> Golden Ink
>  by Detsella Morningdew
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Choice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinky galloped down another corridor, internally cursing the castle's monotonous decoration scheme and lack of any sort of sensible layout. Every turn looked like the one before.

This was certainly not one of her better days. It had actually started out pretty good - great, even. To the surprise of both herself and her mother, they had been invited to a wedding; a royal wedding, no less. It had gotten even better when she found out that her three best friends were attending as well, and they had been asked to be the flower fillies. It was certainly a pleasant surprise.

But things went downhill fast. First, it seemed that miss Twilight had gone crazy, ranting about how the bride was actually evil.

Dinky reached the end of the corridor, groaning as she finally realized where she was. She had somehow looped back to the wedding hall, full of those bug creatures and that horrid queen. She immediately regulated her breathing, muffling her hoofsteps as much as possible. I have to be careful.

The worst part is that Twilight was right. She even came back with the real bride in tow.

And then the bug ponies attacked. Princess Celestia was taken off-guard, taken from behind. And worst of all, in the chaos, Dinky had lost sight of her mother. The last time she had seen her, she had yelled at Dinky to run, possibly to the train station or something. It was hard to tell over the sounds of fighting.

So she was doing that. Or trying to, at least. So far, she hadn't even managed to make it out of the castle.

Suddenly, she froze as she heard screams from the corridor opposite her. Screams she recognized all too well, but they were no screams of delight.

They're in trouble!

Dinky took a chance, sprinting across the packed room as quickly and quietly as possible. After all, nopony or bug was looking in that direction, anyway.

If something happened to them...

She spotted three familiar forms ahead, and forced herself into a gallop, despite her aching limbs.

A black shape inched towards them, forcing them against the wall - a dead end in a doorless corridor.

Eyes ablaze, she slammed into the bug creature, yelling incoherently as they both crashed into the wall.

Dazed, she stumbled away from the unmoving bug, who had fortunately taken the brunt of the crash, and looked at the shell-shocked Crusaders.

"Are... are you all alright?" she asked nervously. Apple Bloom nodded numbly, and Sweetie followed a second later. Scootaloo just stood there with shining eyes, a grin slowly forming on her muzzle.

"That. Was. So. Awesome!" she said excitedly, buzzing her wings rapidly. "You just went, 'Whack! Bam!'"

Scootaloo suddenly paused in her little "demonstration" of Dinky's heroics as the changeling they all assumed was unconscious moved suddenly and rapidly, despite the number of deep cracks on it's hard exterior.

Dinky cried out as its fangs bit into her leg deeply, releasing quite a bit of fluid into her bloodstream. Horrified, she watched as the light in its eyes slowly went out, slumping completely on the ground.

The four fillies stared silently at the bug on the floor. Monster or not, they had just watched another pony... die.

But there wasn't even enough time for that. Apparently, Dinky wasn't quite as stealthy as she would have liked, and the buzzing sounds coming from down the corridor meant only one thing - she had been followed.

The dead end behind them was now firmly cemented in all of their minds.

Dinky's eyes lit up as a desperate idea came into her head. "Come on! If we run, we might be able to break through!"

That seemed to startle the Crusaders from their dazed stupor, and they followed her at a run.

Dinky gulped as she looked ahead. There were at least twenty of the bug ponies hovering menacingly in front of them.

But the ground is mostly clear. If I can just catch them by surprise and dodge them long enough... we might be able to get through.

Dinky's mind was set. The three fillies behind her, however, faltered slightly at the imposing sight. That hesitation, however small, slowed them down just enough.

Dinky burst out into the wedding hall.

"-and finally, my subjects will be able to without fear of being discovered, without fear of being hunted! Our last salvation has succeeded in freeing the changeling race!"

Once again, Dinky did her best to silence her hoofsteps. She looked, back, ready to tell her friends to do the same, but they were no longer there.

"Quick, go to him!" The whisper was faint, but she heard it clearly.

Was... was that Twilight's voice? But it didn't matter. She had to find her friends-

A deep, painful sensation spread throughout her body. A wave of caustic energy.

She turned her head to it's source with some difficulty. Twilight's brother and the bride?

The light grew blinding, and she stumbled as another wave, this one much more powerful, passed through her with an agonizing pain. How the other ponies were smiling, she had no idea.

Dinky stumbled over to the wall for support, just barely aware of the other ponies leaving the room. Maybe they are looking for Princess Celestia.... that would make sense... Her hooves gave way under her.

The large black shape next to her moved weakly, the image resolving into a face Dinky wished she didn't recognize. But it wasn't filled with the hate or triumph she was used to. It was almost... pleading? It almost looked unnatural for that expression to belong on that particular face. But there was no denying its sincerity.

"Please... young one... Don't-" She winced with pain, the front hoof that propped her up giving way. "You have every reason to hate me... hate us. If our positions were reversed..." She shook her head. "Feel free to hate me with a clean conscience. But please, don't hate us. Do not reject all changelings. I... I take full responsibility. Please... do not let us die."

Dinky's eyes widened, the image of the changeling she attacked replaying before her eyes. "But I don't know any healing spells! I can't even pick up a book yet!"

The Queen allowed herself a weak chuckle. "And yet you stood up for your little "hive" when it was in danger, despite that. I respect that.

"Besides..." She gave a hacking cough that made Dinky's eyes water. "I have no choice. You... you are the only changeling left. All the others... all the others are gone."

That doesn't sound right... I thought changelings were their species. How could I be one?

But it no longer mattered. This was not the same pony that tried to conquer Equestria. This was... this was a dying mare. One that needed her help. Like when Nightmare Moon turned out to just be Luna that was sad and lonely.

She looked back at the queen, her mind made up. "What do you want me to do?"

Relief washed across the changeling's face, as her horn started to light up. Dinky stepped back slightly, a bit wary, but despite the queen's threatening appearance, her eyes were still desperate and worried.

"Take... take this gift. It's all the love I've gathered over the years. I have no use for it anymore."

Love? This was making less sense every minute. But she did say "gift." If this was supposed to help, she was going to do it, no matter how confusing.

The queen suddenly seemed very nervous. "Oh, you don't know, do you...?" She winced. "I'm sorry, I don't have much time left. I can't explain... I-"

Dinky interrupted her. "I said I would help. I don't understand, but I don't have to, either."

For some reason, the queen looked extremely uncomfortable at this. "Thank... thank you..."

The green light of her horn became blinding, and almost on instinct, Dinky knew what to do. She leaned forward, touching her horn to the Queen's.

Instantly, energy flowed into her in a torrent. At first, it was a comforting energy, washing out the pain of her muscles, and refreshing her like a good night's sleep. Then it became sharp like lightning, giving her something like an extreme sugar rush. Her horn and back felt oddly tingly, like they were full of needles.

But the flow kept coming, and the flow became almost painful. And then quite painful.

After what seemed like forever, the energy faltered, and the green glow vanished. Dinky sighed with relief, until she opened her eyes. The queen... Queen Chrysalis... had stopped moving.





Princess Celestia wearily walked back into her throne room, still repurposed for the wedding. She was flanked by her worried student, and followed by the soon-to-be newlyweds. There was certainly a lot of cleanup to do before the real wedding--

Her train of thought stopped suddenly as she noticed a little filly, sobbing in the corner on something pony-shaped.

Oh no...

Celestia rushed over, ignoring the puzzled look from her student - one that quickly turned to understanding and sorrow.

She recognized the filly. She was the daughter of that eccentric pegasus with the hard-to-pronounce name. The pony she was resting on was a bit hard to make out--

Celestia froze. That wasn't a pony. That was a changeling... the queen of the changelings?

She sighed sadly. So the blast ended up fatal. And this poor filly was left here to see it. If only more ponies could share such kindness towards creatures that so recently hurt them.

"Get away from her, Dinky! She's the queen of the changelings! She's evil!"

Dinky's head whipped around instantly, fury on her face. Twilight stepped back slightly. "She's not evil! She's dead! And her name was Chrysalis!"

Twilight's eyes widened. Never before had she heard such venom in the voice of such a normally kind filly. "But... but I--"

Celestia put a hoof on Twilight's back, silencing her.

Dinky stood up shakily. "I just watched... I just watched two ponies die in front of me." Her voice was strangely devoid of emotion.

Somewhat shocked, Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Celestia's hoof grew more insistent.

"E-excuse me, I need to go get my friends out of their stasis pods." The filly left, trotting down the corridor with a broken gait.

Twilight looked up at her mentor. "Stasis pods?" she whispered questioningly.

Celestia simply nodded, a bit distracted herself. There was a strange power in that filly, now. Not the type that one would normally find in one so young. Nor an adult, for that matter. And the changeling queen was far too empty of magic to have died so recently. No, something else was going on here.

At least by the filly's demeanor, it seemed to be fully voluntary.

She turned back to her student, looking her directly in the eyes. "The death of a pony, Twilight, whether friend or enemy, is a great loss. A great tragedy happened here, and that filly was here to witness it. Worse, she understood it." She turned around, looking gently at the couple behind her. Shining Armor was holding Cadence, wiping the tears streaming down her face.

"Do not blame yourselves for this, either of you. You did not know what the outcome would be. Equestria sees you as heroes, and whether you believe them or not, you deserve it." She looked away, to the direction Dinky had left.

"Still, if you feel you have anything to atone for, protect that filly. She is now their heritage."

Twilight looked up at her mentor in alarm. "What do you mean, Princess?'





Dinky walked over to the three pods, trying desperately to ignore the changelings scattered around them. She looked to the first one. Sweetie Belle.

In an almost practiced motion, she swiped at it with her horn, slicing it cleanly from top to bottom.

She paused, reaching up to feel the tip of her horn. It was sharp. I guess it's happening already. I'd be mad at her, but at the same time... I understand. She looked to the side.

At least I know now why she felt so uncomfortable.

Dinky gently pulled her friend out of the nutrient solution inside, letting her get her balance as she slowly woke up.

"Wha... what happened?"

"You got captured," she said simply. "And it was too late for me to help once I realized."

Sweetie nodded slowly, a bit confused at her shortness, then looked at the others. "So how are we going to get them--"

*slash*

Her eyes widened. "Whoa."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm part Changeling now. Or at least turning into one. I think that changeling that attacked me did something. And then Chrysalis--"

"Who?"

"The queen. She did something else."

Sweetie grabbed her shoulder, pulling her away from Scootaloo's pod. "We need to get Twilight, the Princess, or something! We might be able to fix this!"

"No."

Sweetie's expression suddenly turned confused. "But..."

"She asked me first. And I said yes."

"But... but... um... huh?" Her eyes finally noticed some of the changelings scattered around. They widened, and turned back to Dinky. "Oh, no... I'm so sorry, Dinky. I didn't know... All of them?"

Dinky just nodded, turning to Scootaloo's pod as Sweetie numbly offered her assistance to Apple Bloom.

The farm pony blinked as she woke up, noticing both of their sad expressions. "Uh... girls? What happened?"

Sweetie answered first. "We got caught by the changelings."

She rolled her eyes. "I can see that. But both of you don't look very happy about something. What's wrong?"

"Well, Dinky's kind of a changeling now..."

She blinked. "Uh... okay? Those are the bug things, right?"

"Yes, but that's not the bad thing!" Sweetie added quickly, causing Apple Bloom to become even more confused. "Uh... it's kinda..." She lowered her head. "She's the only one left."

Apple Bloom winced.

Dinky pulled Scootaloo out of her pod. "And just so you know, the queen didn't force anything. She asked. Nicely."

