And Hearts Will Change

Time Will Tell

Faint candlelight illuminated a flimsy sheet of parchment laid out upon Twilight’s writing desk, its light color offset by the black ink covering the majority of the page. Her eyes scanned the letters for the seventeenth time since it had arrived; her brain still refused to believe what the letter was telling her.

“Twi, what’s up? You look like you’re seeing a ghost. What's the letter say." Spike stood upon his toes as he tried to read the elevated letter.

"Spike, you know there isn't such a thing as a ghost, but...." She bit her lip, fighting off her worry with denial. "C-could you go stay with Rarity for a few days? Tell her that I'm going to be really busy and that I need her to watch you."

The little dragon shook his head and crossed his arms. “No way! It’s like, almost midnight. Rarity’s probably asleep by now, but even if she wasn’t I wouldn’t go. You’re upset about something.”

“Spike, please? It’s really important.”

He nearly caved in to the request as his foster sister’s voice grew more desperate, but stood firm. "What's going on, Twi? Why won't you-"

"Out! Now!" Her horn flared and, in the breadth of a second, the room was cleared of all beings save for the purple unicorn, Spike having been teleported to the residence of their fashionista friend. She panted heavily, momentarily winded by her sudden outburst and surge of magic, and turned back to the letter on her desk. She scanned the words, hoping that, despite her knowledge of the facts of the universe, the message would be mysteriously changed to reflect something much less heartbreaking.

As she expected, nothing had been different. It still held the soul crushing truth it did during her first reading. A choked sob escaped her throat as she continued her struggle to maintain her composure. The rustling of the branches outside her window drew her attention. Slowly, she turned her head, hoping that it would be nothing but the wind blowing through her home’s boughs, but, standing upon her balcony, was the pony she had been dreading.

Twilight’s heart soared at the sight of the alicorn, her beautiful eyes drawing her in and she instinctively ran a hoof across her stomach, but stopped the moment the letter crushed her hopes once again like an ant under hoof. She couldn’t stop the tears anymore and, as she trudged over to the window to allow the false princess inside, wept openly. As soon as her task was done, Twilight fell back upon her haunches and cried.

The changeling gasped and swept her mate up in her hooves, cradling her as she settled them down upon the unicorn’s bed. With a tilt of her head, she ordered her guards to go downstairs and wait until further orders were given. Her focus returned to the distraught mare in her arms who, despite her lack of resistance, only seemed to suffer more as she was held against her lover’s chest.

“Twilight? Twilight, what’s wrong? Did something hurt you? What happened?” Her voice wavered as she fought back her own boiling emotions. She wanted to cry away Twilight’s misery for her and to crush the being that dare harm her, but she couldn’t give in while the lavender librarian needed her to be there as her pillar of support.

Twilight pulled away enough to turn her grief stricken eyes up to look into the changeling's sparkling blue orbs. Luna could see, in those glistening pools of purple, the look one would give a total stranger who had addressed you as if you knew each other your entire lives. Her breath caught in her throat, but she couldn't look away. She couldn't understand where her love's confusion had come from.

"Who are you?"

"What do you mean? I'm Luna, your mate and the mother of our child. Can't you see?" The changeling smiled, her eyes shifting about as she searched the room for hidden answers, answers that it couldn't provide.

"Liar. You're not Luna. Who are you?" The unicorn's voice wavered as she choked down an impending bout of tears, but held her composure.

"B-but Twilight. Why would-"

"Don't lie to to me! Who are you!? I let you into my home! I spent time out of my life to cater to you and make you happy! I helped you find friends! I fell in-" Twilight pressed a hoof to her mouth as she fought back the bile rising in her throat. As soon as the sudden sickness abated, and her anger had lessened to a degree, she continued. "I let myself think I loved you and what do I get in return? Nothing but lies! Who... are... you?"

“Tw-Twilight.... Please, don’t. Wh-why can’t I...?” The fiery glare she received from the librarian killed a thoughts of begging she had and she turned away in shame, tears beginning to trace lines down her own face. Well, this is the end. Funny. I thought everything was working out perfectly. “I-I’m sorry, Twilight. I never meant for this to happen.” The moon mare sighed heavily, her body sagging as she resigned herself to her loss, and flashed with green fire to reappear moments later as the thin, chitinous changeling queen she truly was. Her wings buzzed as she stretched them before settling back upon the hard, green exoskeleton on her back. “I am Queen Chrysalis, mother of all changelings, caretaker of my swarm, and-”

She saw it in the young mare’s eyes, the one emotion she had used to love so much at each revelation of her true form before finally consuming her prey yet now felt just as much as her ex-victims had. Fear. The unicorn feared her as all other weak-minded creatures had and it cut deep into her cold heart, causing her to step back involuntarily. “Please, Twilight....” Her voice rang with a harmony reminiscent of a swarm of locusts and Twilight shuddered as a feeling of dread washed over her. Chrysalis, against her better judgement, tried to close the distance between the two and comfort the mare’s fear, but was stopped by a powerful blast from a magical field.

