(excuse any disjointed starts or a big gap between the last chapter and this one- for obvious reasons I should think)

Twilight and Chrysalis stood on the highest tower of the hive, looking out to where they could barely see the lights of Ponyville in the night. The hive had been revitalizing further since the first surge. Every changeling had ashen skin and aesthetic plating, which was like combat plating but more to cover their further humanoid bodies than to protect themselves. It didn’t cover much, but for Twilight and Chrysalis at least, it covered what needed to be covered. There was still carapace covering the forearms and lower legs like gauntlets and long boots.

It had been a month since her first memory surge, and Twilight had experienced it twice more. She remembered a lot of her early life, the only block missing now was her life in Ponyville.

“I won’t be there to physically help you with anything, but our connection is ever present.” Chrysalis said softly.

“The hive mind is always there, I know this well.” Twilight replied, smiling at her queen. Chrysalis smiled back but shook her head. She turned to Twilight, cupped the girl’s face in her hand and leaned her forehead against the girl’s.

“While that is true, the connection you and I have is far stronger… It is a bond formed of love, more than the love we feed on. I know you feel it too.” She said. After a moment, Twilight wrapped her arms around Chrysalis and pulled her into an embrace.

“I have felt it… I just don’t know what to think of anything like that yet. I’m still trying to figure my life out, you know?” Twilight said, pulling back from Chrysalis and turning towards the edge. “Next we meet in person, I’ll have figured myself out.” She continued. Chrysalis smiled again and nodded.

“Hey Kid.” They heard. They turned to see Kaine. She tossed a full hunting harness and Twilight’s bow and quiver to her. “That’s all yours.” She continued with a grin. Twilight caught them, gave a single laugh and put the gear on. She knocked her plated forearm against the Huntress’ and quickly shot into the air.

When Twilight faded from view, Kaine bumped Chrysalis on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, my Queen. You know just as well as we all do what’s going to happen when she returns.” She said and left. Chrysalis chuckled and went back into the hive herself.

---

“It’s about time! I’ve been waiting all morning!” Twilight heard. She followed the voice to find Dash lying on a cloud at the edge of the scarred forest. Twilight laughed and held her arms out, to which Dash proceeded to air tackle her in a hug.

“It’s your fault for getting here early then.” Twilight laughed, recovering from the brutal embrace. Dash just put her hands on her hips, stuck her tongue out and shot towards Ponyville.

“Come on slow poke! Everyone’s waiting!” Dash called.

“Why are you yelling so loud?” Twilight called back from right next to her. Dash wavered in the air, not expecting Twilight to be so fast. “I’m a hunter, we go fast.” Twilight continued and shot ahead. Dash grinned and followed. If it was a race she wanted, then she’ll get it.

Dash is, after all, the fastest flyer in Equestria. She beat Twilight to the outskirts of Ponyville by a good twenty seconds. Dash was panting, but when Twilight landed she more or less collapsed.

“Good lord, I’ve never gone that fast for that long… I’m not going ot be able to fly for hours now!” She groaned, getting back to her feet. Dash laughed and lightly punched the girl’s shoulder.

“I’ll get you used to it. So, what exactly are you supposed to do here as a harvester or whatever?” Dash asked as she started leading Twilight through the town. They were attracting a lot of stares, mostly positive or neutral.

“Really just soaking up as much love as I can and every now and then, when I fill up or whatever, I go back home and spread it through the hive.” Twilight started. She was going to say more, but she stopped as a man staggered in front of them. It may have been morning, but it appears one of Ponyville’s few drunks had taken until five in the morning to call it a night.

“H-Hey, hey! Changeling skum! Yeah, I’m talkin’ to ya!” He yelled, his speech barely even english at this point. Twilight deadpanned and Dash crossed her arms. “How ‘bout you get the hell outta my town! This here is my place! No dirty Changelings allowed!” He exclaimed, staggered towards them more. Dash took a step forward and made to slug the guy, but Twilight grabbed her arm and gave her a look and a smirk that said ‘let him try’. Dash grinned and put her hands on her waist.

