The clattering of steel wheels upon steel tracks was muffled in the surrounding forest, as the Wonder Whirlwind made it's journey across Equestria towards the capitol, Canterlot. Where the Friendship Express was the all around train, the Wonder Whirlwind was the speed demon of the two. While it was certainly capable of hauling far more, it was also much louder and ate through its wood with far less efficiency, making it less used by civilians, and more often for military and royal needs. In this case, it was a combination of the two, as in the only car attached at this time was one that was considered both a prisoner and an ambassador, for he held in his hooves a missive that, should it be accepted, could save his race...or doom it should it be denied.

He sighed, surrounded on all sides by Celestia's Royal Guard, with Luna's Night Guard currently sleeping in beds set into the sides of the car's rafters. The Royal Guard to his left snorted, tapping his spear to remind him that, while he was on an official duty, he was not trusted one iota...after all, thanks to his Queen, Changelings like Azure Ghost weren't exactly considered on friendly terms with the nation of Equestria, or any other nation for that matter.

He shook his head, holding up the scroll in his right hoof, remembering what was written upon it...and what it meant to all of his family. What it meant to...her. He wanted to cry...cry like the ponies he could disguise as, but unlike them, he had no tear ducts to shed them with. At least...not without wasting what precious energy he had been given to make it to Canterlot. To the Princesses. No...his only proof of sorrow was his expression and eyes, which were a darker blue than usual, not that the ponies would know about that.

The holes in his body were very large, especially in his wings, his horn almost nothing more than a thin stick on his head. Love starvation...his family had never experienced it to this degree, not before the invasion. He prayed that everyone would stay alive in their hibernation while he was away. It was their last chance at survival, and he would not fail to deliver the missive to the Princesses. The fact that they'd put him on this train with all haste said much. His request for urgency been heard...he just wished he knew why they were being so quick for someone that was part what they had to see as monsters by now. Based on the reactions he'd gotten when he had entered Appleloosa undisguised, he was certain that they were viewed as such. He had been lucky one of the locals, what had his name been...Braeburn?..had been brave enough to simply ask him why he was there.

The changeling gulped, noting that the mountain was drawing near through one of the barred windows. He had to be brave...he had to be strong. He had mother's magic to help him, after all.

The constant chugging of the engine was loud, the car not designed to muffle any exterior noises, while the snoring of the thestrals above him added to the cacophony of clanks and the rattles of the prison car. He hadn't been cuffed, tied down, or in any way put into an arrest. But with eight guards, all armed with disguise dispelling equipment, he might as well have been. But mother had said...no lies, no deception, no disguises. To bear himself not as an infiltrator, but as himself, with this hope in his hooves. It was not their way...but it was the pony way, and had to be for this message to mean anything.

"Five minutes to Canterlot station."

Four Royal Guards busied themselves with waking the eight thestrals, preparing to unboard from the Whirlwind. Few used the engine's entire name, much to the chagrin of its engineer. The conductor was walking back through the door he'd just entered to make the announcement, a golden pocketwatch vanishing into his dusty vest, which covered his soot colored coat. Few remembered he had been all white once, even his mane. But now, he was as grey as ashes. Rumor had it he preferred to stay with the engineer by the controls when he wasn't busy checking the cars on the train.

Azure shook in both fear and nervousness, the light fading as they went through the mountain's tunnel that would take them to the station. Soon...soon he might be able to save his family. Oh, Chrysalis...let your sacrifice not be in vain.

"Look, I'm sorry Davis, I can't give you a lesson today. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both have asked me to be there to speak with this ambassador. Neither would tell me much more, but I could tell it's important. I know you were looking forward to this today, but this is urgent."

The Roavi nodded, writing on a parchment with his recently acquired pencil, turning it for Twilight to see 'I'll be fine. Think I can come along though? It might be a learning experience for me?'

Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin, seeming to debate with herself before smiling with a shrug.

