymph before her. "Adore Belle." She smiled sheepishly. "If… If that is alright?"
"Adore Belle?" Adore thought over the name, and felt herself already loving it. "It is perfect, Sweetie!" She finally broke decorum and the two nymphs hugged tightly together for a few minutes.
Disengaging herself from Sweetie, Adore backed up a little. "Ahem. Pleased to meet you. My name is Adore Belle." She held out her hoof again.
"Charmed, I am sure. My name is Sweetie Belle…" Sweetie managed nearly three seconds before giggling.
"Hey, you two!" Scootaloo trotted up to Sweetie and Adore, with Buzzaloo at her side. "Have you met my awesome sister?" Even with her fangs, Scootaloo's smile was the most adorable and proud thing ever.
"Hi!" Buzzaloo poked Scootaloo with one wing. "You were meant to introduce me!"
"Oh yeah. This is Buzzaloo." Scootaloo gestured to Buzz. "She is totally awesome, and the best sister I have ever had!"
"Isn't she the only sister you have ever had?" Sweetie turned to look at Adore, who shrugged back at her.
"Uh…" Scootaloo felt a slight pang of longing for her missing family, but it wasn't able to last long; Buzzaloo wrapped a foreleg around her back. The simple bond between them, deep in ways she had never experienced, threatened to bring tears to Scootaloo's eyes.
"Only and best!" Buzzaloo didn't need to be able to drink emotions (not that she could from another changeling) to notice that her sister was in a fragile state, and that Sweetie had poked at a wound that was old, yet no better healed for time. "And who is this?" She pointed at Adore, shifting the topic firmly away from her sister's feelings.
"Her name is Adore Belle, and she is my new sister!" Sweetie was somewhat oblivious to her friend's emotional state, but after a few moments of seeing both the 'loos hugging, it finally filtered through her head that Scootaloo had family again. "Oh no!"
Adore was halfway through offering her hoof to Buzzaloo in greeting, when her sister made her exclamation. "Huh?"
"I am so sorry Scootaloo…" Sweetie Belle's lower lip wobbled a little, and she looked at Scootaloo with her big, blue eyes starting to fill with tears. "I didn't meant to—"
"It's alright now Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo looked aside to her sister, and grinned. "I have a sister now, and we have so much time to make up for!"
"Yeah!" Buzzaloo chirped her wings in support of Scootaloo, and lifted a little, hole-filled hoof up. The pair's hooves gave a solid clop when they connected. "Best sisters ever!"
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"You don't think Ah'm too weird?" Apple Bloom looked up to her big brother. She could see in his eyes that he was still taking her new look in, but there was still rock-solid certainty there.
"Nnnope." Big McIntosh, as always, towered above Apple Bloom. He had no doubt the nymph was his little sister, and it wasn't because she knew things that only an Apple would know. "Ah know yer Apple Bloom." His steady look held no guile.
"How's that?" Apple Bloom squinted, but didn't pull away when the stallion's huge hoof lifted and came down on her head.
Ruffling the nymph's head-fin, Big Mac smiled down at her. "Just ways. Big brother ways." He kept ruffling her fin, finding the action similar to ruffling her mane when she was a filly. "You got a new Apple in there?" He nodded towards the egg Apple Bloom had been carrying.
"Yeah. About that." Apple Bloom had just about had enough of the rough attention of her brother, but there wasn't a force in Equestria that would make her push him away—not now that she had gotten home. "She… she knows everythin I know, and she even sounds like me!"
McIntosh hummed a little. "Well, that makes her an Apple. Here she comes now." He drew his hoof back and stepped closer to the egg.
With her big brother at her side, Apple Bloom could have faced down the whole changeling army, let alone one little nymph on her hatching day. As soon as the egg disgorged the dark changeling from within, Apple Bloom moved up to clean her newest sister off. "Hey there."
The new changeling nymph coughed, spitting out the last of the gunk from her nose and throat. Her soft wings couldn't chirp yet, but she did rub them just so, so they would have if they were. "Hi!"
Both nymphs were suddenly being crushed by huge, red limbs. Big Mac held both his little sisters close. The way the newborn nymph had moved, even how she spoke, told him she was an Apple.
"Big brother!" Both nymphs exclaimed at the same time, then looked at each other and laughed.
"This is weird." Apple Bloom nonetheless was hugging her new sister just as much as she was Big Mac. "Do you still remember everythin'?"
"Yup!" The newest Apple grinned. "Ah remember them capturing us… and…" Her expression turned worried. "Where are the changelings who were disguised as us going to go?"
McIntosh shook his head. "Not our problem. Nnnope."
"Yeah, Ah think we have enough to worry about." Apple Bloom's irrepressible good nature flared brightly. "So what are we going to call you?"
"Hey, that's your job!" Apple Bloom's twin stuck her tongue out. "Remember our lessons? You are supposed to pick a name for me."
Apple Bloom pondered for a few moments. "It has to be apple related." Both her siblings nodded to that. "And it should probably be related to my name…"
"It doesn't have to be, but…" The newest Apple blushed a little. "… Ah would really like that."
Apple Bloom tapped her chin with a free hoof. "Apple Seed? Nah, Babs already has the seed bit covered. What about Apple Cider?"
"We already got two of those in the family, not countin' yer big sister." Big Mac was helpful, in a not-helpful way.
"Ugh…" Apple Bloom looked at her sister for inspiration, and saw what she knew she looked like herself. She studied her twin's eyes, her expressive face, and even giggled a little at her perked-forward ears. "Blossom." The word just came to her. It swelled up from somewhere inside, and she knew it was right. "Apple Blossom."
"There's one of them too. A cousin of ours." Big McIntosh pressed his snout against Apple Bloom's neck. "But one more'd be okay."
"Apple Blossom? That is perfect!" Apple Blossom squirmed, but hugged her sister tightly. "Better than Beaded Lace." She poked her tongue out at Apple Bloom. "I can't believe you let Sweetie talk you into that!"
"It was the best idea at the time!" Apple Bloom giggled, then booped her brother on the nose. "Our friends are comin', let us down Big Mac."
Big Mac didn't relent, giving both nymphs a tighter squeeze for a moment before finally setting them down. Terror dawned on the stallion. He watched as four more nymphs approached, and he could easily pick out two that walked with the confident strut of Scootaloo, and the other two with Sweetie Belle's unmistakable awkwardness. There was now six Cutie Mark Crusaders.
A lesser stallion would have let out a high-pitched scream and bolted. A lesser Apple might have gibbered madly and backed away. Big Mac shook his head. "Nnnope." He turned and slowly walked off to give the nymphs some room.
"What did you name her, Apple Bloom?" Buzzaloo looked between Apple Bloom and Apple Blossom, suddenly unsure which was the original.
"No, silly." Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "She wouldn't have named her Apple Bloom, that would have gotten so confusing…" She froze and turned on the two Apple nymphs. "You didn't name her Apple Bloom, did you?"
Apple Bloom and Apple Blossom turned and looked at each other, and laughed riotously. "Now, Sweetie Belle, Ah named her Apple Blossom." Apple Bloom sobered a little from her giggles. "Err, you are Sweetie Belle, right?"
"Hi, I'm Adore Belle." Adore waved from beside Sweetie.
"And I'm Buzzaloo!" Scootaloo tried to keep a straight face, but was losing control quickly.
Bopping her twin on the head gently, Buzzaloo pointed to her own chest. "No, I'm Buzzaloo!"
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
"So…" Shining looked at Vinyl, and the whole world collapsed in as she realized that they were both very small little changelings, in a very big world. "We go to Canterlot…"
"And rescue Cadance." Vinyl nodded to her sister. "Can't forget that. It is a little backward, but I think we can have a prince save her princess." The pronouns didn't bother Vinyl in the least; years of dealing with two different lives—as two different genders—had divested her of the need to bind things to one or the other.
Shining Armor nodded. "And kick Chrysalis' plot all the way back to The Badlands." She looked around for Thorax, and spotted her talking with Mayor Mare. "And hope Thorax doesn't slip into what Chrysalis is."
"I don't think she will." Vinyl watched the queen changeling in question beside her sister. "A problem for after we rescue the day." Her conclusion wasn't the best, but the plan so far had been working.
"We aren't going to take them all." Shining looked across at all the other nymphs. She looked to Vinyl and got a nod from her, then up to Thorax. "I don't care what happens, we are not taking foals, nymphs," she corrected herself, "into a fight."
"Scythe." Thorax had to lift her voice, she knew the changeling wouldn't be too close. Her eyes caught sight of the changeling in question, and she watched them move calmly through the other changelings and stop just beyond what they both figured her "control radius" was.
"Your Majesty?" Scythe dipped her head to Thorax; she might not want to be under the Queen's control, but she still respected her for saving the nymphs.
Thorax cleared her throat. "We are going to Canterlot to stop Chrysalis." The words drew a chirp of shock from Scythe. "You knew this was coming, but I wanted to give you the more important job. I want you to stay here and guard the nymphs. If things… If it goes south… I want you to pack up the whole town and move north, flee into the icy north."
Scythe couldn't break away from the shock she felt. She stared at Thorax with admiration and pride for having chosen to throw her lot in with the new queen. "Your Majesty, I will guard Ponyville with my life, and if it comes to it, will do everything I can to protect the nymphs."
"And the ponies, Scythe. If Chrysalis wins, nowhere will be safe to feed. You will need to take these ponies and keep them safe too." It was a ruse to get around Scythe's fixation, but it was one Thorax was willing to use. "We are going in the old fashioned way, and we will infiltrate as best we can."
"You are forgetting something, Your Majesty." Scythe gestured to the distance between them. "Anyling you take with you could stumble into Chrysalis' control circle. You won't be able to tell who she is."
"I know." Shining lifted a small, black forehoof. "Queen Chrysalis will want the biggest part in it, right?" Thorax and Scythe nodded. "Then she will be at the wedding as me—as Shining Armor." As she spoke, Shining called her fire and imagined the form she had worn for a little over half her adult life. It took a lot of energy, Shining was a big stallion, but when it was done he found himself at eye level with Thorax. "My Queen, she will look exactly like this."
Thorax looked to Scythe and raised one eye ridge. "Our nymphs are quite clever. I am taking Shining and Vinyl with me, as well as Sunset." At mention of her twin, Thorax saw Sunset turn and look at them. "Might as well come over."
Sunset didn't hesitate from walking right up to Thorax and putting both forelegs around her twin and hugging her hard. "You brought me back this far, I can't believe I am so close to Canterlot again."
"Will you come with me for the last step? We need to deal with Chrysalis." Thorax felt Sunset tremble a little against her. "Just four of us. Anymore and we will be too easy to spot. Sneak into the wedding and ambush Chrysalis before her plot is ready to unfold."
"The wedding is tomorrow?" Sunset looked to Shining Armor, her eyes tracing the big stallion. An old appreciation for Guardsponies welled up in her, and she wanted to rush to him and cry, and beg him to make it all better. "The groom?"
"This is what Chrysalis will look like, you can guarantee it." Vinyl surprised everyone by breaking into the conversation. "This is normally not my scene, but I need to fight for her."
Shining watched Vinyl's head turn and gaze up at Canterlot, and he suddenly had a revelation about his twin's motivations. 'She loves Cadance as much as I do,' Shining thought, and it cut him to the bone. He wanted to scream and yell, and tell Vinyl that Cadance was his mare, but Vinyl was everything he was.
Vinyl called her fire, restoring her pony form. But it wasn't the Ponyvillian that she took up. He had big hooves, proud arched neck, and short-cut mane and tail; Vinyl took the same form as Shining Armor, and was Shining Armor. "You're the original, I know, but…" Vinyl lost his train of thought for a moment. "… but I love her, Shiny. I really love her with everything in me. The thought of Chrysalis being with her boils my blood!"
Shocked by Vinyl's vehemence, Shining stepped closer to his twin and lifted one foreleg for a stalliony hug. "I don't know about all this, but you have every right to love Cady, I can't stop you from doing that. Let's get her safe and then decide on what to do about 'us.' "
"I love her with everything I am, but you were the stallion who got down on his knees and asked her to marry him." The words were cutting Vinyl up to say, but he had to get them out. "If it comes down to you or me, Shining, you have to make it."
"No, we will both make it. This is too big a decision to get out of making that easily." Shining lifted a hoof up, and Vinyl struck it with his own perfect duplicate. Turning to face Thorax, he gave the queen changeling a lop-sided smile. "When are we leaving?"
Thorax called her fire, channeled the image of Sunset Shimmer as a pegasus, and burned her way into the shape. She looked from Shining and Vinyl to her own twin. "As soon as we all have forms with wings. Really, did you think we were going to walk?"
"I got Floating High." Vinyl cut in, sticking his tongue out at Shining. Sitting back, he flashed with fire again, and became the pegasus ponysona they had made up in class.
"Well, I will just go as myself, with something extra…" Shining felt a rebellious edge, and sprouted wings from his back with a swirl of flame. "There, perfect!"
"You're an alicorn stallion!" Vinyl waved a big forehoof at Shining. "You can't go disguised like that!"
"Nopony will recognize it. Besides, it feels good to be me again." Shining spread his new wings and gave them a few flaps. "Although one thing seems to have been forgotten."
Thorax looked at Shining and had to stifle a giggle at his alicorn state. "What have we forgotten?"
"We never got those flying lessons. I have no clue how to use these things!" Flapping the wings more, Shining made his point when he almost fell sideways by an errant breeze. "See!" His mane became disheveled by the efforts to show his ineptitude.
"Well then how are we going to get to—" Sunset's question died in her throat when the sound of a train whistle cut through the air. She looked at Shining, then to Vinyl, and finally Thorax. "Come on, we can get the train to Canterlot!"
With one last look at Scythe, Thorax turned and trotted to catch up with her sister, Shining, and Vinyl. "I just realized, none of us have any bits!"
"I have you covered." Shining and Vinyl had to part as a brown furred earth pony pushed up between them. "I am still not sure what is going on, which is why you are going to explain everything on the train." Octavia Melody looked between Shining and Vinyl, her eyes making each sure that Octavia was not going to miss out on anything.
"Great!" Sunset stepped up to the railway station before the others, and right up to the ticket counter. "Five for Canterlot please!"
"Oh, oh sure!" The old pony in the ticket booth dipped his head towards Shining Armor. "Not often we have a prince! Here, your royal tickets, Your Highness!"
Shining lit his horn, taking possession of the tickets. "Th-Thank you!" He stammered a little, suddenly reminded that he had a horn and wings. This was the exact opposite of low-profile.
"Too late now, just roll with it." Thorax spoke from the side of her mouth, and nudged everyone towards the train.
"Yes dear, just get on the train." Octavia rolled her eyes at Vinyl, but pushed and prodded Shining forward. Once they were all on board, the train's whistle blew again and it started rolling forward.
"Now drop the wings." Vinyl poked Shining's shoulder. "Come on, only I get to have wings!"
"They have already seen me, no point. Besides, it will get us into the castle." Shining cocked his eyebrows at Vinyl, then looked up to Thorax. "Trust me. There are protocols for visiting dignitaries!"
"Those are for alicorns, which are mares." Vinyl rolled his eyes. "At least swap to mare if you are going to go ahead with this."
"That would work. You could claim to be a princess from a long way away, here for the wedding. We could be your entourage!" Sunset lifted her voice and started to sing. "Behold, behold…"
Shining conceded the point by calling his magic. Green fire swirled around him and wiped away all the sharp, male lines of his body, smoothing them into softer curves. She gave a sigh and fluffed up her wings. "At least that is easier now."
"That is amazing." Octavia couldn't keep the wonder out of her voice. "But now you are going to tell me every detail. Start with the night you were meant to come back to my house."
"Well, I saw three fillies being carried by changelings…" Shining began her story. The conductor came in the middle of it, and stamped off their tickets with a bow to Shining. Left in peace again, Vinyl took over the story, and they were just getting to their flight from the hive when shouting stole everyone's attention.
"We are with Shining and Vinyl!" Apple Bloom tried to shake her ear free of the conductor's grip on it. She was disguised as herself, and behind her five more fillies followed. "Tell them Shining!"
"Apple Bloom! What… what are you girls doing on the train?" Vinyl was on his hooves and stomping forwards. "You are meant to be safe in Ponyville!"
"I take it you do know them?" The conductor hadn't relinquished his magic grip on Apple Bloom's ear.
"Yes." Shining rolled her eyes. "You can release them. I don't suppose there is any way to take them back to Ponyville?"
"Not without getting another train from Canterlot, Your Highness." Releasing his grip on Apple Bloom, the unicorn shook his head. "Goin' to the wedding?"
"We are." Thorax puffed her pheromones a little stronger than she intended, and when the expanded Cutie Mark Crusaders rushed up to her, they seemed to stop at the edge of her area of control. "You… you are okay, girls?"
Shaking her head, Buzzaloo looked up at Thorax. The comfort of being close to her queen made her want to chirp changeling wings she didn't have in this disguise. "Sorry, but we need to look after our big sisters."
"And our fellow Crusaders!" Scootaloo lifted a hoof up to give Shining a clop, then repeated the action with Vinyl. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, Saviors of Equestria!" When she lifted her hoof into the air, not only did all her other foal-sized Crusaders lift their hooves to clop, so did Shining and Vinyl.
Sunset looked at the odd behavior, and turned to look at a grinning Shining Armor. "Was this something you all started doing as part of a pledge?"
Apple Blossom shook her head. "No ma'am. The Cutie Mark Crusaders have been saving the day since we first met each other!"
"It's true. And now this," Octavia waved a hoof at Shining, Vinyl, and all the rest of the Crusaders, "has just turned three little fillies exploring adolescence together into… into an army of little changelings." She managed to hold her stern expression for nearly three seconds before a grin split cracked her serious look.
"If you don't tell us whatever joke you just thought of, 'Tavi, there is going to be tickles." Vinyl raised a single eyebrow at the mirthful earth pony.
"Little changelings." Octavia waved a hoof from measuring something tall, to something short. "Change… littles! Changelittles!"
"We call them nymphs." Sunset tried to correct Shining and Vinyl's friend, but she was starting to smile too. "Changelittle is pretty cute, though."
The disguise hadn't felt right, and with a rush of green fire Vinyl Scratch appeared. She felt right, more herself, and looked out the window of the train. Vinyl watched the huge city of Canterlot get closer and closer. Reaching a hoof over, she gently tapped Shining on the shoulder.
"Yeah, I see it. I hope she hasn't gone too overboard." Shining Armor looked at the massive blue barrier around the castle—shimmering with the colors of Cadance's magic. "It must be draining her pretty hard. Shields were always my… our… thing."
"Shields an' music. You could make some great tunes even before you invented Vinyl." Vinyl felt a little odd talking about herself like that. She was an entity that had been created only months earlier, but had existed as part of Shining for most of his life, and still did even as he was part of her.
"You look like you just ate a rock." Shining put a foreleg around Vinyl and hugged her. "What's the matter?"
"Just thinkin' about where we stand, who we are… who I am…" Vinyl huddled against Shining. Despite her other half not being a stallion, Shining was big enough to snuggle against nonetheless.
"You are more of me. I created Vinyl as a means to escape what life seemed destined to thrust upon me. I love her to bits, she helps me exist. You're not her, but you have her inside you, just like I do." Shining breathed out, huffing a little as she fished for the words she wanted to use. "We might need to work out names better at some point, but for now you can be Vinyl, because of every other pony in Equestria, you know the most about her."
Vinyl found she was fine with everything said so far. "But what about me?" She looked up at Shining, but Shining's eyes were locked on the castle and city of Canterlot.
"I don't know you as being any different to me, so we will have to see." Shining Armor turned her gaze down to the mare pressed to her side. "You know more about me than I do about you, but I want to learn more."
The front of the train kissed against the magical barrier, and like a sharp needle pushing into the bottom of a balloon it pressed into the force field. Shining and Vinyl both snapped their heads up at the same time and saw a blue barrier sweeping along the carriage towards them.
"Oh bug…" Thorax stepped forward and threw her own magic out. With the tip of her spell formed into a point, Thorax flared the rest to pierce a careful hole in the field and then closed it behind her. Her heart was pounding, and the queen changeling looked around at her drones. "That… that could have been bad…"
"Don't you think it was strange that it let your magic in?" Walking right up to Thorax, Shining butted her head against her neck in a show of affection and thanks. "Almost like someone had tampered with the spell."
"Or the spell caster." Vinyl almost trembled in fear at the thought of what the monster was doing to Cadance. A horrible thought hit her, of what if one of the larvae was allowed to infest Cadance. "We have to go now, we have to save Cady…"
Shining's head snapped to her twin at the use of the very private word she had used. 'She remembers Cady, I can't hold her love against her', Shining thought. "We need to find out when the wedding is. It was supposed to be tomorrow, somepony said—"
"That was me." Octavia walked not to Shining, but to Vinyl. "And it is. We have a night and a morning to get in there."
Vinyl reacted instinctively to Octavia, reaching a foreleg around her friend and hugging her. "Well, best way to go is to Mom and Dad's. If we convince them not to go, it gives us two great disguises too."
"Okay." Shining pulled back from Thorax, and smiled at her. "Thanks, I needed that." She was referring to the comfort and relaxation just being near Thorax gave. "Come on." The last was to the rest of the car's occupants. Disguised as a princess, Shining Armor stepped from the train.
"Make way for Princess Guardinia!" Apple Bloom, disguised as a guard with nondescript, shiny armor, trotted around Shining and led the way. Her fellow Crusaders, each in their own guardspony disguise, rushed to make a royal escort up.
Shining was taken aback at first, but couldn't do anything but play to the lead the nymphs had made. And it worked. Ponies stared at them, but made way for "the Princess" and her retinue. Holding her head high, Shining Armor A.K.A. Princess Guardinia, strode down from the platform and through the station.
Apple Bloom was proud of her quick thinking, and was so excited to play a big part in the mission that she completely forgot an important fact. Not half a block from the train station she turned her head slightly. "Where do your parents live?"
"Scratch that, we can't go there now. Straight to Canterlot Castle." What little plan they had made was shattered; a royal delegation couldn't march up to somepony's house.
"We could be visiting Princess Cadance." Adore Belle was marching at Shining's side, and doing a great job of making her armor look ten times more fabulous than all except Sweetie Belle's. "And asking the groom's parents."
