A rewritten Past

Auriel stared at the ponies in front of her while they reiterated her gesture. The golden Fox was frozen still, but not in shock, but for another reason. Was she trying to decipher the minds of these mortals, and two partially immortal creatures, those who had never gazed upon this kind of supreme power, or perhaps she was simply planning her next thousand steps in the grand chess game of life. Well... that would've been what a smart, godly light would've done, while Auriel merely tried to mimic the looks of the ponies' faces without any help from magic. It was impossible. Their eyes were just too huge to be copied.

This game of staring continued, until Auriel was bored again, so about five seconds later. "So... should I go, or-" Was Auriel asking, before being abruptly interrupted by the older Alicorn.

"What was that?" asked the Alicorn with a concerned tone, sounding slightly horrified. Dozens of laws of magic, physics, and reality were just broken in front of her, nothing made sense anymore.

Auriel shrugged with as little care in the world as possible, before replying casually. "Not much, I just made all the weirdness go away."

"How?" asked the younger Sister

"I just did," replied Auriel.

"If I may interrupt, I think I might be able to verse your question better, my dear students." said the old wizard with a smile, before clearing his throat. "What my students wanted to know was: How!?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," answered Auriel, misunderstanding the question.

Starswirl inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, counted to ten, before releasing his breath. "No, I am not asking how, you are. I am asking how you changed all of the THAT!" Starswirl's question now sounded more like a demand, although it was nothing done on purpose.

Auriel let out a loud 'oh...', before answering the question. "Well, first I destabilized the magical field that kept the mass structures together by overloading the spell matrix, then I disintegrated the remains of the land, and then I used the pure mana to reconstruct the landscape." Auriel described her work progress in about two seconds, making it almost impossible to understand, although Starwirl understood it.

"Thank you, my dear," Starswirl said.

"It was nothing." Said Auriel.

"The explanation?" asked Starswirl

"The explanation as well as the terraforming act," replied Auriel.

The old unicorn nodded with a smile and sat petrified in his state.

Luna stared at her Mentor, and tapped him with her hoof against his shoulder, attempting to pry out any kind of reaction, but all she managed to achieve was tipping the old Stallion over like a statue. Luna was frozen in shock, before grabbing Starswirl with her magic and setting him back in place. Luna looked away while whistling a quiet tune, acting like nothing happened, all while Celestia let out a very long sigh.

Auriel looked at the horned trio confusion, as well as a bit of worry for the elder. "Will he be fine?" She asked while pointing her finger at the Stallion in question.

"Starswirl can have his moments, whenever he sees something that he doesn't understand, which is not much, but he'll eventually have seen everything, hopefully," explained Celestia, before lifting her hoof up to her chin, and asked. "Although I do not understand how you managed to do this, I think it's best not to pry into things that I don't have to know."

Auriel smiled and then frowned. She could feel a certain 'murky feeling,' in the air, originating from the other ponies, a mix of various emotions plastered their faces, emitting a kind of energy that felt very much dirty, if not outright stressing. "Anyways, now that it seems like everyone is listening, I want to know something, before we begin."

The Guardians looked at Auriel with open minds, while the other ponies had mixed feelings regarding the sudden announcement.

Auriel own interest picked up from the sudden shift in emotions and was just as eager to hear the outcome of her words as the ponies were. "Now, I know you, and you know me, and pudding will soon know us all, might I ask why you ventured through all that snow and ice? I mean, you don't look like creatures that were made to stand a chance against the bitter cold, although, what do I know, I have been asleep for many many years... Wow, I sure like talking, don't I?" The Fox in question was once again amazed about herself, but if it was positively or negatively, is debatable.

Luna decided to take her turn in this debate. "While I am not fully aware of things came to be in the grand picture, it all boils down to the conflict between the tribes. Many years of war later, the monsters known as Wendigoes came out of seemingly nowhere. These Creatures feasted consumed our hatred, and slowly froze our kingdoms and the surrounding lands into an uninhabitable wasteland. With no land to farm crops on, and fire not capable of warming out bodies anymore, we, my sister, our Mentor and I proposed to form a pact in which the tribes would work together to ensure the survival of all of us. In the end, we managed to defeat a majority of the Wendigoes, but three managed to survive and attempted their best to ensure our demise. Well, the rest you probably know with us finding this-your land and such."

