Sol was just your everyday average Changeling, maybe a little bit below average on brain power, and maybe below average on how much the HiveMind effects Sol. Since he was proudly one of the few Changelings around that wasn't completely controlled by the -Mind. Yes a few these days were breaking away and finding solace with Ponykind. But that was mainly due to the fact the Queen just wasn't spreading enough love. There were all kinds of rumours going around the -Mind recently. One Changeling moving to a town in Ponyville as a bunny rabbit because of the love a yellow Pegasus pony gave. Another in the same town had become a gray mare who loved muffins. The ponies of the town all loving this mare because of how clumsy she is. Apparently the town nearby was the place to be for love. But Sol was never a Changeling to be very original with his forms. Just spot a pony from afar, change into him or her, change the hair style a little and maybe change shade of coat. He'd never been very original in those remarks. Or anything really.
Anyway, Sol was now about to enter the grand city of Canterlot. There was however, a very big and very big pink shield around the city because of the looming Changeling invasion, hopefully they didn't know it was the Changelings who were invading. So Sol could wait before he changed. Just get through the shield first. Getting closer to the shield he could already sense that the ponies around him were a bit put off by his looks. Sol would definitely change when he was inside the city.
Once he reached the shield, Sol found he could get in pretty easily, just walk through. Which seemed very odd. Surely it should only allow ponies through? Within seconds two similar looking guards were approaching Sol. Spears down. Was this it? Where Sol was arrested and thrown in jail for the rest of his life? To starve slowly away from any love? Sol was hungry now, but to actually starve? Sol wasn't ready to die yet! Sol closed his eyes and stepped away from the guards and waited for death. Or imprisonment, which ever came first.
When nothing happened, Sol opened his eyes. One guard had been knocked out and the second had a hoof out to pick Sol up.
"Don't worry. I'm like you, you part of the Queen's secret mission?" The guard asked. Sol opened his eyes slowly and took the hoof. What was that about a secret mission? Oh well, nothing of his concern. But if that was what he had to do to explore this city, then so be it.
"Yes of course." Sol replied. Nodding slightly. The guard nodded back.
"Alright. But you should have gotten in disguise before you got here. Although if you had I wouldn't have been able to lower the shield enough to LST you through. So I suppose good thinking. Do you need a recount on the plan or are you alright? It must have been a long trip alone so it is understandable if you've forgotten." The guard Changeling replied after a pause, looking at the knocked out guard, who was drolling a little. "Ponies are so disgusting." He added. In a very pony sounding voice.
"Yes, go over the plan, the travel has left me a little. Bare." Sol answered. The other Changeling just nodded.
"Alright. Your job is to change into the night princess. By the name of Luna, and when the Queen shows her true form. You are to convince Celestia to stand down. You should have enough love from the subjects when you walk through the city to be able to outmatch the Princess. With the help of the Queen at least." The Changeling said. Sol nodded every now and again. Then when he finished, Sol gave a final nod.
"Thank you. What is your name? I shall tell the Queen of your help here once we have taken the city." Sol said after a pause, trying to sound as important as he can be. The Changeling had no intention of doing any of that plan obviously. He wanted to explore the city in peace. The invasion can wait.
"It is Ope. And thank you. What about you? Surely you are of high importance to have such a job." The Changeling replied, Sol nodded then thought. Most Changelings just have three letter names. The elites had names to do with precious gemstones usually.
"Its Azurite. Okay Ope. I shall get going, this job must be completed." Sol replied, Ope nodded and stepped back. Before stepping forward again suddenly.
"Oh and one more thing. The real Luna has already been drugged so she will simply sleep through the invasion. Only tonight will she wake up, so you have until then. Hopefully we would have completed the take over by then." Ope added. Sol nodded then began to look for a pony to change into. Walking away from the guard Changeling.
Sol quickly spotted a decent enough pony entering the city and changed into it. Then fixed the hair and tail. Changed shade and began to walk. Now for Sol, he had changed. But for every pony else. He had bright yellow, neon hair. And nothing more. Still a Changeling body. So Sol was getting a lot of looks from ponies as he walked into the city. The guards didn't male any move on him. Yes he wasn't a pony. But lots of non pony adventurers had stopped in Canterlot. It was the rich that cared about the bug creatures appearance.
"Where too first then?" Sol asked himself aloud. Not at all fazed his voice was the same. "I suppose I can stop at a café. It is about lunch time." Sol added, then began to head toward a random area that looked like a café. Taking a seat the Changeling waited for a waiter. When one did arrive he was taken aback a lot by the random creature sitting on some hay.
