It was dark, but luckily the sun was rising over the horizon. Fortunatly, I manage to stumble out of these forsaken woods as the first light of the day graces my handsome complexion. Now that I’m out of any immediate danger that lurks in the forest, I take the time to clean myself of the leaves the forest had bestowed upon my once pristine coat and mane.
I look over myself making sure everything is in order, sexy red coat: check. Sleek black mane and tail: check. Custom magically formed red and orange manticore wings: freaking awesome! Gift from my long-lost mother: check! I was ready to finally begin my quest to re-unite with my long-lost mother and find my true love!
But I soon noticed there was a problem, I couldn’t remember anything! So I thought as hard as I could, but nothing came to me. Suddenly I heard a whisper! I stopped and listened, turning my ears this way and that, and I heard it again! It was telling me… Celestia? What’s a Celestia? Oh! Could that be the name of my mother? Of course it is! Voices don’t lie!
So I set out on my journey to find my mother Celestia and my beloved! But wait, why is there a town here? Oh! I found a town! Maybe they know my mother! I see three peasant fillies setting out flowers… why would they do that?! Flowers are for eating! So naturally I march over there and demand an explanation.
“You three! Stop right there!” They turn to look at me and their jaws drop and their eyes go wide. I’m stunned for a moment before I remembered how sexy I am! I turn my head and brush my sleek mane over their noses. I straighten out, “Why yes, I am quite handsome, but I’m afraid my heart belongs to another!”
I open my eyes to see that all three had fainted outright from my stunning beauty. “My my, royalty must be a rarity here!” I declared as I continued my way into town. As I strolled through the town I had the most grand time, ponies everywhere stopped and gazed upon my chiseled form, some outright fainting! So I gave them a show, I wiggled my hips and flared my wings so they may gaze upon my full glory!
But alas, all good things must come to an end. I decided to put my looks off to the side – just a little! – and ask about the whereabouts of my mother. “You there, peasant work horse!” The low class citizen, or ‘earth pony’ they called themselves, looked toward me. “I demand you to direct me to someone of higher learning so that I may receive an answer to my inquiry!” I added a flourish to my speech showed off my good side, making the sunlight glisten off my glorious muscles!
Applejack was stunned. She had heard rumor of a strange looking stallion walking around having seizure-like fits every few seconds. She didn’t believe it, of course. But now there was a stallion standing right before her eyes frozen in what she guessed was supposed to be a pose of some sort. His hooves were stretched out awkwardly as one ‘wing’ was flopped in the dirt and the other held up over his head, bringing to her attention what appeared to be a rotten banana tied to his horn with a bit of string.
She quickly remembered what he had called her. “Hey! Who’re you callen ah ‘peasant’?” She demanded.
The odd… thing… in front of her snorted and twitched his head, causing his mane to flail about as he almost tripped. “You are a peasant, a worker, who looks like you sell grapes. Now take me to one of knowing things!” He demanded and froze his body in another strange position.
“Uh… alright?” Applejack left a note, ‘Taking the strange stallion to Twilight, 2 bits an apple!’ and departed her apple stand, confident the citizens of Ponyville will be honest and pay for any apples they take in her absence.
She began to lead the strange stallion slowly toward the library, mindful of his flailing limbs and wondering more than a few times how a rotten banana can stay tied up like that and not be ripped to pieces.
“So, uh, what’s yer name?” She asked trying to make small talk, “And what’s with the banana?”
“Ugh, figures you of all these peasants would question my royal nobility. I am the Prince! Son of Celestia! And this, ‘banana’ as you call it, is a token of her love for me!” He declared.
“Right…” AJ said, though she was truly wondering how far off the deep end this stallion was. Luckily, the smelly banana stallion would soon be out of her mane. She walked up to the library and let herself inside.
“Twilight, we’ve got a problem.”
I followed the nosy peasant to a sight most peculiar: a house in a tree! Or was it a tree of a house? I wasn’t sure and the voices were on about something else but I ignored them. I followed the little country bumpkin into the … place, and she went to talk to another pony that probably wasn’t worth my time.