The yellow filly blinked. She just couldn't see that happening, but she obviously didn't know everything. And as bad as she was, Apple Bloom couldn't bring herself to think she deserved death.

Scootaloo opened her eyes, regaining her balance as she stood up. "Uh... so what happened?"

Sweetie groaned and looked at Dinky. "Maybe you should have explained things after we were all out."





"I'm sorry, Princess, but both of us agree that we should reschedule the wedding. After what happened..." Shining Armor looked down. "As Captain of the Guard, I understand that sometimes, death is inevitable on the real battlefield. But actual genocide... we both need time to rest. Think things through."

Celestia nodded sadly. "I understand. If any of you need help or guidance, don't hesitate to ask. Both my sister and I have been in situations where the greater good was almost as bad as the alternative."





"That is so cool!" Scootaloo examined Dinky closely. Already, her teeth and horn were quite sharp. "I mean, I still don't understand why you would do that, but being friends with a bug pony is cool enough." Her ears drooped slightly. "But what happened to the others isn't cool at all."

The other three fillies nodded in agreement.

Dinky turned to face another corridor. "I have to go find Mom, though, and soon. I don't know when the changes might require me to be in a hospital."

"Yeah.... especially if we're not in Ponyville yet."

She trotted quickly back to the throne room, her friends following closely behind. She paused right before entering, however, as she heard voices.

"That's terrible! How could the queen do that do Dinky? What would she even have to gain from that?"

"Twilight, it is not as terrible as you think. Changelings are not mindless drones. Dinky still has her full mental capacity. And is it not so farfetched that the queen might have been thinking for the future of her race? Still, I didn't think that even she would change a pony's species."

Dinky stepped out, making no attempt to muffle her hoofsteps. "Chrysalis didn't do that, I don't think. She talked to me like I was already a changeling. She just gave me all her stored love or something."

Twilight suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. Apparently, she wasn't supposed to hear Twilight's real opinion. Dinky's teeth clenched slightly. It didn't help the looks Twilight was sending her horn and mouth.

"It was probably the changeling that attacked the Crusaders." This was more directed towards Celestia.

Twilight gasped. "Oh no! Did they also get infected?"

Dinky glared.

Celestia looked at her sternly. "Twilight. I will tell you one last time. Changelings are not cursed ponies. And they are not monsters. Let me ask you something. Are griffons monsters?"

Twilight's eyes widened. "Um... I mean, they are a bit rude, but that probably was just the one I met. But they are an ally of Equestria. Why would they be considered monsters?"

"Twilight, they invaded as well."

She winced. Of course. That was well documented history, too.

Dinky spoke up, trying to force down her anger. She liked Twilight. They always had fun reading together. It was just a misunderstanding... "I don't think the Crusaders have the same thing I do. I kinda..." Dinky winced. "...hit the changeling too hard. We thought it was unconscious, but it bit me. And it wasn't the usual paralysis stuff, since I could walk just fine afterwards. And then... and then he..."

Celestia placed a comforting wing over her.

Twilight blinked. "Wait, how did you know about the paralysis venom? That wasn't in any of my books, and I only learned that today... firsthoof."

Dinky sat down, rubbing her temples with her front hooves. "I think Chrysalis might have sent some information, too. Things on how to be a changeling, or something. She didn't really have... time to explain. I mean, I never remember her actually telling me her name directly."

Twilight's eyes widened while Celestia just smiled.

"This has so many implications--"

The sound of galloping interrupted her. "Where's my Muffin‽

Dinky reluctantly moved out from under Celestia's wing. "I'm right here, Mom."

Ditzy sighed in relief. "Thank Ce-- I mean, I'm so glad you're safe."

Twilight groaned. "Safe is such a relative term."

Dinky rolled her eyes. "I'm fine." She looked at her mother nervously. "Though I might be turning into a changeling now."

Her mother paused for a second, then nodded. "Okay."

Twilight's eyelid twitched. "Okay? Okay‽ How can this be just 'okay?' Your daughter just turned into one of the monsters that attacked Canterlot, and--"

The floor cracked.

Twilight froze, looking fearfully at her mentor. Her mane no longer flowed gently, but burned with a cool heat that was almost overwhelming.

"Xenophobia does not suit you, Twilight."

Twilight tried to open her mouth, but no words came out. She had failed the Princess, in the worst way possible. Never before, in any of the mistakes she had made, did Celestia ever look like this.

"Nearly an entire species died tonight. The least you could do is show some respect. Did you not remember what I said just thirty seconds ago?"

Twilight cowered. "Y-yes, Princess... of course... I'm sorry."

"I am not the princess you should be apologizing to."

Dinky looked at Celestia strangely. What was she implying? She looked at her mother, who just grinned encouragingly. Thank you, but that wasn't very informative, Mom.

Twilight looked equally confused.

"I suppose that can wait until later. Some ponies I am sure just want to get home and rest from this whole ordeal."

Ditzy nodded and gestured to Dinky, who followed her mother out of the throne room.

Twilight sank further into the floor, hooves over her head in shame.

Celestia sighed. "Oh, Twilight, what am I going to do with you?"
> Chapter 2: Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinky stumbled slightly as she stepped off the train, misjudging her weight. No, not misjudging. Her weight was just different. Lighter.

I really just did that. I chose to be a changeling. Chrysalis started it, but.... I'm sure Princess Celestia would have been able to fix it.

Why?

Because it was the right thing to do, of course.

Why me, then? Was this all just dumb luck? Chrysalis saw an opportunity, and took it? That changeling bite was certainly not planned. And if I hadn't met the Queen right after, I might have died.

...Or I could have just been cured. But an entire species would have ceased to exist.

Not like having just one is any better. I just gave up everything I was for a changeling queen that I only met for two minutes.

Dinky sighed. I don't even think changelings get cutie marks. Did I just ruin my destiny forever?

She shook her head. No, I decided to stay this way back in the castle. I'm sticking through this to the end.

A sharp pain in her hoof almost made her stumble. It faded quickly, but the pain wasn't what bothered her.

The sharper horn and teeth were just something that she and the Crusaders often saw in comic-book stories. They were cool, but they barely felt any different. Or she simply chose not to notice.

But this was something she could not so easily ignore. Her pastern was noticeably harder, and the frequent tingles of now-muted pain were at the forefront of her mind.

This was entirely real. It wasn't a right or wrong decision. It wasn't a philosophical argument. This was real, and it was happening now.

Based on her mother's quick glances in her direction, she knew what was happening as well. But there was no way Dinky was going to complain about it.

No, she didn't want this to stop. But it was hard to convince herself that it was right to continue, either. Yes, it was the right thing to do, but Dinky was... a bit scared.

The queen had given her something, information about how to use her new "abilities." But that only seemed to highlight just how many changes that were being made.

And that something like this had just never been done. The changeling venom that turned her into a changeling - it was not a changeling "spell" that was completed yet. It had simply amounted to a slow-acting poison, and that is what that desperate changeling was hoping for.

And all that Chrysalis did was shove a lot of power into it and hope for the best. To induce a...

...a queen transformation in hope that it would save her.

Why did I do this? Why didn't I just accept Princess Celestia's help?

Dinky walked into her house, right behind her mother. Not a word was spoken as she went to her room to go to bed. She didn't trust herself to not give away her reservations.

Besides, she just really wanted to go to bed. Maybe everything would solve itself in the morning.





Dinky had a lot of trouble sleeping that night. When she finally managed to purge her mind of the worrying thoughts, and her eyes began to fall, a particularly strong bout of pain would wake her up again.

It was never more than when she would stub her hoof. But it was enough to make her start the process all over again.

Eventually, she was just so tired, she fell asleep, regardless of pain.

And then she woke up. A dreamless sleep.

That more than anything scared her. It just simply wasn't something that was supposed to happen. Even Luna never simply dispelled nightmares - she always wanted ponies to face them. And then there were regular dreams. Dinky usually had fun with those. She had even started to have some sort of control over them, too.

But now there was just... nothing. She felt... alone.

A clatter in the kitchen tore her out of these thoughts.

Mom. I still have mom. And my friends. That didn't change, even if...

She looked down at herself, and her chest lurched.

Mirror. Now.

She ran out of her room and into the bathroom, almost shuddering at the sight in the mirror.

Dinky had already seen changelings. She was even kinda okay with how they looked. But she was only half a changeling, and it looked... wrong.

Her hooves were a changeling's hooves. That was clear to see. They felt unnaturally light, and even the holes were there. She wasn't quite sure about seeing them on herself, though.

But that wasn't the problem. The problem was near her barrel, where spikes of... chitin were merging with her normal skin. It looked wrong, it felt wrong, and... it felt like the wrong move would break the little cohesiveness it had.

No wonder the spell always failed.

Shaking slightly, she walked slowly back into the hallway and made her way towards the kitchen. Breakfast was good. It was normal. It didn't change.

Unlike walking there. Walking was weird. She was topheavy now. And every time her skin stretched with her movements, she was afraid it would separate itself from the chitin plates.

How in Equestria am I supposed to get through school like this?

She forced her mouth into a grin as she stepped into the kitchen, but it quickly became a lot more genuine when she noticed the stack of pancakes on the table.

No matter what changed, her mom's cooking would always be wonderful.





Dinky left for school early that morning. Her mother had made a good point. Cheerilee deserved some kind of explanation before class started.

To be fair, Dinky usually arrived before the rest of the students, regardless. It let her have some extra time with the textbooks before the rest of the students made it too loud to study.

But two minutes wasn't really much time for news like this. And while she might not have told her mother about her fragility (she was worried enough), Cheerilee would probably have to know.

It didn't help that she had to walk slowly, all the way there.

The stares she got were enough for her to attempt shapeshifting again. Of course, it failed.

It made sense. She was still half pony, after all.

Didn't make the stares any less uncomfortable, though.

After what seemed like forever, she reached the schoolhouse just as Celestia's sun finished its ascent into the sky.

Dinky sighed, and pushed open the door, and as usual, her teacher's voice greeted her.

"Dinky! Thank goodness you're... okay..."

She winced. "You heard what happened already?"

"It was in the newspaper this morning. But that doesn't matter. What happened to you?"

"I'm still me if that's what you're asking."

Cheerilee shook her head. "If one of those bug creatures-"

"Changelings."

"Yes, thanks. If one of them wanted to lie about being you, I think they would have done a better job of looking like it. What happened to you, though?"

"I think you already know."

"I'm asking how and why, though. Is it reversible?"

Dinky looked down. "Yes, probably. Or at least when it started. I don't want it to be, though."

Cheerilee took a few seconds to process that. "All right. But why, though?"

She sighed. "I'll tell you after class. I came early to tell you that I can't do any P.E. in this state."

"...All right. But-"

"And the changelings were never evil. They were starving, and underestimated how accepting Celestia might be."

Cheerilee smiled. "That is encouraging, at least. So will we see any more changelings soon?"

"No." Dinky stared intently at her desk as she sat down mechanically.

Cheerilee looked at her student with a worried expression. "...You're right. After class, then."

Dinky moved uncomfortably in her seat as the other students started to enter the classroom. She was quite glad that her rump was already changed, since that meant sitting would not be a complicated or dangerous ordeal.

But it felt really weird and alien. Despite being covered in literal hard plates, Dinky was actually more comfortable. The chair felt oddly soft, despite being made of the same hard wood as before.

No, her insides were soft instead. Which made it all the more creepy. It didn't help that the part of her that still was a pony felt too heavy for the rest of her.

