Crystals Grow on Rainbows

"Everything's gonna be fine. They say there's no permanent damage, you'll just need time to wake up."

"Opal woke up last night. Celestia healed her smaller heart, and most of her lung. Every time she breathes, it sounds like she's choking. But at least she is breathing again. But she needs her mother, Rarity. Please, try to wake up soon."

"I'm doing my best at the Boutique, but I can't keep up any more. Between dressmaking and taking care of the animals, I'm starting to lose sleep. I need you Rarity. Nothing feels right without you around. Please?"

"Rarity? How long are you going to sleep? Opal's out of the hospital now, and you still haven't even opened your eyes. Sky keeps asking where you are, and I'm starting to wonder the same thing. You need to fight whatever is keeping you asleep, I need you."

"Mom? Come on, you never just give up like this. You always push yourself until you've accomplished the goal. And I know, I never did that myself, but I didn't think that it'd end up with both of us in the snow like that. Wake up..."

*

Rarity recoiled as light filled her vision. After two whole months in the dark, seeing the bright light of a hospital room caused a rather large amount of pain to her eyes. It was the good sort of pain. Like removing a splinter from one's hoof, or taking off a bandage. The sort of pain that told her she was alive, and wouldn't have to feel any more pain.

After several moments of constant blinking, her eyes finally adjusted to being open once more. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Opal were all there. Her filly now had a bandage around the right wing, as well as a noticeable scar on her chest. But she was otherwise alright. Twilight's pregnancy had begun to show, she herself didn't look too concerned at all. But it was Dash's hug that gave her the most comfort in the end.

"Talk about beauty sleep. I was starting to go a little nuts back home." Rarity nudged her mare with a smile. Much to her surprise, she actually did feel well rested. Though her stomach clearly demanded she find something solid to eat for once. "You did it. We beat Chrysalis and Sombra. Though you gave me a real scare for a while there, I'm just so glad that you made it at last."

Dash glanced back at Opal, who had her eyes glued to looking at the floor. She couldn't handle guilt well. It concerned Rarity that her own daughter felt responsible, she had heard everything the others had said to her during her sleep. "Opal. It's not your fault. You did your best; nopony can blame you for that. You can't keep taking sole responsibility for everything, that's what we're here for, okay?"

It took a while for Opal to finally make her way over to the bed and embrace her parents. Her wing had hurt constantly from its dislocation, until that moment. Now it felt like nothing more than a dull discomfort in her shoulder. "I was so worried! And, you're meant to be the one who worries about me!" There was still some coughing she had to overcome yet, but Rarity didn't mind that at all.

Twilight's own cough however, was more to redirect attention. Rarity sat up further while Dash and Opal moved to make room for her. "We found out what the tendriculos were for. A few ponies say they spotted one right on the path where Trixie had been coming back from Vanhoover." A shadow fell across Rarity's face. She had a fair idea of where Twilight was going, and it definitely had her worried.

"That one which had planted in Applejack's orchard. It was meant to take us, so we could be exchanged for... Changelings. But the one in Canterlot already had several ponies, and it was a Changeling I saw flee from inside it." They knew Sombra had something to do with the attack on Canterlot, but to hear that Chrysalis had been involved too, right from the beginning made it seem far worse.

There was a moment during which Twilight had to take a shuddering breath. "We don't know how many are out there, but there is a very real possibility that they've spread right across Equestria. And all the real ponies are hidden in their main base, including Trixie, which we have no way of finding." Rarity didn't quite know why Twilight wanted her to know immediately, but it had to be for a good reason.

Unlike last time she recalled getting out of a hospital bed, she had no difficulty in standing up. Eventually, she rested her hoof on Twilight's cheek. "We will find her, I promise. You two had such a special bond; it isn't fair at all that the Changelings took that away from you." Twilight pulled herself away again, much to Rarity's surprise. This wasn't like her at all, what had her upset so greatly?

"Celestia used her magic to look at the foal, just a few days ago. She isn't just part Changeling... She has dark crystal in her too. She's got both my magic, and Sombra's magic. And, I don't know if there's any way to counteract his magic without finding another of those hybrid changelings." That made a lot more sense to her now. It had to be horrible, carrying the constant concern that her foal could turn out to be more evil than good.

"We will find her, I promise. There must be some information on the Changelings, anything that will help us. You must have faith Twilight."

End of Part Six.

*

(A preview of the sequel, 'The Magic of Swimming in Stars')

"I found it!" Spike almost fell off the ladder as he pulled the book clear from the shelf. The leather covering had become tacky, sticking to the other books like glue. As it continued to lean back, he struggled to grab onto the shelf, without success. "Twilight!" It was Opal, the young crystal alicorn with a mane of blue and rainbow that caught him on her back.

"You know Spike, if you used wooden wedges on the base of the ladder; you'd prevent it from falling back all the time like that." Spike wasn't too concerned by that, gently getting down off her back and bringing the book over to Twilight. She had fallen asleep over several research notes that described what was possibly an entrance to a small Changeling base. Even if it was abandoned, it would be invaluable for research.

"Twilight. I found it, the book that was in my dream! Y'know the one I told you about, where Opal came in and pointed it out to me?" Opal looked at him in worry. Somehow, the idea of appearing in his dreams was a little creepy. But she kept that to herself, putting on a polite smile. Twilight in the meantime woke with quite a start, but quickly returned to her usual hyperactive self once Spike waved the book in front of her.

"Really? That's great, if there's even a slight hint at where we can find the hive... Oh..." A slight hint wasn't what she found at all. Far from it in fact. What she did find had her heart racing. "Spike, this is what we've been searching for this whole time. Everything we've wanted to know about the Changelings... ever!" Spike felt pretty proud of himself for such a find, even if a dream version of the Crystal Princess led him to it.

She herself walked over slowly after cleaning up the rest of the books. Twilight's eyes were focused on the words, though not in her usual manner of study. "Hey, Spike? Isn't this, your writing?" To compare, she brought one of his letters to Celestia over. Her mentor had the same idea, lining up particular letters with each other.

"But, that's impossible! I don't know anything more about the Changelings than you two do! How could I write a comprehensive guide on a race that nopony knows?" There was no mistaking it however. Somehow, he had written that entire book. It even had his personal signature on the cover.

Twilight had an answer, the only real one that made sense. And yet it didn't. Such a conflict of logic was making her head hurt, but there was no other explanation. "You didn't write this book, at least... not yet. But one thing is really clear. I know where to find Trixie, and all the other ponies that have been replaced. I just hope that we can get there in time."