Hivemindby Thunder-DasherChaptersFlying lessonsGolden ticketThe crushMatter of the heartPrologueFlying lessonsThe morning had started out nice and peaceful like most others. Twilight sat in the kitchen, reading a book and eating breakfast. It was almost perfect... almost. It didn't take long, though, for the morning to turn chaotic. Within a couple of minutes, the kitchen was turned upside down. Twilight's breakfast now covered her face and her book, dishes lay scattered across the floor, pancake batter painted the entire room in multiple places, and at the center of it all was a baby dragon pinned down by a not so happy changeling. "What is Equestria is going on?" Twilight asked, cleaning up the mess on her face. "I was in the middle of a good dream when mister fire breath here decides to burn me awake," Aurora growled. "Well, that sounds like a pleasant way to wake up," Twilight said sarcastically. "You weren't waking up any other way," Spike pointed out, "And my air horn doesn't work". "Then maybe you should've let her sleep," Twilight said, "Burning her wasn't really nice". "Look, I'm sorry, alright?" Spike pleaded. Aurora said nothing, but opted, instead, to snap her jaws mere centimeters from Spike's face before turning and walking away. "And before either of you even think of getting something to eat, I believe the kitchen needs to be cleaned," Twilight said. "Oh come on!" Aurora said, "He burned me for Celestia's sake". "And chasing him caused the kitchen to be destroyed," Twilight pointed out, "You're both at fault here, so you get to clean up together". After finally filling her belly... or, well, both of her bellies, Aurora decided to go to the clubhouse to meet up with the crusaders. Without any fear, Aurora walked around undisguised. The ponies had long since gotten used to seeing a changeling walking around Ponyville, and though there were still some who didn't like it, nopony would dare bring Aurora any kind of harm. "Hey there!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping out of seemingly thin air. "Where did you pop of this time?" Aurora asked. "What are you talking about silly?" Pinkie asked, "I've been here this whole time". "Yea, sure," Aurora said, "I don't want to be rude, but I kinda want to just hang out with the crusaders today". "Aww, come on, we just got this new cupcake recipe and I really wanted you to try it, but it looks like you really don't want to and that just," Pinkie said before a brief pause, "Bugs me". Aurora would've rolled her eyes if she could, but a sigh would just have to do. "You know, that pun has gotten quite old already," Aurora said, "As for the new cupcakes, I'll stop by and try one later". With that, Aurora was off, once again heading towards the clubhouse. "Head's up!" Came a voice from above. Aurora ducked just in time to avoid the living missile. As she turned to see who almost flew into her, she saw a blotch of purple among the wreckage of what used to be a pile of barrels. "Um, you ok?" Aurora asked, walking over. "No, I'm not a cupcake," The pony said. "Scoots? I get that you want to be more like Rainbow, but this is kind of ridiculous," Aurora said. "Figured I'd try gliding for a bit before you showed up," Scootaloo said, coming out of her daze. "With nopony there to catch you if you slipped up?" Aurora asked. "Well... I just don't want to feel weak all the time," Scootaloo said. "You're not weak if you know you need some help," Aurora said, "Now come on, let's get on to today's lesson if that's what you want". For a while now, Aurora has been helping Scootaloo learn how to fly whenever she can. It started off as just simple exercises and stretches, but recently, Aurora has been taking Scootaloo out to a few high up places and letting her get a feel for moving through the air. And, as the good friend she is, Aurora has been, well... most of the time, right by Scootaloo's side the whole flight to make sure she doesn't get hurt. Today, Aurora decides to take Scootaloo up to a cliff on the edge of Ponyville. "So uh... what are we doing today?" Scootaloo asked. "Well, besides that crash earlier, I think you're ready to pass on gliding," Aurora said, "Let's try actually moving in the air. Just follow me and do what I do". With that, Aurora puts up her disguise and takes off. Scootaloo, eager to start actually flying, is not far behind. It starts off great, but it's not long before Scootaloo's inability to fly catches up with her and she takes yet another tumble. She tries to get herself on a glide path, but, as with her earlier attempt, she fails and continues to tumble towards the ground. Aurora swoops down to catch her orange friend. "Alright, so maybe I jumped the cannon on that," Aurora said after catching Scootaloo. "Alright, just be honest, do you really think I'll ever be able to fly?" Scootaloo asked. "You'll fly one day, I promise," Aurora said, setting Scootaloo on the ground, "Just don't give up, whatever you do". "Alright, so what now?" Scootaloo asked. "You need to learn how to recover from freefall," Aurora said, "I'm going to demonstrate for you real quick, watch how I move not only my wings, but the rest of my body to compensate for the fall". With that, Aurora flew upwards a little bit before folding her wings in and taking a dive. As the ground got closer, she opened up her wings and angled them so as much surface was facing the ground as possible before throwing her head back to give her some upward circular momentum and aid with the correction. Within seconds, she was in a glide path and followed it all the way down. "That doesn't seem too difficult," Scootaloo said. "It's really not," Aurora said, "Want to try?". "You bet!" Scootaloo exclaimed. With that, Aurora grabbed hold of Scootaloo and lifted her up to a high enough point where she should have more than enough to recover safely. "You ready?" Aurora asked. "Just let go already," Scootaloo said confidently. "As you wish," Aurora said, letting go. Scootaloo was once again in freefall. As she fell, spread her wings and threw her head back... but forgot to angle her wings properly, so that momentum went completely to waste as she continued to plummet. "Angle your wings towards the ground, and THEN throw your head back!" Aurora called out. Aurora's call went unheard as Scootaloo continued to plummet towards the ground. Taking this as her cue, she shot downward towards the orange pegasus. Upon catching her friend, Aurora corrected her flight as best as she could. She didn't take into effect Scootaloo's weight, however, until it was too late to avoid a crash. She did the only sensible thing and dropped her disguise and put as much of her now hard, chitinous body as she could between Scootaloo and the ground. Her speed, coupled with Scootaloo's weight forced her into the ground upon impact. "Aurora! You alright!?" Scootaloo called as soon as she came back to reality. "I'm fine," Aurora said, "But, could