"Alright. Alright. Straight on until that blue shop, then left. Be ready for when I stop after that." Shining strutted as best she could, ruffling her wings and tossing her mane a little with perfect movements. She knew she was showing off because it was what Cadance did when others weren't there to see. At last she slowed and stopped, and amazingly all the Crusaders halted on a dime.
"Your Highness, this is the residence you asked for." Apple Bloom spoke as if there was no doubt that this had all been arranged in advance.
"Good work, Lieutenant." Shining relaxed into standard Guard titles, not wanting to mess up any plans the nymphs had worked out in advance or would work out on the fly. Stepping past Apple Bloom, Shining lifted a hoof and knocked on her parents' front door.
"Coming!" Twilight Velvet made her way from her start charts to the front door. Opening it she found herself almost double taking. A squad of guardsponies stood at attention around an alicorn mare that looked a lot like her Shining Armor. "May I help you?"
Not sure what she expected would have happened, Shining was caught off guard when her own mother didn't recognize her. She had three full heartbeats—loud and thudding in her ears—before her brain kicked into gear. "Princess Guardinia," she bowed her head, "and I was hoping to see Princess Mi Amore Cadenza before the wedding. A Vinyl Scratch suggested I would find her here."
Twilight Velvet's eyes widened at her son's secret second self. There was only one pony she knew of who would link the two, apart from Shining Armor himself, and the mare before her wasn't Night Light. "How intriguing." Part of Twilight assumed it was a trap, the other part started putting dozens of little facts together. Her son's behavior over the lead up to the wedding had been quite strange, and something about the way the mare before her stood started to tip her off to something she really didn't like the idea of. "Come in, please." She paused and looked at the guards. "I think you might find it comfortable if you go around to the back yard."
Shining stepped forward, entering her foalhood home, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Mom, you have to believe me, I am Shining Armor."
"I take it this is another mission for the guard?" Twilight froze the moment Vinyl Scratch walked into her home. She looked from the alicorn to the unicorn, and back again. "I think we need some tea."
The words soothed both mares, Shining looking at Vinyl and then reaching a foreleg out to give her a hug. "Mom, there is a lot to tell you, and it might be best if Dad is here to hear it too."
"Your father doesn't get home for another hour. Don't worry about him, I will pass everything on." Twilight calmly made the pot of tea. Setting cups and all the needed accouterments on a tray, she made her way into the living room where her son, and his alter ego, sat together. Taking a seat opposite them, she began pouring the tea. "Tell me what happened."
Shining Armor stretched a wing around Vinyl, remembering how great it felt when Cady did that to her. "It was… I am not sure exactly how long, but I left Canterlot after a gig as Vinyl, and headed to Ponyville. I sent 'Tavi ahead to our house there, and collected my bags. Then they struck."
"What struck? Or is it 'who'?" Twilight knew her son well, and the way the alicorn spoke matched him perfectly, right down to forgetting some of the more important details. She sipped her tea slowly.
"Changelings. Monsters." Shining took a deep breath and called her fire. The big form melted off her, and she shrank down to the nymph she was. "Like this, but bigger."
"Shining! You could have warned Mom first!" Vinyl got up and marched over to Twilight Velvet, helping her pick up the extra cups that had bounced off the tea set.
"Sorry, but you need to know, Mom. This is… this is what I am now. Vinyl too." Shining flashed her fire and resumed the princess form. The explanation continued. Vinyl cuddled against her when she described being invaded. She cuddled her when she spoke of being forced to follow and help in the capture of foals. She cuddled her when she described giving birth to an egg—to Vinyl's egg.
Twilight's cup of tea was long gone, and the pot grown cold. "This is a lot, and big. So the stallion pretending to be you is this evil bug queen, and you are here to stop her?" Shining and Vinyl nodded to her. "And you were going to rush in and save the day? You came here with support, why wouldn't this queen have as well?"
"That is why I didn't march into the city as Shining Armor." Shining rolled his eyes. "But we have to stop this right away."
"No, tomorrow is the best time." Twilight Velvet sighed a little over having no more tea. "You want their queen to reveal all her plans, pull all her hidden agents into the light, and round them all up together. Poor Cadance will just have to bear it one more night."
"Can we stay here?" Vinyl had Shining's wing around her again, and felt relaxed and safe in a way she knew wasn't true. Memories came unbidden of Cadance hugging her just like this.
"Of course you can't, you must go to the castle and announce yourselves. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna need to be informed of all this." Twilight Velvet frowned a little. "But not Twily. She already suspects Shining of being some kind of monster, and seems devoted to trying to work out what made you go so bad. She would explode if we told her now."
"Cadance?" Shining and Vinyl said the name together, and both looked at their mother with beseeching hope in their eyes.
"If you can get close to her. She has been acting quite strange lately, and hasn't gone more than seconds without either the fake Shining nearby, or one of her new guards…" Twilight shook her head. "Well, I guess we know some of the changelings will be those guards."
"Do you think the Crusaders can pull this off?" Vinyl hated feeling so safe and cozy against Shining, she was meant to be the wild one, but this was really serious.
"Of course they can. They were trained by the best." Shining felt a little, telltale tug from Vinyl and let her go. "Can you head around the back and get them to form up, I will wait at the door." Pausing a moment, Shining grinned. "And remember Vinyl, you have some Shining Armor in you too. You can be the big tough stallion if you want."
"Yeah-yeah. Everypony will get confused if 'Vinyl' starts being the big hero." Vinyl knew the way to the back door as if she had grown up in the house.
Twilight Velvet waited for her newest foal to leave the house, and she was trying to drive that fact home; Vinyl was her daughter now, and literally always had been. Getting used to her colt's alter ego walking around on her own was almost as strange as getting used to her colt as a filly. "What about Cadance?" Twilight looked at Shining directly.
"I know, and I don't know. We both love her, we both remember every good thing that happened with her, and all the bad things too. I love Vinyl like a sister, but… I need to talk to Cady about it." Shining looked out the window of the house, watched her "guards" forming up.
"Don't you lose that mare of yours, Shining Armor. I don't know as a trouble magnet like you could find another like her." Twilight stretched up and offered her cheek.
Shining didn't hesitate, leaning down and kissing his mother's cheek, and then reached his wings out and around her for a hug. "I know, Mom. I don't…" She gulped and tried to continue. "I don't want there to be anything in Vinyl's way if I don't get through this. Make sure she knows that, makes sure they both do."
"Don't you dare let that mare down, Shining Armor. And don't you dare think that anypony is a substitute for yourself." Twilight opened the door herself and pushed Shining's plot out. "Go on and save the day, Shiny."
Words coming from his mother always were true. It was a tenant of foalhood that moms were always right, and their word was law. Nothing trumped a mom, and nothing could stand in their way.
Shining knew the rules regarding moms very well, Twilight Velvet had been everything a mom was expected to be, and she had never failed to be the unflinching shoreline in Shining's life—even now. As Shining turned, the rules reinforced the meager training she had been given as a changeling, and her course was not only set, but was sure. "I am Princess Guardinia, and I am needed at the castle. Take me there immediately."
"Of course, Your Highness." Apple Bloom snapped sharply to attention, turned, and began marching back along the street towards the castle.
Shining followed her guard of nymphs to the castle, trying to stride at least somewhat majestically. She knew full well that asking Vinyl, Sunset, or Thorax what to do was out of the question, now that the public eye was on them. "Very good, Lieutenant." Shining stepped past Apple Bloom as they reached the castle entrance.
"Make way! Princess Guardinia to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!" Sweetie Belle's voice surprised him with its intensity and timbre. Holding his lance vertically, he thumped the butt of it on the floor three times. For the first time in his life Sweetie was happy that his sister had insisted on formal etiquette training.
Leading the way now, Shining knew where the royal throne room was, and wanted to get word to the princesses as quick as she could. A pair of Royal Guard moved as swiftly as they could, each taking a flank position. "Well trained," her comment didn't so much as cause their ears to perk, "I must commend your commander." Curses ran through Shining's head, lamenting that there were no protocols for disguised Guards, or ways to catch potential doppelgangers in high command positions.
"Begging your pardon, Your Highness. Your name was Princess Guardinia?" Flash Sentry didn't dare look at the visiting princess, there was propriety that had to be maintained. "Where are you from?"
"Maretonia." Shining couldn't remember if they had invited the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, but he was reasonably sure that they wouldn't get in the way during the time it took to get to the throne room. She froze in place at the sight of Cadance departing the throne room. Just seeing her betrothed filled Shining with longing and fire. "Princess Cadance." The words tumbled from her mouth before she realized, and she had the attention of not just Cadance, but also the two guard flanking her.
"A new princess?" Cadance's attention, what little she could muster, turned to the newcomer to the "wings and horn club." Her eyes traced the mare's form, and she noticed some interesting little hints as to her origin. "You were a pegasus before ascension?"
Everything Shining knew about ascension, she had learned from Cadance; she nodded. "Still trying to get used to magic, Your Highness." The formal words tumbled out easily, and she watched a moment of levity jump into Cadance's tired-looking features.
"You will get used to it, trust me. And no need to use titles with me, just Cadance will do." Cadance found herself warming to the white alicorn, and she was smiling for the first time she could remember in days. "Maybe we could meet later and discuss your—"
"Your Highness." One of Cadance's guards tried to get her attention.
Shining's eyes snapped to the guard at Cadance's side. Not only didn't she recognize them as a member of the Royal Guard, but their armor wasn't quite "right." Shining knew they were a changeling, but she knew some things about the Royal Guard that they did not, it seemed. "Excuse me, but we were talking."
"Oh they are just trying to keep me on track for the wedding." Cadance's levity failed and she felt the weight of responsibility return in full. "Maybe after my wedding? I would love to talk to somepony about all," Cadance rolled her eyes up and inwards, "this."
"I am sure we will have lots to talk about, Cadance." Shining rushed forward and slammed into one of the changelings… or she wished she could. Watching as her darling Cadance was escorted away by two enemies, Shining made up more and more elaborate ways to disable the two drones before freeing Cadance. "Please, can I see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna now?"
"We can take you to Princess Luna, but Princess Celestia is taking care of important business." Flash Sentry snapped sharply to attention again. "If you would please come this way?"
"Thank you." For Shining the words came easily. She had experienced them from the other side, and the memory of the first time she had greeted a new princess was one of the best in her life. Not seeing Princess Celestia worried her. Princess Luna was not just newly returned, but also still growing used to modern Equestria. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw two more unknown Royal Guard in the throne room.
Luna tried to school her expression, as her sister would, at seeing something surprising. "We were not aware a new alicorn had ascended?" Her eyes tracked Shining's disguise. "What is thy name?"
"Guardinia, Your Highness. I am from Maretonia." Shining bowed her head before the Princess of the Night. "I bring glad tidings from the Duke and Duchess, as well as an important missive from them."
"Private missive?" Boredom with the situation faded as Luna watched Shining nod. "Very well, in the sitting room." As she turned, two guards moved to follow. "We will not require guarding from a fellow princess."
Shining picked up a stern tone that bespoke of annoyance at the obvious changelings—obvious to Shining at least. "Thank you, Your Highness." She followed Luna, and her eyes flicked to the two guards. Again Shining noticed the not-quite-right armor. The moment the door closed behind her, Shining almost buckled at the knees. "Their inside the barrier, the two guards are—"
"Shh." Luna slowly removed her hoof from Shining's mouth. Focusing her magic, she cast a spell that pulled the dark, still night around the room. Stars bloomed on the ceiling, and a single moonbeam fell down from above to kiss Luna's mane. "All of it. What is going on?"
Almost weeping in relief, Shining explained her own capture and changes, she described every important detail between the night she left the party and reaching Luna's presence. "They… we… are monsters!"
"We believe you, Shining Armor." Luna gestured to the dramatic scene her magic had built around them. "Under this spell, dreams and echoes of them are close to reality. We can feel every experience you had. Your mother is a very shrewd mare, and we agree with her assessment. Tomorrow, while we lead the proceedings, we will catch all these vipers in one bag."
"What happened to Princess Celestia? Is she okay?" A sense of being derelict in her duty filled Shining. "And what are they doing to Cady?"
"Our sister is sleeping more often than not. When she wakes, she is distant and prone to following the slightest suggestion. This sounds to us like the poison you described." Luna pondered the situation further. "She needs guards who aren't as likely the source as protectors."
"I know somepony who can do that." Shining saw light in the darkness that had nothing to do with the spell on the room. "Sunset Shimmer would be as devoted to her protection as I myself."
"If what they say is true about her, she was not the mare who broke their bond of student and teacher. Righting the wrongs done to her and our sister would be a perfect start to this. We trust you can identify the invaders?" Luna felt more comfortable in the darkness, even knowing the pony before her wasn't actually a pony anymore.
"I can identify the ones not disguised as an actual Guard. We shouldn't have recruited too many new ponies while I was away." Shining lowered his foreleg and dipped her head before Luna. "Thank you, Your Highness." The heavy weight that was the protection of Equestria lightened with the act of revealing the truth to Luna, and Shining felt herself nearly overwhelmed with relief.
"You have done well, Shining Armor. We will make sure Equestria comes out of this in one piece." Luna wasn't surprised at the outpouring of emotions. "But until tomorrow, we have tasks to do. Please see to our sister's protection, and we will ensure Cadance spends the evening without her guards."
Shining stood back upright and looked directly into Luna's eyes. "As you wish, Your Highness." She waited for Luna to drop the spell and gesture to the door, only for a banging noise to herald two of the changeling guards bursting in. With the protection of the room removed, both had shoved too hard and tumbled forward to land on the ground.
"Please, Princess Guardinia, see to the detail we have assigned you." Luna's tone was pleasant, she certainly didn't want there to be any idea that Shining was in trouble. "Why have you broken in on a meeting between two princesses?" As she spoke, Luna's tone grew more and more icy.
"Your Highness!" One of the guards got their hooves under them and assumed a credible Guard pose. "We heard noises and sounds of a struggle, we feared for your life!"
Shining left the fake guards to the not-so-kind mercies of Princess Luna, and hurried to where she saw Flash Sentry. "I have been assigned the task of seeing to Princess Celestia's recovery." Shining tilted her head back towards Luna.
"Something is going on?" Flash's instincts were not as well honed as the more senior Royal Guard, but his time serving under Shining Armor had been a "learn fast or drop out" scenario, and he had learned very quickly.
"Only the defense of Equestria." Shining said the words before thinking, and saw Flash's eyes widen. The saying was one of Shining's favorites when asked by the other Guards "what's up?" She narrowed her eyes and gave the slightest nod. "Could you see for me and my retinue to be quartered near Princess Celestia's rooms, and we will take over looking after her from the guards," she paused on the word, "there now."
Flash's world shook a little. He knew Shining Armor was in another part of the castle, and he also knew that since coming back from the covert mission a few months earlier he hadn't acted "right." Something big was going on, and the alicorn mare in front of him suddenly seemed more like his Commander than his Commander did. "Yes, Your Highness. Follow me."
Dipping her head an acceptable amount to acknowledge the request, Shining fell in beside Flash. "I have the most amazing story to tell you. You won't believe how we got here."
"I am probably going to believe it, but I expect it to be an interesting tale." Flash tried not to show the elation he felt. Leading Shining back out to her "retinue," Flash gestured inwards. "Princess Luna has arranged rooms for you all, we are quite full though."
Leading the way, Flash guided Shining, Thorax, Sunset, Vinyl, and the Crusaders through to the royal hall. The long hallway ended in two suites of rooms: one set bore a gold door, the other a cobalt blue one. Two Royal Guard stood at attention before the gold door. "Gentlecolts, your relief duty is here. Princess Guardinia has offered her own expertly trained guards to see to Princess Celestia's protection. Luna herself sang their praises as the most well-skilled and diligent troops she had ever encountered."
The words were not needed. Thorax walked forward, already spotting the two door guards looking right at her. She felt their presence, once they were within her area of control. "They can stay." She stepped closer, focusing her attention on the two. "What are your names?"
"Ch-Chitter!" Chitter had no clue why he had spoken his real name, but something demanded he answer the newcomer's question.
"Obsidian Gleam…" Sidi (as all her hive-mates knew her), almost trembled in place. She looked at the pony and felt her mind unraveling. "C-C-Can I touch… Can I touch you?" Her voice trembled, but the little nod she got in answer made her want to chirp. Dropping her disguise, she did just that. Stepping forward, she nuzzled against Thorax's neck, her wings making soft chirps over and over.
"Wh… what is this?" Flash looked at the strange creature that had been a guard a moment ago. "I must report this to Princess Luna! We are being infiltrated!"
"Flash!" Shining stepped before Flash Sentry. "Hey Flash, calm down. This is why Luna sent us here. You know it's me, I gave myself away like a foal." She lifted her hoof for the normal greeting of two Guardsponies.
Lifting his own hoof, Flash met Shining's and tapped twice. "Shining?" Just saying his Commander's name made everything seem better. "What the buck?"
"I'll explain inside. Buzz, Scoots; can you two guard the door for us?" Shining looked directly at the two Crusaders in question.
"Of course." Scootaloo smiled and took position where Sidi had been, while Buzzaloo had to shove Chitter out of the way.
"You seem a lot smaller now." Buzzaloo was comfortable in her queen's aura, but it was clear that Chitter was in a state of shock.
"Bring them in, girls." Shining opened the door and made her way into Princess Celestia's royal suite.
Princess Celestia stared at the group of ponies that came into her rooms, but what got her attention was the two monsters with them. Black and filled with holes and sharp edges, she wanted to shudder in revulsion at them. The way the changelings fawned on one of the ponies, she realized that they weren't ponies at all, but more monsters.
"Princess!" Shining rushed forward, her heart filling with horror; Princess Celestia looked like she had collapsed on the bed, and there were multiple puncture marks at her neck. "How long have they had you like this?"
"How long?" Thorax turned to Obsidian Gleam. "And how often is she being bitten?"
"M-Morning and night, Your Majesty. And she has been like this for two days." Obsidian cowered, expecting her new queen to be angry. With her little ears tucked back, she braced for a strike that never came.
Thorax reached a hoof out and pulled the cowering changeling against her. A rush of relaxing pheromones had Obsidian relaxing a little while Thorax stroked her crest. She looked over to where Shining stood beside Celestia's bed.
"Monster…" Celestia fought to get the word out. She glared up at the not-pony beside her. Confusion was eating at her anger, however. When they lifted a hoof up and pressed it to her cheek, she felt softness, warmth. The not-pony actually cared for her, and the realization of that broke at some of her anger. "Who…?"
"Shining Armor. The real Shining Armor. They foalnapped me in Ponyville, bit me…" Shining gestured to Celestia, "and hauled me off to their nest. I'm not a pony anymore. I'm a changeling, but that isn't going to stop me doing what is right."
Celestia stared at the "princess" standing over her. The look, the way she acted, it all spoke of a mare. Opening her mouth, she struggled and fought with her paralyzed vocal cords to get the words out that she wanted. "Protect… Equestria…"
"With my life, Your Highness." Shining bowed her head to Celestia. "We have spoken to Princess Luna, she sent us to guard you. The castle is wormy with changelings loyal to Queen Chrysalis, but we have a secret weapon." Turning to Thorax and Sunset, she smiled and looked back. "There is going to be a long talk, and I know you have a lot of questions, but tomorrow we fight for Equestria. Please, Princess, focus on regaining your control."
Holding Shining's gaze with her own, Princess Celestia felt certainty that this actually was Shining Armor, and she was sincere. A sudden thought came to her. She felt agitation swarm over her body, fighting the poison keeping her from moving as she wished. "L-L-Luna… Protect Luna…"
"She is aware of them." Shining felt a gnawing unease that Celestia was right. 'Of course she's right, she is Princess Celestia,' her thoughts startled her, and Shining realized how easily she had discounted Celestia just because the Princess was incapacitated. Nodding, she turned. "Queen Thorax, Sunset, get Flash to lead you to Luna's quarters. I can't believe I was so stupid to believe they wouldn't do something to her."
On the bed, Celestia's mind froze completely for what felt like forever to the alicorn. She stared at the mare Shining had called "Sunset" as she turned and left the room. Sunset Shimmer. The name brought sorrow and a little confusion. She added a new set of questions to the list she was formulating in her mind. A brief pang of sorrow filled her, for the nearest pony when she could first talk again.
Vinyl nodded to Shining and slipped out to escort Thorax and Sunset. She smiled when three of the Crusaders fell in too. "This just got so complicated." She knew the way to Princess Luna's quarters, but maintained the guise of following Flash Sentry along. She perked her ears and glanced to the three "guards" following her.
"We've got your back." Apple Bloom marched along, and her training in the changeling hive held her in good stead while her thoughts raced. "What have we got your back from exactly?"
"They could be making a move to replace Princess Luna before the ceremony. They could be simply putting her out of commission like Princess Celestia." Vinyl channeled her Shining-side to get the worst of the things out of her system. "Or it could be nothing."
In the more highly populated sections of the castle the group kept quiet, but leading to Luna's wing traffic thinned out again. "There she is." Thorax spotted Luna at the other end of the hall, and the Princess was just entering her own quarters. She couldn't recognize the two Royal Guards at the entry to the Princess of the Night's chambers, but she knew something was wrong when both turned and entered the room behind Luna.
"Something's wrong…" Vinyl jumped forward into a gallop, and was joined by Flash in her mad dash for the Princess. Reaching the door, Flash crashed into it, heedless of harm to himself. Vinyl blasted it, but neither attack did more than buffet the doors.
"Out of my way!" Sunset had discarded her disguise, and threw her magic into one of the more iconic of changeling attack methods. Power arced before her, and she streamed forward like a missile at the doors.
Thorax and Vinyl rushed inside, leaving a dazed Flash and Sunset behind them. Thorax watched the scene of her greatest horror playing out before her. She was paralyzed, staring at the changelings standing over Princess Luna.
"No…" Vinyl saw the pair of glistening fangs on one of the changelings moving back from Luna, and could see a little movement on the bed. "NO!"
Luna couldn't move. The first bite had taken her fight away and the second had completely stolen her limbs from under her. The orb laying before her face was broken and open, the green goop inside having leaked onto her midnight satin sheets.