Auriel, for once, listened, very, very careful to the Alicorns words. It didn't take much brain to know that there was probably a lot more story behind the short summary she was given. 'Hatred... this feeling I know too well, it can provide one incredible power even in the weakest moments, but it is poison to the mind. Even now, I can feel the burning malice in the Wendigo cage. And yet, it is so much darker, the emotions they harnessed from the ponies, almost toxic.' Thought the golden Fox while grasping the ornament on her collar.

"I am sorry for the loss of your home, but I am forced to tell you that the wendigoes are most likely still alive, scattered into pieces and fragments, but still alive." Said Auriel in a gloomy voice. Lights do not die until they are absorbed into another one of their kin. As long as the remains are still out there, so long is the darkness of the former host in power. "The Wendigoes were most likely not so bad, to begin with before they came into contact with the blood of the foulest creature, one that although dead since millions of years, it's madness still lingers on this world."

The Guardians suddenly tensed up upon hearing and understanding Auriel's words.

The Clover's hunger for knowledge had awoken her out of her stasis, as she asked with great interest."And how does this 'blood' change one?"

Auriel shrugged. "Not sure, really depends whose blood it is. The effects are probably mostly the same, immortality, powers beyond mortal standards, a higher perception of reality, and likely much more. But, really it's only a matter of time until the power of blood changes the 'infected' altogether, or at least partially." The Alicorns were visibly sweating acorns. "Oh, don't worry, you two don't have his blood in you." The sisters visibly relaxed, although not much mentally. "You have different special blood in you, but don't worry, seeing as you two aren't evil, it's likely to assume that nothing bad will happen to you, you just have to hope it won't come back to retake it's lost Lifeforce." mixed feelings and stress for everyone, yay!

Starswirl suddenly jolted awake as his limited stash of air ran out in record time. "Did I miss anything?! I think I lost consciousness for a moment, or three and-... why do I taste dirt?" Luna looked away and whistled her worries away. Staswirl shook his head and sighed before asking. "As much as I would love to hear everything that came out of you... mouth, I would very much like to begin the negotiations regarding our stay before my time, and patience runs out with our companions." His statement was greeted with several irritated looks.

Hurricane looked at the creature the guardian's revered as 'Auriel,' before letting out a loud snort and flew towards the alicorns, Luna, to be specific. "May I ask why we are wasting our time with diplomacy, especially with this... creature. Wouldn't it be easier to just ignore it and take the land?"

Princess Platinum said. "For once, I agree with the commander."

Auriel's smile faded away and was replaced with a dull look while her half-closed eyes narrowed at the pegasus.

Rock Hoof, on the other hoof, didn't agree and said firmly. "No one is ready for war, and even if we were, you shouldn't threaten her. It's her land and not our place to ask for a fight anyways." Although the Stallion was large, muscular, and covered with many scars that covered his body, he was not a supporter of the war.

Chief Chief Stone added his opinion to Stone Hoof's speech."I am in no position to decide, nor say anything in this matter, but I would like to add that it's unlikely that we would win this battle, not, that I am asking for it. My spear did no damage to our predatory opponent, in fact, I believe my weapon has lost all it's sharpness as if I hit an anvil."

Clover the clever now also decided to enter the conversation. "I think I can speak for the majority that fighting is ill-advised, and I am sorry for having you hear us arguing about doing antagonistic acts towards you, in front of you Auriel." Auriel rolled her eyes, not as a gesture of hostility, but because she was not a friend of all this 'formality.' Clover continued. "I would also like to mention that, unlike some of our suspicions about several hidden high ranked magister acting as the power source of the paranormal activities happening in this land, that all magic, all spells, and mana originated, without a doubt, from none other than Auriel."