Instead I decided to spread my glorious radiance around the room, my form perfectly complimenting the various items strewn about. “Pray tell, what is this hideous thing?” I asked as I inspected something on the wall.
“That’s a shelf full of books… Are you alight?” I turned around to see a sight most beautiful, a baby dragon! It reminded me of my love, for some reason I couldn’t quite recall his face, but I wanted to meet the young drake.
“Hello,” I said, fluttering my bedroom eyes at him, “What’s your name, handsome?”
Twilight had no idea just what in Equestria was going on, all she knew was AJ brought her a crazy manticore stallion pony that smelled like rotten bananas. One moment he’s grinding himself all over the tables and chairs and not having a clue what a book was before trying to seduce Spike! Spike was having none of that, and was out the door in a flash.
“Listen Mr… Banana Horn or whatever your name is-”
“No!” He loudly interrupted, pausing to tilt his head as if listening to something for a moment. “I am Prince K. Sys!” He declared.
“Whatever! Banana Horn, K… person.” Twilight let out a groan. “Okay, let’s start over. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle, Personal Student of Princess Celestia-”
“You know my mother?!” K. Sys exclaimed, “This second horn-”
“That’s a rotten banana…” Twilight tried to correct.
“-was given to me by my dear mother, Celestia! Alas, it is all I have as a memento of her!” He said, flopping around on the floor for reasons unknown.
“Uh, sure…” Twilight grabbed AJ and pulled her into a corner away from the crazed pony. “I need to go find Spike and send a letter to the princess, this is too crazy even for Ponyville standards. I need you to keep him occupied long enough for the princess to get here, okay?”
“Why do I have to do it?”
“Because you’re already here and he seems to like you.”
“He called me a peasant and thought my apples were grapes.” AJ said flatly.
“I’m sure he was trying to be endearing or something. Just keep him busy.”
“Alright fine, but you hurry up. There’s only so much nonsense I’m willing to put up with.”
“Thanks AJ,” Twilight gave her a quick hug.
“Ladies, starting without me are you? Tsk Tsk, that calls for some of my special punishment!” The odd stallion, K. Sys, called out to them.
“WHAT?!” AJ and Twilight roared together.
“I said I’m going to punish you!” He grabbed a sheet from the couch and threw it over himself. “Now you won’t be able to gaze upon my glory! Take that for starting an adventure without me!”
I was grinning under the sheet; this will teach them to plan things without me! Why I struck a pose as well, I guess I’m just being playful. No matter, I tossed the sheet aside quickly. This room has suffered without my presence for far too long, though I was saddened that the sheet would no longer be able to embrace my form any longer.
“Anyway,” The peasant said, “Princess Twilight here will get a hold of… yer mother… and I thought I could show you around town until she gets here.”
“Ah, most excellent! I shall be able to spread the joy of my masculinity through this town of urchins!” I stated with a small strut, their mouths dropping open in awe. I made my way toward the door, “Where shall I expel my glory first?”
“Um, actually,” The winged freak of a peasant begged for my attention, “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not a prince, let alone the son of Princess Celestia.” I gasped in shock as I did my best to look dignified. “Those poses are ridiculous and that banana is way past rancid, it’s not a ‘second’ horn, how you came to that conclusion, or any conclusion for that matter, points to the fact that you are completely insane. I am one of the four princesses of this land and I do not appreciate how your offensive presence affects my subjects. Now, I ask that you leave my home while I contact Princess Celestia and see if we can get you sorted out. Now please,” She opened the door and pointed outside, “Get out so I can sort this mess!”
I couldn’t believe her if I wanted, Celestia not my mother? Ridiculous! Just as ridiculous as everything else she was saying. Her? A princess? We’re not even related! She might as well have said Discord and I weren’t truly in love!
I snorted angrily as I stomped up to her intimidatingly, “Know your place, worm, it is only by my good graces I don’t have mother banish you for your insolence. I will leave this place, for your presence disgusts me, filthy winged freak.”
Twilight was fuming as the stallion slid along the wall and out the door, any lesser being would have zapped him for his behavior. And in love with Discord, of all ponies? He truly is ‘off the deep end’ as AJ put it.
