There were varying degrees of wonder, fascination, and confusion in the group gathered in the Queens’ chambers. It consisted of her friends and allies as usual. This time there was also the the commander of the griffon battalion that defended her hive, Black Talon, and the leader of the dragons, Spike. Twilight, and through her Chrysalis, was surprised to see Spike leading their dragon defenders.

“Was… this supposed to happen?” Celestia asked, first to break the silence that had formed. The two queens shook their heads. They spoke in tandem, which only further creeped out most of the room.

“No, but we believe it turned out for the better. It was supposed to be the two of us merged into one individual.” They said. Dash snorted.

“Geez, acting like that maybe you are one individual, just two bodies.” She said, her done a little shaky. She was trying to make light of the situation even though it made her feel uneasy. It made all of them feel uneasy. The two queens smiled.

“We still have enough of what makes me Twilight…” Twilight started.

“... And what makes me Chrysalis in our own heads. We’re just… linked.” Chrysalis finished without missing a beat. That seemed to ease the uncertainty in the air a bit, but there seemed to be a lot that everyone wanted to say. They were happy to be patient with them.

“On that note, I would like to thank you for inviting me here, I was expecting to be sent home as was our orders.” Black Talon said, moving a claw to his chest and bowing ever so slightly in a show of respect. The two queens inclined their heads respectfully in return.

“You fought as allies to defend us when we were vulnerable, so of course we wanted to personally thank you. I hear your casualties were almost nonexistent, is that correct?” Twilight replied.

“Yes, no deaths. A few injuries and two griffons who won’t be fighting ever again, but those are far more acceptable than the enemy’s losses.” The Griffon said with pride. Twilight nodded. “It was thanks to your airships, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, that we were so well protected. And the Dragons.” He continued.

“Yeah, they certainly weren’t expecting us!” Spike said with a bit of glee.

“I must say, I was very proud of how well we worked together. It’s been a long time since any of us had fought together in battle, let alone all on one side. Especially for our new Changeling Allies.” Celestia said with a smile. More talk of the battle helped dissolve the remaining inhibitions about the state of the Twin Queens, for now at least, and they moved to a mess hall for a meal.

“So how are things in Draconis, Spike? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown so much.” Twilight asked the purple dragon with a smile. He was the smallest of the dragons that came by far, about the size of a horse now. His exploits in Draconis had earned him much respect and ranking there, though. The fact that he was leading this group of veteran warriors was show of that. Especially since they hadn’t complained.

“Chaotic as usual, and no matter how much I didn’t want to I finally accepted the role as ambassador for Equestria. My Mate made a good point and finally convinced me.” The Drake said. Twilight and CHrysalis both gained curious looks, but Chrysalis let Twilight continue.

“Your Mate? I didn’t know you even had a girlfriend.” Twilight said with a bit of a snicker.

“I mean that’s what we call our girlfriends, whether we’ve mated properly or not- which we haven’t if you wanted to know.” Spike started, he frills flattening in embarrassment. “But yeah, her name is Sapphire. She’s the Matriarch’s granddaughter, the youngest one at least. I was basically the ambassador already, especially since I solved that land dispute and beat the Matriarch. Might as well get the title and benefits for doing it.” He continued.

“I told you, my offer still stands by the way.” Celestia said with an amused snort.

“What, the gem stipend?” Spike asked. Celestia nodded.

“All you need to do is keep your dragonfire network open.” The Princess said. Spike shrugged.

“Why do y’all always bring business to the dinner table?” Applejack groaned, though it was lighthearted.

“Yeah! We should be celebrating how awesome this alliance is!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Pinkie and Rainbow Dash are right. It’s been ages since we’ve seen you Darling, and ages more since we’ve seen you awake.” Rarity added, nodding to Twilight and Chrysalis respectively.

“I like that idea.” The queens said together, giggling as they hadn’t intended to speak together that time.

“For now, I took the liberty of hunting down your secret stash.” Nictus said, entering the room with a large wooden cask in her hands. She plopped it onto the table and all but Chrysalis gave her a confused look.

“Oh you found it! I had actually forgotten about this. You know, I think there was at least one more cask.” The Elder Queen said, glancing sideways at the hunter. The Hunter snickered.

