I Can Change

It had been several years since Equality had said his goodbyes to the filly of his dreams, and he had been doing great in school. Because of his prodigious intellect, he was able to graduate from Cheerilee's school a year earlier than the rest of his class. He was still very young, but he was smart, so Cheerilee knew that he had the ability to do well in life. He a speech to the other students, saying how much he appreciated the fact that they learned to accept him for being different, while saving a thank you to Geneva until the end, because he knew she was listening in spirit. The class applauded as he left on his last day of school, and he was now ready to face life.

Still being young compared to others during this milestone of life, Equality could not yet be considered a stallion, but he decided to try to find a job. His mother had been struggling to provide for him since the family started, anyway, and he felt that it was time for him to pay her back for everything she did for him. It was hard finding work for somepony his age, but after a week of searching, he came across a want ad for a rock farm, which had just lost a few workers due to budget cuts, and they were welcoming all ages. Equality knew this was where he could get his chance. He went home to ask his mother for permission. What happened then would change his life forever.

Constance was lying there, unconscious, barely even breathing. Equality's heart started racing like a Wonderbolt at an air show. Fortunately, a nurse from the local hospital happened to be walking by their home as he got in. She heard his panicked screaming, and immediately signaled for others to get help for the ponies inside. Soon enough, a couple of paramedics appeared, and Constance was placed on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital, with Equality running right behind, crying the whole way there. By the time they got to the ER, and Equality had to wait outside, his emotions left him dazed, as if he had just died inside. A nurse came out to tell Equality about her condition.

"I'm sorry, Equality, but her injuries are quite severe." Constance had been working on fixing the house structure, when she fell off the ladder, head first. "Her chances of surviving are very slim."

"WELL, IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY MOTHER!" This had been the first time Equality had raised his voice since he learned that he was half-changeling. It did scare the nurse, and she was tempted to call security, but she could feel the love he had for his mother, and thought it was wrong to act against what he couldn't help, so she resisted this.

"We'll do what we can, that I can promise you, but we can't guarantee that she'll survive."

Equality had been given permission to stay at the hospital while his mother was incapacitated. After three days, the same nurse came in to tell him the grave news.

"I'm very sorry, Equality, but the injuries to your mother have proven to be too severe, even for our unicorn nurses' spells to treat. We've done all we can, and now it's up to Celestia to decide her fate." Equality's heart sank lower than ever. He knew this meant that he would lose his mother, the one pony that cared for him more than any other.

"Is she... is she breathing?"

"We have been able to keep her on life support just enough for her to breath and speak in short sentences, but in her condition, she could leave us at any minute." Equality broke down in tears, and asked if he could see her. His request was granted.

"Mom, are you there?"

"Come...closer..." Equality could tell by her voice that it was his mother, and she was in terminal condition. He walked to her and started to speak, under a river of tears.

"Mommy, is this it? Are you going to be joining Dad soon?"

"I guess so, Equality. I'm... sorry you had to witness this. All I've been trying to do since you were born was provide for you, and care for you, and now..., that time will have to pass, along with... me."

"Mommy, I love you, and I'll miss you forever."

"I love you too, son, and don't worry, I'll... be in a better place soon." The colt couldn't speak anymore, and even his mother was in tears. She gave Equality one last kiss as he walked out of her room. He looked behind to see her mouthing an unintelligible sentence, and, as he closed the door, the line went flat. Constance, Equality's mother, had passed away.

"Goodbye, Mommy," the colt said quietly, walking out of the hospital and back home, crying along the way.

Equality felt so sad and so alone, he couldn't even sleep that night. All he could do was stare out the window, into the clear night sky. He saw another star, different from the one he regularly made wishes on, shining brighter than all the rest. He wished that his mother could come back and see him one more time. The next day, he spent the whole time alone, in his house. He received a letter from Cheerilee, which he decided to read, since he had nothing else to do.

"I heard about what happened to your mother. I can't help but feel so bad for you, Equality. I know very well that you've been dealing with heartbreaking situations all your life, but, if I know you as well as I think I do, all those times don't even begin to compare to what you just experienced. I wish there was a way I could comfort you, but you're not in my class anymore, and I'm busy as ever as it is. All I can say is, I'm sorry, Equality. I hope you can learn to get past this, and do well for yourself, because I know that's what your mother would want. Your teacher, Ms. Cheerilee." She even left her hoofprint, as a sign of sincerity.

That night, Equality cried himself to sleep, over the letter that Cheerilee sent. In his dreams, he saw a figure that he couldn't recognize at first, but as he walked closer, there was no mistaking it. It was Princess Luna. She approached the colt and gave him some heartfelt words.

