Chapter 1: A Secret No More
Chapter 1
The wave of love hit Twilight Sparkle seonds after Queen Chrysalis disappeared, throwing her against the wall. She could feel a burning sensation as her disguise began to lose cohesion, feeling the fur start to burn away. As suddenly as it began, it stopped, and she fell back to the floor. She looked over herself, finding her disguise still intact, though she knew that the love passing her should have forced the disguise to fail utterly.
As she did this, a strange figure with a blue, purple and pink aura around his hands cut off his spell that had blocked the love from what had just happened. He smiled, not an evil smile, but a forgiving one, knowing that the real Twilight Sparkle had died nearly thirteen years ago. He knew she'd cared about this changeling, and knew it had cared for her, enough to try to save her from the changeling that had taken Twilight, and be utterly crushed when she'd failed. She knew Amethyst Sheen better than she knew herself. He knew Twilight Velvet and Night Light had accepted her as their new daughter, and she'd been feeding on their love. But they didn't care, he didn't mind, because all that love was meant for her and nopony else. The Prince gingerly returned to roaming the hallowed halls of Canterlot, knowing that Amethyst Sheen would eventually be discovered, but not now. The blow would have been too much for her adopted brother, and The Prince could not accept such consquences befall such an innocent changeling. But there were somponies who could...
Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, the ponies were filling out after what had just happened. Some were mumbling about the possibility of other changelings in disguises, and others were afriad to accept the fact that a Changeling Queen had fooled them. In the midst of all this chaos stood lay Twilight, feeling like she'd just been driven over.
"Ya allright, surgacube," asked Applejack with worry. Twilight was quite beat up for no apparent reason, and it worried all her friends.
"I'm fine, Applejack," Twilight said, "I must've just tripped, that's all."
"Quite so, darling," said Rarity, "You look like you haven't slept in days!"
"Um, maybe we should go home," Fluttershy said in her quiet voice.
All the ponies nodded in agreement at this, and made their way to the train station.
As they arrived there, a Royal Guard stopped them. "Twilight Sparkle, the Prince requires your presence immediately, as well as that of your friends."
"I really need to go home and rest," Twilight said, "My head is killing me."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said the guard sympathetically, "But order are orders, and I'm to escort you to the library."
Twilights ears perked up. I reality, she'd shared most of the same likes and dislikes as the real Twilight Sparkle, which had made them such good friends. Books were at the forefront of these similarities. Twilight sighed, succeding to sound annoyed. "I suppose I can wait awhile to sleep."
The ponies followed the guard through the massive hallways of the castle until they reached the Royal Library. Upon entering, they saw Luna, Celestia, Cadance, Night Light and Twilight Velvet there along with something seated in a chair facing away from the ponies, but no Shining Armor, the only Prince they knew about. The guard bowed respectfully as he backed out, closing the door behind him. All was quiet for a short while until the figure in the chair spoke.
"Please, do come forward my little ponies," whoever it was said.
He was most definitely not Shining Armor, but the ponies did as was asked of them, approach the group of Princesses and stopping a respectful distance away. Twilight looked at her friends, and saw Rainbow Dash looked slightly afraid, something you rarely ever see.
The chair turned to reveal a strange, bipedal creature. It was clothed in a black bodysuit under a blue overcoat and was wearing blue gloves. His hair was almost white, and his eyes were a bright shade of blue. He stood up, preparing to address the ponies.
"I suppose you are wondering a great many things," The creature said, "Most probably who and what am I, correct?" The ponies nodded. "Firstly, I am a human, a being from the far north, further than even where the Crystal Empire once stood, and will soon stand again, judging by legends I've uncovered. As to who I am specifically, I am Prince John Winter of the Kingdom of Solstice," he said with a bow, "It is a pleasure to meet such important ponies as yourselves. And please, call me Winter."
At that moment, another pony stepped out from behind Winter's chair. It took a second for the ponies to realize it was a changeling, though it had alicorn wings and a full mane and tail, both Blue in colour. It had actual fur, which was Midnight Blue in colour. She also had a cutie mark similar to Twilight's, except it lacked the smaller orbiting stars and was a very dark black.
