Skyline was off-duty. Her egg was too close to be assigned anything more stressful than helping out around the castle. Part of her was sure she could even skip that, if she wanted, which she did not. Doing literally nothing sounded like a terrible idea.

She pushed along a cart full of books as she looked left and right for the right shelf for each one to get them back where they belonged. She came across some books that didn't belong on the shelves. "Who's been reading romance novels?" She ran a hoof along the spines and picked one out to look at. It was old, from before the monarchy changed over. "Huh?" Somewhat interesting, but didn't belong in that section at all.

She got to work swapping them out until the sensation of being watched washed over her. She twirled around to face one of several drones in batpony disguise. "Is something wrong?" She tucked the novel under her wing, holding it against her side.

"Yes." He pointed. "We wanted to talk to you."

"We?" Skyline looked about furtively, but that drone appeared to be alone. "We?"

"We." The romance novels suddenly erupted into flames, becoming more bat ponies. This meant Skyline was holding one of them up with her wing.

Skyline quickly dropped the former book. "What do you want?" She looked about, but she didn't see a way out of this. "Did you have questions?"

They all nodded. The one that had started talking stepped a little closer. "Yes. They told us you're growing an egg. They said you did it before. Weren't those little grub stories?"

Skyline let out a slow breath. "Yes, I did have some. They are bat ponies, you met them before. Lovely creatures." She smiled at them, a fang displayed. "Why do you ask?"

The one at the front of the questions reached back for their midsection. "I think I may be doing it too. You've done this once, and are doing it again. You are an expert. Can you check? Am I doing it right? Will it hurt me?"

Skyline snickered gently. "Okay, calm down. The answer to the first two is that I'm not sure." She giggled a bit as she started feeling where the egg may be resisting in the concerned changeling. "It will hurt when you lay it, but not for long. It was worth every moment." She was no doctor, but things felt as right as they could be. "Are you prepared to be a mother?"

"No," they all hissed out at the same time.

The one that had started it shrank back. "I'm scared."

Skyline shook her head. "Don't be. It's an adventure." She leaned forward, cradling them close. "An adventure with some hard bits. But when I look at my foals, I can't think of anything I'd rather do more than spend time with them."

She spread her wings, inviting the other drones in to get some hug time. "I'll talk to the ones in charge, get you all some time off too. We can spend it together. I'll help you, as much as I can. We're all in this, together."

One drone inclined their head slowly. "Why are you being so nice? I'm not used to changelings doing things for me just because they feel like it. Is there a catch?"

Skyline lifted one wing and stretched her arm out to run a hoof along the head of one drone. "We've all been raised differently. We've been told different things, had different experiences." She lowered her hoof. "You can blame it on the ponies rubbing off on me, but I want you all to be safe and happy. If it makes you feel better, I also want more bats around, and this is how we get those."

Surprisingly perhaps, that did relax them. Skyline had a clear motive, and that put them at ease. It wasn't just confusing altruism at play. "Is there anything we can do to help you?"

Skyline made a purring sound deep in her throat. "Well, since you're asking, why don't you help me here?" She pointed a wing at her book cart. "Grab a book and get it back where it belongs. We'll all be here until the end of my shift."

"Yes, Mom." They went for the books without further complaint, but that sent Skyline's heart to thundering in her chest. Mom? When did she become a mother figure to a bunch of adult drones? It was flattering, if a little confusing. She decided not to argue it. She did feel a bit protective of the poor things.

A changeling doesn't know their family, and as such, have no parents. If anything, their elders are authority figures and mentors. This included Queen Chrysalis who they knew all their lives. But Skyline had dragged them away from the queen, and, apparently, become something of a stand-in Queen for them. She laughed under her breath at the notion of being a queen of any sort.

She looked about furtively, though this gathering had nothing to do with work. She reached into her cart and pulled out a book to put on a shelf. Then another. With all of them there working at it, the work went by faster than she had originally planned, and soon the cart had not a single book remaining. "Let's get this cart put away. Good job, team."