you please get off of me?". "Oh yea, sorry," Scootaloo said, getting up and stepping out of the small hole. "You need to angle your wings towards the ground as much as possible before throwing your head back," Aurora explained as she climbed out of the hole, "It's all about surface area. The more of your wings that is aimed at the ground, the more surface area there'll be. Then you throw back your head to get some momentum and get some more surface area of your wings and start to glide. Understand?". "Yea, that makes sense," Scootaloo said, "Oh, and thanks for saving me". "Well, that's what friends are for," Aurora said. "And you're sure you're ok?" Scootaloo asked. "Exoskeletons are tougher than you'd think," Aurora said, "My chitin as almost as tough as Spike's scales". "That's good, at least I didn't get you hurt," Scootaloo said. Golden ticketAurora spent the whole day giving Scootaloo flying lessons, but the day was soon going to draw to a close. After saying good bye, Aurora began the trek home before being stopped by the two fillies she had come to hate with a passion: Diamond Tiara and her partner in crime, Silver Spoon. She tried to walk on by when she felt something spray against her side. Without thinking she suddenly began to itch her side like crazy. When she finally looked up, she saw the two fillies bump hooves as if just having accomplished something. "What did you just do?" Aurora asked, still itching. "Who? Us?" Diamond Tiara asked innocently. "Yes you, and don't try to deny doing anything," Aurora said, "It feels like my chitin is on fire right now". "Well then, you may want to stay out of our way from now on," Silver Spoon said, holding out a small spray can, "Next time you get in our way, this bug spray won't be lightly sprayed on your side". Aurora just simply glared at the two fillies as they walked away laughing. She wanted so bad to tackle them both, but figured it to be unwise. For now, she just wanted to get some relief from her itching. "I didn't even know chitin could itch," Aurora said to herself as she tried to walked home. Finally, Aurora had arrived home... still itching. The whole walk home, she got weird looks from passersby, but nopony paid her much attention as they didn't give the scratching much thought. As soon as Twilight saw her, however, she knew something was up. "You ok?" Twilight asked. "I hate bug spray," Aurora said. Twilight just cocked an eyebrow instead of saying anything. "Silver Spoon sprayed me with bug spray when I was coming home," Aurora said, "Now my chitin feels like it's on fire. I didn't even know chitin could itch". "You'd think those two would leave you alone at this point," Twilight said, sighing, "Just go take a bath, dinner will be ready soon". Wasting no time at all, Aurora did just that. After only a few seconds, she stopped itching as the burning sensation was washed away and replaced with the very real burning of her chitin due to the temperature of the water. She jumped out as quickly as she could, and started rolling around on the floor in an attempt to cool herself down... which failed. "One would think I'd have learned by now: test the water first," Aurora said, scolding herself. With that, she turned on some cold water for a minute to cool the tub down before getting again. Before long, there was a knock at the door telling her to hurry up for dinner. She got out, drained the tub, dried off, and headed downstairs. Tonight, Spike was making one of her favorites: grilled cheese with toasted cinnamon bread. As she sat down, Twilight a scroll over to her. "Princess Celestia sent this to you," Twilight said. Without saying anything, Aurora simply unrolled the scroll and saw something shiny fall out onto the table. She paid it little attention and got to reading the letter right away. Dear Aurora, It's been a year since you first received citizenship, so to celebrate, I've decided that you should be invited to this years Grand Galloping Gala. Included with this letter is your ticket. I do hope you can make it as I feel it'd be a fantastic experience for you. Yours truly, Princess Celestia "Well, that's exciting," Twilight said. "I... I get a free ticket to the gala?" Aurora asked to nopony in particular, "This... this is... AWSOME!". "Now, we need you a nice outfit," Twilight said. Aurora said nothing else as she ate. As she ate, Twilight slid over a couple of mana crystals, knowing full well that Aurora would need them about this time. Aurora touched the crystals to her horn and smiled as the delicious love energy flowed into her. "I wonder how everypony will react this year when a changeling shows up," Spike pondered as he sat down with his food. "It shouldn't be too bad," Twilight said, "She's been living here for a year and a half, and has been walking around undisguised for the past year, so it shouldn't bother them". "Remember how they reacted when you and your friends showed up before?" Spike asked, "Those high class ponies don't seem to care much for us "peasants" down here in Ponyville". "Only the ones that are stuck up like Blueblood," Twilight said. "If they don't want me there, well too bad," Aurora said, "I was invited by princess Celestia herself, so those stuck ups can't do a thing about me being there". "That's all good and fine, but remember the airshow as well?" Spike asked. "Those ponies made the mistake of pissing off me and Rainbow and thinking they could beat us in a fight," Twilight said, "This time, they'll have to deal with princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance, me, my brother and my friends if they try anything... and I highly doubt anypony is THAT stupid". "I hope you're right," Spike said. The next day couldn't have come fast enough. Aurora half jumped, half fell out of bed, looking forward to the day's events. After getting ready and finishing breakfast, Twilight and Aurora headed over to see Rarity. Upon arrival, they both noticed the main room was full of their friends. "Aurora!" Yelled the crusaders, running over to greet their friend. "Hey girls, what's going on?" Aurora asked. "Rarity's making us dresses for the grand galloping gala," Sweetie Belle said. "You're going to?" Aurora asked. "Our sisters figured it'd be a good idea ta take us as their plus ones," Applebloom said. "Wait a second, what do you mean by 'you're going to'?" Scootaloo asked. "I got my own ticket to the gala last night after I got home," Aurora said. "Seriously?" The trio asked. "Yep, so looks like it'll be a crusader gala through and through this year," Aurora said. "Aurora, come here real quick so Rarity can get you sized up!" Twilight called out. With that, Aurora casually walked over and stood still for what felt like hours as Rarity got the measurements she needed. After she was done, Rarity pulled out a rack full of finished dresses for Aurora to try on. As she went through the process of trying on every single dress on the rack, she couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied with all of them, not a one she could feel right wearing. After getting out of the last dress, something caught her eye. "How about this one?" Aurora asked, walking over to the one dress she actually liked. "That's Fluttershy's," Rarity said, "Had to make her a brand new one after the last gala". "Oh," Aurora said, sounding slightly down. "Though if you really do like it, I suppose I could make one just like it for you," Rarity said. "Really? You'd really do that?" Aurora asked, perking up. "I don't see why not," Rarity said, "After all, it'd be a shame to have you go to the gala, especially your first gala, in something you didn't like". Soon after that, everypony left and Rarity began working on her next project: Aurora's gala outfit. The basic idea for the dress design was already set in stone based on how Fluttershy's dress looked, but what was hard about this design was how Rarity was going to make it work with a changeling. However, loving the idea of working on a brand new design style for a different species, Rarity accepted the challenge now set in front of her. The crushThe night had gone about as good as the past week. Aurora had been in a moonlit field, laying beside somepony else... all alone. When she awoke, she felt warm and fuzzy. How it happened, she wasn't sure, but today, she was determined to find out. After taking a quick shower, Aurora headed downstairs for breakfast. The warm smell of her new signature waffles filled the air... and it didn't please her for once. "Spike!" Aurora yelled as she stomped into the kitchen, "What do you think you're doing!?". "Making breakfast," Spike said, "Don't blame me if you leave your cookbook out for anypony to take". "Why you little..." Aurora said, getting into a crouching position. Right as Aurora launched herself into the air, Spike ducked and rolled onto the floor to get out of the way. Without wings in her changeling form, Aurora had no way to correct her course, and collided with the wall. After hitting the floor, the poor girl was pelted with cups and covered in fresh, hot coffee. Chitin doesn't protect against temperature very well, so the coffee caused Aurora to cry out in pain. "Hey, you alright?" Spike asked, rushing over with a cold, damp towel. "Not really," Aurora said, cringing at the sudden cold sting, "How bad is it?". "Well, you're black, so it's hard to tell," Spike said. "Oh yea, cause that's so useful," Aurora said, sarcastically, "Oh, and don't you dare steal my ideas again. I won't miss next time". "Sorry, it was so tempting," Spike said. "Yea, whatever," Aurora deadpanned, "Anyway, could write a letter for me? I want to get it to princess Luna before she falls asleep". After a simple nod, Spike went and grabbed some parchment and a quill and returned to the kitchen. Celestia was just about to start eating the breakfast Luna made for her when the scroll showed up. She opened it up, but then levitated it over to her upon seeing the first line. "It's for you," Celestia said. "What could Twilight possibly need me of all ponies for?" Luna asked, opening the scroll. Dear Princess Luna, I've been having the same weird dream every night lately, and I'm not really sure what it means. I won't get into details right now, but I was hoping you could maybe visit and help me figure out what this dream means. If not right now, then tonight would be ok. You can see my dreams, right? Your favorite changeling, Aurora "I'll be gone for a while," Luna said, "Seems Aurora needs some dream advice". "Say hello for me, will you?" Celestia asked. After a nod, Luna walked out onto the balcony and took to the air. She flew around the castle once to take in the morning air. She never really took time to admire mornings, she preferred the cool night instead, but she could not deny the sunlit air had an odd calming effect. After a circle round the castle, she headed towards Ponyville. "Hello Princess," Came a voice from Luna's right. "Huh? Who?" Luna asked herself as she turned towards the source of the voice, "Oh, hello Twilight. How are you doing today?". "I'm doing good, on my way to learn some advanced flying techniques from Rainbow, actually," Twilight said, "Say, what are you doing out this late?". "Well, Aurora wanted some help figuring out the meaning behind a reoccurring dream," Luna said, "Figured it would be best to help sooner rather than later". "What kind of dream?" Twilight asked, trying not to sound worried. "She wouldn't say," Luna said. "Checkmate!" Aurora called out, "See? You're so not unbeatable". "Yea, that's uh..." Spike starts, pulling up a scroll, "One to eighty three". "Still broke your winning streak," Aurora said. Clip clop, clip clop "I wonder who's here," Aurora said as she got up. She didn't have to wait long for her answer as Twilight and Luna soon entered. "Hello, Princess," Aurora said, bowing. "No need for that," Luna said, lifting Aurora's head up, "Though I do appreciate the humility. Twilight has taught you well". Twilight just blushes and keeps her mouth shut. "However, I am not here to assess how well Twilight is taking care of you," Luna said, sitting down, "Tell me about this dream you keep having". "Well, it always takes place at night," Aurora started, "I'm laying in a moonlit field by a pond and there's another pony laying there with me. Sometimes, we'll just be laying there, staring out into the beautiful sky. Other times, we'd eventually get up and go play in the pond. No matter what, it's always in the same place and the other pony is always the same as well". "Well, seems like somepony has a crush," Luna teased. Aurora just cocked her head at that. "It means you feel love for another pony," Luna explained. "Wait, how is that even possible?" Twilight asked, "I thought changelings ATE love". "Remember that changeling queen I told you about back in the dungeon?" Luna asked. "Yea, why?" Twilight asked. "She explained to me a lot about changelings," Luna said, "According to her, all changelings, even drones, have the ability to feel love for another, even though they can't produce love energy. She didn't have an answer as to how this was possible, only that it is". "Well, that's news to me," Aurora said. "Chrysalis likes control," Luna said, "If this knowledge were to get out in her hive, she might fear it could cost her control of the hive". "That makes a lot of sense," Aurora said. "Anyway, back on topic," Twilight said, "So, Aurora has a crush... anything else, perhaps?". "Well, no, though I am curious as to who you have a crush on," Luna said, "Anything you can tell us about this pony from your dream?". "Well... she has an orange coat and wings, a kind of purpleish mane and tail, and-" Aurora said, cutting herself off as the realization hit her, "It's... it's Scootaloo". "Well, you two are close, so I can't say I didn't see that coming," Twilight said. The day was finally