She felt a bit guilty about that. It wasn't like changelings were ugly or anything. She actually kinda liked the way the chitin plates were arranged, now that she got a chance to see them up close. But it was vastly different than any of the sensations she was used to. Different wasn't bad. But it was kinda scary at the same time.

Enough where she barely noticed that the Crusaders were the only ponies who even tried to sit near her.

"Sweet Celestia, Dinky! That is way cooler than I expected."

If only Scootaloo could be quieter about it.

"Be careful, I'm kinda fragile at the moment," she whispered back.

Scootaloo chuckled. "What do you mean? You have all this armor stuff." At least she lowered her voice. Slightly.

"Did you seriously miss the part where this spell has never worked before?"

Her eyes widened significantly. The other Crusaders' heads whipped around. "Uh... no?"

"Oh. Well, Queen Chrysalis did something, so it should be fine, but I have to be really careful right now."

Sweetie Belle gave her a worried expression. "Dinky, I know you wanted to help and stuff, but... do you really want this?"

Dinky sighed. "I don't really know. But I've already started. And I told... I told her I would, so that's what I'm going to do."

"Good morning class."

All of them redirected their attention towards the front of the classroom.

"As you may have noticed, there is a... unique situation with miss Dinky here."

Dinky rolled her eyes. Announce it to the whole class, why don't you?

"I can assure you that she is the same pony you know from before. I expect that this will not disrupt class. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cheerilee," the class droned. Dinky almost snorted in derision, before she realized that this probably meant Cheerilee would be actively watching for trouble.

And she wasn't exactly planning on attending recess. She would never be outside Cheerilee's sight.

So theoretically, she should be fine. Theoretically.

"It is quite the fortuitous circumstance, though. In light of recent events, I had planned this history lesson around what we know about changelings."

Dinky closed her eyes and breathed deeply. I can make it through this...





It turned out most of what was "known" about changelings were legends and conjecture. And the stuff in the newspapers that morning. It was actually kind of interesting, if most of it wasn't wrong.

The fact that she had to correct these constantly was annoying, not because she found it particularly bothersome, but more that it kept attracting attention.

Not to mention that she was already seen as the "teacher's pet" most of the time. It wasn't her fault that school was interesting.

But Cheerilee could be incredibly oblivious at times. Yes, she did want to help with the lesson, but no, she did not want to stand at the front of the class the entire time. Especially once the rest of the students slowly started to notice her changes spreading.

"Why are we even learning all this?"

Dinky gritted her teeth. Of course it was her.

"I mean, didn't Princess Celestia banish them all away?"

Dinky froze. What were those newspapers saying? She paused, but Cheerilee didn't seem to correct her.

"Learning about other cultures is a big part of history, Diamond Tiara. Around five hundred years ago, we were at war with the Griffons. Now we are peaceful neighbors."

A sudden pain in Dinky's chest made her stumble. She put a hoof to her chest, and her stomach lurched. Did my heart just stop?

Only when the pain started to die down did she even notice her raging headache.

"--inky? Dinky, are you all right?"

She rose unsteadily to her hooves. "Ugh. I think I just found out why nopony survived this."

The silence was louder than the noise.

"Wait, did I say that out loud?"

"Dinky... we need to get you to the hospital."

"But I'm fine now."

"What if that happens again?"

"...Mrs. Cheerilee, they wouldn't be able to do anything if it did."

Clearly uncomfortable, Cheerilee looked at the clock, almost sighing with relief. "Class is now dismissed. Dinky, can we talk for a minute?"

Dinky nodded nervously, the noises of foals packing up drowning out anything that she might have wanted to say. She followed her teacher into her office.

The door clicked shut, drowning out the noise. "Dinky, why did you do something like this? The only reason you're not in the hospital right now is that I know that you were probably right. But based on what you said, you knew of the risk."

"The newspapers lied. Or are just wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I am the only changeling that's still alive."

"...You can't be serious."

"Do you think I'd just do this for fun?" Dinky shook her head. "Sorry. That was rude."

"Don't be. This is just hard to take in. Do you... do you mind telling me how it happened?"

Dinky took a deep breath, the air feeling strange in her lungs. "...Yeah, I'd like that."





As her office door clicked close, Cheerilee continued to stare after her charge. That was the kind of story she often heard from a certain six ponies - stories she often put into the back of her mind. She knew they were real, of course, but thinking them nothing but stories did well for her sanity and kept her day-to-day life free from unnecessary worry.

But here was a filly, not even old enough for her cutie mark, and already making her question the peace she was so used to. It wasn't even a story where she "saved the day." That would probably be easier to handle. Easier to compartmentalize as fiction.

But even Dinky's appearance forced it straight back into reality. An entire race of ponies were destroyed in defense of Equestria. And she no longer needed the newspapers to tell her what would have happened if this Chrysalis had succeeded.

Worse still, they weren't completely evil. That would have been awfully convenient.

Cheerilee knew about pyrrhic victories - she had studied a lot of Equestrian history, especially after Luna had returned and a lot of old legends were confirmed as fact. But it was far more personal. Now it had affected one of her students.

Dinky's situation was a complicated one. She wanted to tell her to just give it up - it was far safer to stay a unicorn. To be a normal pony. But even if it wasn't likely too late, how could she tell her to ignore a mare's dying wish?

Death. Equestria had not seen war - real war - since the Griffons attacked five hundred years ago. The very thought of a death not brought by age was strange, wrong.

Cheerilee shook her head. It was not healthy to dwell on such things. If Dinky needed her help, she would give it.

I do wish that she would at least consider a hospital, though. I know she's able to use magic, but she opened my door with her hoof.





Dinky clutched her head. Dammit, I forgot about this part.

As useful as it was for unicorns to have a physical gland where magic was stored, it was also the most hated body part as well, due to its tendency to give said unicorns very painful headaches when they used it too much.

Or apparently, when it was being steadily dissolved.

Yeah, not exactly pleasant.

She stumbled to the side of the road to wait it out. Damn... no wonder Chrysalis looked so guilty. I had no idea what I was getting into.

The headache slowly became just "intense migraine" instead of "repeatedly getting struck by lightning." After it had fallen to an almost bearable level, the feelings of intense energy from the wedding returned with a vengeance.

Now filled with an entirely new kind of pain, her eyes decided to fail her for around two minutes before her brain decided to give up and she fell into unconsciousness.

Either that, or it just got really good at blocking everything out.

Regardless, when she woke up, she felt good. Really good. She rose to her hooves, blinking.

Huh.

That really was all that could be said. Her eyelids were basically sunglasses. And yellow. Her head no longer felt like a lead weight, either, which could only mean one thing.

I need to get a mirror.

Dinky galloped down the street, almost instantly tripping over her hooves as she flew much farther than intended.

She compensated, skidding slightly on the dirt road. More ponies were out now than when she had walked to school, and quite a few gave her wary expressions. For some reason, smiling at them had the opposite effect than she intended.

But she didn't have time to worry about that.

She skidded to a stop outside her house, but overshot completely, tumbling and landing on her side.

Dinky smiled giddily. She barely even felt the impact. Yes, she was lighter, but apparently she was right about basically being covered in armor.

She got to her hooves, opened the door, and... smacked her muzzle into it.

Dammit, I still can't use my magic for some reason. It still felt like she was on a sugar high, but... the normal place Dinky drew magic from was gone.

...I have to relearn how to use my horn, don't I?

Dinky turned the knob with her mouth. Even that felt weird.

She walked through the opening, kicking it closed with her rear hoof. "Mom! I'm home!"

A dish fell to the floor with a clang. "Muffin! What took so long?" She took in Dinky's appearance. "Oh, right. I hope you didn't have too much trouble?"

"No, Mom, I'm fine. I just stayed behind after school to explain things to Mrs. Cheerilee."

Ditzy gave her daughter an appraising look. "If you're sure."

"Well... I did get some funny looks from everypony, but it wasn't that bad."

"As long as you know you can come to me for help."

"All right." Dinky smiled up at her mother. "But I really need to find a mirror. I mean, I'm glad everything worked out, but..."

"What do you mean?"

Dinky grinned awkwardly. "I kind of freaked out Mrs. Cheerilee today."

"Yes...?"

"I kinda didn't want to tell you about it, but... what I did was really dangerous."

Ditzy rolled her eyes. "I know that. But it was important to you. If you got something crazy like a skydiving cutie mark, do you think I'd keep you from that?"

"Umm, no?"

"Then why would this be any different?"

Dinky stomped her hoof. It didn't make half the impact she expected. "Because I'm not sure. And at the same time, more sure than anything that it's what I'm supposed to do. Everything is so different and alien, and the worst I've gotten is a few weird looks.

"Mom, this is weird enough for me to be freaking out, and I'm the one that wants this the most. How can you be so calm about this?"

Ditzy wrapped a wing around her daughter's back, feeling the new hardened shell. "Because no matter what you look like, it's still you inside."

Dinky snorted.

"All right, all right, that was a bit cliché. But it was true. And I've met creatures with a far more scary appearance that were just as nice as you."

Dinky ducked out of the wing-hug. "Okay, that's the reason I was looking for. I still wish you could tell me what you do all the time. Or at least where you're going."

Ditzy ruffled her daughter's wispy changeling-mane. "So do I, Muffin. But I believe you have an appointment with a mirror to get to."

"Yeah, I suppose I do."

"And I don't know if you still need it, but dinner should be ready in half an hour or so."

Dinky smiled. "Thanks Mom. I'll be there."
> Chapter 3: Chitin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinky studied herself in the mirror. She had never taken much stock in her own appearance. What she saw in the mirror was... something.

She would have expected that she would look nicer than her strange, half-transformed self she saw that morning. And she did. If she was honest with herself, she looked good as a changeling. But still, it had never really occurred to her how much would actually change.

Seems pretty ironic, considering the name.

The only thing that seemed remotely similar were her eyes. But even those had those weird eyelids she could see through.

Her mane and tail were still a golden color, but they were thin and wispy. But gold seemed to be a theme. Her eyes, her mane, tail, that weird saddle-shaped part of her back, whatever stuff was between the chitin plates, and even-

Wait, I have wings?

Of course, it made sense. She saw the other changelings. But it had never really occurred to her what that would mean.

She stared at her reflection blankly. I have wings...

They weren't like her mother's of course. They were changeling wings. Like bees, not birds.

Dinky shivered, and they buzzed briefly. She sat down on the cold tile floor, pressing both of her hooves at her temples in an attempt to relieve her growing headache.

Even that felt alien, reminding her that her skin was basically shaped pieces of armor. Like a beetle. Or one of those really big dragons she often saw in history books.

She slumped the rest of the way to the floor and sighed. I knew this would happen. I knew what changelings looked like. Why is it so weird, then?

Cheerilee had hammered the concept of equality into all her classmates' heads from the time they entered school. Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns were all just as valued, and the stereotypes of any of them were not as true as ponies often said. Even just the Hearth's Warming story was all about acceptance and all that. Even if she personally doubted its authenticity.

That, of course, sparked a lot of questions about alicorns, especially when Princess Luna came back. People were just so used to Princess Celestia being "The Princess," that they kind of forgot she was her own kind of pony. They were just... the best of everypony, right? How would that be equal? Then Cheerilee introduced the aspect of responsibility. The Princesses got no time off, no "recess." And before Luna came back, Princess Celestia didn't even have the luxury of sleep.

