Cursed

Jinx wandered the ash-laden forest, deep in thought.

The constant buzz of the Changeling's presence made her bite her lip at times. Thank Celestia that the Change hadn't yet reached her head. Y'know, the fangs part of being a Changeling?

She tried Changing like Venom or Chrysalis, but she felt like it had something to do with the shape of horn.

The smouldering fine line of fire had turned silvery when Chrysalis died, affirming what she had suspected.

Jinx really was the Changeling Queen.

The silver nibbled at her upper neck; it had already eaten holes in her now-black hooves. Her tail was silver, like the fire, and it too had holes in it.

Funny, Jinx thought. I never noticed that cheesy smell.

She yelped as she stepped on a still-hot ember hidden in the gray powder.

The buzzing quieted down a little bit. It was kind of like that Hot or Cold game you play when you're a foal. Quiet buzzing meant she was closer, loud meant far away.

Jinx came upon the husk of Chrysalis and shuddered. The body had lost all color and the spindly Changeling crown had appeared on Jinx's head, just behind her horn. In the spot where her disused Equestrian crown should be.

A blackened branch dropped down behind her and ash sprinkled on her back. Clouds rolled in the sky, blotting out the sun.

Good. jinx thought in sudden anger. She's the one who made this all happen! Venom's probably dead, and I should be lying under the Hexa with Chrysalis.

The buzzing quieted, giving her a small sliver of hope.

"All I'm saying is that even though she's pregnant, she has to keep moving. The unicorns might come back."

Jinx's heart sped up. Probably because she was so relieved to hear he's alive. Yes, definitely.

"Venom!" she squealed and rushed toward the familiar voice.

"Jinx?" Venom asked dubiously as she tackled him into the ash layer.

She hugged him. "What happened?"

"Can't... breathe..." he choked out.

Jinx released him. "Oh. Sorry."

"I managed to get most of the Changelings out. Taran over there was asking how fast we have to go." then he saw how far the Change had progressed. "Oh Chrysalis, I'm sorry, Jinx. I shouldn't have yelled at you before."

"It's okay now. We have bigger problems. Like the unicorns. Or the fact that Chrysalis died." Jinx said and bit her lip again.

"She WHAT?!" Venom shrieked in a very manly fashion.

"Shush, shush!" Jinx waved her holey hooves in his face.

"But Ji-" his eyes rose to her head. They spotted the ebony crown on her head.

"Yes, I know. 'Aieee, Jinx is a pony, but a Changeling Queen!'. But this has to stay under wraps until the Change is done. Which should be soon. I'll find you guys, just... I have to go. You get it?" she whispered furiously.

Venom nodded. "They probably won't like it."

Jinx turned and her eyes hardened when she saw the overweight Changeling.

"Nightey night," she whispered and knocked him out against a tree.

Venom looked on in horror. "Why would you do that?"

Jinx widened her eyes. "I-I don't know."

After bidding each other goodbye, Jinx flew above what was left of the nearby trees.

In the distance, she could see Canterlot. Which meant-

Ponyville was close. Very close.

Her wings hissed as she used Canterlot as a North Star. Snow began to fall, reminding her that Hearth's Warming Eve was near.

She stumbled a bit in the air. These wings will take some getting used to.

Twilight paced the library. She had felt terrible after Jinx visited, and desperately wanted to tell her how sorry she was. All she wanted for Hearth's Warming Day wasn't her two front teeth. She just wanted to see her niece again.

Not that she wouldn't blame her for never coming back. Twilight had been way too harsh last time she saw her.

"Spike!" she yelled. "Is the tree set up?"

"Decorating it right now," he called from Twilight's room.

For the first time all day, Twilight stole a glance at the clock. 11:30.

"Ugh, I have to go to bed." she grumbled. "Spike! Get in bed!"

She walked to her room, barely taking note of a butter-colored pegasus adorned with multicolored baubles.

The sky was inky black above Jinx; and snow still fell.

A flood of relief rivaling what she felt when she heard Venom's voice when she spotted Fluttershy's cottage rising out a the now-thick blanket of snow. No lights were on, showing that she wasn't home.

Jinx laid out her options. It was too cold now to sleep in the Everfree. And even if she did, the timberwolves.... okay. Fluttershy isn't an option, because a) she's gone and b) she would freak out and turn it into a huge misunderstanding resulting in her banishment to the moon. Rarity maybe, but she has Sweetie Belle. Sweetie would probably make like Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash was on Winter Tour with the Wonderbolts... Pinkie Pie was probably off at some wild party filled to the brim with cider. Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom were off in Appleloosa visiting Braeburn and his family. Which only left...