Scootaloo flew through the doorway and didn't stop. Unlike the others, he took in the situation and knew that it was up to the Crusaders to stop this. "Get 'em!" He slammed a shoulder—that had suddenly grown spikes—into the nearest enemy changeling.
With room to get in close now, Sweetie Belle lit his horn and shoved the second nasty changeling aside. "A worm! Apple Bloom, get the worm!"
Luna's mouth was gaping open from her attempt to bite one of the changelings. The grub inside the egg before her disgorged itself onto the bed and started to inch closer. A cold sweat rushed over her; Luna didn't know what the thing was, but the way it was inching towards her mouth made her sick to her stomach.
Bundles of nerves that had no mind to them, yet, drove the newborn parasite on. It could sense the breath of its host near, and with sight that could only detect warm things, it aimed itself at its new home.
Landing on the bed, Apple Bloom watched the worm get catapulted into the air by his bounce. "Ah got it." He aimed his horn at the parasitic larva and blasted.
"You missed!" Scootaloo watched the worm land on Luna's shoulder. Just as he was about to line it up, the changeling he had crashed into regained their composure and tried to shove him away. "Ugh, help!"
Sweetie Belle was caught up fighting the changeling she had picked a fight with. Her training came to the fore and he burned energy shapechanging thick protective plates onto his body. Tactics swarmed in his head, but he knew they out-numbered the changelings, so defense was the best strategy.
Warmth at last! The parasite could feel its host's body under itself. A particular spot stood out like a beacon, but it was deep within its host. The parasite set its head against the warmth and started to bite.
Thorax finally broke the spell around her and stepped forward. "Stop this." Her words went unheeded by the brawling changelings, but the target of her command heeded it. The grub, mindless and full of potential, had halted as its mouth-parts had sliced a hole in Luna's shoulder. "This mare is not for you."
Apple Bloom gave a groan of relief as he watched the parasite levitate up and out of the wound it had made. But he pulled his eyes away from the green glowing worm to his fellow Crusaders. "Git off'a him!" This time his blast made contact, and sent the changeling fighting with Scootaloo flying.
Jumping back, Scootaloo surveyed the situation. Lowering his head, he blasted the changeling Apple Bloom had forced back with a good concussive blast that had them seeing stars. He looked back at Luna, and saw the terrified princess looking up at Thorax with one wide eye. Thorax held the parasite in her magic, and was slowly lifting it away from Luna. "Okay, things are under control there…" He swung around to look at Sweetie Belle.
"Bad buggy!" Sweetie's outrage overrode any actual anger. He was shocked that anypony or anyling would dare harm a princess. "You will not be naughty!" One of his heavily plated hooves lashed out and tripped the changeling he was engaged with. "You almost hurt Princess Luna!" Another kick—in just the right place—had the downed changeling seeing stars. "And you will be nice to everypony!"
"Sweetie?" Apple Bloom left the one defeated changeling and tried to get his friend's attention. "Sweetie Belle, it's okay. Queen Thorax got the worm, we were in time."
"H-How did you get here?" Luna's mouth was working again; her system was fighting the poison off quickly. Struggling to move, she realized she hadn't quite gotten enough movement to do that yet. "And what is that thing?"
"This," Thorax held up the grub with her magic, "is a changeling larva. Left to its work, it would have burrowed into you, grown inside you and become another you." She closed her eyes a moment and squished the larva's head. The act was sickening, and she placed the blame squarely on Chrysalis. "You would have been turned into just another changeling nymph."
"Are you okay Princess Luna?" Sweetie Belle had snapped from his outrage at the changelings' actions, and turned to Luna. "Is there anything we can do?"
"You can…" Luna bit back on what she was going to say. "Please guard me while I recover." It was all she could think to ask, and the only thing she needed right then. "Is my sister safe?" Any hope of her maintaining her aloof demeanor by using her royal plural pronouns was shattered, but what shocked her most was when her apparent saviors dropped their disguises. "Foals?!"
"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Apple Bloom puffed her little chest out and chirped her wings in pride. "And we're nymphs, not foals… not anymore." A lump caught in her throat.
"Sowwy we didn't get here sooner, Princess." Sweetie crowded in around Luna, along with her friends, although being nymphs it was much less crowding than when they were Royal Guard. "Are you hurt? Can you move? Oh, it hurt you…"
The assault of questions would have infuriated Luna if the changeling asking them wasn't so adorable. Pain flared in her shoulder, and she kicked and flapped her wings in agony. "Uggh!" Rolling from the bed, she landed on wobbly hooves. Panting hard, she turned her head and looked at the hole in her shoulder the grub had started to enter.
"If it had gone deeper I could not have stopped it." Thorax stepped up behind the three Crusaders. "On behalf of my kind, I apologize, Princess Luna." She dipped her head and bowed to the Princess of the Night.
Furious as Luna was, she knew that her saviors were not part of the conspiracy. She closed her eyes and counted slowly, forcing a nearly limitless anger back down. "Why were they doing this?"
"If it had gotten inside you a new toxin would have gone to work. You would have been pliable, weak to suggestions for action. Your magic would have faded to a speck, and you would have begun changing." Thorax levitated the grub's body into a nearby rubbish pail. "One of them would have likely taken your appearance and attended the wedding in your place."
"Who are you? Why are you telling the pony our plans?!" Lifting his head from where one of the "Royal Guard" had laid him out, one of the two drones glared at Thorax. "And you!" He glared at the Crusaders. "I can't believe I was beaten by nymphs!"
"So that was the plan?" Thorax turned her head towards the recovering drone, and started to disseminate a new pheromone. "Please, tell me everything about what Queen Chrysalis had planned for Princess Luna."
Eyes widening, the captive choked and coughed, and felt his brain splitting in two. Struggling between his orders and a command he now couldn't resist, he whimpered and lay back down on the floor. "I was supposed to disguise as the Princess, one of the others was going to disguise as the other one, and together we would have 'fought' with our Queen. We would have lost, bowed down, and let her claim Canterlot."
Luna blinked at the suddenly forthcoming changeling. "How do we know you are telling the truth? You seemed more than capable with lies moments ago…"
"He can't lie, Your Highness." Sweetie Belle's shyness hadn't returned yet. She was still buoyed up on the excitement of the fight that she would have talked about nearly anything. She realized then that what affected the drone was affecting her too, only she didn't care. "He can't tell anything but the whole truth now."
"All the truth." Apple Bloom couldn't stop herself from cutting in to clarify.
"And why can't he tell anything but the truth?" Luna looked between the apparently knowledgeable nymphs. "What is going on?" She directed her gaze to Thorax.
"I am their queen now. I… made sure they told the truth." Thorax reached a hoof out to tickle the head-fins of the three Crusaders. "Sorry if it got you girls too."
"That's okay!" Apple Bloom beamed. "Ah don't lie to princesses, it's a family thing." She nodded with a solemn look on her face.
"That was never a family thing!" Scootaloo poked Apple Bloom in the shoulder.
Nodding and sticking her long tongue out at Scootaloo, Apple Bloom ignored the poke. "Well it is now."
Princess Celestia was still weak. She tried to move again and again, fighting the poison in her system. After some time recovering her strength, she decided it was time for answers. "My sister…" She didn't want to think about what could happen, but she wasn't a princess because she shied away from things. "What will they try to do to her?"
Trapped by her Princess, Shining wanted to evade the question. "The worst case?" Celestia nodded to her, the slight motion almost enough to make Shining angry for what had been done. "The worst case would be they attacked Princess Luna, bit her until she couldn't move, and then implanted a larva into her."
Shocked, Celestia lay dead still while she tried to understand what that meant. Twice she opened her mouth to ask more questions, and twice she closed it again without knowing how to phrase a question for what she needed to know.
"Even if your sister becomes a changeling, I promise you that with Thorax's support she will not become a monster." Shining delivered the expected result for such an infestation along with her promise. "Best case would be they reach there and nothing is happening."
"You called that mare 'Sunset'?" The question wavered on Celestia's lips. She wanted to ask so much more, but the mare before her wasn't the pony to ask. Her own thoughts made Celestia smile a little, thinking of the monster she knew Shining to be as a pony was warming.
"Sunset Shimmer." Shining saw the shock of the confirmation, though slightly muted by the drugs, wash over Celestia's face. "But you need to ask her your questions. I can tell you just one more thing, she never stopped believing in you."
Celestia choked a gasp back. Closing her eyes, a wide smile covered her face while crystalline tears stained the bed-sheets under her. She felt a single weight leave her heart, and let her tears flow as a symbol of her joy.
Buzzaloo stiffened at the sound of knocking on the door. His attention jerked to the sound of two short taps, then a pause, then one more. "Friendly pony, singular." His translation of the code changelings used for non-verbal communication was mostly for Princess Celestia—Shining already knew it.
Flash opened the door and slipped inside, Vinyl following quickly behind him. "Sorry, Your Highness, but things were a little tense. I am not sure I understood exactly, but Luna's 'guards' turned on her, bit her, and were trying to put some kind of worm in her." He shuddered at the thought of the thing. "But those fillies… or nymphs… whatever they are called, they were awesome! Beat up the two guards and saved the day!"
"Alright!" Buzzaloo flapped his wings in excitement. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, Princess Saviors!"
"Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Flash was snapped from his report by the adult-looking stallion acting like an excited filly. "Are you all just nymphs?"
Shining took the question to heart and stomped her way over to Flash, calling her magic at the last second to reveal her true form. "That is what the process does. Is there something wrong with being 'just a nymph,' or a Cutie Mark Crusader, Lieutenant?"
Celestia, watching the "show" from her bed, couldn't help a giggle as the little changeling dressed down the big, brave Royal Guard. In truth, she was more than a little shocked as Shining Armor changed into what amounted as a foal. Thoughts clicked together, and she looked across at Vinyl—who had been keeping to herself. "Sunset might not be here to talk with, but you are a pony I hadn't thought to see while Shining Armor was around."
Vinyl couldn't help it, years of life as Shining Armor grabbed her body and brought her to attention before Celestia. "M-Me?" She looked askance at Shining. "I'm nobuggy important. I… the process of making a pony into a changeling, you know of it?" Celestia shook her head in reply. "Well, it all starts with somepony not being able to fight against the larva of a changeling. It crawls into them however it can, burrows deep and merges itself to its host." Her eyes were locked on Shining, not wanting to see how revolted Celestia was at the description.
"I started as a horrible monster. I was that p-parasite. But I wasn't at the same time." Vinyl's voice was soft, but everyone in the room had gone quiet enough to hear it. "I couldn't even put a thought together until I linked with Shining. He… She… I owe Shining everything." While she watched, the little changeling that was her other half walked towards her. Shining's hug might have been small, but to Vinyl it meant everything. "Everything about me from before then is Shining. When I think back to being a foal, I remember being him.
"Shining Armor was the pony that grew up, though, not me." Vinyl rubbed her hoof along Shining's back, careful to stroke the nymph's crest properly. "I was only actually born today. I guess this is my birthday…"
Celestia fought the poison in her system like she hadn't before. Even the thought of her own sister becoming a changeling hadn't moved her as much. In the back of her mind she theorized that there was a vast difference between desire for revenge and for wanting to protect somepony innocent. Climbing from the bed where she had lain for days, Princess Celestia reached Vinyl's side, and extended a wing. "It is your birthday, and I am sorry that it has to be this way, but tomorrow is important for all of Equestria."
Shining and Vinyl stared at Celestia. The alicorn towered above them, and despite her fragile situation, she seemed like she could carry the weight of Equestria on her back.
"We need to sleep." Shining felt tiny in the room, but didn't care. She looked around for a place to sleep, and was promptly plucked off her hooves in golden magic. "P-Princess?" Celestia climbed back up onto her bed and settled Shining in beside her.
"Anypony else may join us." Celestia looked at Flash and shook her head a fraction. He returned an equally small nod.
"I would love to, Princess, but I think I might relieve our door guard." Flash Sentry opened the door and looked at the two surprised "Royal Guard" standing with their backs to him. "Head inside and get some sleep." When neither moved to obey, Flash drew up his best command voice. "Now, cadets!"
Adore and Apple Blossom scrambled to move, and got all the way inside the room before they realized that Flash had somehow tricked them.
Vinyl giggled at the bewildered look on the two Crusaders. "Come on, get rid of your disguises so there is more room." Following her own example, Vinyl cast off her shape and jumped up onto the bed.
Celestia felt more little warm bodies crowd against her. "Good night, everypony." Just the little effort she had put into getting up and showing Vinyl some kindness had sapped her strength. Reaching out, she banished the light in the room.
Knocking at the door startled Sweetie Belle awake first. Poking her head up from where she had been curled up in a pile with her fellow Crusaders—against Thorax's side—she heard the unique tap-code for, 'Friendly, six of us.' Her thoughts raced, and she realized that unless the other Crusaders had abandoned Princess Celestia, there would not be six outside. "Wake up." She began poking snouts relentlessly, trying to ignore the rapping on the door.
Thorax startled awake while staring down the short, hole-filled foreleg of Sweetie Belle. Focusing on the nymph's face, she could see concern. "What's wrong?" The rapping on the door came again, and she got up. "It won't be convincing taking all Chrysalis' drones. Sunset?" She gently rocked her twin's shoulder with a hoof. When Sunset's eyes opened, Thorax continued. "You need to pretend to be one of the guards, disguised as Luna."
"Okay." Sunset called her power and forced it to wash the pattern of Luna over her black chitin. Stretching, she realized she had wings and a horn to worry about. "Got it, who else?"
"Sweetie Belle, you are the most awake. You can be changeling guard number two." Seeing Sweetie already nodding, Thorax looked to the other nymphs—who were just waking up. "Everybuggy else with me."
Sweetie looked at the drones her queen had "captured," and picked one. The memory of the Royal Guard disguise they had used was pushed out and over her, rebuilding her body to resemble the image perfectly. "Got it too." She lifted her hoof to Sunset, and got a firm clop back.
"What about us?" Luna had struggled awake, and looked between the changelings still in her room.
"They will expect you to be drugged." Sweetie Belle took charge, surprising even herself. "Having a parasail inside you—"
"Parasite." Sunset couldn't stop herself from correcting Sweetie.
"Right, one of them. When it is in you, at first, you can't stop obeying commands." Sweetie explained the situation as best she could. "So whenever we tell you something, just do it, okay?"
Sunset left Princess Luna and Sweetie Belle to the quick acting lesson, and approached the door. The tapped code came again, only now it was more like somepony trying to bash the door down. Wearing her guise as Princess Luna, Sunset unlatched the door.
Luna, the real one, slumped onto the bed just in time. She made sure she could see the changelings at the door as they marched in.
"Why did it take you so long to answer, Your Highness?" Sting looked around the three occupants of the room. When he saw two Lunas, he smiled. "No matter. The task is done? You have compromised the only capable princess of Equestria?"
Sweetie embraced the confidence and forwardness of the Royal Guard he resembled. "Well of course. Do you think we are as incompetent as nymphs or something?" Pointing one iron-shod hoof at Luna, Sweetie cleared his throat. "Princess Luna can't speak anymore, but I bet she just loves jumping up and down on one hoof."
Luna's confusion painted the picture perfectly, although as she moved up and off the bed, she knew she was about to make a spectacle of herself. She shot a foul look around the room, and despite still being weak from the poison, began to hop.
"You can stop now." Sweetie Belle managed to hide his face from the "guests" and gave Luna an apologetic smile. "Lay back down on the bed, pony."
Sunset thought they had done it, and were clear. But just as she was getting excited inside, her heart ran ice cold. Shining Armor, or a pony that looked just like him, walked into the room with obvious disdain for everything in it. 'Chrysalis!' Sunset thought, knowing that the real Shining Armor would first check on the fallen princess on the bed.
"Well, well, well." Chrysalis arched his neck, looking as regal as he could in the stallion's form. "Another princess at my mercy, and the first that will be under my hoof completely." He flicked his head to what he thought was one of his own drones disguised as Luna. "Take two guards with you, prepare for the day. I trust you have learned your role well?"
A surety of purpose filled Sunset. She stared at Queen Chrysalis and bowed deeply. "Of course, my queen." Biting down on any further words, Sunset was struggling with the need to tell Chrysalis everything, absolutely everything. She gave one last glance at Sweetie Belle and almost cried as she left the nymph to the monster in the room.
"Another of the things dear Celestia holds dear." Chrysalis licked his lips in anticipation. "I have been waiting for this moment. Do you know what I did to Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia's personal student?"
Luna's heart was thudding in her throat. Her every sense screamed for her to get up and run, fight, or both. Opening her lips, her dry mouth only let her croak softly.
"My queen." Sweetie Belle just about trembled in terror. "M-M-My Queen!" When Chrysalis' full attention turned on Sweetie, he did the only thing he could think of: he rambled. "We were playing with the Princess, and we told her she can't talk, and then Bite… Bite said we should make her lick our hooves clean and then we—"
"I see." Chrysalis cut the babbling drone off. He was used to fresh 'lings losing themselves in his presence, and wrote the drone off as young. "Very well. Guard her, don't let her come to any harm… or I will flay you." Diverting his attention back to Luna, Chrysalis showed off fangs he hadn't bothered to shapechange away. "Later, I will devour everything you hold dear."
Watching Chrysalis stomp from the room, Sweetie Belle couldn't shake the terror that he had been instilled with. His blood was icy in his veins. "Thhhh-Thorax… Help..."
It cost Thorax a little part of her sanity to have to wait for Chrysalis to leave the room and reach a safe distance down the hall. Chirping her wings, she rushed out to the bedroom and pulled Sweetie belle into a tight hug. "It's alright. Just relax, and breathe deeply." Her chirping continued until she felt Sweetie Belle relax against her, dropping her disguise.
"Well, that hath blown it. We appear to have run into a problem. I had hoped that my sister and I would be able to slip into the ceremony instead of our doubles, but I think Sunset would be in trouble if I were to attempt to switch." Luna shot one look at Sweetie Belle, and gave her a wink to show she hadn't taken offense at the antics during the visit.
Thorax followed Luna's words, but kept hugging the distraught nymph to her. "Are you okay?" When Sweetie nodded, now well doused in Thorax's pheromones, the young queen turned to the Princess. "A fair judgment. But that gives us another advantage. They won't expect there to be even one alicorn princess to put up a fight." As she said the last word, Thorax watched Luna's eyes flare with excitement.
"We must see to our sister." Luna, charged with excitement at the prospect of actually doing something, was halfway to the door before anypony said anything.
"Wait!" Thorax realized that the word meant little to an alicorn who was set on a course. "Everybuggy, come on." Realizing that although she might be a queen, a princess in motion out ranked her completely.
Falling in behind Luna, each of the changelings flashed with fire and assumed the part of an honor guard. They followed the Princess of the Night all the way back to Princess Celestia's rooms.
Luna eyed Flash Sentry, then turned to her "guards" and raised an eyebrow. "Is this one with you?"
"No, Your Highness." Flash Sentry bowed to Luna. "Just a Royal Guard doing his duty. Princess Celestia's attackers will have a hard fight if they wish to attack tonight."
Turning her gaze down then back up, Luna took in the stallion's stance and ready devotion. "You are a good pony, Flash Sentry." The name bubbled up from her memory, but she liked the effect it had on the stallion when she used it.
Thorax gave a sigh when Princess Luna finally entered the rooms, and slipped in after her. Laying on the bed, surrounded by nymphs, Princess Celestia slept calmly. One of Celestia's eyes opened at the intrusion on her bedchambers, but seeing her sister only drew her worried expression into a smile. "Your Highnesses. We need to get our sleep for tomorrow. I fear that if we try to do too much tonight we will be at a major disadvantage come dawn."
Luna was burning with energy, and despite the sense of Thorax's argument, she knew sleep would be hard for her to find. "I'll keep watch on this side of the door." Leaving nothing to be debated, Luna turned and stepped up to the door.
Sunset Shimmer was resting among her former hive-mates. A large guest suite was the changeling barracks, and she cautiously took a spot on the floor of the room. Settling on the floor, she seemed to close her eyes for just a moment before a black hoof was shaking her awake again.
"Our Queen said you have to take the throne today. The wedding will be in two hours." The drone turned and walked away, leaving Sunset to groan and make an unhappy chittering sound.
Inhaling a deep breath, Sunset let it out and realized that the command Chrysalis had given her was faded. Even without Thorax's presence, she felt herself somewhat resistant to the other queen. Using a flash of fire to neaten her mane and prepare Luna's form for the day ahead, she mentally promised to apologize to Luna for whoever she was likely to insult with her ignorance of the court.
The guards all snapped to attention as Sunset strode into the throne room, and to her keen eyes she could see that there wasn't a single changeling among them. "They must all be preparing for the wedding…"
"Your Highness?" Long Dive ruffled his leathery wings as he approached the mare he thought was his princess. "With the wedding today, you don't have to hold court." He wasn't sure how, but Long sensed something was a little off with "Luna."
Sunset was prepared to blow the stallion off and do as she wished, but something caused her to narrow her eyes at Long Dive. "Have I not always held you to the strictest confidence?" The stallion stiffened visibly, snapping a tight nod. "My suspicions about the Royal Guard…"
"You have found proof?" The words tumbled from Long Dive's snout before he could think straight. Finding a large percentage of the royal guard acting odd, with no history in any census of their members, had been his own idea.
"Guards! Bar the doors!" Sunset barely managed the Royal Canterlot Voice, but despite that the Royal Guards carried out her will. "Luna is safe, I am here working with friends to help undo what… what some of our kin are attempting."
Long stared in shock as his princess burned in green fire, revealing a monstrous pony in her wake. "What… what is going on?!" He took some worried steps back.
"Princess Luna is safe. I am taking her place until we can root out all the infiltrators Queen Chrysalis sent here." Sunset scanned around the room, reading the expressions of each guard—none showed the kind of shock she was hunting for. "You all know there are new guards wandering around. You don't know them because they are not ponies at all. I am taking a big risk revealing myself to you, but I detest lying."
"The wedding…?" Mind racing around in circles, Long heard the guardsponies move up to his back. "This is all a ruse. Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, they could be impersonating anypony!"
"Queen Chrysalis has been disguised as Shining Armor. Princess Cadance is probably being mind-controlled by her. The good news is, they don't know my friends and I are here. One at a time, swap out with other guards and head to Princess Celestia's chambers. Let her explain things." Sunset used her magic and retook Luna's form. "For Equestria." A dozen hooves slammed against chests.