Then Zecora came into town, and Dinky realized just how bad it could get, even among those ponies she looked up to. Ponies she thought were role models. The whole thing was a misunderstanding that could have been avoided with a more open mind. Apple Bloom was the real hero then. Not any of the big ponies.

That situation really prepared her for the changelings. Not that she was exactly rushing to talk to them. They were attacking, after all. But she stopped when it mattered, and listened.

Yet at the same time... a pegasus may appreciate what an earth pony does, and even that they are just as great as their own species. But what pony would want to switch?

I know I'm still myself. I know changelings are the same as other ponies, just different. She sighed. I don't even regret what I did. But at the same time... even being a pegasus, with their complex wings, and preening, and all that... it would be easier than this.

For how uncannily similar changelings were to ponies, it was no longer as easy to think of them as just another race of ponies that somehow didn't make it to that frozen cave in ancient Equestria.

No... the general unsettling feeling she was getting, the sense of wrongness that she had felt before she had even made it home was growing, becoming an almost overwhelming panic as she realized what was missing.

She wasn't breathing.

There wasn't even the instinct for it. Dinky forgot about it, and it didn't happen.

But now she knew, and she couldn't even do it.

It was like suffocating, while feeling just fine, like everything was normal.

The fact that she did, in fact, have plenty of clean air did nothing to calm her panic, however.

I don't have lungs! I don't have freaking lungs! The spell messed up! Nononono... I need my body back, now!

Dinky took a sudden gasping breath of air, and as her mind cleared from the panic, she noticed the slight hints of fire fading away from around her.

I... I transformed?

Fire flowed down from her horn, covering her once again.

No no wait-

She was a changeling again. Still unable to breathe properly. But a lot more lucid.

Huh. Extreme panic works for changeling magic. And I don't have lungs, apparently. But I feel constantly... oxygenized.

"But if that is true, why can I speak just fine?"

The statement sounded normal, except now that she was paying attention, there seemed to be a very faint distortion, almost as if...

I'm literally talking with magic.

Dinky shivered, turning away from the mirror and running back out of the bathroom.

"Dinky, are you all right?"

She leaped for her mother, hugging her as tightly as possible and pressing into her fur. This, out of everything, she knew would never change.

"Mom? Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Ditzy nuzzled her daughter. "Of course, Muffin. Of course you can."





Dinky woke up in her own bed. She smiled at the thought of Mom tucking her back in once she woke up for work. She tried to remember her dreams, as usual, but as usual, she didn't remember much.

There was this odd knocking sound that seemed consistent through all the confusing stuff, though.

She jumped out of bed, then rolled awkwardly as she put too much force into the action.

Oh... right. That's going to take a while to get used to. Dinky rolled back onto her hooves, standing up again before trotting into the kitchen.

There was still a bit too much spring in her step, and it almost felt like she was walking on eggshells when she finally managed to walk properly.

Eggs and toast were already laid out for her, as usual on a school day where Mom had to work. And despite what she knew about changelings eating love, or something, it seemed that she was hungry for breakfast anyway. Especially the eggs for some reason.

Though her new fangs were a bit annoying to get used to. She ended up tearing off pieces of toast to eat them instead of just chewing like normal. Any sideways motion of her teeth felt wrong and didn't work right. Still, enough vertical motions seemed to chew things well enough.

The eggs were really good, though. She almost understood her mother's near-obsession for them. So after a moment's indecision, she added a couple hard-boiled eggs to the lunch Mom had already packed for her.

And with one last look at the clock, she decided it was about time to walk to school. Still a bit early, even for her normal standards, but... after yesterday, she felt it was still a good idea. Cheerilee would probably want to talk with her again, especially now that she was a full changeling. At least she could be sure Cheerilee was on her side.

Almost as soon as she left the house, she noticed the stares. Unlike last time, where she was an anomaly, ponies knew exactly what she was. And who attacked at the wedding. None of them were particularly hostile, and as usual, there weren't that many. The only ponies up were just going to work. But Dinky still cringed at the almost physical presence.

There was a flash of green, and she suddenly felt heavier. A few of the stares turned into glares, which shocked her until she noticed that she had somehow turned back into her unicorn self.

Oh, wait, they think I'm impersonating... myself. She looked at them uncertainly, but surprisingly, they seemed to leave her alone.

That's the usual reaction for Ponyville, I guess. Just ignore it, and it might go away. She took a deep breath with her newly-acquired lungs. At leat nopony new gives me a second glance. Now if only I can keep this "disguise" all day.

Despite how easy it was to don the disguise in the first place, it was oddly difficult to maintain it, due to the constant concentration it required. It wasn't much of a problem, since she knew her own body remarkably well. Still it lasted only until she got to the schoolhouse.

"Dinky!"

Her disguise fell away in a flash of yellow fire.

Cheerilee had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Could we talk for a bit before class?"

"Oh, um... yeah. I thought you might." They both started to move inside.

She managed to look even more uncomfortable. "I admit I am curious what it is like. But it's for something else. Have you read the newspaper this morning?"

Dinky groaned, remembering the stares that morning. "What is it this time?"

Cheerilee waved a hoof frantically. "Nothing bad! Actually, it helped quite a lot with the misinformation. Princess Celestia gave a public statement." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Now based on what you told me, not everything in it was true, but... you should see this part."

She fished a newspaper out from behind her desk, and tossed it to her. Without thinking, Dinky caught it in her magic.

"Look at the fifth paragraph."

"Though this Queen Chrysalis was responsible for this large-scale invasion, my dealings with her successor, Princess Golden Ink-"

Her magic flickered and died, dropping the newspaper on her desk.

"-has shown that she is interested only in the future cooperation between changelings and ponies. As such, while changelings may be monitored in the days following this incident, they should be treated as possessing the rights of any Equestrian citizen."

Dinky groaned. "Just how many ponies know my full name?"

Cheerilee chuckled. "I only know it well, since I have to deal with a lot of paperwork with your legal name on it. I'm sure only your friends might know. And the mayor, perhaps."

Dinky groaned. "And the ponies that work with records in Town Hall. You know how fast news travels, right? If everypony knows like this, I can't even to pretend to be my old self anymore."

"It's not so bad. At least the Princess corrected a lot of the misinformation. And the ponies working at Town Hall don't just give away information like that." She glanced sideways at her student. "Though speaking of princesses..."

Dinky slumped over her desk, head resting on the accursed newspaper. "I mean, technically, it's true. But it feels wrong. Like saying that suddenly, you were the Princess just because there weren't any other ponies anymore."

Cheerilee flinched. "I see your point. But I don't think Princess Celestia gave you that title for no reason, either. Otherwise she would have just said you were a citizen of Equestria. Like you were already."

Dinky rolled her eyes in irritation. "Yes. The Princess of who, exactly? Of what? Princess of changelings? Yay me, I can rule myself."

Her teacher gave her a warning look.

"Sorry, that was rude. But still. If she was trying to make me an Equestrian Princess... it just makes no sense. What have I done? I mean, you could argue what I did was kinda 'hero-like,' but it didn't even help Equestria any."

"That's debatable. But that wasn't what I was trying to say. Based on what you told me, Chrysalis didn't just want another changeling. She wanted somepony to save them. As a species."

Dinky scrunched up her nose. "You're talking about marrying a changeling, aren't you? But there aren't any."

Cheerilee hesitated for a moment. "I'm just making a guess here, and I'm almost afraid to ask in case I'm just being really speciesist, but... what relation did Queen Chrysalis have with the rest of the changelings?"

"I don't think she..." Dinky paused, another, foreign memory answering her brain's request. "Mother." She paled.

Cheerilee winced. "Sorry, I got caught up in my theory. You shouldn't have to worry about that until you're much older."

Dinky's eyes widened. "I'm a Princess... because I'm not Queen yet."

"Well... this is based on a lot of assumptions. I could be wrong. Princess Celestia could just be protecting you with a title."

"No... it just makes too much sense. I don't know whether to be incredibly relieved, or scared out of my wits."

Cheerilee smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it. For now, just focus on the here and now. If I've learned anything from Twilight, it's that you can count on your friends for support. No matter how strange the situation is."

Dinky looked towards the open door of the schoolhouse, the morning sun streaming through the opening.

"Anyway, I have to get ready for the lesson today. If you need me, I'll be in my office."

Cheerilee stepped out of the room, leaving Dinky alone to think. There was no getting around it - everypony in class saw her as a half-changeling. They knew who she was. But the ponies on the street, the ones that gave her those looks when she changed back into her old self - those ponies couldn't know. They just saw her as the newspaper portrayed her. A non-hostile changeling.

But why, though? Why wouldn't news like this have already spread like wildfire?

The sunbeams streaming through the open door of the schoolhouse were interrupted for a moment, causing Dinky to look up. The pony standing there made her do a double-take.

"Twilight? What are you doing here?" Separated so much from the events of the wedding, Dinky wasn't exactly angry with Twilight anymore, but she was still confused to see her here, right before a school day. "Miss Cheerilee didn't say there was going to be a guest teacher today."

Twilight looked down, avoiding her gaze. "Dinky... I've been thinking a lot in the past two days." She sighed. "No, I should have come to you yesterday, but I was still kinda afraid you'd be mad at me anyway."

Dinky blinked in surprise. "Um... Miss Twilight?"

"I'm sorry. For what I said at the wedding."

She looked up, facing the lavender mare. Twilight had trouble meeting her eyes, but there was something... more behind her expression than Dinky expected. "No, it's fine. You didn't have all the information."

Twilight shook her head vigorously. "I shouldn't have had to have the information. Jumping to conclusions like that, especially over an entire race-"

"Made you able to tell the fake Cadence apart and get to the bottom of things. Before it was too late. It makes you decisive when there isn't time to check every detail."

"But-"

"Twilight... Miss Cheerilee teaches history a lot different than most of the books do."

The unicorn was just confused enough not to try speaking again.

"There's always two sides to everything. Do you remember learning about the Griffon-Equestrian War?"

"Of course. But what does that have to do anything with this?"

"Everything. Do you remember why they attacked in the first place?"

"Umm.... Dinky?"

Dinky grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I kinda went into Cheerilee mode there. But I'm using it as an analogy for something."

"We don't really know that much about the griffons' internal affairs. But if I remember correctly, the war was stopped with a trade agreement."

"Cheerilee says there are always two sides to any conflict. Miss Twilight, the changelings attacked for the same reason the griffons did."

Twilight gasped in recognition. "I see what you're saying. But isn't that the same thing as you were talking about at the wedding?"

Dinky blinked. "Wait, you were listening?" As soon as she realized what she said, she quickly covered her mouth with her forehooves. It was a bit less effective with the holes.

Twilight blushed red with embarrassment.

"Sorry!" Dinky said between her hooves.

She walked closer to Dinky with only slight hesitation, sitting on the floor next to her desk. "It's okay. With how I was acting then..."

"Ponies are still afraid of griffons."

Twilight looked up. "What?"

"I mean, a lot of ponies find them kinda cool. Myself included." Dinky paused. "Well, technically-"

"No, I get what you meant."

Dinky shook her head. "Right." She looked back at the adult pony sitting next to her. "Twilight, I can tell you are still afraid of changelings."

For a moment, the fear was almost pushed out of her eyes as she beamed. "I knew it! Changelings can feel emotions!"

Dinky frowned. "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

Twilight froze. "Wait... it isn't a new sense?"

"Umm... no? I just knew it like I knew anypony was feeling things. I mean, before."

