We were walking down a hallway as a guard escorted us to the dining room where Celestia was hosting the dinner. While Ribbon had said not to play their political games, she apparently did see this a good time to do business, wearing a few armor pieces that were clearly made more for show rather than protection. I couldn’t help but wonder how she made them so quickly. Mirage was happily bouncing alongside us, not a care in the world.

Mirage was fine not wearing anything. But, the piece Ribbon wore were thin, light, and covered in floral designs including a single shoulder guard and a neck guard, and she had decided to wear her blue flower mane pin again, having gone without it for so long. All I had decided to go with was the neck piece from the original armor I could form, made me feel a bit less exposed.

When we arrived at the simple look wooden door, the guard opened it for us. Immediately everyone in the room stopped talking and stared and me and Ribbon. “...What? Take a picture, it will last longer.” that did the trick, as all the nobles looked away, and I think a few looked like they barfed in their mouths a little. The only vacant seats were next to Luna, so I took a seat there, the Princesses to my right, and Ribbon and Mirage to my left. Now that I had some fun messing with their heads, I put on a decent poker face. "So, how about we just cut to the chase, there's a reason you ponies wanted us here."

“We were just hoping to get a look at the changeling Queen that was willing to fight the other queen that invaded, and surrender afterwards.” Said some posh looking mare, that I didn’t like.

"I'm sensing an 'and' here." I knew it was complete bullshit, but I wanted to see where this was going to go.

“And we were wondering where she went off to. We had not seen head nor hair of her in Canterlot since then, aside from the few changelings that are still here.” Said the noble stallion next to her.

“I went back home, simple as that.”

“Why didn’t you stay in Canterlot, if you don’t mind me asking. Wonderful view we have here.”

“I figured that, after Chrysalis’ attempted invasion, most ponies wouldn’t want another queen hanging around. So aside from the small outpost Princess Celestia let me put here, I moved the hive into a nearby mountain that once housed a dragon.”

“Yes, we had heard that the Princess had allowed you to move your hive within Equestrian territory. Though, it’s a shame what happened. To think the griffons manage to get so far into our land without being seen.”

"And that doesn’t worry you, that they might come after ponies next time?" I asked. God, the way his eye twitched, he knew he had walked right into that.

“N-no, it doesn’t. T-the captain of the guard has assured us that, he will be making sure it doesn’t happen a second time.”

"The same Captain the missed the changeling invasion?”

“No, that was Prince Shining Armor that was captain at the time, the current captain, Captain Hardy, is doing his best.”

"Mmmhm, and did it never occurred to you that such a massive lapse in security might have been an inside job?" Nearly everypony who didn't already know gasped in shock.

“What would give you that idea?”

Ribbon responded before I did. “Well, Just recently, during one of the rescue missions, we managed to capture a slave dealer. he gave us the names of some future targets and his boss, as well as a tip that an Equestrian gave the griffons the means to enter Equestria without being seen and were the hive was located. Only a select few were given the knowledge of where the hive was.” Everypony at the table started whispering to each other.

"So you can see why me and Ribbon think somepony here was in on this.”

“For this same reason I have also allowed Ribbon to move her hive here, to Canterlot, so they may be safe.” Finally Celestia says something.

Several cries of “WHAT!” resounded throughout the room, from the nobles.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Their entire hive? does Canterlot even have room for them?” That was probably the most intelligent question I've heard out of their mouths, sadly enough.

"Are any of you aware of the abandoned mine below Canterlot?"

“Sure, but those were abandoned for a reason, the supports are unstable.”

“Not that big an issue, it should be fairly easy to reinforce them.”

“Already done!” Damn, Ribbons on the ball.

“I’m guessing you did that when you made the outpost there?”

“Of course, you think I’m going to put my changelings in condemned housing and tell them not to fix it?”

“Good, I was worried for a moment.” -I know you wouldn't, I just need to play along with these… buffoons till I can get one of them to slip up-

’I think I know how to do that.’

I was curious about what she had planed when I felt something poking me. I looked down at Mirage. “Mama, hungry.” As I heard Mirages little request, I nudged her seat closer and watched as she made the most adorable squee before turning back to the nobles, who were now staring.

One of them manage to stop staring long enough to ask. “Is she… Your?”

