Blue Blossom slowly made her way down the stairs from her Canterlot apartment and into the little blue-painted entryway. A rolled-up newspaper on the floor bore the headline “Changeling Day.” Only the stained glass of the entry door separated her from the strange new world just beyond.
Am I ready for this? Blue thought to herself.
No, but I’m going outside anyway.
She hesitantly pulled the door open, and peeked outside. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she stepped through. But Blue stayed put on the landing at the top of the steps, just sitting there, staring at nothing in particular. It was a lovely day; the weather was just right and not a cloud in the sky. A tribute to how effective the weather service could be when needed. A few ponies on the street walked past her apartment building. But no sight of any changelings, at least not yet. Still, Blue wasn’t quite ready to face this particularly strange new day. She had been counting the days until this day, but dreading it, all the same.
After a few minutes, a pegasus mare – young and vibrantly light pink – approached from the street, and walked up the steps to the apartment building right next door to Blue’s, the steps to either building being adjacent to one another. The somewhat familiar mare looked at Blue Blossom, and decided to lean over the low stone divider and introduce herself.
“Um, hi. I’m your neighbor? We see each other all the time. I usually wave and you wave back?” she asked.
“Yes, hi! I’m sorry, I never got your name,” Blue Blossom replied back.
“Autumn. Autumn Orchid,” she said. “What’s yours?”
“Hey! We both have flower names! I’m Blue Blossom!” She exclaimed, thankful for the distraction.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. For real, I mean. Isn’t it amazing how you can live so close to somepony and not even know them?”
“Yes, I suppose so...”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. Yes. Kind of. It’s this changeling day thing. I need a minute to work up the courage to go outside. Don’t worry about me.”
“Oh honey, don’t bother. There’s no changelings out there.”
“Oh.” Blue Blossom drooped, not entirely sure if she was relieved or disheartened. “Well that… sucks.”
“Were you hoping there would be?”
“Heh. Well, yes and no.”
“Hm?”
“It’s a long story; I don’t want to keep you.”
“Oh, not at all. It’s a bank holiday so I’ve got nothing to do all day, anyway. In fact, would you mind if I sit with you awhile? While you ‘work up your courage’?” Autumn offered.
“That sounds lovely.”
“So tell me this long story of yours.”
“Oh you don’t want to hear that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s basically my sob story, it’s kind of embarrassing. Plus I don’t like feeling sorry for myself.”
“Alright, well… how about we talk about the day then?”
“You mean Changeling Day? Like… today?”
“Yeah, sure. I must admit, it’s a clever ruse on Her Majesty’s part.”
“A ruse? How do you mean?”
“Oh come on.” Autumn waved a skeptical hoof. “Everypony in this city has been paranoid of changelings ever since the invasion. This whole ‘reforming’ thing with the changelings of the hive just served as a reminder to us Canterlotians: ‘Hey! Changelings still exist!’”
“You mean still-unreformed changelings still exist,” Blue Blossom corrected.
“I’m sure they do, I just don’t know why everypony in Canterlot thinks they’d be crazy enough to be here, of all places.”
“Well… King Thorax seems to think that they’re somewhere.”
“ ‘King?’ We’re calling him king now?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s his title.”
“Anyway, for whatever reason, ponies in this city think that changelings – still-unreformed changelings – are here too. So Princess Celestia calls for a holiday where any and all changelings that are supposedly hiding in Canterlot are free to roam the city, as legal citizens. So when no actual changelings manifest themselves, all of Canterlot will say: ‘Hey look! No changelings here!’ And changeling paranoia solved, just like that.”
“I wish it were that simple,” Blue muttered.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing. So you don’t think there’s any changelings here?”
“I’ll admit, I did go out today thinking I might see some. But I haven’t, so I’m reasonably confident they aren’t in this city. I mean why would they be hiding with an invitation to drop all their disguises and subterfuge and just be free and relax?”
“I suppose you’re right. But I really was hoping to see some changelings though.”
“Are you... just curious, or what?”
“No, I’m… legitimately living in fear of them. Ever since the invasion.”
“Oh...”
“It’s a sob story, like I said, I really don’t want to get into it.”
“No, please. You’ve got me interested now. If you’re so afraid of them, why on earth would you want to be out here today? When they get to invade the city all over again, scot-free?”
“I’m, quite frankly, sick and tired of being afraid every waking moment. My therapist has been no help, so I figured a good old-fashioned face-your-fears strategy would be best for me. This Changeling Day thing sounded just perfect on paper. If there’s a bunch of scary changelings just walking around doing ordinary not-scary pony stuff – you know, not invading – I feel like if I saw a changeling trying on hats or sipping a latte, that I wouldn’t be afraid anymore. And I think that was kind of what the Princess wanted to happen.”
“You poor dear…”
“I warned you. Heh. It’s a sob story.”
“Now I just have to know. What’s your invasion day story?”
