Chapter Twenty-Three

Of Letters and Friendships

The Nile River was a pleasant river to travel upon when the spring rains didn’t turn it into a raging torrent. Luckily for our five (or should I say eight) travelers, the waters were mostly calm as they wound their way further and further up the river.

It had been a week since they had started the journey, and Spike had to say he loved every minute of it. The weather had been pleasant, even with the high temperatures. Luckily, thanks to the cooling effect of the river, the air was not nearly as oppressing as it had been in the desert, and some nights it was even a bit chilly. Not that his wives minded that, of course: any excuse to snuggle up to their dragon was good enough for them.

Still, after sending that last letter, Spike had been in a bit of a rut, so to speak. He felt like the ponies back home would only be getting a glimpse of what he was seeing and the ponies he was meeting, but he wanted to give them more. They wouldn’t teleport here: that would be far too complicated and dangerous, since teleporting between rooms in a library is not the same as teleporting several thousand miles away into the middle of a foreign country.

He had an idea, but it would take much magic to accomplish. So he began to write a letter in the middle of the day, while his wives were taking a small nap.

“Dear Celestia,” he began, pausing to watch a flock of colorful birds pass overhead.

“I know this may sound a bit overzealous, but I was hoping to introduce my wives to the rest of you, in hopes of creating friendships between themselves and you. I would hate for there to be resentment, or even worse, dislike, between any of you and my wives. I do not know of any draconic magic I can use to do this, but would there be a way for everypony who is interested to greet us through the mirror spell?”

To be truthful, he had no idea just how his friends would react to his wives, and likewise. Would they hate each other on sight? Would their personalities clink together and would in turn facilitate friendships? Celestia was all about making friends: that was the primary reason for sending Twilight and Spike to Ponyville in the first place. The whole “preparation for the Sun Summer Celebration” was just a coincidence.

“Sincerely, Sir Spike Dragul.” With that, he rolled the small bit of paper and lit it aflame with his breath, the scroll disappearing into the breeze as it was teleported. All he had to do now was wait and perhaps doing so would do him some good.

But for once, he did not receive a letter back in a short amount of time. It did not arrive in minutes, or even hours. In fact, Spike was wondering if Celestia had even gotten his letter at all.

“Spike?” a voice asked, causing the dragon to turn around. He saw Meia rising up from the pillows, with Trixie, Maria and Asalah doing the same.

“Have a nice nap?” he asked with a smile, getting up out of his seat and sitting down by them.

“Very much so,” the unicorn said, her magic summoning a jug of water and several glasses for themselves. “Did you do anything interesting while we were asleep?”

“Oh, just sent a letter,” Spike said. “Meia, if you and the others wouldn’t mind, do you think you could get ready?”

“Get ready for what, Spike?” Asalah asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She had taken to wearing less robes and while still dressed conservatively, she no longer was completely covered up.

“Well, I asked my co-sovereign if it would be possible for you to meet my friends from home,” Spike said.

“What? They are coming here?” Meia asked in a voice that sounded a bit too startled.

“No: that wouldn’t be possible,” Spike said calmly, noticing the slight worry in Meia’s voice. She was probably just nervous about meeting them. “Instead, I hoped we’d talk with them through the mirror spell.”

“What is that?” Maria asked as she delicately sipped some water from her glass.

“It is simply a spell that works like a two-way mirror: one side can see and talk to another side, and vice versa. This way, they could get to know you before I bring you back to Equestria.”

“And why would you have us do this?” Trixie asked. “Not that I mind, of course, but I’m just speaking for the rest of us.”

Spike scratched his strong chin. “I was hoping that by getting to know you, my friends would warm up to you. I don’t want them to think of you all as total strangers when we arrive back in Equestria, and I wanted you to meet the ponies who helped me become what I am today.”

‘Ah, so “introducing us to the family”, so to say,” Maria said. “I’ll have to admit: we might have trouble befriending this “Twilight Sparkle” if she is even half as crazy as that spell she put on you made her out to be.” The others nodded in agreement: that spell sure had put a damper on things when they had forgiven Spike.

“She’s already received her punishment for that, I assure you,” Spike said. “She’s also apologized profusely, or so I have been told, and she’ll no doubt do the same once she sees us again.”

“Anything else we should know?” Meia asked, seeming much calmer knowing these ponies wouldn’t actually be there with them.

