The main room of the library had been nearly transformed from an open area with a single desk into a properly cozy and comfortable seating area for a group of friends. The only difference between now and the other times she had hosted a gathering or sleep over was the softly glowing green gem in the center of the cushion circle that formed the centerpiece of the room. Twilight nudged it slightly and whispered, "My name is Twilight Sparkle," nervousness evident in the slight tremor of her voice. The gem chimed and stayed green, causing the unicorn to release a relieved sigh.

"What's got you so worried, Twilight? I'm sure our friends will be okay with this," said her newest hive member as she flew around the main room like a particularly drunk bumblebee.

"Oh, it's not that, Pinkie. I was just... worried I wasn't Twilight anymore, that becoming a Queen had taken that away from me."

"You silly filly, you'll always be Twilight Sparkle to me!" the other changeling said, landing and poofing back into her normal earth pony guise before hugging her friend and queen tightly.

"Thank you, Pinkie. Now, sit down, our friends should be here any moment."

Pinkie sat on a cushion and was soon joined by her friend as they waited. It didn't take long before they heard voices outside the door shouting.

"Ah'm tellin' ya, Ah have no idea why she wants us here!"

"Come on, AJ. You have to know something! You got here before I did and I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria!"

"Ah was packin' up the apple stall when Ah got the note!"

"Now, now, girls, do calm down. We all received the same note, I'm sure. Aside from the minor variation of requesting Big Mac's presence, which is confusing to me as well."

"Eeyup."

"Oh, I just hope she's okay. She seemed so stressed when we got home, don't you think? I, um..."

"Fluttershy, I can assure you she is absolutely fine. She did help me unpack earlier today."

With that, Twilight opened the door and called out to her friends, "Are you going to stand out there all night or come inside so I can tell you?"

Her friends all filed in and took up seats, Big Mac sneaking in close to the unicorn and trying desperately not to stare. Rarity was staring at the gem in the center of the circle with bits in her eyes, "Twilight, darling, wherever did you get such a fine gem? How have you kept Spike from eating it?"

"Speaking of, where is he?"

"Oh, sound asleep. I couldn't bear to wake him. Now tell me about this gem!"

"It ain't just a gem, Rares. It's a truth-stone. It can tell when somepony ain't bein honest."

"How do you know about those, Applejack? They're rather rare outside Canterlot," Twilight asked.

"Mah Granny uses 'em in business dealin's with Canterlot ponies and some others who ain't exactly on the level. Keeps 'em from lyin through their teeth in a contract negotiation."

"I can imagine that would be very useful. Anyway, it's here because I have something very important to discuss with you all, and I wanted you to know that I was telling you the absolute truth. I'd like each of you to say one truth and one lie to the stone so that you know it's functioning properly. Applejack, since you're familiar with them, would you mind going first?"

"Sure, Twi," the farmpony said, looking at the gem, "Mah name is Applejack," the gem chimed green, "Ah've never done anythin' stupid," she added, and the gem buzzed loudly and turned a bright red.

"Rarity?"

"Must I?"

"Please, it doesn't have to be anything major."

She sighed, "Very well, my name is Rarity," the green returned, "I've never lied to anypony."

The gem buzzed in response and the motion moved to Rainbow Dash, "Come on, do I have to?"

"Well, if everypony is satisifed, I suppose not," Twilight said, looking around and receiving nods of confirmation from her friends, "Okay. I suppose I should just get started then. My name is Twilight Sparkle," she told the gem, receiving the green chime in response, "and I am Queen of the Changelings."

The silence the followed the chime was deafening. Twilight took a deep breath, pulled the bucket into view, and continued to speak, receiving a green chime after each statement, "Chrysalis came to me, dying, and asked me to take over as Queen of her species. I wasn't willing to let my brother and Cadence be party to genocide. I did this willingly. I am not a love-mad parasite. My personality has not been usurped by hers. I am still your friend."

Silence continued to reign afterwards, looks of shock and, in one yellow case, terror showed across every other face in the room save Pinkie Pie, who looked at the crystal and told her own secret, "I am a Changeling too. Twilight transformed me. I wanted to be one!"

