After he'd left the briar patch he knew he had to find a pony town, he wasn't going to make friends with ponies any other way he laughed to himself. But... he didn't know where any towns where... this might make it more of a problem to actually find any pony else then he had realized. Seeing as he didn't really happen to know where to go... and going forward would lead him straight back to changeling territory... he shivered at the though of that. He decided to go all away around the briar patch and just keep walking until he found a pony town, or settlement. Anything would really work, he wanted to observe the ponies first, see if their was anyway he could possibly introduce himself to them... without being run out of town for being a changeling. He sighed as he made his way around, it was going to be hard... but he'd known that before leaving all his animals friends. No use in turning back now.

After he had gone around the briar patch to the opposite side he started to walk through the forest just heading in a direction away from where he was. He knew it was going to be hard and not all that prepared, he had his cape a little bit of food he had been able to store but no water. Hopefully he'd be able to find food and fresh water as he traveled across Equestria, otherwise... it was going to be an awfully short journey. On the other hoof however... he thought to himself as he kept looking around at the forest, it was really quite a beautiful place, silence aside from the birds but calm. Back to what he'd been thinking about as he shook his head to clear his thoughts, he had gotten very little food or water back in the changeling empire and had to adjust to that. He was hoping this past year of as much food and water as he'd wanted wouldn't hurt to much, he was also still pretty young so he shouldn't need as much food as ponies, or as changelings he smiled to himself since aside from him no other changeling needed food.

What had once been a cruel irony was now a saving grace he'd realized as he kept walking through the forest and was starting to get more sparse, he looked up at the sky and saw the sun was going down again. He'd had a long day of walking... he had been at it since the night before and although the excitement of finding a place to belong was pumping through his veins he was finally noticing how tired he was. He decided he should set up camp for the night as he found a quiet area with a few trees. It looked like after he exited the forest he would be in some plains for a while, it felt like he had walked at least 120 miles that day. Getting farther away from Queen Chrysalis but getting closer to... wherever he was going seemed like a good idea to him, at least it was somewhere.

He put down what few supplies he did have and looked around, it seemed safe enough, unlikely that aside from him their would be any changelings this far from their kingdom. Unless instructed by Queen Chrysalis, but he wasn't expecting them to come to the middle of nowhere so he suspected he'd be alright. At least it was a full moon tonight he noted as he yawned and the moon came up, he wouldn't need to start a fire which was alright by him. For now the less ponies... or things he attracted the better. As he laid down against the tree he took off his cloak, the further he got away from his animal friends the safer they'd be at least he thought and smiled. He put his cloak back on from his front to act as sort of a blanket and hopefully dissuade anything that may come in the middle of the night. Thankfully he thought as he yawned and started to pass out from dreariness it didn't seem like he would be in any sort of trouble.

He woke up the next morning stretching and yawning underneath his cloak as his legs stretched out from underneath it. He peeked his eyes open as he pulled the cloak off of him, as he'd though nothing had disturbed him during the night. Well... aside from his muscles, after having walked all day yesterday they were burning with pains. But... seeing as how he was in the middle of nowhere he didn't really happen to have the luxury to stop. He grabbed one of the apples he had brought with him as he put back on his few travel bags he'd made and his cape and finished the apple off.

He kept moving the direction he'd been going the night before, he figured he wouldn't have any changeling problems now so that was a blessing he thought as he smiled. Hopefully if a pony did see him they might just mistake him for a pony, since he wasn't a full grown changeling... or pony yet. He wasn't really sure what he should consider himself anymore... seeing as he was part both but most likely more changeling then pony. He aged like a pony did, could partially transform like a changeling did... he just wasn't really certain, all he really knew was that he was 9 in pony years now. A little after they got those cutie mark things.

He chuckled as he looked at his backside as he kept walking, in a cruel sense of irony he'd essentially had a cutie mark almost since he was born. So he was ahead of the curve... in a rather cruel way but still, so far it had proven accurate but he knew somepony out their would appreciate him despite his defects. That made it a lot easier to keep going and a good way to want to find somepony. It was better to have a shred of hope then none at all, at least he reminded himself, the road was long and winding. But at least he had purpose.