Shining yawned widely as she woke. A gentle hoof reached down and brushed against her squinting eyes—a big white hoof. "Princess Celestia!" Her squeak of shock earned her a soft chuckle from the Princess. "Today is the day."
"Today is a big day." Celestia flicked her mane a little, catching sight of her sister chatting with a tired Flash Sentry. "Shall we start it?" The moment Shining's little hoof touched hers, Celestia lit her horn and worked grand magic. The moon dipped down and the sun rose high into the morning sky.
With the light of the day streaming through the window, other changelings were waking up. Thorax sat up from where she was laying on the far side of the bed. Huddled between her and Princess Celestia was a small swarm of nymphs. Giving a soft chirp, she began to wake them. "Come on, my swarm, time to save Equestria."
Scootaloo jerked her head up and, eyes wide, pumped a hoof in the air. "Yeah! We'll show 'em what a bunch of nymphs can do!" Her exclamation and jostling of the bed stirred the other nymphs awake. Several yawned, flashing their prominent fangs. "Come on everyling!"
"Dibs on being Sweetie Belle." Sweetie Belle was on her back, staring up at the ceiling. "It's going to be so fun to find those bad bugs that attacked us and give them what-for." She thrust her little hooves up a few times, showing off her skills.
"You three can go as yourselves." Apple Blossom stretched and bent her chitinous body in ways that would make a contortionist scratch their head. "That just means we can be Princess Celestia's Royal Guard!" All the Cutie Mark Crusaders, including Vinyl and Shining, shoved their hooves in and formed a circle.
"For Cadance." Shining Armor lifted her hoof first.
"For Apples!" Apple Bloom joined Shining's hoof with her own.
"For the adventure!" Scootaloo's voice was no less excited. "What? It will be awesome when we win!"
"For our friends." Buzzaloo grinned across at Shining.
"For our sisters." Adore Belle put her hoof in, and her other foreleg around Sweetie Belle.
"For all our sisters." Cuddling her twin back, Sweetie Belle put her little black hoof in.
"Ours sisters is a pretty good one…" Apple Blossom gave her fellow Crusaders a lopsided grin. "So I'm gonna say that too."
Vinyl was the last of the little group who hadn't said anything. She sat up as straight as she could. "For Equestria." Her hoof met with the others'.
"Yeah! Cutie Mark Crusaders, Saviors of Equestria!" Somehow, all of them knew the right line to shout at once.
"Are they always like this?" Thorax looked to Princess Celestia. "I figured they were kinda…" Her brain started to unravel a little, and she was surprised by how calmly she had been talking to Sunset's former mentor. "This is awkward."
"What do you mean?" Celestia slipped from the bed and stretched her wings.
"You know Sunset was turned into a changeling." Thorax waited for Princess Celestia, who had suddenly stiffened at the name of her student, to nod. "When a pony is turned into a changeling, the parasite inside becomes a duplicate of the pony. The process is, I am told, very efficient. But that leaves me remembering years spent learning from you, discovering the wonder of magic with you…"
Celestia put the clues together. "You are Sunset's duplicate." So many urges rushed around in Celestia's head, but the first was to ask the most important question. "Did she give up on me, or was… was coercion used?"
"No coercion." Thorax sat back on the floor and ran back to the memories, nearly the last Sunset and her shared. "I was meeting with Te Amo… or she was…" Thorax scrunched her snout up a little in consternation. "That was Chrysalis. She was circling your city like a shark. We… Sunset… had just worked on the calculus involved in firing a heavy spell around the curvature of Equus, when it all went to Tartarus."
"That was the last time Sunset seemed herself." Celestia mused on the situation. "Was it really a changeling since then?" At Thorax's nod, Celestia let out a sob of relief. "All the things she said, all the things I said back…"
"They weren't to her. That day Queen Chrysalis foalnapped us and sent a drone in to take our place. She put me into Sunset, and…" Thorax had barely a moment before Princess Celestia wrapped her up in huge white forelegs. Thorax remembered the pain as if it had been caused to her, and hugged back.
The two of them sat together for a few minutes, ignoring the waking up changelings around them. "A changeling queen can control everybuggy immediately around them with a… a cloud of pheromones. Chrysalis uses hers like a scalpel. She slices at a pony's sense of self so that the only bonds they have left are to her and the swarm.
"I am an anomaly. If Chrysalis knew I was growing into a queen, she would have had me killed. I started learning about what I could do while training nymphs. The first few groups went well, right up until our queen came to visit. So I worked harder and harder, and then Shining Armor came along." Thorax had a warm, tingly feeling of happiness remembering each encounter with Shining. "She is simply amazing. She helped me get through to Sunset and free her mind, and even helped us escape from the hive."
Celestia let go of Thorax and leaned back to look at her. "He was a wonder stallion, and mare, before this. There is nothing about Shining Armor, or Vinyl Scratch, that would lead me to believe they will ever be anything but outstanding. You should probably try to organize your hive, Queen Thorax, lest it wage war on Chrysalis' hive without you."
Twilight Sparkle's head hurt. If it were a normal day, she would reach her hooves up and pull the covers over her head, yell as softly as she could to Spike that she needed to rest, and go back to sleep. But it wasn't a normal day.
Walking back into the huge hall where the wedding would be, I looked at my brother. "I'm sorry, Shining." Using his actual name, rather than his nickname, was a sign of just how much I hurt. "It's just that everything seems so wrong. You aren't acting yourself, and Cadance is… is distant."
"You will be, but don't worry little unicorn," my brother's voice twisted with ugly emotions I had never heard in it before, "you will love your queen, eventually."
Things started to make sense as Shining Armor's horn glowed a sickly green. My heart rate doubled as his power burnt a green circle of fire around me. I looked up in terror to see Shining's eyes flash green, and then the world went dark.
Trying to lift her foreleg up to rub at her eyes, Twilight realized she couldn't move. Her muscles twitched a little, but there was not enough movement to actually get anything done. The cold, crystal and rock floor under her was hard and unforgiving, yet when her eyes finally focused, she could see something small and round in the middle of her vision.
Twilight's peripheral vision revealed more of the small round things, and some of her "acting strange" friends. Lyra, Sweetie Drops, and Minuette were visible, each with one of the round things just in front of their snouts.
"Girls? What's going on?" At least, that is what Twilight tried to say. Her mouth, like the rest of her, wasn't obeying her commands properly and it just came out like a moan. Her mind raced, despite the lethargy of sleep having barely begun to fade. Her brother had been acting really weird, Cadance had been too, and some of her friends (who were now apparently with her) had been really off the wall.
"Mind control" was Twilight's first thought. The amount of critters, plants, and even rocks that would butter up a pony's mind was as astounding as it was chilling. The orbs that lay before each of them had to be a key, or so she thought, and was examining her own when movement caught her attention.
Rolling her eyes to the side, Twilight could see the orb directly in front of Lyra was wobbling and moving. Gurgling a warning in her throat, Twilight could only watch as a fat, green, slimy worm pulled itself free of Lyra's egg.
The squirming parasite wriggled around a little, lifting one end of its body up as if testing the air. Twilight could see Lyra's expression turn to horror, and watched her mouth strain to open a fraction. The softest scream Twilight had ever heard (and she knew Fluttershy) came from Lyra's croaky throat, and as if it were a signal to the worm it turned towards her.
Inching along, the changeling larva reached the screaming unicorn's snout like it was a magnet, and in truth it was. The parasites were attracted to a pony's breath and when closer, body heat. Twilight watched Lyra's eyes snap as wide as the drugs would let her pull them as the worm crawled into her mouth.
Twilight didn't breathe as she watched Lyra's startled expression turn first to confusion, then the mare slowly closed her eyes. Gasping a breath, Twilight's vision was caught by another bout of movement, and this time it was the egg in front of her own snout.
Each wobble, each twitch, scared Twilight all the more. She watched the soft egg wobble and roll a little before the grub poked its head out. She held her breath again, clamping down on her teeth and screwing her eyes closed. The moment stretched on. Twilight kept herself as locked down as she could, but finally she let out a puff of breath through her nose.
When the squirming parasite brushed her snout, Twilight's eyes snapped wide open. She stared right at the thing, and could see the fangs it was about to use to burrow its way into her body.
"No, you don't. No more of this without a pony's permission."
The words came from above Twilight, and to her relief she watched as green magic wrapped around the worm. The same magic picked up the last—intact—egg as well. Panting furiously, Twilight couldn't quite catch a glimpse of the pony above her.
"This is a problem. Two empty eggs, one free larva, and two full eggs. The numbers don't add up. But I can see three of you are awake and looking terrified, so I think it has to be Miss Aquamarine here who is carrying now." Sadness colored the disembodied voice.
With a little more control back in her muscles, Twilight managed to flop her head a bit further over and looked up at the monster talking to her. The creature was black with a small ruff of cerulean mane and tail atop small fins. From the angle Twilight was looking (the ground), she could see holes in the monster's legs.
"Back to sleep little ones. I don't know who laid you here, but the one to blame is Chrysalis." Thorax's tone turned angry. "When I catch that mare…" She trailed off when she noticed Twilight was moving. "Now, one of my drones described you exactly. Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight's eyes widened. She tested her voice and tried to speak. "Yesh…"
"Shining Armor, the real Shining Armor, sent me to find you. It seems I have stopped you and two of your friends joining us, but the last…" Thorax looked at Lyra, the mare sleeping under the influence of the parasite now bonded inside her body.
"Lyra Heartstrings." Twilight turned to see her friends' faces, both Minuette and Sweetie were conscious, and the latter was staring at Lyra with terror on her face. "Bon Bon…"
"The wedding will be starting soon." Thorax used her magic to lift Twilight up. The pony seemed so small and light to the growing queen. "If you move the poison will wear off faster."
The message was clear to Twilight, and she started fighting against the fatigue of the poison in her system, forcing her limbs to move as much as she could.
"Lyra will need to be taken care of. She is not going to die, you have my word on that." Thorax didn't need to be a magical empath to see the love from Sweetie Drops to Lyra. "And more, you have my word that if I survive today, I will do everything I can to help you both."
Sweetie's eyes looked up and locked on Thorax's. To her absolute surprise she saw a solidness in the changeling queen's gaze that raised her out of the "monster" category and into "maybe trusted." She gave what nod she could, and turned her attention back to Lyra.
Thorax's heart hardened a little more at the looks on the ponies' faces. Tucking the two intact eggs and the sleeping larva into a saddlebag, she gently set Twilight onto her hooves. "Can you walk yet?"
"I will." Twilight surprised herself with the vehemence in her words. "What were those… things?" She was wobbly, but each step she took became easier.
"Those are changeling larva. Your friend is going to become one of us, and she is going to get a new sister." At Twilight's confused look, Thorax rolled her eyes. "It's complicated. Long story short: one of them gets inside you and you turn into a changeling. The larva itself grows into a second changeling and gets all of your memories. We are parasites on a macro level, we require love energy to feed off, and ponies are the best source."
"You didn't do this." Twilight fought to keep her mind from rushing off on tangents—something she was never the best at. Nonetheless, she kept up with the conversation. "You said, 'Real Shining Armor,' so what is happening?"
"We are shapechangers, and the queen of our hive planned all of this and took the form of your brother. I… I am fighting to take over, to make things right." Thorax reached a hoof out to steady Twilight. "You have to believe me when I say that all the changelings involved aren't actually guilty. Chrysalis uses mind control on them, bullying them to do what she wants."
Twilight couldn't stop a rueful smile at needing the help Thorax was giving. "If she is the queen, what are you? And for that matter, who are you?"
"I am a new queen. If Chrysalis had found me in her hive, she would have killed me. My name is Thorax, and you might know my sister, or at least her history." Thorax led Twilight to stairs leading out of the old crystal mines.
"Where is Shining now? What can I do to help stop all… all of this." Twilight gestured at the castle itself to indicate the wedding and combined invasion.
"Shining Armor is disguised as Princess Celestia. She is going to be working with my twin, Sunset Shimmer," Thorax paused at the name, looking for a response from Twilight, "who is disguised as Princess Luna. The real princesses are both okay and guarded by loyal ponies and my drones."
"Twily!." Vinyl waved at her little sister, not realizing how shocking it would be for her to see Shining's alter ego's form. Snapping her eyes to Thorax, Vinyl gave her queen an annoyed look and then rushed forward.
"Wait!" Twilight held a hoof up, worried that her "brother" was another disguised changeling. "Who are you? Thorax just said that my brother is disguised as Princess Celestia."
"Thorax didn't tell you about how the twins thing works?" Vinyl looked at her queen with a bit of annoyance, only to see Thorax rolling her eyes. "I am your brother… sister… it's complicated."
"What army did Shining always play in InvasionMallet?" Twilight knew how this worked, personal questions were the answer.
"Twily…" Vinyl tilted her head in exasperation. "Royal Guard, of course."
Twilight's eyes narrowed to slits. "And where was the first time Shining met Cadance."
"You don't know that one, Twily. I first met Cady at the gala. I was serving as a guard and she was Princess Celestia's ward." Vinyl smiled at the memory. "But the first time you probably remember is when you caught us kissing."
Staring at Vinyl, Twilight's lips pulled up into a smile and she rushed forward to hug the mare her brother sometimes was. "What's going on, for real?"
"I am the copy of Shining. She is saving the day, as usual, and we are going there right now to help." Vinyl felt Twilight stiffen when she mentioned she was a copy.
"So you are the…" Twilight struggled not to say thing. "… changeling… that grew inside Shining?" She drew back far enough to look into Vinyl's eyes. "What… how do I even respond to that?"
"Shining is always going to be Shining. She is the most amazing pony I know, and I should know. I have all of her memories from before she was infected with me. I remember lifting you up in my forelegs for the first time when Mom and Dad brought you home." Vinyl hated how it felt to see the confusion on Twilight's face. "We decided it would be easier if I am called Vinyl, and she gets to be Shining. Although I think she is going to need some time to unwind after all this…"
Twilight had to smile, she had enjoyed having a big sister when growing up, and Vinyl was every bit the personality that her Vinyl had had. The first glimmer of acceptance snuck in while she wasn't looking, and before she knew it Twilight hugged Vinyl a little tighter. Then something hit her. "Wait, 'she'?"
"More complications. All changelings are mares. Doesn't matter what you started as." Vinyl squeezed Twilight once more and started following after Thorax, not having noticed her queen had moved up the hall to give them privacy.
Following along, Twilight felt her spirits rise, but she couldn't stop the first hint of a giggle. "So now I have two big sisters?"
"Yes and no. Changelings are… well… we can become stallions or mares." Vinyl shrugged and used her magic to become a male version of Vinyl Scratch. "Like this? Now you can have a big brother again."
"But aren't you technically younger than me?" Twilight's eyes danced with delight at her own reasoning. "You are my little brother!"
Ahead, all three could hear Princess Celestia's voice raised, welcoming everypony to Shining and Cadance's wedding. "We need to move fast. Shining will be wrecking this wedding whether we are there or not, and I don't think she will do so well on her own."
Vinyl stuck out her tongue. "Guess I need to get in character." Flashing with fire again, she took on one of the only two forms that felt truly "right" on her. "Time to stop this once and for all." Shining's deep voice came from Vinyl's mouth, and he took the lead.
Thorax clutched tightly to her pheromones. She mentally held them in to keep from alerting Queen Chrysalis. The huge hall was filled with ponies, and not a few changelings too.
Disguised as Princess Celestia, Thorax had a smile that was as fake as the form she was shape-shifted to. To her right was Princess Cadance, and Thorax could tell the poor mare was deep in the throes of changeling influence. She could smell the venom that Chrysalis had likely been injecting Cadance with over the floral scene of her flowers.
To Thorax's right was the real problem: Queen Chrysalis. Disguised as Shining Armor, Chrysalis stood proudly. Wearing a most handsome uniform that befitted his position in the guard, Chrysalis' appearance made Thorax sick to her stomach. She knew Shining Armor, and having learned that they were just about the most dependable changeling ever was a betrayal of the position he held in Canterlot.
Steeling herself, Thorax recalled the script, and opened her smiling mouth again. The wedding had been going as well as could be expected, but they were getting towards the final moments. Thorax braced unconsciously; even if none of her allies came to support her, she would not let Cadance fall to Chrysalis without a fight. "Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you—"
"Stop!" Twilight's shout from the entrance of the hall cut through Thorax's words. She looked up the hall, noticing Cadance staring blankly on the stage, and her "brother" look at her with a flash of astonishment that lasted barely a moment.
Around the hall dozens of ponies started muttering, lifting the noise floor. Thorax jerked a little as Chrysalis' anger quickly turned to stern disapproval.
"Why are you trying to ruin my special day?" Unable to fathom how Twilight Sparkle had gained her freedom, Chrysalis rolled his eyes and prepared to play the part of "disappointed big brother" again.
Vinyl Scratch, still wearing Shining's disguise, had been about to step into the hall when the real Shining Armor approached. "Oh thank Celestia. Go in, quick!"
"Thanks, Vinyl." Shining gave his mirror image a hoof-bump on the way past and strode in to stand beside his little sister. "Because it's not your special day!" His deep voice silenced the hall. "It's mine!" He looked at the monster on the stage, and then past him to Cadance. Where his wonderful flower should have been standing, was a wilted bloom. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza looked like she hadn't slept properly in weeks, and worse, looked like she didn't care what was going on at her own wedding.
"Ah don't understand." Applejack shook her head in confusion. "How can there be two of 'em?" The question was exactly what everypony in the room was asking themselves, but said most eloquently by the Apple.
"He's a changeling. He gains the form of somepony you love, and gains power by feeding off your love for them." Shining looked around to the crowd, and in the ponies' eyes he could see his words find traction. It was obvious that Queen Chrysalis was carrying himself as a very poor Shining Armor.
Chrysalis looked around the crowd and could see he was losing support. With a dramatic sigh he lifted his hoof up and brought it down once, twice, and then thrice. Around the room the Royal Guards in attendance flashed with green fire and took up attack stances. "Hunger." Chrysalis raised his own hoof and coiling green flames stole the disguise she had loathed to wear. "We are hungry, and ponies are our food!"
"NO!" Thorax released her energy like a flower blooms. She uncoiled the petals of control she held on her "queenness" and let if flow out. "Ponies are beautiful. Ponies are wonderful. You are a monster, Queen Chrysalis, and you don't deserve to be ruler of anything." She dropped her disguise too, shedding the guise of Princess Celestia. Taking two steps forward, she put herself between Chrysalis and Cadance.
"Alright, now Ah'm really confused…" Applejack, ever the voice of the crowd, looked on as seemingly every important pony in the wedding was a black insect-like pony. "Hey!" she said, spinning in response to Pinkie Pie pinching her.
"Just checking if you were a big buggy-wug too!" Pinkie's giggle was misplaced for the tension, however, and she was quickly shushed into silence.
"Queen Chrysalis has been foalnapping ponies, converting them into changelings, and brainwashing them to use as her own army." Shining's voice dominated the hall. He stared hard at the hated queen. "I have been missing because she did it to me in Ponyville." Now he had even Chrysalis' surprised gaze on him. "But her brainwashing didn't work—it didn't stick."
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took that as their moment to enter the hall. Striding in to take up flank positions on Shining and Twilight's sides, they glared at Queen Chrysalis. Celestia opened her mouth first. "It is over, Chrysalis."
Rage poured over Chrysalis. White hot rage burned in her body at the sight of the princesses, hale and hearty, standing beside Shining Armor. "You don't get it, do you? I destroyed and devoured everything you ever built! I stole your own student from you! I have poisoned thousands of your own ponies and pulled them into my own nightmare!" Lips curling into a spiteful snarl, Chrysalis started to pour magic into her horn. "And now I will take you, too, Princess Celestia!"
Celestia was weakened and out of practice with dueling, but before the blast came a blue shield wrapped around her. Her heart swelled at the sight of Luna's magic, but the blast never arrived.
Having launched herself, Vinyl landed on all fours between Chrysalis and Princess Celestia. "You are a monster, Chrysalis! You are what the Royal Guard were made to fight!" The pronouncement might seem strange coming from a small unicorn mare, but Vinyl didn't care. Throwing everything she had into the shield, she deflected the bolt away harmlessly.
Thorax watched as things started to go very wrong. Vinyl was just a nymph, and with the power of a nymph she would not be able to fight against Chrysalis for long. Letting more of her power unfold, Thorax looked to the five mares standing beside the dais. "Please protect Cadance."
Rarity had barely followed what was happening, but she had a hunch. "No villain would ask us to protect a princess. Come on girls." Leading the way, she marched up to the top of the dais and took up position before the dazed-looking Princess Cadance.
Buzzing her wings, Thorax flew around the hall and landed beside Vinyl. Sloughing off a wave of terpene, she glared at Chrysalis. "You aren't fit to be queen."
"What's this?" Chrysalis' eyes flashed as fury became tainted with disgust. "A rogue drone that has grown too big for my hive? You know what I have done to every over-sized bug in my nest?" To explain her point she took a step forward and brought her hoof down sharp enough to drive a crack into the stone.
A wave of intense submission washed over Vinyl. She whimpered and lost her disguise. No more than the tiny nymph she was, she chirped and started to lower herself to the ground. It was impossible to resist, and by the time her knee touched the ground she actually felt she wanted to give in. A sudden counter came. Fire and power surged around Vinyl and she chirped even louder as the need to give in was forced back.
Thorax was angry. Her own drones were being affected by Chrysalis' pheromones, and it inspired a level of pure and righteous fury that she would dare to do it. Unsure of the source of her anger, Thorax nonetheless used it as a weapon to fight back at Queen Chrysalis. "This whole plan was madness. The hive was stable, and well -fed. Why are you doing this?!"
"Because of her!" Chrysalis spat the words out as she pointed at Celestia with her horn. Her rage flared and she blasted again, only for a shield of emerald green to flared and catch the blast.
"The only way changelings are going to have a hope of not being wiped out by ponies is if we can settle this ourselves. Your fight is with me, Queen Chrysalis." Thorax strode forwards and pulled a disguise up and over herself.