True to form, Twilight brought out a quill and parchment. "And think about it - is telling what somepony is feeling easier than usual? I mean, I was trying to show you I wasn't scared."

Dinky looked down, analyzing her own hooves. "I mean, maybe? Isn't it body language or something?"

Twilight started to scribble something down on the paper. "I think it's something a bit more than that. Where did you look to tell what I was feeling? Do you remember?"

She started to think, and analyzed Twilight's face as it was now. "Eyes. It was your eyes, I think. I'm not even sure about that, though. It just feels that way. Which kinda sounds like a changeling sense when I say that out loud, but everything seems so normal about it. Nothing about my new changeling stuff has ever felt normal."

Twilight's quill was now flying across the page, and her face was showing an odd sort of concentrated glee. After about ten seconds, the quill stopped, and the parchment was quickly rolled up and stored in her saddlebags.

"So... what was that about?"

Dinky flinched backwards as Twilight grabbed her in a sudden hug. "Oh, just confirming a theory of mine! You know how everypony can see, but pegasi have particularly good eyesight? How earth ponies have particularly good smell and hearing?"

"Yeah, and unicorns can usually sense magic better."

"Formed magic, yes. Well, everypony can sense emotions. They make an imprint on your wellspring. And no matter what kind of pony you are, that wellspring makes a field around you. A field that can affect other ponies around you."

"Umm... how did you discover this?"

"Well, it's still technically a theory, but..." Twilight blushed. "I was just trying to figure out why nopony could ever sneak up on Pinkie Pie."

Dinky sighed. Everypony knew about her efforts to undertand the happy chaos that was Pinkie Pie. "You're using Pinkie research?"

Twilight traced the wooden grain of the schoolhouse floor with the tip of her hoof. "Well, to be fair, I didn't treat it as reliable until you confirmed it."

"But... if that's true, how can changelings feed on love?"

She gave a knowing smile. "How does friendship fuel the most powerful magical artifacts on Eqqus? Nopony knows. Even if my theory is right in every detail, the pattern ponies can sense is the effect of that emotion, not the emotion itself. In the grand scheme of everything, we know nothing about the wellspring that makes us who we are."

Dinky looked at the clock on the wall above Cheerilee's desk. "Twilight, school is going to start soon. Did you have anything else you needed to do?"

Twilight shook her head, clearing the stray thoughts floating around in her mind. She rose to her hooves. "Actually, yes. Kinda. Only if you  want."

"What?"

She hesitated slightly before responding. "I want to get used to changelings. Get used to you. I also, really, really want to learn about your species. And I'm sure you want to know some things, too. Princess Celestia sent me a letter. She found Chrysalis' hive. Now yours, technically."

Dinky blinked. "Oh. Wow, I did not think of that."

Twilight looked at her nervously. "Princess Celestia kind of meant it for you, but... could I come with you? I mean, when you go, that is. If you want to go. I'm sure I can arrange it with Cheerilee if you want to go soon! Tomorrow?"

"Let me... let me just talk to my friends first." Dinky sighed, looking at her overly-eager face. Do I really want Twilight with me?

She remembered the library. Twilight's library, really. She had always been so excited when Dinky came in there for a book. And despite the stories spread around town, there was always... something underneath. Something special. And despite what she did at the wedding, Twilight was trying to fix it on her own.

Dinky sighed. Do I really not want her with me? She looked up at Twilight, who was almost out the door. "All right, Miss Twilight. I... I'd like it if you came with me."

Twilight looked over her back at the filly, Dinky. The changeling, Golden Ink. They weren't as different as she was expecting. She smiled gratefully, closing the door.
> Chapter 4: Conversation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinky was still lost in thought when the rest of her classmates entered the schoolhouse. It was easy to forgive Twilight, but what she said shattered the last, safe bubble she had.

She had accepted her new changeling body, since she knew that eventually, Ponyville would accept her as yet another strange thing made normal. And her life could continue as it was supposed to.

She had tolerated the thing about her being Chrysalis' successor, and therefore a Princess. She knew enough about nobles, that it probably didn't mean much. She could just ignore it without much trouble.

But now, the reality set in that she had just inherited an entire kingdom. Deviod of subjects, perhaps, but based on even the lowest estimates she could think of, she now owned more land than Ponyville could sit on. A year ago, she would have dismissed this as unimportant. But the fact was that it was her land that Celesita didn't own.

It wasn't just that thought that shook her out of her shell. That land contained the sum total of the changeling culture, whatever that ended up being. Their history, their customs. Her first thought would have been just to hand over the nation to Celestia. That would have been accepted by history. They had been defeated utterly by Equestria, if only in defense. But now she couldn't exactly do that in good conscience. Without Celestia doing something like declaring it a historical site, the changeling hive would be torn up almost instantly. Dinky respected archaeologists, but most went after things that were interesting, often neglecting the important things right under their nose.

Those things could be worried about later. Those things could be left to the weekend. If she tried hard enough. But it was hard when she kept getting reminded of those facts. Namely, by the realization that she was literally the same rank as Celestia.

No... not really. Really, she wasn't that important in general. Not until... things she didn't want to think about happened. But ponies wouldn't see it that way. Even if ponies here, in Ponyville, treated her the same, there wasn't a chance she'd just be left alone forever.

She jerked back to reality as Sweetie tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry Sweetie. I was just... lost in thought."

Sweetie Belle leaned closer, whispering to her. "No, it's not that. Everypony's staring at you, even worse than yesterday, and you looked weirder then. What happened?"

"Princess Celestia released that Chrysalis named me her successor," she whispered back. "Well, just that it was 'Golden Ink.' I don't know how everypony could know it was me so quickly."

"Ooohhhh..." Sweetie rolled her eyes. "That's what Rarity was freaking out about this morning. But I mean, you're the only changeling anypony knows about, so..."

Cheerilee entered the classroom, and both of them returned their attention to the front of the room.

"Good morning, class! Today we will be-" Cheerilee paused. All hooves but four were up in the air. She hesitated slightly, before calling out a name. "Rumble?"

The colt in question sat up straighter. "Um... I really don't want to be rude, but why is Princess Golden Ink here instead of in Canterlot or something?"

Dinky's eyes narrowed. Why wouldn't I stay here? I live here!

"And where is Dinky? I haven't seen her since that wedding thing."

Four sets of eyes started blinking rapidly. Dinky froze. Dammit, Celestia, what have you done? And why couldn't you have at least told me before you did it?"

Cheerilee sent a panicked glance towards her. She sighed, then nodded.

Maybe what the Princess did was the best option. Having ponies know the new changeling leader used to be a pony kinda defeats the purpose of trying to get them to accept us. Or makes them paranoid that I'm just going to "convert" them all. But seriously, couldn't she have sent me some sort of notice before doing something big like this? Mind magic like this isn't small.

"Dinky moved yesterday to live with her father in Trottingham."

At least Cheerilee knows how to tell a convincing story. So this whole thing doesn't fall apart immediately.

"As for the reason Miss Ink is here, you'll just have to ask her yourself."

Dinky groaned internally. Or maybe not. I didn't exactly think of a cover story for a scenario I never thought was secret.

As students started to get up, Cheerilee forced her voice over the chatter. "After morning class. You have plenty of time at recess."

She relaxed slightly. Thanks for the extra time, though.

Still, since when was Cheerilee this good at lying?

Since when was I a pony that knew enough about the subject to rate others on their performance?





The stares she got from the rest of the class slowly dissapated over the course of the frighteningly normal school day.  None of them seemed to be particularly hostile, either. Even from the two most recognized school bullies, Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon, the worst they got was "appraising." In fact, Silver Spoon's glances were downright kind. Even a bit... sad, for some reason.

Still, she couldn't help but feel guilty about the fact that because of her, yesterday practically didn't exist for anypony but Cheerilee and the Crusaders. And maybe Twilight. In fact, it seemed that everypony who knew what her real name was were spared from whatever Celestia did to those newspapers.

But recess was almost upon her, and she still wasn't sure what to say. Why would a Princess, and a foreign one at that, go to school in one of the smallest towns in Equestria? While still a nymph.

Wait, nymph? Where did that come from?

Dinky shook her head. Oh, right. Chrysalis' information dump. Now more than ever, I wish that memories worked like libraries. It would be so much easier to look these things up than have them pop up at random moments.

She walked absentmindedly out the back door of the schoolhouse, almost running into a crowd of expectant classmates.

Dinky took a deep breath. "All right. You wanted to know the reason I'm here instead of Canterlot?" There was a general round of nodding.

She froze up, holding her too-hard head in a forehoof that was just as foreign. Facing her former classmates as a stranger.

"I never wanted any of this, okay? I don't want to lead any... anyone. I don't want to go to Canterlot, I don't want to be a Princess, or a Queen, none of that. If I could, I'd just try to be normal. Whatever normal is now. But I can't do that."

Her classmates' stares lessened, some of them looking away guiltily.

"I know it's kinda unreasonable to ask, but could you all just... ignore the Princess thing?"

There was some scattered nodding, and most of them walked awkwardly away from her to the rest of the playground.

"Silver Spoon? Come on already."

"Just a minute, DT."

Dinky blinked. She had never seen the quieter half of the Crusaders' bullying duo do anything but follow her older classmate.

"Come on." She gestured to one of the tables set outside for lunch. Dinky followed her, and sat down. She could hear her classmates back at the playground, but they were distant, muffled. Silver Spoon remained silent, just sitting next to her.

"I'm sorry, I don't really know you that well, but for what it's worth, not everypony just thinks of you what we all saw in the newspapers. And... I'm kinda guilty of wanting to meet a Princess, no matter what country she's from. But those three Crusader fillies seemed interested in you. You don't have to be alone. Not if you don't want to be."

Dinky looked up from the table, glancing at the grey filly with curiosity. She gave a slight smile. "I already know them, but... thank you, I guess. But... what brought this on?"

Silver flushed with embarrassment. "S-sorry. Daddy just taught me to... read between the lines. Sorry about your Mom. And... all the rest. After what you said out there, I just thought you might need a few friends."

Dinky suddenly became very interested in the picnic table. "Thank you. Really, it's nice to know that someone cares enough about me to make sure I have a friend." She sighed. "But I can't lie to you. I already know you."

She cringed. "...I can't just start over, can I? Who was it?"

Silver took a deep breath. "It was Dinky, wasn't it? She disappeared at the wedding. Was she an original cover? A replaced pony?"

"I wish it was that simple, Silver. Dinky was a real pony."

Silver sighed. "I know it was for survival and everything, but... it's still kinda hard to hear."

Dinky closed her eyes, clenching her teeth in an attempt to keep her mouth shut.

"Do you know what happened to her?"

"I was Dinky, okay?"

Silver Spoon stumbled back slightly in her seat. "W-what?"

Dinky kept her eyes closed, still looking down. "I almost wish you just stayed the jerk I remember. Then I wouldn't have felt so bad keeping up this image. After you came here... just to show me you cared... I can't just pretend that they were all my family. That is what Chrysalis felt, at the very end. All those dying all around her... and then finding that ponies would have helped her if she had just shed her pride to ask."

Silver's eyes trailed off in the direction of Canterlot.

"I was just an unlucky bystander. Or a lucky one. Depends on your perspective."

"Which is yours?"

"Both."

Silver looked into Dinky's eyes. "They weren't your family."

"No."

"But you made them that way."

"It was Chrysalis who-"

"No, it was you. You could have easily walked away. But you didn't."

"I-"

Silver put a hoof on her shoulder. "It gets better, Dinky. Trust me." She sighed. "But it never goes away."

