Deep Breath

Note to self: Do not underestimate pony coordination when the Princesses are involved. Somehow, the train was stopped right by the arrow you made. Does having a cutie mark magically enhance a pony, or are they just led to what they were born for? You marvel at what it must have taken to do this on short notice without prior markers, let alone order the train conductors to stop here and probably not embark to or from Appaloosa until further notice, but only for a moment. The formalities are not over yet. You head the group that approaches the hive while Light, Gentle, and Chrysalis come over accompanied by royal guards to one side and meet you halfway. Once you are in front of her, you kneel to Queen Chrysalis.

“I have returned with an audience of the princesses, my queen.”

“I hope there were no complications, my consort.”

“It was a dangerous venture, but all harm was mitigated to all but me as intended.” Light and Gentle shoot you a surprised look.

“We still need to discuss that later.” You stand and take your place at the side of the changelings. Chrysalis turns to the princesses and the elements of harmony. “I owe all of you an apology. For what it’s worth, I am sorry for all of the trouble that I have caused you.”

Princess cadence stepped forward. “In light of the lengths at which Anonymous went through for peace, we have agreed to let all of that stay in the past provided you undergo the same trial by the Elements of Harmony that Anonymous convinced us to put him through.

“I am ready when you are.” Chrysalis stood straight and at the ready.

Twilight and the other elements assembled as the other princesses and the guards stepped back.

“You will want to close your eyes. The light gets very bright.”

Light, Gentle, and you stand by Chrysalis with closed eyes. There is a bright glow that battles to penetrate your eyelids, but it fades as fast as it engulfs you. Once it has passed, you open your eyes and look to see an unchanged Chrysalis embracing her changelings. You can only imagine the relief they must be feeling. The changelings do not need to fear the ponies anymore. The hive will not die.

However, it is not the time to rest yet. The changelings may have gained peace, but now there is the matter of the immigration, the hive, the library, and the disposal of your gun and bullets. Celestia in her wisdom is one step ahead of you already.

“Chrysalis, how fast can you awaken your changelings?”

“We are prepared awaken them all within an hour.”

“Rainbow Dash, take these scrolls to the Canterlot Hospital triage and have the emergency response team meet us in Ponyville to provide one hundred and twenty-two complete physicals and inoculations, then take this one to the castle for supplies.”

“On it!” With that, she disappeared into the sky of the northern horizon.

“Pinkie Pie, can you survey the hive and evaluate excavation of the structure and safe retrieval of the library?”

Pinkie puts her ear to the ground. “Hmm. There’s more of that material than can fit on the rock farm. I’ll get my sisters. They each have a higher Geology degree then me. Oh, Girls, While I’m gone, can you hand out the muffins from my cart? I made enough for everyone. Now I’ll be back in a jiffy!” With that, she disappeared over the southern horizon on hoof.

“And Queen Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis was turned around and started towards the hive. She jumped and looked back. “Yes, Princess Celestia?

“It can just be Celestia and Chrysalis if that’s ok with you. I know there are urgent matters now, but please allow me to be the first one to officially welcome you, your hive, and Anonymous into Equestria with open arms.” Celestia lifted a forehoof in a gesture inviting Chrysalis into a hug. This is not something expected so soon. Chrysalis halts in surprise for a moment, but quickly lunges into Celestia’s embrace.

You have done what you can here. The bridge has been rebuilt between Ponies and changelings, and there is no need for you to take charge anymore. You can do something more comfortable like disappear into the crowd for a bit and help out as much as possible. You know how to place a love crystal in the cocoons to awaken a changeling early, so you start off towards the Hive. Royal guards snap to turning the same way and make their way with a sense of purpose.

“Anonymous, a word please.” A well-trained flat voice that hides concern called out to you from Princess Celestia who still had Chrysalis with her. A well-experienced, happily enthusiastic response came from you as you turned around.

“Sure thing, Princess.” Celestia started walking back to the train. You catch up to her and Chrysalis in the train car with the table and drop the act. “What’s wrong?”

A white cloud forms above you, then it darkens. A Hum resonates from it."

“I personally taught that spell to Twilight. Describe Chrysalis in comparison to Luna and I.”

“Besides the obvious, smaller body and about a head lower than Luna.”

“And the changelings that accompanied her, are they also smaller and shorter than Fluttershy for example?”