“What are you going to do about it? This is as much my home as it is yours…. even if I can barely remember it.” Twilight said to him. He just sneered and, once he was close enough, launched a sloppy drunken punch in her general direction. Twilight blocked it with her forearm, a thud sound emanating from the rigid carapace. They stood like that for a second or two before the man pulled his hand back, holding it, and drawing out a long ‘owwwww!’.

:You’re drunk and you’re stupid, Wheatley. You might want to be leaving right about now. Go on, git.” A very low and drawn out voice said. They turned to see Big Mac pulling a large cart by hand. The drunk grunted and left, still holding his hand.

“Sorry about that Miss Dash, Miss Twilight. I just fired him last night for makin’ a fuss with our changeling farmhand and he must have took to liquer. Mighty fine seeing you again, Miss Twilight.” He explained, finishing by tipping his hat and going on his way.

“Changeling farmhand?” Twilight asked.

“Not so much in the more ‘sophisticated’ towns but in town like Ponyville and bigger cities have tons of Changeling citizens. We lost a chunk of the people living here when we found out that the hive was so close, but Changeling citizens filled that up pretty quick. Let me tell you, having the extra wings really helps the weather team.” Dash explained.

“I’m glad, that’s all we really want.” Twilight said with a grin.

“Yeah yeah, now come on before we’re late!” Dash said quickly, grabbing Twilight’s hand and practically dragging the Changeling girl towards a very familiar building.

“If you don’t remember Sugarcube Corner, by the way, then Pinkie will really throw a fit and probably try something random to jog your memory.” Dash said. Twilight smiled.

“I think I do remember it. I have a very happy feeling of this place, at least.” She said. Dash led her inside and when Twilight followed she was bombarded with a great many things. First was the amazing smell of the bakery, the second was the vast expanse of color and motion and lastly was the loud ‘SURPRISE!’ that four others in the place yelled. Twilight was startled, even though she was kind of expecting it, but quickly grinned wide.

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy were there around a large table with two empty seats.

“I told you we’d be here quick!” Dash exclaimed.

“Just in time!” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling a massive covered plate from nowhere and plopping it onto the middle of the massive table. with a “TADA!” she pulled the cover off to reveal a massive stack of assorted pancakes and waffles.

“Wow… You’ve really outdone yourself for this one, Pinkie.” Applejack said. Pinkie shook her head.

“Not me! Charon cooked it all just for us!” Pinkie exclaimed. At that point a Changeling, clothed in an apron spattered with batter, entered the room with a massive jar of syrup.

“The best batches I’ve made so far, only the best for you Twilight.” He said. Everyone gave him a strange look. “What?”

“You hitting on me, Charon?” Twilight asked jokingly. They all laughed at that.

“Not quite, That’s a line I’d rather not cross. Technically you single handedly saved our hive. For that every Changeling owes you their sanity, some of us our lives.” Charon said, pulling the apron off and wiping his hands with it.

“You know I didn’t do all that much on my own… Lots of others helped too.” Twilight retorted. Charon just shrugged and leaned against the doorway to the kitchen. “But something tells me you have something else you want to say.” She continued. Charon grinned and nodded to Applejack.

“He and our Changeling farm hand wanted to set up a little hunting party for an Ursa that knocked down an acre of the apple fields.” Applejack explained as they started eating.

“Major or Minor?” Twilight asked.

“Minor, Nel found where it sleeps.” Charon replied. Twilight adopted a pondering look as she poured syrup on a belgian waffle.

“Three Changelings against an ursa minor? That might be pushing it.” She said after finishing it.

“I’m coming with, so is AJ and a couple of Night Guards just in case.” Dash said. After a moment Twilight shrugged.

“We can try, I’m guessing tonight?” She asked. The others nodded.

“Oh dear, I hope you don’t kill it.” Fluttershy said.

“We can put tranquilizing magic on the arrows, the toxin alone won’t do much to an Ursa.” Charon said. Twilight nodded in agreement.

“Oh ok…” Fluttershy said.

“Well then, I do believe we should get on to a different topic. Talking about hunting at the breakfast table seems rather strange.” Rarity said after a moment of silence.

