The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Chapters

1st: Going Squash
2nd: Working Out the Bugs
3rd: Fly Under the Radar
4th: Oedipus Or Odysseus?
5th: Real Monsters
6th: Rollercoaster
7th: Hive Sweet Hive
8th: Ecophobia
9th: Spaghetti Western
10th: Do Us Part
11th: Tracks
12th: Fight/Flight
13th: Corpus Corporum
14th: Worth Your Salt
15th: Unforgettable
16th: Cootie Catching
17th: The Woods Are No Place for a King
18th: Ardently
19th: Bygone Days
20th: Fractured Inner World
21st: Role Restoral
22nd: Secrets/Lies
23rd: Slow Show
24th: Antagonist
25th: Epilogue
To Whomever It May Concern...

1st: Going Squash

The Rule Of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Most stories are best told from the beginning, but I'm going to start off by describing how I'm feeling right now: nearly dead. I'm on my hands and knees, roasting in the sun in some clearing of a god forsaken forest. I am absolutely certain I am going to die, partly due to circumstance and partly due to my own stupidity.

So why start there? Well, when a man is on death's doorstep he tends to reflect on what got him in this situation. Now, how did I get here? How did I end up in Equestria? It's quite simple really: I got hit in the head.

Seriously! I was deconstructing a bed loft when it happened. I'd just propped one end of the bed frame up against the wall, then I turned around to pick up a screw I'd dropped on the ground. Last thing I remember is turning my head slightly to see the bed frame falling towards my face. When I came to, I was in Equestria.

I keep hoping this is some sort of coma induced dream and dying will bring it to an end. The pain, the weakness, and the burning sun all feel way too real though. Curse my luck. How is it I end up in Equestria, turn into a changeling, and die all in the same day? Maybe I should have listened to those darned bugs.

But now I'm just confusing you. Let me bring you up to speed...

My eyes flitted open. My head, surprisingly, didn't hurt. On the other hand, I kind of felt like I'd just come to after undergoing anesthesia for surgery. I felt flimsy, numb, and my vision was really blurry. There was also a persistent buzzing in my ear. Buzzing, hissing, something that sounded like people talking. It was way too much activity for me to put up with right now. With a good deal of effort, I managed to flail my arm at them and moan a complaint. That'll get them to shut up.

Nope. I'm pretty sure the number of voices just increased. I still can't see, but I can make out black figures gathering around me. I also seem to be staring up at the sky. Last I remember I was in the fourth floor of the dormitory, so why am I outside? Did someone call an ambulance?

I feel my body being lifted. Whoever these people are lifting me up, it feels like their doing it with their fists. I can't really complain, I was starting to feel uncomfortable on my back. They prop me up against something. I think it's a log. I muster up the energy to move my hand and feel out what they've put me against. It is a log, fancy that.

My vision is slowly becoming less and less blurry. That's odd. Why do the people around me look so much like...

"Changelings!" I'm on my feet way faster than I should have been. My legs turn to gelatin and I topple forwards. I would have gone face first into the dirt, but the buzzing insects catch me before I fall. They help me back into a seated position against the log.

Okay, this has gotta be some kind of weird dream. Changelings only fictional creatures in My Little Pony. If they're here that would mean I'd somehow ended up in Equestria, but that's ridiculous. When I look though, all around me are hundreds of little, black changelings. Most of them are buzzing about the sky, but a handful of them are down here on the ground with me. One changeling in particular, wearing an extra, dull violet shell on his back and head, is standing between my legs looking up at me.

Uh... hold on. Are those my legs? They do seem attached to my body... but...

"Yikes!" I try to stand up again, but my legs wobble and I nearly crash sideways. Once again, the changelings stop me and set me back down.

Usually, I am covered in kind of tan and pinkish skin like so many others of the human species are. Today, I seem to have ditched the whole skin thing for what looks like thick, hard, black exoskeleton. I bring my hand around so I can look at it.

Sweet Nonspecific Deity...

After a few experimental openings and closings of my hand, I have indeed concluded that I'm covered in hard exoskeleton now. There's a green, almost translucent looking band around my midsection where my abs would be. Also on the list of new things, my fingers and toes end in plated claws now. As far as I can see, my whole body is completely transformed. The only thing I can't see is my face, but something tells me that's changed too.

