Droning On

by James Pwyll

First published 3rd of July, 2020

After her brother's wedding, Twilight goes back home and discovers an unexpected visitor

After the drama that was her brother's wedding, Twilight returns to the Golden Oak for a bit of rest. However, upon her return she discovers that someone else has arrived there. Someone she never excepted to see again so soon, and certainly not for the reasons they say they're here for.

Coming Home

To say that Twilight was tired would have been an understatement. But then again, after the ordeal she and her friends had just been through, who could blame her? A reuniting with her brother, the discovery of an evil plot against Equestria, a battle against a previously-unknown army of enemies, not to mention having to plan and set up a massive wedding. It had certainly been a lot, and it wasn't helped by the fact that, as any friend of Pinkie Pie will tell you, that latter mare made sure that parties lasted as long as they could. This party, the celebration of Shining and Cadance's wedding, had lasted all that night and all the next day, and only now, with the sun having just set, did Twilight and her friends finally step off the train back in Ponyville. The looks on their faces said it all, and there was not a single word said between them. They were going to bed, plain and simple. So, after giving one another smiles and nods, they all went their separate ways, with Twilight and Spike heading straight for the Golden Oak Library. Spike, the youngest of that group, still had energy enough to speak. "Well...that was quite the trip, eh?"

A brief giggle from Twilight, who patted him on the head before nodding in agreement. "Kind of an understatement there, Spike." After sharing a laugh together with him, Twilight sighed. "But still...it was worth it. My brother's married." A smirk came to her. "And to the best mare anypony could possibly hope to have in their life, I might add."

Spike shrugged. "Well, if you didn't count Rarity in that list, sure."

Twilight rolled her eyes, silently bemused with herself that she hadn't expected such a comeback from him. Still, in spite of the hardships of the last few days, hardships that caused an understandable level of concern for her even now, she contented herself in the knowledge that it was all behind them now. Canterlot was safe, her family was bigger than before, they'd had a great time at the party, and above all else, they were now home, safe and sound. And speaking of home, that wonderful tree that Twilight and Spike so loved was now in view, prompting a smile on both of their faces. "Ah, home sweet home," Twilight remarked.

Spike gave himself a quick stretch before chuckling. "I don't know about you, but I plan to sleep for a thousand years after all this."

Another giggle from Twilight. "Well, don't forget to wake me up after you do, because I probably won't be far behind you on that one."

It was a pleasant moment between them, but Twilight soon noticed that Spike was slowing down, which eventually led her to look to him. She saw a degree of worry upon his face, and he slowly looked up to her, staring her right in the eye. "Um...Twilight? We did lock the door behind us, right?"

Twilight was confused, until a sense of realisation came to her, prompting her to turn again to her home. Instantly, she saw what her ward was talking about, as their front door, even in this dim light, could be seen as slightly ajar. Gradually, Twilight's tiredness faded, replaced with a look of utter seriousness. "Spike...stay behind me."

He followed her instructions to the letter, staying barely an inch behind her as she slowly made her way forward. Their eyes were locked onto the library as they drew nearer, hoping for maybe some glimpse of activity within, though the darkness through the windows made such a thing difficult. "Do you...think it's a burglar?"

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "If it is, they'll regret breaking into our home." Eventually, they reached the front door, and after slowly raising her hoof, Twilight nudged it, causing it to slowly creak open. Again, there appeared to be no movement inside, no sound of steps or any frantic attempt to leave. This silence prompted Twilight to again move forward, her horn lighting up in readiness. It had only been recently when she'd learned offensive magic during their ordeal before the wedding, but she was definitely willing to use it here if she had to. Reaching to the side, she felt the oil-lamp on the table beside her door, and so twisted the knob, causing it to ignite. Within moments, their home was illuminated, and they saw, to their confusion, that there appeared to be nocreature here. No broken furniture, no sign of anything having been taken. Nothing.

Naturally, this caused some relief on Spike's part. "So...it was just a mistake? Everything's fine?"

For a moment, Twilight said nothing, instead letting her eyes scour the immediate area. Eventually, those eyes settled on a book she'd laid on the side before leaving for Canterlot, and here she frowned again. For she could tell from the dust on the table that the tome had been moved, if only slightly, causing her to again look to the rest of the room. "No...there is somecreature here." She looked over her shoulder, to Spike. "Spike, I need you to go outside again. Find our friends, and bring them here." The young dragon didn't need to be told twice, and so rushed out again as fast as he could. Now Twilight was alone, but she knew she was far from helpless, as her horn's glow intensified. "I know there's somecreature in here. Know that there will be more coming soon. So if you know what's good for you, you'll step forward and reveal yourself!"

For the longest time, there was no response, merely the occasional creak of the old wood of the library. Twilight seemed increasingly unhappy about this, but then, right when she was on the cusp of speaking further, she was cut off by another voice. "You...are Twilight Sparkle, right?"

Twilight's eyes darted all over, but as before she could not see anycreature here. Nor could her ears pick up which direction the voice had come from. With such limited options, she spoke, keeping her tone low as she maintained her readied spell. "Yes, I am."

Another pause, and then the voice spoke again. "Good. I came here for you."

Twilight's hind leg took a slight step back, readying herself to flee if things went south here. "What do you want with me?"

"You and I saw each other recently, though only briefly. We did...not exactly have the best of introductions."

A remark like that caused Twilight further concerns of course. "Are you here to attack me? Or my friends?"

"Quite the opposite. Though I imagine you wouldn't believe that if you saw me."

Again, Twilight's eyes glanced around. "Where are you exactly?"

"I've hidden myself, for my own protection. I will reveal myself to you, but only if you give your word that you will not strike me when you see me."

Twilight was unhappy with such an arrangement. "Pardon me for being rude, but you are an uninvited guest in my home. You claim to be somepony I don't like, and you have the gall to ask me to not take action if I see you? I'm making no such promise!"

"That is...unfortunate. I had hoped this could have been done without conflict."

A dry chuckle on Twilight's part. "Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you should've thought of that before you decided to go for a bit of breaking and entering."

"Your words are...not incorrect."

Twilight, mustering her courage, took a single defiant step forward. "Here's my offer. You are going to reveal yourself here and now, by the time I count to three. If you fail to do so, or if you fail to explain why you're truly here, I will spread out a spell that will force you out of my home!"

"There really is no need for drastic action like that," the voice said calmly.

Twilight smirked. "Oh, I think there is." Her horn's glow shone brighter now. "One..." No sign of the intruder. "Two..." Still no sign. And so, the resident of the Golden Oak took another breath, ready to give her final number. "Thr..."

"Alright! Alright, I'll...I'll show myself," the voice said reluctantly. Twilight's horn dimmed, but she was not so foolish as to undo her prepared spell fully. Instead, she looked all around her, ready to see just who this mysterious guest of hers was. Then, to her immediate confusion and surprise, she suddenly saw, of all things, a chair start to move. It was a large one covered in pillows that, until now, she hadn't realised she didn't own before she got here. It shook a few times, then, to Twilight's further shock, began to be engulfed in green flames. But that shock was soon replaced with realisation, for Twilight recognised those flames all too well. For she had fought their wielders barely a day ago. Her instincts proved true, for when the flames finally died down, what stood there now was no chair, but a creature she and her people had only recently come to be aware of. It appeared, in general shape, to be a pony, but with a black and insectoid appearance, along with a pair of sharp and menacing fangs. The creature, with its blue and pupil-less eyes, blinked to her, then stepped forward. "Very well, you wish to see me...so here I am."

Barely a second had passed before Twilight reacted. "CHANGELING!!!" She charged forward, horn ablaze, and before the drone before her had any chance to do anything to defend himself, the spell hit. He was sent flying, straight into the wall behind him, and it winded him immediately. But Twilight did not stop her efforts, rushing forward for another blow. The drone however had quickly recovered, and buzzed his wings so as to avoid being hit again. But Twilight wasn't about to let him get away, and so cast another spell. This time, the drone himself was engulfed in her magical aura, fixed in mid-air so as to be unable to escape, despite his obvious efforts to try and break out. "You're not going anywhere!" Twilight angrily declared.

And here, much to Twilight's relief, the door behind her loudly burst open, and the sound of hooves rushing in filled the room, along with a very distinct voice. "Now what in tarnation is goin' on ere?!"

"Hold up, is that a Changeling?!" Rainbow bellowed.

"Oh no! Why is he here?!" Fluttershy asked fearfully.

"Doubtless the ruffian has arrived to enact some terrible revenge scheme on behalf of their Queen!" Rarity speculated.

"Awwww, that's not very nice of them!" Pinkie bouncily added.

Spike stepped forward, his courage bolstered by the sight of the drone being held captive by his carer. "What are you doing here, bug?!"

After another brief bout of struggling, the drone relented, knowing full well now that he wasn't going anywhere. "You are all mistaken. I'm not here under the orders of Chrysalis."

Twilight arched an eyebrow. "Who?" Then the pieces connected in her mind. "Oh, the Queen?"

The drone nodded. "She doesn't know I'm here. And my other kin don't know either. I came by my own choice."

Rainbow snickered. "Oh, I get it You thought you'd come in here, take out Twilight, then go back to your Changeling friends as some big hero, right?" After seeing her friends look to her, she shrugged. "What? It's what I'd do!"

Shaking her head to that, Twilight again focused her attention on their new prisoner. "Even if I were to believe your claims, which is a big 'if' given what you Changelings have just done, what are you here for exactly?"

The drone frowned to her. "I told you already. I came here for you."

Spike stepped forward again, pointing to the Changeling in an aggressive manner. "Why? What do you want with her?"

The drone looked to each and every one of the ponies arrayed against him, before finally settling on the young unicorn who had him in her magical grip. "I came here...to pledge my allegiance."

So quiet was the room now that you could have made out a pin-drop. But before long, Twilight broke that silence, saying the only thing anypony could after hearing something like that. "Wait, what?!"

Author's Notes:

Okay, a bit of history with this one. You see, I've been with FiM ever since the show started back in 2010, and like many a fan from those early days, I immediately started writing fanfics about it. I never posted them anywhere, and just kept them on my old PCs files for my own enjoyment. Unfortunately, that PC eventually crashed, taking all the files and data it had with it, and after replacing it I never attempted to recreate some of those earlier stories, even after I joined FimFiction. And it certainly wasn't helped by the fact that a basic story premise like this had already been done by numerous other writers long before I became part of the site.

But eventually I decided "why not", and so here we are with a story that, as you can guess, I wrote way back after the season two finale. Please be aware though that this story will contain a lot of what I held as personal headcanons for the Changelings, so if you eventually see something that contradicts the show's canon, that's why

Explanations

It had been several minutes since Twilight had left the library, and not a single pony had uttered a word during her absence. Instead, their attention was laser-focused on their prisoner. The lone Changeling, currently tied to a chair, blinked every once in a while, but otherwise said or did nothing while he was being held here. As for the rest, most of them were too worried to blink, just in case this guy transformed into something to try to get away. As the heaviest hitters of the group, Rainbow and Applejack were closest, with Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie just a step or two further back. Minute after minute passed, and eventually the silence grew just too boring for the party-lover among them. "Sooooooo...you like cake? Because we've got plenty left over from the wedd...um...never-mind," Pinkie hurriedly stopped, not wanting to bring up the recent disaster.

Rainbow, while keeping her eyes firmly on the Changeling, nevertheless frowned to her friend's words. "No fraternising with the enemy!"

Pinkie gave a salute. "Roger, wilko, ten-four, good Charlie!"

A look of incredulity came to the hopeful one-day Wonderbolt. "...What?"

Then, before anypony could say anything else, the door of the library opened, and Twilight returned, along with Spike, who had gone out with her. After closing the door behind them, they sighed, with Twilight shaking her head. "Looks like he's the only one. I performed my identification spell all over the immediate area, and there's nothing."

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew! That's good to hear.

A quick chuckle from Applejack. "Y'all were pretty silly comin' here all by yer lonesome, fella," she remarked.

The drone was not worried. "I knew you wouldn't do anything too terrible to me if I did not approach as an enemy."

Rarity looked to him with disdain. "You have a lot of nerve claiming to not be an enemy after the terrible mess you and your people did back at Canterlot."

Their captive nodded. "I know. But I meant what I said. My allegiance lies with Twilight Sparkle now, not with Chrysalis."

Stepping forward, Twilight's eyes narrowed. "And why would that be exactly?"

The Changeling looked her right in the eye. "Well, first and foremost...there is no Chrysalis anymore."

Silence fell, and all the ponies and Spike seemed utterly stunned to have heard that. Then, after a long time of just thinking that declaration over, Twilight again stepped forward. "Wha...what you mean?"

Even through his bonds, he was capable of shrugging. "Exactly what I said. Chrysalis, the former Queen of my hive...is no more."

In spite of how much enmity there was between Twilight and the leader of the Changelings, even she could not help but feel a pang of horror at what she'd learned. "You mean...she's dead?!"

A solemn nod from the drone, prompting further confusion from the rest of the ponies. "But...Shining and Cadance's love magic wouldn't have been enough to actually...finish her, would it?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, that magic could only have forced them out of the city. Nothing more."

When all of them turned to the drone for clarification, he gave a serious nod. "You are correct. The magic alone was not enough to end her life. But it was the catalyst for it." He glanced to the side, a look on his face that clearly suggested that he was recalling recent memories. "Her defeat in Canterlot was a humiliation. She had every advantage in her favor, yet she still managed to lose. And that created...problems for her." He looked back to his captors. "Changeling law is clear. When a Queen fails as enormously as Chrysalis did, then they are deemed unfit to rule their hive. So, my brethren and I did what needed to be done. We left her."

Applejack stepped forward. "Wait, y'all jus'...up an' walked off?"

The drone sighed. "We attempted to. But as you probably know by now, Chrysalis is not willing to relinquish that which she deems hers."

Twilight grimaced. "Preaching to the choir on that one."

After giving her another nod, the drone continued. "She attacked, no doubt to reassert her authority. But by that point our minds had been made up. Instead of submission...we turned on her. All of us. After that..." He fell silent, not finishing his words, though the look he bore gave no illusions as to how things might have gone down during that apparent schism among the Changelings.

Twilight, for her part, had a lot to think about, her voice displaying obvious relief at having learned what she'd learned "Chrysalis is...gone?"

The drone gave a bow of his head. "I too am glad she has passed. Her reign was troublesome, to say the least."

Realising instantly how she must have come across, Twilight shook her head frantically. "No! I'm...I'm not happy she's gone!"

To that, the drone looked confused. "She was an enemy to you, your family and your people. She personally harmed you and attempted to divide you from your closest associates. Why would you not rejoice at this news?"

Rainbow chuckled. "Gotta hand it to him, Twilight. Guy's got a point." Seeing the looks she now got, Rainbow grunted. "Ugh! What? I can't even be happy about that now?!"

Twilight sighed, then looked to the drone again. "I won't lie. The thought of Chrysalis no longer being there to threaten my family is a relief. But I would have hoped for a more peaceful resolution to our differences."

The drone stared at her. "You would have been disappointed."

His words had been stern and to-the-point, and while Twilight would never approve of a callous attitude such as this, she nevertheless remained confused and curious about a great many things, which she was sure to voice. "So...am I to assume there is now an entire army of leaderless Changelings just wandering the wilds beyond Equestria?"

Her prisoner shook his head. "No. With our own Queen gone, Changelings would seek out others to lead them. Doubtless my kin have dispersed, going to one hive or another."

The looks on the faces of all the assembled Equestrians was one of utter horror, and soon it was Twilight that gave voice to their shared fears. "Other...hives? With other Queens too?"

The drone nodded. "Correct."

Rainbow slapped her own forehead. "Agh! You mean to tell me we're gonna have to deal with a whole load of different Changeling armies?!"