“AJ, make sure he stays away from everypony, I have a letter to write.” Twilight said.
AJ nodded and headed out the door. There was a mark in the dirt where something was being drug against the ground. She followed it around a corner and sure enough she found K. Sys sticking his head in a trash barrel.
“Uh, Howdy… Yer majesty…” she cringed as she addressed him. He looked up at her, an empty glass bottle held in his mouth. “Whatchya got there?”
He carefully placed the bottle on the ground, “Well, it seems that some peasants know how to address royalty properly. And to answer your question, I’m going to send a message to my mother, she’ll be happy to hear from me, unlike that freak in the tree.”
“Oh, uh, Ah see. Well, go right on ahead Yer Majesty. Ah’ll just be here if’n you need me.” AJ said, shifting her eyes back and forth.
“Yes yes, that’s quite alright. Now if you’ll excuse me-” He grabbed the bottle in his hooves, took a deep breath, “HI MOM! I KNOW WE HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN A LONG TIME BUT I MISS YOU! I’M IN A POOR EXCUSE OF A TOWN AT THE MOMENT AND AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS I WANT YOU TO TAKE ME BACK TO MY KINGDOM, FAR AWAY FROM THESE FREAKS! ALSO IF YOU SEE DISCORD, PASS ALONG MY LOVE AND TELL HIM I MISS HIM SO! FARE THEE WELL!” He looked like he was done as he lowered the bottle, “Oh, oops, AND PS! SOME PURPLE FREAK THINKS SHES A PRINCESS! TALK ABOUT DELUSIONAL HUH?!”
AJ uncovered her ears again as the stallion finished bellowing into the empty bottle, put a cork in it, then tossed it back in the trash. “There, she should get it within the hour. Come peasant, let us wander.” He began walking away, dragging a wing behind him as he did, the friction causing him to turn in a slow circle.
“Uh, wow AJ, you have a really strange taste in stallions.” AJ sighed at the poor joke and looked up at Rainbow Dash. “I heard him screaming like a foal and came to see what was up. Is that guy alright?”
“Rainbow… Don’t get me started on the things that are wrong with that one.” She said as she trotted after the stallion, Rainbow flying behind her.
With my message sent, I embarked into the town to see if I can find something worthy of my excellence, but all I saw was the same two or three houses over and over again! Who built this place?!
AJ and Rainbow watched him walk in a slow circle for about a half hour, his wing cutting a circle into the dirt road..
Finally! I found something new! This building was round, and white! Unlike the brown squares I was seeing all day, I wanted to see more of it! I cantered forward elegantly, the door opening easily as I pressed against it. I looked back in time to see the brown peasant and another flying toward me, probably to announce my royalty as I entered the establishment.
I ignored them and strutted inside. “Greetings, peasant, I have graced you with my presence and I demand you show yourself out of respect for your prince!” I called out to the empty room.
“Prince?! A prince is here!?!” I heard a feminine voice cry out from another room. Immediately afterword a white pony crawled out in a deep bow. “My prince, I was not expecting any company from royalty today, please forgive me.”
She said. I took a second to observe her features, she was fair, but far too weighty for my tastes. “That’s quite alright, one hopes you didn’t break into a sweat from having to walk all this way over here! Bah ha! Ha! Ha!”
Rarity froze, her face still pointed at the ground. ‘Did… did he just call me FAT?!’ Rage rolled through her for a moment as she considered repositioning his facial features. ‘No Rarity, a Lady always keeps her cool. I must have simply misheard or something. Although, I swear I took the trash out today, did a raccoon knock the bin over?’
“Now, rise and bask in the glory of your prince!” He demanded.
Rarity stood from her bow, and gaped at the monstrosity of fashion before her. A red coat with a black mane she could live with, but MANTICORE WINGS!? And the rotten banana!? This was no Canterlot nobility, this was something straight out of a horror novel that Sweetie may enjoy reading.
“I see I strike awe in you as well!” He said, mistaking her look of jaw dropped horror. “Now, my portly peasant,” Rarity narrowed her eyes, there was no mistaking that! “Why is this establishment so drastically different in design?”
