The Hidden Princess of Equestria

Twilight’s excitement lasted on the next days, while she got ready to her trip to Equestria, although she felt sorry of leaving her family and the land where she grew up. However, being accepted into one of the best schools of magic was a great honor.

Petal Shy and Curly Cloud were nervous about having Twilight returning to Equestria, having in count that she was the light of hope that would end with all that war. But the happiness that she was having for having her greatest dream coming true appeased the feeling that they were having.

At last, the day before Twilight’s departure arrived and she already had everything prepared, just like it was expected from her. After closing her saddlebags, Fluttershy, who was with Twilight, said:

“I can’t believe that you’re going already tomorrow. Time really passed away very quickly.”

“You sound like we’ll never see each other again, Fluttershy” Twilight joked. “We may not be blood sisters, but we’re real sisters and nothing and nopony will change that.”

“I know, but… you know how I am, Twilight” Fluttershy replied. “I think that, as soon I have the opportunity, I’ll go visit you to Equestria.”

“Then no hurries” Twilight replied. “You know how the situation is there.”

“Just for that, I think that you are very brave for wanting to go there knowing that” Fluttershy commented.

Twilight smiled to Fluttershy in a way to thank her for her words and then looked to the time, saying:

“I better go. I’m already late.”

And, having said that, she got out the room and then the house. Twilight advanced in direction of the forest, crossing it until she got to a clearing. She looked around, but there was nopony there. But the young unicorn continued to look around as if she was trying to find somepony specific and then noticed a rock that was beside of one of the trees that delimited the clearing. Twilight smiled and approached the rock, saying then:

“Next time, try to be less obvious, if you want to get me out of surprise.”

There was a flash and the rock turned into a creature close in aspect to a pony, but possessed insect-like like a moderate amaranth carapace-like with a grayish blue underside and wings with the same color as the upper-side of his carapace with blue violet elytra. He had a long membraned tail with the same shade of moderate amaranth as the wings, a dark cyan chitin with a moderate amaranth chest, that contained a trio of gemstone-like objects, and a horn, like a unicorn, that seemed like a thorn. At the top of his head, he also had mandibles-like horns that had the same color as the wings and tail and his eyes were moderate blue violet. He was a changeling.

“How did you figure it was me?” he asked.

“Come on, Pharynx, this is normally our meeting point. Do you think I wouldn’t notice any detail that shouldn’t be here?”

“No, of course you would notice” Pharynx replied. “How could you not notice?”

“So, what do we do today?” Twilight asked.

“Come, I want to show you something” Pharynx replied.

And the young changeling guided Twilight through the forest until they arrived to its other side, where it ended. Arriving there, Twilight became astonished. There was what seemed to be a mountain with the shape of a castle, with plants growing all around what gave a certain beauty to the place.

“Uau…” Twilight said. “Pharynx, this is… amazing. This is so much better than it was before.”

“Well, after we ended with that… problem, it was a matter of time for everything to regrow back and this place recover its former glory.”

“Yes, now I can finally see again your home really is” Twilight said.

The young unicorn looked to her changeling friend and noticed on a certain sadness at his look. Twilight sympathized with Pharynx, as she knew how hard it was being to him, after what happened.

Queen Chrysalis, Pharynx’s mother and the queen of the changelings, had found a way to turn her species stronger and more feared by feeding on love. Conducting experiments along with some of her chosen ones, she managed to find the right spell to steel love. However, the use of that spell started to cause collateral damages, with the vegetation nearby wilting slowly and Chrysalis and her love-stealing changelings turning into something different, but tenebrous.

It didn’t last for Pharynx and his older brother, Thorax, to find out what their mother was doing and what that was turning her into. Incapable of convincing her to stop, a fight happened between mother and sons, where the two brothers won. Without any alternative, they expelled Chrysalis and her changelings, with Thorax becoming the new king.

Twilight approached her changeling friend and put a hoof over his shoulder, asking:

“Pharynx… are you okay?”

“Yes, I am” he replied, putting himself together quickly. “I was just… thinking about the past. Any way, I would like that you saw the hive before… you go to Equestria.”

“I know, it also pains me to go and leave behind my family and friends” Twilight said. “But this has been my dream since always.”

“I know, it is because of that I was able to make peace with the subject” Pharynx replied. “And also because I know that you will return and we will see each other again.”

At that moment, Twilight noticed a change at the intensity of Pharynx’s look and he approached her. Before he could advance more, Twilight said:

“Enough, Pharynx. Don’t do it.”