"What will it be.. Er.. Sir?" The waiter asked, Sol looked up confused. Had he taken a form of one of those strange multi-sexed ponies? He didn't know. They all looked the same.
"Hello fellow pony. My name is Destiny. I would like some of those hay fries you sell." Sol replied in his best sounding pony talk as he could muster. It wasn't very good.
"Er.. Okay.. I shall go get them. Destiny." The waiter said and trotted off. Sol sat for a while, just looking around. Not noticing the huge black cloud of a Changeling army amassing just above him. In fact, nopony noticed. The waiter came back in a matter of moments, with a pile of hay and a piece of paper.
"That was quick fellow pony!" Sol declared. "How come? He added. The waiter was taken aback a little.
"You are obviously new to, Equestria. But every pony knows about the Royal Wedding. Every pony is up at the castle." The waiter declared. Sol nodded.
"Oh right. Somehow slipped my mind fellow pony. I shall go to the castle now. Thank you for the food!" Sol said, shouting at the end. Sol stood and walked off, the chair blowing up slightly in a huge pile of hay. The waiter stood bewildered at the creature who hadn't eaten, let alone paid for the food. He hadn't even seen the bill.
With the castle in sight the shield was beginning to crack under the assault the Changeling army hitting it above. As Sol got closer to the castle a pony ran out screaming. She continued to run and scream until she saw Sol standing in the street watching her.
"Oh sweet Celestia! They are already in the city! Every pony panic!!" The pony shouted and ran a different direction. Sol looked around him, but there was nothing nearby. He continued his walk into the castle. The closer he got the more ponies began to flood out screaming. They scattered when they saw Sol. He just continued idly. It must be the hair. He changed it as he walked, which spread a little bit of Changeling fire on the cobbled path. Discrete.
Not noticing the shield finally break, Sol stepped inside the castle to see this wedding. Obviously something had happened that he wanted to see. Opening the doors. Behind him, a full blown war had broken out.
Inside the castle was,no different. A couple guards rushed passed Sol out the doors but didn't give him a second glance, ponies were running around in frantic screaming. Sol just walked onwards. Into the main room. He opened the doors to the main room and saw a fight between the Changeling Queen and Princess Celestia. The Princess looked like she was winning. Sol stepped back and closed the door.
"Well shab I didn't realize the invasion was today. Good thing I'm in disguise." Sol said to himself and began to walk away from the scene.
A few minutes later Sol found himself at the café again. Ponies left a right were fleeing from Changeling soldiers and the waiter who had previously served Sol was in a cocoon upside down on the overhang of the café. Sol was eating some of those fries he had ordered earlier as the entire city was thrown into Chaos. How that chaos god of the ponies, Discord, hadn't been unleased. But that was none of Sol's concern. Why none of the Changelings had tried to attack Sol for looking like a pony was a mystery. A few of the pony guards had tried to attack him on the way back from the castle, but they had quickly been tackled by other Changelings Sol hadn't had much resistance.
Almost an hour of just sitting watching the world fall into chaos passed before much happened, a lot of Changelings had vanished from the square Sol was in to stop some Element of Harmony spell or something from being cast. But none of the soldiers had returned so Sol was surrounded by tied up guards and random ponies. None were too pleased about their current state.
"Why would Changelings invade just to eat some hay?" One pony asked, probably no one in particular. But Sol answered.
"I don't know. When I find one eating some hay I'll ask. For I am not a Changeling, I am just a fellow pony. The Changelings are ignoring me." Sol replied. But this pony obviously knew, had something given him away? Maybe the pony saw Sol change his hair colour in the street. Or maybe knew the pony Sol was pretending to be.
"Don't give me that. You're a Changeling. With a wig on." The pony called back. Sol looked down and dropped some fries. He's been caught. This clever disguise had done nothing for him.
"Alright. You caught me. But I'm not with the invasion, I'm just here to explore the city." Sol replied, biting into the tasteless hay again. The pony just rolled his eyes and continued to sit in the green goo he was now stuck in.
Suddenly, out of now where. The castle began to glow pink. Bright pink. There was some strange noises coming from the castle and Sol stood up to inspect it. Taking a step forward he didn't realize he was in the air until he was miles away from the city. Something had happeneded and the Changeling army had been banished from the city. Flying in every direction.
"Well shit." Sol said, before passing out and hitting the ground. Hard. Maybe today wasn't the best day to explore.
Author's Note
Not overly funny I know. Just wanted to do a Changeling short whilst I had some spare time.