“I cracked the other two for the defenders after Crystarium’s invasion. I made sure I kept one good and sealed for your return, though. I’m just glad you can share it with Twilight.” She replied, giving a wink before leaving. Chrysalis chuckled as she shook her head, Twilight was already filling mugs.

“A Secret Stash, huh. This smells fairly weak to be honest.” Black Talon said, taking his mug in his talons expertly. Spike didn’t hesitate, downing his tankard in one go. The result was a mix between a breathless wheeze and a cough. Something like a sort of ‘PAHHHHHHH’ sound before a few actual coughs followed. It would have been amusing on its own, but the noise was coupled with a cloud of green-tinted smoke as he resisted the urge to belch fire.

“That is NOT weak, and that’s coming from a dragon.” He said, his voice cracking and raspy like he he had just downed paint thinner. They all looked at their bugs at that. Chrysalis giggled sweetly as she sipped hers.

“It’s wine, distilled from Elderwood Trees in our forest. While they don’t produce fruit, the leaves and roots can be harvested and fermented, or juiced, and added to other flavorings if necessary. In its raw form, the stuff would probably kill a human, downing a tankard like that would probably kill even a dragon too.” Chrysalis explained. Even Twilight didn’t know that.

“That doesn’t make any sense, Dragon Alcohol is the strongest stuff around, since our internal heat cooks alcohol out of whatever we’re drinking and our organs before it hits our blood. Some of the harder stuff is like pure alcohol.” Spike scoffed.

“The product is similar to Mana Water, except it’s a natural infusion rather than injected with arcane power. The mana empowers the strength.” The Teal Queen explained. Twilight’s eyes widened at that as she looked at her drink.

“Wait, a natural source of mana water? I thought the only way to achieve that is to take naturally forming mana crystals and liquify them.” The Lavender Queen asked. Chrysalis shrugged.

“It’s not exactly a reliable source. The last mature Elderwood was cut down during my time feral. The seeds were properly dispersed, but it would take centuries for them to grow.” Chrysalis explained. There was silence at that.

“Maybe we could cultivate them?” Applejack suggested. Chrysalis shrugged but Twilight nodded slowly.

“We can test growing trees for their properties, figure out ways to accelerate their growth in a controlled environment…” She started. Applejack seemed very interested, but Dash and the others seemed like they were about to start grumbling about business at the table again. “... But we’ll have to talk about that later, Applejack. Black Talon, I hear that the civil wars in the Griffon Lands have finally started sputtering out?” She changed the subject and small talk consumed the conversation for the next few hours.

It wasn’t until later that night, when the Queens had retreated to their chambers to sleep, when Nilan finally came to find them after their rebirth.

“You may speak your mind with us, dear.” The two said in tandem as they brushed their hair with two separate brushes, their other hands holding each other’s.

“We both know you can just look and see what I’m thinking…” Nilan said, but she knew they wouldn’t. They didn’t bother telling her that either. “...It’s about the last Queen’s Dinner. I want to know what you think of how I handled Tera and the other queens.” the Wraith continued. The Queens put the brushes down and looked at her with a smile.

“You handled it exceptionally well, even though things got heated with Chrysalid. We’ve already called another one, but we’ve only explained that it’s an important matter to do with the Queen of this hive. We haven’t told them we’re awake yet, so they’ll only expect you.” Twilight replied. Chrysalis grinned and continued.

“I wonder what my dear sister will have to say… She betrayed me once, that is why I went feral in the first place. I have to wonder why she’d become so hysteric for me now.” The Teal Queen wondered as her grin faded to a neutral frown.

“In the meantime, for your services as acting queen I want to offer you the choice of rebirth.” Twilight said, deciding not to get pulled into Chrysalis’ thoughts or changing the subject. Nilan gave her a confused look. It only lasted a moment as she realized what was being offered.

“A… royal rebirth?” She asked, the air almost literally knocked out of her at the shock of realization. The two nodded, though Chrysalis still seemed deep and thought. She snapped out of it when they stood, even her inattention wasn’t able to stop their synchronized movements.

“Moth- Dawn Sparkle is our only true royal, and she isn’t a true royal at the same time.” Chrysalis started, and caught herself. Twilight giggled at the slip up but continued.