They started following after her, and she knew why. It was as if they had imprinted on her. They needed some guidance and direction. Even when it came to eggs, apparently. Skyline huffed gently, but she had a smile on her face. She couldn't bring it in her to actually be annoyed at them. Shoot, she thought back to her confusing first time. It would have been nice to have had some other 'ling around to lean against.

So, if she could help these guys, then she'd do it. What kind of parent would she be if she didn't? Her thought went back to Queen Chrysalis, who was likely to return. She'd expect results eventually. That wasn't something she wanted to think about, and now was not the time for it. But she knew she'd have to deal with it sooner or later.

She got the cart away and diverted off towards Luna's room with her small squadron of drones trailing behind her. The doors were wide open, so she simply walked right in. Luna was sitting at her desk, working on something. Skyline saw an opening and took it, coming up to sit next to the princess and snuggle up against her.

Luna jumped in surprise before she saw who it was. "I didn't know you were a cuddle bug."

Skyline lifted a tufted ear at that. "It escapes me why ponies have that saying. Most changelings are not very cuddly." She turned in place, pointing at the nearby drones. "They are becoming full of egg. I offered to help them, so I suggest they be moved off active duty. I'll show them ways to help around the castle, and be a helping hoof as they get into this confusing part of things."

Luna smiled softly at that. "That is sweet of you. How is your own egg?"

Skyline rested a wing on her side. "Getting big. I can feel that special time inching towards me, but it's not as much of a surprise this time. I feel confident enough. I just want to help them too, avoid how worried I was at times. Not as scared."

Luna laughed softly. "That sounds like a great plan. I'll see to it. Do you know how many will be joining us?"

One of the drones perked at that. "Can you tell?"

Another nodded sharply. "Please, tell us."

Skyline laughed nervously. "That isn't something I can figure out by looking at you. A pony doctor has better tools that may reveal how we're all doing. How about we all go visit one tomorrow? The castle has a few nice ones. If we find out there's no egg, then you'll get back to work right away, but your worries will be over, at least for the moment, hm?"

She got a bunch of nods. It seemed she was able to get them all to agree on that. Luna was looking between them with a small smile on her lips. "Should I have my cooks make something special?"

Skyline perked an ear at that. "Nice of you, but I think I can do the most good just bringing them home and talking to them. I wanted to bring you up to date on things before that though. You should be happy though." She turned to face Luna properly. "More bats will join us soon."

Luna put a hoof to her chest. "That's a wonderful thought, indeed!"

Skyline chuckled gently. "Which is why I need to make sure our future mothers are all well cared for. Come on." She started for the door, her cloud of drones coming with her.

Luna watched them go. She couldn't help but smile at that. To see a motherly instinct in action, a changeling no less! She thought back to when Skyline had first arrived, confused and doing such a poor job of deceiving her. How long ago it seemed, though it wasn't really that long. To see the creature shed her former self and embrace her new life, she knew she was doing something right. "A new tribe." She sighed at the very idea, but ultimately resumed her paperwork. It wasn't doing itself.

Skyline guided them all back to her home. "You're all in, hm, passive duty. You can help out around the castle and stay busy, but no assignments, and physical training is optional on days you feel up for it."

One drone curled their tail up behind themself. "Can we just lay on a couch and read?"

Skyline rolled her eyes, but nodded slowly. "I don't see why not."

They seemed quite happy with that idea. "I'll get started on that." They went right over to Skyline's couch and flopped upon it. "You have a soft one."

"Of course I do!" Skyline shook her head. "I forgot how silly changelings can be." She started as she was prodded in the side. "Hm?"

The drone that had done the poking was looking at Skyline evenly. "You are a changeling too. Are you silly?"

Skyline giggled nervously at that. "Oh, I'm plenty silly. But I try to keep it under wraps around Luna. She doesn't need me acting like some sassy grub." She grinned wide, showing off her fangs. "But this is my home. You can be as silly as you feel like. We're all family, and we're going to take care of each other, alright?"

There was a murmur of agreement from the drones that had accompanied her.