coming to a close. Luna had stayed for a little tea and chat before heading back to Canterlot to get as much sleep as she could. Aurora went crusading with her friends, trying to not act awkward around Scootaloo. Now, the sun was setting, and Twilight and Aurora sat in the dining room, waiting for Spike to finish dinner. Though she was a changeling, Aurora found it difficult to hide her discomfort. "Aurora, is everything alright?" Twilight asked, believing she already knew the answer. "Not really," Aurora said. "Earlier?" Twilight asked. Aurora just nodded. "You want to talk about it?" Twilight asked. "Well... guess it couldn't hurt," Aurora said, "I just... it doesn't bother you, does it?". "Why would you having a crush bother me?" Twilight asked. "She's a filly," Aurora said, "And I'm also female. Isn't that... frowned upon?". "By stuck ups, yes," Twilight said, "Who you love is your choice. Why others think otherwise is beyond me. For me, though, I'll support you as long as you two are happy together". "That's good to know," Aurora said, perking up, "This is just so new to me, and I was afraid you'd... not like it". "I just want you to be happy," Twilight said, "If you're happy with a filly, or mare as you get older, then I'll be happy". The rest of the night went quite well. Aurora, her fear vanquished, enjoyed playing games until she fell asleep and her body fell limply onto the game board. Matter of the heartAs the sun rose up over the horizon, it's light penetrated into Aurora's room. After making contact with her eyelids, the light did everything it could to get into the changeling's eyes. It took a couple minutes, but the desired effect was finally achieved, as proven by a hole filled hoof reaching up to block the offending rays of daytime. Try as she might to stay asleep, she couldn't help but Crack her eyes open. "Damn, and I was just getting to the good part," Aurora said. The changeling rolled out of bed and right on top of Spike, ruining his wake up call. All she heard was muffled noises after she landed. She soon felt something against her side, prompting her to move. "Serves you right for trying to scare me," Aurora said. "Who said anything about scaring you?" Spike asked. "You always scare me awake," Aurora pointed out. "And you finally learned to wake up nice and early," Spike said. "Race you to the kitchen," Aurora said, "First one gets it for a week". Spike just grinned as both he and Aurora got ready. After breakfast, Aurora immediately went to find Scootaloo. She was greeted by ponies here and there as she ran through the town. Before long, the clubhouse came into view, as did a certain young pegasus filly. "Scoots! Wait up!" Aurora called out as she ran up the ramp. Hearing her name, Scootaloo turned to face who called her. "Hey, Aurora," She said, "What's up?" "Are sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom here yet?" Aurora asked, panting. "Not yet," Scootaloo pointed out, "Why?" "Because, I uh... I need to talk to you... kinda in private," Aurora said. The two then walked off to a more secluded area near the clubhouse, but not out of total earshot. "So uh... what's up?" Scootaloo asked. "I've been trying to figure out how to say this for a couple of weeks now, but I guess it'd be best to just be blunt... so, here goes," Aurora said, taking a deep breath, "I um... I kinda have a uh... a bit of a crush... on you". "Wow... um, I... I uh, um... wow," Scootaloo said, stuttering, "I honestly wasn't expecting that". "I've felt this way for quite some time, but didn't realize it until a few nights ago," Aurora explained. "So... you uh... you want to um... be my fillyfriend?" Scootaloo asked with a tilted head. "Well... yea," Aurora admitted, "I mean, if you wouldn't mind, that is". "I um... I guess it wouldn't be that bad," Scootaloo said, "I guess we could give it a shot. Nothing ventured, right?" "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Aurora said, "You don't have to accept if you don't want to". "No, it's not like that," Scootaloo said, "I just... nopony's ever liked me... like that before". "So, I'd be your first ever date?" Aurora asked, perking up in curiosity. Scootaloo just nodded. "No wonder it's scaring you," Aurora said. "Is not!" Scootaloo called out defensively. "Sure tastes like fear," Aurora said. "But, it won't be that bad, I promise". "Can I just... have some time to think about this?" Scootaloo asked. "I don't see why not," Aurora said, "I don't want to rush you". The two sat there awkwardly for a couple of minutes before a voice from behind Scootaloo made them both jump. "What are you two doin' out here?" The voice asked. "Geez, Applebloom, don't scare us like that," Scootaloo said. "Sorry, ah was just wonderin' why your out here instead of in the clubhouse," Applebloom said. "We were just talking," Scootaloo said. "Well, whatever it is, Ah'm sure it can wait a little bit," Applebloom said, "It's crusadin' time". The day had gone by relatively quickly, neither Aurora nor Scootaloo had given any signs of anything all day. As the day drew to an end, the crusaders went their own separate ways home. As Aurora walked home, she gazed at the wonderful, pinkish sunset. A smile spread across her face as she took in the sight. No matter what happened next, she knew she could get through it, and Scootaloo would be there to help her. PrologueDeep within the badlands, just south of Equestria, is a rather large of hive in insect-like creatures known as Changelings. At the center of the hive is the queen, a Changeling known as "Chrysalis". Three years ago, Chrysalis attempted to take over Equestria, starting at the heart in Canterlot. Her attempt, however, was thwarted by the power of love, which is, ironically, the main food source of Changelings. After such a defeat, the hive was left in shambles. But, after much time and preparation, she is willing to make a second attempt. The main chamber is full of Changeling drones, surrounding Chrysalis, who stands on the center platform, ready to hear what their queen has to say. "I'm sure none of you have forgotten what happened to us some time ago," Chrysalis started, "Our attempt of taking over Canterlot failed thanks to a pesky unicorn and her friends. This time, however, we will not fail. I have been receiving valuable information over the past year, and I know all their weaknesses and how best to exploit them. This time, we shall not fail. This time, Canterlot, and eventually all of Equestria, shall be ours". Upon hearing this, the room came to life with the buzzing of the wings of excited drones. The promise of taking over Equestria brought with it the promise of unlimited food, and that's something the hive was ready to fight for. As Chrysalis descended from the center platform, the drones moved out of the way for her. She had a wicked grin as she walked. "And this time, not even Twilight Sparkle, or any of her friends, will have a chance to stop me," Chrysalis whispered to herself.