"What the heck is this?" I asked the armored changeling before me, pointing to my body. I feel really stupid asking a changeling about all this, but there isn't anyone else around to ask.

"That is your torso, your majesty," the changeling hissed. Well, I'm glad we cleared that mystery up.

... Uh... hold the phone...

"What did you call me?"

"Your majesty, your majesty," the changeling echoed. Yep, that's what I thought he said.

"Uh... who do you think I am?" I questioned further.

"Your majesty, your majesty," this bug was beginning to sound like a broken record.

"No, no, no, no," I waggled a finger at him, "I am not your leader or anything like that. Isn't Queen Chrysalis your leader?"

"The Old Queen is no longer here," the changeling explained, "You are our leader now, your majesty."

"Wait, what happened to Chrysalis?" I'd watched enough of My Little Pony to understand that Queen Chrysalis was the presumed matriarch of the changelings. Last I saw of her, she was flying into the wild blue yonder after being defeated by Cadence and Shining Armor. I can't say for sure that this Equestria had the same timeline of events from the show, but the first thought in my mind was that they'd lost her after that explosion.

"We don't know," the changeling admitted, "We thought she was you."

"Excuse me?" even if you're a bug, how do you mistake a black, cavity-ridden alicorn for a human being? I guess we do have the same color scheme now, but still that's absolutely ridiculous.

"Changelings can detect their leader from far off. We were separated from the Old Queen Chrysalis, but we followed our senses here. We did not find her, but we did find you, your majesty."

"Okay," I processed what I'd just heard, "But just because you found me instead of her doesn't make me your King."

"We sense that you are our King, your majesty. That is all we need to know," I was becoming increasingly aware of how simple minded these changelings are. I looked back down at my hand. After a few moments of thought, I came to an interesting conclusion.

"Am I a changeling?" the question got the first change in facial expression I'd seen from the changeling. The question obviously caught him off guard and the other changelings started whispering amongst themselves as well.

"Yes... your majesty," he eventually responded, strangely resolute on the "your majesty" part. I only nodded in response. That's all I needed to confirm my suspicions.

"Okay then! I'll see you all later then!" the changelings backed off as I began to stand. My legs were still a bit wobbly, but balancing became easier once I spread my wings out.

I glanced behind me.

Sure enough, I had a pair of large, tattered, translucent wings on my back. With my new resolve though, this didn't bother me even in the slightest. Of course I had wings! Makes perfect sense. Careful step by careful step, I began wandering towards the edge of the clearing I was in. I must be in a forest of some type, because all I can see are big leafy trees, little skinny trees, and more trees of different kinds. I wandered out of the clearing and into this forest.

"Where are we going, your majesty?" I ignored his question. I turned around to see he entire swarm of changelings was still behind me.

"Do you have something I can look at myself in, like a mirror?" I asked. The changeling turned to the rest of the swarm to consort with them. Soon enough, Two changelings flew up to me and promptly began throwing up a green sludge between the two of them. It was pretty gross. They flew upwards and I watched the sticky sludge thin out, turning into a glossy and reflective surface. I watched as a very interesting looking being looked back at me.

Oh, that is me... I guess.

Indeed, my body was covered in black exoskeleton, save for a green band around my abdominal region and a sort of green collar that had sprouted around my neck. I reached up and touched it. It was weird touching a body part I never had before. I hadn't taken note of it before, but I wasn't stark naked. My lower regions were covered by a pair of faded shorts that looked like they'd seen much better days. I take a quick peek inside to confirm a few things. Most shocking of all the developments was my face by far. I haven't shaved in ages, so my beard, mustache, and unkempt hair combination normally made me look about twenty years older. All my hair, beard and all, had turned into a silky blue material that made even more of a mess across my face. I looked positively ancient. No one would ever guess I was just under twenty. My eyes were now blue, with a milky, white bead in the middle. I opened my mouth, revealing rows of jagged teeth and two sharp fangs. I ran my forked tongue across their sharp edges. I lifted my new hair and looked at my ear. The top was longer and ended in two spikes. I stepped back and took a good look at myself.

I look pretty awesome.

I strike a few poses, observing myself from every angle. I throw a few experimental punches. My body is surprisingly lithe and quick. I hope up and down a few times. Being a runner, my legs are pretty darn strong, but now that my body is so light I could probably jump over myself. I take a fighting pose against my mirror image as the changelings watch in silence. I bring my hand to my hip, drumming my fingers on an imaginary holster. I draw my finger gun and point it at my reflection.