"I don't see why not. So long as you promise to be on your best behavior. And besides, the meeting is at the train station, which is where we were needing to go later on anyways. I hear the Whirlwind will be available, so we can take that back to Ponyville! Oh, I've always wanted to ride the Whirlwind! I really really hope the engineer will let me see the controls! Eeeee!"

She was clapping her hooves together as Davis quirked his head to the side...something he was finding to be surprisingly comfortable when he wanted to make a gesture of curiousity.

"Oh, I'm sorry Davis. It's just as many times as I've been on the Friendship Express, the Wonder Whirlwind, fastest engine in the Equestrian Railway Fleet, is something of a legend as it rarely gets to be used by civilians. But since I'm a Princess now, and it happens to be available here in Canterlot since it's bringing the ambassador, I get to take it back home! And you get to ride it too!"

She was practically dancing in excitement, starting to ramble about writing a report on everything she could document on the engine while it was in her grasp, before Davis used a talon to prod her in the flank, something he'd learned yesterday easily got her to stop her tendency to go on long speeches about her research.

"Yeow! Just because you figured out you still have a small amount of feline in you doesn't mean you should unsheathe your talons to poke me!"

She rubbed a hoof over her flank as he wrote 'I thought you were in a hurry?'

"Right right...let's go Davis. And sorry I started to ramble again."

He held up a talon as they walked, the sharp claw unsheathing with a 'shink' as he wiggled his eyebrows. His body was starting to respond to him very well now, thankfully, but he still fell flat on his face now and then. That urge to walk on his hind hooves like he was bipedal still just...didn't seem to want to fully fade away. They reached a relatively large circular area that interrupted the curving hallway, reminding Davis they were in a large castle still with towers interspersed here and there.

"Alright, ready to teleport?"

Davis widened his eyes and shook his head, waving his claws at her. The last time she'd teleported with him, from his bedroom to the classroom, he'd ended up dry heaving for several minutes.

"Oh, don't be such a foal...or would it be chick for you? Regardless, the first teleport always does that. You'll be fine this time, I promise!"

He gave her a skeptical look, tapping his lower beak before sighing a little, sidling up to her and making sure his wing was against hers. After all, she'd said contact made the teleport much easier on her magic last time.

"Alright, and here...we....go."

A light hum, and short magic buildup and---*thworp*---he was staring face to face with Princess Luna, and promptly gravity took hold, dropping him unceremoniously onto his posterior as he'd ended up a few inches higher in the air than he suspected Twilight had intended.

Luna simply quirked an eyebrow, seemingly unphased by the sudden appearance of a sharp beak right in her face.

"Ah, Twilight, glad you could make it. I see you brought Davis with you? Might I inquire as to his presence?"

Twilight managed to stop herself mid bow, remembering both Princesses disdain for her bowing to them now.

"I thought it might give him some more insight to how we do things if he saw us greeting an ambassador."

Davis had bowed to Luna, who gave him a warm smile, and when he turned, he found himself once again face to face with royalty, only this time it was in the shadow of Celestia, who spoke only one word, which made him fall flat on his back from lack of balance and thanks to the surprise. "Boo."

It was times like this he was glad he didn't have a voice. Screaming with a high pitch would have been embarrassing.

"Sister, please do not tease poor Davis. I'm certain your regal bearing frightens him enough already. Especially with that cake infested posterior."

Celestia simply gave Luna a deadpan expression, before breaking into a smile with her trademark light chuckle.

"At least my love of cake has less impact on me than your love of chocolate has on you."

Luna blushed, looking at herself for a moment before shaking her head at Celestia.

"Truce?"

"Truce."

The two giggled like fillies while Twilight looked between the two before uttering the same thing Davis was thinking.

"Huh?"

Celestia pulled Twilight beside her, nodding to the station. "Come, our guest is soon to arrive. Let us make sure the station is clear of civilians while Luna chats with Davis." She winked at Luna as the two departed, Twilight confused for the moment at the antics of the royal sisters. She knew they did this, but it still had a habit of throwing her off when they did.

Davis meanwhile was ruffling his feathers, giving himself a shake to settle them into place after the pair of falls had unaligned some of them. He might be getting used to how they felt now, but even one feather out of place managed to bother him like an itch that you just could not find to scratch.