“Our hive has grown so large, it’s starting to really get crowded. We could keep endlessly expanding underground, but that isn’t the best idea. Instead, we want to expand outward- and not our walls. We rely on the cover of the mountain far too much, and we don’t want to risk harming the ecosystem of the forest that keeps us alive. We’re already having to rely heavily on importing food to avoid devastating the Flora and the Fauna that we eat.” The Lavender Queen explained, her tone getting fairly serious.

“You have proven yourself wholeheartedly as a good leader, and many have already volunteered to be part of your hive.” Chrysalis continued. “And, with the transmutation array, the time of rebirth will be lowered to days rather than months. If you wish, you may be your own Queen by the time the Queen’s Dinner is held, even if you don’t have your own hive yet.” Chrysalis picked up. They waited for Nilan’s response, then, their free hands behind their backs as if they were clasping them professionally- just without the other hand. They didn’t want to break their contact.

Nilan was stunned again by the proposition. It was nearly twenty seconds before she finally spoke.

“I… I don’t… I don’t know what to say... “ She stuttered out. The queens smiled and embraced the young changeling.

“Nilan, ever since I formed the Wraiths I knew you were special. You took to your family well and showed an amount of personality that reminded me of myself. From the day Nictus left them in your hands I’ve been proud of your leadership skills. Now, you can make us more proud than anyone but a mother can be.” Twilight said softly. Nilan quickly returned the embrace, holding both of her queens like the mothers they were. They finally separated and Nilan had a look of determination on her face, causing the queens to grin.

“Then we’ve better get started then, after a good night’s sleep of course. I might be able to talk the dragons into letting me settle in the Dragonlands, I’ve always wanted to visit Draconis.” She said, her mind swimming with ideas. Twilight and Chrysalis kissed her on the head livingly before turning for their beds.

“You will have our aid and support until it is no longer needed, and you will remain in our hive mind. You will have control over your branch as normal, but I can’t stand the idea of cutting you out of it.” The two said as they got into their bed.

“And I wouldn’t dream of having it any other way.” Nilan said, smiling at her mothers cuddling happily in their bed. When they seemed content to try and sleep, Nilan left for her private chamber and was surprised to see Tera there.

“Ah, I was hoping I would catch you here.” The Earthen Queen said, standing from where she was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Is something wrong?” Nilan asked, only a little concerned the Queen had come to her, but confused she hadn’t gone to see the queens. Tera shook her head.

“Now that your duties as acting queen are ended, I would like to request your aid. My Brood and I wish to settle in the Dragonlands, as they are filled with rock and mountains. Perfect for my Geomancers. I understand your hive and your allies have good rapport with the dragons. I am prepared to join your alliance on the terms that a place to settle will be negotiated properly.” The Queen explained professionally. Nilan grinned. Before Tera could ask why, though, Nilan spoke.

“It seems we have similar ideas to settle our new hives.” She said simply before adopting a thinking expression. Tera seemed confused for a moment, but then came to some understanding.

“Did your queens offer a royal rebirth in exchange for your success at the last dinner?” She asked. Nilan nodded.

“Tera, I’d be happy to assist you after my rebirth. We may even settle in the same area and protect each other accordingly. You would be able to focus far more effort on rebuilding since we’d be able to supply you with love.” The soon to be Royal replied. Tera nodded slowly. She was still dumbfounded and mazed that this brood could still produce love, and would never have believed it if she hadn’t felt it yesterday and today. Even now, Nilan was giving off an ambient love that felt almost sisterly.

“Very well, we shall talk to your queens in the morning then.” The Earthen Queen said, inclining her head. Nilan inclined her head back and the Earthen Queen left the room. The Wraith proceeded to unceremoniously drop onto the bed and let out a long, happy sigh.

She had her queen back, BOTH of her queens. Even if she didn’t know Chrysalis, she still loved her like she loved Twilight. And now she would soon be able to feel that love? She couldn’t wait. She couldn’t help but dream about raising a hive in the Dragonlands in tandem with her new ally. She had seen the behemoth drones other queens created to be more effectively integrated in terms of love collectors with them, and she was glad she didn’t have to mutate any of her siblings or future children since they produced their own love now.

Author's Notes:

Finally got a day off of work, so here you go. How many of you are interested in seeing what Crystarium's up to by the way?