“Well,” Spike began, scratching the back of his neck. “I was... hoping you’d also write to them.”

“What, like pen pals?” Trixie asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Well, yeah,” Spike said a bit sheepishly. There was silence for a few moments as the mares digested this small request.

“I see no reason as to why not,” Maria said. “Although I would like to know whom I’m writing to, if you don’t mind: we should know each other beforehand.” The others nodded in agreement at this.

“That is part of the reason for the mirror spell. This way you can all decide who you’d like to write to, and about what,” Spike said, knowing most, if not all of them, would hit it off rather well.

He felt a sudden surge in his stomach. “Speaking of which,” he said, opening his mouth. Out shot a small tongue of flame, from which a scroll emerged. Snatching it up, he opened it and began to read.

“Dearest Spike, I apologize for not responding as quickly as I normally would to your letter. Upon receiving said letter I immediately contacted all those who might want to talk with you. The Elements of Harmony responded quickly, along with their friend Zecora and what I am told are the founders of the Cutie Mark Crusaders: sisters, I believe, of two of the Elements and the adopted sister of another.”

Spike was indeed surprised by this: here he had only thought the princesses and his six closest friends would want to talk with them. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo were not too much of a surprise, but Zecora he hadn’t expected. He continued down the letter.

“As you undoubtedly know already, the mirror spell is not difficult to perform or maintain, but it does drain a pony’s energy if used too often. With everything going on nowadays, we will not be able to do this sort of face-to-face communication often: every two weeks or so, if you are available. That is, if you wish to continue doing this sort of thing.”

“Sincerely, Celestia.” Well, of course Spike wanted to do this every now and then: there was still so much more to explore and discover, and frankly telling a pony about something was better than writing a letter. Plus, he wanted to see his friends: it would help tide him over until he was at last home.

Then, however, he felt a tingle all along his body. Opening his mouth in curiosity as a feeling of surging power rumbled in his stomach, he was surprised to see another burst of green fire shot from his mouth. Only this time it did not coalesce into a scroll; instead, it seemed to hover in the air before stretching and bending, like putty. Soon enough, to the surprise of both him and his wives, it stretched and stretched until it was at least as seven feet across and a good three feet high. The fiery disc, for lack of a better term, seemed to solidify but remain floating.

The image inside changed from a bright blue to a clear, glass-like sheen as the image coalesced into what looked like a room. Then a figure walked into view, the tiara gleaming in the light.

“Hello, Spike,” Celestia said, her horn ceasing its glow. “It has been a while.” She was smiling and looking around, seeing the faces of Spike’s wives for the first time. It was the same for Maria, Asalah and Trixie: they had never met or even seen the princess of the sun before, much less an alicorn.

Meia had, but nopony except for herself knew that.

“Hello, Celestia,” Spike said, glad he was sitting down with his wives: the mirror was too short for him to stand and talk. “Thank you for this opportunity: it has been too long.” Months may not seem like a long time to some, but going that long without seeing the faces of one’s friends and family could truly be a bit of a downer.

“Spike? Is that you?” a voice sounded off-screen. There were a few hushed whispers off-screen, through which Spike could clearly hear “you go, no you go, all right fine” and other such nonsense. Celestia nodded to her left and Twilight Sparkle slowly appeared on-screen, making the motion like she was being pushed against her will.

“H-h-hi there, Spike,” she said nervously. “H-h-how are you doing?” She almost sounded like Fluttershy with her stuttering: she really was nervous about this whole thing.

“Pretty good, considering past circumstances,” Spike said, turning to his wives. “Ladies, I’d like to introduce you to Twilight Sparkle: I lived with her for most of my life while I was growing up in Ponyville.” He looked back to Twilight. “Twilight, this is Trixie, Maria, Meia and Asalah,” Spike said, gesturing to each of his wives when he said their name.

“H-hello,” the purple unicorn said, giving a very small and timid wave.

“Hey Twilight,” Trixie said, giving a wave from the far side of the gathering. “How have you been?”

“F-fine,” the purple unicorn said, looking over each of Spike’s wives. “Listen, I’m so sorry for what I did before, I know it was-,” she spluttered out, only to be cut off by a cough by Maria.

“Twilight, we’ve already heard this from Spike, and though it wasn’t easy, we forgive you for that little “transgression” you inflicted on our husband,” she said, looking through the mirror with a look of curiosity on her face at Twilight’s attire. “We were planning on giving you a month-long heat curse, but we’ve figured that would be a bad way to get to know you. Plus, from what we’ve heard, your punishment was far worse.”