All six pony friends reared up in defensive positions, confusing Winter for a moment before he realized that there was a changeling behind him. But instead of panicking, he calmly walked back and brought the Changeling forward, much to the ponies' horror.
"This is Midnight Blue," said Winter calmly, "Me and the Princesses have known her for many years, and she is one of the best painters and most sought-after stylists and spa ponies in Canterlot."
All the ponies recognized the name, and looking closer, they realized that if the holes in the legs were gone, fangs disappeared, and her pupils were normal, she would look like one of their closest friends in Canterlot.
Twilight, being a real changeling, didn't buy it. "You tell me where the real Midnight Blue is, now!"
"Hush, Amethyst," Winter said in an unnervingly calm voice.
"No, no I will not.." she paused, realizing what he'd just called her, "What did you call me?"
"Amethyst," Winter said, "Your name is Amethyst Sheen, is it not?"
Twilight just stood there, saying random, unintelligible rambling every so often, breaking the silence that fell in between. She eventually snapped out of it and looked at her friends, who were all staring at her, then at the Prince, then back at her.
"I...I...," Twilight tried but trailed off.
Winter raised his hand and an aura of purple, blue and pink surrounded it. It suddenly blast at Twilight, sending her flying across the library and into a boocase, which promptly dropped it's contents onto Twilight after she hit the floor. Everypony in the library, even the princesses, except Luna, gasped.
Twilight's friends snapped out of their stupor and ran over to help their friend, who was buried beneath the ton of books. They stopped and quickly backed away the moment they reached her.
Where Twilight should have been was a changeling, not unlike the one known as Midnight Blue, but also not unlike a drone. It had the regular bug-like wings, and it's eyes were closer to a normal pony's than a drone.
After a few seconds, Amethyst Sheen regained conciousness. She reached a hoof to her head, and realized it wasn't a vibrant lavendar but a dark lavendar, and her hoof had holes in it.
At this realization, Amethyst quickly scurried to her hooves, only to be pinned against the bookcase by a very angry Applejack.
"Applejack," Amethyst began, but was cut off.
"Where in tarnation 'ave you 'idden Twilight," demanded Applejack.
The other ponies began closing in around her. Soon, overwhelming sense of hopelessness washed over her as her former friends slowly approached her with anything but friendly intentions.
Amethyst was scared. More scared than she had ever been in her entire life. She was afraid of her own friend, and scared she'd failed Twilight Velvet and Night Light.
She felt hopeless and alone, and did the only thing she could do...
...she cried.
"ENOUGH," a voice that made the Royal Canterlot Voice seem like a whisper boomed through the library, shaking books out of every bookshelf, "BACK AWAY FROM AMETHYST SHEEN! SHE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG!"
The ponies turned to Winter, who had been the speaker, and began demanding random things, the most prominent being, "Oh really, then where's the real Twilight?"
Winter sighed. "I know where she is."
Everypony stared at Winter intently, except Night Light and Midnight Velvet, who had begun crying into the former's shoulder.
"Twillight Sparkle is where she has been for the last thirteen years, her favourite place in all Equestria," Winter said with sadness, "Buried in the shade of her favourite tree."
Chapter 2
All the ponies except Night Light and Twilight Velvet stared at Winter, either unable to comprehend what he was telling them, or unwilling to. This continued for a few minutes until Princess Celestia broke the silence.
"Is this true," she asked Night Light and Twilight Velvet, who both nodded. Celestia was almost tearing up. Her own student had been a fraud, a Changeling. She didn't know what to feel. Sure, the owner of one of her favourite shops was a Changeling, but this was something else.
"It was back when she was four. Even then she'd loved to read, just like the Twilight you all know," Twilight Velvet smiled at the memory for a second, "She'd been playing outside with her doll, Smarty Pants, when we heard a scream," explained Twilight Velvet, who was fighting back tears, "When we got there she was gone. We m-managed to t-tr-track her and her kidnapper down." At that point she broke down in tears.