Rarity grit her teeth together, murder was wrong after all. “My name is Rarity, and I design and create masterful works of art.” She said with forced politeness.
“Ah! Art, a noble trait!” Rarity’s hatred lessened slightly, “May I see some of your works? I don’t think I can stand being confined in a room with these horrible excuses for clothing.”
The hatred reared its head three fold, this was her Fall Line! Nobles from all over Equestria would pay handsomely just to sample her clothing! “I’M GOING TO DESTROY YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!” She charged magic in her horn and blasted it at the stallion, but his odd form of mobility caused him to accidentally dodge. Instead the magic blew her front door to pieces, revealing AJ covered in wooden splinters, hoof outstretched toward a doorknob that was no longer there, Rainbow Dash laughing her flank off all the while.
“AJ! Oh my Celestia I’m sorry! Are you alright darling?!” Rarity cried out as she dodged around the flailing stallion. She quickly examined her friend, finding nothing threatening except her coat and mane needed to be brushed.
AJ coughed up a bit of smoke, “Ah’ll be fine, it’s that one there that needs to stay out of trouble.” She pointed a hoof at the stallion flailing his legs as he lay on his side, as though he were trying to run and forgetting to stand first, resulting in him just spinning in circles again.
“He is the most revolting and disgraceful stallion I have had the displeasure of meeting! He called me fat to my face! And that my beautiful dresses were horrible!” She had tears welling up at the thought of somepony disliking her dresses.
“He thinks I’m some peasant that sells grapes and called Twilight a disgusting freak and declared she wasn’t a princess.” AJ stated simply. Rarity hesitantly glanced outside.
“Ponyville isn’t set aflame, so I’d say she took it rather well.”
“She’s getting a letter ready for the princess to explain that there’s a crazy pony on the loose. I think she held back her temper by thinking that the stallion, calls himself K. Sys by the way, is probably so crazy he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Who’s the crazy pony? It’s not me is it? I keep telling Pinkamina that I’m not crazy but she never listens.” Pinkie whispered with a giggle, finding herself suddenly between Rarity and AJ.
“Pinkie! What… never mind. This stallion thinks he’s a prince or something and needs mental help.”
“Don’t worry Rarity, I’ve got just the thing!” Pinkie rushed inside, grabbed the stallion, sat him down in the kitchen and shoved a cupcake in his mouth.
K. Sys sat there for a moment, completely stunned. He chewed once, then immediately spat the pastry onto the floor.
“How dare you poison your prince?! Guards?! GUARDS!!” He bellowed as he fled through the door. Rarity, AJ, and Rainbow ran into the kitchen to find Pinkie sitting in the corner, crying her eyes out as her mane lost its crazy curls.
“See Pinkie? I told you…” she whispered menacingly.
I ran through town as fast and as far as I could, searching for the guards and to get away from the assassin. Somehow, I wound up back in front of the library. That wasn’t right, I should be heading out of town. So I spun around and took off in the opposite direction. I soon hit something hard, I ran into the library door! What form of magic was this, was the town alive, trapping me forever?!
Twilight watched from her window as Spike belched up a reply from the Princess. Normally that would have been her top priority, but it’s not every day you see a stallion run in a circle and slam into your door several times in a row.
“Wow, that guys completely lost it.” Spike commented. He had come back to the library shortly after K. Sys had left, much to her joy. The letter she wrote was quick and to the point and was sent soon after.
“Yep.” Twilight nodded, another thud echoed through the library as he managed to run into the door again. “Did the princess say anything?”
“Yep.” ‘THUD!’ “Said she’ll be here right about now.”
There was a flash of golden light as the Princess herself teleported into the library. “Twilight, I came as soon as-” ‘THUD!’ Celestia looked at the door for a moment, then used her magic to open it.
A red stallion barreled into the library. “OH NO IT ATE ME!!!” he screamed.
This was it, the town itself had eaten me. Gobbled me right up. I let my regal self fall gracefully to the floor as I waited to be digested.
“Twilight, is this the stallion? K. Sys?” I heard a voice. I turned to look at the speaker, it was another winged freak, but the voices in my head screamed at me, ‘CELESTIA!’ Was this her, was this my mother? Now that I thought about it, her having wings made sense because I had wings too.