"Am I late?" Sunset Shimmer—disguised as Princess Luna—trotted into the hall in time to see fire recede from Thorax, revealing her sister's combat form. She didn't hesitate for a second. Luna's form melted off her and, like Thorax, flames revealed a similar, armored body to the new queen's. Thick plates of chitin covered Sunset and Thorax's limbs and torso. Spikes adorned parts of their armor, but mostly they seemed to just be a thicker, heavier form of their basic changeling selves.
"Sunset…" Princess Celestia watched Sunset take Thorax's side, and felt her heart swell. "Luna, we can't let them fight like this."
"You're right, Sister." Luna and Celestia stepped forward as one, moving up behind Thorax and Sunset, but as they got closer their eyes widened.
The fight had begun. Thorax dove in, seeking to end the fight quickly with her poison, but a blast of magic drove her back. To her shock—and having never seen Queen Chrysalis in a fight before—two large, articulated spines grew from Chrysalis' back. Glowing green and dripping something that was either poison, acid, or both, they sprung for Thorax.
Sunset was momentarily overcome by warmth. It felt like the sun on a spring day. Releasing a held breath, she inhaled the love that ebbed and flowed around her until she felt afire with it. The mix of controlling presences caused her to be a little confused, but shaking her head broke her from the haze of submissive and protective terpenes that threatened to steal her mind from the battle. "Thorax!"
Thorax's power was running low. She hadn't expected to have to fight quite so an offensive strategy from Chrysalis. Her green shield flared again and again as those two spines reached for her, each leaking more of the green goop. A sudden wash of warmth flooded her with energy, and though she wished she could find its source, she didn't have the time to.
Shoving back with a wall of energy, Thorax began making offensive maneuvers for the first time in the fight. Pressing advantages as she got them, the new queen hoped that whatever source was feeding her love would hold out.
While the fight took place, Shining dropped her disguise and flew to Cadance. Buzzing close to her face, Shining Armor almost cried at the blank look. "I love you, Cadie."
"Now I'm really confused. I thought that was Twilight's brother?" Rainbow Dash gestured to the foal-sized changeling staring into Princess Cadance's eyes. "Hey, bug, who are you?"
"I'm Shining Armor!" Shining's attention was stolen from Cadance by a pegasus right in her face. "Please keep her—"
"Keep her safe. Got it. You are a good bug too then?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
Shining Armor turned, but as she did a sliver of love snaked from Cadance and bit into her like a snake. Her eyes grew huge as power flooded her, and a love so pure it caused Shining's body to burn with pink flames almost overwhelmed her. "C-C-Cadie?"
"Shiny!" Cadance was still fighting the grip of Chrysalis' magics upon her mind, and though she couldn't see with her eyes, she could with her heart. Shining Armor burned just as bright to her as an inferno, and she reached out to her beloved with her heart and her magic.
"What… What should we do?" Fluttershy took a few steps back from Cadance and Shining.
Applejack moved forward and spun around to buck a charging changeling away. "Protect both of 'em!"
Every changeling in the room froze where they stood, even the battling queens. Thorax's shield flickered and faded as she watched the tiny nymph float upwards and kiss the pink princess. A rush of love unlike anything she had ever felt filled her to capacity, then well past it. Pink flames burned around Thorax.
"What is this?" Chrysalis looked from one burning pink changeling to the next. The power was pouring from Shining Armor to Thorax, and Chrysalis realized they were bound as drone to queen. Focusing her attention on Thorax, she sensed more love than the hive would need for a year. "I will take that!"
Thorax expected the draining attack to rip the love from her. She couldn't, basking in all the power, even manage to put up the most basic of defenses. But despite Chrysalis using her most powerful magic to try to drink up the love that Shining and Cadance were putting out, it would not leave Thorax. "You don't understand love, Chrysalis. It should never be taken," Thorax said, her voice chirping with happiness. "You can only ever give love."
Lines of burning pink lanced out from Thorax. The first of the magic lines connected with Sunset Shimmer. Floating into the air, Sunset opened her mouth to scream, but she only a laugh came from her. She laughed and laughed as bright colors stole the black from her chitin.
Six nymphs, putting up the best fights of their lives against the other changelings in the room, were next to be hit by the love. Each of the Cutie Mark Crusaders giggled and laughed as their bodies were remade for the second time, colorful patterns and markings wiping away the darkness.
Each changeling in the room, friend or foe, began to burn and glow with pink as their bodies were remade. All except one. Chrysalis clamped her shields up and threw herself away from Thorax. "What are you doing? You… You can't defeat me!"
Sunset floated down to the floor and shook herself. The hunger of being a changeling was, for the first time, fully sated. She walked slowly until she was beside Thorax. "We didn't defeat you." She lifted a hoof and pointed to Shining Armor and Cadance. "They did."
Thorax was stared around the room at her changelings. They were hers, every single one. She couldn't stop herself, she rubbed her wings along her carapace and drew out a loud chirp. Turning to one side, she looked at Princess Celestia.
Memories of Sunset's younger years as Celestia's student threatened to overwhelm her. Thorax tilted her head down and bowed to Celestia. "Please forgive my drones. They were under the control of a mad queen, who—" She froze as a pure white wing stretched forward to rest on her back.
"Your drones, the ones party to this," Celestia gestured to the wedding, "will have to work for a pardon. Let it be known that the changelings of Queen Thorax's hive will be welcome in Equestria."
Thorax lifted her head to smile at Celestia. Her mind raced ahead, following the dance the Princess of the Sun was preparing. The steps would take time to work through, but it would mean no accusations at the drones who were under Chrysalis' control.
On the dais, Shining was still locked in a kiss with Cadance. She opened her eyes to look at her beloved, and started to cry. The kiss broke, and with it Cadance's eyes flew open to see properly once more.
"Shining Armor?" Cadance still had that "love sight" overlaying her regular vision, but now she could definitely see that the aura of her Shining Armor was wrapped around the form of a little changeling nymph. She blinked a few times, but the overlay effect wouldn't go away. "You came back."
"I had to!" In the heat of the moment, Shining Armor couldn't believe how awkward he found being with Cadance again. "When I found out what was going on, I couldn't bear the thought of you being in her control." She gestured back towards the defeated changeling queen.
Cadance giggled. "You have changed a little, Shiny. But I guess that comes with the name: changeling."
"There is more."
"I hope there is more." Leaning forward, Cadance pressed the tip of her nose to Shining's little snout.
Shining blushed and turned her head. "Vinyl?" When her twin poked her head out from beside Luna, Shining gestured for her to come closer with a hoof. Landing beside Vinyl once she reached the dais, Shining pointed to her. "This is Vinyl Scratch."
"I don't understand." Cadance looked between the two, seeing no easily discernible differences with her eyes, but her love sight was what confused her. Shining Armor and Vinyl Scratch were both madly in love with her. It wasn't completely identical, Vinyl had hesitation coloring her love. Without thinking, without even realizing what she was doing, Cadance reached out with her magic and brushed at those cobwebs of doubt.
Vinyl's heart suddenly beat faster. The fears of losing Cadance didn't fold completely, but she could suddenly see that each one was flawed. Tears came quickly and easily. "Y-Y-You are Shining's. A-A-And he is yours." She sniffed sharply, trying desperately to throw the doubts back around her love for Cadance.
"How is there two of you?" Cadance started to see little differences in how each of the nymphs stood, and how each of them looked at her. "Vinyl?"
Trapped into having to explain, Vinyl started to stammer. "I-I-I…"
"She is my twin. The process that made me into a changeling made a duplicate. Vinyl has all my memories up until the change. She remembers everything we both did with you." Shining turned to look into Vinyl's eyes, and could see the devastation that threatened to undo her.
"She is you?" Wrapping her head around it, Cadance started to see why the two were so similar. Her magic lit up bright blue, and she plucked Vinyl up and levitated the changeling towards her. "You are as in love with me as Shining is. You started your life in love with me."
Vinyl couldn't reply, couldn't say a word to Cadance.
Cadance nodded. "We need to discuss some things in a more private place." With her pronouncement made, Cadance wouldn't be stopped. "Both of you, please."
Attention in the room turned back to Celestia. She stepped to the side to let Cadance, Shining, and Vinyl walk past. "Mares and gentlecolts, you will have to forgive the proceedings coming to an abrupt end. Please make your way home, and I am sure Princess Cadance and Shining Armor will contact you shortly regarding their actual wedding."
Once the guests had all filed out, Celestia found herself with her sister, a number of Royal Guard, and eight ponies. Twilight Velvet and Night Light looked stricken. They stared at Twilight Sparkle as if expecting her to reveal herself as a changeling as well. "Go to your parents, Twilight." Celestia gave her student a little nudge to move her.
"Mom! Dad!" Twilight Sparkle rushed to her parents and dove into a hug with both. "I was captured, then I woke up, and something was trying to crawl into me, and then Shiny was—"
"Shhh. Dear, we spoke with Shining. That is our colt." Twilight Velvet reassured her daughter, hugging her fiercely. "We have to be strong for hi—her." She quickly corrected her mistake. "And Vinyl too. You have a little, big sister."
Wrapped in her parents' embrace, Twilight Sparkle was barely aware of the movement until green light started to flare. She was too slow in getting a shield up to protect her and her parents, but as Chrysalis aimed a vengeful blast at her a shimmering shield flew up to contain the concentrated energy of the defeated changeling queen.
"You are being naughty!" Sweetie Belle, her horn still shimmering with the power she had unleashed to block the blast, stomped forward. Following her, her fellow Crusaders took their places in a line, each and every one having reacted at the same time to help build the shield. "Now say you're sorry!"
"What?!" Chrysalis' eyes bulged. Not only had one of her more powerful blasts been halted by a group of overly colorful nymphs, but they thought they could give her orders. "Get out of my way now." She threw out terpene signals for all she was worth, expecting the nymphs to get out of her way.
Apple Bloom looked up at the dark and foreboding queen. "No!"
"Ah'm with her! We ain't lettin' you hurt anypony!" Apple Blossom stood beside her twin, both physically and philosophically.
"You aren't a queen to them anymore, Chrysalis." Sunset, resplendent in fiery colored chitin, stepped up behind the Crusaders. "You aren't a queen to any of us. You were barely a monster before, now you are—"
Celestia stepped into the argument, looking first to the six Crusaders, then to Chrysalis. "I would do what they say." She smiled at the look of shock on the former queen's face. "Guards, please find somewhere for our guest to stay. And could we please borrow some of your guards, Queen Thorax, to assist with making her comfortable?"
Thorax was a little stricken. She looked around at the changelings who were now part of her hive, and felt the first hint of trepidation at setting Chrysalis' former trusted minions to guard her.
"Ahem!" Scootaloo giggled after clearing her throat, but beside her Buzzaloo cleared hers as well. "Your Queeness, we volunteer!"
Seeing a slight problem, Princess Celestia—with a big grin—leaned down. "It's 'Your Majesty' for queens."
Scootaloo looked up at the Princess wide-eyed. She nodded. "Your Majesty!"
"But Ah want to hug Applejack first!" Looking around at her big sister, Apple Bloom had a moment of shock when she didn't see recognition on Applejack's face.
Applejack watched the nymph's expression fall, and although she didn't recognize the strange, multi-colored bug pony as her sister at first, the pout on their face was unmistakable. "Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom's face lit up at her name. She took a step forward, then turned to see Apple Blossom also having taken a step. "There's somethin' Ah need to tell you." She made a quick, shuffling step to the side so she could put one leg around Apple Blossom's back. "This is Apple Blossom. She is our sister too."
The look in her little sister's strange new eyes spoke volumes to Applejack; Apple Bloom believed the nymph was her sister. "Ah wanna know what happened." Even as she spoke the words, Applejack strode forwards to hug both the nymphs.
"We got captured by some nasty changelings!" Apple Bloom clung to both her sisters. "Then they changed me into this, and it made me lay an egg!"
Applejack squinted down at Apple Bloom. "What do ya mean, 'an egg'?" She picked up both the nymphs and offered support.
"She laid my egg." Apple Blossom tried to hide her face, but Applejack looked at her newest sister, not letting her evade. "An' then she gave me my name."
Applejack looked between both nymphs. "Apple Blossom?" Both nodded to her.
"And she remembers everything I did before they grabbed me!" Defending her sister, Apple Bloom could see in Applejack's eyes that her big sister needed no more persuading.
"Who knows what is less important than what she is." Applejack smiled at Apple Bloom and Apple Blossom. "An' what she is, is an Apple."
Shining Armor filed into the room with Vinyl at her side. She used her magic to close the door behind them. The room was familiar to all three of them. This was the apartment Shining and Cadance had been living in together since their engagement.
Shining walked over to the couch where Cadance had already positioned herself, and climbed up beside her. Cadance was huge like this, and it made snuggling very strange. "Vinyl?"
"I don't want to get between you two." Vinyl backed her way up to the door. "It doesn't matter how thin you slice it, you are Shining Armor, not me. I am a bad recording!" She turned and grabbed for the door handle with her magic, but something strong was blocking her.
"Vinyl Scratch." As she said the nymph's name, Cadance saw her freeze. "I want you to come over here and do one thing for me. If you can do it, I will let you go without any further cajoling." Though it would break her heart, Cadance had to promise herself that she couldn't bluff on this.
Turning around was Vinyl's biggest mistake. She was trapped in Cadance's eyes, and lost herself into them. One hoof moved. Then another hoof. Eventually, Vinyl found herself standing before Cadance, tiny as she was compared to the alicorn of her dreams.
"Tell me you love me, Vinyl—" Cadance quickly moved a hoof to block Vinyl's mouth. "There is more. Tell me you love me, and don't mean it." Slowly, Cadance drew her hoof back from Vinyl's muzzle. "Even if you are only Vinyl Scratch, you would remember all the times we made love. There was no stallion between us, there was no Shining Armor then."
"You promised me that you loved us both…" Vinyl couldn't stop her own tears. "I love you so much, Cadance. I am not just Vinyl. We are both Vinyl and Shining. I remember all those times as your stallion, and all the other times as your mare. I don't want to hurt—" Her outpouring was cut off by a kiss.
All of Vinyl's dreams, while she and Shining had been trapped in the hive, had been about this moment. Of pressing herself to Cadance and letting her betrothed's love wash over her. She had needed it so much, but promised herself she couldn't have it.
Vinyl managed to break from the kiss. "I love you, Cadance. I love you so much it hurts to think I should leave you. I just want you to be happy with Shining!"
"Hold on." Shining Armor climbed up off the couch and, with a small measure of power, took his original pony form. It felt good to be him again, and everything about the form brought back memories of the things he did while Shining Armor. "Now you do it." He looked at Vinyl, catching her eyes and holding them with his gaze.
Cadance released the nymph and stood back. Watching green fire restore Vinyl's form to the DJ she had learned to love as much as her Shining Armor, she looked intently into the bright cerise eyes. "I love you, Vinyl Scratch."
"This is going to be a little confusing, Vinyl." Shining walked up beside the literal mare of his dreams. "Particularly when I want to be Vinyl." He steeled himself. Leaning down, he carefully set a chaste kiss on Vinyl's cheek, only for Vinyl to turn and kiss him on the lips.
Cadance only had to look into Vinyl's eyes to see that the fiery and free mare she had fallen in love with was present, and she looked hungry.
The kiss didn't last long, barely enough time for Shining to realize what it was, before Vinyl broke apart. "The look on your face!" Vinyl was laughing hard, then looked at Cadance. "I have no idea if this will work, how this will work, or even if it has ever worked before. You are right, Cady, I can't lie to you. I love you with everything I am, and right now I am just a changeling with nothing to her name."
"That's enough." Cadance booped Vinyl on the nose, then they both turned to a still-stunned Shining Armor. "Oh come on, Shiny, she isn't that bad at kissing."
"I am not so much of a narcissist that I ever thought of kissing myself, alright?" Despite his protest, Shining couldn't help but grin at Vinyl; she was smiling. "We are going to have to make an announcement or something…"
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are going to be on top of things. It will be just like the Discord incident." Cadance adjusted her voice to be a parody of Celestia's warm tone. "Thanks to the bravery of these—insert hero here—we can rejoice in the knowledge that—insert enemy here—will never bother us again!"
Shining and Vinyl both started giggling at the not-very-accurate "Princess Celestia" that Cadance was performing.
"Only, it wouldn't be just that short. She would have hours of speeches to give. I don't understand how she can talk for so long without actually saying anything, or losing her voice!" Not as experienced as she would like to be with her magic, Cadance could still use her telekinesis to lift her mane up and make it wave in a simulation of Celestia's. "Ponies of Canterlot! I present to you the evil bug-queen who invaded!" She gestured at one imaginary Chrysalis. "And here is the bug-queen who is our hero!"
Vinyl actually fell down, laughing loudly and holding back none of her mirth. Shining was being a little more reserved, but he was laughing along too.
"I don't know about you two, but the last week has been like a nightmare. Every time I tried to shout for help, green glowing eyes seemed to appear before me." Cadance's tone was sobering now. "I am tired, my suitors. If you wish to join me, you are both welcome."
Shining looked at Vinyl, and was acutely aware of how her lips had felt on his own. "Come on, V." He flashed with green fire, adding a pair of wings and taking away some things she felt might get in the way of "just snuggling."
Pressing against Shining's side, Vinyl felt one of the wings curl around her back and pull her against the bigger mare. "You liked joining the princess club that much?"
"It has its advantages. Cadance taught us how nice it is to be hugged with wings, but she never described how good it was to hug with them." Shining followed Cadance into their bedroom and climbed up on the bed.
When Shining woke from her nap, it was to gentle, but insistent, banging on the door to their suite. Vinyl had shed her disguise at some point, and was snuggled between Shining and Cadance. A strong emotion of familial love swelled in her, and Shining was almost overwhelmed by it.
"They have been knocking for nearly twenty minutes." Keeping her tone soft, Cadance nuzzled Shining's cheek. "We will have to answer eventually."
"Nnnope." Shining emulated a farm-pony accent, rolling the N and giggling at the effect.
Cadance could appreciate the joke too, but only gave a soft chuckle. "You sound a lot happier." She pressed her muzzle under Shining's neck and inhaled her scent. "You know I am going to want at least one of you to be 'full' Shiny. Nothing against cuddly mares, but I like having a stallion too."
The love, for both changeling nymphs, was almost overwhelming. It was like being in a blast-furnace that radiated chocolate sauce. Vinyl rolled over in bed and chirped her wings together. Adding her relatively small snout to the other two, she nuzzled and kissed at both Cadance and Shining. "I'll do it."
Shining and Cadance looked at Vinyl. "Really?" Both giggled at their identical question and voice-pitch.
"Yeah. It's getting towards night anyway. I probably have a gig somewhere that was booked, that I am missing, but eh, what can I do?" Vinyl crawled over Shining, and tumbled forwards off the bed. As she fell, she called fire. There was a rushing inferno of power inside her, and Vinyl found herself adoring being near her love even more.
Cadance froze. She was staring from "alicorn mare Shining" to "stallion Shining" and back. "I hadn't really thought of the possibilities before…" Her voice trailed off.
"Cade?" When Vinyl spoke his nickname for Cadance, it yanked the Princess' attention to him. "I am throwing myself to the wolves here, but I probably can't keep them distracted forever. Don't break her." He gestured to Shining before turning away. "And I call next!"
"What's going on?" Vinyl walked in lock step with the two stallions, his training as Shining Armor coming easily to the fore. The hallways were all familiar to him, and he took them in stride. Out of the royal suites, they made their way down. The lower guest rooms were no less opulent than the royal ones, but they were smaller. Nearly all the rooms had windows, except for three.
Drawing up out the front of one such set of rooms, Vinyl recognized Buzzaloo and Scootaloo at the door. Two little nymphs who chirped their wings excitedly to see the form Vinyl wore.
"Vinyl!" Scootaloo bounced in place excitedly. "We did everything to secure her that we could, and kept a lot of energy left over." Her bright carapace rubbed her wings again, eliciting another chirp.
"Vinyl?" Both Royal Guard turned to look at Shining at the same time. One of them continued, "We asked for Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard."
"He is Vinyl Scratch, acting Captain of the Royal Guard and chief confidant of Shining Armor." Rattling off the almost-but-not-quite-a-lie was easy for Buzzaloo. "And is the twin brother to Shining Armor."
"Oh…" Looking directly at Vinyl, the guard held his stare for a few moments. "Shining was busy, wasn't he?" When Vinyl nodded, he sighed. "You're a changeling too, best pick something that doesn't look exactly like him."
Almost giggling at the thought, Vinyl remembered what Shining liked to disguise as of late. "Sure." With barely a trickle of green fire, Vinyl took the figure of her DJ self. She did add some cool armor, however, and boosted her size to be almost the same height as the two stallions. "This okay?"
Vinyl, better than Shining, knew when a stallion was checking a mare out. She had performed at so many raves, clubs, and dives that she knew when a stallion's eyes were looking over her with more than just friendship on their brain. It tickled part of her that they both knew she was a changeling, but could still appreciate her in that way. "So, what do they have two of the cutest nymphs in Equestria guarding?"
"Mean ol' Chrysalis. She got really angry, but then Princess Celestia cast a big bubble over her, and showed us how to make sure the bubble still worked. So then we cast a bubble around that." Scootaloo beamed from ear to ear. "She won't be getting out!"
"That is what we are here for, Sir." The guard on Vinyl's left used his horn to open the door. "Not that we don't trust… her guards."
"Scootaloo and Buzzaloo are really good with shields. Almost as good at forming a barrier as Shining Armor is." Vinyl stepped in through the door and was staring at Chrysalis. A shimmering emerald sphere covered a golden sphere, and they both held the changeling and a couch. "Queen Chrysalis." Anything beyond the spheres was lost to their glow.
"Ha!" Chrysalis lifted her head and snarled a little. "You would bow and scrape now? Forget it."
"And now we see she is just as hostile to others." Thorax was sitting on the other side of the spheres (and their prisoner) from Vinyl, and the opacity was such that they couldn't see each other. "Please, come in Vinyl Scratch, your opinion is welcome here."
"I would like to meet the pony who is my bravest guardian's twin sister." Princess Celestia, seated beside Thorax, sounded mildly perturbed. "We were just hearing about how when Queen Chrysalis escapes, she will obliterate us…"
Realizing she was in the presence of royalty she actually admired, Vinyl snapped to attention and marched around the spheres. Behind them, she saw Thorax and Celestia sitting down together, with a tea set out, cakes, the entire show. "Your Highness! Your Majesty!"