Twilight blushed furiously at this, looking embarrassed enough to want to hide under a bed for the rest of her life.

“Still, I must ask: just why did you do it?” Meia asked, trying to seem like she was interested in the conversation. Truthfully she was afraid she could be detected at any second or something, even though the magic of the portal would only show her Meia disguise. Thankfully they were not actually there, or else she’d be discovered for sure.

“Well, Meia,” Twilight began, regaining a bit of her composure. “I w-was under the assumption that Spike had been married under some false pretense: that his flashy nature and looks got the sultan to practically “give” Asalah away.”

“I assure you, it was nothing like that,” Asalah said. “Spike consumed much wine and reacted strangely to it, from what I’ve heard. That is how his marriage to me started: he didn’t know about the customary room-sharing proposal.”

“Wait, Spike drank wine?” a voice said, and a mass of pink curly hairs seemed to obscure the screen for a moment.

“PINKIE PIE!” Twilight shouted as the pink pony looked through the mirror, her face taking up a good chunk of the space somehow.

“How was it, Spike? Was the wine good? Was it strong? Where was it from? Could you-,” the pink earth pony was cut off by a hand clamping over her mouth and pulling her back: Applejack struggled to keep the rambunctious pony under control.

“Yes, Pinkie Pie, I had some wine: trust me when I say I won’t again,” Spike said, feeling the urge to face-palm.

“And why would that be?” another familiar voice said. Rainbow Dash walked into frame, practically dragging Fluttershy and Rarity along with her.

“Rainbow Dash! A lady does not just waltz right into a conversation! She must show elegance, poise-,”

“Ah, you must be Rarity,” Maria said, looking over the unicorn with a mixture of interest and sincere civility.

Rarity stopped mid-stride, finally wrenching herself free from Rainbow’s grasp to look at the Spreignish noble. “Would you be Maria Almareconraddo Del Rivioso?” the white unicorn asked, her voice sounding a bit breathless. Rainbow merely blew a bit of her mane out of her face and went off screen.

“The very same,” was the reply. “Though, I guess it is Maria Almareconraddo Del Rivioso Dragul now.”

“Just how did you know my name?” Rarity asked. She hadn’t sent a letter or anything to this particular unicorn.

“Well, I guess the fact that Spike told me of having two close unicorn friends, and since we already were introduced to Twilight, it only made sense you would be Rarity,” Maria said. “Besides, he told me you were all about high fashion and quite the designer, too.”

“He did?” Rarity asked with surprise as Rainbow Dash came back in frame with a few more familiar faces. It was all so chaotic on the Equestrian end, with ponies bunching up together to see everypony else.

“Hiya Spike!” Applebloom said, looking at the dragon with her two friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

“Hello indeed, Spike the dragon,” Zecora said, her smooth voice sending a slight chill up Asalah’s spine. “Are you perhaps traveling by wagon?”

“No, Zecora: we’re on a boat,” Spike said, feeling introductions were in order once again. “Everypony, these are my wives: Asalah, Trixie, Meia and Maria,” he said, once again gesturing to each and every pony when he said her name.

“Hello,” everypony in the mirror said, though Fluttershy’s hello was closer to a whisper than an actual greeting.

“Greetings,” the four mares said, visibly relaxing: meeting so many new ponies at one time could be stressful for some, but these four were with their husband. No real need to feel tense, after all.

“Ladies, these are my friends from Equestria,” Spike said to his wives, motioning to the mirror. “You have already met Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, but these three are Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack.”

“Howdy,” Applejack said, tipping her hat after letting go of Pinkie Pie. “It’s a pleasure ta make yer acquaintance.”

“S’up?” Dash replied, reaching out a hand to grab Fluttershy’s shirt, so as to pull her back into frame. She had been trying to sneak away, likely too intimidated by these four mares to want to say anything.

“H-h-hello,” the shy pegasus said, gingerly waving through the mirror.

“These three fillies are Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo,” Spike continued, pointing out the three founding members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Spike, we ain’t fillies no more: we’re almost grown-up mares!” Applebloom said with a tone of indignity in her voice, though her smile said otherwise.

“And this is Zecora,” Spike finished, pointing out the last of the gathered ponies through the glassy surface. The zebra in Equestria bowed politely.