"Bang!" to my surprise, every changeling in the imaginary line of fire scatters. I half expect a bullet to fly out of my finger just based on their reaction. The armored changeling looks like he's about to have a heart attack.

"Your majesty, I would ask you to be careful where you point your horns like that, if that is acceptable," he whimpered, afraid for a reason I cannot even begin to comprehend.

"Horns?" I look down at my hand. Fingers do kind of look like horns. Come to think of it, every changeling has a horn. No such protrusion exists on my head, so maybe my fingers are horns.

Just out of curiosity, I turn away from the changelings and point my finger at a tree. I can't even begin to imagine how magic works, so I just wing it. I imagine power gathering in my finger, but nothing happens. I concentrate on my finger with all my might. Still nothing. I try thrusting my finger forward repeatedly. Zilch. I glare at the tree I'd been targeting. For a while I just stared at it, hoping something would come to me. In one last attempt, I pointed my finger at the tree. My brain commanded my finger to touch the tree, hard.

Much to my surprise, a sickly green bolt shoots out of my finger and blasts a hole into the tree. I stare at my finger for a moment while the changelings applaud the display.

"Very good, your majesty," the armored changeling congratulated me, "It has been a while since our last feeding, so I would suggest yo-"

I wasn't listening. I began blasting trees willy-nilly. Once I'd gotten it figured out, it was pretty darn easy to blast things, not to mention fun! After a felling quite a few of the trees before me, I felt satisfied with myself.

"This is the coolest dream ever," I squealed, clapping my hands together. With that, I continued to wander deeper into the forest.

"Dream, your majesty?" the armored changeling buzzed right up next to me. It was odd having a creature the size of a fully grown English bulldog hovering right next to me, but anything is possible in a dream.

"That's right," I nodded resolutely, putting a little skip in my step and blasting a tree across the way, "I hit my head, so this is obviously some sort of weird dream I'm having as a result."

"Very good, your majesty," the changeling doesn't seem to grasp what I've told him, but he's just a figment of my imagination. "What about feeding, your majesty?"

"Yeah feeding, whatever," I yawned, blasting away a twig that lay in my way. All this changeling stuff was making me tired.

"Your majesty, I don't think you should be so reckless with your energy," the changeling warned me. I spun around and faced him, and as a result I also faced the other hundreds of changelings that had been following me.

"I'm the King, right?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Cool. So, your King commands you all to buzz off!" with that, I waved them off and plodded deeper into the forest.

"How do we 'buzz off', your majesty?"

"It means leave me alone!" I yelled back at them. I didn't hear a response, but I listened as the buzzing grew fainter and fainter behind me. I yawned again and sent a green bolt into the sky. I didn't know why I was so tired all of a sudden. I also felt really hungry. What do changelings eat, anyway?

"Oh yeah, love," I snickered. I don't know exactly how one feeds on love, but I know it has a lot to do with changing into someone else. It couldn't be too hard, could it? With all the changelings there seem to be, a little love must go a long way. This was all a dream though, so there was no point in trying to riddle everything out. I just continued wandering through the forest, hoping a plate of apples would eventually magically appear.

And now here we are, with me dying in the forest. Seriously. After breaking off from the swarm, I just kept walking and getting hungrier and hungrier. Now I can barely move, reduced to a crawl across the forest floor. It's all thanks to my idiotic spree of shooting off all of those magic bolts. Even if I hadn't, who knows how far I would have made it.

I don't know what I did to deserve this fate. I worked hard at running, I worked hard at college, I was good to my friends, so I don't know what I did wrong. Maybe fate had nothing to do with it. Maybe it just happened and I handled this all very poorly. Even if this was a dream, I should have tried to stay alive.

I don't think I can go on much longer. I can't even keep crawling now. I don't even know where I'm crawling to. It's not like I know where I am. I should just close my eyes and resign myself to... death?

Something smells good. Something smells so good I get up onto my feet and shuffled towards it. The very smell fills me up with energy, but it fills me up with something else as well. I feel a primal urge rising inside me. I know now it's food I smell. Quietly, I creep up on what smells like a feast.