A week later he was starting to run low on food, thankfully he was still able to find a few berry patches here and there along with the occasional spring of water. He'd done the same thing every day for the last 8 days and his legs were getting awfully tired of walking all day and having covered close to 960 miles over that amount of time. He had to be getting close to pony civilization soon, he figured... or he was going someplace no pony had ever explored before. He really hoped he wasn't doing that. At least he hadn't had any problems, each night seemed uneventful at least to him since he couldn't really tell while he was asleep. He also didn't feel like he was being followed so that was a bonus as well.

But right as he was having these thoughts he noticed the area around him was getting more... organized, in fact it looked like he was coming upon an old dirt road now. It looked like just a few miles up the road there was some farmlands he thought smiling. After so long for seeing nothing but forests, plains and a swamp as he had passed along in his continual walk it was refreshing to know he was getting closer to civilization. He slowed his pace however from a fast trot to a slow walk, as he thought more and more about whether or not he could actually find anypony to be his friend.

While he had been skeptical before now.... now that he was actually close to pony society it was starting to hit him like a ton of bricks. It could be a whole lot worse then them not liking him... they could hunt him down and kill him at worst case scenario... but if he went back to Queen Chrysalis he would be killed for sure. A possible uncertain death before him or a for certain death behind him... well. Either way didn't look good but... on the bright side the uncertain death before him was that. Although uncertain it was still possible that a pony could like him. And hey as long as one pony did they could convince more and more ponies to like him and maybe... he'd be able to get a friend. Well... one that could actually talk back to him and wasn't an animal.

While he was thinking to himself however he bumped head first into another pony's backside. "Oof!" said the pony in front of him as he fell face forward while Defect Reject was shaken back to reality by being startled bumping into a pony like that. "S... Sorry." he said as he made sure his cloak was secured tightly around him as he looked awkwardly around as the other pony helped himself up. "Well I should hope so!" the pony said as he got himself off the ground brushing himself off. "Not even offering to help another pony up after you knock 'em down" he grumbled as he cleaned himself off.

"You... you're right" Defect Reject stammered the words out "I'm.... kinda new to the area and guess I'm not up to speed on my etiquette" he said as the pony turned around to face him. "Hmmmmm it doesn't take much to know Equestria etiquette, even for the simple folks in life, like myself know how to be polite." he said as he looked up and down Defect Reject "Most of us don't exactly like the strange folks like yourself here either" he said "But we also know some ponies just want their privacy, and I'd wager a guess that's the same with you isn't it?" the pony looked at Defect Reject but couldn't make out anything... or so he hoped, it'd be mighty awkward to have to already leave town due to being a changeling.

"Say...." Defect Reject said "While I have you here in this.... awkward situation can you tell me where I am?" he asked looking around. "As you guessed I do prefer to keep to myself but it's more so I'm not used to dealing with other ponies and I'd like to know where I'm headed." he said while looking at the pony from underneath his hood on his cape. "Why you're in the wayyyyy out part of Manehattan, you really must not be from around here if you don't know one of the main cities of Equestria." he said with a strange look on his face. "Well... my family and I tend to stay secluded from the rest of ponydom" Defect Reject said "We kept to ourselves but it was time for me to leave and try to make a name for myself." he didn't really like all these lies he was telling, even to a pony he had just met.... but what else was a changeling to do? He couldn't exactly just tell the truth, especially after him saying they don't like strange folk. Considering he was as strange as they got, according to pony folks that is.

"Hmmmmmm" the pony said eying him up and down as he thought about what Defect Reject had said "I suppose that makes sense... you probably don't know to much about any of Equestria then do you?" he asked. "Not really no I'll admit" he said looking at the ground making circles in the dirt "Well I reckon you may need a map then" the pony said sticking his hoof out to him "My name's Max Wheat" he said smiling. Defect Reject panicked for a second, he knew he shouldn't tell this pony his name it might get the changelings on his trail and cause more problems... "Sam... Seed" he said sticking his hoof out while covering it with his cloak. He was really glad now that it was so long and could cover his hoof up or he would probably already be on the run.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Sam Seed. Now that you're not knocking me over that is" he said winking. "Why don't you follow me to my small little house then you can be on your way. I'm sure you're quite busy but I think you may need a map" he said as he started to walk closer to town. Defect Reject looked at him for a second then shrugged, it couldn't hurt to get a map he admitted... and if it was a trap as long as he didn't have a weapon he could fend him off he felt... or hoped. And besides, worse came to worse he could just fly off since he was a... what were they called again? Ah yes. Earth ponies. At least he had learned SOMETHING while he was in Queen Chrysalis's kingdom, so it helped him not be completely oblivious.