“I trust your time has been well spent?” she asked. “I am sure I could have guided you along, if I had went.”

“This journey will be only more difficult if more and more ponies join it,” Meia said. “I am sure it would have been a delight to have you as a guide, Zecora.”

The zebra nodded as three faces filled the screen once more. “So, Spike: I’ve heard you’re going to be a dad. Is this true?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yes, though I do have some more news,” Spike said, watching as the three fillies stepped back so everypony could see.

“Yes?” Celestia asked, having been content to remain quiet for the time being.

“We’re pregnant: Meia and I,” Maria said, gently patting her stomach. “We’ll be due about a month after Trixie’s due date.”

“Spike here is going to have quite the herd of little ponies to look after,” Trixie said with a chuckle, rubbing her own hands over her belly.

The ponies in screen exchanged smiles and squeals of glee at the news, with a rush of congratulations and questions on the name spilling forth like a tidal wave. They continued on for a short while, not really wanting to think of names until the foals were almost due. Celestia seemed the happiest, though when asked why, she merely stated something about "new royals in the palace once again", a cryptic a answer as ever.

So it was that with introductions now out of the way, the rest of the meeting could take place. Rarity was overtly fascinated by Maria’s ties to several designers, through her parents of course.

“So you have definitely seen the Cheneighlt line of silken cloaks?” the white unicorn had asked.

“Seen? I own a few,” Maria said, smiling. “Fashion may not be my biggest hobby, but it is a good thing to enjoy.”

“So you’re a descendent of a Roaman general?” Rainbow Dash asked as Rarity took a step back.

“Yes, Ms. Dash, though I think you’d like to hear more about it in pony,” the Spreignish noblemare said.

After that, the questions became rather broad-based per pony, with Rarity, Dash and Pinkie Pie taking a liking to Maria right off the bat for their own reasons. Rarity desperately needed a mare with equal knowledge of fashion and design, and Rainbow Dash of course wanted to hear all about her family history. Pinkie Pie was ecstatic about how much Maria knew about parties and balls and masquerades, so much so that she wanted to throw them all a special party when they saw each other next.

Fluttershy and Zecora instantly took a liking to Asalah, who had never known of another zebra living in Equestria. It was a relaxing notion to have somepony who was likely related, though distantly, to be waiting for her when she arrived in her new home. Her exoticness also attracted the Cutie Mark Crusaders to her side, who planned on telling her all about Equestria and the ways to fit in. They had almost taken over the conversation with tips and tricks to befriending other ponies, right up until their older sisters (both blood-related and their adoptive) had nudged them off to the side.

After that is was Trixie who caught up with Twilight and Applejack for a while, with Applejack finding out that Trixie had indeed run across the Flim-Flam brothers through her travels. Settled down with their machine and making quality cider through a process highly similar to the Apple’s own way: seemed they had learned their lesson after all. It was all very nice, though the conversation took a weird turn when Trixie asked Twilight for some more “private” reading material. Applejack had hurried the Cutie Mark Crusaders out of there at this, though their questions would undoubtedly be unending for a good while.

Meia had almost been entirely ignored until the very end, whereupon Twilight asked her a sudden question, startling her out of her own private thoughts..

“Where are you from, Meia?” the purple unicorn had asked after the others had left. They all had things to do and had already promised each other to start sending letters as soon as they could.

“T-Trotten,” Meia said, surprised by the sudden question but immediately putting on her “game” face.

“Trotten, as in New Jersneigh?” Twilight seemed a bit too focused on this, but in a friendly way. That made it even weirder, like she was trying her hardest to find out everything she could on the pregnant mare.

“Yes, the very same,” the disguised changeling queen replied.

“Do you miss your home?” the mare asked. “Spike did write back about how you seemed to be having problems with your family.”

Meia was silent for a few moments. “Truthfully, no, I do not,” she said. “My home is with my husband Spike: where he goes, I go.” While this could have been a simple lie trying to placate a curious unicorn, Chrysalis truly meant it. In her mind, it was possible she might not go back to her kingdom, but chose to live with Spike: if he accepted her in her true form. The notion of revealing herself to him was always in the back of her mind, pervading her thoughts, but she forced it away every time.

Twilight smiled at this, the first genuine smile she had plastered across her face in a long time. “That is quite a romantic thing to say, Meia,” she said. “I do so hope we can become good friends.”