Night Light had more fortitude, so continued.
"We t-tracked her down to find the kidnapper, a pony, being c-co-confronted by a changeling, who was pleading to let our daughter go. He smiled. He'd been holding a knife. All I heard were Twilight's screams and the hurt stallions moans." He paused for breath.
"As I approached, I saw something that made me sick," Night Light said, "The kidnapper's neck had been twisted backwards, and his knife was plunged into Twilight's neck." This caused eveyone in the room, even Winter, to gasp. "The changeling was crying, saying she was sorry as the last bits of life left Twilight's eyes. That changeling had tried to save the life of somepony she n-n-never knew..." Even Night Light couldn't last forever, and also broke down for a moment before continuing.
"She started talking to me, saying she was sorry," Night Light sobbed, "She helped us bury Twilight under her favorite tree. We knew it wasn't right, but we were so heartbroken that everything else seemed meaningless. After we buried Twilight, I asked her who she was, what she was doing here and why she even tried to rescue Twilight." He looks at Celestia. "I will never forget what she said that day."
"She was the only pony who wasn't scared of me.'" Celestia's eyes wandered over to Twilight who had said the last sentence.
What she saw shocked even her.
Twilight was crying, covering her face with her hooves. "She was so innocent. She didn't even know what I am. She shared her sweets with me and played with me." She managed to giggle between her sobs. "She was so naive. But in the end she was the only pony that wouldn't hurt me." She looked up to Celestia. "She was the only pony who gave me the chance to show that I'm not a love eating beast!" She screamed at Celestia.
Celestia's eyes glistered, but she managed to stifle the tears before they could escape.
She turned away, looking back at Night Light and Velvet, crying in each other's legs, holding tight.
"What happened then?" Celestia asked quietly, her voice sad.
"Amethyst Sheen," Velvet spoke, her voice was quivering and almost incomprehensible, "had no place to go. She was the last of her hive. The rest had died after a war with another hive. She was alone and needed a place to stay. At first she took Twilight's place so Shining wouldn't find out that his sister had died, but after a few days..." she stopped, sobbing again.
"We adopted her," Night Light finished the sentence. "She was just like our daughter in every way. She read books and played with Smarty Pants, she laughed the same way and tried to replace Twilight in every way." he stood up and walked over to Twilight, hugging her. "She was the daughter we had lost."
Even Celestia couldn't hold back tears forever, and Winter, the most steeled person in the room, was sniffling softly. He knew all this, but it was always more emotional when someone who lived it told him what he already knew.
Velvet rushed over to hug the changeling, embracing her tightly.
Celestia looked over the scene: two ponies and a changeling, tightly embraced, bound together by love.
She walked over, looking down at the changeling.
"Why?" she simply asked. Her voice was quivering and there were still tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why would you do this?"
Twilight looked up. Her eyes were still watery but her expression was confused. "Why? You ask why?" Celestia nodded.
"Why not?" She asked, Celestia raising a brow. "It wasn't fair that this filly had died and it wasn't fair that I was hunted everywhere I went. The circumstance forced me to do this, and after a few weeks..." She hugged the two ponies tighter. "...I had a family that I couldn't leave. The rest is known to all of you. I lived the life of Twilight Sparkle, the life she wanted." More tears were streaming down her cheeks. "To express my gratitude, to thank Twilight, her parents and her brother for everything they did for me."
Celestia looked at the happy family before her and realized something: there was an unfamilliar changeling in her castle- a changeling who wasn't looking for a food source, who stayed because she was grateful- grateful that a filly wasn't scared of her. And she was still showing this gratitude with every breath she took, embracing her family.
She was seeing love in all it's glory- real love, love that only a daughter could show her parents.
That was everything she needed to know: that they loved each other and would always do so, that there was nothing that would destroy this connection.
That's how love is supposed to be.
Celestia smiled.
This was her protégé.
This was Twilight Sparkle.