“Yes, Princess. Where is this going?”

The cloud dissipates.

“Then you truly haven't seen it. Look at them next to my ponies. They are emaciated, Anonymous. Look at Chrysalis and I. When Chrysalis nearly wan at the Canterlot wedding, she stood as tall as I am.”

Chrysalis couldn't look you in the eye as you started to examine them. Both ponies now stand before you, an alcorn princess that probably never went hungry for the last thousand years in Canterlot, and a changeling queen that has had rationed food for nearly a year. You thought there were just more insect like features on changelings, which made your realization of chrysalis's bony appearance all the worse.

You look out the window. Rarity, Twilight and spike are handing out muffins while Fluttershy goes deeper into the hive. All of the others, including the guards, are offering aid to the first emerging changelings that you now see are holding their heads weakly low, and are not only smaller, but thinner with more rigid features in the bony areas. Princess Celestia must have suspected you tried to manipulate her with the sight at first. Your changelings need even more urgent help than you knew, and you stopped to have a bowl of fruit.

“I didn’t know. Chrysalis, this is the first time I’m seeing you side by side.”

“Perhaps they were being optimistic, or just ignoring it themselves. Tell me how you spent your time in the hive for a week.”

“I stayed isolated in a wing that only housed Chrysalis and I. Chrysalis told me that it would be dangerous to expose myself to the the entire hive alone, so I filled love crystals while studying, not leaving that chamber for days. I was able to make about four dozen shine bright in a twenty-four-hour period, they would be changed out once a day by Light or Gentle, and I don’t honestly know how much good it did. One hundred and eighteen were kept to awaken the changelings from their cocoons.”

“The crystals work passively, correct? Take every empty one into Pinkie’s cart when it's empty. I will take it to the crystal empire myself to have them filled. That aurora you mentioned earlier was from an artifact of the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Heart, which spreads the love of the crystal ponies. I would suggest taking the changelings directly there, but the cold weather will be too much for them in the state that they are in now. Pinkie Pie probably had the idea to cook those muffins with loving intentions. Will food itself do any good for the changelings?”

“Food will supplement, but it is no substitution. If you’re wanting a plan B, then let me brainstorm. Let’s see, we need genuine love more desperately than I thought. There seems to be an abundance of love in the frozen north that we can’t take the changelings directly to. I didn’t want to force things, but I suggest keeping them all in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie is known for welcome parties. Maybe if the whole town is invited, it could be a meet and greet. that would be a safe mixture of changeling and other ponies.”

“What about creating more love crystals?”

“That knowledge is in a lost section of the library. If we cannot recover it, we will have to research new ways of making them. That being said, if the Heart of the changelings somehow survived and is found, there would be no more complications. it was in the direct center of the structure.”

“Inform the survey team of this. The pie sisters are all skilled excavators. You can trust them.”

“Okay. Now think Anon; You wanted to stop suffering but they’re suffering already. Things are in the right direction, but what haven’t you thought of before?” You take a breath. “Princess, I have not studied malnutrition care, human, pony or otherwise. Is there anything else that I need to know to be useful?”

“You can leave any medical care to the experts. Just be there for them like you were going to be.”

“Okay. I’ll load up Pinkie’s cart with the crystals as soon as everyone is awakened. Once everyone is on the train, do not let me leave without retrieving those gun parts.”

Not thinking to address Chrysalis, who has remained silent, you take a deep breath. “This isn’t a pity mission. They are still my changelings, and I am doing this for them. Let’s do this Anon!”

You enter the hive and turn into a passageway lined with transparent green cocoons, each with a sleeping changeling huddled in the fetal position. Picking up all of the glowing crystals in the pile arranged at the entrance, and stuffing them in our pocket, you take one and pierce the cocoon where the base that grabs the floor meets the round outer shell of the cocoon body. From there, a seem fizzles and evaporates upward. Quickly, a hole is formed that drops the changeling towards you. You catch them and lay them down gently. Keep the head above the heart. Comfort them until they can breathe easily. “Shh. It is okay. You are safe. Focus on breathing. There you go. Can you tell me your name?”

“I’m… I’m Glitter Wing.”

You rub her side with your free hand.

“Hello, Glitter Wing. I am Anonymous. I promised that I would eventually learn each changeling’s name. I promise to do my best, butt here are many so do not hesitate to remind me the first few times. The Princesses welcomed the hive into Equestria. As soon as everyone is awake, we will all go to Ponyville and make new friends. Can you try to stand?”