In response, the captive shook his head again. "Unlikely. Chrysalis was the only Queen who has ever chosen to attack Equestria." He turned to the side, thinking on his words. "And given how much of a failure that attempt was, it's even less likely that others will take similar actions."

That, if only a little, seemed to calm the situation, though it still gave Twilight a fair bit to consider. "Other hives...and other Queens." She tapped her chin with her hoof a couple of times. "So those who remained from your hive have gone off to find a home in others." She looked to him inquisitively. "But...if that's the case, then why didn't you follow that example? Why come here instead of one of the other hives?"

That question prompted all of the mares to look to him, apparently sharing in her curiosity. But the drone, for his part, considered the matter fairly simple. "Is it not obvious? I came here to pledge my allegiance to you, because you were the superior leader." Seeing the confusion he now got, the drone elaborated. "You were the one who saw through our former Queen's ruse. You attempted to undermine her plan, and in the end it was your involvement that led to her downfall."

Twilight frowned. "It was my brother and Cadance who drove the Changelings out of Canterlot, not me."

The drone nodded. "Perhaps, but had it not been for you, that might never have come to pass. You vanquished Chrysalis. You bested her. And the ancient laws of my people are clear. When one Queen is felled by another, that victorious Queen shall claim her forces. Others of my hive might not take the old ways seriously, but I assure you, I do."

Here, Twilight actually seemed amused by what she'd just heard. "Um...it might have slipped your notice, but I'm not a Queen. And I'm no Changeling."

The drone studied her, much like he himself had been watched closely by the ponies. "Are you not a leader among your people? A figure of great power who has rallied others behind her and led them to great victory?"

Twilight paused, a blush coming to her as she nervously scratched the back of her head. "Um...well..."

Her hesitation was apparently all the confirmation needed, as the drone gave a bow of his head. "By the old ways, I pledge myself to you, Queen Twilight. I shall serve you and this place you call your hive. My life, my service, my soul, are yours to command."

After a long and uncertain silence, the quiet was broken by a chuckle from Rainbow. "Hehe...nice."

Twilight looked to her prisoner for a long time and then, after giving a silent nod to her friends, turned. The other mares followed her, leaving Spike to keep an eye on the Changeling. Once she was far enough away, Twilight spoke, albeit in a hushed tone to keep their visitor from overhearing. " So...what do you think?"

Fluttershy briefly glanced to the drone before looking back to her. "He sounds genuine. I don't think he's lying."

"Same ere, Twi," Applejack agreed. "A've got a feel fer liars, an' ah ain't gettin that feelin' from this ere fella."

Rarity nodded. "Quite. Though we should probably remember that he is technically an enemy of Equestria. Other ponies aren't likely to forget what he and the other Changelings did at the wedding." She gave Twilight a look of concern. "Least of all the Princesses or your brother."

Twilight grimaced at the memory, but it was Rainbow who spoke next. "Hey, if he gives us trouble, we'll give him some trouble!" She pounded one forehoof against the other, making clear her meaning.

But Twilight shook her head. "We've got an enemy, it's true. But if he's being honest about his intentions, then he's basically surrendered to us. There are rules when it comes to prisoners. We shouldn't mistreat him, even if he did take part in the attack against Canterlot."

Rainbow arched an eyebrow. "So...what? You're not actually thinking of buying what he's selling?" A smirk slowly developed on her face. "Unless you like the idea of being a Queen to a Changeling?"

Twilight frowned to her. "I'm not saying that, Rainbow. But we can at least keep an eye on him for now."

Pinkie giggled. "Oh! Maybe we can hide him in your closet and go on adventures with him while trying to keep him secret from your family?"

Twilight stared at her. "...No. I'll be sending a letter to the Princesses to inform them of the situation."

Pinkie's ears drooped. "Aw nuts!"

Thinking over everything that had been discussed, Twilight sighed, then turned to face the Changeling fully, as did everypony else. Spike had kept his vigil, never once even blinking while he watched the drone, even though this had the consequence of giving him rather bloodshot eyes at the moment, much to Twilight's concern. "Er...you can blink now, Spike."

Doing so, Spike sighed with joy. "Thank you!"

Resuming her earlier sternness, Twilight stepped forward. "You will stay here for now, under heavy watch. Our leaders will be informed of your arrival. After that...we'll decide what to do with you later."

The drone bowed his head. "If those are the terms of my service to you, then I accept."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "You're gonna be like this all the time, aren't you, Mr...?" Then she paused, looking to the drone with curiosity. "Wait, what's your name?"

The drone looked like he'd have saluted if he could. "T-H-R-X-86, Ma'am!"

Twilight blinked. "Um, pardon?"

Her prisoner shrugged. "It's the only name I was ever given."

Twilight returned to her earlier frown. "Well...how about..." Her face lit up slightly. "How about 'Thorax' then?"

The drone considered that, then gave a dutiful nod. "Very well, my Queen. I am...Thorax."

Author's Notes:

Just so I can make this clear, because I know a lot of people will be wondering, no this isn't the Thorax of the official series. Back when I originally wrote this story I chose Thorax as an appropriately bug-sounding name. But, as you can imagine, it was quite a "huh, that's neat" moment for me when FiM actually decided to introduce a Changeling character with that name

The Next Morning

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight muttered to herself as she finally put her quill to parchment. "I hope you and everypony back in Canterlot are safe and well. Please know that my friends and I had a pleasant journey back to Ponyville. No incidents along the way." She paused here, then let out a long sigh before continuing her letter. "However, I regret to inform you that there was an unexpected hiccup once Spike and I returned to the Golden Oak. We had an uninvited guest here by the time we got back. It was a Changeling drone. Now, I realise that this will probably cause you a great deal of worry, but know that the situation is well in hoof. He did not attack us, and we quickly had him apprehended. But it appears as though his reasons for being here are, at least according to him, for non-malicious purposes. According to what we've learned from him, Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings who attacked Canterlot, lost her life at the hooves of her followers, and this lone drone has decided to offer his services to me, seeing me as largely responsible for his former leader's downfall. I realise this is a lot to put on you all at once, but I felt you needed to know. I eagerly await to hear your advice on how we should proceed from here."

Twilight lifted her parchment, looking over her words several times over, before taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Afterwards, she turned to Spike, who had only just managed to crawl out of his own bed, and was still rubbing sleep-dust out of his eyes before giving her a weak smile. "So...do I send it?" Seeing the nod she gave him, Spike carefully accepted the scroll, then took in a deep breath of his own. In a blaze of green fire, the parchment was magically transported out of the nearby open window, and would no doubt find its way to Princess Celestia soon. Giving himself a moment to stretch, Spike scratched his side as he looked back to Twilight. "So, how did you sleep?"

Twilight shook her head. "I wish I could say I slept well, but..."

Spike nodded, understanding. "I know the feeling. Hard to get rest when...you know..."

Twilight nodded, and together the two of them walked over to the edge of where they slept, looking down to those below. Two of her friends were still here after the events of last night. Applejack and Rainbow. One was asleep while the other kept their eyes firmly fixed on the newly-christened Thorax. As for the latter, he just sat quietly in the corner, as he had done since the end of their conversation. He was like a statute, un-moving, unblinking, never making even the slightest sound. It was somewhat unnerving, it had to be said, but to her credit, Rainbow, who was the friend still awake right now, did not look intimidated in the slightest. "I've got my eye on you, Thorax."

Thorax remained as emotionless as ever. "Yes, I can see that."

Through the corner of her eye, Rainbow could see Spike and Twilight descend, leading to a smile on her part. "Oh, you're up. Sleep well?"

Twilight smiled to her. "We did, thanks." Her smile grew. "And thanks for keeping watch last night."

Rainbow waved her off. "Pfft! No big deal! Me and AJ had this one in the bag. Oh, speaking of which..." She stepped over to where Applejack was sleeping, giving her a gentle nudge. "Yo! AJ! Time to get up!"

It took only a second for Applejack to rouse from her slumber, and she was on her hooves immediately. "Time fer mah shift already?" She saw Rainbow shake her head, pointing just past her, which prompted Applejack to turn and see that it was Twilight, leading to a smile on her part. "Ah! So, what's the move, Twi?"

Twilight sighed. "I've sent word to Princess Celestia. The ball's in her court now." She frowned as she regarded Thorax. "I imagine it won't be long before you're taken to Canterlot. After the invasion of the city it's likely you'll be questioned by our leaders."

Thorax's bore an utterly stony poker face as he heard that. "I have no intention of going anywhere unless my Queen commands me to do so."

Twilight groaned, giving herself a facehoof. "Ugh! Fine! Then I command you to go to Canterlot if Princess Celestia deiced that's where you're going."

Thorax gave a salute. "It will be done, my Queen!"

Rainbow chuckled, giving Twilight a quick nudge in the side. "You know, having a totally obedient drone around might be pretty useful." After seeing Twilight scowl at her, Rainbow looked a touch more nervous. "Um...not that you would of course...because that would be wrong."

Applejack arched an eyebrow to her. "Wow, smooth."

Shaking her head to all of that, Twilight stepped forward to look at Thorax up close. "I want to warn you right now, it's not likely that you'll be getting any kind of warm reception around other ponies right now. The attack on our capital has led a lot of us to be wary. Seeing another Changeling so soon might cause a stir."

Thorax nodded firmly. "I understand. But you needn't worry, my Queen. My kind are used to eliciting fear from others. If we did not, we probably wouldn't change our appearances so often."

The words had been so matter-of-fact that it took Twilight aback for a moment. For an entire people to just be used to having others fear them, and to the point where it no longer bothers them? That was not the most pleasant of notions. Even so, Twilight looked him over, considering their position. "It might make sense for you to do what you can to avoid causing a panic if we let you out and among other ponies."

Another nod from Thorax. "Ah, understood. You wish for me to go in disguise?" Without any further word coming his way, Thorax cleared his throat, then gave himself a quick stretch before concentrating. The others, knowing what was coming, took a single step backwards, and sure enough they looked on as their prisoner was engulfed in green flames. They were still new to this Changeling power, so it naturally held their attention until it was over. Within moments the flames had disappeared, and in the Changeling's place now stood a pony. An earth pony stallion to be precise, with light-blue fur and a short green mane. Looking himself over, thorax turned to Twilight. "Will this suffice?"

Even in spite of how serious she knew she'd have to be, Twilight couldn't help but smirk. "Might want to change the color of your mane. Rarity's not a fond of green up there."

Thorax quickly glanced up to said mane, then gave another nod before again covering himself in his flames. A second passed and, lo and behold, he now had a dark blue mane instead of green. Rainbow, tapping her chin, took on a more mischievous look, then stepped forward. "So...you can become anything?"

Thorax shook his head. "There are limits. Size, for instance, has to be something relatively close to what we already are. I couldn't transform myself into a hundred-foot dragon for instance."

Hearing that, Rainbow grumbled. "Nuts."

Shaking her head to her companions' behaviour, Applejack now added her voice to the matter. "Ah still don't take kindly ta Changelin's after all the trouble y'all have caused us...but aren't ya worried bout how the others might miss ya?"

Thorax looked to her with confusion. "Miss...me?" It took a moment, then realisation came to him. "Ah! Miss! The feeling of longing when someone or something of value to you is absent for a long period." He was oblivious to the amused stares he was getting from being so analytical about the whole thing, but those looks faded when he spoke his next words. "No, I don't miss them. There are no family bonds among Changelings as there are with ponies. Our only real relationship is our loyalty to our Queen." He grimaced as he looked to the side. "Unless that Queen fails, as you know."

Applejack, understandably, didn't look like she was fond of that position. "Yeesh, no family? No friends? No...no love?"

Thorax looked back to her, raising an eyebrow of his own. "My kind feeds on love, pony. We may imitate the feelings of love towards another in an effort to coax that emotion out of the other, but we cannot feel it ourselves." He pointed to her. "Do you feel a piece of fruit, or do you just eat it?"

Now, as an apple farmer, Applejack naturally wanted to come up with some sort of counter, but sadly she wasn't able to think up one, hence her embarrassed look right now. Twilight, for her part, looked to Thorax with what could only be described as sympathy. "I'm sorry your people don't have those things in their life. It must have been a difficult existence."

As always, Thorax simply shrugged to the remark. "It was no bother for us. One cannot call it difficult if we do not feel discomfort from it after all."

The more he spoke, the less the ponies knew how to feel about him, as clearly evidenced by the uncertain looks the mares now gave one another. As for Spike, who had been patiently standing to one side for the time being, he looked to Thorax carefully, then stepped forward. "So...you're willing to just do whatever Twilight tells you?"

Thorax looked down to him. "Within reason. The Queen of a hive must command in a way that benefits that hive. If she were to ask me to, say, expose myself and cause a panic, that would cause serious problems for both her and those around her, thus bringing into question her validity as a leader."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Gee, no pressure then." Then, before she had the chance to say anything further, she was distracted by a very familiar rumbling sound coming from Spike, causing a smile to come to her. "Ah, earlier than expected." And sure enough, Spike burped forth some green flames, which inevitably formed into another scroll. Using her magic, Twilight took hold of the parchment, unrolling it and giving the first few lines a quick look. "It's from Princess Celestia."

Spike, recovering from his expected belch, looked to her with curiosity. "So...what are we doing with him?" he asked while gesturing to Thorax.

Twilight's eyes drifted over the words of the parchment, then she took a few steps away before finally speaking up. "To my faithful student, Twilight. I am pleased to hear you have your troubling situation under control. It was something of a shock to me to discover that a Changeling had come to you. As you no doubt expected, this is a serious matter, and one that I intend to involve myself with personally." Twilight paused, glancing up from the scroll briefly. "Personally?" Again, she continued reading. "Please keep your guest under watch until I arrive. There is still much to be done here in Canterlot after the recent invasion, but I will be there in Ponyville as fast as I can. Until then, stay safe. Yours, Princess Celestia." Scrolling up the parchment, Twilight set it to one side, then looked back to Thorax. "Well, you heard her. She's coming here herself to speak to you."

Thorax didn't seem fearful, and in fact spoke as though everything were perfectly fine. "What shall I expect with this visit?"

Twilight sighed. "The only thing I can guarantee is that questions will be asked. Princess Celestia will need to know as much as she can about your people. Like how many others are still here in Equestria."

Thorax shrugged. "I'm not sure how much help I can be, but if it is your command that I answer her, then I will carry out that command to the best of my abilities."

Twilight accepted his cooperation with a nod, then looked to her friends. "There's no telling how long it'll be before Princess Celestia gets here, so until then, Thorax doesn't leave the Golden Oak."

They all nodded back to her, with Rainbow resuming her earlier position of staring right into Thorax's eyes. "You heard her! I'm watching you, bub!"

Thorax, seeing the intent she looked to him with, just stared back at her with his usual blankness. "Yes...I can see that...again."

Captor and Captive

To say that Twilight was not unnerved by her circumstances would have been a lie. After all, it wasn't that long ago that she and her friends were doing battle with creatures just like the one who now sat in front of her. Yet Thorax had, aside from his unwanted breaking-in of course, never once displayed any of the aggressive traits his fellow Changelings had shown back in Canterlot. In fact, if you knew nothing about Changelings and then saw him now, sitting quietly while reading a book Twilight had kindly offered him, you'd suspect they were a perfectly decent people. Yet Twilight could not forget what transpired with Thorax's kind when last they met, and after she saw him flip through the next page of the aforementioned book, she cleared her throat to gain his attention. And gain it she did, as he stood at attention immediately, giving a salute, which prompted a quick eye-roll from Twilight before she finally spoke. "So...you mentioned before that you and I had met?"

Thorax nodded. "I did, my Queen."

