Mirror's Image

Chapter 7

Shining Armor snored softly. The stallion had been through a lot and Twilight was just glad that he was asleep, safe and sound inside his bubble.

Twilight tore her gaze away from her brother and looked into the mirror again. It was strange, she had never been a vain pony but now she couldn't help but obsess over her reflection. The three of them had retreated to Chrysalis's chambers, which held an intact mirror for her to marvel at.

And now, she had a somewhat decent light source. The gemstones strewn about the hive would give off a blue glow whenever somepony channeled some magic into it.

She looked at her reflection again. It was like a high speed wagon crash. She didn't want to see it, yet she couldn't look away.

Twilight ran a hoof through her mess of a mane. Her highlights remained purple and pink but her main color had changed into the same blue as the Changeling queen. Her hoof caught on an odd second horn. It looked like a crown, just like the queen's. She wondered if it was of any use to her or if it was just there to signal her status as royalty.

At least she still had her cutie mark, something the Changeling queen lacked.

"See anything you like?" Chrysalis asked as she walked over to stand beside Twilight. "Like I said, you inherited my good looks." She said with a grin, showing off her sharp fangs.

"Yeah... sure." Twilight drew the sentence out. "Anyway, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, my child." Chrysalis said.

"I couldn't help but notice that I have my cutie mark. None of the other Changelings do." Twilight noted. "Nor do you."

Chrysalis laughed. "Oh don't worry about that. It'll disappear in a few days, maybe a week."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "Wha-...WHAT!? But I..."She stammered as she tried to find the right words. "Why?" She eventually managed to utter.

"Changelings don't have cutie marks, there's no need for them." Chrysalis said casually. "You are also a Changeling, therefore you have no need for a cutie mark." She smirked, going out of her way to show off her fangs again. Twilight was beginning to dislike that little tick her mother had.

"But that doesn't explain why Changelings don't have cutie marks." Twilight retorted, stomping a hoof in frustration. The sound caused Shining Armor to jump up and open his eyes for a few seconds, after which he just closed them again and fell back asleep.

"Let's just say that our species is not limited." Chrysalis said. "When a pony gets their cutie mark, they tend to focus on it and nothing else. A Changeling doesn't have a cutie mark. They do not need them as they serve their queen. If the queen desires them to be warriors, then they fight like rabid beasts. When she wants them to be builders, they will raise temples in her name. They can do or be anything, so long as the queen desires it.

"That's how my mother used to explain it." She added.

While Twilight didn't know how to reply to that, it did make some sense to her. Changelings were like blank flanks: full of potential. But that potential was only to be used as the queen desired it or so it would seem.

Could she do so as well? She would become queen of this hive someday, whether she liked it or not. Could she command somepony to be a builder? To be a warrior? Even if they weren't?

Twilight's head was starting to hurt again, not from a torrent of chatter but from overthinking the possibilities.

"Are you okay?" Chrysalis asked. Twilight could hear genuine concern in her voice.