He finally began to speak, after some coaxing from Twilight.

Rarity's cheeks were still flushed after what Twilight had said to the thing.

"Before, before drone came here. Old queen start to order others to fight." He said. "Drone did not want to fight, so, she sent drone here. To do another task."

"So you came here just because she told you...?" Twilight asked, grinding her teeth, a single hoof leaving wood chips on the floor. "You did this on purpose!?"

"No! No!" He backed away fearfully. "No... old queen threatened drone. Drone still refused... until she threatened drone's nurser."

"Nurser? What's that? Somepony who raises the young?" Rarity asked.

"No, and yes. A nurser is like... like... what you ponies call a, special somepony." He flinched. "Nurser twenty-four. We had a small hatching. She was to be drone's replacement."

"So, you couldn't just... fight back?" Rainbow asked.

"No... drone wanted too, drone wanted to tear old queen's head off!" He yelled the last part slightly. "Sorry, old queen bring back bad memories. Memories of torture and sorrow..." He shook his head. "Mare only punish when needed. Drone likes mare. Mare is much nicer."

"Nicer?" Twilight asked. "I nearly killed you! How is that nice?"

"Mare nicer because mare does not kill... she only punishes when needed. Old queen does not punish, she only kills. Old queen does not care about subjects, she says there is enough of us. But she is wrong, there are very few of us left. Only a few hundred."

"Well, fine." Twilight said. She narrowed her eyes before putting a hoof on his chest. "But if you think that excuses you for what you did. Then you wrong."

"Drone... is not asking for forgiveness. Drone is... empty, hurt. And drone deserves more." He lowered his head. "Much more..."

"Fine, but you cant stay here. I'll end up blowing a wall out if I see you here again. I guess, we tell the Princess."

"No!" He yelled. They all stared at him in shock. "No, drone need's mares and friends help. Drone needs to help to nurser and hatchling. Drone is not asking to fight, only rescue. They are innocent slaves, like the rest of the hive."

"No." Twilight said. "Why would you think I would even think for a second to help you. If your so determined, then why did you come to me?" Twilight asked. "Did you even think that I would help?"

"Drone is determined, but not stupid. Drone knows he cannot fight the hive alone. All drone needs is a distraction, so drone can free them. After that, you will not have to see drone anymore, if that is what you wish."

"I don't want to see you period!" She stomped a hoof. "Now just get out!"

He looked slightly hurt, but, lowered his head and cloaked himself before going through the door. Twilight glaring at the blurred shape, as it went.

She let out a hot breath, the air from it showing partially before condensing. She looked over to her friends, Rainbow still eying the door bashfully while Rarity looked deep in thought.

"Twilight-"

"No." Twilight cut her off.

"Twilight, what-" Twilight cut off what Rarity was saying again.

"Rarity, the answer is no." Twilight said.

"Atleast-"

"No!"

"Would you let me finish!?" Rarity yelled. She caught herself and blushed slightly. "Sorry, but I wanted to say something. Twilight, what if he was telling the truth? About his family?"

"You believe that thing?" Twilight said, anything but malice in her voice.

"Now, I'm not ready to trust a word that thing say's. But, didn't you see how he flinched, especially talking about it? He even nailed, you know who, down to the point. I... I'm not sure to feel bad for his family or angered because of him even showing up."

"I don't feel anything for that thing." She said turning away. "Nothing but hatred."

"You too huh?" Rainbow said.

"Thank you rainbow, atleast there's one pony here that isn't insane." she said sitting down at her desk.

"I am not insane! I'm merely looking at all the details. I would have thought you would have done the same. After all, he could have told you how to reverse this." Rarity said.

"He's already told me he can't." She sighed.

"How ironic." She huffed. "First you believe him and now you say his every word is a lie. Well, which is it? Is he a liar or is he telling the truth?"

Her head slowly turned towards her friend, eyes soft.

"I... I just don't know what to think right now. I just got back, I have those horrible nightmares, somepony broke in and now I found the same changeling that turned me into one, was in my house. It's... I can't even find a word to describe how mentally painful this is."

"Well, I'll let you simmer alone." She said. "Twilight, I don't mean to be rude, but sometimes it's needed. Sometimes it can open a blind ponies eyes, and they can see. I'll see you later Twilight..." She trotted over to the door but stopped. "Maybe." She finally trotted out.

"You still there Rainbow?" Twilight asked still at her desk.

"Yeah, I'm still here. You want me to take Spike for a while, give you some free time?" She asked.

"If you want." She said. "Rainbow, what do you really think about what that changeling said?"

"I think it's nothing but a big load of manure." She grumbled.

"Rainbow," She turned to her friend. "What do you really think? Emotion's aside, please?"

"He... did look convincing. But he's a changeling, there supposed to be good at acting." she pointed out.

"No, there not. Changeling's are good at copying, not acting. Before this, I read the royal libraries entire text on changeling's. there was never an account of one faking a feeling when captured or discovered. Not even the princess could recall one time." She said.

"Well, if he wasn't. I would atleast hear him out. I'm not saying you should do anything, but, just hear him out. See what he has to say." She spread her wings, pausing at the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow, I hope you feel better." She flew off, casting a faint breeze as she did so.

"Yeah," she closed the door with her magic. "Me too." She set her head on the desk, staring down at the holes in her hooves. "I never did find out what these are for." She smiled slightly. "Look at me, talking to myself and worrying about holes in my hooves. Ridiculous."

"Hey, Twi?" Spike said, completely unnoticed from before. "You said it ruined your life, how? Did it turn you into a changeling?"

She froze, her muscles tensing from the flood of memories she'd try to repress.