"That'd be greatly appreciated" he said trying to sound like he was smiling from underneath his cloak. "Well I'll get you that map and you can be on your way young'un, we're already at my house." he said looking up to a small but not run down looking house "She's not to big but boy is she a might comfortable. Now you just stay here and I'll get 'n get it." he said as opened the door to his house and went inside while Defect Reject waited. He didn't have to wait to long for Max Wheat as he came back out pretty quickly. "One map just for you" he said handing it off to Defect Reject as he pocketed it. "Thanks Max Wheat. I really do appreciate... and I hate to be so rude for your hospitality but you were right... I do need to continue on." he said starting to walk away. "That's alright Sam Seed." he said smiling as he looked on him as he walked away "I figured you had somewhere to be or do. I could tell by when you bumped into me. You be safe out their and happy travels!" he said waving his hoof as Defect Reject turned around and waved back to him. "Thank you for everything!" he said as then continued on down the road looking at his map. The old pony smiled at him as he walked off away from him waving and went back inside.

The next 9 years came and went for Defect Reject fast once he found a place where he could... "live", it wasn't really a home but... it did let him observe pony kind easily without people noticing him. It was just dirty, the sewers weren't exactly the place he had expected to live but... it was better then nothing. He had learned a lot more about ponies too, the cutie marks each one got as they grew up was what they were good at and would one day do. He also better understood the differences between pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies. Each one was different and had something unique to them... partially like him, except in his case it was in all the wrong ways. But it was good to know that even with every pony being so different that they were accepting of everyone and helped every ponyelse out. He'd had a few close encounters when he went out at night being caught but he'd gotten away just in time.

Except one time. It was a young little pony before she had gotten her cutie mark, she had accidentally hit her ball into the sewers. He had felt so bad for the little pony that he had gotten the ball for her and handed it back to her, she must've gotten a look at him after thanking him though because she started screaming. Or she realized how creepy it was that a figure in black was living in the sewers and had given the ball back. The next few weeks had been awfully close, he had to keep moving from area to area in the sewer to avoid detection from the ponies that were checking it but it had turned out okay. He didn't blame her either... it was something that was unexpected and frightening, he could look back at it and smile now though and hoped she could realizing that he hadn't meant her any harm.

But that was in the past, he'd had fun the last 9 years learning more about pony kind borrowing food from the ponies in his nightly strolls above grounds with his cloak on. He'd never had a problem though with any of the ponies while walking around, in fact he'd even been able to have conversations with some of them without giving himself away. He hadn't had any luck finding the source of that rainbow explosion he'd seen 10 years ago, or when asking any of the ponies. But he knew he would find it one day he sighed as he looked out of the sewers, somehow he still knew in his gut that he would find the source of that and he'd at least make a friend... if not more. And that was all he needed to keep going. Aside from the food but that hadn't risen to be a problem yet, he borrowed food from the ponies in his nightly stroll people leaving apples and bread that was cooling out. He felt bad about stealing but... he tried to take it from a different area each night so no family went hungry and he didn't really have bits, he did happen to find a few bits here and their in the sewers at least so on occasion he could leave bits behind.

As he was thinking back on his time in Manehattan he looked out from the sewers into the hubbub of the city and saw that everyone pony was looking up at something in the sky. As he looked up he gasped and held his breath. It was the same rainbow he had seen all those years ago! He quickly got out his map as it started to fade way he tracked it to where it was located... Cloudsdale! Hopefully he'd find some answers their he thought as he circled Clousdale on his map and started packing the few belongings he had, which was only his cloak, map and the few bits he had that had dropped into the sewer. He also packed up the water containers he still had and waited until night, he had learned a lot about ponies these past 9 years. A lot more then he ever did when he lived with the changelings, but now... now it was time for his destiny, to find what that rainbow meant and see if it led to friends like his gut believed. Or if it would be just another big disappointment in his life.