There, by some bushes, is a stallion. He appears to be taking a number two. I memorize everything about him immediately. Medium build, yellow coat, brown mane, green eyes, and a wrench on his flank. I slink away from him, following the scent of food elsewhere. Taking a deep whiff of the air, I instinctively course what magic is left in me through my brain and back into my body. I command my body to turn into what I just saw.

The transformation is not gradual or pretty. Pain courses through my body as green energy crackles across my hard shell. My shell turns into fur. My hands and feet turn to hooves. I begin plodding on all fours as my face warps into a muzzle and my beard is sucked back into my face. The transformation drains me though, and I collapse just as I reach my quarry.

"Oh, darling!" I blink my eyes and look up. There is a mare standing over me. She's light blue, with a deeper blue mane and turquoise eyes. More importantly, she smells absolutely delicious. "Are you okay?" she sweeps my limp body into her hooves. Lighting courses through my body. All of my senses are instantly back online as her love empties out of her and into my body. I've only scratched the surface though, nibbling on the edges of the love she's putting out. There is more deep inside her. I tilt my head and look up into her eyes. She looks back into mine, her gaze full of tenderness and care.

It tastes so good.

I command my eyes to steal her love and they do. I watch as her irises turn green and her expression dims. As her grip on me gets weaker, I get stronger. She nearly tumbles over, but I catch her and reverse our roles. I drain it out, all of it. All that sweet, succulent love is sustaining my body. When she loses the scent of food, I let her drop to the ground. She's not dead, as I can see her breathing, but she's out cold.

"Honey!" a stallion calls. He enters the clearing where he left his love. She's standing there, gazing at him with hungry eyes. "Are you ready for round two?" he asks. I smile.

"Yep!" his love was mine the moment he looked into my eyes. I'm not hungry anymore, but I can't just pass up such a wondrous feast can I? His love tastes just as wonderful as hers did. It's funny, that he thinks I'm actually her. I just look like her right now, that's all there is to it. How can your love be so strong if you're fooled so easily? I don't care, in fact I'm glad things are this way. It makes having such a good meal so easy. To think, I was rolling over to die not five minutes ago! All the time I was starving, these two were romping about with so much love inside them! This is just desserts for their selfishness! The laws of justice dictate I shall drink until the very last drop!

The scent of food vanishes and I returned to my senses. I wish I hadn't though.

"Great... now I feel bad..." I grumbled, but only out of guilt. Another, more relieving wave of green energy passes over my body and I return to my changeling form. Other than feeling guilty, I feel absolutely wonderful. Physically, I feel like I have the energy to run straight up a mountain. Love is some potent stuff.

I went ahead and stowed the unconscious stallion in the bushes where I hid the mare. I didn't even have to touch the stallion to drain his love. I was packing some seriously dangerous equipment. I felt bad for the two ponies I'd used as a meal because it's really unfortunate what's happened to them. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My remorse is somewhat deadened by the fact that if I hadn't used them like that I'd be dead. Hopefully they just wake up with bad headaches or something. I'd feel really bad if I killed them.

My next thought was what to do next. I was overflowing with energy now, but I wasn't about to throw it away like earlier. I was much smarter now, and the smart me says I shouldn't stick around here. Somebody, or somepony, might come looking for these lovers soon enough. Unless these two were star-crossed lovers living out their days in peace out alone in a cottage in the woods, their presence here indicated that there was civilization nearby. I looked around me, hoping to catch a glimpse of something through the trees. It was hopeless though. There wasn't a path anywhere or a building in sight. If only I could see over the trees.

Oh wait, I can fly.

Now, I realize there is a huge difference between having wings and being able to fly, but I'm a changeling now and changelings can fly. That makes sense, right? I unfolded my wings and flapped them a bit experimentally. They were so thin and full of holes, I seriously began to doubt having flight capabilities.

I began flapping them faster as I crouched down, preparing to leap into the air. I watched as the grass around me was blown about by the gale I was stirring up. With one salute to the good 'ol ground, I leapt into the air. I felt myself accelerating upwards. I was going higher than I could by just jumping. Within moments, I was above the canopy, staring out over the trees.

The view was absolutely breathtaking. Trees stretched out as far as I could see, with only a lone mountain standing in the distance. I looked above me at the fluffy white clouds dotting the sky. They were so close, I felt I could touch them. I flapped my wings harder, trying to get higher, but I found myself slowly descending. In the end, all I'd achieved was a glorified jump. Before dropping below the canopy, I spun around to see if I couldn't find civilization.