Dinky opened her mouth, then closed it. "...Thank you."

Silver Spoon rose from the table. "It's almost time for lunch to start. We aren't going to get much privacy here anymore. Dinky... the thing with DT... I don't know if we can be too close, not with those Crusaders nearby. I know Diamond is a good pony, deep down. I just can't-" She sighed. "Could you just tell them I don't really mean any of what I said? I was trying to help her, but... I didn't realize how much some of it was actually affecting them until just recently."

"Silver, I-" Dinky looked into her eyes and paused. "...All right, I'll tell them."

Silver gave her a quick hug. "Thanks. Seriously."

"Just remember not to call me Dinky in public. It would make changeling acceptance useless in everypony finds out I was just a pony all along."

Silver nodded. "No, I get it. But I'd better get back to the playground before DT gets too mad." She glanced around the corner, then back at Dinky. "But, if I have just one more piece of advice for you... don't let yourself be alone too much. I know you like to study and stuff, but... don't let that keep you from your friends, either."

Dinky looked down. "Oh, um... yeah. Thanks."

Silver gave her one more concerned look, then turned the corner, leaving her at the table.

Dinky started to leave - she wasn't exactly hungry, and lunch would start soon. Cheerilee might want some company-

She sat back down again. The hard chitin felt strange against the wood. But that didn't matter much. She didn't need to study today. And Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo could use her company much more than her teacher did.

Dinky looked at the corner Silver had just turned around. She smiled. Maybe on the weekend, she could be introduced properly.
> Chapter 5: Crisis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinky sat with her friends in their little clubhouse on Apple Bloom's farm. She wasn't into their Crusading business, despite their repeated protests, but they frequently hung out in the little treehouse for some lighthearted fun.

The usual cheer was still present, but it was slightly muted. They had just arrived, but the three Crusaders seemed to be looking at her a bit too often to be normal. She unconsciously shifted into the unicorn she was used to.

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Sorry, Dinky. Ah'm just a bit confused. I wanted to ask at school, but not in front of anypony. What was all that with Silver? And if it was just sucking up stuff, why didn't you just brush her off?"

"Silver is... different than we thought."

Scootaloo scoffed. "Different how?"

"You do know she just follows Diamond Tiara around, right?"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Which is even worse. Applejack always says that if all you do is follow somepony else, it's worse than not getting a cutie mark at all. You're just them, but less."

Dinky sighed. "Yeah, she was bad. And she didn't do the right thing when she tried to help Diamond Tiara out that way. But she wanted me to tell you girls she was sorry about it."

"Yeah, well, sorry doesn't help if she keeps doing it."

"...Did you know she didn't actually think it was affecting us?"

Apple Bloom gave her an incredulous look. "Say what?"

Dinky shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't think any of you would actually believe that. Not unless she told you directly."

"I suppose that's fair."

Everypony looked at Sweetie Belle.

"But why does she even hang out with Diamond Tiara if she's this good pony or whatever?"

"Because Diamond Tiara doesn't have anypony else. It's actually kinda why she wanted to talk with me. She didn't know who I was, or that I knew you girls, but she noticed that you looked like you were interested in being friends."

Scootaloo's jaw dropped. "Wait... so Silver Spoon tried to set up, like, a pony with huge suck-up potential, to us?"

"Yeah, I know. But it wasn't like she was going to recommend Diamond Tiara or anything."

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes. "Ah'm okay with her not being bad and stuff, but this is a bit... out there, you know? Why would she take that much time and effort for somepony she doesn't even know?"

Dinky cringed. "Oh, yeah... she kinda pieced together what happened at the wedding. Not that I was a pony before, but... everything else."

Apple Bloom sat down on the floor. "Oh."

Sweetie Belle snorted. "Come on, girls, we were supposed to do fun things this afternoon. Rarity doesn't let me out past six on a school night."

Dinky suddenly remembered a certain conversation with Twilight. "Oh right!" The Crusaders turned towards her expectantly.

"Princess Celestia found M-Chrysalis' old hive. I was going to go this weekend, and was wondering if any of you wanted to explore it with me."

"Like, a camping trip?" Sweetie asked.

"Yeah. I don't think we'll be able to look through all of it in one day."

"I dunno. I mean, it's not like we're going in the Everfree or anything, but Rarity doesn't really like anything long like that unless there's an adult watching us."

"Oh, I forgot. Twilight's coming too."

"Ohhh, right. Yeah, that makes more sense. I'll try to convince her, at least." She grinned. "Wait, it's easier if I just get Twilight to do that for me."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Should be fine for me." Her grin widened. "Not to mention we might find some Daring Do treasure or something!"

Dinky chuckled. "You do realize that all treasure in there is technically mine?"

Her grin froze.

"Scootaloo, of course you can take some treasure if we find any. I just have to make sure it's not dangerous or anything."

She puffed out her chest. "You doubt my booby-trap-finding ability?"

Apple Bloom snorted. "Ah certainly don't. It's your knack for setting them off that I'm worried about."

Dinky rolled her eyes. "I mean that I'm probably immune to any of them, since I'm a changeling. Or at least, I'm the one with armor."

Scootaloo looked at her critically. "I thought the minimum age for the Junior Guard was sixteen."

Sweetie Belle laughed. "Dinky means the chitin stuff. Right, Dinky?"

"Yeah. Anyway, I don't want of you hurt because my stuff decides to attack you or something."

Scootaloo pouted. "Why does she get built-in armor?"

Dinky narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her. "Wait, you weren't planning on joining the Junior Guard just to be able to wear armor, were you?"

She avoided her gaze. "Maaybe?"

Dinky rolled her eyes again. "Nevermind. What about you, Bloom? Can you come, too?"

"Ah'll probably have to check with my sister to see if somepony can take over mah chores and stuff. But probably. If I say Twilight's gonna be there, she'll say yes for sure."

There was a sudden pop, and a flash of light.

"Dinky!"

Dinky blinked rapidly, trying to get the spots out of her eyes. "Twilight? What are you doing here?"

"I just thought of something, like, a minute ago! It very very very very very supremely extraordinarily terrible!"

The Crusaders took this distraction to slowly back away from the clearly unstable mare.

"Twilight, calm down! What is it?"

"The changeling invasion! They couldn't possibly have taken every changeling with them! Or if they did, it's pretty much statistically irrelevant for any known egg-laying creature."

"Wait, egg-laying? What?"

Twilight blushed. "I may have, kinda, done some non-intrusive scans of your biology when you weren't looking. But that's irrelevant! There is, like, a 97.8% chance that there is at least one egg at the hive, and about a 14% chance that Chrysalis actually left a changeling back there to take care of it. Or them."

Dinky's eyes widened. "Someone might have survived?"

"But there's only a 17% chance of them surviving! At best! We can't wait until the weekend."

Dinky's face hardened. "Certainly not. How fast can we leave?"

"I already stopped by your house. Your mother should have her mail delivery cart ready. We can't wait for a chariot to arrive from Canterlot."

Dinky looked at the Crusaders. "Are you three able to get permission within, like, three minutes."

Apple Bloom shrugged. Scootaloo smiled. "I pretty much do what I want."

Sweetie Belle smiled uncomfortably. "Well, you know what they say. It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."

Twilight opened her mouth, then decided time was too short to argue semantics. "All right, everypony get close to me. I think I can teleport us back."

Apple Bloom gave her a worried look. "You think?"

They disappeared in a flash of light.





"Just how urgent is this mission?" Ditzy asked cautiously to the panicking mare in the cart. They were already in the air, but Twilight hadn't stopped checking three different pieces of parchment in quick succession.

"Very."

"No, I mean what time frame? You showed me the map and everything, but how fast do I need to get there?"

"As soon as possible, but... four or five hours, maximum."

"And... just to be clear, this isn't a world-ending threat, right?"

Twilight looked uncomfortable. "No, but foals' lives are at stake."

Ditzy sighed. "Thank goodness." She suddenly looked panicked. "That's not what I-"

Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh, right. That. No, I don't think it's necessary. Or wise for foals to go through."

"Right."

They flew in silence. Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, but Dinky put a hoof over her mouth. "My mom's weird. Don't worry about it," she whispered to the three of them.

Eventually, the silence got to them, though.

"So... if this hive thing is yours... does this mean you actually have a kingdom?" Sweetie Belle moved closer to her on the crowded cart.

"I mean... kinda. It's not like I'm going to move there or anything."

"Mhm."

"..."

Sweetie shuffled her hooves. "So, um... what will you do if there are really baby changelings there?"

"I mean, take care of them, I guess. Maybe Mom can help with that. Sorry for bringing you three into this. I thought this was just going to be a fun adventure. And I kinda rushed you into it."

"No, it's fine. Yeah, sure, Rarity'll be pissed that I left without telling her. But this is kinda important. It's nice being with the important ponies."

Dinky looked down.

Sweetie quickly waved her hooves around. "Not that I'm saying you're just an "important pony" now. I was just saying Twilight and stuff. And your Mom has that same look, too. I know it's not a world-saving adventure or anything, but it kinda feels like it.

"And it's not like we can't have fun after we make sure nopony... I mean changeling, is in danger. We can still explore, right?"

Dinky looked back up, smiling. "I guess you're right." She looked over the front ridge of the cart, at her mother, and Equestria speeding below them. "I just hope we don't get there too late."
> Chapter 6: Catacomb
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lush, green forest gave way suddenly to the barren desert of the Badlands. It wasn't the sandy dune kind of desert Dinky often saw in textbooks, but a flat expanse of clay that was riddled with large cracks. Instinctively, Dinky knew they were close.

She looked curiously at Twilight. "Was this an ocean before or something? Or a really big lake?"

Twilight leaned over the edge of the cart. "Definitely an interesting theory. I haven't heard of something like that, but you are definitely on to something. I wouldn't be surprised." She considered the barren landscape again. "It must have happened a long time ago, though." She looked back to the map she was holding in her magic. "We should be getting close."

Her statement was immediately confirmed as the cart angled slightly forwards. Dinky didn't bother asking her mother, as she knew from experience her voice would be lost in the wind. But the strange sights, the scenery around her, and Twilight's odd expression gave her a strange sense of vertigo.

Not to mention the terrifying familiarity despite it all.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle didn't look too confident, either. They all had been on adventures together, of course. But this felt different. It didn't even feel like the Daring Do book they were all secretly hoping for. The air was too crisp. It smelled like sand and salt. And it was all entirely too real.

The cart touched down roughly.

Well, it was actually rather smooth considering all the bumps and cracks. But it was enough to shake everyone to their senses, and Twilight out of the map she was glued to.

"It should be right around here!" Twilight exclaimed, looking around them. The cart was parked right at the edge of the cracked, flat land they had been flying over. The change in landscape was definitely noticeable, but the only real difference was an increase in actual sand, and some more rock formations. "Where is it?"

Dinky did what most of the residents of Ponyville used to deal with Twilight, and simply ignored her question. "Huh. I thought there would be more cacti in the desert." She hopped off the back of her mother's cart. The heat wasn't actually as bad as she expected, either. "Or any kind of vegetation at all."

Twilight blinked, before her brain switched targets. "Ah, right. The Badlands are a special case, actually. Many scholars have proposed that some sort of magical disaster long ago is the cause of its inability to support life."

Dinky briefly considered the fate of the imaginary sea she had pictured in her mind. "Must have been some disaster."

Twilight gave a noncommittal grunt, staring back at her map.

"Anyway, this kinda looks familiar. Let's look over near these rocks."