Twilight.

The very same Twilight that threw her out two weeks ago. The Twilight that taught her how to levitate things, to read, to organize. That Twilight.

And Spike, who was affectionately known as Butler, he tended to blow things way out of proportion.

She'll have to catch Twilight when Spike's not around.

Jinx landed in town, stumbling a bit and eventually planting her face in the thick snow. Thank Celestia that nopony was around to see that. Hey, wait a second...

Jinx rolled around in the snow, nearly jumping out of her skin when it touched her wings.

Damn, snow is cold.

She popped up and continued on to the library. She saw one light on in the library, one light that was Twilight's room. Jinx trotted faster and ran into the door.

Grumbling, she got back up and rubbed her head. She's being too clumsy for a secret-ninja-stealth-awesome mission.

A light turned on in the main floor of the library. Jinx rolled once again in the snow to repair her disguise.

The door opened. "H-hello?" Twilight blinked wearily out the door. Her eyes widened. "Oh thank Celestia, Jinx! I'm so, so sorry-"

Jinx had a sense of déjà vu. "Please, be quiet. We can talk inside, right?" her shoulder slumped with tiredness.

Twilight blinked again. "Of course, Jinx. Come on in."

Jinx walked inside with Twilight. Spike was nowhere to be seen.

"Sit down." Twilight instructed as she walked into the kitchen to make hot chocolate.

Jinx did as she was told.

"So..." she drew out.

"Jinx, where were you? I've been worried sick!" Twilight exclaimed from the kitchen.

"Int the Everfree," she replied.

"What?" Twilight reappeared levitating two mugs of steaming chocolat chaud.

"I've been living with the Changelings. They're not so bad once you get used to them," Jinx levitated a mug over and took a cautious sip.

"How are they not so bad?" Twilight wrinkled her nose for some reason.

"Well, they're not evil creatures that live only to feed off love. They have feelings and opinions." Jinx explained and took another sip. They snow began to melt.

"That's nice," Twilight said politely. "Why are you covered in snow?"

Jinx looked down. "Oh, yeah. I thought Spike would open the door and-"

"-write a letter to the Princess saying that Chrysalis is back and trying to enslave all ponykind." Twilight finished with a smile.

Jinx blushed. "Well, yeah."

"One thing, though. Is this your normal form, or just a disguise?" Twilight asked.

Jinx giggled. "No, the Change isn't done yet. It will be soon."

"Ah, okay." Twilight looked uncomfortable. "Then where's Chrysalis?"

"Why do you ask?" Jinx asked, alarmed.

"I was just curious as to why you have her tiara on," Twilight looked pointedly at her head.

"Oh. Right. Do you know anything about the recent Royal Guard activity?" Jinx asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but Jinx cut her off.

"A couple nights ago, the Hive caught on fire. A Changeling didn't set it." Jinx told her.

"How do you know?" Twilight asked Jinx.

"Because the fire was orange-y. Changeling fire is green. A saw some hoofprints before I left; they headed toward Canterlot."

"I was sleeping in the Palace when it started. I told Venom to get out and save the civilians. I shoved him out before the fire separated us," Jinx continued while Twilight looked intrigued. "I went back for Chrysalis because the Changelings need a leader and Venom isn't ready for that responsibility yet. I got to Chrysalis' room and she didn't want to leave. I sat there and tried talking her into coming with me. Then I remember this huge crack, like the earth itself was splitting open. We both looked up and the ceiling fell in. We got out, but not before she saved my life,"

Jinx's throat began to swell like it did before tears. "She protected me from all this burning wood and sacrificed herself. She sang a little song and made me Queen." she concluded.

Twilight was silent for a moment. "Who's Venom?"

Jinx blushed. "Oh, that's her son."

Twilight widened her eyes in triumph. "You finally have a crush!"

Jinx's cheeks heated, counteracting the welling tears. "No I don't!"

"You do too! Haha!" Twilight crowed.

Suddenly, Jinx felt exhausted. "Sure. I'm just gonna... lie here and take a nap..."

Twilight went quiet. She got up and levitated both half-full mugs into the kitchen for Butler to clean up in the morning.

She opened a closet and took a blanket out. She threw it out on her niece.

"Sleep tight," she murmured and blew out the candles.