Sure enough, I saw a large city not too far from my position. It lay in a low valley outside the forest, which is probably why I hadn't seen it. It looked pretty big, even from up in the air. I dipped back beneath the canopy and landed lightly on my feet. Even if I couldn't fly, the ability to jump that high could come in handy.

"What the?!" someone shouted from behind me. I quickly whipped around. There, standing just outside the bushes I'd just stashed my former meal, was a unicorn mare. The ash colored pony was staring right at me with violet eyes. She looked pretty darn freaked out.

"Who are you!" she quickly snapped out of it though, scowling and pointing her horn right at me. Other than her crimson mane, she didn't have any other prominent features. I just hoped her cutie mark wasn't a fly swatter.

"Hello there! I am not your enemy!" I tried the friendly approach. That earned me a warning shot of white magic exploding at my feet.

"I don't believe you! All changelings are enemies!" was it really that obvious? "Who are you?" I don't know why she was asking who I was. If all changelings were enemies, why not just blast me already? It probably had something to do with the fact that I was standing on two legs.

I seriously mulled her question over, though. Who was I? I used to be a human named Cooper who went to school, ran, and pulled shenanigans with his friends. Now I was a changeling who happens to be the new leader of Chrysalis's old swarm. It hit me for the first time that I really was king of the changelings now. At least, the changelings thought so, but according to them that's all that matters. I had a brand new identity, and my new identity needed a new name. King Cooper had a nice ring to it; however, seeing as the former Queen was named Chrysalis, I came up with an even better name.

"I am King Cocoon of the Changelings!" I ducked as the unicorn shot a blast of energy at my head. Maybe I should have lied.

"I guess I'd be doing the world a favor by killing you then," the unicorn advanced on me slowly. I couldn't believe it. I was having my first conversation with a pony, and what were we discussing? Killing me. Fantastic. I should just blast her and be done with it, but I've already caused enough trouble.

I jumped to the side as she tried to nail me with another blast. Now she was galloping, her horn pointed right at me. She gave me a warning shot, so I should extend to her the same courtesy before deciding to blast her. I've seen what I can do to trees and doing that to a pony would leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I pointed a finger and blasted a round right in her path. She skidded to a halt, but once she had stopped she fired at me again. She was far too close for me to get out of the way. Instinctively, I lashed out with my hand. My brain commanded my fingers to stop the oncoming attack. In response, my whole hand lit with a sickly green fire. When the white ball of heat and my hand met, the result was explosive. I winced at the light given off by the impact of the two energies, but I had successfully blocked the spell. In my relief, I hardly noticed the unicorn lunging at me from the side.

Once again, I found myself acting instinctively. I curled my hand into a fist and swung at her, intending to knock her out of the air. My magic took over again, causing my hand to erupt into a flaming streak. I nailed the unicorn right on the cheek.

The impact altered her trajectory away from me, causing her to fly past me and crash into the ground face first. I opened my fist and the green energy extinguished. Despite the fact that I'd just cleaned the clocks of a creature much smaller and weaker than me, I was pretty jacked about what had just happened.

My victim, thankfully, was knocked out. That allowed me to clear out of there and head towards the city I'd seen. Still feeling like I was the Energizer bunny, I'd taken off running. In my now significantly lighter body, I was able to run leisurely at a speed that would have been a dead sprint when I was fleshy.

The next clearing I came to, I jumped up to make sure I was going the right way. Thankfully, the city was indeed closer than it had been before. I don't know what I'd do once I was there, but I'm used to winging things. It's not like I had the experiences of another human to draw off of.

I was reminded of how easily I'd ended up in Equestria. One conk on the head and boom I was here. I didn't like it. It was far too simplistic. If it was that easy, who's to say I'm the only human here? Who's to say I'll be the last human to come here?

I spotted a large rock in the clearing. I marched up to it and set to work, carving out a message with a glowing claw. I found stone a bit harder to alter than wood, but the activity wasn't too strenuous. I scrawled out a simple message. The summary was "this is Equestria, there is a city that way, let's try and meet up". I signed my new name and title, then went on my way.

I figured the probability of somebody finding this and the information being relevant was really low, but the ever so slight chance that someone might see it was a bit comforting. I felt less alone out here in Equestria. Ponies would see me and instantly be afraid, so the only way for me to live peacefully is through deceit. Even if I could deceive them forever, I'd still have to feed on their love. I'm still not clear on the side effects, but I don't want to be doing to ponies on a whim.