Glitter Wing gets to their hooves and takes a few steps.

“Good. Now join your sisters outside. Pinkie made muffins for everyone. I will wake the others.”

You gave her a hug as strong as you can without crushing her, then watched as she takes the first few steps away before you start on the next one.

After awakening two passageways of changelings, you meet with Fluttershy, Chrysalis, Gentle, and Light. All one hundred and eighteen changelings have awakened and are making their way to the outside. You thank Fluttershy and ask her to help Light do a head count to be sure, then you explain Celestia’s plan to Gentle for filling Pinkie’s cart with the love crystals when the muffins are all passed out. She salutes and heads after the others. You make your way towards your chamber. Chrysalis accompanies you.

“I knew that the situation was dire, but why didn’t you tell me that everyone was so far gone?”

Chrysalis held her head lower. “You were so genuine in wanting to help us. We never took a chance to inform you thinking it would turn into us forcing you to help us.”

“Well it probably would have made me panic and rush. I don’t blame you for that. *sigh* Tell me how much my filling of the crystals helped.”

“No one got any noticeably thinner. You gave us much more hope and comfort than we’ve had in a while.”

"That's a relief. Before we leave, we need to make sure the pies are all informed about the Heart of the Changelings in case there’s any hope they can retrieve it." There was a moment's silence before Chrysalis spoke again.

"This negativity. Are you angry that you didn't know?"

"I'm more mad at myself than anything. Despite everything I planned for, I nearly collapsed after my first meeting with the princesses. I had to stop to eat to recover, and in that time, I could have been making our way here sooner."

"Nonsense. We would not have perished today if you had taken longer. You should see more clearly now that we relied on your strength to do this in our stead, which is why I wanted to go further with you. That is why I withheld this from you. Your reaction shows that you would have been panicked and ineffective had you known." This makes you sigh.

"Damnit you have a point, but after our changelings have recovered, no more secrets. To keep everything going right under normal circumstances, I need to know as much as possible to be able to plan accordingly and prevent things such as this from ever happening again."

You pull Chrysalis into a tight hug, her body closer to your size than a pony or the other changelings, you can hug her tighter.

"Feel this, the love that I will watch over and protect our changelings with. The ambition of my heart to see you and them smiling evermore in this world."

Chrysalis hugs you back, a pleasured sigh escaping her.

"A changeling can drown in the love that you offer, Anon. How do you give such great hugs?"

"The secret is to squeeze as tight as you can without hurting them."

Hearing this, her hug tightens around you, and you remain there for a moment.

"Now come on, Chrysalis. Once we have my things, we can join our changelings and head to Ponyville.

You make a quick stop in the chamber that you've made your room and study for the better part of a week, making sure the gun, bullets, and all of your papers are safely in your backpack.

"So what else happened to my consort other than nearly collapsing on his diplomatic mission?"

"Twilight was surprised at my initial display. No sooner than I convinced her to conjure a truth spell did I immediately shout out two lies. It got the point across, if not the remaining water in my body. All things considered, I have only angered Rainbow Dash and Prince Armor. He was expected to be this unwilling, but I made a comment that unknowingly insulted someone not present but precious to Rainbow dash. I knew there would be no amount of preparing that could make one ready for the spirit of chaos, but discord has been both a prankster to me and my greatest advocate."

"Should we be worried about that?"

"I don't think so. I've got him as a tea buddy to discuss philosophy now."

"Should I be worried about you, then?"

"No, you'll definitely know if it ever comes to that. Speaking of tea, I have been informed that occasional tea socials are a good way to maintain dialogue with the princesses, Celestia, Luna, and Twilight at least. is there a tea that you like?"

"I've never had any yet."

"Obtaining teas that my queen and changelings will enjoy. Yet another action that I shall take."

Smiling, the two of you make your way out of the hive and meet the princesses out in the open just beyond. Again, Princess Celestia is the first to speak.

"All changelings are accounted for, and Pinkie's cart is loaded with all of the Crystals. If it's all the same to you, I believe we can safely dispose of your weapon here and take the rest of your precautions when possible."