Twilight grimaced, if only briefly. She still hadn't gotten used to being called that, and was uncertain she ever would. A part of her even wondered if this was how Princess Celestia felt whenever ponies used that title. Was she too uncomfortable at being addressed with her royal name? A question for later, Twilight decided, and so focused again on Thorax. "So...did you mean you saw me during the fight my friends and I had with you and the other Changelings?"

Thorax shook his head. "No. I mean you and I directly fought one another."

Twilight blinked, wracking her brain to remember that fight in as much detail as she could. Though she was loathe to admit it, she really couldn't remember any physical difference between Thorax and any of the other Changelings, and that realisation gave her at least a little feeling of shame. After blushing slightly, she spoke in a more nervous way than before. "Um...I don't suppose you could narrow that list down, could you? I fought a lot of Changelings that day."

Another nod from Thorax. "If you'll recall, I had transformed into you during that fight. And in the brawl you pinned me to the ground and used your magic to dispel my disguise."

Only upon hearing that did Twilight's memory finally give her the image she'd been searching for. "Oh yes, I remember you now." She chuckled drily. "Probably not a good idea to take on my image if you don't have the magic to back it up."

Thorax sighed. "Unfortunately, only a Changeling Queen has magical power outside of the ability to transform. Not even taking on the image of a unicorn will grant me skill in spellcraft."

Twilight considered his words, then, in a moment of wanting to distance them from the memory of their past battle, turned her attention to the book she'd given him. "So...enjoying it?"

Thorax looked to her, then to the book, gently placing his hoof upon it. "It is...interesting."

Twilight stepped forward. "Oh? How so?"

Thorax closed the book, holding it up and looking over the cover. "A history of Equestria, volume one. My people knew little of your lands, save that your people lived on it."

Twilight looked to him with confusion. "Chrysalis never told you about us? I'd have thought that would have been pretty important if you were going to be attacking us."

Thorax, upon putting the book down again, shook his head. "Chrysalis preferred to keep all such information herself. She was the one doing the infiltrating, so whatever she learned about your nation and ponykind she felt only she had any business learning. As for the rest of us..." He shrugged. "We were simply to come in on her signal and attack."

Hearing that, Twilight frowned. "Well...she didn't seem like a leader who trusted her followers all that much. Can't really blame you for being sick of her." She paused then, sighed. "Even though I wish you hadn't all resorted to that particular way of dispatching her."

Thorax nodded to his chosen Queen. "Perhaps. But it was a long time coming, if we're being honest. She was always withholding things from us, expecting us to follow commands because of her position as Queen. From the moment I first opened my eyes, crawling out of my egg, that was how it was."

Those final words caught Twilight's notice, and her inner scientist began to make itself known as she studied her guest closely. "You know...your being here might be of great benefit to Equestria. You are, after all, a completely unknown race to us. There's a lot you can teach us."

Thorax looked her right in the eye. "What do you wish to know?"

For the first time in a while, Twilight smiled. "Well, first things first, what kinds of structure does your society have? What ranks or levels of hierarchy are there between you and the Queen?"

There was a pause on Thorax's part, but only a brief one. "...There are none."

Twilight blinked, then frowned to him. "N...none?"

Thorax nodded. "Within my hive, there was the Queen and there were the drones. One leader and thousands of her followers. We serve at her command, fighting, building tunnels, infiltrating and generally serving her. At any given moment, any drone could do what she wanted, when she wanted. There were only two 'levels of hierarchy' in our hive, and she occupied the top one all by herself."

Twilight grimaced. "Well, that's...simple, at least." She scratched the back of her head, then resumed her smile as she got another idea for a question. "Oh! What about where you come from? Is there a Changeling homeland somewhere out there beyond Equestria's borders?"

A silence as Thorax considered the question, and when he spoke it was with uncertainty. "Doubtless there was some place, far away and long ago, where we originated. But whatever place that was it is lost to our history. My people have often been on the move, going wherever our need to feed took us. Perhaps one hive or another might settle if they found some place where they could feed regularly, but as far as my hive was concerned, we never had a permanent dwelling or place to call home."

A moment of sympathy came to Twilight, even though she had to constantly remind herself that this creature before her was one who had made himself an enemy of her people. But even so, the thought of having nowhere to call home was an upsetting one, and soon Twilight just couldn't help but express that sympathy. "I'm...sorry to hear that."

Thorax, as had happened so often now, did not share her worries. "My people feel little, my Queen. You needn't worry about upsetting me."

Twilight shook her head. "So...you feel nothing? Nothing at all? No joy, no sadness? Nothing?"

Again, Thorax shook his head. "No, I do not. We feed on love, but we cannot feel it or anything else. We may feel a sense of self-preservation in dangerous situations, but that is not the same as fear. We may feel a sense of contentment at satisfying our need to consume love, but that is not the same as joy." He took in a deep breath, then gestured to her. "We are not like you, Twilight. I am not like you. After all you have seen of us, I would have thought that obvious by now."

His words prompted a frown on Twilight's part. "Chrysalis certainly had emotions. Anger, enjoyment over deceiving everypony..."

Thorax nodded. "True. Queens are a breed apart from drones. Just as they have magic, so too do they have higher functions, like the ability to feel and express emotions. And my mother certainly revelled in those feelings whenever victory was near."

Twilight too nodded, albeit slowly, as she took in that description of the now-fallen Queen. Yet there was something nestled among Thorax's words that caught her interest. "Wait...your mother?"

Another nod from the done. "Yes. Queen Chrysalis was the mother to all the drones you saw attacking Canterlot. Myself included."

Horror came to Twilight now, and she backed away instantly, though Thorax remained where he was as he looked to her. This new information replayed itself in Twilight's mind over and over, and as the realisation of just who she'd been talking to sank in, her words were similarly hesitant. "You...you're the son of Chrysalis?!"

Thorax blinked, then nodded yet again. "Yes, I am."

Twilight gave herself a facehoof. "You didn't think that little tidbit was worth mentioning earlier?"

Thorax shook his head. "I didn't think it relevant."

A groan of irritation escaped his host. "Uuuuuugh! Thorax! If ponies were going to have a hard time accepting you because you followed Chrysalis' orders, just how difficult a time do you think you'll have when they find out you're part of her family?"

The captive drone considered that, but looked to her as blankly as he always did. "I realise ponies place great value on family bonds, but I did not consider that it might lead them to view me differently than they already did. It did not halt my kind from turning on our former Queen after all."

The thought of Chrysalis' fate resurfaced in Twilight's mind, putting her talk with Thorax in a rather uncomfortable light. "So...you had no problems at all? She was your mother and you all..." She didn't finish, instead glancing away from him.

Thorax's brow creased, but only slightly, as if displaying the barest hint of confusion. "I continue to be puzzled by your disdain for the loss of her life. Had she had her way, your people would have been severely hurt."

Twilight finally looked back to him, giving him a clear look of disapproval. "Maybe so, but I still don't like the idea of sons killing their mothers."

Thorax looked down to his book again. "If it is any consolation, she was a mother who would have gladly sacrificed all of us if it meant assuring her victory over ponies."

Twilight sighed deeply. "It does not make me feel better...but thank you all the same." Her words had been devoid of feeling, mostly because her feelings were fairly confused right now. Here was a drone who had sworn fealty to her, yet he was also one who had not only directly attacked her but also participated in the death of his former leader. Being near somecreature like that would have been a dubious thing for anypony, and Twilight wondered to herself just how such a people had ever come to be. So without love or any kind of positive feeling, save for the desire to take love from others. And speaking of which, that thought in particular now took centre stage in her mind. "And your need for love? Is that going to be a problem, Thorax? I'm not going to have to restrain you from going after it with other ponies, am I?"

Looking back up to her, Thorax shook his head. "No. I will not require nourishment for some time. There is little danger at present."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful for small blessings at least."

Then, as soon as she'd said that, they both turned at the sound of the door crashing open. It was Spike, who rushed in and panted heavily before gesturing outside. "It's...it's..."

Twilight understood immediately, and so rushed outside. Thorax followed her, assuming his pony disguise as he did so. Once out there, they both looked up, and through the near-blinding light of the sun, they finally saw it. A regal figure carried in a golden chariot, with no less than a dozen pegasi guards accompanying her. Princess Celestia had arrived in Ponyville, and though Twilight was always happy to see her mentor, she remembered instantly her reasons for being here, and so turned to Thorax with a more solemn expression. "Prepare yourself. I'm not sure how this is going to go."

Thorax, as ever, gave a dutiful salute. "I am...ready."

The Princess Arrives

Now, Princess Celestia had visited Twilight in the Golden Oak Library many times before this, yet never before had there been such an air of discomfort and unease with her presence. Not even Twilight's panic about being late with her friendship lessons had prompted a royal arrival as tense as this, but thankfully Twilight was more composed about the matter this time around. She certainly didn't envy Thorax right now though. Standing in the middle of the library's main room, he was surrounded by four of the pegasi guards who had accompanied the Princess here, and as for Celestia herself, she stood before him, wings outstretched. She was still a regal figure, yet she bore a distinctly imposing feel about her, far more so than Twilight had seen of her, except for her prior confrontation with Chrysalis. There was dead silence right now, and Celestia was no doubt measuring her words carefully, all while never taking her eyes off the surrendered drone. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the mare of the sun finally spoke. "What is your name?"

Having been commanded by his chosen leader to cooperate, Thorax did not hesitate to answer. "My designation was T-H-R-X-86, though I have been given the name of Thorax."

Celestia arched an eyebrow, causing only the briefest of glances in Twilight's direction, before again focusing on the prisoner. "Are there other drones with you here in Ponyville? Or perhaps just beyond it?"

Thorax shook his head. "There aren't. I came here alone. All others from my hive dispersed to other locations."

Here, Celestia gave Twilight her full attention, and the latter knew exactly why, causing a nod on her part. "He's telling the truth. I did a sweep of the place after we discovered him. He's all alone."

Celestia nodded to her, then returned her gaze to the drone. "And what is your purpose here?"

Thorax's voice was as stoic as ever as he replied. "It is as I have said, and as your apprentice informed you in her letter. I have come to pledge my allegiance to Twilight Sparkle, as the one responsible for the downfall of my Queen. The ancient ways of my people demand that she be seen as my new Queen, and so...here I am, ready to serve."

How Celestia felt about her student being thought of in that way, none could tell, for as always she bore the best poker-face in the land. Instead, she continued with her questioning. "The others of your hive. Where have they gone?"

Thorax turned, looking out of the nearby window. "Some will have tried to seclude themselves in some attempt to survive on their own, or have tried to enter into the hives and service of other Queens. Though I do not know the specifics."

Celestia's eyes narrowed just a little bit. "And exactly how many other Changeling Queens are out there that we need to worry about?"

Thorax looked back to her. "I cannot say. Only the Queens themselves knew for certain how many there were. The only time we drones ever knew of others was when we fought their drones."

That caught Celestia's interest, and Twilight's too for that matter, though it was only the former who spoke. "Changelings fight other Changelings?"

A nod from Thorax. "Frequently. For hunting grounds mostly. Though don't be surprised if one Queen will war upon another just because of personal dislike."

Celestia grimaced as she glanced to the side. "Oh, I can believe it." She resumed looking at him. "I trust you're aware that Changelings are not looked upon with fondness in our nation?" She saw thorax nod silently, leading to further remarks on her part. "I'm willing to offer sanctuary if there's useful information you can give us. You say Chrysalis is gone? Then who will most likely be the Queen that we'll have to deal with in future?"

To that, Thorax shrugged. "Honestly? You might never hear from Changelings again after what Chrysalis tried to do in Canterlot. No other Queen has ever tried to take as many as she did, and certainly not as aggressively. That kind of forwardness isn't usually how my kind acts when seeking love to feed upon. And this failure on my ex-Queen's part will only cement the belief that we need to be subtle." He pondered the other question. "As for which Queen you might have to deal with...I truly cannot say. Equestria as a whole might be deemed too much of a risk after the Canterlot attack. Queens will probably order their hives to give your people and nation a wide berth." A pause, but only a brief one. "So...you might not need to worry about seeing another hive make a move against you for some time. A pony might never see a changeling again in fact." Another shrug from him. "Except for me."

Celestia, if she sensed dishonesty from him, certainly wasn't showing it. Instead, her voice, when she finally spoke, was sounding more like curiosity than distrust. "You took a grave risk in coming here. You've given us your full cooperation, for which I'm grateful. But I trust you know that complete freedom is off the table for you for the time being."

Thorax nodded. "I do But my Queen gave me a command, and I shall obey it. Cooperation is what you will have from me, along with the truth. But I fear I have given you as much information as I can regarding my people and their potential movements."

Twilight stepped forward here, looking up to her teacher and speaking in a quiet tone. "It seems Chrysalis wasn't really willing to tell her drones much about anything."

Celestia frowned. "All the knowledge for herself. Arrogant to the last." She stood in silence for a time, then looked again to thorax. "And what, pray tell, do you see of your life from here on out?"

Thorax did not hesitate, and turned to Twilight before giving a bow of her head. "My life, henceforth, is devoted to the service of my Queen, Twilight."

Here, Celestia showed some degree of amusement, though it was minor at best. "I'm sure she appreciates that." Even Twilight herself couldn't help but scowl to her mentor's words, but she remained quiet when Celestia gave a nod to the guards. They saluted, stepping forward so as to be closer to Thorax, thus freeing the Princess to finally walk away. Twilight followed her, joining her on the far side of the room, and after thinking things over for a bit, the older pony looked down to her student. "So...how do you feel about all this?"

Twilight sighed. "I...have no idea. I don't want to be a Queen, as you probably already know, but besides that we just don't have all that much information from Thorax." She looked over her shoulder. "We don't know where, when or if the next Changeling attack will come, and he really does seem like somecreature who's just content to take and carry out orders."

Celestia nodded. "Agreed. I had hoped for more a enlightening talk with him. But the only thing we know for certain is that the other Changeling leaders aren't going to be acting in the same way Chrysalis did."

Twilight nodded back. "Given what Thorax said, we might not ever have to deal with an attack from their people again."

That thought in particular gave Celestia pause. "I wish I could believe that, but we know times of peace won't always last. We must keep an eye out, just in case."

Twilight gave a bow to her leader, then started to feel more than a little hesitant. "And...Thorax?"

To that, Celestia smirked. "Well, he certainly seems to have shown great devotion to you, Twilight. Perhaps it might be best for him to remain under your custody?"

The young unicorn beside her didn't know how to feel about that. "He only feels that way about me because of some archaic 'might makes right' law of his people. He doesn't follow me because I was his first choice or anything."

A slow nod from Celestia. "Perhaps...but given his other options...where better for him to be?" When she saw Twilight look to her with some confusion, Celestia's more jovial manner dropped, and instead she spoke with utter seriousness. "I won't sugarcoat this, Twilight. If he were to return to Canterlot with me, the best he could hope for would be a lifetime of being under watch. Guards with him wherever he went, always being looked at with scorn by everypony who crossed paths with him. He'd be a prisoner in all but name. Now..." She reached out, placing her hoof upon Twilight's shoulder. "Would that be the fate you would wish for him?"

There was no time at all between the question and the answer, though Twilight did let out a long sigh first. "No...I wouldn't."

Celestia returned to her small smile. "Then perhaps it might be better for you to remain his keeper. For the time being at least."

Barely a second had passed before Twilight looked to her teacher with a mix of shock and disbelief. "M...me?!"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, you. If nothing else, I sense that you have his well-being at heart. And more than that, if he has truly pledged himself to you, then you might be the only pony who can keep him in line. He is, after all, one who has harmed our people already. And there's no telling if he might do so again."

The Princess was right, and Twilight knew it. But that thought didn't really give her much comfort. "I just...I don't want a servant, Princess. And I don't want to be a jailor either."

As before, Celestia placed her hoof upon Twilight's shoulder. "Then think of yourself as his minder instead." A sly look came to her. "Besides, I have the sneaking suspicion that you have something of a desire to learn as much about Changelings as you can. And how better to do that than by living with one?"