“Stay back! D-don’t come near me, you monster!”

The changeling grunted in pain and covered her face with her hooves at the onslaught of magical energy the unicorn threw at her, but her hole-ridden legs proved useless against the magic. She had little choice but to throw up a small defense for herself and stare blearily at the furious librarian. “Stop, please. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll never hurt you, just please stop.” The magical assault abated and the insectoid mare took time to breathe, the miniscule amount of reserve energy she had had gone in the blink of an eye. “I never wished for you to find out.... We could have lived happily for the rest of our lives and raised our daughter in an environment more fit for a princess than she could have ever had with me alone, but it’s over now.” She forced back her emotions and turned for the window, glancing back over her shoulder at the distraught, furious pony, her lover for a week, and smiled, traces of tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I shall return in eleven months’ time to retrieve my heiress. Could.... Could you try to love it despite your hatred of her mother? We changelings can’t grow or survive without love.”

The queen’s sincerity caught Twilight off guard and she allowed her anger to subside for a moment, a moment long enough for the black mare to see hesitation in her purple eyes. “Where are you going!?”

“She isn’t going anywhere, my faithful student.” Like the sun piercing through cloud cover, Princess Celestia descended upon the balcony outside Twilight’s room, her graceful white form landing softly on the wooden outcropping as she calmly strode towards the now-terrified monarch. “This is the one that you wrote about in your letter, correct?”

“Y-yes, princess. She’s Chrysalis, the change-”

“Changeling queen, yes. I have known many of her foremothers over all of my years and even held court with their originator, Queen Aurora, many, many years ago.” The solar diarch smiled sadly in reminiscence before turning her focus back to the cowering mare before her. “Your kind are not welcome among the ponies, changeling queen. As ruler of the swarm, you know of the treatise made between our peoples, yes? I would not think that your predecessors would lapse in the transfer of information to their children.”

Chrysalis balked under the stern gaze of the sun princess and eyed the stairs leading to the library’s main entrance. I wouldn’t be able to make it and I can’t leave my children here. Cautiously, she stood to her full height, standing equal to Celestia, and bowed her head. “I assume you are here to imprison me, then. Very well, I shall not resist. I would not have the strength to do so either way. Farewell, Twilight. Take care of yourself for the both of you.”

Celestia arched an eyebrow at the curious choice of words, but paid it no heed as the queen began to descend towards the lobby below. “Do you wish to come with us Twilight? I understand that this must be shocking and I can understand your grief. It is, unfortunately, not the first time one of my ponies has fallen for the wiles of the changelings’ magic, and even began to truly love them, but I will help you to overcome your sorrow if you want.”

Twilight watched from the balcony railing as Chrysalis called her guards from the guest room below and, just like their queen, ordered them to drop their disguise. Celestia frowned at the sight of their light body tone. “I think I’ll be fine, princess, but could you tell me what you decide to do? I-I think I deserve to know.”

The alicorn quickly hid her worry and smiled down at her student. “Of course. I shall send you a letter as soon as my sister, the Canterlot Court, and I decide what the best course of action would be. I’m not sure how long it will take, but I’ll keep in touch during the entire process.”

Chrysalis watched the two mares talk as she led her hatchlings to stand beside her near the front door. She could hear the sounds of armor clinking together loudly and the boisterous voice of the alicorn she had impersonated. The changeling sat upon her haunches and held a hoof to her chest, wincing at the ache in her heart. Don’t come near me, you monster! Those words had hurt more than the decay of starvation she had endured until recently. Her head drooped, unable to continue looking at her former lover lest she lose her composure in front of her children.

“Ah, sister. We see that thou hast captured our imposter. We believe it is time for us to depart. The ponies grow concerned over our army’s presence.” Luna stood next the their captives and eyed them carefully, her gaze piercing and cold. “A changeling. Intriguing! We hast seen nary a glance of thine species since long before our banishment. We see that thine children are naught but that. Tell us, queen, where is the rest of thine swarm?”