Auriel let out a quiet yawn while trying her best to stay awake by using exercising her mind with arduous tasks. ' Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. '

Starswirl let out a long calm sigh, as the silence had finally bestowed his pained ear, but alas, duty called, and so he joined into the conversation as well. "Now that we finally came to an agreement, and came to a somewhat neutral ground with the lord of the land, and-." But was cut off in the end.

"What?! I see nothing that would come even close to imply that this creature had claimed over these lands. I see no subject, castle, or even a landmark that marks it as the rule of this place!" shouted Princess Platinum with anger.

Auriel let out a silent sigh, before muttering to herself. "... Oh, Chitin, you sly ling, you knew this would happen, didn't you?..." The Fox spoke as if she would stand there until she would be gray and old. But since that was impossible, she would just stay there until everyone around here was old and gray. To make the waiting game a bit more interesting, Auriel looked at the magic cores. There was no reason behind it, she was just bored.

It was disappointing, they barely had anything worth mentioning, even moonlight butterfly minors had more mana in them than they had combined, not counting the Alicorns, but there was something that caught the Foxes eyes. She saw her own magic in the alicorns' hearts... every creature bore a very watered-down version of her life force in them, but in them, it was like there was a part of her in them. Of course, it didn't make sense considering that not a drop of blood had ever left her body for longer than a few minutes, was there perhaps another Light roaming her world? The thought made her hair stand up slightly.

Auriel hummed, before bringing two of her fingers to her chin. 'Hmm... well look at that, it seems like the ponies have gotten much more interesting than I initially believed, did they perhaps encounter another light, maybe one that was like me?' The thought was as worrying as it was exhilarating.

"Ehm.. are you well, miss Auriel?" a random guard had walked up to her and asked. Auriel was not too lazy to notice her presence or even bother to show some courtesy of respect, but she just didn't know the unicorn's name and didn't want to stretch this conversation out even further.

Auriel waved her paw at them and dismissed her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine, I had just been thinking, nothing too important." Auriel then asked politely. "Now, would you like to sit down?" The Fox offered as the ponies were still arguing in front of her.

Chief stone asked, confused. "On what? I don't see any chairs or pillows even." Auriel grinned widely, was it really a surprise that it worried the ponies seeing their own image in Auriel's shining sharp teeth?

A simple tap from Auriel on the ground, and a green and brown flash in her eyes later, and, well, it was too late for them to escape.

Out of the dirt rose a perfect stone slap that went up to the middle of the ponies' chests. Suddenly, the ground under said equines began to shift, and in just a second, the ground under them rose and carried them to the 'table.' The Ponies had no idea what was happing. Once the Ponies were in place, thick and robust green vines rose from underneath them, and Auriel, and grew into living thrones under them.

Hurricane was the only one fast enough to escape the vines and moving earth and hovered above the ground with a smug smile directed at Auriel.

Auriel reiterated with an even smugger smile, and the Commander's grin vanished in a heartbeat. It could've been because of the fact that Auriel's eyes turned green,- or, which was more likely, due to a vine, that shot out of the last unoccupied throne, and ensnared itself around the pegasus' torso before pulled him onto his seat. Hurricane was not pleased.

Auriel said with a lazy smile. "Voila. Now to answer your question 'Dear' Princess Platinum, there is a vast structure called 'Hive' a couple thousand feet in the direction behind me, The Changelings built their kingdom here a while ago, but they decided since I was sleeping under the sand for millions of years, which is a much longer time that they lived in this desert, that it was my land, and that I should 'negotiate with you'. Now can anyone of you tell me what you want?" The question came out much more hostile and demanding that Auriel actually wanted, although the Fox thought nothing of it.

Celestia replying. "First of all I'd like to apologize-" She stopped when she saw Auriel doing a circular motion with her paw, implying that the Alicorn should get to the point. "- We were wondering, or rather hoping if you would like to allow ponykind to seek refugee on your land for the time being."

Auriel stared at the ponies with a blanc look, before asking. "So what you are telling me is that you few ponies want to live this land?" They all nodded, even if some were forced. Auriel shrugged and said with no worries. "Sure, just don't bother the Changelings."

"Just like that? You're just going to let us live here?" The blue Alicorn could not believe her ears and was awaiting a huge 'but,' some kind of demand in return.