Twilight couldn't deny that, and so blushed slightly at having been found out, much to Celestia's amusement. But there was also one more sticking point in this that, quite frankly, brought no joy for Twilight to consider. "And...my brother?"

Like with Twilight, Celestia too looked serious now. "He knew of your visitor at the same time I did, and as you no doubt expected, he wasn't happy about it. It took all my persuasion to convince him to remain in Canterlot to oversee the reconstruction efforts in my absence." She sighed. "And we both know he'll be least happy out of all of us with this arrangement I'm proposing."

Twilight shook her head. "Next time I see him...I'll try an explain things. He'll listen to me."

Celestia's smile returned. "After recent events, I imagine he will."

The two shared a laugh, after which Twilight, thinking the matter over, gave a single nod. "Alright...I'll keep watch over him."

Celestia gave a slight bow of her head to her pupil. "Very well. Then I will leave him to you and your discretion." The Princess turned, walking straight past Thorax, though not without giving him one final look. "Mr Thorax, I bid you good day."

Thorax nodded back, watching along with Twilight as Celestia and her accompanying guards began to leave. Assuming his pony disguise, Thorax joined Twilight in stepping out of the library, just in time to see Celestia enter into her chariot. The other guards got into position, and before long there was a simultaneous flapping of wings, launching the entourage into the sky. The two below looked up to see Celestia's departure, and kept their gaze for as long as she was visible. When she was, at last, gone from view, Twilight considered everything that had happened, before finally smiling to her guest. "Well, Thorax...welcome to the Golden Oak."

Thorax bowed to her, much like one of those guards would have done with Celestia. "It is my honor, your Grace."

Twilight facehoofed herself. "Yeah...never getting used to that." But then, her inner scientist awoke, and she looked on at this drone, this one who had offered himself to her, and started to ponder the possibilities. "Say...would you care to join me in my lab down below? I've got a few instruments I'd..." She smirked mischievously. "That I'd like you to come see."

Author's Notes:

And here I think I'll end it. I never really thought up any continuation beyond this during my initial writing of this story all those years ago, so I think this might be a good place to stop. I might return to it one day, but for the time being I'm satisfied just having it here, with Thorax included in the cast for potential future stories

A New Day

The first few moments of a morning were always a pleasant thing for Twilight. Unburdened by the knowledge of what her day might bring or what might have transpired before, she was free to feel relaxed and content with her life. But then, as the sounds of chirping birds outside caused her mind to reboot itself back to proper form, her smile started to fade, and her eyes widened. Almost instantly, she sat up in bed, her head darting in all directions. All seemed peaceful, with no sign of anything out of place. Even Spike was in his usual spot, sleeping in his basket at the foot of her bed, with nothing suggesting that he'd been disturbed in he night. And she herself, after patting herself down, felt totally fine. No hint of any tiredness or illness. All in all, things were good. But naturally, that was what she'd wanted, though even so, she remained wary as she finally got herself out of her bed, looking down to her young charge and, with the image of his smiling and sleeping face, breathed a sigh as she started to ease up a touch. Walking over to the door of her room, she took a deep breath as she held onto the knob. "Alright...here we go."

Opening her door, she cautiously took step after step as she made her way downstairs. Throughout her careful move down she was looking all over, keeping an eye out for her new guest, and only once she was in full view of the downstairs chamber did she finally notice him. Thorax, sitting quietly at the front door, staring at it intently and standing almost as still as a statue. It was an odd thing, to be sure, but before Twilight could speak up to ask him what he was doing, her hoof on the floor as she finally descended the stairs caused a slight creak, gaining his attention. He turned, looking to her and giving a bow of his head. "My Queen."

Twilight, rolling her eyes at what she now knew was a title she was going to need to get used to, took a few steps closer to him. "Good morning, Thorax. Sleep well?"

Thorax shook his head. "No. I did not. We Changelings do not sleep."

That information caught the young unicorn off-guard. "Wait...seriously?"

Thorax nodded to confirm his words. "We are...different from you ponies. Many of the things you regularly do are no concerns for us."

Looking to the side, Twilight tried to process that concept. "Huh...never sleeping. I'd get so much more studying done!" Then, shaking her head, she looked to him again. "Thoughts for later. On another note, why were you having a staring contest with my front door?"

Thorax gestured to it. "It's the only way in or out of the ground floor. Any threats would likely come in this way."

Staring at him for a moment, it took Twilight no time at all to put two and two together. "Were you...guarding me?"

"I'd be a poor drone if I didn't," Thorax replied.

Twilight gave herself a facehoof and sighed. "Thorax, I've already told you, you're not a drone!" Then, after pausing to think on her own words, she continued. "I mean, you are a drone, but...I don't want you to think of yourself as just some mindless automaton that's here to serve me."

"...But that is what I am," the Changeling insisted.

Again, Twilight sighed. "Okay, this'll be harder than I thought," she muttered to herself. Moving closer to him, she spoke in a softer tone. "Look, I appreciate the gesture, but you don't need to worry about protecting me. Ponyville is probably the safest place in all of Equestria."

Thorax, for the first time since Twilight had met him, showed some hint of emotion after those words, in this case the narrowing of his eyes to show disapproval. "Everywhere is the 'safest place'...until it isn't."

Twilight, stifling the urge to look amused by his unexpectedly dour view on the matter, cleared her throat. "Well, that's certainly a cynical perspective."

Thorax turned from her, looking again to her door. "I suppose it's simply what we're used to. For much of our history, we Changelings lived in the lands beyond Equestria's borders. Those distant places were often...harsh."

Twilight could feel the untold story of difficult and unhappy lives behind his words, but before she could ask about it, her ears picked up the creaking of her stairs, and before long her lifelong companion Spike was happily making his way down to her. "Morning, Twilight!"

His dearest friend smiled down to him once he was beside her. "And to you, Spike."

Spike, finally noticing Thorax, waved to him somewhat nervously. "And, er...good morning to you too, Thorax." The drone glanced back, never saying anything but giving a nod of acknowledgement, prompting Spike to again look to Twilight. "So...breakfast?"

Nodding to him, the two made their way over to the table at the centre of the chamber, only occasionally looking to the library's latest resident as they busied themselves with the normal routine of getting their first meal. Twilight, for her part, ignited her horn and levitated a bowl to her before bringing out an open box of what was soon revealed to be oats, which were promptly poured into the aforementioned crockery. As for Spike, he too had a bowl, but this one was filled with shining gemstones, which naturally led to a good deal of salivation for the little dragon. Only a few moments passed before the two smiled to one another and began to get down to their food. But, after only a single bite, courtesy and politeness began to become dominant in Twilight's mind, and she again regarded Thorax. "Oh! How rude of me! Thorax, would you like to join us?"

He faced her, shaking his head slightly. "Thank you for the offer, my Queen, but my kind don't eat."

Spike, with one of his cheeks clearly filled with half-chewed gems, looked to him with incredulity. "Um...don't you guys eat love though?"

Twilight, briefly concerned that her number one assistant had said something offensive, shot him a look, leading both both a degree of embarrassment and a quick shrug from Spike. As for Thorax, he was, thankfully, unconcerned with the remark, and simply shook his head again. "It's not really 'eating' in the sense that you understand it. Love can be drained from the prey into a form of magical energy, which is absorbed into the Changelings. It's like..." He strained his face here, trying to come up with some sort of metaphor to explain things. "It's like how a flower might absorb sunlight to keep itself going. It has no organ like a stomach to take it in, but an alternate system in its biology. The same is true of us."

Twilight, ever the scientist, was leaning forward, clearly intrigued by the explanation, to the point where she again used her magic to bring over a notepad, onto which she began to scribble furiously. "Fascinating!"

Spike, on his side of things, just blinked. "You...don't have a stomach?"

"No," Thorax replied flatly.

"Are there...any other organs you don't have?" the little dragon asked, somewhat gripped by morbid curiosity.

Thorax's face was as difficult to read as ever. "Name an organ ponies have and there's a good chance it's absent from me."

Spike, despite his best efforts not to, shuddered at the prospect of just what the insides of this guy looked like, while Twilight, who was far less concerned about it, looked to her aide with a calmer air about her. "Having no stomach certainly explains why Chrysalis wasn't all that fond of Applejack's cooking before the wedding."

Her draconic friend looked to her with surprise that that's what she was focusing on right now, before again starting to feel that earlier curiosity. "So..." He glanced in Thorax's direction again. "If you were to have some of our breakfast...what would happen?"

Thorax's eyes drifted over to the bowls on the table. "In the case of your breakfast, I'd likely chip my fangs on it."

Spike looked over to his gems, then chuckled with some embarrassment. "Hehe, oh, right."

"As for Twilight's...I imagine it would simply pass through me, undigested. Either that or it'd just linger in my body somewhere for the rest of my life."

"Probably best not to test that point then," Twilight concluded.

"Agreed," Thorax replied drily.

Spike, who'd been quietly looking to Thorax for a good few moments, hopped out of his chair and started to walk over to him. "What if...you changed to look like one of us?" Seeing the blank look he got from the Changeling, and confusion from Twilight, he explained. "I mean, if a Changeling can't eat like we can, why not change into one of us to do so?"

As had happened several times this morning, Thorax shook his head. "It wouldn't change anything, as odd as that may sound. Our shapeshifting is purely surface level. Enough to fool others into thinking we're something we're not. Appearance, the sound of our voices, even smell in the case of some of the more talented shapeshifters among us. But what's inside would remain as it is."

Twilight, of course, was continuing to write all of this down. "I could probably make a whole book about the things I'm learning about you."

Thorax nodded. "Indeed. And I'm sure your earlier tests would likely help with that also."

Twilight coughed to indicate her embarrassment. "Yes, well...I wish I could say that was the case, but..."

Spike, burying his face in his hands, groaned somewhat. "Oh no. Tell me you didn't go full Twilight and hook him up to all that weird stuff in the basement?"

Twilight couldn't look him in the eye, instead keeping her gaze on her notes. "I...yeah, I did." Only now did she look a him. "Can you blame me?! A complete unknown walks in and offers himself to us and you think I'm not going to treat the chance like the biggest research opportunity of my life?!"

Looking up to her, Spike shook his head. "After the Pinkie Sense incident? Yeah, I kinda did."

Twilight blushed before turning away from him. "Look, the bottom line is that it didn't do me any good. All my instruments just got...nothing. It's like they weren't hooked up to him at all."

Another nod from Thorax. "It is part of our nature. We'd be poor infiltrators if tools such as those could take readings from us. Our abilities shield us, even when not in use." Then, he gestured to his host. "Only magic can counter it, as you yourself found out during our fight at Canterlot."

Setting her notes aside on the table, Twilight looked him over. "So...anything I learn from you will have to be either through observation or your explanations."

"Correct," Thorax answered, as sterile in his tone as ever.

But, contrary to the disappointment Spike expected his friend to display, Twilight instead clapped her hooves together happily. "Excellent! Some proper, old-fashioned discovery!"

Spike looked to her, clearly amused, then faced Thorax. "Better prepare yourself, buddy. You might be in for a rough ride with all of her questions."

However, Thorax seemed unfazed by the prospect. "From the moment I was hatched I spent my life as either a digger of tunnels or as canon-fodder. It's not anything I can't handle."

It was a response that wiped the smile from Spike's face. "Gee, way to bring down he mood, Thorax." Then, slowly, and after waiting for Thorax to again resume his vigil of watching the front door like a hawk, Spike gestured for Twilight to come closer. Once she'd done so, the drake again glanced to Thorax, albeit briefly, before keeping his voice to a whisper. "I know he can't have any of our food, but he'll need something eventually. What do we do when his, you know, 'love supply' runs out and he needs more?"

Slowly, Twilight sighed. "A bridge we'll cross when we come to it, Spike."

Author's Notes:

Well, definitely back into my writing now, and I figured I'd start by getting back to one of my golden oldies

Out to Town

Slowly, the door of the Golden Oak creaked open, and Twilight looked through the gap and out into Ponyville beyond. It was still early, and the streets were largely empty. Sure, there were a few ponies here and there, but for the most part it was still the early morning quietness she'd come to expect. So, taking a breath, she opened the door fully, stepping outside with Spike close behind her. After giving one further glance around the place, she turned to the still-open door. "Alright...come on out."

Only a moment passed before there was a response to her request, as a stallion of light blue fur and a dark blue mane emerged, mimicking Twilight's movement of looking around. "You are certain you want me to do this, my Queen?"

Twilight nodded. "I am. I can't just have you stuck in the library forever, Thorax. You need to get used to being out here in the rest of Ponyville, and I need to get used to going out with you." After taking a further step forward, she paused, thinking for a moment before again looking to her charge. "Out of interest, how long can you maintain that disguise?"

Thorax gestured to himself. "Changing form is like flexing a muscle for us. We can do it for a long time if we're experienced enough in the craft, which I can safely say I am."

Twilight sighed. "Good. Most of the ponies here don't know about you yet and I'd rather not start a panic." Then, realising what she'd just said to him, she turned to him and spoke again, this time in a more apologetic tone. "Um, no offense."

But Thorax, as ever, seemed unconcerned with what she'd said. "None taken, my Queen. It is a sound tactical move to keep me hidden. I am an unknown to them and my reveal will likely cause a stir."

Spike, folding his arms, looked up to Twilight. "So...are we ever gonna let Ponyville know he's here?"

Twilight considered that, looking over her shoulder to see more and more ponies starting to exit their respective homes. "In time. It just...needs to be the right time." Reflecting on her own words, she regarded Spike again. "For now, we should just focus on acclimating Thorax to his new environment."

Slowly, Spike's eyebrow raised. "So if somepony asks who he is, what do we tell them?"

Immediately, Twilight understood his meaning. "Ah, right. Thorax isn't an especially pony-ish name, is it?"

Tapping his chin, Spike looked to Thorax for a good, long while, before smiling and snapping his fingers. "How about Oak?"

Twilight looked to him with some incredulity. "As in...named after the Golden Oak?"

Spike shrugged as he looked to her. "What? It's as good a name as any, right?"

Twilight, with no real argument against the name, instead tuned her attention to Thorax himself. "You okay with the name?"

"I am comfortable with any designation you give me, my Queen."

Spike chuckled. "Well, given that he didn't even have Thorax until we met him I didn't think he'd be all that unhappy with it."

Twilight, rather than share in the joke, instead looked to Thorax with some concern. "You know...you don't have to always go along with what I tell you. You can make your own choices."

"I am a drone, my Queen," he replied flatly. "Making choices is...not what my kind is for. We do not decide, we obey."

"Except when the queen messes up, you mean?" Spike enquired.

Thorax, understanding his grim implication, nodded firmly. "I still obey in such circumstances. But my obedience is to Changeling law, not leadership when that happens." He looked to his chosen leader once more. "May you fare better than she, my Queen."

"Huh," Twilight mused. "Gonna have to work on that." She turned afterwards, taking in a lungful of the cold morning air before, at last, smiling. "Well then, let's get going, shall we?" she said, trying very hard to uplift the mood after the somewhat unhappy thoughts that the last few moments had yielded. Thorax dutifully followed, never straying more than a few steps from Twilight. The latter could see him looking all over, making mental notes of every new pony they saw in the streets. Keeping track of them in case any of them posed a threat to her? Twilight couldn't say, but given what she'd learned of Thorax in the brief time she'd known him it honestly wouldn't surprise her. Moving onto other matters, things seemed to be going alright. There was no instance as they passed pony after pony where Twilight felt that Thorax would suddenly go off and attack any of them, though if he did indeed have such intentions he was doing a masterful job of hiding them. Then, after a while, Twilight could heard the sounds of many more ponies off in the distance, and a smile returned to her. "Ah, the market's in town. I'd totally forgotten that was today."