"I stole every one of your promising apprentices. Even now, Twilight Sparkle has one of my children growing inside her." Chrysalis spat the words out, but there was something wrong. The pure, unsullied anger she had for Celestia was muted, dull. "She will become a drone, just like the rest, and when I break free I will steal everything good about her. I will reforge your prized student into a drooling, unthinking moron."
"No you won't. Twilight is okay, we stopped the parasite before it got to her." Vinyl looked to Thorax, and got a wink and a nod back from the queen. "So just can it. Why did you invade? You had to know Equestria wouldn't fall. It has never fallen." Leaning on her knowledge as Shining Armor, Vinyl remembered that the best way to get an evil bad guy to talk was to either compliment them, or challenge their intelligence."
Chrysalis reached for her boundless anger, her fury at Princess Celestia, but still it seemed missing. Rallying her thoughts, she lifted the corner of her mouth to sneer at Celestia. "You will be nothing but food for my drones. I had thought to convert you, to make a wonderful and amazing pair of changelings I could ruin, but now… now you will learn to suffer."
"And the whole hive followed this?" Vinyl looked to Thorax for assistance. "Don't get me wrong, malevolent she certainly is, but listen to this, there isn't a brain cell in that mare's head!" She pointed at Chrysalis with a hoof.
"You don't know what it was like!" Spitting the words out, Chrysalis jumped to her hooves. "I was happy, content. My hive wasn't big, but then I found out about Equestria. I remembered what it had done to me, and I felt rage."
"Rage you don't feel now?" Thorax looked pointedly at Chrysalis. "Excuse a new queen for asking, but you don't seem that furious." She extended her own magic at the other queen, but the magical barriers were so perfect that she couldn't even pierce that of the two nymphs, let alone Princess Celestia's.
"How do you—" Chrysalis bit down on her ill thought out reply. "You don't know anything!" But the words had sparked a stray thought in Chrysalis. She turned her gaze on Princess Celestia, and rather than the all consuming hate, there was only mild ambivalence. "You don't know anything at all!"
"So tell us." Vinyl had seen the reaction Chrysalis was having before, and reached a hoof out, holding it barely an inch from the green barrier.
Chrysalis reached for the memories, the oldest she had. Normally they hurt more than anything to even touch, but never before had they been this clear to her. "It was an older time, a different time. I was young, and thrust into a job I barely understood. What was worse, I couldn't help all the ponies I wanted to help!"
The words shocked Celestia, Thorax, and Vinyl; but all three kept quiet to let the queen keep talking.
I looked into the mirror. Worry etched the face that stared back at me. "What am I doing? I should call on Celestia or Luna. The mare in the mirror face was pink. Pink fur—soft pink of course—pink mane, but she had piercing orange eyes. I blinked, and she blinked. "He really needs somepony to guide him more, but I can't."
Walking to the edge of the parapet, I looked out over the city. Far away, far to the north, I could feel the malevolent darkness. "Please, help." My power called to the Crystal Heart, far below, and it sang its tune back. A pulse would be all it would take. It would drive back the darkness and force it into the north for another year. But such an act would take a life.
Standing still, the afternoon turned to dusk, and finally night. I held the power of the Crystal Heart within me as I gazed to the north. All I needed to do was unleash it, and a single pony would die, and the darkness would be stopped. I can't even remember how long tears flowed for. It might have been just after nightfall, or it might have been just before dawn. I felt him.
Releasing my hold on the trigger of the Heart, I made my way down through the castle. So many steps, so little time. I reached the bottom and stepped out into the courtyard under the castle just as I felt my bond to the Crystal Heart break completely. I stared in shock as a unicorn tucked it into a bag. "Sombra!"
"Princess Amore!" Sombra's tone held anger and loathing. I could feel his raw emotions as if he were radiating them. It had to be the heart that was transmitting his darkness. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to help you. Please, Sombra, don't do this." I pointed at the empty place where the Crystal Heart should be. "Even now, it isn't too late."
"It is far too late, Princess. I don't need your help. I don't need anypony's help!" The tone of Sombra's voice had a rough edge to it, as if something had eaten away the warm part that was inside him. "I have been shown the way. Would you like to see it?"
I was too late. I could see it now. The happy young colt I couldn't go near without hurting had turned away. "I failed you, Sombra. I am so—"
"Enough!" He cut me off, and flung back his hood. Boiling purple smoke poured from the corners of Sombra's eyes, and his eyes had turned to green, with pinpricks of red. Determination and hate filled him, a combination that boded nothing good. "Enough, Princess."
His magic wrapped around the bag he held the heart in, and I watched the blue crystal lift out. A touch of darkness to it was burned, then another, but the touches kept coming until one made contact and stayed. Blue bled to black, and I felt terror start to grow inside. "Please, don—"
Power shot out of the corrupted Crystal Heart. It slammed into me and poured over me. I was frozen, held in place like a statue, but my fate was not complete. His dark magic started to twist the statue, reshaping its limbs—my limbs—and tearing holes in me. Pain and terror rose, and I tried to scream.
"The diarchs will come, and they will be too powerful for me." Sombra walked around me, slowly, admiring his magic's work. "They will probably use their Elements on me, and blast me away. But I have a plan, Amore."
Each time his magic ripped a piece from me, I felt it as my emotions being pared down. Compassion. Care. Empathy. Calm. They were all ripped out and eaten by the Crystal Heart. But there was one emotion left, and I turned it on him. Shoving Love free, I was looking directly at Sombra when it reached him. Rather than dodge, he turned the dark Heart to my lance.
"Is that all? Is that really all you ever had? That pittance?" Sombra stomped up to me while the Heart ripped out my love. "Then you are nothing but an insect. Another pathetic bug."
The word echoed in my head, and finally the statue of magic that held me still shattered, and launched me away. The Crystal Empire faded away, and I saw Canterlot grow large. Then even the home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna zoomed past and was gone. I crashed into the desert, broken and alone.
Lifting one black, hole-filled leg, I pushed myself up to my hooves. I couldn't even feel pain anymore; Sombra had stolen everything. The chill air of the desert coiled around and into me, and it took days for my ponies to come. Those days cost me all my strength, and I could barely move. But when they found me, their love rushed into my body and kindled a new fire.
"It was him! It was all him!" Chrysalis was blind to the ponies and changelings around her. "Please. Don't let him come near me again! Don't let him hurt me again…" She curled up into a ball, all the vitriol and acid spent.
"That…" Celestia chose her words carefully. "Explains a lot, and worries me." She turned to look at Queen Thorax. "She was angry before, and when we cut off magic to her she calms."
"Who is this 'Sombra'?" Thorax was scared a little more than she ever wanted to show. That Chrysalis would now babble in fear, and Princess Celestia looked perturbed, was worrying indeed.
"A colt who had a destiny to fulfill." Princess Celestia closed her eyes. "I am sorry, Vinyl, but Shining and Cadance need to hear all of this. Could you go get them?"
Lyra was not relaxed. She stared at the two monsters before her. One of the creatures was bright and colorful, and the other was the same nasty black of the thing that had captured and bitten her. "You have got to be kidding? You let them put something inside me and then you let them in again?" She snapped her head around to the Royal Guard who stood to the side.
"These are the good guys." Flash Sentry waved a hoof at Sunset Shimmer and Scythe. "They helped defeat the bad… uh… changelings."
"Changelings? So why do they look so different?" Lyra studied Sunset, then Scythe.
"We are right here, and we both used to be ponies." Sunset stepped forward and instantly caught Lyra's full attention. "And we have both been in your shoes. What Chrysalis had done to you is unforgivable. You will change, and become a changeling yourself."
"You have got to be joking. And just how will I become a changeling?" Lyra glanced between the two creatures, and found their serious looks to be worrying. "You are joking, right?"
"We're not." Chirping his wings with a little sadness, Scythe kept her distance from Lyra. "The thing that crawled into you will start to turn you into a changeling—has started in fact—we can't stop it, but we can make the change as easy for you as we can."
Lyra backed up all the way to the corner of the room. "What do you mean you can't stop it? Isn't it your doing?!"
Sunset hated to see a pony so terrified, and immediately one idea came to her. "Lyra, cal—" A black, hole-filled hoof stopped her talking.
"Don't you dare give her a command. That was the one rule about this, and the reason I came here. If you tell her what to feel, what to think, you are no better than Chrysalis." Scythe stood with her back to Lyra, her little insectile wings spread to defend the infected unicorn. She waited until Sunset stopped trying to talk before pulling his hoof back. "What you need is explanations, not commands." She turned as he spoke, ending up looking right at Lyra.
"For some reason I trust her,"—Lyra gestured to Scythe—"more than you." She jabbed a hoof towards Sunset, but looked directly at Scythe. "What do you mean about orders?"
"Our larva drug their host, you, to make them more tractable and easily suggestible. If any of us gave you a command, you would follow it." Scythe looked at Sunset, and read her guilty expression. "She was going to tell you how to feel."
Lyra stared at her savior. "Yup, definitely like the dark, evil-looking bug pony. Okay, I might be scared witless, but I would rather that than feel something I'm not."
"I'm sorry." Sunset slumped her shoulders and lowered her head. "She brainwashed us for so long I just forget that the easy way is never the best way sometimes." Shock pulled Sunset's head back up, when a black foreleg reached over her back.
"That is why a pail has to keep together. Helping each other, supporting them, stopping them from doing something bad." Scythe welcomed the full hug Sunset pulled her into. "We might be changelings, but we are still ponies where it counts."
Sunset let a few tears roll down her cheek before she felt like letting go of Scythe. "I think it is good the new hive isn't all new changelings." She gestured to her own coloring. "We need some hard-headed bugs who still think like ponies."
"Hardest head in the hive, any hive." Scythe's spirits rose at finding Sunset so willing to accept a different viewpoint.
"Hey, that's cool and all, but what about me?" Lyra turned her attention from the two hugging changelings to Flash Sentry. "Can I just go?"
"Sorry, but my orders are from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Flash nodded to Scythe and Sunset. "They are here to help look after you, but until you have everything under control, you can't leave."
Sunset and Scythe both turned on Flash with scowls. Sunset was the first to speak up. "Take that back. Take it back right now. Tell her she can come and go as she wishes."
"Yeah. What if there's a fire? She would not be able to leave the room!" Scythe glared at Flash.
"Wait, really?" Flash tried to look for some sign either changeling were joking. "That's messed up. Okay, uh… You can come and go as you please." He addressed Lyra with the last words. "Sorry if I messed up."
Intrigued, Lyra lifted a hoof to her chin. "So you are telling me that while he had ordered me not to leave, I wouldn't have been able to leave?" Both changelings nodded, and looked about to say something. "Hold on, I want to confirm this. Tell me… tell me to get better at magic!"
"I don't think this will work how you want it to." Sunset admired how adaptable Lyra seemed to be, switching from scared to interested. "If I told you that, you would probably end up wanting to research magic until the drug wore off."
"Oh." Undaunted, Lyra tilted her head to the side. "That wouldn't be so terrible, if I do have to spend some time here. What about a game instead. The floor is lava?"
Sunset giggled at the choice, but Scythe and Flash Sentry only held confusion. Sky was more ready to admit her confusion than Flash. "I don't get it? What is that?"
"Right, it's a bit regional, and it's not like we got to play in the hive much. You stand on something, and pretend the floor is made of lava. So you have to jump from furniture to furniture, trying to avoid touching the floor. Whoever touches the floor loses."Having explained the rules of the foals' game, Sunset jumped up onto a couch. "Lyra, you can't lay a hoof on the floor."
Shocking herself at how sudden her reaction was, Lyra jumped up and landed on the chair she had been sitting on. "Whoa…" She looked around, and eventually spotted a table she thought she could get to. Panic set in, just as she started to jump, but it was the kind of panic she got when doing something private in public. Leaping, she gave a bark of laughter, but it turned to a gasp as she came up short.
Sunset watched Lyra hit the ground and start riotously laughing. It took a moment to work out what had happened, but when she realized the other unicorn had carefully rolled to her back, even Sunset started to giggle.
"I don't get it." Flash waved a hoof at the hilariously laughing unicorn and changeling. "What is so funny?"
Scythe had never seen anypony find the drug-compulsion funny before, and it startled her to her core that it could actually make for a game. "I think it is because she was commanded not to lay a hoof on the floor."
"Right. But she… Oh!" Chuckling, Flash pointed at Lyra's waving hooves. "And of course that means she can lay on her back. You look surprised. This isn't normally the point where a pony is laughing and happy, is it?"
"This would be the moment where we would tell a pony not to talk, tell them to follow, and demand their obedience. Where we destroy their ability to fight back, and begin shaping them into following commands in the hive. Conformity, loyalty, and fear." Scythe gave Flash a pointed look. "I fear that Queen Thorax will fall to the same methods, which is why I am not going to follow her too closely."
"You can put your hooves on the floor again." Sunset jumped off the couch, aborting the silly game. Reaching out with her green magic, she helped Lyra get up, though she was still giggling.
"So all this fwoosh-changeing, I will be able to do that?" Lyra used her own magic to probe at the force lifting her. The changeling magic felt a little "oily" to her unicorn magic. She tried to poke it further, but Sunset cut it off.
Scythe left Lyra and Sunset to talk, and focused on talking with Flash. "I want to show changelings that they can be free. That they don't have to follow a queen around."
"What I don't get is why all the others turned into something new, but you didn't?" Flash watched as Lyra and Sunset chatted away.
"I didn't want it. It means I don't get all that juicy love that Shining and Princess Cadance put out, but out of all the drones in Ponyville, I was the only one who could think straight when it happened. I flew up here to see if we had lost. The others have spent all their time with a queen, letting their minds be influenced, but I spent the last few weeks avoiding one. If someling had a chance of finding out we had lost, and getting away to warn the rest, it was me."
"So all the rest fed, and you didn't, and that made you stay the same?" Able to see Scythe's motives clearly, Flash felt camaraderie with the dark changeling.
Scythe chuckled. "Yeah. The only dark changeling left, except for those back at the hive, and Queen Chrysalis."
"That might make things hard for you. If you ever need help… I'm a Guard, but I think I am also a friend. After all, I don't follow any of the queens either." Flash spread a wing over Scythe's back. Suddenly a little unsure, he looked across at the changeling, and for the first time wondered what gender she was.
"I remember having friends… before I was foalnapped." Leaning into the hug, Scythe felt a rush of happiness in Flash, one that mirrored her own. "M-May I…" Her language fell back to the filly she remembered being. "May I feed from you?"
Flash raised an eyebrow. "Does it hurt? Will it stop me from doing my duty?"
"No." Scythe couldn't stop from blushing, and she didn't know why.
"Then go ahead, you need the food." As soon as Flash agreed, he felt what he assumed an apple felt like when being bitten. True to her word, Scythe's bite didn't hurt him, but he definitely felt her take a chunk of something. "Whoa…"
"Sorry! I was really hungry. More hungry than I thought." Scythe shapechanged easily with the rush of power, and caught Flash Sentry with her own wings. Now a pegasus every bit as big as the stallion, she propped him up while he recovered. "I must remember that Flash Sentry is a light-weight."
"Am not…" Flash's legs felt a little wobbly still, and he found himself shaking his head a few times to clear an odd fog around it. "Just… just resting. Guards have to rest, or they become tired! And I should really shut up now, I think I am rambling about nothing and everything and how pretty you are…"
Scythe blinked at the compliment. She could see in Flash's eyes that not only did he mean the words, but he was embarrassed about having said them. "For a pony, you are quite… handsome."
Lyra stared at Flash and Scythe. "Are those two—"
"Yup." Sunset smiled as wide as her namesake. She could feel the first hints of affection bubbling off Flash, and could see by Scythe's face that it was reciprocated. "Okay!" Making her voice loud, Sunset startled Flash and Scythe, but it was for the good of everyone. "I'll look after Lyra first. You can both go and get some sleep."
Scythe helped support Flash, but could feel him regaining his composure after the feeding. "O-Okay. I don't have a room to stay in—"
"I have an officer's quarters!" As soon as Flash said it, he knew it was probably overstepping. "Err, just for sleeping, of course. No hanky panky…"
"Sleep is exactly what I need now." Heading out the door, Scythe helped Flash along.
The moment the door closed, Lyra and Sunset broke into giggles of girlish joy.
The room was somber. Chrysalis was in the middle, the two shimmering hemispheres of magic over her. The former Queen of the Changelings was laying on her belly, her long legs tucked under her while she listed slightly to one side. She looked around the other inhabitants of the room.
"Chrysalis." Thorax looked at her former ruler. Her own body was bright, decorated with luminous colors that felt soothing and happy for her to look at—even if some ponies had told her they were a little garish. "I would call you mother, but you aren't. Sunset's parents were my parents, they taught both of us how to be good ponies."
"I just wanted what I thought was best for you." Chrysalis couldn't bring herself to meet Thorax's eyes. She had expected to see anger, hate, and worse in them; but all Thorax had done was look on her with sadness.
"You were under a spell." Shining Armor, without any disguise at all, was a foal sized changeling nymph. She sat between Cadance's forelegs with her back pressed against Cadance's barrel. "But the question I have, is what will you do now?"
"I don't know." Slumping down, Chrysalis put her chin on the floor. "I couldn't get out of here if I tried, and I don't even want to try. What I did was awful. I hurt so many ponies…" She closed her eyes, the pony she had been threatening to flay her with grief from the inside out.
"You hurt a lot, even killed some." Shining crawled out from Cadance's embrace, and lay down at the barrier nearest Chrysalis. She set her own snout down low, right at the barrier. "And you can't ever change that."
With each word from Shining, Chrysalis felt her pain deepen. She had been a princess, she had been the best of ponies, and now she was a monster. She closed her eyes and tucked her ears back tight.
"But you don't have to do those things anymore." Shining watched the changeling queen's ears flick forward. "You were being controlled. You were made into this by Sombra." She watched those huge eyes open up again and look right at her. "But you are a changeling, and what do changelings do?"
"But we are parasites, we are monsters that live—" Chrysalis cut off at the sound of the door opening. She turned her head and saw Shining's twin entering.
"Vinyl!" Cadance climbed to her hooves and pranced across the room to meet Vinyl. Leaning down, she kissed Vinyl's lips. "What is that?" She looked at a small case that was floating along beside Vinyl, levitated in green magic.
Lifting her hooves high, Vinyl walked over to Shining and stood before her sister. "I worked it out."
"Huh?" Shining sat up from her position on the floor. "What do you mean?" Vinyl thrust the little case toward Shining. "Vinyl, we were—"
"You said we needed some way to let everypony tell us apart. I came up with it." Pointing at the case, Vinyl nodded. "Go on, put them on."
Cadance booped both Shining and Vinyl on the nose. "I can tell you both apart." Both little faces turned to Cadance, and she giggled at the almost stern expressions on them.
Cracking the stern expression when Cadance giggled, Shining used her magic to open the little case. Looking inside, Shining saw a pair of big glasses inside. "Glasses? What will these do?"
"Put them on, silly." Vinyl watched Shining lift the large, wire-rimmed glasses up and put them on. "There, that will work perfectly."
"Wait a second." Shining pulled off the glasses and turned them over. Gazing back through the lenses, she stomped a little hoof in indignation. "These aren't lenses. The glass is just normal!"
Vinyl flashed with green fire, growing and filling out. When the flame spiraled away, she was standing in the semblance of the "real" Vinyl Scratch—complete with shades. "Well of course they are. You don't need glasses, Shining, but we need a way to be different. If one of us wears glasses all the time…"
"That would mean everypony knows who I am. Brilliant!" Shining lifted her hoof up, and got a clop against it from Vinyl's much bigger one. Slipping the glasses up and onto her nose, she blinked a few times. "Oh, wait."
Cadance watched Shining, with a swirl of green fire, become an exact clone of Vinyl. For the first time in her life she let out a high-pitched squeal of glee. "You look so cute!" She wrapped her forelegs around Shining and squeezed for all she was worth.
"She is, isn't she?" Vinyl's happy little giggle at seeing Shining being coddled by Cadance cut off; Chrysalis was standing as close to them, inside her prison, as she could. "What was I missing?"
Shining struggled, halfheartedly, in Cadance's grip. "I was about to invite Amore to join the Royal Guard." Shining's words seemed to silence the room. A quiet moment stretched awkwardly onward.
"What?" Chrysalis couldn't contain herself any longer. "What do you mean, 'Amore will join the Royal Guard'?" She narrowed her eyes at the pony. "I tried to ruin you. I have ruined y—"
"You haven't ruined me, Amore, and I don't think you have even ruined yourself. Sombra tried, and even he failed." Shining marched up to the barrier and brought one white hoof up, resting it against the green, inward facing force. "We can't let you out of here yet, Amore, but I can promise you I will make you return all the ill of Chrysalis as good, hard work."
Chrysalis stared at the hoof planted on the wall of her prison. "You can't be serious! I have eaten at Equestria for a thousand years!"
"How long do changelings live, Amore?" Shining kept her hoof in place. "How long can we make sure Equestria is safe, together?" She saw the shock in Chrysalis' eyes push away the confusion. "This,"—Shining gestured at the hemispheres with her free hoof—"is temporary. We will defeat Sombra; he can't stop ponies and changelings fighting together."
"Is she-" Chrysalis turned to Cadance, the mare she had imprisoned only days earlier. "Is she always like this?"
"It was why I caught you so quickly." Despite her dislike for Chrysalis, hearing the true story and seeing the broken mare gave Cadance enough perspective to see that Chrysalis was just another casualty of Sombra. "From the moment you walked into our rooms I knew you were an impostor."
"Liar." Chrysalis had been caught embarrassingly quickly by Cadance, but she didn't think it had been as quick as the princess implied.
"A little, but you never once acted with the valor or integrity of Shiny. It was how I recognized Vinyl, she has it too." Tilting her eyes and an ear to the side, Cadance saw Vinyl's expression change to surprise. "But if you are asking if Shining Armor means every word she says? Yes. She wouldn't lie like this."
Chrysalis fumbled around for an excuse. "But… mares can't be Royal Guard!"