Immediately taking the lead, Twilight finally decided to put the map back in her saddlebags. The rest of the Crusaders followed at a slight distance, none of them looking particularly sure of themselves. Even Ditzy seemed serious, which caught Dinky off guard. She had only seen that expression on her mother's face three times before.

It was only when Twilight found a cave entrance that they perked up slightly, Scootaloo looking the most excited out of all of them. Dinky just walked blankly forwards, trying to ignore the overwhelming sense that she had been here before.

Dinky knew that these memories were not hers. The emotions associated with them were all wrong. But they just resonated a bit too deeply, and more than ever, she felt a sense of urgency to make sure there was no changeling in there that needed her help.

Once they were in the cave, Twilight stopped suddenly, lighting her horn to reveal several passages extending downwards. She opened her mouth to speak, then paused, a slightly pained expression on her face.

"What is it, Twilight?"

Ditzy looked at her critically. "You're thinking we should split up, aren't you?"

Twilight winced. "Yeah. I don't much like the idea, but we don't really know where we're going in here." She looked at Dinky. "Unless you know somehow? You said this looked familiar."

"It does. But that's all. I don't really know where anything is. I just hope it isn't that big. Or at least it's arranged logically enough to figure it out."

Scootaloo peeked down one of the holes, grinning at the slightly glowing green stuff on the walls. She turned back to the group. "So... like, three groups, then?"

Apple Bloom grinned. "Yeah. The buddy system, like when Cheerilee took us all camping in the Whitetail Woods."

Twilight frowned. "No. Two groups. I go with you and Dinky, Ditzy goes with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Sweetie, can you light your horn yet?"

She grinned, her horn flickering slightly before shining a steady green. "Yep!"

Apple Bloom looked up at the two adults. "Right, that makes a mite more sense."

"And remember, we're not here to explore, or look for treasure... or even study any of the changeling architecture. Yet. Foals' lives could be at stake here." She looked particularly hard at the Crusaders, who much to Dinky's relief, seemed to be taking this seriously. While Scootaloo's eyes still wandered to the tunnel walls, all three of their expressions were of hard determination.

She shook her head. Despite some of their more crazy adventures, all of them were her friends.

When did I get so cynical about everything?

Twilight turned to her one last time. "Dinky, I know you said you didn't know the layout or anything like that, but do you have any useful information? Like about where a nursery would be, or any memories about changeling foals?"

"Nymphs. Not really. Nothing clear, at least. My gut feeling tells me that if I made a nursery or something like that, I'd make it as far underground as possible. Safer that way."

Ditzy made sure Scootaloo and Sweetie were still near her (and not already in the tunnel) before looking to Twilight. "So, you check the lower areas, and we check... uh... somewhere else?"

Twilight chuckled. "I guess? I usually like to have a better plan than this, but we don't really know much about this place."

"So..." Scootaloo started. "How do we let each other know when we found something?"

Everypony glanced in her direction with some varying degree of shock.

"What? I read more than just Daring Do."

Dinky shook her head again, berating herself silently for once again assuming things about her friend. "Anyway, she brings up a good point. I'm sure Twilight has some sort of spell we could use as a signal, but I don't even know how to use my horn anymore. And Sweetie..."

"I just managed light spells last week. I don't think anypony in class got anything really advanced. Even you, Dinky."

"Yeah, I had some kind of sonic spells, but I think even just shouting would be more effective than that."

Apple Bloom looked up at Twilight. "So... what's the plan, then?"

"I think the best idea is to just meet back here in... let's say... thirty minutes or so. In the unlikely event that the other group is missing, then we mount a rescue party. Call the guards. Something like that." Twilight sighed. "The more I plan, the worse this idea sounds. But we can't wait much longer on this, and as much as I disagree with sending fillies into a dangerous cave... we really need all the hooves we can get on this one."

Ditzy nodded. "All right. Everypony ready?"

There were nods all around.

"Then let's get going!"





Twilight, Apple Bloom, and Dinky made their way down their tunnel. The situation was definitely urgent, but none of them galloped down the incline. The floor of the cavern was rough, and the steep incline was definitely not designed for a speedy descent. And as they got farther and farther down the tunnel, the natural light streaming in from the cave entrance was slowly swallowed up into the blackness, leaving only a small chunk of cave illuminated by Twilight's horn.

Suddenly, Apple Bloom paused, almost causing Dinky to trip over her. Twilight glanced back.

"What are you doing?"

Apple Bloom tapped her hoof on one of the green protrusions on the cave wall. "Weren't these glowing before?"

Dinky nodded. "Yeah, but they were really dim. Maybe changelings have night vision or something, but that wouldn't help you or Twilight."

"So why aren't they glowing now?"

Twilight smiled. "They most likely are still glowing, Apple Bloom. My horn light is simply too bright for us to see the small amount of light that they give off."

"Right, of course." She sped up a bit, navigating over the rocky floor back to the rest of the group, and they started moving once again.

It was only a few minutes later before she stubbed her hoof on a rock once again, this time from walking too far ahead of the group.

She looked at the green things on the wall again. "Hey, Twilight?"

"Hm?"

"If these things can't be seen when your horn light is on them, and are really dim when the sun light was on them, what happens if we just... um... don't shine light on them at all?"

"Well, they are still a bit too dim-"

Twilight paused suddenly. "Huh. You might be right, actually. We haven't seen them in absolute darkness." She looked at Dinky, a slightly strained smile on her face. "Are you up for this? I really don't like losing our only source of light. Even for a moment. But I guess we can find out if you have night vision, right?"

Dinky nodded, glancing down the passage one more time and failing to see past the edge of the light circle. "We can't see anything past a few hooves. And if anything is down here that's dangerous, it could see us way sooner than we would."

She nodded, and the light winked out. Everypony came to a halt, and the sudden lack of hoofsteps was strange in a way that Dinky couldn't quite describe.

In Ponyville, nothing was ever completely quiet, even at night. Faint sounds of creatures of the forest, or even just the wind outside were just things in the background, never really noticeable until they were gone.

But here in the dark, they were absent, and despite how unnerving it was, it also was oddly comforting when combined with the faint warmth of the earth.

The silence and dark were not to last. As Apple Bloom had suggested, their eyes pretty quickly adjusted, and the once faint green glow of the luminescent orbs was enough to see the tunnel and the ponies around them.

A loud sigh from Apple Bloom reminded Twilight that she was holding her breath as well, and the spell of silence was thoroughly broken.

The light from the orbs lit up the path quite adequately, but the spacing all around the tunnel gave the protruding rocks an almost unnatural look, as it eliminated almost all shadows. No one light source was powerful to give even the walking ponies (or changeling) a defined shadow.

The alien experience was just strange enough that none of them spoke, the only sounds coming from their hoofsteps and two sets of breathing that almost seemed too loud. Occasionally, one of them would look at Dinky strangely, but none of the three were willing to break the strange stillness of the world around them any more than they already were.

And then they hit a dead end.





Sweetie's energy had already died out for her light spell for quite a while, but the eerie atmosphere only seemed to make Scootaloo more excited than usual.

That in combination with Dinky's mom returning to her usual cheer meant that it was pretty hard for Sweetie to feel too bad about her failure. Or get nervous about the mission they were on.

The pace that Ditzy was setting was a bit too fast for her taste (she was never really a fan of long walks), but it at least was slow enough that she wasn't nervous about tripping.

She had actually gotten into a pretty nice routine about things. Look ahead for a second, take note of all the rocks, then jump between them until--

Sweetie got yanked back by her tail.

"Ow! What was that for?" She turned around, expecting one of Scootaloo's pranks, but it was Ditzy instead.

Confused, she looked ahead again, and gasped quietly. There was a big oval in the floor. Or rather, the cave went sharply downwards, but downwards was into a really big cave.

She peered over the edge to get a better look, and the others followed suit.

It was quite apparent that this was the changeling Queen's throne room, from the looks of things. It was very different than Celestia's throne room in Canterlot, though. While definitely bright by the standards of the passage they were traveling through, the dim green luminescence was a far cry from the sun streaming through stained glass to make multicolored patterns on the white marble floor. Not to mention the countless holes in the walls. And apparently the ceiling, if their own tunnel was something to go by.

The floor didn't even seem to be made of anything particularly special - it just seemed to be a more smooth and polished version of the cave walls. And while the dark stone throne was indeed impressive, it definitely didn't improve the general mood of the place.

But more importantly, in Sweetie's mind, was the part where it was about thirty hooves straight down, and only one pony in the group could fly.

Ditzy stood up again. "Right, we'll go down in two different trips. Who wants to go first?"

Right, she's a mail mare. She's the kind of pegasus that can carry stuff.

Sweetie started to raise a hoof, but Scootaloo had started before Ditzy could finish.

"Sorry, that was the wrong question." She looked at Sweetie. "Are you okay with staying here while I get Scootaloo down there?"

Sweetie glanced back up the tunnel with a hint of fear. "I guess so. We've already been up that way, so I think I'd be more nervous staying down there while you make the next trip."

Ditzy nodded, and in one (almost) fluid motion, she scooped Scootaloo up and dove unsteadily into the cave. Her flight pattern wasn't exactly the envy of most pegasi, but she had a lot of practice with dropping off packages, and dropped Scootaloo about half an inch off the throne room floor, swooping back up to Sweetie.

Sweetie felt her heart go up into her throat before she even walked over to Ditzy, and the effect wasn't exactly lessened when she dived. But it was over quickly, and she rapidly got her breath back when she was safely on the ground.

She didn't exactly have much time to be relieved though. Almost as soon as Ditzy landed, a loud hissing sound split through the silence, and a changeling stepped out of the relative darkness of a side tunnel.

"Ponies! Leave this place!"

If Sweetie had thought of a worst-case scenario, this would have been it. There weren't supposed to be changelings down here in the first place. And if there were, Dinky should have been there to help out. Maybe make friends with them. This one was shouting for them to leave.

Ditzy straightened up from her landing point on the ground. "I'm sorry, miss... uh..."

The changeling stayed silent.

"Um, miss changeling, but the Canterlot thing didn't really go that well."

She gave the ponies a deadpan look. "I kinda guessed that, based on the fact that you aren't Chrysalis."

"Uh, well, anyway... we wanted to check to see if there were any eggs left here-"

The changeling's stance abruptly widened, and she grit her teeth. An action Sweetie noted looked a lot more menacing when you had fangs.

Ditzy raised both her hooves in the air, steadying herself with her wings. "To make sure they wouldn't die without somepony to take care of them," she quickly amended.

The changeling relaxed slightly, now looking more curious than angry. "I'm not exactly inclined to believe you, but a single pegasus and two foals are certainly an odd force to bring rather than, say, a trained squad of soldiers."

Sweetie raised a hoof. "Um, I'd like to point out that we have a friend who's kinda, like, a changeling, too. She met Queen Chrysalis at the Canterlot... thing."

If anything, the changeling looked more confused. "That makes even less sense. I'd say you were most certainly lying, but you are either the best liar I've seen, ponies lie differently than changelings do, or you really do believe that what you are saying is true."

"If it helps, she wasn't a changeling at the time."

"...Okay, that makes an odd, twisted sort of sense, I suppose. Fortunately, it's the odd, twisted, unbelievable sort of sense that probably means it's true. How did your friend survive the transformation, though?"

"Uh-"

A loud thud shook the floor behind them.

"Ow..."

By the time that the four of them had registered the newcomer, Dinky was already on her hooves. "Wait, these are my friends!"