“They are dead. All but the two you see here and the one in incubation were killed. They were starved and ate themselves. I burned the ones that survived. I could no longer feel them in my hivemind, so they were lost.” The black queen heard the gasp loosed by Twilight and allowed herself to smile slightly.

“‘Tis a tragedy, but thou hast committed a grave crime against our nation. Do not expect our judgement of thine crimes to be lessened by thine story. Come, sister. We must return to Canterlot at once.” The lunar mare jumped up to the second story to stand beside her sister and the librarian. She took a moment to bow her head to the young mare before sighing sadly. “We apologize that our presence causes you so much grief, Twilight Sparkle. Were we capable of lessening the impact our image made upon thine mind, we would do so. As mine sister hast likely offered, we, too, would be willing to listen to thee should thine heart so desire. ‘Tis the least we can do after such tragic acts were perpetrated in our image.”

Twilight shook her head and glanced down at the despondent changeling. “I just need time, I think. Thank you, Lu- erm.... Princess Luna. Could I speak with Princess Celestia alone for a moment?”

“But, of course! We shall prepare the prisoner for transportation, sister. We shall see that we are set to depart as soon as thine conversation is finished.” She turned and leapt from the landing to stand beside the trio of changelings. "Come. Thine shackles are outside. If thou dost not resist, we shall chain thee as loosely as can be allowed.” Chrysalis followed behind the moon princess, her hooves dragging noisily across the hardwood, and paused to cast one final glance towards the mare she loved before disappearing into the enveloping darkness outside the library’s threshold.

Celetia watched silently as Twilight’s eyes followed the black queen out and her hoof raised inches from the ground as if to stop her from leaving. She could practically feel the hurt that consumed her little student, could almost taste the sorrow permeating the area around them. “Twilight? What is it you wanted to talk about?” She smiled as warmly as she could, knowing fully well that she had to be the voice of comfort that the young mare needed.

“Princess.... I really loved her, Celestia. Sure, it’s an entirely new situation for me and I’m certain that it was only a budding love, but I did.... I do....” She sighed and fell back upon her haunches to relieve the discomfort in her legs, idly stroking her stomach as she leaned against Celestia’s side for support. “I do love her, but she’s not the pony I fell in love with. I-I don’t know who she is.”

“Oh, Twilight. You mustn't worry overmuch about this situation. I know it’s difficult to accept and that it’s heartbreaking to be lied to like this, but you have to remember that she is a changeling.” She exhaled sadly and wrapped a delicate white wing around the lavender librarian. “Changelings are deceptive creatures and, while it may not have been so many centuries ago, they are known to use their magic to influence the thoughts and will of the beings they set their sights on. I’m certain that, in time, your grief will lessen as her manipulative magic wears off and you’ll be capable of looking back on this night in a brighter light. It will be tough to cope with the loss, but remember, Twilight. My sister and I are your friends and we love you dearly. We will help you cope in any way we can as you overcome the magic’s influence and stay with you should you call. We’re just a dragon’s breath away, after all.”

The alicorn’s bright smiled warmed Twilight’s heart slightly, not enough to pull her fully from the precipice of despair she stood precariously upon, but enough to nudge closer to safety. “Now, was there anything else, my faithful student? If not, I’m afraid Luna and I must be on our way. We shall have to secure Queen Chrysalis in a cell before word of her presence is made known. We do not wish to upset the nation.”

The little mare looked up into Celestia’s amethyst eyes, screaming in her mind to reveal to her what she had growing inside her, hoping that her mentor would see it revealed in her own glistening pupils, but reluctantly shook her head. “N-no. That was all. Thank you, Princess Celestia. Could you tell Princess Luna that I appreciate her offer? I’ll.... I’ll make sure to come to you two if I need to talk.”

The solar alicorn smiled and planted a soft kiss upon the unicorn’s forehead before following the changeling’s steps down from the second floor landing and towards the open doorway. “Be well, Twilight, and remember that the magic should wear off in a few weeks’ time.”

Twilight smiled as widely as she could, managing to pull off a feeble grimace, and watched her mentor board a silhouetted chariot that promptly took off into the night. Her door closed under the guidance of the day mare’s golden aura leaving the young pony to stare off into an unseeable distance, unfocused. If my distress is caused by magical longing, then why can’t I sense it? I could feel it before, I think, but I haven’t noticed anything in almost a month. Is.... Is it so ingrained that I wouldn’t notice it until it’s gone? She wiped a tear that had been forming in the corner of her eye and brought the hoof down to rest beside the other as it softly caressed her stomach. How am I going to tell the princess about this? She’ll notice eventually, but what will I tell her? I can’t just let them take her away. Oh, Celestia, what do I do?