She tensed up. “Oh. Um. Let’s just say… I was one of the unlucky ones.”
“Ah. Tell me more, please.”
Blue became a little teary-eyed and looked away. “I was out shopping when it happened. Well it was chaos, as anypony will tell you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, before I knew it… they uh,” Blue cleared her throat, “they tackled me to the ground. The goo, they covered me in it, it was on my horn, I was stuck to the cobblestones. I couldn’t move, I… couldn’t do anything, couldn’t fight it. I was… totally helpless.”
Autumn said nothing, looking just as dour as Blue Blossom.
On the verge of crying, she continued, “They bit me. Kicked me. Took turns biting.”
“That’s… horrible, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
She brushed up the fur on her neck, revealing a series of round, coin-sized scars.
Autumn bit down on her hoof.
Blue Blossom closed her eyes and held her hoof to her chest, performing some breathing exercises to collect herself.
For some reason, Autumn couldn’t seem to get over seeing those scars, she appeared disgusted and distraught.
“I would’ve liked to ask a changeling why these other changelings did this to me, maybe if I could understand…”
“I’m… I’m so sorry.” She stood up and flew over the stone divider to her building’s steps, looked back across for one moment, as if about to say something. But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything at all, so instead she pushed the door open and went inside as fast as possible.
Blue Blossom could only sit there and wonder in silence what she had said to offend Autumn Orchid. But, as nothing immediately sprang to mind, she then thought perhaps Autumn had also been deeply emotionally affected by the changelings, in some way.
She knew one thing for sure. She didn’t want anypony else to feel that hurt. She quickly walked down her building’s steps, and up her neighbor’s steps. As their apartment buildings were nearly identical, the tiny entry area behind the stained glass of the front door was a mirror image of the one next door, except for the different color of paint on the walls – an odd teal. The second door that would give Blue Blossom access to the stairs was locked, she would have to get ‘buzzed in’ by Autumn. She looked at the panel of mailboxes and doorbell buttons. The name tags were old, yellowed paper with names in faded black ink, but among them one was a fresh new white paper tag with crisp lettering that read ‘A. Orchid - 3A.’ She pressed the button.
There was no response, which she kind of expected. But she tried again.
After a long couple of minutes of standing around in the tiny entryway, wondering and waiting, her situation was starting to feel kind of hopeless. She nervously tapped her hooves on the stone tile floor, contemplating giving up and going home. Or, rather, going out into the city, like she had intended to do today. But as Autumn had claimed there were no changelings out there, what was the point? She might not be able to face her fears today, but maybe she could help her new friend overcome her problems.
Just as she was ready to throw in the towel, she heard a door close from up the stairs, and then hoofsteps coming down. She quickly straightened herself up, and looked around casually, as if waiting for somepony to buzz her in. An older stallion came through the door, and politely held it open for Blue Blossom, who gave him a friendly smile and a quick ‘thank you’ as she walked on through.
With renewed vigor, she swiftly walked up the stairs to the third floor and stopped in front of the door marked ‘3A.’ Before she knocked, she leaned in and listened. She could hear Autumn crying.
It reminded Blue Blossom of herself, sadly, of her own inner conflicts.
But the crying suddenly stopped, Autumn had probably heard her.
Forgoing the knocking, she just spoke directly to her, “Autumn? It’s me, Blue Blossom.”
There was no response.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dredge up any bad feelings. Because… I know what that’s like. And I thought maybe it would help if you could talk to somepony about it? I mean, I told you my sob story, so it’s only fair, right?”
She still didn’t respond.
“Can you let me in? Please?”
After a few moments, the door unlocked and opened just a crack. Blue Blossom gently pushed it open and took only a few steps inside. Autumn was sitting on the floor, slumped over, with her back facing the doorway.
Blue placed a comforting hoof on Autumn’s back. “Hey, it’s alright. Come on now, you can talk to me about it. Because I’ll understand.”
“No you won’t. Just go back home. You don’t wanna talk to me.”
“But… I know you’re hurting. And I’m hurting too.”
“Yeah, I’m hurting. But you can’t help me. You wouldn’t understand.”
“I’ll try my best to-”
“You can’t.”
“Well… why not?”
“Because you’re a pony!”
As a unicorn, Blue Blossom wasn’t much good at magic. She had a firm grasp on levitation, and could even muster a simple light spell, if the situation required it. But never in her wildest dreams would she have thought herself capable of teleportation. In this very moment, however, if you were to tell her that she had done such a thing, she would surely have believed you. Because, in the blink of an eye, she was several steps backwards, well out of the door of the apartment.
Of course, that’s not exactly what was on her mind at the moment.
She was frozen. In fear, one might argue. But her ‘flight’ instinct had already sent her backpedalling away from Autumn. No, she was frozen because she didn’t want to run. Not anymore. Not again. Her day’s objective – to face her fears – was now suddenly thrust upon her, but there was something more now.