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Dinky realized that the changeling in front of her was not exactly hostile.

"Wow, okay. I was actually leaning more on the 'insane ponies' theory, but you were actually right."

There was a pop of magic, and two more ponies appeared behind Dinky.

The changeling looked directly at Dinky. "So... Queen Chrysalis actually passed on her power? To a pony?"

Dinky nodded grimly. "She didn't have much of an option. Only, like, a minuscule part of me was a changeling at that point, but she used what she had to work with."

"No, no. That's not what I meant. I mean, I've been part of the hive for a long time. More than most, in fact. But I always thought that the Queen would take that title to the grave. She absolutely refused to even make a Princess, let alone name a successor."

"Wait, so Princess is an actual title, and not just something Celestia made up for me?"

The changeling smiled. "Indeed. Now, what should I call you... your highness?"

Briefly flustered by the title, Dinky took a few seconds to answer. "Well, my friends call me Dinky, but Celestia kinda introduced me to everyone by my legal name, Golden Ink..."

"My name is Elytra. Still..." She sighed. "...the game really is up, isn't it? Stealth is ruined?"

Twilight cleared her throat. "That incident at my brother's wedding kinda ruined that."

Elytra grimaced. "Right. I would have told her how risky that plan was, but... I was quite clearly in the minority."

Dinky looked at her a bit more closely. "Um, I'm sorry, but we honestly didn't expect anyone to be here. Chrysalis... well, she told me that I was her only hope. That everyone else was gone. But... here you are."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course the Queen would forget I exist. Or... maybe she knew I was here. Regardless, she was thinking of us as a species. I can't be a queen. Not only was I hundreds of miles away, but... I'm old enough where the change probably wouldn't go all that smoothly. And the changeling race cannot exist without a queen."

"So, um... why didn't you go to Canterlot, then?"

"To take care of the eggs, of course. As much as I love criticizing her, Chrysalis wasn't completely stupid. Of course, she still took all my staff, but... at least she cared about the nymphs."

Dinky's face brightened. "So there are some eggs left?"

"Heh." Elytra chuckled with amusement. "So you are a queen."
> Chapter 7: Carriage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were two. Each were the size of a newborn foal.

It really made sense, but that didn't stop it from feeling so wonderful.

Dinky was now wearing her mother's saddlebags, each egg tucked in safely on each side of her.

Oddly enough, even though Elytra seemed a bit nervous around so many ponies, and the fact that they were taking all of them to an actual pony town, she seemed to relax measurably when Dinky handled the eggs.

Dinky did not feel at all qualified to do so.

Scootaloo was rather disappointed that they weren't able to explore the hive further, but Sweetie Belle pointed out that they needed to make sure the eggs were safe, and then Apple Bloom reminded all of them that the sun had gone down about half an hour ago, and that they still needed to fly home.

And that they still had school tomorrow.

It was... a little difficult to get them all out of the hive. Even though Elytra obviously knew how to fly, changeling wings weren't exactly built for carrying things heavier than the changeling in question, and while Ditzy was an absolute master at dropping things off right at the ground, she wasn't so great at the precise location. So while nobody got hurt, it took multiple trips per pony to get into the right hole in the roof.

So when they finally got out of the hive, all of them were exhausted.

And apparently, since Harmony hates changelings, that's when Dinky found out that a royal guard chariot was waiting for them. When she was accompanied by three tired children, her cheerfully smiling mother that she wasn't officially supposed to be related to, a changeling from the previous hive that was most certainly not someone Celestia knew about, and the constant thought that she really should have packed more items that would make more suitable padding. Her eyes kept flicking to any object that could even remotely get close enough to her saddlebags.

At least Twilight would have a decent reason to be there. And herself, Dinky supposed.

She vaguely noticed that while the guards' expressions seemed as stone-like as usual, she did sense something like vague surprise from them anyway. Maybe Twilight was right, and it was changeling related after all.

"Princess Golden Ink, your presence is requested in Canterlot on behalf of our Princess Celestia. While a prompt response is requested, and we have prepared immediate transportation, a necessary delay would not be construed as insulting."

Twilight immediately straightened, and glanced at Dinky meaningfully. "I think she's serious. I never get this kind of summons unless the Princess needs somepony else to know about it."

So it's a public thing, huh? Dinky thought to herself. I can't think of why, but I did want to ask her about that memory thing, and I have a funny feeling they're related. She looked at Elytra, and even now, her mind never left the precious cargo in her saddlebags. The problem is that I don't have a safe place yet.

A hive. She shivered. She never actually thought that she would ever actually need something like that.

Dinky straightened suddenly, doing her best to imitate, well, not quite 'rich pony manners,' but more 'Rarity manners.' The slightly more polite kind of the same air. "Thank you, sirs. I am not needed elsewhere, so I will accompany you now. Elytra here will accompany me, and Twilight may if she wishes."

Her mother nodded decisively, understanding immediately. All of them might need sleep, but if this was a very public outing, it was a lot easier to explain away her absence from school rather than the rest of the Crusaders. Ditzy herself would be required to bring them back to Ponyville.

Plus, there was the fact that she had no idea where Twilight needed to be in this whole situation, but she still needed to act as if she were in total control. And based on the fact that the guards were no longer afraid of the changeling that was very clearly old enough to have been in the invasion, it was working, at least for now.

It was actually Twilight that looked the most conflicted. While the Crusaders didn't look happy, per se, they were also exhausted, and even they understood that this was one argument that they should leave alone. And Elytra simply walked silently into the chariot.

Finally, Twilight sighed. "I probably should go back to Ponyville. I really want to know what's going on, but Celestia barely authorized this trip. I think she just wants you on this one. So, um." She waved awkwardly with a hoof. "See you later?"

As much as she had actually grown to be comfortable around the odd unicorn, she had watched Rarity enough to know that genuine hugs were for when they were just being themselves in Ponyville, not where potentially gossiping ponies were there. And besides, she didn't know the Royal Guard well enough to know if somepony actually important was there. So instead, she nodded, hoping that Twilight, growing up in Canterlot, would understand just as much as her mother did. "It was nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle. I look forward to meeting again."

She really hoped she was doing this right. The Crusaders certainly looked confused. But Twilight seemed satisfied. (Okay, definitely a changeling sense this time.) And the guards didn't blink even a metaphorical eye, as if this was something they saw every day. So she got into the chariot without looking back. Physically. She barely even noticed the proper place for her hooves to step.

Hopefully Mom would explain it to her friends on the way home.





The chariot was definitely designed for overnight flights. It was covered, and was almost entirely covered in soft materials and pillows.

It was also most certainly meant for either royalty or nobility. Everything seemed to scream, "I am rich, notice me."

But she wasn't interested in that stuff right now. Elytra still hadn't said a word since takeoff, and while outwardly she was stoic, Dinky was chilled to feel the overwhelming panic that radiated off her.

"Elytra?" she asked hesitantly over the sound of rushing wind.

Her head whipped around suddenly, and she stared with fearful blue-green eyes at her new ruler. "Why did you bring me with you? I can't be seen by ponies, I can't! And I can't use a disguise, either, since those guards already saw me!"

Dinky winced. She should have known. She wasn't safe in Ponyville, not really, and Dinky knew that near Celestia was probably the safest place in the world for a friendly changeling, but Elytra didn't know that. She knew Dinky's story, but to her eyes, that might just mean she cared about her original subjects, no matter the species, not that changelings in general were okay.

"I... sorry, Elytra, but I didn't really have any good options. Most ponies in Ponyville would probably not be that dangerous for you, because they would guess the right thing for the wrong reasons, but a few ponies there know what Chrysalis told me, that 'all the changelings are gone,' and... well, they'd definitely think you were a threat. Thanks to some... stuff that Celestia did, most ponies don't actually know the end result of what happened at the wedding, other than that they won."

'They' won? That's an odd thought.

"And if you're worried about Princess Celestia herself, she was one of the first ponies to believe me that Chrysalis wasn't completely evil, and she was the one that got zapped by her in the first place."

Elytra blinked, the sudden confusion so strong that her fear seemed to disappear momentarily. "Wait, she actually beat Celestia? Not, like, dealt with her quietly or something? Or at least fail to deal with her quietly."

"Yeah. Something about Princess Cadence and Captain Armor's love being really, really strong or something." A sudden thought occurred to Dinky, and her eyes widened. "And she gave that energy to me?"

"And you wondered why I was so surprised. I can see that you have a lot of love, since you can't really hide it that well when you're this young, and certainly not this inexperienced, but until now I wasn't sure if it was from Chrysalis actually hoarding, or something else. It's... well, it's a bit of relief to find out that she got that in the invasion, frankly. Probably not that great for this 'Princess Cadence' or 'Captain Armor,' but it means that she did actually care about us more than just as a species." She turned to stare out the window. "But the love actually was enough to overpower Celestia? I guess she was slightly less of an idiot, since that probably means she could have handled the sun and moon, but still."

Dinky looked at her with concern. She must have noticed, despite not looking. "Don't worry. I'm not planning anything weird. Changelings work better in the shadows, not as conquerors. Even Chrysalis knew that her plan was not ideal. But it is definitely interesting to hear just how powerful love can be in the right hooves." She turned back to Dinky. "Right now, as much as it feels like my wings are being clipped and I'm being shoved in quicksand, you are both my queen-to-be and the best hope for the changeling race."

Dinky frowned, but moved herself closer to the older changeling, leaning slightly against her. Elytra seemed surprised, but managed a surprisingly gentle nuzzle to the top of her head that reminded her suddenly that this changeling dealt with a lot of young ones.

But she suddenly realized that she now had a significant dilemma on her hooves. When it was just her, it was easy to dismiss herself as just another kind of pony. Even when Celestia did the whammy that made everyone think she was some sort of important Princess, she already sorta knew what Princesses were supposed to act like. And still being a filly, she would still be able to act like a filly most of the time without any problems. Even the scary thought of having children later, and therefore subjects, was dulled by the thought that she could presumably raise them like normal. Like any of the more rare pony races, thestrals being a good example, since they often required different things than average ponies, but still were treated (mostly) like any other pony.

But the conversation with Elytra brought up something that she hadn't considered. 'Changelings work better in the shadows.' It was a pretty innocent statement, and it was easy to dismiss it as a cultural thing, since changelings always had to hide to get food. That was going to change, if everything went as well as Dinky was hoping. Celestia was very persuasive to the average pony. But it reminded her strongly of those thestrals. That was a pony race that was nocturnal, and had very good night vision. They ate meat, but they were also really good silent hunters as a result. Most of their magic was shadow related. And so most of those ponies went into Princess Luna's branch of the Guard, so they could use that magic for something. You couldn't just tell a pony not to use their magic, you had to give them something productive to do with it.

Changeling magic was almost entirely suited to, well, change. Deceive. Almost every implanted memory Dinky had of actual changeling spells were in the same vein, too, aside from a ridiculously hard teleportation spell that wasn't even instantaneous. And while she had a pretty good idea of a few benign uses for that magic, especially in something like a theater, not every changeling could become an actor.

And at the same time, the changeling relationship to ponies could not be based on deception.

Dinky winced as she realized that Celestia had set up that exact scenario.

She let herself fall onto one of the pillows. At the very least, it couldn't be based on thinking that they were somepony else. Even if they did nothing actually against the law, one slip-up would mean nopony would trust them again.

What she needed was a good long talk with Celestia. Which she was going to get. Tomorrow.

If only she were able to fall asleep.