'I'm going to have to tell him at some point.' She thought. 'But how? I could really damage him if I'm direct. But I can't sugar coat it either. Agh! Why does everything have to be so confusing!?'

She sat up and let sucked in a deep breath.

"Spike, do you really want to know?" She said, not even bothering to look at him.

"Yes Twilight." He said. "I'm worried. I... I heard about what happened at the castle. The fight. Whatever it is, I want to know so I could atleast try and comfort you. Besides," He scuffed a foot on the floor. "What kind of step-brother would I be if I didn't worry?"

"Alright, this... this is still a bit painful to remember, but-"

"No buts!" He said. "If it bother's you to remember, then I won't make you. I'm in no rush."

"But I am." She said turning to him. "If I don't do it know, I might not get to later. I'll try and make this as light , but blunt as possible... Spike," She got down from the chair and sat in front of him. "It, it forced me to turn into one."

"Forced? How?" He asked confused.

"it forced me onto the floor." She shed a few tears. "And it... it did horrible things to me."

His face turned into a frown, and then it clicked. His mouth dropped in a frown, his eyes watered and he leapt into Twilight's embrace.

"Twilight..." He said. "Its... I... I love you with all my heart. But, what that thing did..." He rubbed her back as he pressed against her chest. "I'm here for you. No matter what the situation. I promise." He cried, tears boiling off his cheeks while others made it onto her shell.

"I know Spike," she hugged him, crying along with him. "I know you will..."

They sat there, crying for what felt like hours. Only when the clock upstairs tolled, signaling the next hour did they split.

"Hey Twilight," Spike said. "I... I really did make you something for when you got back. I'll go get it."

He wiped away a small string of snot, running over into the kitchen on his stubby legs. He returned after what sounded like a pan that fell, with an ice-rag on his head and a small envelope.

"I made it for you." He said handing her the envelope. "It's a special kind of card. One of a kind, and, it doesn't end."

She blinked away some late tears and opened the envelope. She pulled out a red envelope, and opened it to one of the most amazing sight's she'd ever seen.

A small trickle of flame came out. It rose up, changing into a lavender color before changing into her.

"Spike..." She put a hoof to her mouth, new tears starting to form. "How?"

"Keep watching." He said.

She looked back and saw that Spike had appeared. he was riding on her back. Another scene, they were playing with a ball. Another scene showed her and him studying at night on the balcony, sipping coca.

"It show's every one of the most precious moments we've had. And, it keeps adding more when a new one happens."

She closed the card, extinguishing the flames, but as she did. A 'I love you' formed and went out.

"Spike, how did you do that?" She asked.

"Magic." He said. "I read a few origami for unicorn books. You should have seen the first two dozen times. They ended better than I expected."

She laughed and hugged him again.

"Come on you big softie, why don't we go star gazing tonight? We haven't done that in forever." She said as he hoped on her back.

"Actually, it was only three months, two weeks, six days, three hours, eighteen minutes and fourteen seconds." He said. "But who's keeping track?"

She rolled her eyes before going up the stairs, but when she reached the second one, she smiled. she put a hoof on the wall and began climbing.

"H-Hey!" Spike laughed. "Give a dragon a warning next time." He said.

She giggled and crawled along the wall, smiling like she used too.

When she reached the top step, she climbed down and went in.

The room still had the breeze as the seal broke during when she left. She patched that up before getting a blanket to cover up with. She opened the balcony and stepped out.

"I didn't realize we we're done there that long." She said to herself, looking at the stars.

"Me neither." Spike said walking out. "It's beautiful out tonight. Like always but, that one star is slightly off." He pointed to a small orange star. "It should be one-fourth of an inch to the left." It moved suddenly, turning left. "How long has she been listening..?" His index claw drooped slightly.

"Don't worry, she only does that from time to time to mess with the experienced astronomers." Twilight said. "She started when Celestia tough her what a prank was."

Spike snickered, and then just stared out at the stars. Eventually, Twilight laid down, covering him with the blanket.

"Hey, Spike?" She looked around as if forgetting something. "Where's the coca?"

He got up and walked back inside. He came back out with a horn where his ear spine was.

He walked over to the edge of the balcony and stuck out his claws. In one swift motion, two mugs came soaring down from the air. He grabbed them with expert precision and walked back to her, catching the liquids as they fell.

"Here ya go." He said. "Fresh hot chocolate."

"Spike, where did that come from?" She asked looking at her cup.

"Pinkie usually has a night fit and decides that evil marshmallow's are attacking. So, her being Pinkie, she throws mugs of hot chocolate out the window."

"Huh... that's strange. Even for her." Twilight said taking a sip out of her mug.

"Twilight, Pinkie can't get any more random." He pointed out. He looked back at the star's, laying against her side. "It really is nice out."

"Yeah, it is." She said staring at the billions of lights above.

Slowly, her eyes drifted down to the mug's contents. She lay there, thinking of what Rarity said.

'I'm merely looking at all the details. I would have thought you would have done the same.' She kept replaying it in her mind.

'Details.' She thought. 'That's what I need. Details, I need information. but where?' She thought to herself.

"Twilight?" spike said. "You have that look again."

"I wasn't thinking directly about books." She said. "I was skimming thought's."

"No, you had that other look you get when your thinking. Like, really thinking."

"Spike, stop reading my moods. It's strange."

"Ok, but I'm just saying because I noticed it."

"But, yes, I was thinking."

"About?" He said, rolling his eyes.

"Spike, were going to Canterlot. We're going to go find some answers at the royal library."

"Just a day back and you already want to go read?" He sighed. "Want me to get the broom now, or later?"

She gave him a glare.

"Feather duster it is." He shrugged sipping his coca.