"I know how you must feel, Equality, and I cannot help but empathize with you. However, there's somepony here who wishes to speak with you. Actually, make that two ponies, more or less." Equality wasn't sure what the princess meant by 'more or less', but his question was quickly answered.

"Hello, son," the two figures said. Equality only knew one pony that ever called him their son: his mother. He didn't recognize the other figure by their species, so he thought about everything his mother told him, and he concluded something that thrilled him: it must be his father.

"A-are you... m-my--" the colt was cut off by the dark figure.

"Yes, son, it's me, your father. Your mother and I wanted to speak with you, but I'm sure you have a few questions for me.

"Oh my goodness, it's true! I finally get to see my father!" the colt said with joy. "Ahem, yes, I do have a few questions. For starters, is it true that you're a changeling?" The figure couldn't help but show his son where his transformation abilities came from.

"Does this answer your question?" The figure said as he changed into a copy of Equality, and then back to himself. Equality thought he was going to faint, but he was already asleep, so that wasn't the case. "What else do you want to know?"

"Well, is it true that you didn't want to cause chaos, and tried to defy Queen Chrysalis?"

"Yes, it's true. Most changelings, as I'm sure your mother has told you, serve her, and follow every destructive command she gives, but I didn't want to take blind orders from somepony who didn't have respect for her subjects, rightful or otherwise. So I fled, and when I got to Ponyville, I took the form of an earth pony, and that's when I met your mother. I believe she told you how the rest of the story goes." The changeling was right, Equality had learned the rest of the story from his mother.

"Well then, why did you let Queen Chrysalis end your life?"

"I couldn't go back to a force that went against everything I believed in, not in good conscience. Plus, I could tell that the Queen's dark magic had almost been depleted, so I let her use the last of it to end my life, in order to protect the lives of you and your mother."

All of Equality's questions had for his father been answered at this point. Constance told Equality something very valuable to him, something that he'd remember for the rest of his life.

"Your father has been watching from above since you were born, and now, I get to do the same. I can't be there with you in Equestria anymore, but you have learned so much for a colt your age, and now I know that you're ready to buck up and take the rest of your life by the hoof, and make a living for yourself. I can feel it in your spirit." Princess Luna, who had been overseeing this exchange between the colt and his parents, walked up to the three.

"He is ready, I can assure you, he just has to believe in himself. You know you can succeed, right, Equality?"

"Yes, yes I can. Mom, Dad, Princess Luna, thank you for this wonderful and enlightening dream." Equality gave one last look to his parents before walking up to the princess. He did have one last question. "Before I go back, I need to know, how are my parents here in my dream?"

"If you will recall, when you left the hospital room in which Constance was resting, she was mouthing out a sentence." Equality couldn't forget. It was the last he saw of his mother when she was still alive. "She was praying for you to be able to meet your father. Because of this prayer, and the fact that you wished to see your mother one last time, I decided to allow for both, as I knew you would benefit from me doing so." Equality was feeling grateful for the princess's actions, and could only give a smile as a response.

"I'm ready to go back now, Princess Luna," he said as he stood before her, smiling while shedding a tear. She waved her horn, and woke him up. It was morning. Equality finally felt at peace knowing that his parents, although beyond his world, were there watching over him and wishing him the best in life. He used this newfound bliss to convince himself to take the job on the rock farm, after all, somepony had to support him, and he was living alone now. He sent out an application, and met up with the owner the next day.

Learning where the address of the rock farm is, Equality trotted there first thing that morning. He was greeted by a stallion with a strong, buff appearance.

"You must be Equality. You seem... well... young compared to most other applicants, so I need to know, what do you wish to gain from working here?"

"At this point, I have nothing to lose. My family is all gone, the only mare I ever loved is now with somepony else, and I need some way to provide for myself." The farm owner, like most other adult ponies Equality had talked to, could sense the honesty in his words, and decided to give him a chance.

"Show me what you can do, and if you impress me, I'll give you a job." Equality was eager to prove himself, so, after noticing all the scattered rocks around the field, he decided to organize them by type. In school, his favorite subject was geology, so he knew how to differentiate between types of rock. He ran around the field, and put all of the rocks into separate piles. The owner was bewildered.

"I'm speechless, not only are these rocks all rounded up, but they're grouped into metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary, with no mistakes, and in farm record time. Only one pony, that sister of Pinkie Pie's, has ever been this impressive. Tell me, kid, how did you do this?"

"What can I say? I'm only trying to show respect by doing what you ask."

"You, kid, definitely have the skills to pay the bills. Welcome to the farm."