"I think that is an old rule that bears changing." Shining raised her eyebrow with no apology for the dry humor. "You failed the Crystal Empire,"—the look of pain on Chrysalis' face hurt Shining, but Chrysalis needed to hear it—"you failed to stop Sombra back then. Swear yourself to the Royal Guard and I will make sure you can't and won't fail again."
Lifting a shaking hoof, Chrysalis' eyes locked onto Shining's. "I don't want to fail again." The words fell from her lips with the same tone of a filly who was deathly afraid of something.
As Chrysalis' hoof touched the inside of the double barrier, Shining snapped his own up and off the shield. "Cadet, I promise that you will never fail this badly again." She snapped her hoof into a salute.
A natural at mimicry, Chrysalis lifted her hoof up too and saluted back. The aching pain in her heart wasn't any lighter, but it no longer seemed impossible to carry. "Sir."
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, two mares were sitting opposite each other for the first time in quite a while. Sunset looked at Celestia. Princess Celestia looked radiant. The sun was streaming in through the glass ceiling of the room, and everything seemed brighter because of it. Celestia was wearing her full regalia, shining and gold.
Sunset Shimmer stood opposite Princess Celestia. She wasn't the pony Celestia had remembered, and certainly wasn't the one who had run away. Bright green coloring around Sunset's face trailed down to a bright blue on her back and forelegs, while a softer green claimed the rest of her body. Celestia watched the sunlight play over the bright colors, and slowly she began to remove her trappings of office. Shoes, peytral, and even her crown was sat to one side. "Sunset—"
Hearing her name on Celestia's lips, Sunset rushed forward and wrapped her forelegs around the princess' neck. She wanted to apologize, beg forgiveness, and tell her how much she had missed her, but the words clogged up in Sunset's throat. Tears poured from her eyes, her nose started running, and all that came from her throat were great, gasping sobs.
Celestia pulled Sunset closer, and sat down so she could keep her former student held close. "Sunset, I…" Trailing off, Celestia couldn't think of words to say. Closing her eyes, she felt moisture gather at the corners of her eyes. She managed to last nearly ten seconds, hugging the bawling Sunset, before she too started to cry in earnest. "I said so many bad things."
"I didn't hear them." Sunset managed to choke the words out. "Apply…" She inhaled deeply, her nasal passage making the most terrible snorfing sound. "Applied Calculus for Spells." She was jerked back out of the hug, Celestia staring at her through tear-stained eyes.
"All the way back then?" Princess Celestia could remember every last thing she had taught Sunset in the final year of her stay. "So after that it was—"
"It was Chrysalis." Sunset tilted her head forward, trying to hide her soaked eyes. "She teased me every day. She waited until she had…"
"She said some very bad things to me." Celestia shunted the memory from her student to the changeling queen. "But you are back."
Sunset could have sworn the sun itself shone brighter. She looked up at Princess Celestia and nodded. "B-B-Back and-and reporting for class!" She reached a colorful leg up and wiped one eye, then the other, to a passable dryness. "Sorry I was absent, Princess."
"So many days tardy." Celestia couldn't believe how it felt to be reunited with her former student. She gave a sigh. "You are a little old to be my student again, Sunset." The moment she spoke, green fire engulfed Sunset's changeling form, replacing it with a young mare. The pony had a rich, amber coat, two-tone red and yellow mane, and piercing cyan eyes. On her flank was a twisting sun cutie mark. Fresh tears came, and Celestia didn't hold back.
Pulled back into a hug, Sunset didn't fight the emotions that roared around inside her, and she hugged Celestia back. "It took a while, but I made it home."
Celestia held onto Sunset and let her tears flow. Sunset's fur felt so perfect to Celestia, and her mane was soft and just as she remembered it too. "This isn't you now, though." She hated saying the words, but she had to. This wasn't Sunset Shimmer anymore. "Be yourself. Be who you are."
Clamping her teeth down, Sunset called her fire to return her form. She felt herself relax into her native changeling shape, and was on the verge of hating the bright and colorful new patterns as much as she had the black carapace.
"There you are. Now Sunset, I am willing to take you on and finish your schooling." Celestia watched as Sunset's eyes went as wide as can be. "But I also think I have a lot to learn from you. I have a vast new species joining Equestria, and I need to know all about them."
"Yes, Princess!" Sunset's tears kept flowing, but now it was joy that leaked them.
"I think it has been too long since we enjoyed a cup of tea together. Let's both take some time to enjoy the afternoon, the tea, and each other's company." Celestia used her magic to pour tea, and prepared two cups in the exact manner as she had so many times all those years ago.
"And the cake. I don't think you would forget the cake, Princess Celestia." Sunset's smile was a mirror of her true feelings. She was home and happy, and at last she had told her teacher what had happened. "I really missed cake."
Scootaloo's grin was as wide as could be. She sat up straight behind her desk, looking towards the front of the Ponyville classroom. Cheerilee was standing up, and had a confused look on her face.
Glancing sideways, Scootaloo could figure out what concerned her teacher. The class size of their school had doubled, but more strangely for Cheerilee was likely that each of the new students had another that looked exactly the same as them. Raising her hoof, it was a moment before Scootaloo even noticed Cheerilee blink.
"S-S-Scootaloo?" Cheerilee hoped she had the right name. Sunset Shimmer, one of Princess Celestia's personal students, had offered to help teaching, and the first thing Cheerilee had heard from her was that her new students were a little different. "What is it, dear?"
Scootaloo could tell that the simple routine of a raised hoof helped her teacher function a little easier. "Would it be easier if we all changed so that we looked different?"
In a flash, twenty nymphs flashed with green fire, revealing very brightly colored changelings. Cheerilee stared at her class, took a deep breath, and smiled. "Welcome everypony. We have a lot of new faces, so why don't we start with you. Scootaloo?"
With a buzz of her wings, Scootaloo stood up. "I'm Scootaloo. We,"—she gestured to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle—"got foalnapped a few weeks ago. The bad changelings did something that turned us into changelings too, and made clones of us. We helped save Princess Cadance, and all of Equestria." With each bold statement, Scootaloo chirped her wings with excitement.
That Cheerilee knew such events had happened, and that the three Cutie Mark Crusaders had been involved, didn't surprise her in the least. "Thank you, Scootaloo. Next?"
"I'm Buzzaloo. I am Scootaloo's clone." Buzzaloo held out a hoof to her sister, and got a firm clop in return. "I helped save the Princess too, and Equestria!"
"Oh great, the losers have been doubled…" Groaning, Diamond Tiara had trouble trying to imagine a future as terrible as what had just happened. Twenty changeling heads turned to look at Diamond, and to her credit she kept her snout in the air and ignored them.
"Diamond Tiara, you will stay behind after class." Cheerilee cleared her throat, and turned to the nymph beside Buzzaloo. "Please dear, keep going."
"Ah'm Apple Bloom!"
Sunset waited for the class to break for lunch before greeting Cheerilee. "Hi Cheerilee. How did class go?" Twitching her wings, she was still a little uncomfortable being around other ponies without a disguise.
"The class was wonderful. I won't deny I had some trouble at first, but once I started with the lesson I had them all hooked." Cheerilee adjusted some of the papers on her desk. "You were right, they really are still foals."
"They are." Sunset grinned widely, inadvertently showing off more of her fangs. "But there is something. They will all know a lot more about some—some odd subjects. Part of their training in the hive was to do with lying, infiltrating, and…" She had to bite her tongue. "Foalnapping."
"Not surprising, considering how they make more of themselves." Lifting up a blackboard duster, Cheerilee started working on cleaning the chalk away.
"Yeah… yeah I guess it isn't. Chrysalis would have us train the nymphs, and then we would bring them to her and she…" Trailing off, Sunset shook a little in memory of how many nymphs she had trained and delivered to Chrysalis.
"Are you going to be okay?" Rushing up to Sunset, Cheerilee didn't hesitate before putting both forelegs around her and pulling her into a hug.
"She had all of us under her control. She made us think what she wanted, and do everything with such—such conviction!" Sunset had shed some of her fears with Celestia, but this was one she had been clinging to. "And—And she—she was under control too! I can't even hate her for it!"
Cheerilee didn't fully follow the line of reasoning, but she didn't need to. She could see a pony was hurting, and did everything she could to help them calm down. "It's over now. It's all over." The more she squeezed, the more Sunset seemed to cry.
A gentle knock on the door startled Sunset and Cheerilee out of the moment. Each turned, breaking the hug to look at the door. "Come in," Cheerilee said.
Adore Belle stood in the doorway, looking up at the two adults. "Is everything alright?" She focused on Sunset, spotting the tears leaking down her cheeks. Trotting in, Adore flashed with fire and took on her Braided Lace form.
Sunset stood still as Adore pulled her into another hug. She wanted to resist, to shout that life was unfair.
"Thank you for getting us all out of there." Adore let go of Sunset and stepped back. "I wasn't really there for all of it, but I know what you did to save us." Turning, she trotted back out the door, dropping her disguise as she did.
"Will you be able to teach the class for your first lesson?" Cheerilee was quite sure she already knew the answer, but she wanted Sunset to confirm it regardless.
"I think—I think I am." Sunset smiled again, and reached around to her saddlebag to lift out a sheaf of notes. "Would you mind double checking this class plan with me one more time?"
Cheerilee could sense a change in Sunset, and smiled as wide as she could. "Of course!" Leaning against Sunset's side, she began to read over the plan, and how it would help the foals of the class get used to changelings a little quicker, as well as teach some valuable information.
Diamond Tiara was not having a good day. The source of nearly three quarters of all her problems had just doubled—literally. She turned to Silver Spoon. "We have to put them in their place once and for all. What would mother think if she saw,"—she shivered in emphasis—"bugs in the school?"
"I know. Look at them." Silver peeked around Diamond and gestured at the changeling nymphs. "They all clash."
"Just follow my lead." Diamond stepped out from the side of the schoolhouse, and made her way slowly towards the big group. "Oh look, Silver, best keep well away from them, I heard you can catch some nasty diseases from bugs."
The false insults were a little above what Silver Spoon had been aiming at, so rather than further Diamond's lies, she told it like she saw it. "Not to mention those colors. What happened? Did somepony drop a rainbow on you all?"
Diamond loved her friend's insult, and grinned at the uncertain looks from all the nymphs. "If they had dropped a rainbow, it only had the ugly colors. Must have been a defective rainbow for defective b—" A rush of green fire stalled Diamond just as she was delivering the best part of her insult.
Buzzaloo was first to shift, and at her side Apple Bloom was barely a moment later. The two peered at Diamond and Silver with big smirks.
"W-W-What are you doing?" Diamond stepped back. Of the twenty nymphs, half of them now looked the same as her, and the other half looked like Silver Spoon. Biting down on her confusion, she felt fury burn in her tiny body. "I guess this is an improvement, at least."
Strutting away from the group, right past Diamond and Silver, Buzzaloo's little magenta hooves trotted carefully until she was beside another group of foals at the school. Featherweight, Pipsqueak, Rumble, and Snails all turned their attention to her. Lifting her chin up and striking a perfect Diamond Tiara pose, Buzzaloo cleared her throat. "Attention. Everypony! I have cooties!"
There was silence for nearly ten whole seconds, before Snails snorted and started to laugh.
"And I got my cutie mark upside down!" Scarlet Peaches trotted out of the group of Diamond Tiaras and Silver Spoons. Her disguise was Silver Spoon, and sure enough the cutie mark on her flank was an upside down spoon.
"Stop that!" Diamond Tiara—the real one—stomped a hoof. "Stop that this instant! None of it is true!"
Fumbling her way out of the crowd on nymphs, Hyacinth fell over and plunged her own face into a puddle of mud. Of course, disguised as Diamond Tiara, she managed to make the tumble look as uncoordinated as possible.
Silver Spoon stared as another copy of her, apparently with curly mane and tail, started barking like a dog. She glanced around for an escape, and turned. "Come on DT."
Watching the two fillies gallop away from them, Stunning Loyalty shed his Diamond Tiara disguise and shook his crest and tail fins. "Who were they? Seemed really nasty."
"Not as nasty as Chrysalis." Apple Bloom got rid of her own disguise, as did all the rest. "But Ah don't think they'll be botherin' us for a while."
In the dark of the night, Equestria slept under the stewardship of Princess Luna. She patrolled the parapets of Canterlot Castle, and every so often would pause to inspect the peace of the dream realm. As always, when she did so, she felt mostly happy dreams. Lifting her hoof to take another step, however, sent a spike of cold from her withers to her croup.
Luna froze, the one hoof still in the air. An old terror, one she had thought she had already cast aside, was back. "Nightmare Moon." Just whispering the name into the night sky was dangerous. Luna could feel the chill power that the darkness had offered her so many years ago.
Her memory cast back to that time, when she had been in an argument with Celestia, and had stormed out. The same power that was in the air had been there, and in her anger she had agreed to its offers. "No." She shook her head and took a step back.
Power flooded the area around her. Luna first felt every ounce of heat fade away, and then the very air was like a thick pudding. She wanted to scream, to run, to call for help. A tear crawled from the corner of her eyes as she felt the chill start to soak into her.
"Not again."
Two words cut through the cold like the sun cuts through a chill morning mist. The darkness around Luna was ripped to shreds by bright, white-hot light. Luna turned to the side and saw her sister, and cried more. "Tia!"
"You took my sister from me once. I will not allow it a second time." Where Celestia's hooves touched the floor atop the tower they were both on, the polished stones cracked and blistered. Each step brought her closer to Luna, and each step pushed the darkness away. "What are you? I would see your true form this time."
Luna ignored the heat. Celestia's fire had never harmed her before, even as Nightmare Moon. She spread her wings and wrapped them around Celestia's neck. "You came for me!"
Above the two alicorns, still shrouded in darkness, a pony-like shape was outlined by the light of Celestia's power. "My pets failed. Pity." The voice was full of confidence and malevolence in equal measure. "Surrender, and I will spare you the yoke all others will bear."
"It's him again. It's Sombra!" Luna looked up at the dark unicorn floating on a thick, black thunderhead in the sky. She felt panic and terror grow, but a white wing matched hers, pulling around Luna's shoulders.
"No." Celestia could already hear hoofsteps charging up the stairs to the tower they were on. "No, Sombra, not this time. Not now, and not ever!" Celestia brought a hoof up and slammed it down. The force of her strike, combined with the heat, forced a horseshoe-shaped print into the stone.
Shining Armor, keeping his disguise of his former self up, rallied to the tower, and without thinking twice he put himself between Sombra and his princesses. Burning green power poured from his horn, and wrapped around the city.
"What's this?" Sombra turned his attention to Shining Armor. "Oh, wonderful. He is one of mine." Black power lanced from Sombra, and he drove it down and into Shining's horn. Even his barrier had been useless against the bolt.
A rage-filled screech filled the night air. Green fire erupted around Shining's felled form, and with a blast of changeling power, Thorax was standing over Shining. "Be gone!" Green magic lanced into the sky, and even when it pierced the sky, it didn't stop.
Sombra's form seemed to evaporate to the sounds of laughter—deep, amused laughter.
"Where did he go?!" Thorax glared around the sky, her horn boiling with power. "Was that the monster who made— made us?" She didn't realize how worked up and furious she was, until Princess Luna's worried look at her made Thorax reflect on her emotions.
Turning the purest of anger against itself, Thorax calmed down as best she could, and turned her attention to Shining Armor. Reduced back to her changeling nymph form, Shining was groaning on the ground. Leaning down to her drone, Thorax saw the dark, jagged shapes worked into Shining's little, curved horn.
Every time Shining tried to work magic, she felt a crackle of discordant pain in her horn. Even trying to shift her form was met only with pain, rather than the crackle of changeling fire. "What did he do to my horn?"
Princess Celestia walked up to Thorax, and lowered her head to Shining underneath her. "He uses old, dark magic. We have things to talk of, and I think we need Twilight Sparkle here to hear it too." Celestia prepared her magic to remove the crystals, when yet more green fire boiled along the ground, and Chrysalis stepped onto the crowded balcony.
Every part of Chrysalis burned with hatred and anger. She seethed with the need to crush Celestia and Luna. "Y-Your Highnesses." The words cost her much to say, and her rage tried to burn higher still.
"Step back, Chrysalis. Let us protect you again." Thorax braced herself, stepping to put herself between Shining Armor and Chrysalis, like a mother hen facing a wolf. Bright and colorful, she nonetheless started to bring the seething ocean of power that Cadance and Shining had fed her to the fore.
"Stop!" Chrysalis was choking on everything. Dark emotions being thrust onto her by Sombra, magic that tasted so good but—she felt—would neutralize most of what made her, her. She shook her head and lowered it. "I can feel his power urging me to fall upon you all. It wants me to destroy and break you apart. I have felt it so long I thought it was mine."
"You are fighting it." Luna stepped forward, her own experience as Nightmare Moon foremost in her mind. "Keep fighting it. You are a good pony, Amore."
The name was like a key, and Chrysalis felt it open a door to the core of her being. She locked eyes with Princess Luna, and watched as the other mare breathed. She matched her own breath to Luna's, and felt herself calm by inches. It was like throwing a bucket of water onto a firestorm, but each breath was another bucket, and each bucket made the next easier to throw.
"You are a lost sister to us, but still a sister." Her face betraying a warm smile, Luna stepped forward and nuzzled Chrysalis' neck. "And you need to feed. Please, gain some strength." Luna stood still, and kept as neutral look as she could. A cool pressure seemed to swell around her, and she fixed her attention on Chrysalis.
Chrysalis didn't realize how hungry she had been. Her ploy at the wedding had been a massive use of energy, and she had just broken out of two powerful shields, then teleported. Her anger whispered ideas into her head, 'Luna has bared her throat,' and, 'Just reach into her and take everything.'
"It's hard to resist, isn't it, Amore?" Luna saw Chrysalis' eyes narrow at the use of her name. "I trust you to fight this. After all you did, Amore, you don't lack willpower or the ability to plan. Use that, use all your tricks, Amore, to fight him."
Each mention of her old name fueled Chrysalis. She directed the anger away from Luna, and away from herself. For a thousand years or more Chrysalis had been fed Sombra's fury; she was used to it, used to the feel of it, and how to use it. She pointed all the anger back at its source.
Luna felt the chill leave her, and knew Chrysalis had ceased feeding. "You are still a good pony, Amore." The name, spoken again, seemed like a trigger. Chrysalis leapt upon Luna, and wrapped her forelegs around Luna's neck.
Tears poured down Chrysalis' cheeks, and she buried her face in Luna's mane. Clinging to Luna, she kept fighting at the anger that tried to incite her to fight and kill. She closed her eyes and wept long and hard.
Soft wings folded around Chrysalis, and she surrendered to her tears. She wept, and sobbed, and couldn't pull herself back. A never-ending parade of ponies that her drones captured paraded in her mind. The ponies stopped being ponies at some point, and just became fodder. "I'm so sorry."
The three words were like a hammer in Chrysalis' mind. It wasn't what Sombra had done to her that broke down her will to harbor his anger, but her sorrow for every pony she had changed.
"I understand Captain Shining Armor has taken your honor under his own,"—Luna smiled a little at the wordplay—"wing?" Luna didn't release her grip on Chrysalis until she felt a gentle tug.
Pulling her head back from the damp stain she had left on Luna's shoulder and mane, Chrysalis realized that they were alone on the balcony. There was no sight of Shining, Thorax, or Princess Celestia. "How did you get free?"
"Twilight Sparkle. The mare you thought was no threat at all." Luna used her magic to carefully run part of her own mane along each of Chrysalis' cheeks—drying them. "That mare and her friends used the Elements of Harmony. We need to talk about this more, there are too many parallels in our stories for it to be coincidence."
The words sobered Chrysalis, and bent the scheming, planning part of her mind to the problem. "If it were Sombra that corrupted you, too—"
"Then he may have other things planned." Luna kept one wing on Chrysalis' back and drew her forward. "Sister will call on Twilight Sparkle, and I am sure Twilight and her friends will be just as effective as they were on myself, but I think we need to look at what Sombra has done, and try to see if there is more we can do, to undo."
"You want to know everything about him." Chrysalis, her mind now completely focused on a problem, like her old self. Not just her old changeling self, either, but like she had other princesses she could rely on. "Sombra was…"
I looked out from the balcony of my castle. I could see nearly two-thirds of the Crystal Empire from where I stood, and it was breathtaking. Gazing out over the land, I felt the Heart send gentle pulses to me, and begged it to wait. Too early or too late, and Equestria wouldn't receive the pulse of love and support that the magic of the Crystal Heart could give.
"Soon. Soon we can—" My soft whispering was cut short by the clanging of pots. "What is going on?" Turning around, I stomped back into my castle to see foals running amok. The clanging sound came from two, each with large pots and a soup ladle. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of my bravest new Crystal Guard. "Attention!"
Every foal in the room spun around to face me, but I fixed my gaze on the two "knights." Stepping closer, I could barely see their wide eyes under the edges of the pots. "What do the Crystal Guard have to report?"
My heart nearly broke with love when one sketched a perfect salute—with the wrong hoof. "Captain General Sombra reporting for duty! Nothing to report, Your Imperial Majesty!"
"Highness." The softest tone came from the other pot, and as it tilted up more I could see the nose of a filly poke out.
"Of course she's the highest!" Sombra's shrill tone should have been cute and adorable, but the blood in my veins chilled.
A sudden grip of ice clutched around my heart, and I stared at the foal. The Heart's magic shoved between me and the premonition, and I welcomed it. As the last of the premonition's power played out, I saw the Crystal Heart pulse, and little Sombra was destroyed.
"The heart can destroy him, then." The information was important, though Luna could see the pain even on Chrysalis' alien-seeming features. "That is a last resort, but it is one we must entertain. You are the last princess of the Crystal Empire, can you activate the Crystal Heart?"
"I would have said yes if this was anything but a thousand years. And what is worse, I don't know if I could even touch it now, it might annihilate me." Chrysalis looked at the largest hole in her left forehoof. "He ripped out everything in me that would resonate with the Crystal Heart."
"Tell me if this sounds familiar." Lifting a cup of coffee up to her lips, Luna sipped the darkest of brews in preparation for sleep lost that, if they all failed, would never be made up.
High in my own tower, I looked out at the dark night and sighed. "Why do you do this, Tia?"
"You didn't speak like that!" Chrysalis giggled. "You were all 'thee' and 'thou' and all that!"