Twilight closed her eyes and curled into a ball upon the floor, hugging her stomach as tightly as she could as she finally allowed her emotional dam to break down. Her tears flowed freely once more, her anguish loosed in a downpour of liquid sorrow, as she wailed into the night until, after several grueling minutes, the young mare slipped into the welcome embrace of slumber.

~{A}~{H}~{W}~{C}~

My Faithful Student,

My sister and I have received your troubling letter and are on our way to you now with a guard regimen. I will explain to you as much as I can at the moment, but any full detail will have to wait until we arrive. We fear that you are not safe. My sister, although she is prone to moving about in secret, has not been outside of Canterlot since your last letter concerning her and has attested to such a fact adamantly. The pony, if that is truly what it is, that you have mistaken for Luna is an impostor. We advise you to remain at your library and send Spike to stay with one of the element bearers until this matter is solved. Should the impostor return before we arrive, act as you would usually. We do not want it attacking you out of desperation. Above all else, keep yourself safe.

Celestia

Twilight rubbed her eyes and set the tattered, tear-stained letter back upon her desk. She couldn’t keep looking at it, reading it, lest she lose herself in sorrow once again, but she knew that it would only be a matter of time before the parchment was in her hooves again, acquiring more stains and frayed edges for her grief. She sighed, drying her leg on her chest, and looked out into the world beyond her treehouse.

The sun was slowly rising to its apex, marking the time as just before midday, and shone down upon the myriad ponies as they performed their daily rituals of shopping and gossiping. Twilight caressed her stomach as she sat upon her home's balcony, having moved from her room to partake in the relaxing feeling of nature. Birds fluttered by, the warm sun casting their shadows across her small sanctuary, and the sounds of business and joviality rose to her elevated perch. Her whole body sagged as the joy of others pushed down upon her heavy heart.

“Twilight? Do you wanna talk about it?”

The unicorn jumped, startled by the sudden vocalization of concern, and spun to find her little assistant standing a meager distance behind her. “Oh, hey Spike. I, uhm....”

“C’mon, Twi. I can tell you’re still upset. You cry every time you read the princess’ letter and it’s almost two months old.” The baby dragon scratched his toes across the balcony’s surface as he fidgeted in place. “You don’t have to keep it to yourself, you know. I may not know much about feelings ‘cause they’re, you know, girly, but I do know how to listen. I’m sure the girls feel the same way, too.”

“I know, Spike, but it’s just so.... Just so... difficult. Princess Celestia said my feelings would go away, but they’re not.” She brought a hoof up to her face and wiped away the moisture that had begun building in the corners of her eyes. “I want them to go away. I want to forget about all of this, but I can’t. Every time I do, my heart aches and I feel like I’m empty. I don’t understand! Why won’t it stop?”

“I dunno, Twilight. Maybe you still like her? Why else would you be so upset by all this?”

“But that doesn’t make sense, Spike! Celestia said I was under a spell. Plus, Chrysalis lied to me. She lied to me! Everything was a lie. How can I like a mare that can’t even tell me the truth? How can I like a mare that isn’t even a mare.”

“Hey, I’ve had Rarity lie to me plenty of times and I still like her. I know she’ll never really like me back, but it doesn’t mean I won’t treat her like the goddess she is. And, besides, I like Rarity and she’s not a dragon.” He grinned and puffed his chest out, eliciting a pained giggle from his caretaker.

She smiled sadly and hugged the baby dragon closely as she let her emotions free once more and quietly cried upon his shoulder. "It's so frightening, Spike. I don't know anything about her, but I just can't stop myself from loving her. She's a creature out of nightmares, yet she's so beautiful." She pulled away from her assistant and levitated a quill and parchment from a drawer in her desk. "Could you take a letter for me?"

"Sure, Twi- Urp!" The scroll that had been held aloft in front of him burst into flames as he spewed green fire upon it and was replaced by another scroll, rolled and sealed with Celestia's royal crest.

Instantly, the letter was snatched up in an aura of magenta magic, the seal broken, and unfurled for the librarian to read over. Spike watched nervously as her eyes flitted back and forth as she scanned the scroll’s contents. As Twilight reached the tail of the letter, all color drained from her face and she ignited the parchment in purple magefire. Fear took root in her expression and, without warning, she teleported into her room, slamming the window behind her, and screamed.

The sorrowful wail pierced the minimal protection of the glass panes, drawing the attention of a certain cerulean pegasus. In seconds, the rainbow-maned mare crashed through a second floor window, spraying the glass across the floor, and landed beside her bookish friend, wings flared and senses on high alert. “Twi!? What’s wrong!? Are you okay!?”