"Sure, just don't bother the changelings. I mean, I don't know what the future will tell, so that's is all I am asking at the moment. I mean, what would I want from you?" Auriel had not a slither of an idea of negotiations, and to be honest, she just wanted to end all of it right here.

"Based on how the last few hours of my day were spent, I would assume that my companions believed that you would expect some kind of toll, or rent, for us living here. Those range from gold to mares, or more likely in your case, stallions." listed off Starswirl, before quickly seeing the error as he was met with many glares and an interesting look on Auriel's face.

Auriel stared at the ponies for a moment with an from all emotions drained look, before leaning forward with her hands folded. "I think I need to reconsider the previously discussed terms as it seems like I just came to the sudden realization of how much worth the asked opportunity truly has. I shall talk with my friends on how to advance in our future partnership."

Luna said begrudgingly with much sarcasm in her voice. "Most wondrous worketh, Mentor. forsooth like thou has't turned the most powerful creature in a radius of here to nowhere into a slave driver..."

Celestia glared at her sister, before weakly slapping the back of her sister's head. "Sister, how many times do I have to tell you that work that is done under the command of civilians who wish to increase their wealth isn't slavery."

"You haven't been to Aetherica," muttered Hurricane darkly, and loud enough for everyone to hear.

Auriel tilted her head to the right with confusion, breaking her calm composure, and asked with interest. "What is this 'Slavery?' You equines sure have great interest trying to not let me know what some words mean, like 'war.' I just wanted Bell to have a few more pony friends." Several ponies lifter their hooves and opened their mouths, so Auriel pointed her finger at the only one who didn't attempt to have his question answered. "You, pale yellow pony, the one with red hair and a picture of Firefly on your butt."

The pony in question was an earth pony mare who stood behind her kin, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. It failed. She jerked and stuttered. "Y-yes?"

Auriel asked. "What is your name?"

"S-Sunny Sm-miles." answered the mare.

"Okay, S-Sunny Sm-miles, you seemed to like to wanted to ask something, what would you like to know from old little me?" Auriel asked kindly, almost sounding like a grandmother.

Smiles seemed to have gained a bit of confidence from the warm approach. "No, my name is just Sunny Smiles. I, well, a few years ago someone from my village named Diamond Bell went missing without a trace, that was almost four years ago."

Auriel kept smiling. She wasn't smiling on the inside. 'This will end poorly...' thought the ancient deity, or is if fox-ity? "I am not sure if we are talking about the same pony, but maybe you can ask her later." Smiles nodded with a shy smile.

"It's a cutie mark... not a butt picture..." said Celestia dryly.

Auriel's ears peaked up from the sudden comment. "Cutie mark... sound interesting, I have to ask more about it later. Now, anywho, anyone? Any-fox? Hm, sound weird, let's just stick with anyhow, for now, I think we can talk about the rest on a later time, but first, the rules."

"What!?" shouted the highest-ranked ponies, as well as a few others.

"Pfff and I thought I was acting like a child. It's simple, I just want you, all of you and anyone else who comes here, to get along with everyone, become friends, and work together with the changelings," explained Auriel while idly sitting in front of them. She was utterly oblivious of the political nightmares her demands would induce.

"What is a changeling?" All eyes went to Hurricane, who looked oblivious to what was happening in front of him.

"Yes, I too would like to know what our 'neighbors' look like." spoke princess Platinum, Rock Hoof, as well as Chief Stone, wished to know this too.

Auriel looked at the crowd of eyes, before chuckling nervously, before saying. "Oh look at the time, I think we should push this question towards the next meeting in which I will hopefully not be abandoned to sit here."

"Wait, you can't leave yet, we still haven't decided on the conditions yet." Clover hastily interrupted.

"Why so eager to finish now? You stay here until everything is decided." Said Auriel with a shrug, she was not careless, not in terms of laziness at least, but she just didn't understand this whole talk about being allowed to stay somewhere.

Sunny Smiles said with little confidence in her voice. "I don't want to sound rude, or make anyone feel offended, but this does sound a bit weird to just let us live here for free."