The bottom line was that I need to get home. I need to get back to Earth where I belong.

2nd: Working Out the Bugs

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

"Welcome To Manehattan!"

The sign in front of the city looked so inviting I almost pranced in without a second though. Thankfully, my encounter with that crazy unicorn taught me that ponies do not like changelings. A perfectly understandable sentiment, but it put me in an awkward position. There was no getting home for me without help from somepony. I trusted that the ponies were decent at heart, so I planned to win their trust and show them just because I'm king of the changelings it doesn't mean I'm evil.

My first task was transforming into a pony that wouldn't draw much suspicion. I stared into a shallow puddle just outside the city limits, pondering my options. So far I've only seen three ponies, and I'll bet anything they all live here in Manehattan. It's a big city, but if somepony were to recognize me things might go south. As an avid viewer of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I wondered if I could turn into a pony I'd seen on the show. It was worth a shot.

With an image of my target pony in my head, I issued the command to my body. I felt myself contorting as energy crackled over me. It wasn't a mystery to me why transforming was painful. All three ponies I'd seen were about half my height, bigger than a normal changeling but much smaller than me. I would be surprised if cramming my body into such a small space didn't hurt.

When the transformation completed, I looked down into the water. I was a dead ringer for Pony Joe, the doughnut vendor in Canterlot. I had hoped the transformation would come with his little cap and apron, but it seems clothing isn't part of the deal. At least I have a doughnut on my butt.

Confident in my disguise, I began heading towards the city. Seeing as being able to transform and maintaining that transformation was vital to my survival, I payed strict attention to the energy I was draining. The transformation itself cost quite a bit, but once it's done maintaining it is easy. It was weird being in a different body, but today was just a strange day. I realized the sun was getting low, indicating today would be over soon. The first thing I should do is find someplace to stay. Getting a place to stay requires money though, of which I have none.

"Stop right there!" a familiar voice snapped me out of my musings. I didn't want to turn around because I knew exactly who I was going to see. I was so close too! Three more steps and I'd be walking on the city's sidewalk!

"Turn around!" the grey unicorn demanded. I turned about ever so slowly.

Oh dear lord she looks peeved. She's got murder in her eyes and her horn looks ready to explode. She also has a bleeding cut where I nailed her in the face.

"Huh?" all of her anger disappears after she sees my face, "You're not... Wrenchell."

"No... no I am not..." I assured her. Who's Wrenchell anyway? Hold on... Wrenchell... Wrench... the stallion who's love I devoured? Come to think of it, Pony Joe has the same color scheme as that pony. He was an earth pony though, so I guess Joe's horn saved me there.

"You've got to help me!" I snapped out of my own little world as the unicorn put her bruised face up to mine, "My friends are passed out in the forest! They need help!" she pleaded with me.

"Why? What happened to them?" I already knew what happened, but I wanted to see how much this unicorn knew.

"This is crazy, but," please say call me maybe, please say call me maybe, "I think the King of Changelings devoured their love."

"That is crazy!" I tried to sound as surprised as I could. She is absolutely right though, I did go to town on their love.

"I know, but you've got to believe me! They need help!" she was serious. If their conditions are going downhill, it's all my fault.

"Regardless of what happened, if they're in trouble I'll help you," I extended my hoof in friendship. I can't just ignore Wrenchell and that mare after what I did to them. Technically they saved my life, so I should save theirs if I can. The unicorn reached out and shook my hoof. What an odd sensation to be gripped by a hoof.

"Thank you! My name is Lookie Louise, most ponies just call me Lou," Lou introduced herself, "You have a name?"

"Duncan, Duncan Doughnuts," I nearly crack up at my own pun.

"Ah, I see," I notice her taking a look at the pastry on my flank. I steal the opportunity to look at her own flank. She has a magnifying glass for a cutie mark. Makes sense to me seeing as the first thing I learned about her was that she likes to fry bugs.

"Excuse me, eyes up here mister," she notices me staring at her flank and I realize I'm also grinning like an idiot due to my inner monologue.

"You were looking at mine too!" besides, I wasn't looking at her butt. She's a horse. I'm not into that kind of thing.

"Just keep your eyes off it okay?" she's suddenly getting snippy with me. I guess there is still such a thing as being a chauvinist in Equestria.