Eyes traced back and forth between the two before Fluttershy fainted completely. Applejack's face was contorting as she fought for something to say, "Wait, why'd Ah have to bring Bic Mac?"

"He, erm, well..." Twilight visibly blushed, "I, uh, sort of... succumbed to my heat in the orchard... He and I, we... and I did some... well... and now there are eggs..."

Applejack's eyes shot wide, "You did WHAT with mah brother!?"

"I'm sorry, Applejack, I couldn't control myself. You know how it can be... The fire inside..."

"Ah know, but then y'all lied to me about it, and Big Mac didn't even remember nothin' about talkin' to ya at all!"

"I... panicked. I'm sorry." the gem chimed, even though nopony was paying attention to it anymore.

"Ah just... Twilight, those Changelings nearly killed the Princess, destroyed Canterlot, and had completely brainwashed your brother, and now you're just like them?"

"I'm not like them, Applejack! Chrysalis was hungry and desperate. She had thousands of drones to feed and didn't have nearly the resources anypony else does. I've seen their homeland. It's a flat, barren wasteland as far as the horizon. I couldn't let my BBBFF and Cadence commit genocide!"

"You still feed on love, and that just ain't right. Y'all... Ah... Ah can't deal with this right now," the farmer said, standing and rushing out the door, leaving everyone else a bit stunned as Twilight began to cry. Pinkie wrapped her queen in a hug and was joined by Big Mac and then, suddenly, Rainbow Dash.

"R-rainbow?"

"You're still Twilight. You weren't lying about that. That means you're still my friend. And hay, if you need someone to teach you how to use those wings, I can probably help you out!"

Twilight sobbed and hugged everypony closer, then looked at Rarity.

"So, earlier, when we... and you said you had copied their magic, you were actually a Changeling already?"

"Yes."

Rarity's eyes turned to the gem, "Did you use magic to seduce me?"

"No, I did not," the other unicorn replied, and the gem chimed and stayed green.

"Very well, then I can't say I'm upset. It was rather enjoyable... and think about what this means! I can design a wardrobe for a Queen! You can shapeshift so I can experiment with styles! This is going to be wonderful!" the fashionista said, joining the hug.

"Th-thank you, everypony. I'm... I'm glad, I just wish Applejack didn't..."

"She'll come around, darling, don't worry. I believe though, that one of us should wake Fluttershy up."

"Oh, I'm already awake... if, um, that's okay..."

"Of course, dear, are you alright?"

"I'm so sorry I fainted. It was just a shock to hear the Queen died from that... I could never really hate her, even after what she did."

"You always have been the kindest pony I've known, darling," Rarity said, smiling.

"Um, if it's alright with you, I'd like to go home now..."

"It's fine, Fluttershy. We'll talk to you soon, okay?" Rarity said, "Spa date tomorrow as usual?"

"Of course, Rarity, I wouldn't miss that for anything."

The fashionista smiled and Fluttershy left with a lot of thoughts in her head.

"Well, I just hope Applejack comes around soon. I don't know if she's more frustrated that you're a changeling or that you did... that... with her brother."

"Hay, I'm just jealous Twi got to do it first! He's a hunk!" Rainbow Dash interjected as Big Mac shuffled nervously on his cushion.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Twilight smiled a little as her friends continued to bicker, but her thoughts were drawn back to Applejack's reaction and how she would handle the situation. Hopefully it would be as easy as giving her a day or two to stew over it and think it through, but knowing her stubborn friend, it could take a lot longer. Still, she had other problems to take care of in the meantime, such as explaining the situation to Big Mac and dealing with the hatching of her eggs.

Applejack trudged through Ponyville as angrily as she could, heading first back to the farm and then turning to head in the direction of the Carousel Boutique. She knocked on the door, heavily, until a half-asleep purple dragon answered, "AJ? What are you doing here?"

"Spike, this is important, I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia immediately."

"What? What about?"

"There are Changelings in Ponyville."

Author's Note

I still need some Changeling OCs to use for the guardians. I've got a few usable submissions, but unfortunately some just don't fit with the canon of this particular fanfic.