“You know what I feel for you” Pharynx said.

“I know, and I also like you, Pharynx, but not in the way you do” Twilight replied. “To me, you’re just my best friend.”

“But I know that we can be more than that” Pharynx protested. “If it is because I’m a changeling, no problem. I can be anything I want.”

Before he could turn into anything, Twilight stopped him, taking one of his hooves, and said to him:

“You know that’s not the reason. Pharynx, you and I are friends since we were little and, because of that, I can’t see you as anything more. Please, don’t ruin all the friendship that we cultivated because of an unrequited love.”

There was a pause and then Pharynx said, taking his hoof from Twilight and turning his back to her slightly:

“It seems I got stuck in the friend zone.”

“Please, don’t be mad with me, Pharynx” Twilight asked.

The changeling prince turned again to Twilight and replied with a slight smile:

“I would never be able to be mad at you, Twilight. Despite everything, I still have your friendship and that is what’s more important to me.”

The two then shared a hug and then Pharynx asked:

“Do you want to go to the hive say hello to Thorax? He would like to see you before you go.”

“I would want to, but I have to check if I package everything I need” Twilight said. “You know how I like to have everything organized perfectly.”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be the Twilight I know” Pharynx commented.

“Beyond that, I want to spend the time I have left to be with my parents and sister.”

“Hey, before you go, can you wait here a little? I have a farewell gift for you.”

“Pharynx… you don’t have to…” Twilight said.

“I know, but… I would love that you had something that could remember you of me, while you’re in Equestria” Pharynx replied.

Twilight then nodded with her head and her Changeling friend moved away, flying, heading to the Changeling hive. It didn’t take too long for him to return. When he landed, he said:

“I was hoping to give you this as a love gift, but I think give it to you as a friendship gift is as much good or better.”

And he extended to Twilight with his magic (that manifested through his mandibles-like horns) a pendent that seem to be made of amber.

“It’s beautiful, Pharynx!” Twilight exclaimed, taking the pendent with magic and putting it on.

“It is enchanted to reveal the true form of whoever is in disguise” Pharynx exclaimed. “Also, while you have it, no one will be able to take your appearance.”

“Uh, and it’s very practical too” Twilight said. “You know me very well.”

“Well, as you go to Equestria, I knew you could need some extra protection” the changeling prince explained.

There was a pause and then Pharynx said:

“I’ll miss you, Twilight.”

“I’ll also miss you, Pharynx” Twilight replied.

The two exchanged a last hug and then Twilight moved away.

At next day, Twilight was accompanied to the zeppelin port by her family. The farewell lasted a little more than Twilight had expected due to her parents (mainly Petal Shy), but she eventually got on board. While she waved to her family, she noticed a stallion not that far away observing her. Twilight didn’t know him, but a thought made her take her pendent and look through it and saw that pony was Pharynx. Twilight smiled and made a gest with her head to show him that she had seen him and Pharynx returned it.

It didn’t last for the zeppelin to take flight and Twilight stopped seeing her family. Using her magic to take her luggage, Twilight started to head towards her room. However, when she had just given a half dozen of steps, Twilight bumped into somepony, what caused her to lost focus and let her luggage fell.

“I’m so sorry” Twilight said, while she stood up, rubbing her head. “I’m such a clumsy and an airhead.”

“It’s all right, I also wasn’t paying attention” a male voice replied.

At that moment, Twilight’s eyes met with others that were moderate cerulean. They belonged to a unicorn stallion in armor, but without his helmet. He had light gray coat, moderate sapphire blue mane with moderate cerulean and dark phthalo blue streaks, with hooves also sapphire blue.

It seemed that the two of them were enchanted by each other’s eyes, as if nothing could make them dodge the look. Twilight couldn’t understand the reason why to not be able to dodge the look from a stranger. There was something on him that captivated her, although Twilight couldn’t describe what it was.

“Hi…” Twilight ended up saying, although with a dry mouth.

“Hi…” the stallion replied.

A silence dominated the moment for a few seconds, being just broken when the stallion got Twilight’s luggage from the floor with his magic and told her:

“Here you have…”

“Thank you…” Twilight answered, receiving it with her magic.

After a few seconds still staring at each other, the stallion nodded cordially to Twilight and then moved away, with her following him with the look. After that, Twilight felt her cheeks getting warmer and noticed, looking through a nearby glass that she was blushing, giving a very pink shade to her coat.

Although feeling a little embarrassed, Twilight couldn’t take the image of that stallion from her head. But who was him?