Spike looked in the same direction, thinking on that himself. "Should we...go somewhere else?"

Twilight understood his concerns, and like him looked to Thorax shortly afterwards. After mulling it over, she exhaled. "No, I think we can deal with any issues if it comes to it." And so it was that she walked towards the increasing gathering of ponies, with her two companions close by. Turning another corner, all three bore witness to the early setup of the market, with stalls being erected and wares placed on display, with the natural consequence of additional ponies coming out to look. "They come in about once a month or so," Twilight explained. "Ponies from all over the local area tend to use Ponyville as the place to sell their stuff. Fruits, vegetables, woodworks, you name it."

Spike chortled. "You'd better believe AJ's never fond of the fruit ponies coming in and muscling in on her turf." Seeing Twilight look to him with confusion, he explained. "Well, that's how Rainbow describes it anyway."

Shaking her head slightly, Twilight quickly resumed her attention onto Thorax, who remained as stoicj as ever. "You holidng up okay?"

Thirax looked to her with his typically blank expression. "I have no intention of endangering any pony unless ordered to do so."

"Well...I don't order you to do so," Twilight stated firmly.

"Then there will be no issue," Thorax replied.

"It's just..." Twilight began, hesitating a little. "All these ponies, all that love..."

"There are many emotions at play here, my Queen," Thorax explained, gesturing to several of the mares and stallions ahead of them. "Curiosity from the residents, most likely over what they'll find here today. Concern from the vendors, perhaps because of some money troubles they're having over a lack of sales." He looked to the side, towards what Twilight soon saw was Sugarcube Corner. "The only real abundance of love in the immediate vicinity is in there, both romantic and familial."

Twilight had been listening to him intently, as had Spike, but it was the former who actually said something. "You can...sense emotions?"

Thorax nodded. "Just as a wolf in the forest can smell an unsuspecting rabbit."

Spike rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Thorax, buddy, we've got to teach you how to talk about it in a less creepy way than that."

Twilight, who seemed far less concerned with Thorax's choice of words, looked to him excitedly. "Incredible! I mean, it would make sense, right? You can't go after your chosen sustenance unless you can identify it." She trotted giddily in one place like an eager school-filly. "Oh, I love learning new things like this!" But, before she could, inevitably, ask a plethora of questions, a cough from Spike brought her back down to terra firma, and she noticed the odd looks she was getting from a few passers-by. So, after properly composing herself, she instead spoke in a more reserved way. "So...um...shall we?" she asked, pointing to the market.

The other two nodded to her, and shortly afterwards they were right into the fray, with the air abuzz with ponies talking with one another or with the visiting vendors, the latter of which often calling out to draw attention to the freshness of their goods or the great deals they were offering. One in particular, an older stallion, caught sight of Twilight as she walked by and spoke out to her. "You there! You look like a mare with a good, discerning eye!" Stopping, Twilight, along with her two cohorts, glanced back to the vendor, who appeared to be a seller of rather interesting wood carvings. One in particular was now held up by the stallion as he smiled to Celestia's student. "How would you like this one-of-a-kind carving? First time here at my stall!"

Twilight looked to it, smiling slightly. The carving in question was a dragon, not dissimilar in appearance from the one she and her friends had to face off against atop the mountain adjacent to Ponyville some time ago. "This would look pretty good on my bookshelf."

"Heh, which one?" Spike commented.

Twilight looked to him, but nevertheless sighed and nodded to acknowledge his point, before looking again to the stallion. "So how much?"

Smirking slightly, the older pony gave his answer. "That'll be fifty bits, Miss."

Twilight seemed quite taken aback by that. "Oh...a bit more expensive than I was expecting."

The stallion shrugged. "Well, can't help you there. This was carved by a master craftsman in far-off lands. Over there these skills are revered, and it takes weeks, even months to get it just right."

"Well...I suppose that would justify that kind of cost," Twilight conceded.

Slowly, the vendor leaned forward, looking more than a little shifty. "And you know, not for nothing, but that mare over there had her eye on it earlier. So, you know, there's kind of a time limit here for you."

Twilight looked over to the mare he'd pointed to, which she recognised as local mail-mare Muffins, who promptly gave her a happy wave. Nervously, Twilight waved back before again looking to the stallion. "Well...I suppose I..."

But before she could finish saying anything, she found, to her surprise, that Thorax had placed his disguised hoof upon her shoulder, and as she looked to him he gestured with his head for them to turn around. Though unsure, Twilight did so, and when the drone was certain the vendor could not see their faces, he leaned closer, bringing his voice to a whisper. "He's lying."

Twilight blinked. "You sure?"

Thorax nodded. "Deception knows deception, my Queen. And dishonesty is as pungent as any other feeling. This stallion seeks to fool you."

Twilight had felt her own suspicions before, but to hear it from Thorax gave her all the motivation she needed to, after turning again, give her response. "Thank you for the offer, Sir. But I think we can do without."

Instantly, the guy's entire mood seemed to change, as his confident smirk was replaced by a look of concern and nervousness. "Er, you sure? Because I guarantee you'll not find another of higher quality than this! Once-in-a-lifetime!"

But, rather than be enamoured with the offer, Twilight instead started to walk off, with Spike and Thorax by her side. "Thank you, but I think we'll be fine."

In a clear effort to reel in his potential customer, the stallion unthinkingly lifted up the carving as if to give emphasis to it. But, rather unfortunately for him, this had the effect of revealing the shoddy workmanship it had, as one of the wings snapped off with the motion. The stallion, realising that many nearby sets of eyes were upon him, including a rather irate Muffins, chuckled nervously. "Um...special offer? Only twenty bits?"

Meanwhile, further along, Twilight smiled to her latest companion. "Thank you, Thorax. You saved me quite a bill."

Thorax nodded. "A drone's nature may be to deceive, but they will never tolerate deception towards their queen, my Queen."

Stopping, Twilight spared a look at Spike before again regarding the Changeling. "Well then, keep up the good work."

Family

"Applejack, for the last time, it's not a big deal!" Rainbow declared.

Applejack, walking beside her, frowned. "An' ah say it is! Ya need ta do more than what you've done fer a day like this, Rainbow!"

Rainbow sighed and facehoofed herself as they continued walking through Ponyville together. "AJ, come on! You know how things are!"

"Ah know, ah know," Applejack admitted. "But that changes nothin' an' ya know it!"

The aspiring Wonderbolt groaned. "Uuuuuugh! And why exactly do we need to bring Twilight in on this?"

Applejack pointed ahead of them, to their destination, the Golden Oak Library. "If ya won't listen ta me, maybe you'll listen ta the smartest mare in town!"

And so, on they went, their back-and-forth staying pretty much the same until they finally reached Twilight's doors. After clearing her throat, Applejack knocked, and it was only a moment later when they heard the expected voice on the other side. "Door's open. Come on in."

Opening it, both mares entered the library, and were greeted immediately by the sight of Spike, sitting at the main table of the entrance room and reading one of his comics. As soon as he saw the two of them however, he stopped, smiling to them. "Hey there. Wasn't expecting to see you two here today."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting to be here today!" Rainbow added bitterly, staring daggers at Applejack.

The latter rolled her eyes before addressing Spike again. "Is Twilight here?"

Spike didn't even need to answer, he just gestured to the side, and both mares looked on to see, and only now realising, that Twilight had been there the whole time. She'd just been doing some re-shelving of a nearby bookshelf, and as soon as she saw their eyes on her, she smirked slightly. "I was wondering how long it'd take you to notice me here. How are things?"

Before Applejack could get the first word in, Rainbow beat her to it. "Twilight, I want you to tell AJ here that I am well within my rights to give whatever gift I want to my family, okay?"

"Er...what?" Twilight justifiably asked.

Here, Applejack added her voice to the matter. "No, Rainbow. Twilight needs to tell you that gift-givin' is somethin' special, an' that it needs proper choices an'..."

Before this argument could get any worse, Twilight put her hoof into her mouth and whistled, gaining everypony's attention. Once things were quiet, she sighed. "Okay...walk me through this," she asked with clear and obvious exasperation.

After casting each other another irritated look, Rainbow started her side of things. "Okay, see...it's my Dad's birthday in a few days, so I needed to get him something. So, I went to the store and got him a card. When I left it, I ran into AJ, who asked me what I was doing, so I told her. And then she just goes off and tells me I need to do more!" She turned and narrowed her eyes to the offending mare. "Which I don't!"

Twilight tapped her chin. "Huh, I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your parents before, Rainbow."

Rainbow sighed. "Well, if you knew them, you'd know why this is no problem. Ever since the day I was born they've treated me like I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Everything I do is seen as this great, awesome accomplishment." Again, she looked to Applejack, pointing to her. "So believe me when I say that, even if I get my Dad the cheapest, chintziest gift ever, he'll still look at it like I gave him solid gold encrusted with jewels!"

Twilight considered that, then looked over to Applejack. The latter said nothing, but Twilight could already tell what she was going to say. She knew how much family mattered to her, so a move like Rainbow's, regardless of the rationale behind it, was always going to rub her the wrong way. Understanding this, Twilight again looked to her pegasus friend. "Regardless of what his reaction is going to be, I think you might need to get him something else. Maybe...something you made yourself?"

Rainbow, realising she was now on the losing side, grumbled under her breath, then glanced around the room, as if looking for a further ally to back her up on this. Spike, seeing the cyan mare's eyes on him, buried his face in his comic, making it abundantly clear that he wasn't getting involved in this. Then, remembering that there was more than just these two in the library these days, Rainbow's eyes darted all over, until she finally saw him. Thorax, standing at one of the far windows and looking out. "Hey! You!"

Slowly, the drone turned to face her. "Yes?"

"What about you? I mean, how do Changelings feel about birthday gifts to their dads?"

"We...do not celebrate birthdays," Thorax replied.

Rainbow, in response, slumped her shoulders. "Dude...that sucks." Then, she chuckled. "Make sure you never say that around Pinkie. She'd call it blasphemy or something."

Applejack, now curious, turned her own attention to the newest resident of the library. "So...y'all never do anythin' fer yer pa?"

Thorax shrugged his shoulders. "I never knew him. Nor did any of my step-siblings know theirs."

Immediately, all eyes were on him, and Twilight's were practically filled with sparkles as this glimpse of previously-unknown information was offered to her. Spike, seeing her this way, sighed. "Okay, and out comes the quill an paper."

The following moments proved him right, as Twilight ignited her horn and levitated those exact items over to her, before rushing forward and looking to Thorax with renewed excitement. "Okay, explanation, now!" Using her magic again, she levitated Thorax over to a chair and sat him down on it, much to his slight surprise, before again speaking up. "So my previous assumption was wrong then. I knew Chrysalis, and by extension all other queens, were the mothers of all the drones of their respective hives. But you're now telling me they required partners for that purpose?"

Thorax nodded. "Correct, my Queen. We are not an asexual species. Queens require mates to build up or replenish their ranks of drones."

Twilight, writing all that down, kept her eyes on him. "But you mentioned step-siblings. So I take it Chrysalis had more than one?"

Again, Thorax nodded. "She did."

Walking over to him, Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Why? Couldn't she, I dunno, just use the same one over and over?" Then, she shuddered. "Okay, I might have needed to rephrase that, because that just put a really bad image in my head!"

Everybody else, also grimacing from that mental picture, instead tried focusing on Thorax, who finally answered Rainbow's question. "Chrysalis never used the same mate twice. After every coupling she saw fit to terminate them."

Naturally, all were horrified by that news, with Applejack being the one to voice their collective shock. "She...she killed yer pa?!"

"Yes," Thorax answered with his usual emotionlessness. "As she did with the father of every other clutch of eggs she had."

"But...but why?!" Spike asked, clearly dismayed with this revelation.

"To maintain her authority. Chrysalis wanted absolute control over her hive and her drones. To have the second parent still living would present the possibility of having one within the hive whom the drones might listen to instead of her. So, she removed that possibility."

All of a sudden, even Twilight, with her famous thirst for knowledge, was feeling less than happy with the prospect of learning more about this. Unfortunately for her, it seemed that Rainbow had allowed her own curiosity to step up on that count. "So...er...how many did your mom...you know...?"

Thorax turned, looking out of the window. "Our hive numbered roughly ten thousand by the time we attacked your capital. Since coupling usually resulted in a clutch of a hundred, I have to assume her mates also numbered at one hundred."

Rainbow, despite the grim mood from earlier, actually broke out into a smirk. "Heh, well she certainly seems popular."

Looking back to her, Thorax shook his head. "It is simply instinct. One a drone becomes too old to fight or perform duties of hive maintenance, they set out in search of new hives to join, almost exclusively for the purpose of becoming a mate to their resident queen. And since there was small chance of them knowing Chrysalis' nature prior to arriving at her hive, they had little reason to foresee their fate."

Twilight, who'd actually managed to regain some of her earlier willingness to ask questions, finally did so. "I wonder, Thorax. Do other queens treat their mates as brutally as Chrysalis did?"

There was a pause as the done considered the enquiry. "Difficult to say. Queens, by default, must maintain strong authority within their hives. Though, as I've already told you, I never encountered other Changelings that much, aside from the occasional border skirmish over territory. And even then, their queens never took to the field. Maybe they were more lenient on their mates, but it would be pure speculation on my part."

Twilight thought on that, again cursing the fact that her awareness of other hives was limited by the short leash Chrysalis had kept on drones like Thorax. But while she pondered that, Rainbow walked over to her, looking rather mischievous. "So, drones going to other hives can get frisky with the queens there, eh? Maybe Thorax here could keep you company on the long, cold winter nights?"

Understandably, Twilight blushed fiercely, and Spike and Applejack had to stifle a laugh over the reaction. As for Thorax, who'd apparently heard her remark, he just shook his head again. "Unlikely. I am not yet at the age where mating would be possible. And it would be a fruitless endeavour if I were to do so. Changelings and ponies are incapable of crossbreeding."

All looked to him, the humour of the moment long gone. "You say that with...some certainty," Twilight said, looking to him warily.

"It is not unheard of," Thorax answered. "Canterlot was not the first time Chrysalis attempted to infiltrate a society. And during long periods of manipulation she would occasionally resort to...intimate tactics to get close to her targets." He gestured to himself. "In those instances, she never bore children, confirming that Changelings can only do so with each other."

Twilight appeared hesitant, then stepped forward, her voice quiet. "Did she...and my brother...?"

Everypony knew what she was asking, and a collective sense of concern was felt by all. Fortunately, it was short-lived, thanks to Thorax's answer. "No. Apparently it was deemed among you ponies, royalty especially, that such things were to be reserved for your 'wedding nights' I believe. Hence, Chrysalis was never in a position to do so."

All breathed a sigh of relief, with Applejack walking over and placing her hoof upon Twilight's shoulder. "Phew! Dodged that bullet!"

Rainbow, who had been quiet for some time now, stared down at the ground for a bit before taking a deep breath and exhaling. She turned, heading for the door, catching the attention of Spike. "Rainbow? Where are you going?"

Stopping at said door, she sighed again before looking to her friends. "I'm...gonna go visit my folks."

Applejack was taken aback by that. "Wait? Really? You? Why?"

In response, Rainbow pointed straight at Thorax. "Because I want as much distance between my family relationships and theirs as possible!"

And with that, she stretched out her wings, launching herself out into the sky at great speed, all while the others just stared at the still-open door for a while. "Well...that's one way to get her to put more effort into her dad's birthday I guess," Spike mused.

As for Twilight, she again turned to Thorax before, in a move that stunned the latter, moving towards him and wrapping her forehooves around him, holding him in an embrace. Thorax, for his part, was uncertain as to what this meant. "Er...my Queen? What are you doing?"

"I'm hugging you, Thorax."

"...Why?"