Chapter 3: Friendship is Magic
Chapter 3
Whlie she felt very happy for the changeling, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, there was something that she still wanted to know. "If I may ask, how exactly did you survive all those years? You had to eat something, right?"
Twilight nodded lowering her eyes she looked to the floor. "Right. I had to eat and we changelings eat love. That never changed." She looked back up, into Celestia's eyes. "But I never forced them to give me love. All the love that kept me alive was the love they shared with me that they would otherwise have shared with their real daughter."
Celestia nodded, her ears perked as she heard the sound of the door to the library being opened.
Two Royal Guards came in followed by a very distraught Shinning Armor. He looked as though an Ursa Minor had stepped on him. This worried Twilight, as she'd never seen her big brother this distraught.
"Shiny," Twilight said in a tiny voice, trying to not aggrivate him, as her changeling senses could tell he could go off like a volcano.
He looked at Twilight, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, who were hugging her, and lowered his jaw slightly before he could speak. "You...you're Twilight?"
Twilight just curled up tighter into a ball, preparing for the onslaught that she knew would come the moment she answered. "Yes," she said in a voice tinier than even Fluttershy could manage.
He began to slowly walk towards her. She couldn't read his emotions in her growing panic, and just started whimpering. He stopped right in front of her, at which point she closed her eyes tightly, and then ws let go of by Night Light and Twilight Velvet. She readied for the onslaught of hits and screams she was sure were coming...but they never came.
Twilight suddenly felt strong forehooves wrap around her in a loving embrace. Confused, she opened her eyes to see Shining Armor hugging her and crying tears of sadness and joy. "Twilight meant everything to me, so so do you."
Twilight, crying as well, hugged him back. This went on for a few minutes, and touche the heart of everypony and person in the library. Finally they ended their embrace.
"I'll always be here for you, no matter what," Shining said, "I love you, little sis."
Twilight looked up at Shining. "I love you too, big bro."
After awhile, things began to settle down, and Twilights friends began to adjust to the idea of a changeling for a friend, which particularly interested Rarity, who was smiling at Twilight.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Twilight asked, dabbing her cheeks.
"You know what incredible chance this is?" she squealed. "I'm the first pony who will ever make a dress for a changeling!" She clopped her hooves.
"No, you won't," Celestia said with a sad smile, "a pony five hundred years ago made one for an ambassador. You will be the second."
Rarity's smile weakened a little bit but returned to the bright glee after a moment. "Well then, the second. Still, this is a chance of a lifetime!" She looked at Twilight with a friendly, warm expression.
"So I was right!" Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed, flying into the air, and startling all the ponies in the room. "She IS a spy!" She smiled, slowly flying down and nudging Twilight with a big smile. "But you are our spy" after the words had escaped her mouth she looked like she felt out of place. "Told you!" she exclaimed folding her front legs before her chest.
"Um, I-it might be a little strange-" Fluttershy's voice was almost unhearable and she was still hiding her face behind her mane. "B-but I never had a chance to have a changeling as a friend." She was wearing a weak smile.
"I knew it aaaaaaaaall the time" Pinkie chirped, bouncing up and down. "You taste different!" Looking at the confused expressions, her smile widens. "Remember that day Luna came to town and scared us all and you put your hoof in my mouth to tell me that nothing bad would happen? Your hoof tastes different than any other hooves." She giggled. Scratching her chin she looked at Twilight. "Yours tastes more like tomatoes than grass. Or maybe more like brocooli than tomatoes? Vanilla icing than chocolate cream?"
"Ya could have told us!" Applejack exclaimed, ignoring Pinkie's rambling and taking a step closer to Twilight. "I didn't even know what a changeling was before the invasion." She embraced Twilight, a big smile on her face. The others quickly followed Applejacks example and cuddled up in one big group hug.
"We love you!" her friends said in a choir, tightening their embrace.
"And I love you girls" Twilight smiled.
Winter smiled at the sight before him. This clearly dictated one of his, one of my, most important philosophies:
Most good things come to an end,
but some things don't.
That's because true friendship burns brighter than even the sun,
and that's because true friendship really is magic.