Skyline couldn't help but giggle. "How many of you were expecting me to leave you to it and just walk out the door?"

One hoof raised nervously. "I, um, expected you to yell at us, for wasting your time."

Another drone nodded. "Queen Chrysalis would have."

Skyline hissed softly at that. "And Chrysalis wasn't exactly a great queen." She straightened up and lifted a wing. "She's going to be dealt with. I won't see her back here." The drones looked baffled at that idea. "I mean it. You're safe here. We can go about our lives, free of her meddling." She fidgeted slightly, wondering how much she could really trust them. She reached over and wrapped her wing around the closest drone. "We'll talk more about this later. Just know that you are part of a new family, and that family cares about you a lot."

They relaxed into the wing, feeling the love wash over them. "Family?"

"Yes." Skyline tugged the others in to get them close enough to stroke her wing across their backs as well. "A hive, with no bossy angry queen, just a few nice princesses, and a Skyline who isn't even one of those, but wants you to be happy. How's that sound?"

"That sounds..." The drone at the center of the hug took a breath. "Really nice."

Skyline looked to the door. "My children should be home soon. You've met one of them before. Nice little ponies. Be nice to them and they'll be nice back."

They all nodded slowly.

Skyline tensed at the sound of the door opening. She glanced over to see Sure Arrow walk in, and moved quickly over to her. "Hi, baby girl." She reached up with a wing and stroked her cheek. "How was school?"

Sure Arrow giggled gently. "You're so cute when you get like this." She bit her mother as a way of saying hello. "Is there a reason there's a whole night guard convention going on in here?"

Skyline eased up on her mothering instincts. "I'm helping them all through an egg situation. I think." She winked at one of them. "Still waiting for a real doctor to confirm that."

Sure perked at that. "Oh, the changelings. Hi!" She waved a wing at them all. "How are you all feeling?"

"Better." One stepped forward, fluttering their wings shyly. "Your mom is nice. She's teaching us a lot about what to expect."

Sure nodded. "That's good." She reached out with a hoof to prod her mother in the side. "I'll get out of your way. I don't know much about that kinda stuff, but I do have homework." She stuck out her tongue in distaste. "Gonna get that done real quick!"

Skyline patted her on the head. "Go get 'em, sport." She watched her go, then turned back to the gathered changelings. "Alright, so." She fluffed up her wings. "We all get it off our chests now or later?"

One drone nervously tucked their tail in. "It's a dumb question, but how long will this be?"

"That's actually a great question." Skyline reached a hoof to rub along her side. "The last time I did this, it was about six moons from when I really started to feel it to when I was holding my eggs. Then another few for them to hatch and become the adorable little foals they are now."

One drone shifted on their feet. "And you were happy? You had help?"

Skyline nodded sharply. "The ponies were there for me, the whole way. I'll be here for you too. Luna wants to see more bat ponies, but more than that, she wants you all to be safe and happy." She pondered a moment. "Oh, um, one thing. None of this is forced. If you're just not up for this, say so. None of us want to force a changeling to be a mom if they don't want to be one. They should know what they're getting into, after all."

They seemed surprised by that, but pleased. One flopped against Skyline, which turned into a hug, which became a few more. Soon she was buried in bat ponies. She could think of worse places to be, and relaxed into the warm furry pile with them all. A chuckle came from nearby, and Skyline looked up to see Night Wind peeking in. "Hey, kid."

Night stepped closer and giggled gently. "You guys are really enjoying this, aren't you?" He nosed one of the changelings. "Can I join?"

Skyline nodded at him. "Absolutely. This is a family matter. You're a part of this too."

Night moved in, worming his way into the center of the hug pile with Skyline. The drones didn't seem to mind having another friendly participant, and they all warmly snuggled in that communal pile.

Eventually, the moment passed and they separated. They decided on making dinner together. It was as close to a team building exercise as any they could come up with. None of them had really experienced that sort of thing before, but Skyline was there to lead the charge to getting things ready to please tongues for everycreature in the house.

Author's Note

A happy family, yay!

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