Unity

Twilight Sparkle’s world came to a standstill. The gifted sorceress derailed off the Train of Logical Thought, crashed directly into Utter Disbelief, complete with Trembling Form and Mental Breakdown. Finally, after agonizing moments, she spoke. “That’s not funny, Chrysalis. This sick joke has gone on long enough.”

“I’m not joking, Twilight Sparkle. I have no heirs. I have no other changeling I want upon the throne—my throne. More than ever, my Swarm needs a true leader. One who will lead them with the wisdom I lacked and my mother misplaced. That leader is you.”

Twilight was still in full Denial. “No. No, no, no, no. I can’t. I won’t. You can’t make me. I want nothing to do with you… insects!” Twilight knew she sounded like a whining little foal, but she couldn’t care less.

Chrysalis actually managed a dry, wheezing laugh. “I’m afraid you are wrong on two out of three counts there, Twilight. First of all, changelings are not insects. We are ponies, or as close as we can be to one. Not having enough food can be very hard on us, to the point of our bodies becoming… decayed. Secondly, you will become the next queen. You are correct, I cannot make you, but I know you will anyway. I think it is time I lifted the little enchantment I placed upon you.” Chrysalis’ horn pulsed weakly.

If Twilight was in a panic mode earlier, now she was in a full blown Lesson Zero Breakdown. She blinked, once, twice, three times, and then she promptly shrieked. Her right hoof went first to her horn, feeling its long, sharp point. She then spun in place, trying to see all of the changes that had been wrought on her body.  Even Rainbow Dash backed away a little, eyes wide. The chromatic pegasus seemed to be at a loss at words as she stared at her egghead friend. Finally, the unicorn came to a dead standstill and glared at Chrysalis with the force of a thousand brilliant suns. “What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?”

“I shielded your mind, Twilight, and those of your closest friends. I couldn’t have you or them panicking over the changes I wrought upon you. It would have made the process of transferring my power all that more difficult. This is why I’m so frail now. I’ve been steadily giving over the powers of the Hive Queen to you over the past several days.”

“But… how? Even the princesses can’t be fooled by a bit of mind trickery!” Twilight now sounded more lost and confused than anything else now. Rainbow Dash approached again and lifted a wing to drape it over the unicorn’s back in comfort.

“All Hive Queens are capable of performing one last, great spell before they pass. My mother used the last of her power to aid in our escape the night she fell. I have been using the last of my power to keep you sane. But alas, there can be no more questions. The rest you will have to figure out on your own, Twilight.”

“So that’s it, then?” Rainbow Dash demanded hotly, stalking closer to the dying monarch. “You’re just going to force this off to my best friend, and expect her to accept it?”

The only answer came from Twilight. Her horn pulsed a dull magenta. Then there was a slight pop, and she was gone. She reappeared on a nameless mountain some distance away. Teleporting without ever having seen the destination was risky, irresponsible, but the unicorn couldn’t care less at that moment. Her magical reserves could handle it. She could teleport around the entire globe and never enter Magical Exhaustion. Twilight scowled at nothing, her face drawn into a sharp frown. Her mane whipped chaotically behind her as she began to pace to and fro, her sharp mind quick at work.

Why, of all ponies, did this happen to me? Twilight thought piteously.

Oh, maybe its because you’re just that amazingly awesome. Came Rainbow Dash’s voice.

Rainbow! Get out of my head! A pause. Wait. I teleported some place as far away from the changeling lands as I could. How in Equestria are you still able to hear my thoughts?

Twilight could hear Dash shrug. Maybe this link has unlimited range. Anyway Twi, what’s up?

Twilight could feel herself reaching Irrationality again as she snapped, What do you mean, what’s up? I just found out my entire life was a lie! I just found out I’m not the same pony I thought I was! I just discovered that a creature I really, really do not care for has been tampering with my mind while she grooms me to become the next in line to her throne. Me! Queen of the Changelings!

Whoa, hold on there, Twi. What do you mean; your entire life has been a lie? You know that’s not true. Last I checked, all this craziness has only started happening recently. It’s not like this was something planned before you were born.

Twilight took a deep, shuddering breath. Yeah, okay. I know, I know. I probably overreacted a bit there. But still! She just… plans to foist all of this off to me, and expects me to go along with it! What do you think Dashie? What should I do?

There was a pregnant pause. Twilight, I’m afraid I can’t help you. As much as I hate seeing my favorite egghead confused and at a loss, this isn’t a decision I can make for you.

What are you saying? You’re just going to leave me to my fate?

Never. Rainbow’s voice was so icy during that one syllable Twilight shivered. Just because I can’t offer you a decision does not mean that I’m not going to be there. Got it? Sure, fine. All of a sudden you’re the next Changeling Queen. Big deal. Think about it, Twi. You’re nothing like Chrysalis. At all. You’re powerful. You’re compassionate. You’re so Luna-blasted modest it’s not even funny. I think you’d make a good leader to a species. If there’s anypony I’d trust to bring peace between the changelings and other nations, it’s you.

Twilight was silent. Almost against her will, her mind visualized Lyra and Amethyst. For the first time in a long time, changeling and pony stood side by side in a bond stronger than normal friendship. They supported each other. They loved each other. It was a never ending cycle. Amethyst fed off of the love that Lyra constantly gave her, without even meaning to. Lyra, in turn, had a lover she could trust, a lover who would always support her. Would Twilight just ignore this type of evidence? Could she? And then there was Flicka. Chrysalis had accepted the cyborg for what she was. She had offered the once broken mare a job, and a way to earn her keep. Was Twilight really going to deny Chrysalis’ final request, when there was so much evidence of Chrysalis attempting to make amends for the past? Deep in her heart of hearts, Twilight already knew the answer. With a last sigh, Twilight teleported once again to Chrysalis’ chambers.