"I adapted, and besides, I prefer the mare I am now. I am stronger." Luna cleared her throat. "Where was I?"
My sister had done it again. Another Summer Sun Celebration was coming, and she had—just like the previous year—decided it should be a big deal. Melancholy and a little sad, I kept my eyes on my lovely moon.
"You should have your own celebration."
The voice startled me. I looked around the room. "Who was that?" Stomping around to all the good hiding spots, I found not a mouse. "Show yourse—" I didn't manage to finish my demand.
The night sky bled blue-black stars and shapes. They poured down from the depths of the evening and started to flow into the shape of a pony. She was so beautiful, as her form became more solid, that I took a step towards her. "Luna. Princess of the Moon and Night. Lady of Darkness. Hunter of Bad Dreams. Sister to the Wonderful Princess Celestia of the Sun."
The titles had warmed me as she spoke them, in the same voice I had heard a moment earlier, but when she got to the last my smile broke. "I don't care about her."
"And why not? Why don't you care what she wants, what she thinks is best for you?" The words were like honey, tempting me, and coming now from the night mare's mouth.
"I…" Closing my mouth, I thought about her question some more. "She is my sister. I should stand by her side." My words were hollow, empty, lacking all weight and any effectiveness. I slumped.
"Why not do something else, just for a night?" The night mare's words were so easy to listen to, and they made perfect sense. What Celestia asked me to do, what I had always done, was guard the night. "Come for a ride."
I didn't say anything, I leaned forward, and the night poured around me.
"Nightmare Moon. That was after my time." Chrysalis had a foreleg around Princess Luna's withers, hugging the mare who had called her sister. "A slippery slope."
"Very slippery. One night we just flew around, ignoring the dreams of ponies. That was fun for a month. Then we started slipping into dreams and playing with them. The ponies dreamed of Celestia's sun, we eclipsed it." Luna leaned into Chrysalis, there was nothing else for it, not when it was the first time she had ever told her story.
Chrysalis knew what was coming. "And then?"
"We could do more, you know." The night mare's words were always tasty in my ears—I turned both to face her. "Come kiss me, night-sister, and I will show you something much more exciting."
Exciting was something sorely lacking. It had been a year since she had started visiting, and once again the Summer Sun Celebration was here. My heart beat faster, and I stepped closer to the night. Leaning forward, I closed my eyes and smiled.
The moment of contact was like burning ice. I screamed as, instead of the night mare entering me, she ripped from me instead. I was torn from the world and plunged into inky darkness. Anger at my sister's constant betrayal of my night was the biggest part of my time like that, and it found fertile ground to grow.
Daytime came and went, and when the moon rose, so did I. Tearing a hole back into reality, I could see no moon in the sky. "This year,"—I turned my armored head up to the sky, and ripped the moon from its rest—"there will be no more sun!"
"And then Celestia found me. My sister was smart, but she alone wasn't strong enough to wield all the Elements of Harmony, but she tried. It took a lot out of her, and they barely had the energy to shove me away again. If Twilight Sparkle had been there, I have no doubt that Nightmare Moon would have been ended that very day." Luna found not only was she leaning against Chrysalis, but that Chrysalis was leaning against her.
"It sounds familiar. After Sombra ripped me apart, I…" Chrysalis took a deep breath. "I was left without a sister to save me from myself. The darkness and anger wrapped around me, and I went mad."
The train rattled along the old, rarely used tracks. The Crystal Empire lay along the old and winding route that was built to take passengers to Griffonstone. A normal locomotive would take the better part of a day to reach the location where the Crystal Empire had reappeared, but Harmony was a very new and very powerful locomotive that thundered its way north.
Twilight, wearing the Element of Magic, was clumped with her friends, but the other passengers of the train made her feel so tiny. She looked across at the ponies present. Princess Celestia was never imposing, even with Princess Luna at her side, but sitting close to Luna was Chrysalis. The former Queen of the Changelings wore armor—Royal Guard armor—on loan from Twilight's own brother.
Princess Cadance sat with Shining Armor and Vinyl Scratch, a situation that confused Twilight a little, still. The trio that had insisted that they were all going to be getting married the moment Sombra was dealt with, sat off to one side.
Queen Thorax, Sunset Shimmer, and Sky Soar rounded out the contingent from Canterlot. The three changelings were sitting across from Princess Celestia, and Twilight couldn't catch the conversation carried out between them.
"Uh, Your Highnesses and Majesties,"—Checked Ticket still hadn't worked out the correct way to address so much royalty, but he hoped that throwing all the biggest titles together wouldn't offend—"we are slowin' down for the platform."
The train car lost all noise except the clacking of the wheels on the tracks under them. Turning to her friends, Twilight felt more and more sure of herself as each looked back. "We've done this before, girls, we will give him a chance to come peacefully, and then let him have it if he refuses."
Pinkie Pie tilted her head a little to one side. "But Princess Luna said we should blast him right away, rainbow to the face and all that."
"Is that how we do things?" Twilight looked around her friends, and saw each face shake. "Right. We gave Nightmare Moon a chance, we even gave Discord a chance. We will give Sombra a chance."
"I'm with you, Twilight." Rainbow Dash was the first to give verbal support. "I trust you to make the right choice, but you've taught me not to rely on that." She held out a hoof to Twilight, and Twilight was quick to put her own on it.
"Ah don't like any of this, but from what Princess Luna said he seems to be what's caused all kinds of problems for Equestria. Still, Ah think Ah wanna at least hear what he has to say for himself." Applejack lifted her own hoof into the circle, and felt a tingle from the Element of Honesty—a good tingle.
"I spoke to Queen Chrysalis myself—somepony had to adjust that armor to fit—and she said Sombra was going to enslave the Crystal Empire. But you are right, we have to keep our morals, despite what others may want." Rarity put her hoof into the circle, and felt a swell of power.
Fluttershy looked to Pinkie Pie, but seeing the other mare not moving, she gave a sigh. "I-I don't like having to do this at all. I think everypony has a right to do and be who they want to." She lifted her hoof into the circle.
"Sillies." Pinkie shoved her hoof in without hesitation. "He is acting like a big poopy head. If he wants to be nice, we let him."
Power thrummed between the six friends as the train pulled to a stop. Twilight smiled at the strong support, and nodded. "Right, let's go and stop him once and for all!"
"Twilight Sparkle." Striding down the train car, Princess Celestia wore the grimmest smile she had in her life. "We will buy you the time you need to use the Elements." She looked back at Chrysalis, her eyes catching the other mare's. "And for other things."
"We all have our tasks. Today we stop this madness." Luna followed her sister's example, and both the diarchs left the train together.
Shining Armor, Vinyl Scratch, and Cadance left next, followed by Chrysalis herself. The former queen of the changelings clanked with every stride she took. "This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have done."
Twilight heard the words of the former monarch. "But it's a good thing." She smiled and followed after Chrysalis. "Sombra is evil, and he must be stopped."
"I know that. I was referring to my trying to sneak while wearing armor." A glance at Twilight reminded Chrysalis that the mare was still young. "Remember, I have to sneak into the castle while you are fighting Sombra."
"We won't be fighting him, Chrysalis." Twilight looked back at her friends. "We are going to offer him a chance to surrender, and if he refuse—"
Chrysalis' eyes widened, and she stared at Twilight. "You are going to offer him peace, after all this?" Shock, not anger boiled in Chrysalis. She couldn't help but smile. "You would make a good princess, Twilight Sparkle. Better than I was." Turning, leaving Twilight staring in surprise, Chrysalis left the train.
The driving snow blocked most sight, but in the distance the sparkling of the Crystal Empire could barely be made out. Chrysalis was charged with energy, glutted with it. The power burning inside her was a symbol to her, a shield she could hold up against Sombra's hateful influence. That Princess Luna had given her love meant everything to Chrysalis.
Pulling a new disguise on was, to Chrysalis, like breathing. She looked back at herself as the fire faded, admiring the small crystal pony body she wore. "Make sure you have his full attention. If he sees me making for the Crystal Heart, I will be done for."
Luna cut in before Celestia could say a word. "Trust us, Sister." Her eyes locked with Chrysalis, she saw that the changeling recognized that the words were all for her.
"Are you ready to do this, Twily?" Vinyl Scratch, being of the same dimensions as Twilight and her friends, dropped back to the group of six.
Twilight nodded. "Just like we planned. You all keep him busy with magic, while we activate the Elements." The party started moving, with Celestia and Luna striding forward, melting the snow away before them. To one side, Chrysalis slipped into the snowstorm, and in moments was invisible.
As they walked, the storm got worse, until even the Crystal Empire's brightness was swamped by featureless white. Celestia and Luna, at the same time, stepped past the storm and expressed surprise.
The Crystal Empire itself, a city-state, was not in the cold grip of the snowstorm. When Twilight and her friends joined Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Vinyl Scratch, they saw "Chrysalis" was with them.
Sky Soar winked at the others, and struck the best pose he could beside the alicorns present. "Grr, angry queen changeling curses!"
Everypony looked at Sky and laughed. "He's really good at this!" Pinkie Pie pointed, her own laughter bubbling forth.
A shadow seemed to pass over the courtyard where the little group was waiting; waiting for this moment.
"Sombra!" Princess Celestia didn't use her own version of the Royal Canterlot Voice anymore, but this seemed like a good time for it. "Let us get this done with. Show yourself!" She called on her magic, and that which governed the sun itself. Light poured down, shoving back what gloom the storm held, and also revealing Sombra to be the source of the shadow.
"Your Majesties." Sombra landed neatly on the ground, opposite the ponies already there. "Your Highnesses. Welcome to the Crystal Empire." He nodded his head just a fraction, never breaking his line of sight with the others.
Twilight Sparkle knew this was her moment. Princess Luna had been so against her idea, that she hadn't brought it up again, but she had to try. "King Sombra, surrender. You don't need to do this!" She stepped to Princess Celestia's side and looked right at the big stallion opposing them. Sombra was built on a similar scale to McIntosh Apple: a huge frame supported a wild mane of black, while his chiseled features would, under normal circumstances, have drawn mares to court him. "Please?"
Sombra stared at the young mare asking him to surrender, and laughed. "Oh, of course I will declare peace, just as soon as you put on these for me." Floating in boiling, black magic, twelve masks appeared. The things looked like a horrible parody of the masks Zecora made, but the glowing green eyes seemed to pulse, throbbing with arcane energy. "For each pony that puts my masks on, I promise to protect them and will ensure their freedom."
Before she realized it, Twilight's hoof lifted and she took a step forward. One of the masks had purple accents around it, it even had her own cutie mark emblazoned between the eyes, and the worst part was she felt herself wanting to put it on. She started to take another step, when a pure white wing stopped her.
"Twilight Sparkle! Do not believe these lies. Sombra's masks are not for free ponies to wear." Using her own Royal voice, Luna stomped a hoof. She felt the tug of the moon-marked mask on herself, and strained against its need to be worn.
"Just put them on." Sombra flung the masks forward, scattering them, and letting them slide towards the group of ponies. Just like he had hoped, he saw one blue streak of a mare charging for one with a rainbow thunderbolt on it.
Rainbow Dash's mind was snared. She couldn't resist the urge to get the mask and put it on. Flying to her own, special mask in a blink, she picked it up and started to lift it. As the mask came closer to her face, Rainbow smiled into the green glow within. Her eyes widened to best absorb the green into herself, and that is when the mask was suddenly gone. A bright flash of cobalt fire destroyed the object of her desire.
Luna stomped her hoof and blasted the last of the masks. "I warned you of his treachery, Twilight Sparkle. It is time to cleanse Sombra with the Elements." She saw the weariness on Twilight's face, the defeat. "This is not your failing, but his."
Black energy lanced forward, spraying like an explosion. Sombra snarled at the loss of all of his capture masks. "If I cannot have you, you will die for me." The streamers of energy were only the start of his spell, and when he saw Shining Armor dive to intercept one traveling to Twilight Sparkle, he grinned in delight. "First."
The streamer seemed to strike Shining in the chest, and to his shock it burrowed into his flesh without pain. He tried to grab it with his magic, but nothing he could cast would grip it.
"Shining Armor!" Princess Celestia had barely a moment to grab the dark magic and tear it. A huge glut of dark power poured down the streamer, like the current surge of a lightning strike, and exploded from the ripped end. "Don't let them touch you!"
Luna's instinct was to put a protective barrier up to stop Sombra's magic, but that would mean the Elements of Harmony would rip it apart on their way shooting out, something Luna wasn't prepared to risk herself on. So she dueled with the onrush of tendrils, slicing and shredding each slimy, sticky streamer of magic.
A rush of energy coiled around Luna, and drove itself into her. It wasn't a black streamer, but a green coil. She risked a glance to Sky Soar, and nodded to the changeling that was lending her his strength.
Twilight and her friends gathered around Rainbow Dash, trying to break her from the daze the mask had instilled. Green light flickered in Rainbow's eyes for a few moments, before finally winking out. She shook her head and looked up. "Why aren't we blasting him yet?"
"You, silly. He did a whammy on your brain or something." Pinkie Pie helped her friend to stand. "Which is really naughty. I don't like him."
"Agreed." Five voices all spoke at once, and as one the six Element bearers turned to look at Sombra. At that moment, one of the streamers managed to get past Celestia's half of the defense, and poked deep into Cadance's shoulder.
"Now!" Twilight closed her eyes and focused on her Element. "Magic!"
"Kindness." Fluttershy, uncharacteristically, cut in. She was furious at what Sombra was doing.
"Loy-Loyalty!" Still fighting off some of the effects of the dazing magic, Rainbow Dash nonetheless embraced her element.
Cadance sliced the streamer in her off just before the blast of magic came, only to have two more catch her off guard. Panic filled her, and she reached to cut one, but could see the dark glut of power pouring down both.
The Elements of Harmony activated, bathing each of the ponies defending against Sombra's assault in the bright light of their own Element. The streamers all snapped, the magic they carried fizzled out and, as Twilight Sparkle started to float into the air, it rushed towards the source.
Sombra knew the moment would come when he would face the Elements of Harmony. He had hoped at least one of the Element bearers would put a mask on fully, and be out of action. As the rainbow beam of power rushed towards him, he leaned forward and started channeling a torrent of power.
Black, burning lines swirled around Sombra, and his corrupting power rushed forward, eager to meet pure Harmony. A thunder-crack that shook the ground spread out from where the two energies met. A bubbling explosion of rainbow and black magic boiled between Twilight and Sombra, each eager to reach the source of its opposite.
Twilight felt the strain on her power unlike ever before. Each time she and her friends had used the Elements, they had overwhelmed whatever they were fighting. For the first time ever a continued flow of energy was needed. "You can do it, girls!"
Celestia, stepping from the white ball of magic power that the Elements projected, tried to blast at Sombra's flanks, but her own magic was reflected by the darkness around Sombra. "Everypony! Try to break his focus. Anything you can do to distract him!"
Staring ahead, Sombra focused all the hate within him upon Twilight Sparkle. Like a tsunami, more and more dread magic poured through him, and he felt his magic moving forward a few pony lengths. "Just surrender. My power is stronger even than the Elements of Harmony." Sombra laughed. "You! Cannot! Defeat! ME!"
Sky Soar moved to Twilight's side, and despite the burning-hot beam of magic the mare was funneling, he tried to offer his own magic to her, as he had Luna. The moment his coil of magic touched Twilight, he felt the same strain she did. Struggling against the bone-weary weakness, he kept feeding energy to her.
Twilight watched as the dark beam of magic got larger, and each time it grew it came closer and closer. She didn't want to know that it was about to hit her, and closed her eyes. Straining, leaning against Sky, she head a voice call out Sombra's name.
"Sombra!" Chrysalis held the Crystal Heart in her magic. "Sombra! It doesn't have to be like this." She stepped closer to the dark energy. "What you are doing is wrong."
Turning his head, Sombra's energy backed off a little, no longer gaining ground, but not giving any. He looked right at Chrysalis, fully revealed in her changeling form. "Chrysalis. Or should that be Amore?" He smiled wider as Chrysalis winced when he said her original name. "I thought you were my greatest creation, but it seems you are a failure."
"No, Sombra." Chrysalis stepped closer, using her own shield against the hate to repel the dark magic. One step, then another, putting her within the area that Sombra's magic was lashing. "You don't have to fight them, Sombra."
"You? Even now?" Sombra's anger flared, and the dark magic beam moved to within a pony-length of Twilight Sparkle. "I was destined for this! You cannot deny it!"
Chrysalis stepped closer still, and smiled with her razor-sharp teeth on display. "You were destined for this." She breathed out a sigh. "But some destinies are better to put aside. You changed mine. I was first meant to be a wonderful princess, to learn to rule my empire. You remade me into a monster that destroys destiny."
Sombra lost some focus to his conversation with Chrysalis, giving a little ground to Harmony. "And you failed at even that! When I returned, you should have had Celestia and Luna ripped from their cutie marks and completely under your control!"
"So let me destroy yours." Chrysalis walked closer still, until she was right beside Sombra. "The Elements of Harmony will clean you of,"—she lifted a hoof and gestured at the angry, black magic—"this. You don't need to fight it yourself, like I did, just stop fighting."
"I'm not a foal anymore!" Sombra felt his grip on the hatred slipping. "I'm not a fool anymore!"
"We're all fools, Sombra. I was a fool not to activate the Crystal Heart back then, and I am a fool not to now. It would end you." Chrysalis reached a hoof out, almost but not quite touching the dark magic between them. "Look at me? I signed up to join their Royal Guard! Sombra, be a little foolish too, please?"
An image slipped out of the dark, twisted past. Sombra remembered wearing a saucepan on his head and saluting Princess Amore. The ridiculousness of the memory startled him into remembering what it was like growing up and thinking his destiny was to protect. "I can't. It's been too long…"
"No it hasn't." Chrysalis reached up, shoving her foreleg into the burning dark magic to boop the King on the nose. "Attention! What do the Crystal Guard have to report?"
Sombra shed tears. The memory was painful, now, and seared in his mind. "Captain General Sombra reporting for—for duty." The moment the last word was out, Sombra let go.
Chrysalis buzzed her wings and pulled back, but not fast enough. The burning hot rainbow of magic flooded both of them.
"She did it!" Celestia stared as the rainbow of Harmony engulfed Sombra and Chrysalis together. It was there for barely a second before it was gone again. With bright flashes still before her eyes, Princess Celestia spread her wings and rushed forward.
Chrysalis looked down at herself. She thought the rainbow would destroy her form, remake her into a pony again. But what caught her eyes was the dark colt on the ground. "Sombra?"
The dark, furious energy that had been Sombra's birthright, was gone. He started to reach for it, on instinct, but it simply wasn't part of him. Pushing his forehooves under his body, he straightened up and looked at the dark form of Chrysalis standing over him. "P-P-Princess?"
"Attention!" Chrysalis barked the command, and smiled as Sombra sharpened his stance. "Report."
"Your Imperial Majesty! I…" Sombra was lost for words. He looked up at Chrysalis again, and saw her crying. "Princess, what's wrong?" There was a huge hole inside him that should have held all the anger and hatred of a thousand years, but it was gone. Two hole-filled forelegs reached out for him and pulled him closer, as Chrysalis dropped and rolled on her back.
"You did it, Sombra!" Chrysalis held Sombra, now no more than a colt in size, up in the air. "You really did it. Is it all gone?"
"It's-It's all gone. I can't feel it. I don't understand?" Sombra looked down at Chrysalis, unable to comprehend why the changeling was so happy.
"It infected you first." Chrysalis brought Sombra down, and nuzzled at his tiny snout. "The Elements of Harmony cleaned Princess Luna of its taint, all you had to do was want it to clean you, too!"
"Why do we have to do it? Chrysalis is technically still the princess." Shining Armor was packing his bags, despite his protests. His complaints were going mostly ignored by Cadance and Vinyl, since they had their own things to pack. Without thinking, Shining lifted his head and looked at his wives.
"He's doing it again." Vinyl nudged Cadance in the shoulder with a foreleg. As one, they both turned to look at Shining. The look of adoration was almost frightening on the stallion's face.
"Shiny." Cadance turned fully, giving Vinyl a nuzzle as she did. "You know what happens when you look at me like that."
The moment Cadance was Close enough, Shining Armor leaned out to meet her, and they kissed. It was a perfect moment, a wonderful one, and it suddenly got better. Shining looked to see Vinyl kissing too, her mouth pressed in from the side.
The three had a few moments of bliss before the door to their rooms flew open. "Changelings are coming!" Apple Bloom rushed forward, leading the charge at Apple Blossom's side.
"Roar!" Buzzaloo pounced onto Vinyl's back. "I've caught the vampony!"
"Get the other one!" Adore piled onto Vinyl, leaving her fellow crusaders to jump onto Shining Armor.
"You saved me!" Laughing for all she was worth, Princess Cadance struck her best helpless maiden pose. "However will I thank you, mighty Crusaders?"
"Write to us every day!" Sweetie Belle, perched on Shining's withers, chirped her wings in excitement.
"I'll do it!" Folding his legs under him, Shining was pinned by the laughing little changelings. "Just release me, please!"
"Not until our Queen says so!" Buzzaloo was perched on Vinyl's back.
"I do say so." Thorax stepped into the room. "And what did I say about knocking first? They might have been busy doing things." She smiled apologetically at Cadance.
Apple Bloom lifted her head up from where she hugged Vinyl's neck. "They weren't!"
"What sort of things?" Adore asked, looking up at Thorax, the very picture of adorableness.
Cadance gave Thorax a pointed look. "Well, they are vamponies, so they might have been performing a dangerous ritual! Who knows?" She activated her horn and lifted all six squirming changelittles off Shining and Vinyl. The moment she revealed her wife and husband, she felt a giddy feeling, mostly at the constant amazement that they had finally gotten married. "Maybe they were… Snuggling!"
Six little voices squealed in mock horror, and began buzzing their wings to get free of Cadance's grip. Cadance set all six of her charges on the floor again. "I'm going to miss you."
"Oh, we'll come visit." Scootaloo was dusting herself off, and checked her wings. "But it is a looong way to go. So maybe not too often."
"I'll miss you all too." Shining let go of his disguise. Bright colors abounded, as she trotted forward to hug her fellow Crusaders. "Maybe I could get more to join the Crusaders?" Her answer was squeals of excitement.