“Mother! Oh no, the town ate you too!” I wailed as I wrapped my hooves around her in a strong embrace. “I’m so happy, at least we get to see each other one last time before the end!” I snuggled deeper. Suddenly the whispered voices grew louder, almost like they were yelling at me. It began to hurt, I let my mother go as I clutched my head.
Suddenly the voices stopped, I looked up in confusion for a moment before a door was blown off its hinges. Suddenly I was surrounded by hideous black monsters! I was being taken prisoner, they were going to take me from Mother!
“NO!!!” I roared, “You will not take me from Mother!” I leaped away from my captors and ran behind my mother, she’ll protect me!
Celestia stood there in shock, a group of about seven changelings had swarmed in around the stallion and braced against him, almost protectively. Then the stallion sought protection behind her, almost like he was afraid of the changelings.
She passively watched as the changelings looked downcast for a moment, before huddling together in fear as they stared up at her. ‘Surly,’ she thought, ‘they knew I was here. Why would they reveal themselves like this then cower before me? Unless…’ her ancient mind flashed through scenario after scenario, before concluding on one. ‘No, he can’t possibly…’
“What are you doing in my home?! What, was Canterlot too hard so you decided to try here first? Well I’m not going without a fight and I won’t be as gentle this time!” Twilight declared, charging her horn and aiming it at the changelings.
“Twilight, hold on.” Twilight let the magic fade as she looked at her old mentor. “I want to hear what they have to say, don’t you?” She asked.
Twilight thought for a moment, maybe she should let them speak, but these were changelings! They would probably just try to lie their way out of here. But she relented with a nod, Celestia may be onto something, but she would enjoy grilling the changelings as she tore apart their lies.
“Alright changelings, explain your presence here, and start from the beginning.” They looked to one another a moment before pushing one of their own closer, his hooves digging into the wood as he resisted his comrades.
“Uh, um… Greetings Princess. I-I’m…” He was a stuttering wreak.
Celestia closed her wings and sat back, trying to appear less threatening. Twilight following her example. “You have my word, no harm will come to you this day, so long as you don’t do anything rash and explain yourselves.”
“O-Okay…” He took a moment to allow for a few deep breaths and calm down. “My name is Sigma, at the end of the Canterlot battle, I and the rest of the swarm were lost far and wide across Equestria and the lands beyond. For the longest time we thought our queen had died like many others. But one day not long ago, I sent out a mental call as I always did, holding onto hope. To my surprise I had managed to brush against my queen’s mind for a second before it closed itself off.
“I alerted others to this news, and we were able to pin down her location in the Everfree Forest. We scoured the woods for days, but when we found her, she was already in town and clearly wasn’t herself. We decided to simply wait for her to depart the town before confronting her, but when we gleamed that you were coming and that our queen thought you her mother, we had decided to act in order to protect her. But,” He looked at the odd stallion. “she doesn’t even remember who she truly is.”
“Wait, let me get this straight. This,” Twilight pointed at K. Sys, “Is your 'great' queen? Queen Chrysalis?”
Sigma nodded. “I don’t know what caused her mind to break, but we were hoping our presence would help her remember. It looks like we were wrong.”
No, that can’t be right, they're wrong! Their all a bunch of lying monsters! I tried to rise and flee but the purple freak stood in the way. I tried to turn and run in another direction, but she hit me with her magic. I felt a light tingle all along my body as the magic flowed over me.
My head began to swim as a pressure pressed against my mind. I lifted a hoof up to my head, but instead of my familiar red hoof, it was a black chitin with several holes bored all the way through. My eyes widened in panic, what have they done to me?!
I looked to my would-be captors, noticing their forms looked like my hoof now did. I looked over the rest of my now revolting body. My beautiful manticore wings were replaced by a pair of bug wings, my gorgeous sleek black mane and tail now some shade of blue, each strand ragged and matted. I reached up, my second horn had separated, probably disintegrated in the magic.
“No no no no what have you done to me?! Put me back!” I demanded the purple freak, my voice several pitches higher as tears leaked down my face. The freak just stood there, doing nothing. Defeated, I lay down and wept into my holy hooves.