“As do I,” Meia replied, suddenly curious as to why Twilight wanted to be her friend. This was the same unicorn who had ruined her chances at her brother’s wedding: but she didn’t know Meia was Chrysalis. The only pony, or ponies, one could say, that would be more angry with Chrysalis than Twilight would be Cadence, Shining Armor and Celestia. If she ever did reveal herself in the future, that would be the most awkward meeting ever.

“Well, I think it is time for some of us to depart from these delightful introductions,” Celestia said, looking around at the remaining ponies. “I do hope that you will all keep in contact with each other through letters of friendship. Spike, do you have any qualms with this idea?”

“No, Celestia,” he said, noticing how the sun was beginning to set more deeply on their end. “I was hoping for something along those lines. Do any of you have any objections?”

No,” his wives said, with Meia being the last to do so. With a smile from Celestia, the mirror image winked out of existence as the sun finally slipped over the horizon.

“Well, I am exhausted,” Trixie said with a yawn. Asalah and Maria nodded in agreement, giving Spike their goodnight kisses before heading off to their pillows. Trixie, with some difficulty due to her tired legs, managed to crawl over to Spike and give him a good lick across the lips before settling down.

Meia leaned across and kissed her husband goodnight, all of them too tired to do anything “fun” for the time being. Meeting and introducing oneself to so many new ponies sure did drain a pony.

“Goodnight,” they all said to one another, with Meia sleeping on the outside of the group: she preferred it that way.

Night befell them as the skies became darker and darker, until the only lights were those of the small magical lanterns that gave the boat a slight glow. The light itself was magical, so as to repel mosquitoes.

Soon enough, everypony was fast asleep, along with their draconic husband. Except for Meia: she had the distinct feeling they were being watched...

A hunch that was proven to be correct when the slight humming of wing beats greeted her ears. Looking up, she saw a black shape land on the front of the boat without so much as making a sound. She knew that noise: she would always know that noise. Getting up quietly so as to not wake the others, she walked over and looked down at the kneeling figure.

“I bring you a message, my queen,” the changeling drone said. It looked different than the normal ones, but the last time Chrysalis had checked, there had been no new mutations in their species.

“Speak, my drone: what news do you bring?” Meia dared not changed her disguise, for fear of discovery, but she let her true voice shine through.

“There are events happening in the kingdom beyond our control, my queen,” the drone said. “The last several batches of young are different than what we have been for the longest time.”

“Different in what way?” Chrysalis was no stranger to change, but her species changing was indeed big news.

“They are stronger, sleeker, with longer wings and tails,” the drone said. “They fly less erratically, with a more pronounced buzz. Their fangs are gone, replaced by rows of normal incisors, and their horns have curved forwards. Bony ridges along their spines, and as I understand it, their eyes are less compound then before: they have irises, though many.”

“This is indeed troubling,” the queen said. “We must remain vigilant against outside threats. If any ponies were to learn of our current evolution or worse, my plans, we would be destroyed. You may go now, but be careful: there are eyes watching our every move.”

“Yes, my queen,” the drone said, flying up and out of sight. Meia continued to look up at the night sky, thoughts blazing through her mind like a grassland wildfire.

Her species was not one to change so rapidly or greatly in so short a span of time. She knew the princess of the night, Luna, was watching her kind. She was still undetected, and as of now, the changeling drone had made no mention of any security breaches. Her entire hive had no idea where she was save for a select few messenger drones, like the one that had just visited her. For all intents and purposes, she was still in hiding, plotting and planning for a new and glorious age for their kind.

Truthfully, though her kind did not know it, her plans had taken a back-seat. No, scratch that: they had been dissolved to the point of almost not existing. She was too focused on staying with Spike, staying with the dragon she felt love for, that she would not risk the safety of her foal or its father for some grandiose plan.

But when would she reveal herself to him? Would the others turn on her, or would they understand that true love had indeed conquered all of her hate and prejudices? She knew she would survive the encounter physically, but emotionally, spiritually... she didn’t know. Nopony could see the future for what it was, as it was always changing: just as her species now was.

As she walked back to her spot by the group, Meia rubbed her hand over her belly. Would her foal be like this? A new breed of changeling, combined with the draconic features of its father?

Author's Notes:

Well, there we go: a bit of a rapport being established between the ponies back home and Spike's harem. Will they get along? Will Meia's future be bright or an everlasting darkness? Who knows?

God, Zecora is so hard for me to write.