"That's fine with me, but please promise me that you won't use levitation on the bullets until they have been destroyed. they are activated by kinetics, and I don't know if levitation will send a lethal object in a random direction. If such a projectile does not completely penetrate a body, it will definitely bounce back and cause more damage."

"Very well. Twilight, a rope please. Discord, Luna, you know what to do."

Twilight turned away and used her magic to pull up grass from all around, weaving it into a rope. Discord spiraled upwards and slammed a fist into the ground, making a deep hole. Princess Luna broke off a boulder from the mountainside and hovered it above the hole once Discord was out of the way. Celestia took a smaller chunk of rock in her own magic that began to glow and loose it's rigid shape. By the time you pulled the box and remnants of your gun, Twilight had hooved you the rope. You tie the objects to one end, turning to the princess of the sun before lowering them down.

"Three thousand degrees should do it."

She nods, the now ball of molten rock glowing brighter without much effort. When satisfied, Celestia lowers the radiant orb into the hole and Luna brings the boulder to the ground. Seconds later, several muffled pops are heard, the boulder is removed, and Princess Cadence brings a rain cloud to cool off the slag. The final piece is a head sized ball of igneous rock and embedded metal. Princess Luna takes it in her magic and sets it on her back.

"We shall take it to Canterlot post haste with thy consort's specific instructions. Might I suggest the finished product be in the shape of something that symbolizes the new peaceful union between changeling and other ponies?"

"An excellent idea, Princess." Chrysalis replied.

Smiling, but only for a moment, Luna turns to you.

"Have pride in the effort that you have made this day, but be warned, the train must go to Appaloosa and turn around, and thine eyes are taking on the appearance of an insomniac. The first passenger car is fitted with beds. Take this time to rest."

"Have I really done that much to myself? Thank you for telling me, Princess." You probably should take that advice to heart. you have walked a marathon and been in several verbal altercations. A nap will probably do you more good than you realize.

Princess Luna nodded and took off with the now inert weapon. Her sister, after fitting herself to Pinky's cart, was not far behind. Pinky, herself, came shortly after, pulling a cart with three more mares in it.

"Hi everypony! Queen Chrysalis, Anon, meet my sisters, Marble, Maud, and Limestone. Marble, Maud, Limestone, meet Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings, and her human consort, Anonymous."

The three ponies give a polite bow, then Marble stepped forward, purpose and determination in her voice.

"Pinkie has told us of the type of material that your hive is made of, and we promise to handle all of it with the utmost of care. Is there any further instruction that we need?" Chrysalis spoke with a smile.

"Thank you, Marble. Princess Celestia has told me that we can trust you and your skills. Besides the main structure, there are three things to look out for. Should you find any crystals that are glowing, or that glow in the presence of loving thoughts, these crystals are vital for storing food for my changelings, and the knowledge for making more is lost to us. Following the rightmost tunnel from the entrance, you will find a chamber with several tablets. The most delicate work should be done there in hopes of recovering the lost knowledge of my hive's library. Finally, Pinky, have you informed them of the Heart of the Changelings?"

"Yup! A glowing crystal the size and shape of a swaddled changeling foal."

"Should that be found, please do not hesitate to bring it directly to the changelings."

"You have our best efforts, your highness. We will send Pinky to Ponyville later for any special supplies, and she will report back with what we can tell from our initial survey." With a combined salute, the four of them made their way directly to the hive. Things are looking up. Everypony turns to the train, and you make your way to the rear car. Chrysalis id the first to notice.

"Anonymous, where are you going?"

"Oh, I'm going to check on our changelings. Go socialize with the nobles. I'll start at the rear car and make my way up to you."

"Alright, but Princess Luna was right about your eyes. Don't pass up the opportunity to rest afterwards."

You nod and continue on your way. Everypony is moving towards the future now, and your changelings should know that everything will be alright. If what Discord said was true, and emotions and sound do carry magic, then maybe Bob Marley is an appropriate friend right now. Whistling the first seven notes, you are the last to board the train, and a guard sticks their head out the window, signaling the train to begin it's latest journey. You sing to your changelings. They return your song with smiles and start singing along themselves. Only after getting every car singing that hopeful song do you meet with the nobles briefly that remind you that you are now starting to look like you've been partying for days.

You make your way into the front most passenger car. Not even bothering with sheets, you lay yourself down onto a cushioned surface and allow the scent of lavender to fill your senses as the rest of you drifts away.