He waited until it was midnight to head out, he had a long trek ahead of him and alerting the townsfolk probably wasn't the best idea to get started... especially with a city of this size. He looked at the map and figured out which way to go, it shouldn't be to far of a trip only a week... which unfortunately meant the pony... or ponies, may not be at Cloudsdale anymore. Still, it was his best bet and for all he knew they lived there, what did he have to lose? He headed out through the back alleys of Manehattan heading West and very Slightly South, it partially reminded him oh when he'd first come to Manehattan... only then it would've been from the north. He wouldn't get to thank Max Wheat again or see him on his way out... then again he wasn't really sure he would remember the pony he bumped into nine years ago.

As he started to get further and further from central Manehattan into the suburbs he also thought it was kind of weird that the ponies hadn't found where the changelings where... it was pretty close to Neighagra Falls actually. Probably because anyone Queen Chrysalis found in her kingdom met with an unfortunate end... he shivered as he thought about it. After that rather unpleasant reminder of why he left in the first place he looked down at his map. From the looks of the map though it would be easiest to get to Cloudsdale through... Hollow Shades. He hadn't really heard much about it from anyone in Manehattan... no one in fact had talked about it in the conversations he had overheard. He shrugged it off as nothing hoping their just wasn't anything that went on in that town, probably just a quiet little town.

It took him three days to get to Hollow Shades, with no incidents he had stayed on the less traveled roads which was unfortunate since it seemed the train that ran across most of Equestria had a direct route into there. He decided to pass through the town, he could use a little more food supplies as he walked through, while he wasn't low yet being fully stocked wasn't a bad plan either. He acquired a few items of food here and there leaving a few bits whenever he did, just as he was walking through town he noticed a small earth pony without it's cutie mark selling newspapers. He'd grabbed day old newspapers a few times in the sewers and it helped him learn more about the going's on that was happening in day to day Equestria.

It was how he had found out about Princess Luna coming back after a... Twilight Sparkle had freed her with the Elements of Harmony and was beside her sister again. For some reason that name had stuck out to him... Twilight Sparkle. The other five ponies that had wielded the elements with her did as well. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash.He wasn't sure why but their names and pictures had stuck in his mind those 5 or so months ago. Just as he was reading the newspaper he noticed an interesting article about the Cloudsdale Best Flyer Competition, maybe this would help shine some light on what he'd seen a few days ago. He continued to read it as he left town until he got to the part about Rainbow Dash. The same Rainbow Dash that had helped Twilight Sparkle free Princess Luna.

He continued to read it over noting how Rainbow Dash had saved her friend Rarity from falling to her death as well, but... wasn't she a unicorn? Unicorns couldn't fly... then he read more or the article and was explained how she was competing, apparently Twilight Sparkle and her other friends had wanted to watch Rainbow Dash compete and cheer her on, but only pegasi could walk on cloud. So Twilight and Rarity had cast a spell that would give wings to ponies without but it had taken a lot out of both of them so only Rarity had gotten it. "That's pretty smart thinking..." he said as he bit into an apple and kept walking while he read the article. It also lightly mentioned that the other three ponies had a cloud walk spell cast upon them and was much easier to cast. It also went on to state that while saving Rarity she had saved Equestria's best flyers The Wonderbolts, whom had been knocked unconscious due to Rarity's flailing about as she fell.

But Rainbow Dash had been able to save them all and cement her victory by doing something called... The... Sonic... Rainboom he kept reading as his jaw dropped open at a picture of it. "That's them!" he exclaimed with joy "The ponies I've been looking for! Well at least a pony I'm not sure about the rest of them but... they all seem connected." he said smiling and laughing as he finished the article "After all these year's I've finally found where I need to go!" taking out his map and circling it with an old marker he'd had so he could make notes on his journey as he yelled with happiness "Ponyville!"

Author's Note

I would like to note that with this one I went into some details that most bronies would know, however I am trying to make it readable for non bronies as well so as to encourage more people to try My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. So yes I know theirs a few things you all know <3