Auriel hummed quietly while tilting her head, she wasn't actually thinking, she just wanted a moment of silence. "I don't see why not. I mean, I don't have a problem with you, the land is big so it won't be too long until something is going to live here, and I have all the time in the world. Literally. So I can wait as long as it takes until everyone is happy." Her smile then vanished, not in a threatening manner or anything like that, and added. "Besides, there is nothing in a long while in the direction you came from other than snow. I don't kill unless I have to, and passively ending ones live is still killing" This last sentence answered a crucial question, and made another one as well.

Luna asked in confusion and ruffled her wings a little bit. "But how does thee-" only to be muted with a golden glow in her throat.

Auriel's eyes glowed purple while her left index finger pointed the blue alicorns. She said. "I am sorry dear, but could you please talk normally? Again, I am sorry, but it's tough to understand what you are saying with the way your talking. If it isn't much to ask, could you maybe speak like your sister?"

Auriel thought as she lowered her finger and her magic. 'That was perhaps a bit mean, but wow, this is painful to listen to. Why is she looking relived?'

Luna said in a surprisingly reasonable tone. "You're right, it just a habit to talk like this in political pegasus affairs," Hurricane muttered something about finally getting the dust out of her feathers in a somewhat happy tone. "What I wanted to ask was, if you don't kill, what do you eat?" The other ponies awaited an answer.

The ponies watched Auriel's every movement and held their breath when she slowly lifted her right paw into the air, the tension was high, and then, and blinding flash stole vision from the ponies. Not a single muscle moved. When their vision was regained, they saw... they saw!

"Cucumber?" Auriel offered. The golden Fox was happily munching down a whole cucumber within seconds, while holding another one to the ponies, wondering if they were hungry.

Starswirl asked calmly. "I assume, as weird as it sounds, that you don't eat meat?"

Auriel swallowed the last of her meal before answering casually. "Yep, I am a vegetarian." Her expression suddenly changed to a very amused one. "oh wait, you thought that I, and my look, oh... No. I don't eat anything that has Lifeforce in their bodies if that is what you are asking."

Rock Hoof asked. "'Lifeforce?'"

Clover answered quickly. "It's an old ponies term for blood."

Auriel cleared her throat, and before standing up on her hind legs. "Now that everything has been talked about, I hope you... 2,5,9,14. 14 ponies will make it yourself comfortable here in your new home, make a lot of children and hopefully overcome the large dent your race due to the sudden miniature ice age."

Princess Platinum mouth opened widely in disgust, and was about to shout, "WHAAAA-hmpf!" but was promptly stopped by a grey aura that shut her mouth. Starswirl asked slowly. "Auriel, you are aware that more ponies want to come here too since they have nowhere else to go."

Auriel stopped in her tracks and asked in confusion. "Why didn't you say in the beginning that more was coming, I am sure a few more won't make a difference."

Starswirl looked at Celestia with a look that said as much as 'your turn.' The white Alicorn sighed before saying. "Auriel, it is likely that more than a few will come here. Starswirl, my sister and I had sent out a magical beacon to tell the other waves to the waves two, the higher-ranked ponies, and wave three, the normal ponies. If nothing happened, then it's likely that hundreds, if not a few thousand will soon arrive here."

Auriel blinked. She blinked again. And again. And again. And again. All while not a single word was said or the eye contact was broken. After a whole minute of silence, Auriel made a clicking noise with her tongue and said. "Well, it's official, I hate politics." This caught the ponies off guard as the Fox was otherwise less blunt in a negative way. "But don't worry, I am sure everything will be fine. If you need me, just shout. And now, tata!"

Auriel waved her paws at the ponies, before vanishing in a flash of light.

The ponies stared at the spot where the Fox was just moments ago.

Starswirl let out a loud sigh and muttering to himself. "It's official, I am going insane." before levitating the previously offered cucumber to his mouth, and taking a large bite out of it. The old Stallion's eyes widened slightly from the explosion of flavor in his mouth, and he was actually smiling while quietly eating the rest of the vegetable while his companions weren't paying attention.