“I think it’s cool.” Dash said around a pancake.

“She’s right, Dash. Did you have something in mind?” Twilight asked.

“Naturally, Darling. I just have to ask, what does the hive have in terms of fashion? I mean don’t get me wrong, your current attire is magnificently simple and eye catching, I have to wonder if Fashion has any effect on it at all.” Rarity replied.

“We really don’t have a use for fashion. Our aesthetic and battle plating are practical over stylish and an individual’s value is determined by their actions rather than how they look. Though a lot of our equipment has lots of aesthetic purposes, practicality is always priority.” Twilight explained.

“Really? A shame, then. I was wondering if you’d want me to design something in changeling fashion, that aesthetic plating or whatever you call it doesn’t cover much.” Rarity said, eyeing the Changeling girl. Twilight laughed.

“I don’t much mind it, At the hive there isn’t much hidden from each other.” She said.

“Even things like bathing pools are shared.” Charon said. Dash raised her eyebrow at that.

“I think that’s a conversation for another day…” Fluttershy said softly. They agreed on that and finished off the breakfast. The group left after the ones going hunting determined the time and place to meet that night and Pinkie went back to baking for the day. Applejack went back home to get started for the morning, Rarity went home to take a nap and Fluttershy had a bag of oat cookies for her animals as she returned. This left Dash to challenge Twilight to another race to the Library.

When they arrived, Twilight nearly fell over because of a massive wave of dizziness following a jog in her memory.

“What’s wrong? Do you remember something?” Dash asked when Twilight regained her balance. Twilight shook her head to clear it and then looked up at Dash, and then to the Library.

“I-I live here…” She said softly. Dash grinned and nodded.

“Spike’s been running it since you left, you remember him too right?” Dash asked. Twilight gave her a strange look.

“Of course I remember him… I remembered him when I remembered you… I raised him from an egg…” Twilight said, quickly rushing into the Library. She stopped when she saw the purple dragon dozing at the counter. He was bigger than she remembered, probably big enough to even help Applejack in the fields. He must have hit a growth spurt.

“Spike?” She called softly. The voice and the door opening was enough to make him stir and he opened his eyes and looked up.

“Huh? Who’s there?” He asked. He sleepily picked up a doused lantern and spit a tiny ball of green fire into it, lighting it. In the green-tinted light, Spike froze and stared at Twilight.

“You look like…” He started.

“It is her, Spike. We told you she was coming home this morning.” Dash said, coming in behind Twilight. Spike dropped the lantern, causing the still lit thing to flare brighter. The Dragon, which when on all fours like he was now was about up to Twilight’s midriff, Tackled her in a hug. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her body.

“You grew wings, I bet that was a fun day.” Twilight said with a somber tone.

“Yeah, Dash taught me how to fly with the struggling Valkyrie class.” Spike replied. They were both trying to keep tears out of their eyes and voices, but eventually it was no use.

“We all thought you died… And when Celestia told us you were still alive…” Spike started after a while.

“I can’t believe I forgot everything… It’s coming back little by little, I still can’t remember much about my life here in Ponyville… But I remembered you along with everyone else important.” Twilight said.

“You’re so different, but the same at the same time. I don’t know… You look like a badass though.” Spike said, quickly wiping his eyes and standing back on all fours. Twilight giggled and kickflipped back to her feet. Dash did a mock impressed whistle.

“Well we are hunting an Ursa tonight.” Twilight said.

“I was going to go with everyone going, Ursas don’t really like fire and I can keep it in one place with mine. I learned that fire magic you were trying to teach me. I’ve been practicing.” Spike said with pride. Twilight smiled and hugged his muzzle.

“I’m glad you did, I always like seeing you learn new things.” She said.

“Right then, I’ll see you two tonight.” Dash said, saluting as she halfway walked out of the door.

“Alright Dash, thanks.” Twilight said. The Valkyrie grinned and shot off into the air, the blast of wind closing the door with a slam.

Author's Notes:

Not exactly the best of chapters but I like it. Perhaps a bit too obvious foreshadowing but meh :3