Everyone watched as the changeling queen cried her eyes out. Celestia was the first to speak up.
“If I had to guess, her failure at Canterlot was the cause. Can she feel every changeling?” Sigma nodded again, “Feeling most of her changelings die in her head must have been beyond awful. Had we known how many of you would be forced to suffer, I would have looked into a more peaceful solution.”
“Princess, I’m sorry but I don’t follow.” Twilight said.
“Her mind couldn’t handle what was happening, so it created a buffer until it could come to terms with all that has happened. A second persona, in other words. The stallion represented what she truly wanted, to be someone of high nobility with a close personal attachment to her mother and those she loved. The odd coloration and loss of motor control could be attributed to the mental trauma as well.”
“Um, Princess,” Sigma started forward. Celestia nodded for him to continue. “I-we, were wondering what would become of us. We came here only to help our queen heal and to protect her, we do not have any ill intentions.”
“Since you have shown nothing but open honesty for a very unique situation, I feel compelled to assist and lend aid, but in doing so, once she has recovered, I wish to establish diplomatic relations. In the meantime, you will not imitate any of my ponies in an effort to steal their love, and remain in your true forms. Do you agree to my terms?” Celestia asked.
Sigma nodded, relief flowing through him and the other changelings. “We will do everything we can to help her heal. But, may I ask, how can we survive without stealing the love we need to live?”
“Simple," their ears perked up, "be kind to your peers and their friendship, a kind of love, will feed you.” Celestia said with a smile. “But that falls to you on how you go about it, not all ponies will lend a friendly hoof.”
Sigma nodded with the others, the road ahead was going to be long and bumpy. “Where will we stay as we try to heal her?”
This time, Twilight spoke up. “I have room in the basement, I can set up a few sleeping bags and blankets. This will help me keep an eye on you as well. Not to mention if you need to speak to Celestia about anything I can get a hold of her right away.”
Celestia looked at her student in shock, “Twilight, that’s taking on a lot of responsibility, not to mention being willing to let changelings live in your house after the invasion.”
“I know, and I am still mad about that, but even so, I can’t just turn a blind eye when someone wants to change. Everypony deserves a second chance, no matter what they may have done in the past.” Twilight finished with a smile.
Celestia’s mind flashed back to her sister’s redemption, and Discord’s reform. Both had turned out for the better, perhaps this one will too. “I couldn’t agree more.” She said proudly.
The changelings cheered and rushed forward, embracing them both in a brief hug before lying beside their queen, Chrysalis, and did their best to sooth her broken self.
Meanwhile at the Carousel Boutique
“Pinkie, please cheer up, he wasn’t right in the head!” Rarity said, trying to sooth her friend’s hurt feelings.
“I said my name was Pinkamina!” She cried out, pushing them away. She turned around and returned to her corner. “Pinkie doesn’t want to talk right now, just leave us alone!”
Rarity, AJ, and Rainbow sighed, nothing they said was getting through to her. Suddenly Pinkie’s body began to twitch and spazz out randomly, before she jumped into the air, landing as her usual Pinkie self.
“WOW what a doozie! I’m going to need to bust out the big cannon!” She declared as she ran out the store, nearly running down Fluttershy.
Fluttershy cautiously poked her head inside, “Um, did I miss something?”
Author's Note
Hey all! Let me know that you think, so far this is just a one shot, I did however roll around the idea of a sequel focusing on Sigma as he and the other changelings try to get Chrysalis back to full health. If you guys want it I'll see what I can swing.
Fun Fic Facts:
the name K. Sys is actually the name Chrysalis, he simply misheard it when he thought about his name.
Sigma's name, i spent all of 30 seconds thinking about his name before Sigma 6 popped in there, now who's hearing voices LOL! Though i have no idea what Sigma 6 is, it sounds awesome.
the rotten banana bit i think was brilliant, it solved the OC's smelly problem and made him look more ridiculous.
The OC image used for this fic was created here: here.
I wrote this fic over two nights while at work, been really slow so it helped the day go by.
This fast fun fic fact brought to you by Sleep Deprivation!