A breath of new life.

Queen Chitin sat on her throne while happily gazing at the changelings in her throne room. In a short time, they managed to clean up ever last hat in the Hive, before storing them somewhere where they didn't clog up the hallways. She let out a relaxed sigh as the last hat, a beehive made out of a fur-like material with a large plush bee, was brought away, leaving the Queen to herself.

"I wonder how the negotiations went." The Changeling Queen said to herself while holding a hoof to her chin. Out of a sudden, a small smile formed on her face, thinking of the possible outcomes. Of course, it was not helpful to leave Auriel alone with *Ugh* politics, but she had two reasons to still decide it to be this way. First, and foremost, it saved her headache, and secondly, it was also crucial for her new friend.

The smile of the Queen vanished and was replaced with a sorrowful frown. She looked at the sides of her throne, and pushed her hoof across the sides of the throne, wiping away the dust and ashes. A large hoof print was visible, along with a much smaller one right next to it. Chitin placed her hoof in the mold, only to see that the imprint was still much more prominent than her own.

'Auriel, you may be powerful, but still so, so naive.' Thought Chitin with a bitter taste in her throat.

The large Changeling stared in front of her, only seeing a gray, empty room. The air was dusty, dry, and in a certain way, hollow. She still remembered a time where things were different. In the Queen's mind, for just a second, she saw the ghost of past times. The area around her was filled with color, music, laughter, and joy, before fading back into nothingness, leaving the Queen alone once again. She sighed loudly and bitterly.

Queen Chitin shook her head, almost knocking her crown over, seeing as the vision was nothing more than just a trick of the mind, or perhaps a forgotten desire? No, it was more than just that, it was more significant, even an ambition so real one might also be able to taste it, it was a memory of the past, that may as well have been a small jump in the future.

Chitin weakly smiled at the thought, and actually started to talk to herself. "Everything seems so surreal, unreal, just a big dream. Not long ago, we were close to dying, the love has been distributed to every last ling equally, every larva and egg as well, all of us were going to die in such a short time, every last one of us gone forever..." The days where love was aplenty were already long gone, more and more of her children perished more often with every single day while food shortages became the norm. In a certain way, she had already prepared to die.

Chitins eyes watered slightly upon revisiting the memory again of her giving the order while lying to her own children that everything was going to be okay. She was going to watch every last one die in her hooves. And then she came, Auriel.

The Queen snorted all of a sudden. 'It's funny, you saved us so easily, Auriel. But-...' Chitin stopper her train of throughs. 'Our fates are tied now dear Fox of light... 'I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're safe from the things that are unknown to you' She chuckled quietly at the absurdity sound of her own words, but she knew deep down that her worries were justified.

The Queen mood was the ruined, as she almost swallowed her own tongue, when a bright light burst in the middle of the room, forcing her to shield her eyes. The light died down, just as fast as it formed, and revealed a not so happy looking fox. Chitin stared in disbelief at Auriel, whose fur had visibly become much... less-shiny, and the expression on the predator's face clearly showed a negative mood. Chitin watched silently as the Fox slowly walked towards the throne, each step executed lazily and slowly until she finally reached Chitin.

Auriel looked at Chitin dead in the eyes, before slowly, and shakingly lifting her left paw a process that took over ten seconds, before the Fox finally spoke. "You... are evil" with the most dried out, annoyed tone that was imaginable. The Fox continued to stay in this exact pose for a few more seconds, before lowering her paw, and finally, she blinked after two whole minutes!

"I see... I am well aware..."

"I... see..."

"...Yes..."

Awkward, there was no better way to describe the situation at hoof than that. The Queen stared at the Fox, and the other way around, and stalemate that could go on for all eternity, both of them now had time until the very planet would one day end. Of course, the wise ruler knew that the situation was summoned by her decisions, well-meant or not; thus, it was her responsibility to clear problem, namely an irritated Fox.

Auriel asked, a little less dryly. "Why did you send me to talk with the ponies?" There was no hostility in her voice, but rather an unusual calmly response. "I mean, don't take me wrong, they seemed nice most of them at least-but I don't understand why me?" Auriel liked to meet a few new faces, sometimes even several on the same body, but the equines she met only a short while ago were... aggravating without attempting to do so.