"Because after hearing all that, I think it's high time that somepony did!"

Beginnings

Standing at their front door, Twilight and Spike looked to it with increasing nervousness and concern. After a while, it was Spike who broke the silence between them. "So...what do you think she's coming over for?"

Twilight shook her head. "I can't say, Spike. There was no explanation in her letter. Only a statement that she was on her way."

Spike again looked to the door. "I just hope we're not in any trouble."

Looking down to him, Twilight's more protective instincts kicked in, and she put on a smile for him before patting him gently on the shoulder. "I know her, Spike. We both do. If there was any trouble, she would have told us."

Spike seemed to accept that explanation, at least for the time being, but their shared nervousness reared its ugly head again when, in that very moment, there was a firm knocking on the door. Both sets of eyes were locked onto it and Twilight, after taking a deep breath, stepped forward to turn the knob. With the door now open, they looked upon the tall and regal figure who stood beyond. Luna, Princess of the Night, who greeted them both with a bow of her head. "Good morning to you both. I apologise for arriving at such short notice."

Recognising that the meeting was a lot more cordial she'd she'd feared, Twilight gave an honest smile to her visitor. "It's no trouble, Princess. A surprise, maybe, but not one I'm unhappy about." She glanced over her shoulder, towards her kitchen. "Would you...care for some tea?"

Luna raised a hoof. "I thank you for your offer, but I already had my breakfast, complete with tea. Celestia insisted I have something before setting off for Ponyville."

Looking back to her, Twilight seemed surprised. "Huh, I don't think I've ever heard of your sister actually making a meal before."

Luna grimaced as she looked to the side. "She...certainly tried to."

Spike stifled a laugh. "Okay, message received and understood, your Highness."

Luna smiled to the young dragon, patting him on the head before entering the Library in earnest. As Twilight closed the door behind her, she again looked to the younger royal sister with slight concern. "So...to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Looking back to her, Luna's expression was more serious than it had been thus far. "I believe you already suspect that it is not you I am here to speak to."

Twilight had indeed guessed that, and so let out a sigh. "Alright, Thorax. It's okay."

Luna turned as a sudden green flame to her side caught her notice. What she'd assumed was a mere chair was now a Changeling drone, though one that bore no sign of aggression towards her. "Princess Luna," Thorax said to her in greeting.

The princess studied him for a moment before speaking back. "Thorax."

The tone had been calm, though somewhat clinical. Thorax, for his part, wasn't much different when he got down to business. "There was something you needed from me?"

A small nod from the blue mare. "Indeed. Ever since the attack on Canterlot by your people, and especially since your subsequent oath of fealty to Twilight, my sister and I have been doing all we can to learn about you and your kind." She gestured to Twilight. "Twilight's letters to us have been most informative, but there are still a number of questions that need answering. And unfortunately, my usual method of intelligence-gathering has so far proved unhelpful in our case."

Spike looked to her with curiosity. "What, do you have spies or something?"

Twilight looked to him with shock over so direct a question, but Luna, by contrast, seemed perfectly fine with the remark, even amused. "There is no need, young Spike. For my ways are to simply look into dreams."

Looking to her in silence for a while, Spike eventually turned around and whispered to himself. "Okay, add that to the list of things that are terrifying about her."

Luna, despite having heard him, seemed pleased with his reaction, though her smile faded as she looked to Thorax once more. "With you, however, I have been unable to glimpse into any such images."

Thorax himself did not answer, as Twilight elected to do so in his stead. "He...that is, his people, don't sleep."

Luna accepted the answer, nodding briefly. "Ah, so no dreams then. Understandable." She gestured to one of the actual chairs nearby, and as she sat upon it Thorax followed suit with another. "Then I will ask the most pressing question directly. From where do your people originate? My sister and I have reigned over Equestria, looking out from its borders, for many centuries. Yet in all that time we never once encountered your kind."

Thorax nodded. "Remaining hidden and unknown was a vital part of my people's ways, Princess. And it was only recently that we began to draw close to your nation's territory." He turned, his gaze falling upon the many books Twilight had on her shelves. "As for our origins, that too is difficult to answer. Mine are not a literate people. We never never kept a record of our history, so the question of where we come from will likely remain an unknown."

Twilight gasped. "You mean...you can't read or write?!"

Thorax looked to his new leader. "Only queens had the mental capacity to do so." Slowly, he looked down to the floor. "Or...at least that is what Chrysalis always told us, since such skills were never required for our duties within the hive."

Twilight, upon hearing that, frowned. "Well, if she were still here you'd better believe I'd give her a piece of my mind about that!"

Luna quietly considered all she'd heard from the drone, then leaned in closer. "So you have no inkling as to where your people might have come from? Anything about your history at all?"

To that, Thorax narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do ponies know their exact origins?"

After a moment of silence, Luna actually smiled. "A fair point."

Being the empathic creature that he was, Thorax could sense the disappointment in the two ponies over his inability to paint a clearer picture of his people's past. And so, after thinking hard on the matter, he eventually spoke up again. "The only thing I can offer is...the Tale of the Tree."

Twilight stepped forward. "What tree?"

"Where we might have begun," Thorax explained. "As I said, we have no written history. But in spite of that there were always...whispers. A story passed through generations of drones over where we may have come from. It is...well, in your tongue the closest word would be myth. So I will warn you now that what I am about to say may be nothing but pure fiction."

Luna looked to him carefully. "Be that as it may, any information would be appreciated."

Thorax, looking to his audience of three, took a moment to get his wording together before finally starting this old tale. "Long ago, how far back I cannot say, there was a kingdom. A land whose name and people have been lost to the ages. A paradise of plenty, where those who lived there never wanted for anything."

Sitting on the floor, Spike took on a concerned look. "And then things turned bad, right?"

Thorax nodded solemnly to him. "Indeed. For the people who dwelt in that kingdom possessed a fatal flaw. Hunger. An insatiable need for more. More food, more wealth, more of everything. And in their search, they neglected one another, growing cold and distant to their friends, their family, their countrymen. Love dwindled, eventually replaced altogether by that unquenchable desire. In the end, their kingdom fell to that flaw, consumed by itself because of this hole in their hearts that could never be filled." He paused for a moment, frowning, though at what they could not tell. "In the end, what was once a green and prosperous land had become lifeless, barren, devoid of all life. But, amidst that wasteland, there stood one thing. A tree. Long dead and withered by the doom that had preceded it. The land itself had become infested with the hunger and lovelessness that had brought its people low, and through that tree, those feelings...manifested."

"...Into Changelings," Twilight finished for him.

Again, Thorax nodded. "A race without love, who would spend all eternity roaming the world to satiate their own ravenousness. Forever serving that accursed hunger."

A silence had fallen over the rest of the room, and even when they knew he'd finished his story, it was hard for them to take in all that they had learned. However, after a while, it fell to Spike to just come out and say what was on their mind. "Okay, there's gloomy origin stories, and then there's that!"

"Indeed," Luna concurred. "A cautionary tale if ever there was one."

Twilight, if only for a moment, was at a loss for words. "I...I...I can't even imagine what life must have been like if that was where I thought I'd come from."

"If it makes you feel any better, my Queen, we Changelings do not feel such things," Thorax remarked in a clear attempt to reassure her.

Twilight smiled to him, though only a little, and before long Luna looked to him with renewed interest. "Tell me...what can you say of the rulers of your people? The queens?"

"I have never met any besides my own," Thorax replied.

"I assume you must have at least some knowledge of where they come from within your race?" Luna pressed.

"Only the basics," Thorax admitted. "They are born just as we drones are. The only difference is that the likelihood of such a birth is far less likely. I'd say, even at the highest odds, the chance of a queen bringing forth another female is one in ten thousand."

Instantly, Twilight took on a grim look to her. "Thorax...you told me before that your hive numbered roughly ten thousand, right?"

Thorax nodded. "I did, and I know what it is you wish to ask of me. Unfortunately, I cannot answer. For while the possibility does indeed exist that Chrysalis had a daughter, it would have been in a clutch prior to mine, as no other queens were present in the hive by the time of our invasion of Canterlot. Queens are expected to leave their birth-hives prior to reaching full maturity." He paused for a second. "Though since my older step-brothers never mentioned anything on the subject, it would be pure guesswork on my part to say if I have a sister out there somewhere."

Luna looked to him darkly. The prospect of some sort of heir of Chrysalis was an unnerving one. Though she knew it did little good to worry about things that were, at least for now, hypotheticals. Instead, she sighed, putting on a smile. "Thank you, Thorax. This has been a most informative meeting."

Thorax gave a slight bow of his head. "You are welcome, Princess." Then, his eyes turned to Twilight. "Highness, may I return to my shapeshifting practise?"

Twilight nodded to him. "Of course."

The two mares watched him get up. But, as soon as he'd done so, he buckled, grabbing onto the nearby table to keep himself from falling completely. Spike had rushed to his side as soon as it happened, but he raised a hoof, declining the silent help. "I am fine. I was just...a bit wobbly in the knees."

With understandable concern, Twilight and Luna watched as Thorax moved himself, with added care, to the other side of the room, where he then changed himself once more into a chair. Luna, looking to Twilight, leaned over and kept her voice as low and quiet as she could. "Twilight...how long has it been since he fed upon love?"

Twilight looked to her, speaking in as reassuring a tone as possible. "As far as I know, it was before the Canterlot attack." Then, she hastily spoke again. "Don't worry, he said he won't do so again unless I command him."

Luna's eyes narrowed slightly. "Will you command him? Ever?" Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only for the weight of that notion to truly sink in, after which she found she could no longer look Luna in the eye, a gesture that served to be all the answer the princess needed. "In that case, young Twilight, your command...is that he will starve."

The Visitor

The air had been cooling for a long time by the point the sun had set beyond the horizon. Ponies of all stripes had retreated into their homes, waving each other goodnight before leaving the streets empty and quiet. Lights were also gong out in the Golden Oak Library, as Twilight and Spike, in their preparations for bed, were blowing out the candles that had been illuminating the place for the former's late-night study sessions. Spike had, in his claws, one of his favourite comic books, and the way he was looking at it made it abundantly clear that he still indented to do some reading after he'd gone to his basket. The one figure in the Library who did not partake of this end-of-day ritual was Thorax, who maintained his post at the door like the sentry he was. Twilight, once everything else had been sorted out, looked to him after she'd taken that first step onto the stairs. "Are you sure we can't leave you a candle or two, Thorax?"

But the drone declined, giving a bow of his head. "I thank you for the offer, Highness. But my kind are rather good in the dark. Seeing my way will be no issue."

Smiling to him, Twilight nodded. "Alright then. Good night."

Thorax watched her go, followed shortly by Spike, and after a moment he was all alone on the ground floor of the Library, the only sound that of the occasional movement of the two upstairs. Turning, he again faced the door, counting the moments as they passed. Everything seemed as though it was all gearing up to be another uneventful night, albeit one interrupted by the infrequent reminder of his tiredness from his lack of a proper meal. But, ever the dutiful drone, he put those thoughts aside and kept his vigil. That it, until an unexpected sensation passed through him. The spines on his back began to twitch and vibrate, and his eyes widened. He darted his head left and right, but saw nothing there in the gloom. In his heart, he knew that wherever the source of this feeling, and he knew that feeling all too well, it wasn't in here. So, after casting a quick look to the stairs where his queen had gone up, he slowly opened the door, trying his hardest not to make a noise. "I...I have to be sure."

Exiting the Library, and closing the door behind him with equal care, Thorax stepped out onto the empty street. Since there was nopony here, he didn't bother with his disguise, and so instead stayed where he was, surveying the immediate area. A few birds flying overhead, a gentle breeze through the street, nothing out of the ordinary. But as always there was that sense running through him. Somecreature was here, and he had a good inkling of who and what they were. After a while, he could hear it. Steps, echoing through the night. He turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw a figure in the shadows getting closer and closer. He assumed a posture that sent the message that he wasn't moving from his spot, and after a while the mysterious figure finally emerged. It was a unicorn mare, about Twilight's age from the looks of it. Her fur was blue, with her mane being a lighter shade, and her cutie mark was one that suggested a talent for magic. Upon her face was a knowing smirk, and as she continued onward Thorax raised a hoof towards her. "That's far enough."

The mare stopped, her smirk disappearing and replaced with a look that Thorax already knew was one of fake concern. "Oh my! A Changeling! Whatever is a poor, helpless mare such as myself to do?" Then, she put on an air of bravado and confidence. "But fear not! For I am no mere mare! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! And I fear neither pony nor beast! So come, dreadful Changeling! And meet your doom!" Silence fell once more, and Thorax simply stared at her, never moving, prompting the smile to vanish from Trixie's face. Instead, her shoulders slumped and she took on a more disappointed tone. "Really? Nothing? Come on, this is some of my best material here!"

But Thorax maintained his stance and his unimpressed expression. "I am not here for theatrics. I know what you are, so let's get to it."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Ugh! You're so boring!" Then, her smirk returned. "Still, given what drones are usually like I suppose I can't be too surprised...brother." There was a flash of flame, not green like Thorax's, but blue. Trixie was engulfed in this magic, and when the flames died down her appearance had indeed changed. Though still the same size, her blue fur was replaced with an almost black colouring, with her hooves bearing a number of holes at their base. Her horn was more crooked, and her mouth bore sharp fangs. Really, the only thing she retained from her pony disguise was her mane and her eyes, and her confident smirk of course. "You may call me Tricks. Daughter of Chrysalis."

Thorax watched her carefully. "So, it is true. She did birth a queen."

Tricks scoffed. "Pfft! Not that you'd ever guess it, the way she hurried me out of the hive and all." Stepping forward, she pointed to him. "Let's get down to business then shall we? What is your designation?"

Thorax's expression was stony. "My name is Thorax."

Tricks looked to him, then seemed almost amused by the information. "Huh, a drone with a name. Well aren't you special?"

"Why are you here?" Thorax asked firmly.

Tricks shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to pick up the pieces of Mother's domain."

It took no time at all for Thorax to get the picture. "You wish for me to enter into your service?"

"Indeed," Tricks answered. "Things haven't been easy, being a young queen out there in the world. Believe me, getting by on adoration from doing magical stunts for pony audiences can only get our kind so far. I need a proper power base, and that starts with you, brother."

The younger Changeling kept his gaze on her like a hawk. "Are there no other siblings of ours you could have gone to?"

Tricks seemed annoyed by the question, looking away from him. "Alas, it seemed our kin's desire to move on was far swifter than I would have liked. Most of them had already taken up with other queens. And as you can imagine, those queens weren't willing to share." Her calculating smile returned. "And that was when I was able to sense you. A drone, unattached, ready and able to serve."

But Thorax shook his head. "I cannot. I have already pledged myself to another."

To that, Tricks' smiled faded, and her tone once more bore the tint of irritation. "So, it is true then? You serve the mare who helped vanquish our Mother?"

Thorax stepped forward. "You know our ways."

Tricks waved him off. "Yes, yes, I know. The queen who bests another shall take her drones as her own."

"And you know also that once such an oath is made, it cannot be broken. It is our highest law," Thorax added.

Here, it was Tricks' turn to move closer. "Be that as it may, I think it's safe to say that we're no longer dealing with the 'good old days' or whatever you want to call them. In case you hadn't noticed, Thorax, the world has changed." She gestured to the side, to nothing in particular. "Our kind are known now. Thanks to our Mother's foolishness, and more importantly thanks to her failure, we're now considered a threat by everycreature out there. The old ways can serve us no longer. Our people need to adapt to whatever this new course in our history is going to throw at us. And if that means abandoning some ancient ideas, then we must do so." Again, she moved closer. "You know I'm right, brother. You only need to look at yourself to know that coexistence with the ponies isn't going to be possible."

There was a pause as Thorax considered his answer. "...I don't know what you're talking about."