Autumn had started crying again.
Summoning every ounce of willpower she had, Blue Blossom started taking small steps closer to Autumn. Pony or not, this creature needed her help.
Blue Blossom tried to speak, but found she had to clear her throat first. “I… I still want to help, to understand.”
Autumn only sniffled and sobbed.
“Why don’t you tell me your,” she gulped, “your invasion day story?”
“I’m sure- I’m sure you- can guess.”
“Well, sure, but… how did it make you feel?” Blue asked, taking a note straight from her therapist.
“Eh- empowered,” Autumn said confidently. “And crushed.”
Somehow, Blue Blossom brought herself to rest a reassuring, if shaky, hoof on Autumn’s shoulder. “But… it’s Changeling Day. It’s time to put that all behind you.”
“This city’s not ready for Changeling Day…”
Blue Blossom nodded her head, considering this. She certainly didn’t feel like she was ready for any of this. So she suggested, “Maybe it’s you that’s not ready.”
Autumn heaved a ragged sigh, and stubbornly nodded.
As Blue was about to say something, Autumn turned around and embraced Blue in a hug.
Blue Blossom was terrified. Absolutely terrified. She awkwardly patted Autumn on the back a couple times. “Ok, could you- could you like not? Could you not, please?”
“I’m so hungry…”
“OH-kay. I did not need to know that!”
“But I’m supposed to tell you the truth now! Everything’s upside-down and ass-backwards. I hate this so much!”
“Me too!” Blue exclaimed, trying to wriggle her way out of the unwelcome changeling hug.
“I just- I feel like I’ve lived my whole life wrong. I hate ponies. I’ve always hated ponies. Now all of a sudden we’re supposed to get along and go prancing through the streets of Canterlot, like none of the rest of my life ever happened. Like our defeat never happened…”
“Well, I mean, the same thing is true for us. You hate us, and we fear you. We may not have spent our whole lives fearing you, but there was a good amount of time when your people were the sworn enemy. And some of us – me, especially – have really suffered from fearing you. Changeling paranoia? It’s torn this city apart. Hatred, fear… it’s not healthy for either of us. It’s time to change.”
“But I don’t wanna be one of those ugly ‘reformed’ changelings!”
“Well… but…! You’re a shape-shifter… just look however you want to look… right?”
“It’s not the same!”
“Oh, for Celestia’s sake.” Blue was finally able to separate herself from Autumn, and leaned down to look her in the eyes. “Listen. We both have a real opportunity here, on this special day. You said there weren’t any changelings outside, right? Let’s have you be the first. Let’s show Equestria that you’re ready, and we’re ready for ponies and changelings to be friends.”
“Friends?” Autumn asked curiously.
Blue smiled and nodded. “You didn’t think I listened to your sob story for no reason, did you?”
Autumn laughed a little bit. Just a little chuckle. “You’re doing really well by the way.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re not even trembling anymore.”
It took her a second to realize it, but Autumn was absolutely right!
“I wish I was that brave…”
“Hah! That’s a good one. Me? Brave? Heh heh.”
“Serious. I went outside today thinking I’d see a bunch of other changelings… It would’ve been easy then, I think. To just… you know… reveal myself.” Autumn shivered at the thought.
“Would it be any easier if you had the help of a friend?”
“But we shouldn’t be friends.”
“Oh, don’t say that. You know, we shouldn’t be having this conversation either, but here we are. Times are changing. It’s time for us to change with them.”
“…I don’t know.”
“I’ll be with you the whole time. All you have to do is walk outside.”
“Undisguised!”
“Well… I’ll be there… eh… if you need a hug, I guess.”
“Alright…”
“Alright? Good!” Blue stood up, and motioned for Autumn to get up, too. “Come on, the city is waiting.”
“Um, there’s something I should tell you first.”
“Oh, ok. What is it?”
“I’m uh… you see, it’s gonna be hard enough for me to reveal myself as it is, I just think you should know…”
“…Yes?”
“I’m actually a dude.”
Blue Blossom needed a moment to process what she’d just heard. But when she was done, she took a deep breath, and said, “You know, that’s really not the weirdest thing about all of this.”
A happy little smile crept across Autumn’s face. A swirl of green flame enveloped Autumn the pony and replaced her with Autumn the changeling.
“I know I frighten you, looking like this.”
Blue almost seemed a little offended. “I think I’m handling it rather well, all things considered.”
“You are. You are. But you can’t hide your feelings from a changeling.”
“Oh, yeah. That.”
The two new friends slowly made their way down the stairs and into the little teal-painted entryway. A newspaper on the floor reminded them of what a special day it was. Only the stained glass of the entry door separated them from the strange new world just beyond.
“Are you ready?” Blue asked.
“No, but I’m going out there anyway,” Autumn answered with resolve.
Blue smiled. “That’s the spirit.”
~The End~
Author's Note
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