Chitin could have mustered hundreds of lies at this moment, but she chose against to, even if lying to something-someone, non-changeling was a habit she was still attempting to break. So she spoke the truth. "No matter how bad the situation would have gone with you, the result would have still been much more positive than mine if I had decided to greed our new guest." Auriel opened her mouth and raised one finger. "I am well aware that, in the worst-case scenario, you could've pushed the leader, along with the alicorns, back into the snow with little trouble, but that is no solution." Auriel closed her mouth and lowered her finger. Chitin let out a long sigh, not annoyed, or sad, but just to make a little moment of silence. "What has happened in the past lies there, and trying to resurrect the past's grudge will only lead to more hatred."

Auriel looked calm? The predator was in thoughts, deep thought that made her teeth clenched against one another, and ended her breathing shortly. The Light tried to understand her creation, she was doing her best, but these new feeling were so alien that it forced her to just think with logic. It was no replacement for common sense, and with the lack of history that she actual understood, she was not very much capable of understanding the pain, anger, hatred, and conflict between the races, no matter how much she tried. Of course, Auriel could sympathize with each and individual emotion, but the whole was clouded for her, she lacked vision...

"The ponies..." Auriel began and continued moments later. "...Think different than changelings than Bell or me... They are somewhat different from what I understand. Some of them are nice, others protective, one arrogant, another angry, one calm, and a few unsure. They have no place, but they are trying to form a chain, but they fail." The Queen stared at Auriel in disbelief, she almost sounded like her grandfather. "They don't feel it now, but they are falling apart, they give off a feeling, so wrong it almost hurts. It's only comparable to swimming in a dirty lake, drowned in so many... emotions, thoughts, dream, it becomes...wrong..." The ponies were so different from anything that Auriel had ever seen, they were like her, in a way, but free... and yet they waste their chance to use it, to grasp and realize it.

The Queen's mouth hanging slightly agape, the happy Fox was replaced with the mind of an old creature fitting to Auriel's age. Chitin was somewhat worried, even if what Auriel just described was what most new drones feel whenever they are in close proximity to larger groups of ponies, or other race's for that matter, and yet. There was nothing more frightening than the unknown, and we don't fear it, it leads to conflict, for what we don't understand is what one often will fight, but fusing both of them in a creature in Auriel's league could spell disaster. The thoughts of the Queen halted for a moment, the faint glow of her friend's fur was slowly coming back. She felt a slight sting in her heart, she actually thought about planning a way to stop Auriel should the need arise to.

"Auriel?" The Fox in question focused her attention to her friend. "Would you like to see something beautiful?"

The Fox couldn't help it, but her unnaturally positive demure crept back into her mind, forcing the corners of her mouth to arise, branding her face temporarily with the sign of joy, and her fur with a soothing warm glow. "Really? Show me! Show me! Show me!"Auriel broke out in cheer, all while jumping around like a fool on an extra powerful sugar rush.

A sight to behold, indescribable in its form, and yet, it's description was almost destined to be glorified in the mind of the Golden Fox. A lake of green, almost lime colored pearls, peacefully lying in an ocean of a pink liquid. Those jewels more magnificent than any stone were seemingly pulsated with an alien gleam radiated an aura of tranquility and gave off a feeling that warmed even the coldest of hearts. That was one way to describe the sight that beheld in front of two individuals that couldn't be more diverse. Queen Chitin, aswell as Auriel, stood at the entrance of the most prominent chamber in the Hive, a place shut off from the rest of the world with a thick door so heavy it took dozens of changelings to move. Inside this chamber, that was illuminated with glowing crystals with colors of jade, sapphire, and emerald was the greatest treasure of the Hive hidden. The future of the entire Hive was in this exact location. The nursery.