Flying lessonsThe morning had started out nice and peaceful like most others. Twilight sat in the kitchen, reading a book and eating breakfast. It was almost perfect... almost. It didn't take long, though, for the morning to turn chaotic. Within a couple of minutes, the kitchen was turned upside down. Twilight's breakfast now covered her face and her book, dishes lay scattered across the floor, pancake batter painted the entire room in multiple places, and at the center of it all was a baby dragon pinned down by a not so happy changeling. "What is Equestria is going on?" Twilight asked, cleaning up the mess on her face. "I was in the middle of a good dream when mister fire breath here decides to burn me awake," Aurora growled. "Well, that sounds like a pleasant way to wake up," Twilight said sarcastically. "You weren't waking up any other way," Spike pointed out, "And my air horn doesn't work". "Then maybe you should've let her sleep," Twilight said, "Burning her wasn't really nice". "Look, I'm sorry, alright?" Spike pleaded. Aurora said nothing, but opted, instead, to snap her jaws mere centimeters from Spike's face before turning and walking away. "And before either of you even think of getting something to eat, I believe the kitchen needs to be cleaned," Twilight said. "Oh come on!" Aurora said, "He burned me for Celestia's sake". "And chasing him caused the kitchen to be destroyed," Twilight pointed out, "You're both at fault here, so you get to clean up together". After finally filling her belly... or, well, both of her bellies, Aurora decided to go to the clubhouse to meet up with the crusaders. Without any fear, Aurora walked around undisguised. The ponies had long since gotten used to seeing a changeling walking around Ponyville, and though there were still some who didn't like it, nopony would dare bring Aurora any kind of harm. "Hey there!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping out of seemingly thin air. "Where did you pop of this time?" Aurora asked. "What are you talking about silly?" Pinkie asked, "I've been here this whole time". "Yea, sure," Aurora said, "I don't want to be rude, but I kinda want to just hang out with the crusaders today". "Aww, come on, we just got this new cupcake recipe and I really wanted you to try it, but it looks like you really don't want to and that just," Pinkie said before a brief pause, "Bugs me". Aurora would've rolled her eyes if she could, but a sigh would just have to do. "You know, that pun has gotten quite old already," Aurora said, "As for the new cupcakes, I'll stop by and try one later". With that, Aurora was off, once again heading towards the clubhouse. "Head's up!" Came a voice from above. Aurora ducked just in time to avoid the living missile. As she turned to see who almost flew into her, she saw a blotch of purple among the wreckage of what used to be a pile of barrels. "Um, you ok?" Aurora asked, walking over. "No, I'm not a cupcake," The pony said. "Scoots? I get that you want to be more like Rainbow, but this is kind of ridiculous," Aurora said. "Figured I'd try gliding for a bit before you showed up," Scootaloo said, coming out of her daze. "With nopony there to catch you if you slipped up?" Aurora asked. "Well... I just don't want to feel weak all the time," Scootaloo said. "You're not weak if you know you need some help," Aurora said, "Now come on, let's get on to today's lesson if that's what you want". For a while now, Aurora has been helping Scootaloo learn how to fly whenever she can. It started off as just simple exercises and stretches, but recently, Aurora has been taking Scootaloo out to a few high up places and letting her get a feel for moving through the air. And, as the good friend she is, Aurora has been, well... most of the time, right by Scootaloo's side the whole flight to make sure she doesn't get hurt. Today, Aurora decides to take Scootaloo up to a cliff on the edge of Ponyville. "So uh... what are we doing today?" Scootaloo asked. "Well, besides that crash earlier, I think you're ready to pass on gliding," Aurora said, "Let's try actually moving in the air. Just follow me and do what I do". With that, Aurora puts up her disguise and takes off. Scootaloo, eager to start actually flying, is not far behind. It starts off great, but it's not long before Scootaloo's inability to fly catches up with her and she takes yet another tumble. She tries to get herself on a glide path, but, as with her earlier attempt, she fails and continues to tumble towards the ground. Aurora swoops down to catch her orange friend. "Alright, so maybe I jumped the cannon on that," Aurora said after catching Scootaloo. "Alright, just be honest, do you really think I'll ever be able to fly?" Scootaloo asked. "You'll fly one day, I promise," Aurora said, setting Scootaloo on the ground, "Just don't give up, whatever you do". "Alright, so what now?" Scootaloo asked. "You need to learn how to recover from freefall," Aurora said, "I'm going to demonstrate for you real quick, watch how I move not only my wings, but the rest of my body to compensate for the fall". With that, Aurora flew upwards a little bit before folding her wings in and taking a dive. As the ground got closer, she opened up her wings and angled them so as much surface was facing the ground as possible before throwing her head back to give her some upward circular momentum and aid with the correction. Within seconds, she was in a glide path and followed it all the way down. "That doesn't seem too difficult," Scootaloo said. "It's really not," Aurora said, "Want to try?". "You bet!" Scootaloo exclaimed. With that, Aurora grabbed hold of Scootaloo and lifted her up to a high enough point where she should have more than enough to recover safely. "You ready?" Aurora asked. "Just let go already," Scootaloo said confidently. "As you wish," Aurora said, letting go. Scootaloo was once again in freefall. As she fell, spread her wings and threw her head back... but forgot to angle her wings properly, so that momentum went completely to waste as she continued to plummet. "Angle your wings towards the ground, and THEN throw your head back!" Aurora called out. Aurora's call went unheard as Scootaloo continued to plummet towards the ground. Taking this as her cue, she shot downward towards the orange pegasus. Upon catching her friend, Aurora corrected her flight as best as she could. She didn't take into effect Scootaloo's weight, however, until it was too late to avoid a crash. She did the only sensible thing and dropped her disguise and put as much of her now hard, chitinous body as she could between Scootaloo and the ground. Her speed, coupled with Scootaloo's weight forced her into the ground upon impact. "Aurora! You alright!?" Scootaloo called as soon as she came back to reality. "I'm fine," Aurora said, "But, could you please get off of me?". "Oh yea, sorry," Scootaloo said, getting up and stepping out of the small hole. "You need to angle your wings towards the ground as much as possible before throwing your head back," Aurora explained as she climbed out of the hole, "It's all about surface area. The more of your wings that is aimed at the ground, the more surface area there'll be. Then you throw back your head to get some momentum and get some more surface area of your wings and start to glide. Understand?". "Yea, that makes sense," Scootaloo said, "Oh, and thanks for saving me". "Well, that's what friends are for," Aurora said. "And you're sure you're ok?" Scootaloo asked. "Exoskeletons are tougher than you'd think," Aurora said, "My chitin as almost as tough as Spike's scales". "That's good, at least I didn't get you hurt," Scootaloo said.