Tricks' smile returned, as if she now had some advantage in this conversation. "Oh, I think you do. Did you believe I wouldn't feel how weak you are right now?" Thorax did his best to hide the wobble in his knees, but the keen eyes of his older sister weren't missing it. "How long has it been since you last fed? Days? Weeks?"

But despite this clear understanding of his current state, Thorax wasn't relenting. "I have strength still."

Here, Trick's smile vanished altogether, and her tone was now as firm and clear as her intentions. "You know, given how you are right now, it would take very little effort on my part to press the issue."

"Most likely," Thorax conceded.

"Yet still you refuse?" Tricks asked.

"Yet still I refuse," Thorax confirmed.

Tricks stared at him for the longest time before, against all odds, actually smiling again. She shook her head, then glanced up to the stars in the sky. "Say what you will about our dearly departed Mother, she raised no cowards." Brushing some of her mane aside, she turned. "Very well then, brother. Have it your way."

As Thorax saw her start to walk away, he felt compelled to speak out. "Wait. I need to know. Do you intend to be a threat to my queen?"

Tricks stopped, scoffing again. "Believe me, as much as I'd love to bring Little Miss Perfect down a peg or two, it wouldn't help me." Her eyes narrowed as she regarded her estranged sibling. "In case I haven't made my point clear enough yet, getting involved with ponies is one of the worst decisions our race has ever made. It doomed our Mother, and it'll eventually doom you." After a pause, she sighed. "But...fine. I give you my word that I will not pose any threat to your queen. I will be no danger to her whatsoever, and I will be no threat to you either for your refusal." Looking to him, she arched an eyebrow. "Happy?" A silent nod from Thorax was her answer, but shortly afterwards the young queen returned to her default look, that of seeming like she was already the victor. "Besides, I don't really need to be a threat to her. Because make no mistake, little brother, you will be serving me, one way or another." As before, she started to walk off. "Though perhaps not in the way you were expecting."

Thorax kept his gaze on her, watching as she once more entered the shadows of the night-time streets of Ponyville. After a while even the sounds of her hoof-steps was gone, leaving him all alone on that cold street. Once he was sure she was gone, namely when the spines on his back finally ceased to vibrate, he let out a deep exhale. Given their nature it was almost certain that she could feel his uncertainty about his chances, but he wasn't about to complain about having gotten away with it, at least for the time being. So, for now, he contented himself with returning to the Golden Oak. As expected of an encounter like that, he'd been given a lot to think about, and the words of his sister echoed in his head all throughout his walk back to his current home. Much like he'd left, he entered the place with as much silence as he could, before again resuming his post at that door, and just in time to hear a voice from up above. "Don't mind me. Just needed a glass of water." It was Spike, heading down the stairs and towards the kitchen. When he caught sight of Thorax though, he paused. "Everything okay?"

After a lengthy mental debate with himself, he gave the only answer he could give right now. "...I hope so."

Author's Notes:

And here we once more delve into the realm of old-school early headcanons for me. I mean, a mare with a rivalry towards the Mane Six, craves attention and love from lots of ponies, and is voice by the same person who did Chrysalis? Oh yeah, you'd better believe that got the old theory head buzzing back in the day

Learning

Spike and Thorax sat quietly together as they watched Twilight merrily walking back and forth, using her magic to levitate a number of items out from the basement into the main chamber of the Library. What she was up to the two had no clue, but it was clear from the look on her face that she was excited about it. After a while, she was done, and before the two was her setup. A chalk board, with the associated chalk beside it of course, a few wooden seats and a textbook in her hooves. After clearing her throat, she finally boke the silence between them. "Okay, the time has come for me to rectify a long-standing problem." She pointed at Thorax. "Namely, your education!"

Thorax blinked slowly. "But...I never had one."

Twilight nodded firmly. "Exactly correct! Thanks to the negligence of your old queen, you have gone through life without even basic tutelage. That simply will not stand. Not in this household!"

Thorax pointed to her. "My Queen, with the greatest respect, I have already explained this matter to you. We drones don't have it in us for that kind of learning."

Twilight frowned as she walked closer to him. "And I simply will not accept that, Thorax!" She gently placed her hoof upon his shoulder. "I refuse to believe that you and your kind just didn't have the right brains for it, or whatever nonsense Chrysalis was spouting when she told you that. You're an intelligent being, Thorax, and nothing I've seen of you in your time here has given me reason to believe otherwise."

Thorax bowed his head slightly. "You honour me with your kind words, but..."

Alas, he was cut off by Twilight's hoof being put onto his lips. "Ah! No buts, Mister! If I'm going to be responsible for you, then I'm going to be responsible for your growth, starting with the growth of your mind." She emphasised that latter point with a quick boop to his forehead. "Just ask Spike. I taught him back in the day and he was able to take to it just fine."

The young dragon chuckled to that. "Just be wary of year two of her curriculum. By that point she'll be asking you question like what notes Starswirl's hat-bells produced."

"That's valuable information and everypony knows it!" Twilight declared. Then, after turning to the chalk-board, she reached for one of the tiny pieces for writing before looking and smiling to her new student. "Who knows? If this works out I might actually give some serious thought to becoming a teacher one day." Looking again to the board, she took a moment to busy herself with writing a few things upon it. Namely the first three letters of the alphabet and the first few numbers that anypony would learn at a young age. "Alrighty then. We'll start with some of the basics. Your A, B, Cs and your one, two and threes." But before she could continue, she saw Spike raise his claw. "Yes, Spike?"

"Well...doesn't he have a language?" Seeing the two of them look to him, Spike explained himself. "I mean, I know he's been speaking ponish this whole time, but that can't be his original language, right?"

Twilight, after looking a touch embarrassed at not considering that point herself, cleared her throat and looked to Thorax. "Well...he raises a good point. Maybe if you teach us a few things about your language we can put it into words. Help you to read and write that first."

Thorax looked to her with some skepticism. "With great apology, Highness, I'm not sure my language is something either of you could really grasp all that well."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Come on, Thorax. I know this is new territory for Spike and me, but I think you'll find we've coped with some pretty big things in our life. So go ahead. show us what you've got."

Thorax, after giving a quick shrug, opened his mouth. What came out of it was no sound that either of the others had any real understanding of. It was like some horrific combination of screeching and clicking that, at any moment, felt like it was going to be loud enough to make their collective eardrums burst. Naturally, this new and thoroughly unpleasant noise caused them to back away slightly, looking to him with confusion and even slight concern. After a while though, Thorax closed his mouth, and once a moment or two had passed he looked to Spike, then to Twilight, before again speaking in typical ponish. "For the record, I was saying good morning." With the expressions on the other two giving away that they now realised that they'd bitten off more than they could chew, Thorax gestured to his queen. "If you like, we can put a pin in that for now and carry on with ponish."

"Yes please," Twilight answered hurriedly. Getting back to the board, Twilight tapped where the letters were. "Now, everything I've read about education says it'll be pretty difficult for us to be able to do this." She then pointed to him. "Not because you're incapable, I've made my position on that very clear." Again, she tapped the board. "But because of your age. It's often said that learning is a good deal easier when you're younger, but hey, we're gonna give it a try anyway." As before, Spike raised his claw, and this time Twilight addressed him with a touch of exasperation. "Yes, Spike?"

This time, Spike looked to Thorax instead of her. "So...um...how old are you?" The question caught Twilight off-guard, because looking at him, being roughly the same size as her, it was more than likely that she'd assumed he was the same age. But, with the recent and stark reminder that he was a completely different species, her number one assistant had hit the nail right on the head, and so she too looked to Thorax with curiosity over the possible answer.

Thorax, for his part, considered his response. "Well, we Changelings don't really mark our development as you do, but in your measurements I would be...five years old, I think?"

Hearing that, Twilight looked to him, aghast, even dropping her chalk. "You...you're only five years old?!" Before Thorax could answer her, she clasped her hooved over her mouth. "You mean to tell me...that Chrysalis sent a minor to war?!"

Thorax shook his head. "Growth is different for my kind, Highness. It takes very little for us to reach maturity compared to ponies."

"Even so," Twilight began.

"Well, look at it this way, at least the whole learning thing might not be as hard now, right?" Spike added, clearly looking for a bright spot.

Twilight, after rubbing her temples from the revelation she'd just been given, sighed before giving a smile to her longest friend. "You're right. Nevertheless it is an unexpected development." She turned again to the board. "So many differences between us, it's small wonder so many of your brothers have refused to follow your example and meet up with us."

Thorax looked to the side, as if troubled by something, before looking to his queen. "You needn't trouble yourself. I am old enough to be able to be of service."

"Well, you're old enough to be a student, that much is certain," Twilight replied, regaining her smile. After looking at her chalk for a time, she considered something, then glanced over to her charge. "How about you come up here? See if you can try your hoof at writing. Nothing too much, just doing your best with the letters I've written."

Thorax looked to the chalk, then to the simple alphabet that had been written on the board. It was an easy enough task, but something inside him made him very much aware of things being wrong. For the sake of his current carer, however, he got up, though Spike could see that it was taking him a bit longer than usual to do so. The drone stepped over to Twilight, taking the offered chalk from her before moving over to the board, with Twilight apparently not catching onto the somewhat laboured breathing he was doing. Raising it up, Thorax placed the tip of the chalk onto the board, just underneath where Twilight's own writing was. And here was where it started. His grip began to wobble, his breathing became heavier, and his vision started to blur. Twilight, finally noticing, spoke with concern. "Thorax?"

The Changeling, growing increasingly tiered-looking, wasn't even able to get any full sentences out, instead being reduced to little more than hushed whispers that Twilight's ears could only just make out. "I...I...I can't..."

And with those final words, the dam burst. Thorax dropped the chalk, his legs finally giving out, and he fell in a heap on the floor, having first collided with the board, knocking it over. Spike leapt off his chair and rushed to his side, as did Twilight. "THORAX!!!" they both exclaimed together.

But he was unresponsive. His usually dark colouring was growing pale, his breathing was becoming more and more strained, and his body as a whole shivered as it lay upon the ground. Spike, with understandable fear and panic, looked to Twilight for answers. "Wha...what do we do?!"

Twilight herself was at a loss here. She had no clue what they should be doing, and so her only course was to kneel beside Thorax and lean in as close as she could. "Thorax! If you can answer, please, tell us what we need to do!"

For a time, more laboured breathing was her answer, until finally, Thorax's eyes turned slightly in her direction, and his voice, though quiet to the point of almost silence, was heard. "Get me...to...to wall..."

Neither of them understood what he really wanted, but given the circumstances they had little choice but to follow his instructions. And so, with greater care than they'd put into anything else in their lives, they tried lifting the prone Thorax as best they could, bringing him slowly but surely towards the closest wall of the Library. Once there, Twilight again looked to the helpless Changeling. "What now?"

"Put...down..." Thorax said weakly.

They did so, albeit very gently. Then, with presumably what little strength he had left, Thorax turned his head upwards to the wall he'd been placed by, before opening his mouth. Moments later, Twilight and Spike took a step backwards, for from that open mouth now spewed a torrent of some kind of white fluid. It sprayed over the wall, congealing upon impact, before sliding down and starting to envelope Thorax. But ever he kept spewing, the hissing sound of it almost deafening. Spike, his own breathing becoming erratic from the stress of the situation, looked to Twilight. "What's he doing?!"

But Twilight had no answer for him. Instead, all she could do was keep on watching as the drone who had pledged himself to her continued to do this to himself. Eventually, after almost a full minute of this, it was finally done. Thorax could no longer be seen, having been fully encased in whatever this substance was, which appeared even now to be drying out and hardening. Slowly, Twilight drew nearer, with Spike keeping a wary eye on her. After reaching this white mass in the corner of her home, she started to lean in. Carefully, she placed her ear against it, closing her eyes, and after a moment, she withdrew, looking to Spike. "I can still hear his heartbeat. It's slow, but it's still going." She looked to the formation beside her. "If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say this is some sort of cocoon. A kind of biological stasis for himself, now that..."

"Now that what?!" Spike asked.

A long sigh escaped his friend. "It finally happened, Spike. He went too far without feeding upon love. If he hadn't done this to himself, he..."

She couldn't bring herself to finish, and Spike, walking up to the cocoon himself, looked to it for a while before finally addressing Twilight again. "So...what do we do for him now?"

Taking in a deep breath, Twilight took on a firmer expression. "We get help."

The Queen's Deal

None of the other mares knew what to make of the strange sight they'd been made privy to when Twilight called them all over to the Golden Oak. The once-pristine library, always kept neat and spotless by its current owner, now boasted an unusual sight in the form of the cocoon Thorax had weaved around himself. They kept an understandably wide berth of the thing, with only Rainbow and Pinkie daring to take a step closer. The latter, naturally, was a bit more keen, giving slight pokes to the surface of the thing, with this behaviour only stopping once the others gave her a stern look. But, such a stunned silence could only last so long, and it fell to Applejack to finally look to Twilight and speak to her. "So he jus' stuck himself in there?"

Twilight nodded. "He did. He had no choice. I have no idea how long it's been since he had any compatible sustenance, but it's clear he wasn't able to go on any further." She stepped forward, looking to the cocoon with an expression of sadness and obvious guilt. "...I did this to him."

Rarity moved over to her, gently placing her hoof upon her shoulder in an act of reassurance. "Twilight, this is hardly any fault of yours. You were his queen, yes, but for him to feed you would have had to order him to harm another."

"She's right," Rainbow chimed in. "And hey, we know you've done some kinda crazy stuff over the time we've known you..."

"Like making the whole town go gaga over a doll," Pinkie added. This, of course, earned her another scornful look from the others, leading to a shrug on her part. "What? Everypony was thinking it!"

Shaking her head, Rarity again looked to Twilight. "The point is, it's not in you to go out of your way to put anycreature in danger, not even for...well..."

She didn't finish, leaving Twilight to understand the message without it being spelled out. But as much as she appreciated what her friends were trying to do, the basic fact of the matter was that there was still a very real problem right in front of her. "No matter whose fault this is, I still need to fix this."

"How?" Fluttershy asked, having moved closer to the cocoon earlier to give it a look.

Twilight sighed. "I'm...not sure. I think I'll need to write to the princesses. See if we can maybe come up with a solution together."

Fluttershy moved closer to her. "Will they know more about this though? I mean, the only real knowledge about Changelings we have is what Thorax has told us."

Twilight hung her head. "I know, it's just...I don't have many options here, Fluttershy." She turned, looking to the cocoon. "I'm no Changeling. But Thorax chose me as his queen. He put himself in my service, my care. And I've let him down as badly as anypony could possibly do. I have a responsibility to set this right."

Then, as if in response to her words, there was a sudden and unexpected knocking at the door. All eyes turned to it, with looks ranging from surprise to confusion and worry. After a while, Rainbow looked to their host. "You expecting anypony today?"

After she shook her head, she looked to Spike, who cautiously walked over to the door before, with slowness, opening it. As soon as he did, and as soon as he saw who was on the other side, his eyes widened and he immediately slammed the door, backing up against it and seeming totally shocked. "Um...okay."

Seeing that reaction, Twilight moved closer to him. "Spike...who is it?" she asked warily.

Spike opened his mouth, ready to answer, then shut it again just as tightly. Then, he looked to the door, to Twilight, and back and forth again before, eventually, sighing and slumping his shoulders. "Okay, but...be warned, this probably isn't the best time for her."

Twilight arched an eyebrow as her assistant relented and opened the door. Immediately, Twilight understood why he had been so hesitant. For there standing just beyond her doorway, wearing the same confident smirk she had come to know her by, was Trixie, who chuckled upon seeing her. "Well, nice to know I'm finally allowed inside.

Slowly, Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Trixie. What are you doing here?"