In the nursery, a room which's walls were covered in hexagon-shaped holes, forming a surface similar that of a honeycomb, was a significant dent in the middle, if not outright a dent. In this lowered place sat the changeling eggs, green shells almost transparent housed the offspring of the Queen, children that were virtually indistinguishable from giant maggots if it wasn't for the prominent head of a baby changeling. These eggs sat in a large puddle of love, but it was different. This energy was in it's purest form, for the untrained eyes, one might even think that the bottom of the 'lake' was pink by nature. The unhatched one had seemingly noticed the arrival of the eternal source of love and began to squirm in the presence of a source of food far more significant than their small hearts could ever imagine.

Chitin smiled at the sight of her children, it always warmed her heart to see them desperately try to come closer to the life-giving love, and then greedily consuming it until they are satisfied. This moment had last happened a long... long time ago. The eggs that now were in front of her were several decades old, not grown an inch, just kept alive in hopes of one day to find more love, but at the cost to keep them imprisoned, so they survive, and not starve off the Hive. Now, it would change.

"What do you think, Auriel?" Chitin said softly like a weak spring breeze. But there was no reply from her friend. She turned around, only to see that she was staring at the cocoons with an empty look, mouth slightly open, not even blinking. It was almost like she was trying to see something that wasn't there, it was virtually saddening in a way.

Auriel only watched. They-the hatchlings were calling after her, yearning for something she had. She slowly lifted her paw, unsure of continuing, letting it hang loosely in the air, and descending it just as slowly. One step was enough to set her in motion, step after step did she come closer to her destination. Chitin watched in high interest, and worry, after the Fox, only the nurses were allowed to even view the eggs, let alone touch them, and yet, there was a calm aura around Auriel, something that made her stay calm, despite seeing such a large creature casually stroll towards her unborn.

Auriel's gaze did not falter a second, her movement didn't slow as well, it was almost like she was carried by the very air, her paws seemingly didn't even touch the stone under here. The moment she reached the pond, she was greeted by a chorus of screams, an orchestra of cries, muffled by their jail walls. Auriel scanned the eggs, over sixty of them, placed in a circle formation, with a small heap of them located in the center. In truth, less than a second passed, before she continued to walk towards the center. Chitin watched with wide eyes as the Light watched on the water with such grace, that not a single disruption was formed on the love's surface, not one egg touched by a single hair.

Once at the core of the nursery, in front of the pile, she crouched down while slowly circling the work of life. Getting closer with every rotation, her eyes darted at the eggs around her, their begging becoming louder by the second. When in the end one stand of golden fur touched the unborn hatchlings, she lied down, her body entwined around them in a warm embrace. Auriel rested her head on the liquid's surface and closed her eyes.

Queen Chitin watched in utter confusion at the display in front of her, not understanding what the plan of the godly creature was, until something happening. The pool of love began to glow softly, like an illuminated cave filled to the brim with diamonds, while a heavenly pink aurora danced in the air which's sigh made the nurses' eyes water. Yet, as tranquil, if not outright perfect this very moment was, it was interrupted with the creaks and cracks of something breaking, the sound was unmistakable, the eggs had hatched. The young hatchlings broke through the shells walls with an unnatural strength an act impossible as it required at least two nurses to open an egg. The young larva squirmed and crawled from every egg towards the Fox, embracing her soft glow tried their best to be as close as possible to her. Those who reached the never-ending source of food chirped loudly as streams of pink energy gushed into their jaws, so much that their thoraxes glowed with the same pink hue, before eventually falling asleep next to Auriel.

Chitin was unsure what had just happened, but it was not irritating in the slightest, more of experiencing a miracle executed right in front of her very eyes. The Queen's smile deepened to the extent that almost hurt her cheeks, showing off a cute, somewhat goofy grin, and slowly walked towards Auriel. She lied down next to the massive pile of hatchlings in front of Auriel's stomach, crossed her forehooves, and rested her head on her hooves. From a watcher's perspective, one might not even see Auriel, as she was covered almost entirely by the young ones. The nurses around the nursery stared at the display in front of them before joining the slumber party aswell.

A few moments later, Chrysalis and Bell had reached the nursery too after being told the location of the Queen and Auriel and were greeted with a heartwarmingly adorable sight. Shortly later, the pile became two beings bigger.