“As you wish, then, Chrysalis. I will accept this burden you are asking of me.” Rainbow Dash bowed her head slightly, as though she had expected this outcome.

Twilight approached Chrysalis. “How are we going to do this, then? How are we going to finish making me Queen of the Changelings before you die?”

“Touch your horn to mine, Twilight Sparkle.” Hesitating, wondering what was going to happen next, Twilight did as she was bid.

Green light flashed around the chamber, blinding the other occupants and causing them to cry out in shock. But even their voices seemed distant to the sudden influx of voices stampeding into the chosen Queen’s mind. At first, the calls were only barely there, nothing more than tiny whispers within Twilight’s mind. But then they began to grow louder and louder, roaring and bellowing in one giant voice. Twilight buckled as she desperately tried to stem the flow of sounds. But it was no use. With a last head splitting shout, the cries rooted themselves within her mind, all calling out to their new leader.

“LOVE!” Twilight screamed suddenly, twisting in agonized torment. “There’s not… enough love… the hunger…!” The sorceress barely even registered Rainbow Dash as the Wonderbolt came hurtling out of nowhere, trying to get Twilight to calm down, and to speak coherently. There was a burst of magic, Twilight’s own magenta, which picked Dash up and sent her flying into the wall. Even as Dash struggled back to her hooves, Twilight could feel millions and millions of ravenous changelings begin to leech away her very life force. She didn’t have enough love, enough positive emotions within her to sate them all. She was going to die here, in this dank chamber, and she was not going to be able to stop it…

Then Rainbow Dash was there again, ramming into Twilight’s side and pinning the unicorn down. With an angry snarl, the pegasus wrapped both wings around Twilight’s horn and began pushing her own magic into the rapidly fading unicorn. Her voice also invaded Twilight’s mind, heard easily above the cries of hungry changelings. Luna damnit all, Twi, I’m not losing you! Hold on. Help’s here. Even as Rainbow Dash spoke, more voices, familiar voices, began to speak.

“C’mon, Twilight. We’ve got ya Sugarcube.” Applejack’s voice sounded loud and clear, even as a new torrent of energy from the Element of Honesty cascaded into Twilight.

“We’re here for you, Twilight.” Fluttershy was next, her thoughts soothing and calm.

“Darling, it’s going to be okay. Nothing is about to take our friend from us.”

“Let us support you, Twilight! We’ll have a party after you get back!”

Then, it was not just her friends. More voices began to speak, to be heard. Her parents, flooding their daughter with their own affection. Princess Celestia, Princes Luna, Princess Cadance. Shining Armor, her brother.  Everypony from Ponyville, it felt like. Slowly, bit by painful bit, the changeling voices inside Twilight’s head grew silent. There was finally a blessed moment of silence before Twilight’s head exploded again—this time, with unrestrained joy. Love slammed back into Twilight Sparkle like a gale force storm, revitalizing her and healing her. More and more love flowed into Twilight’s prone form, changing her. Filling her with peace and purpose. Then, at long last, the voices fell silent. But Twilight could still feel their love, their happiness. She could even feel the threads of love connecting her to her friends and family, instead of exclusively her changelings. Then, at long last, Twilight Sparkle, Queen of the Changelings, opened her tear stained eyes.

The very first thing Twilight saw was Rainbow Dash. The sorceress blinked once. Then twice. Finally, she found her voice and whispered, “Sweet Celestia, what have I done?”

Rainbow Dash’s brows lowered. “Twilight?" She asked. “What’s wrong?”

Twilight could only reach a hoof towards her best friend. “You—you’re…”

Growing more bewildered by the moment, Rainbow Dash finally looked down at herself. The pegasus gasped. She was no longer the same cyan flyer she had been moments ago. She was a changeling. Or, a hybrid, at least. Instead of the soft cyan fur, Rainbow Dash was covered in sky blue chitin plating, just like any other changeling. Her wings were actually longer than they had been previously, and her mane and eyes seemed more vibrant, more alive. She did not have a horn. But the most amazing thing of all… there were no holes. Nothing but smooth, armored chitin.  Twilight scrambled to her hooves, wings rustling. Wait… Wings?

Twilight’s head snapped around so fast she nearly toppled over. There, resting upon her sides was a pair of a gossamer changeling wings. But… they were not like any changeling wings Twilight had yet seen. They were just as long as Rainbow Dash’s new pegasus wings, and shaped just like hers. Twilight could almost tell that these wings were designed for swift flight—just like a pegasus. A cursory scan of the rest of her body showed her that she was just like Dash—nothing but smooth chitin. There were no holes in her legs, or her horn. Her horn was not jagged, but just as tapered as ever. Twilight felt her gaze gravitate back towards her best friend.

“Rainbow, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how this happened. I never wanted this to happen to you.”

Rainbow was currently examining her new appearance curiously. “I feel fine, though” she said, finally glancing up. “I feel… better than I have in a long time. I think… it’s because I can feel the love of the Swarm. It’s giving me so much energy.”

To Twilight’s pleasant surprise, it seemed as though Rainbow was right. Delving inside her mind—the Hivemind—she could feel the Wonderbolt as clearly as any of the millions of changelings Twilight now had access to. It was also then that Twilight became aware of another noise, a multitude of voices ringing out, physically and mentally.

“QUEEN CHRYSALIS HAS PASSED! LONG LIVE THE NEW QUEEN, TWILIGHT SPARKLE! LONG LIVE THE NEW PRINCESS, RAINBOW DASH!”