"Davis? How does your voice feel today? I recall Twilight stating that you should be regaining your voice sometime soon. Perhaps even today? Have you felt anything?"

Davis shook his head, opening his beak and only getting a huff of air as he tried to make any kind of sound.

"I see. Well, do you remember the dream?"

He nodded and took the same stance he had that night when he had sang to her in his dream, the smile lighting up her own face showing she understood.

"I am glad. However, it occurred to me you do not know your way around the castle, so I have informed the Night Guards that they should guide you to my room upon twilight, so that you may be with me when I raise the moon tonight. For such a song, I feel you have earned a private showing, wouldn't you say?"

All Davis could do was blush and scratch his head. Getting to see her raise the moon, privately, in her bedroom? He quickly pulled out his notepad and pencil, having learned to stash them in his breast feathers. How they stayed there, he wasn't completely certain about...but it worked, and he wasn't going to question it, just like he was maintaining his stance on not questioning magic. He could pursue such curiosity when he wasn't busy with learning his own body. Especially not until he learned to fly. According to Twilight, she knew the perfect flight trainer.

'So you want a commoner to come to your bedroom late at night on the words of a private showing? I hope that's not how you worded it to your guard.'

Luna's blush after translating the writing told him all he needed to know.

'I will gladly watch you raise the moon, but perhaps somewhere less likely to cause the rumors to fly? I heard there was an observatory?'

"Yes yes! That would be prefect. The observatory it shall be then. Thank you for your concern Davis. You are right, it would not do to have such rumors and flights of fancy go around. I have enough trouble with beliefs and rumors as it is about me, despite Celestia attempts to quell the issues over the time I've returned, as well as my own appearances to assuage the masses."

'I understand Princess, but do you not have an ambassador to greet?'

"Oh! We have dawdled too long! Come at once!" She turned and rushed into the train station, with Davis hot on her hooves. His ears swiveled as they caught the sound of a train approaching, the chugging impressively loud as it slowed to a halt in the station, the sudden release of excess steam clouding the area for a few moments. Celestia and Twilight we standing a few feet from the train's only car, Luna sidling up to Celestia's right side, with Twilight having left the space open between herself and her mentor for just this reason. Davis hung back. Close enough to observe, far enough to not interfere.

The ash grey conductor left the engine and quickly trot to the car door, Davis looking over the engine as he did. If he recalled how engines were described properly, he was looking at a 4-4-0 steam engine. And considering what was in the tender immediately behind it, it was wood fired. He'd always had a fascination with the old steam locomotives, but never really put much study into them as his music career had taken most of his time.

The car itself appeared to be made for function only, the entirely being unpainted iron and steel, the door taking the middle third of the side, which slid open slowly due to its weight, after the conductor knocked on it a few times. Perhaps to let them know the steam had died down. The first out was a pair of what Davis had learned were the Royal Guard, Celestia's finest according to Twilight. Four more followed, these being Luna's Night Guard. While the truth was, much like how the Day Guard all looked the same, the Night Guard, while appearing to be entirely of Thestrals, was actually under an illusion enchantment from their armor.

Following them was something Davis had NOT been told about. It looked like a pony, but it had bug wings, was almost purely black, with deep navy blue eyes. He could see a lighter portion of the eyes that moved about...perhaps that was its pupil? He couldn't be certain. What WAS certain though was that even from this view, he could tell it did not have fur. If its wings were any indication, he had to assume it was like a bug. Chitin, wasn't it called?

He looked towards the Princesses, and noticed that Celestia looked stern. Her usual warmth was gone, and he felt frightened. He looked to Luna instead, and noticed she instead looked uncaring entirely. Gulping, he then focused on Twilight. The other two had given him the chills. She about gave him a heart attack. He'd never seen Twilight angry before, and here she was gritting her teeth, her tail twitching in agitation. Her eyes...if looks could harm, that thing would have been on fire.