Golden ticketAurora spent the whole day giving Scootaloo flying lessons, but the day was soon going to draw to a close. After saying good bye, Aurora began the trek home before being stopped by the two fillies she had come to hate with a passion: Diamond Tiara and her partner in crime, Silver Spoon. She tried to walk on by when she felt something spray against her side. Without thinking she suddenly began to itch her side like crazy. When she finally looked up, she saw the two fillies bump hooves as if just having accomplished something. "What did you just do?" Aurora asked, still itching. "Who? Us?" Diamond Tiara asked innocently. "Yes you, and don't try to deny doing anything," Aurora said, "It feels like my chitin is on fire right now". "Well then, you may want to stay out of our way from now on," Silver Spoon said, holding out a small spray can, "Next time you get in our way, this bug spray won't be lightly sprayed on your side". Aurora just simply glared at the two fillies as they walked away laughing. She wanted so bad to tackle them both, but figured it to be unwise. For now, she just wanted to get some relief from her itching. "I didn't even know chitin could itch," Aurora said to herself as she tried to walked home. Finally, Aurora had arrived home... still itching. The whole walk home, she got weird looks from passersby, but nopony paid her much attention as they didn't give the scratching much thought. As soon as Twilight saw her, however, she knew something was up. "You ok?" Twilight asked. "I hate bug spray," Aurora said. Twilight just cocked an eyebrow instead of saying anything. "Silver Spoon sprayed me with bug spray when I was coming home," Aurora said, "Now my chitin feels like it's on fire. I didn't even know chitin could itch". "You'd think those two would leave you alone at this point," Twilight said, sighing, "Just go take a bath, dinner will be ready soon". Wasting no time at all, Aurora did just that. After only a few seconds, she stopped itching as the burning sensation was washed away and replaced with the very real burning of her chitin due to the temperature of the water. She jumped out as quickly as she could, and started rolling around on the floor in an attempt to cool herself down... which failed. "One would think I'd have learned by now: test the water first," Aurora said, scolding herself. With that, she turned on some cold water for a minute to cool the tub down before getting again. Before long, there was a knock at the door telling her to hurry up for dinner. She got out, drained the tub, dried off, and headed downstairs. Tonight, Spike was making one of her favorites: grilled cheese with toasted cinnamon bread. As she sat down, Twilight a scroll over to her. "Princess Celestia sent this to you," Twilight said. Without saying anything, Aurora simply unrolled the scroll and saw something shiny fall out onto the table. She paid it little attention and got to reading the letter right away. Dear Aurora, It's been a year since you first received citizenship, so to celebrate, I've decided that you should be invited to this years Grand Galloping Gala. Included with this letter is your ticket. I do hope you can make it as I feel it'd be a fantastic experience for you. Yours truly, Princess Celestia "Well, that's exciting," Twilight said. "I... I get a free ticket to the gala?" Aurora asked to nopony in particular, "This... this is... AWSOME!". "Now, we need you a nice outfit," Twilight said. Aurora said nothing else as she ate. As she ate, Twilight slid over a couple of mana crystals, knowing full well that Aurora would need them about this time. Aurora touched the crystals to her horn and smiled as the delicious love energy flowed into her. "I wonder how everypony will react this year when a changeling shows up," Spike pondered as he sat down with his food. "It shouldn't be too bad," Twilight said, "She's been living here for a year and a half, and has been walking around undisguised for the past year, so it shouldn't bother them". "Remember how they reacted when you and your friends showed up before?" Spike asked, "Those high class ponies don't seem to care much for us "peasants" down here in Ponyville". "Only the ones that are stuck up like Blueblood," Twilight said. "If they don't want me there, well too bad," Aurora said, "I was invited by princess Celestia herself, so those stuck ups can't do a thing about me being there". "That's all good and fine, but remember the airshow as well?" Spike asked. "Those ponies made the mistake of pissing off me and Rainbow and thinking they could beat us in a fight," Twilight said, "This time, they'll have to deal with princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance, me, my brother and my friends if they try anything... and I highly doubt anypony is THAT stupid". "I hope you're right," Spike said. The next day couldn't have come fast enough. Aurora half jumped, half fell out of bed, looking forward to the day's events. After getting ready and finishing breakfast, Twilight and Aurora headed over to see Rarity. Upon arrival, they both noticed the main room was full of their friends. "Aurora!" Yelled the crusaders, running over to greet their friend. "Hey girls, what's going on?" Aurora asked. "Rarity's making us dresses for the grand galloping gala," Sweetie Belle said. "You're going to?" Aurora asked. "Our sisters figured it'd be a good idea ta take us as their plus ones," Applebloom said. "Wait a second, what do you mean by 'you're going to'?" Scootaloo asked. "I got my own ticket to the gala last night after I got home," Aurora said. "Seriously?" The trio asked. "Yep, so looks like it'll be a crusader gala through and through this year," Aurora said. "Aurora, come here real quick so Rarity can get you sized up!" Twilight called out. With that, Aurora casually walked over and stood still for what felt like hours as Rarity got the measurements she needed. After she was done, Rarity pulled out a rack full of finished dresses for Aurora to try on. As she went through the process of trying on every single dress on the rack, she couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied with all of them, not a one she could feel right wearing. After getting out of the last dress, something caught her eye. "How about this one?" Aurora asked, walking over to the one dress she actually liked. "That's Fluttershy's," Rarity said, "Had to make her a brand new one after the last gala". "Oh," Aurora said, sounding slightly down. "Though if you really do like it, I suppose I could make one just like it for you," Rarity said. "Really? You'd really do that?" Aurora asked, perking up. "I don't see why not," Rarity said, "After all, it'd be a shame to have you go to the gala, especially your first gala, in something you didn't like". Soon after that, everypony left and Rarity began working on her next project: Aurora's gala outfit. The basic idea for the dress design was already set in stone based on how Fluttershy's dress looked, but what was hard about this design was how Rarity was going to make it work with a changeling. However, loving the idea of working on a brand new design style for a different species, Rarity accepted the challenge now set in front of her.
The crushThe night had gone about as good as the past week. Aurora had been in a moonlit field, laying beside somepony else... all alone. When she awoke, she felt warm and fuzzy. How it happened, she wasn't sure, but today, she was determined to find out. After taking a quick shower, Aurora headed downstairs for breakfast. The warm smell of her new signature waffles filled the air... and it didn't please her for once. "Spike!" Aurora yelled as she stomped into the kitchen, "What do you think you're doing!?". "Making breakfast," Spike said, "Don't blame me if you leave your cookbook out for anypony to take". "Why you little..." Aurora said, getting into a crouching position. Right as Aurora launched herself into the air, Spike ducked and rolled onto the floor to get out of the way. Without wings in her changeling form, Aurora had no way to correct her course, and collided with the wall. After hitting the floor, the poor girl was pelted with cups and covered in fresh, hot coffee. Chitin doesn't protect against temperature very well, so the coffee caused Aurora to cry out in pain. "Hey, you alright?" Spike asked, rushing over with a cold, damp towel. "Not really," Aurora said, cringing at the sudden cold sting, "How bad is it?". "Well, you're black, so it's hard to tell," Spike said. "Oh yea, cause that's so useful," Aurora said, sarcastically, "Oh, and don't you dare steal my ideas again. I won't miss next time". "Sorry, it was so tempting," Spike said. "Yea, whatever," Aurora deadpanned, "Anyway, could write a letter for me? I want to get it to princess Luna before she falls asleep". After a simple nod, Spike went and grabbed some parchment and a quill and returned to the kitchen. Celestia was just about to start eating the breakfast Luna made for her when the scroll showed up. She opened it up, but then levitated it over to her upon seeing the first line. "It's for you," Celestia said. "What could Twilight possibly need me of all ponies for?" Luna asked, opening the scroll. Dear Princess Luna, I've been having the same weird dream every night lately, and I'm not really sure what it means. I won't get into details right now, but I was hoping you could maybe visit and help me figure out what this dream means. If not right now, then tonight would be ok. You can see my dreams, right? Your favorite changeling, Aurora "I'll be gone for a while," Luna said, "Seems Aurora needs some dream advice". "Say hello for me, will you?" Celestia asked. After a nod, Luna walked out onto the balcony and took to the air. She flew around the castle once to take in the morning air. She never really took time to admire mornings, she preferred the cool night instead, but she could not deny the sunlit air had an odd calming effect. After a circle round the castle, she headed towards Ponyville. "Hello Princess," Came a voice from Luna's right. "Huh? Who?" Luna asked herself as she turned towards the source of the voice, "Oh, hello Twilight. How are you doing today?". "I'm doing good, on my way to learn some advanced flying techniques from Rainbow, actually," Twilight said, "Say, what are you doing out this late?". "Well, Aurora wanted some help figuring out the meaning behind a reoccurring dream," Luna said, "Figured it would be best to help sooner rather than later". "What kind of dream?" Twilight asked, trying not to sound worried. "She wouldn't say," Luna said. "Checkmate!" Aurora called out, "See? You're so not unbeatable". "Yea, that's uh..." Spike starts, pulling up a scroll, "One to eighty three". "Still broke your winning streak," Aurora said. Clip clop, clip clop "I wonder who's here," Aurora said as she got up. She didn't have to wait long for her answer as Twilight and Luna soon entered. "Hello, Princess," Aurora said, bowing. "No need for that," Luna said, lifting Aurora's head up, "Though I do appreciate the humility. Twilight has taught you well". Twilight just blushes and keeps her mouth shut. "However, I am not here to assess how well Twilight is taking care of you," Luna said, sitting down, "Tell me about this dream you keep having". "Well, it always takes place at night," Aurora started, "I'm laying in a moonlit field by a pond and there's another pony laying there with me. Sometimes, we'll just be laying there, staring out into the beautiful sky. Other times, we'd eventually get up and go play in the pond. No matter what, it's always in the same place and the other pony is always the same as well". "Well, seems like somepony has a crush," Luna teased. Aurora just cocked her head at that. "It means you feel love for another pony," Luna explained. "Wait, how is that even possible?" Twilight asked, "I thought changelings ATE love". "Remember that changeling queen I told you about back in the dungeon?" Luna asked. "Yea, why?" Twilight asked. "She explained to me a lot about changelings," Luna said, "According to her, all changelings, even drones, have the ability to feel love for another, even though they can't produce love energy. She didn't have an answer as to how this was possible, only that it is". "Well, that's news to me," Aurora said. "Chrysalis likes control," Luna said, "If this knowledge were to get out in her hive, she might fear it could cost her control of the hive". "That makes a lot of sense," Aurora said. "Anyway, back on topic," Twilight said, "So, Aurora has a crush... anything else, perhaps?". "Well, no, though I am curious as to who you have a crush on," Luna said, "Anything you can tell us about this pony from your dream?". "Well... she has an orange coat and wings, a kind of purpleish mane and tail, and-" Aurora said, cutting herself off as the realization hit her, "It's... it's Scootaloo". "Well, you two are close, so I can't say I didn't see that coming," Twilight said. The day was finally coming to a close. Luna had stayed for a little