The other mare, seeing Twilight's friends gather beside her and giving her the same look, shrugged. "What, a gal can't come over and visit an old friend?"

"Ha!" Rainbow laughed forcibly. "You and her are about as far away from friends as you can get!"

"Trixie," Twilight began, trying to stay calm. "Whatever it is you want here, I'm really not in the mood to hear it."

The smirk faded from Trixie's face, and she instead looked to her rival with what could only be described as distaste. "Au contraire. No matter your mood, you will be hearing me."

The unexpectedly aggressive tone caught the other ponies off-guard, but it soon changed into a mood of indignation among them. However, instead of the predicted mares of Applejack or Rainbow telling the uninvited guest to watch themselves, it was Twilight who soon started marching straight up to her, looking like she was positively seething. "I don't know what games you're here for, but you are not welcome in my home and I'm telling you now that I want you to..." But before she could finish, Trixie's eyes widened, briefly flashing a bright green. Seeing this, Twilight halted in her tracks, even taking a step back. For she knew that look. Those same eyes had haunted her nightmares for several days after her brother's wedding after all. "You...you're..."

Trixie's smirk returned. "Quick on the uptake, I see. Glad to know your edge hasn't dulled since we last met."

As before, Twilight's friends got close to her, all looking to her with concern. "Twilight? What is it?" Spike asked.

There was no room here to be anything other than open and direct here, so Twilight gave him his answer. "She's...one of them. She's a Changeling!"

The reaction from her friends was in the blink of an eye, as all of them looked to the new arrival with fear and worry, while Applejack and Rainbow finally took action by leaping forward and placing themselves between Twilight and the now-exposed Trixie, with Rainbow's wings flared up in a gesture of defense. Trixie, for her part, simply rolled her eyes to this display. "Oh would you all just relax already? I'm not here for any of you."

While the others looked to her with suspicion, Twilight seemed more curious about those words, and before long she glanced over her shoulder, to the cocoon in the corner of the room. "You're here for him."

Trixie chuckled. "Gold star for you, Sparkle."

Twilight hesitated at first, but after a while, she took a deep breath before speaking to her friends calmly. "...Let her pass." Of course, those words earned her looks of shock and confusion, to which Twilight inevitably had to elaborate. "I don't think she's going to hurt him." There was wariness on the part of the other mares, but eventually they did as she asked, stepping aside to allow the blue mare to pass them. When she walked by Twilight though, the latter leaned over to Rainbow, keeping her voice to a whisper. "Be prepared if anything goes wrong."

Rainbow nodded to her, but her eyes were set on Trixie, who by now was standing beside Thorax's cocoon, shaking her head. "Tsk tsk, brother. What did I tell you? But, of course, you didn't listen, and look where that got you."

"He's...your brother?" Fluttershy asked with surprise.

Trixie shrugged again. "Well, half-brother at least."

Twilight frowned to her. "So it's true. You are Chrysalis' daughter."

This, inevitably, led to even further tension among the mares, with the exception of Pinkie, who tapped her chin with her hoof. "Huh, I thought that nasty, old queen sounded familiar."

Looking behind her, Trixie too was frowning. "Queen Tricks, at your service."

To that, Rainbow took on a smirk of her own. "Queen? I don't see any army beside you, your Majesty."

Tricks looked away from her, to the cocoon once more. "Well...every army starts off with one."

Finally, Twilight had all the pieces she needed to put together a clear picture. "You're making a hive of your own, and you want Thorax for it."

Tricks never looked at her as she answered. "I made my intentions very clear to my sweet, little brother. But his old thinking kept him in your service." She took the opportunity to look to Twilight smugly. "And we can all see where that got him."

Though not happy with her tone, Twilight kept on point. "Can you help him?"

"I could," Tricks admitted, sounding more than a little disinterested as she did so. "We Changelings have our ways to ensure that what little love we can get can be shared in lean times." A pause. "But then again, Thorax did make his position as plain as he could. So..." She turned, starting to walk away. "I see no reason why I should waste my time doing so."

Twilight looked to her, aghast. "You're...just leaving him?! Your own brother?!"

Tricks stopped beside her, looking her right in the eye. "As he's undoubtedly told you by now, we Changelings do not feel the bonds of family as your kind does. And besides, losing him will be a defeat for you, and all I have to do to see it happen is walk away. Tell me, Twilight Sparkle...what can you offer me that would mean more to me than seeing a mare I dislike being brought down?"

There was dead silence in the library after that question, and for a while the two rivals, Twilight and Tricks, just stared at one another, never blinking or showing anything other that their absolute best poker faces. As for everypony else, their gaze would fall to one or the other, and sometimes both, nervously awaiting whatever it was that was going to come from this meeting. In the end, despite how much it might have pained her to admit such a thing, Twilight eventually just sighed with resignation. "Being his queen wasn't something I asked for...but the role fell to me all the same. His life is in my hooves and I have to do all I can to see that life continue." Again, she looked to Tricks. "If you save him...if you actually manage to bring him back from this state I've allowed him to fall into...I will let him go with you."

"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"

Twilight looked to him, saddened. "Spike...what choice do we have? What chance does he have?" she added, pointing to Thorax.

Spike had no answer for her, and neither did anypony else. Tricks, by contrast, knew full well that she held all the cards here, and her tone reflected that. "If it makes you feel any better, pony, Thorax will have told you that the chances of my kind being an issue for yours will be slim to none, thanks to the incompetence of my Mother. You take this offer, and I assure you there will be no problems with me or any other Changeling again." Briefly, she glanced over to her unmoving sibling. "And not to put too fine a point on it, but my dear little brother over there only has so long before even this measure isn't enough to save him." She stepped forward, stretching out a hoof towards Twilight. "So then...do you truly agree to my terms?"

Twilight looked to the hoof. She knew her options, as grim and unhappy as they were, but ever there was the spectre of what lay in the corner of her home just behind her. Her friends looked to her, all wracking their brains for some sort of out to give her in place of this deal. But none of them had any to give. So, after weighing all of her options, Celestia's apprentice reached out and took the other mare's hoof into her own. "...I do."

Farewells

Tricks looked as smug as ever after hearing Twilight's response, and after releasing the latter's hoof she walked past her at what could only be described as a leisurely pace, much to the chagrin of the others. The blue mare arrived at her brother's cocoon, looking to it for a time with some satisfaction before finally speaking up, never bothering to look at the others as she did so. "You may want to step back." Though loathe to follow her orders, the group nevertheless did so, and Tricks, after taking in a deep breath, leaned down and opened her mouth wide. What emerged, at first, was a high-pitched shrieking sound that put the group in mind of a wounded animal. But what followed was even more unexpected. A magical-looking torrent of bright pink magic shot forth from the open maw, straight into the cocoon itself. Twilight, keeping her eyes fixed on this, saw that same pink colour now begin to glow inside said cocoon, and a familiar silhouette within starting to move. Hope rose in her, and after a moment she saw Tricks cease her apparent transfer of love energy, buckling slightly from having finished. "Ugh, I hate doing that!"

Silence fell as all eyes turned to the cocoon, with Twilight and Tricks standing ahead of the rest of the group. They watched, waiting, seeing the pink glow from within grow brighter and fade, over and over again, pulsing like a heartbeat. Then, it happened. A crack in the surface, followed by another and another. Finally, it split open, and the whole lot of them stepped back instinctively, with the exception of Tricks. With great concern gripping her, Twilight saw Thorax emerge, falling to the ground and breathing in a rapid and almost panicked way. She held onto him, feeling his erratic heartbeat, and speaking in a calming tone to him. "It's okay, Thorax...you're going to be okay."

Slowly, the drone opened his eyes, looking into the smiling face of who he doubtless assumed was still his queen. "My...Lady Twilight?"

Twilight smiled to him. "Yeah, it's me. You're back with us."

Thorax blinked, and though he remained as emotionless as ever, Twilight could still feel a degree of confusion in him. "But...how? How did you revive me?"

Here, Twilight's smile faded, and after sighing, she glanced over to Tricks. "I didn't...she did."

Tricks, for her part, gave a faux bow to the two of them. "You're welcome, by the way."

"You?" Thorax asked, not quite understanding the situation. But then he saw the look on Tricks' face, and the concern Twilight had on hers. A back and forth later, and it took little time for him to put two and two together. When he finally spoke aloud again, it was with a quiet voice, looking straight at Twilight. "You relinquished your authority over me...didn't you?"

Twilight hung her head, as if ashamed. "I...I didn't know how to save you."

"You are my Queen," Thorax said to her. "You did not have to do this. I was willing to die."

Twilight frowned to him. "But I wasn't willing to have you die, Thorax! Not by my command, not in the line of duty, not for any reason!" Again, she turned away from him. "Trading a life is abhorrent to me. But if it came down to that or losing your life...I know what I needed to do..." She glared at Tricks. "No matter how bitter it was for me."

Tricks, for her part, rolled her eyes to this. "You know, as the one responsible for saving a life just now, I'm feeling a distinct lack of thanks and appreciation for it."

"Yeah," Spike said to her with a scowl. "That tends to happen when you act like a total jerk about it!"

But Tricks just snorted to the insult. "Pfft! And this is what I get for trying to be nice." As before, she looked to Twilight and Thorax. "I've held up my end of the bargain. Thorax is saved. Now...will you hold up yours?"

Twilight stared at her for a time, then looked to Thorax, who was just now trying to slowly get back onto his hooves and stand on his own power. Twilight too stood up, and after taking a deep breath, she nodded solemnly. "I will. Thorax..." She hesitated for a moment before finishing. "You need to go with your sister. She's your queen now."

If Thorax was unhappy about this situation, and nopony would blame him for it if he was, he was doing his usual, masterful job of hiding it. In the end, he nodded. "As you command, my Que..." He stopped himself, then changed the course of his answer. "...Twilight."

As for Twilight, she frowned again as she regarded Tricks. "But I need an assurance from you that he's not going to be mistreated in any way."

Here, Tricks actually looked like she'd been offended. "You think me my Mother? One who will hurt and cackle while doing it?" Seeing the unhappy looks she was getting from all corners, she grimaced. "Very well, if it'll alleviate your concerns, Sparkle...I give you my word, here and now, that my brother, my first drone, will be treated with respect. That he will not be used as canon fodder or as some unfeeling tool or whatever else you're worried I'll use him for." Then, she shrugged. "Happy?"

After looking to her for a moment, Twilight then glanced to Thorax. "You can sense deception. Do you sense it in her?"

Thorax didn't even wait before giving his answer, alongside a shake of his head. "No, Twilight. She meant every word of it."

Tricks pointed to her brother. "There? See? Are we good now?"

"Good is probably a stretch," Rarity remarked under her breath.

Twilight stepped forward, looking right into the eyes of the one who had taken her place. "Your mother was one of the biggest threats Equestria has ever known. If you seek to rise to the same kind of power and authority as she did, will you also be a threat to the nation?"

Tricks swept some of her mane aside. "As much as I'd love to have unchallenged power over all I survey, we all know how that went down for my predecessor, don't we? And besides, we Changelings feed on love, which is sort of the opposite of what Mother made ponies feel towards us." She shook her head. "No, the best thing for me and the rest of our kind is if we simply try to keep as far away from you lot as we can. Go back to the basic ways. Stealth, doing things quietly. No conquests or aspirations of world domination or whatever other nonsense was going on in Mom's head at the time you brought her down."

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "And no...revenge?"

"Ha!" Tricks laughed out loud. "Towards you, you mean? No, little pony, no. You and your family are quite safe. I bore my Mother no love, and you causing her eventual demise just meant that I no longer had to live in her shadow." Her smirk returned. "And besides, if I wanted vengeance, I'd say making you feel unhappy right here and right now with our little trade was more that sufficient payment on that account."

The two looked to one another, and much like before, Twilight glanced over to Thorax, who gave her a quiet nod to indicate that, despite her reservations, this too was an honest answer on the queen's part. So, Twilight gave another nod. "Very well." Her eyes narrowed. "Though I'm sure it goes without saying that I'll be more than happy to never have to deal with you again."

Tricks chortled. "The feeling is mutual, Sparkle. On that you can count." Then, she looked to her newest follower. "Come now, brother. We have much to do. That little transfer of mine has left me quiet hungry after all." She tapped her chin, looking more than a little mischievous. "And rumour has it that there's a trio of troublesome canines bothering the border territories around here. Shouldn't be too hard to sneak in and take on an appearance they'll fall for."

Rainbow too began to smirk, leaning over and whispering to Applejack. "Shouldn't be too hard for her, given that she already knows how to be like a bi-OW!!!" she yelped, with Applejack having elbowed her in the side to stop her in the middle of her words.

Tricks pretended to have not heard them, and simply trotted over to the door. Thorax, for just a moment, looked to Twilight before silently falling in line, following his new queen, much to the dismay of everypony else who was watching. Twilight's eyes darted all over, before finally spotting something, causing her to speak out. "Wait!"

The two Changelings stopped and turned, with Tricks arching an eyebrow. "I trust you're not trying to back out of our arrangement, pony?"

"No," Twilight clarified. Then, her horn glowed, and she levitated a book out from a nearby shelf, walking over with it to offer it to Thorax. "Here...I'd like you to have it."

Thorax, slowly, accepted the book, blinking at it before looking up to his former queen. "Twilight...you know I can't read."

Twilight gave him a soft smile. "I know. But if you continue your practice of it..." Her smile widened. "And I know you will, I hope you'll give it a look one day. It was one of my favourites growing up, and...maybe...it'll be bring you some joy as well."

Thorax looked again to the book, placing his hoof upon it before giving a slight nod to her. "I...thank you...for the gift."

For a while, Twilight said nothing, looking like she was thinking over something important. Then, after looking to her one-time subject, she spoke with a tint of hope in her voice. "Do you think...you could come visit? Every now and then?"

Thorax did not reply at first, instead looking over to his older sister. The message was clear on this one. He was no longer in a position to make this choice himself, and so was deferring to his new figure of authority. And speaking of whom, Tricks regarded the look her younger sibling was giving her and mulled it over before giving a quick shrug. "I suppose...if I'm feeling particularly benevolent on that day." She pointed to Twilight. "Though I hope you understand that I don't want you visiting me if you feel like catching up with him."

In reply, Twilight nodded, actually cracking a smile over those words. "Don't worry, I wouldn't."

"Good," Tricks replied swiftly. "Now then, we really have wasted enough time here as it is. So chop-chop, Thorax. Time stands still for nocreature."

Thorax, holding the book close, gave Twilight a final nod before turning again, but Twilight, seeing them both go, took on a more determined look. "Queen Tricks!" She watched as the two stopped just shy of the door, looking back to her and awaiting her next words, which she was more than happy to give. "Appreciate what you have there," she said, pointing to Thorax. "Because I assure you, he's the best drone any queen could ask for." Then, she pointed to herself. "Take it from a queen who knows."

Tricks stared at her quietly before, against all assumptions, actually smiling. "I will."

And so, off she went, opening the door and heading out without even looking in the direction of the other ponies. As for Thorax, he lingered for a moment, taking in all of their expressions, before settling on Twilight. And after a long silence, he did something Twilight had never expected of him. He smiled. Bowing his head, he soon turned from her, following his sister and closing the door behind him. Twilight, saying nothing for a bit, just exhaled deeply. Spike walked to her, embracing her in a hug, which the mare was quick to return, and as the two of them held one another, the unicorn eventually chuckled to herself. "Well then...so ends the reign of Queen Twilight."

Author's Notes:

Well, here we are at last. A full decade after this story idea first popped into my head, and now it finally gets the resolution I was never able to give it back during my pre-PC-crash days. I realise that this is a bittersweet note to end the story on, but given everything I'd established about the characters, I realised this was pretty much the only way I could end things for all involved.

Regardless, I hope you've all enjoyed this long, long, long overdue end to my story