“R-Rainbow! Please, you h-have to help me!” She tackled the mare, burying her face in Dash’s chest, and cried as Spike finally got the balcony window open and rushed to their side.

“Sure, Twilight! What do you need?” The brash mare awkwardly patted her distraught friend’s back, unused to such displays of emotion, and tried not to sound uncomfortable with the situation.

“Could you....”

“What? You mumbled that last bit. Come on, Twi, you know I’ll do anything for you. They don’t call me the Element of Loyalty for nothing.” She grinned and hugged Twilight closer. “Just say it and I’ll do it! Besides, you’ve been cooped up in this library for like, ever. We haven’t gotten the chance to do anything recently. I’m sure that’ll cheer you up.”

“No. It won’t, but.... What I’m asking isn’t easy. Are- Are you sure you-”

“What do you take me for? I’m the best pony in all of Equestria!” She frowned as if hurt, but quickly replaced it with her typical smug grin. “I can do anything you need me to!”

“I need you to fly me to Canterlot. Today. Now.”

Rainbow Dash balked, her ears drooping, and averted her gaze. She had expected something challenging, dangerous even, but what Twilight was asking was definitely impossible. “Uhm.... I’m... actually not sure I can do that. I know I said anything Twi, but that’s even too much for me. I can’t carry a pony that far. Not without several rest stops.”

“I know, but I need to get there now!” She bit her lip, and levitated a cloth from a small cabinet over to wipe her face off with and dab preemptively at her tears before they could fall. “It’s important. Something terrible is going to happen and I can’t let.... I can’t let that happen to the mare I love!”

Spike, who had been silent through the whole thing, perked up and shook the lavender unicorn’s shoulder. “Hey, Twi. You could use the balloon. I’m sure you could hook Dash up to it and get there that way.”

“Hey! Yeah! That could work! Kind of like how you girls saved me from Discord. We’d be able to get to Canterlot in no time at all!”

The baby dragon puffed out his chest proudly, but had the air crushed out of him by an overly excited big sister. “Oh, Spike, you little genius! We don’t have a second to lose! Let’s go!”

She raced off, hooves pounding at the wooden floor and then dirt as she rushed to the back of the library and levitated the large basket and massive balloon out into a clearing. The pegasus and assistant watched in awe as the purple fabric was suspended in the air and promptly filled with air heated by Twilight’s magic. In moments, the hot air balloon was filled and carrying a single panting passenger.

“Hey, Twi. Why do you have to rush anyways? What did that letter say?”

Twilight bit her lip and anxiously averted her gaze. I can’t tell him.... He- He deserves to know, but I just can’t. “I.... I don’t have time to explain, Spike. I’ll tell you when I get home..., okay?” She pointedly avoided eye contact with her foster brother, instead opting to levitate the bridled rope over to her impromptu chauffeur. “I added the bridle so it’d be safer in case we had to do something like this again. I’m kind of glad I did, but.... I wish we didn’t need it.”

“ Alright, Twilight. Let’s get going! I’ll have you there faster than anypony could even dream. Just make sure you keep this thing afloat!” In record time, the polychromatic pegasus was hooked into the bridle and preparing for take-off. She furrowed her brows in concentration, crouched down into pre-flight position, and took to the air as Twilight’s horn super-heated the balloon’s air. In a matter of seconds, the two ponies were well on their way to the nation’s capital, flying high above the rest of the world at breakneck speeds.

Twilight leaned over the edge of the basket, clinging onto the side for support as she mentally willed Rainbow to fly faster. She couldn’t expect her athletic friend to break her body for her, but she couldn’t keep herself from hoping. Her eyes trailed to the sky, watching the sun’s position in the heavens, and silently calculated the distance between their current position and their destination. We have to get there before two, or else.... “Rainbow! Please, fly faster! We have less than two hours! If we don’t get to Canterlot in time.... She’ll....” Die.

~{A}~{H}~{W}~{C}~

Author’s Notes: Ohohoho. Now that’s evil, right there. Wouldn’t you agree? Yeah, I thought you would. Slightly shorter chapter this time to build suspense and just be an all-around asshole, but I’m sure the next and then final chapter will be worth it. I had only planned on this being four chapters, but, well, things changed last minute (and by last minute, I mean now). For now, enjoy and watch for the final chapter + Epilogue! Peppy out~!

Editor’s Notes: Blah blah blah, stuff, things. Cya.