tea and chat before heading back to Canterlot to get as much sleep as she could. Aurora went crusading with her friends, trying to not act awkward around Scootaloo. Now, the sun was setting, and Twilight and Aurora sat in the dining room, waiting for Spike to finish dinner. Though she was a changeling, Aurora found it difficult to hide her discomfort. "Aurora, is everything alright?" Twilight asked, believing she already knew the answer. "Not really," Aurora said. "Earlier?" Twilight asked. Aurora just nodded. "You want to talk about it?" Twilight asked. "Well... guess it couldn't hurt," Aurora said, "I just... it doesn't bother you, does it?". "Why would you having a crush bother me?" Twilight asked. "She's a filly," Aurora said, "And I'm also female. Isn't that... frowned upon?". "By stuck ups, yes," Twilight said, "Who you love is your choice. Why others think otherwise is beyond me. For me, though, I'll support you as long as you two are happy together". "That's good to know," Aurora said, perking up, "This is just so new to me, and I was afraid you'd... not like it". "I just want you to be happy," Twilight said, "If you're happy with a filly, or mare as you get older, then I'll be happy". The rest of the night went quite well. Aurora, her fear vanquished, enjoyed playing games until she fell asleep and her body fell limply onto the game board.
Matter of the heartAs the sun rose up over the horizon, it's light penetrated into Aurora's room. After making contact with her eyelids, the light did everything it could to get into the changeling's eyes. It took a couple minutes, but the desired effect was finally achieved, as proven by a hole filled hoof reaching up to block the offending rays of daytime. Try as she might to stay asleep, she couldn't help but Crack her eyes open. "Damn, and I was just getting to the good part," Aurora said. The changeling rolled out of bed and right on top of Spike, ruining his wake up call. All she heard was muffled noises after she landed. She soon felt something against her side, prompting her to move. "Serves you right for trying to scare me," Aurora said. "Who said anything about scaring you?" Spike asked. "You always scare me awake," Aurora pointed out. "And you finally learned to wake up nice and early," Spike said. "Race you to the kitchen," Aurora said, "First one gets it for a week". Spike just grinned as both he and Aurora got ready. After breakfast, Aurora immediately went to find Scootaloo. She was greeted by ponies here and there as she ran through the town. Before long, the clubhouse came into view, as did a certain young pegasus filly. "Scoots! Wait up!" Aurora called out as she ran up the ramp. Hearing her name, Scootaloo turned to face who called her. "Hey, Aurora," She said, "What's up?" "Are sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom here yet?" Aurora asked, panting. "Not yet," Scootaloo pointed out, "Why?" "Because, I uh... I need to talk to you... kinda in private," Aurora said. The two then walked off to a more secluded area near the clubhouse, but not out of total earshot. "So uh... what's up?" Scootaloo asked. "I've been trying to figure out how to say this for a couple of weeks now, but I guess it'd be best to just be blunt... so, here goes," Aurora said, taking a deep breath, "I um... I kinda have a uh... a bit of a crush... on you". "Wow... um, I... I uh, um... wow," Scootaloo said, stuttering, "I honestly wasn't expecting that". "I've felt this way for quite some time, but didn't realize it until a few nights ago," Aurora explained. "So... you uh... you want to um... be my fillyfriend?" Scootaloo asked with a tilted head. "Well... yea," Aurora admitted, "I mean, if you wouldn't mind, that is". "I um... I guess it wouldn't be that bad," Scootaloo said, "I guess we could give it a shot. Nothing ventured, right?" "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Aurora said, "You don't have to accept if you don't want to". "No, it's not like that," Scootaloo said, "I just... nopony's ever liked me... like that before". "So, I'd be your first ever date?" Aurora asked, perking up in curiosity. Scootaloo just nodded. "No wonder it's scaring you," Aurora said. "Is not!" Scootaloo called out defensively. "Sure tastes like fear," Aurora said. "But, it won't be that bad, I promise". "Can I just... have some time to think about this?" Scootaloo asked. "I don't see why not," Aurora said, "I don't want to rush you". The two sat there awkwardly for a couple of minutes before a voice from behind Scootaloo made them both jump. "What are you two doin' out here?" The voice asked. "Geez, Applebloom, don't scare us like that," Scootaloo said. "Sorry, ah was just wonderin' why your out here instead of in the clubhouse," Applebloom said. "We were just talking," Scootaloo said. "Well, whatever it is, Ah'm sure it can wait a little bit," Applebloom said, "It's crusadin' time". The day had gone by relatively quickly, neither Aurora nor Scootaloo had given any signs of anything all day. As the day drew to an end, the crusaders went their own separate ways home. As Aurora walked home, she gazed at the wonderful, pinkish sunset. A smile spread across her face as she took in the sight. No matter what happened next, she knew she could get through it, and Scootaloo would be there to help her.
PrologueDeep within the badlands, just south of Equestria, is a rather large of hive in insect-like creatures known as Changelings. At the center of the hive is the queen, a Changeling known as "Chrysalis". Three years ago, Chrysalis attempted to take over Equestria, starting at the heart in Canterlot. Her attempt, however, was thwarted by the power of love, which is, ironically, the main food source of Changelings. After such a defeat, the hive was left in shambles. But, after much time and preparation, she is willing to make a second attempt. The main chamber is full of Changeling drones, surrounding Chrysalis, who stands on the center platform, ready to hear what their queen has to say. "I'm sure none of you have forgotten what happened to us some time ago," Chrysalis started, "Our attempt of taking over Canterlot failed thanks to a pesky unicorn and her friends. This time, however, we will not fail. I have been receiving valuable information over the past year, and I know all their weaknesses and how best to exploit them. This time, we shall not fail. This time, Canterlot, and eventually all of Equestria, shall be ours". Upon hearing this, the room came to life with the buzzing of the wings of excited drones. The promise of taking over Equestria brought with it the promise of unlimited food, and that's something the hive was ready to fight for. As Chrysalis descended from the center platform, the drones moved out of the way for her. She had a wicked grin as she walked. "And this time, not even Twilight Sparkle, or any of her friends, will have a chance to stop me," Chrysalis whispered to herself.