"Ambassador Azure Ghost, welcome to Canterlot, though I have a feeling you've been here before."

Celestia's tone was flat, showing no signs of her feelings in any direction. Luna simply snorted, while Twilight stiffened, but said nothing. Celestia's eyes glanced quickly to Twilight, and Davis saw a glimmer of relief before she continued, the glimmer already vanished behind a well maintained poker face.

"You stated to the border guard that you wished to deliver a missive to us from your Queen?"

The bug pony thing was shaking, his eyes having turned orange as he stood before the three most powerful creatures in the land, and two of them looked very obviously unhappy. He only thanked his chitin that Celestia herself hadn't torched him on the spot.

"I-I-I...I do, your majesty."

He held out his hoof, the scroll still sealed with a small dot of changeling resin. It was floated out of his grasp by the golden aura of the Sun Princess, who opened it by melting the resin off with a spark of flame. Azure jumped at that, frightened it would catch fire...but relaxed seeing it had not. Then he noticed that he had no less than 16 spears nearly touching his breast. He hadn't even heard them move!

"eeep.."

"Stand down guards. He was only worried this would catch fire. I have more control than that, little changeling, so relax. This will not be burned until after I have read it all."

She cleared her throat, unrolling the parchment, then placing it in view of all three Princesses as she read it aloud.

First and foremost, Princesses of Equestria, I do not apologize for my actions. As Queen of the Changelings, it is my duty to feed my children, and with such a ready source of love to take, I acted. My only regret is that my actions have placed my children in jeopardy, for with each day that has passed since the invasion, our kind has starved to near extinction. Standing before you is my last General, my oldest child alive, and the only one brave enough to volunteer to travel to your lands to request help. My children number in the dozens only now, and many more may pass before this even reaches you. Hibernation can only do so much to stave off starvation. At the end of this missive will be a map to our hive. Do with my children as you wish. Save them, or destroy them. I only ask you end their suffering.

I serve my own punishment to myself now. The last of my love goes to my General, so that he may make the trip safely. I would use all of my energy before even reaching your border, and I only hope he will make it.

Chrysalis
Mother of the Changelings

Azure watched the faces of the three change as they read. Celestia's into shock, Luna's into sorrow...and Twilight's into almost horror. "We...we've been starving them?"

Davis wasn't watching them, instead, he was watching the bug pony, no, he'd heard Celestia say changeling. The things eyes were drooping, his breathing ragged...and his ears caught the bare whisper as he collapsed.

"Mother...I'm coming mother."

Davis leapt forward, as did Celestia. Her golden glow enveloped him whlie Davis skid to a stop. What could he possibly do anyways? He had no magic. He couldn't heal. Celestia looked around quickly, knowing full well what the little changeling needed...but she knew she couldn't love the changeling. Her heart was still torn by the invasion, and no matter how much she wanted to...she would need time to even attempt to find love in her heart for the creatures that had nearly taken her home from her little ponies. But this one was dying in her grip. What was she to do?!

Davis watched as Celestia's tears fell and she sat down, cradling the changeling in her arms as Luna and Twilight laid their wings against the trembling Princess.
Celestia could feel his life slipping away, uttering no's as she wished for her love of all creatures to include this one small being she held. To overcome her feelings over the invasion to save his life. Why did it have to be love they needed?

The missive sat upon the ground, with Davis looking upon it, then the changeling. A child...that changeling was nothing more than a child still...a child that needed love to live. As he stared at the changeling in her hooves, something shifted in his mind. He might not be able to love him as his own child, but when did that ever stop a human from loving another creature's children? He wrote on the back of the parchment quickly, walking over to Celestia, where he laid it upon his stomach for Celestia to easily see.

'I adopt him. Now hoof over my son!'

Author's Note

I debated many ways to finish this part with Azure Ghost, but I can't for the life of me choose wether to let him live, or die in Celestia's hooves.

So...I ask the readers. Does Davis find the love in himself to save Azure? Or does the changeling meet his mother in the afterlife?

I await your thoughts. Now...excuse me while I get tissues.