“Its complicated. for one, She imprinted on me as well as Ribbon when she asked. And before you go asking about who the father is, Changeling reproduction confuses the heck out of me.” Dammit, stop blushing! -You put her up to this, didn’t you?-

’I didn’t know you’d be the one to slip.’ I… Did Ribbon just troll me!? judging by the fact I could sense fear coming from a few of the nobles now, as they started whispering to each other again. they really didn’t like the idea of me raising a foal/nymph. I managed to spot a few with the look of disgust.

I heard Mirage whimpering as tears started to form in her eyes. -Ribbon? whats going on!?-

’Their emotions are scaring her. I’ll take her outside.’ Ribbon began shushing Mirage and carried her out of the room.

I glared at the nobles, and snorted. “Just because I’m not genetically related to her, doesn’t mean I don’t think of her as my, and Ribbons, daughter, and you had to go and make her cry!” I had to struggle to resist the urge to telekinetically bitch slap the whole lot of them, and instead settled for slamming my hoof down on the table. They all stayed quiet.

Eventually some conversation started back up, though a few nobles just ate quietly. Mostly I just tried to listen for certain words, none of them seem even the littlest bit important, until I heard Mirages name. “-surely she’s not a bastard, there must be a strong stallion to hold a family together.” I swore my drink frosted over as the rooms temperature dropped.

“What. Did. You. Say?” I slowly stood up. glaring at the stallion who just said that.

“W-what did I s-say?”

“Not only did you have the gall to make Mirage cry, you insult her parentage, and badmouth the ones I consider family!?” I used my magic to lift up the table, dump everyone's food on the ground where the table was, flipped it upside down, and smashed every plate and cup with said table. With the exception of Celestia’s who was fast enough grab it with her magic. Having completed the mother of all table flips, I got up and left the room where Ribbon went.

“Fucking bigot nobles, why did I even waste my time with them…” I finally found Ribbon and Mirage, sitting on a balcony, Mirage having calmed down against Ribbons chest. “I’m here, RIbbon.”

“I’m guessing the rest of the dinner is ruined?”

“Yeah. asshats deserved it though. not only did they make Mirage cry, they implied she had no father, and that ‘a stallion was needed to hold a family together.’ I pretty much table flipped the basterds and marched out after hearing that.”

“Their ruled by two mares, and they think the stallion is head of the house? Funny, I don’t see a stallion in either of their beds.”

“Does that make the Princesses one thousand year old virgins?” That earned a laugh from Ribbon.

“I have no clue, but it’s funny.”

A small whimper caught my attention, and I noticed Mirage had her face screwed up. finally asleep

“That… Those nobles really affected her, didn’t they.”

“Yeah, I just got her to calm down too.”

“Should I… Go into her dream and see what's happening?”

“You can. But, please be careful.”

“Allright.” I knelt down , and held a hoof to Mirages head, and closed my eyes. “Don’t worry. Mamas here for you…”

It was horrid. The dream was of the dinner room we were just in, but neither me, Ribbon, or the Princesses were there. Just Mirage and the nobles. Mirage was crying non-stop as they mocked her.

“Worthless!”

“You should just disappear.”

“A threat to us all, just like your mother!”

“The Princess is too kind.”

“We should take care of you ourselves.”

Those. Basterds. I walked past the lot of them as they continued to mock and threaten Mirage, and approached her, before pulling her into a hug. “Its okay now. Mamas here.”

“Mama!” Mirage buried her face in my mane. With her in my forelegs, I let several crystals impale the fake nobles while Mirage couldn’t see. Okay, I lied, more like hundreds, enough of them that it nearly formed a wall, coated in a thin red paste. It was only then that I became aware of the ethereal weblike structure throughout the dream. Just like in Ribbons. Should I?

Slowly, I reached out and lightly touched the center orb.

“HOLY! wow! that still feels weird to do.”

“Wahhh!... Don’t do that!” Ribbon was trying to catch her breath from me waking up like that.

“It feels freaky, okay!”

“What’s freaky, entering a dream?”

“Uhhhh, no, how do I put this… I think I linked myself with Mirage.”

“You… Wait, are you sure?”

’Mama!’

“...I’m sure.”

“But… Then she does have a copy of that soul fragment of yours in her.”

“Now we know why she looks sorta like me.”

“Just because I got your eyes, and now she has your eyes… why doesn’t anypony say she looks like me? I had to lay the egg.”

“I have no clue… Pony logic.”

“I hate pony brain trains.”

“Yes, I believe you already established that.”

“If dinner’s still ruined, does that mean we can go home?”

“Yeah, screw those stuck up nobles, they made Mirage cry.”

“Then lets go back. It’s late, and Mirage should be in bed soon.”