"Aren't your friends in trouble, or something?" I can be snippy too. With that, we're off and running. I forgot that horses are faster than humans even in my world, but I was quickly reminded how fleet equines are while we were dashing back through the forest. I thought I was the fastest thing around with my light body, but I'd have to get serious if I wanted to outrun a pony.

"Mind if I ask what happened to your face?" I tried to start up a conversation with a perfectly innocent question.

"I won't ask about yours if you don't ask about mine," she quipped. What the heck was wrong with this chick? I can understand not liking the King of Changelings, but now she's peeved at Duncan? All he did was stare at her flank for a second too long. Maybe her cutie mark is a magnifying glass because she has one stuck up her-

"We're here!" we'd finally arrived in the clearing where I did all my dirty deeds. It looked far more dismal in the dying sunlight and was covered in the scars of the battle that had taken place.

"Something did a number on this place," I noted while looking about the clearing, making sure to feign ignorance as to where I hid the bodies. I was beginning to wish I was a better actor. I'd been in a school play once in High School, but my choir teacher had dragged me into it because they didn't have enough guys. At least I got my own song, that was pretty cool.

"Stop daydreaming and help me!" Lou yelled at me from the bushes where I stashed the bodies, "You get Wrenchell, I've got Aqua!" I saw she already had the blue mare across her back. I couldn't get over how good ponies are at naming their children. If human parents tried to name their kid based on what color he or she was, everyone would think they're scumbags.

"I said move it!" Lou screamed at me. I've gotta stop drifting off like that. I head into the bushes and put the stallion on my back. He really is in a bad way now that I see him. He's still passed out and his breathing is shallow. It could just be the low light, but I think his color is starting to fade as well.

"What now?" I dare to ask.

"We get them to the hospital! Follow me!" Lou doesn't waste any time as she bolts back into the forest. I try to get after her, but it's hard to run with a big pony on my back. I've also become aware of the fact that Pony Joe doesn't have the most fit of bodies. I guess I really shouldn't expect so much from a pastry chef. I've run farther under worse circumstances though. Failure also came at the price of becoming a murderer. That's enough motivation to get these hooves galloping through the forest.

Hospitals in Equestria are only slightly less depressing than hospitals on Earth. The only difference is that Equestrian hospitals are full of ponies. To me at least, it lightened the mood a bit. In any scenario in which I imagined visiting Equestria, I hadn't banked on sitting in a hospital waiting room by myself.

Turns out Aqua and Wrenchell are going to be okay. The doctors confirmed that they'd been attacked by changelings, but they didn't explain any further than that. The side-effects of a changeling attack are common knowledge apparently. A nurse took Lou to have her face examined. I guess karma dictates that my punishment for putting those three ponies in the hospital is having to sit and wait for them to recover.

I had tried to read a magazine to entertain myself, but much to my dismay Equestrian might as well be written in Chinese. Ponies might speak English, but they sure don't read it. I can only see this causing major problems for me in the future. Being unable to read doesn't brand me as a changeling, but I think it would help me be less suspicious.

"Excuse me," I looked up at the nurse who'd just appeared before me, "If you would come with me," she began trotting away from me. I don't know what she wants, but I go ahead and follow her. She leads me to a room where I suspect Aqua and Wrenchell are, but upon entering it I find it's empty. I hear the door close and lock behind me.

"What's the big idea?" I whip around, ready for any funny business. To my surprise, the nurse gets down into a low bow.

"Greetings, my king," the changeling's facade melts away, revealing the black bug for what he truly is.

"Uh... hey," I greet him, not so keen on changing out of my current form, "Uh... what's going on?" I'm not exactly sure what to do in this situation.

"There was talk amongst the scouts that Old Queen Chrysalis is gone. We sensed our leader in the city, so I was sent to greet you, your majesty," the changeling explained.

"Scouts?" from the way he was talking, it sounded like there were more changelings in this city.

"Yes, your majesty. Our scouting forces are still one hundred changelings strong. All of us are ready to rise up when you bring in the swarm."

I don't think I want to "bring in the swarm". This changeling was talking about taking over this city and draining all the citizens of their love.

"Oh, I'm not bringing out the swarm! I don't even know where the swarm is," I explained.

"... Huh?" the changeling obviously wasn't processing what he'd just heard, "I don't understand. How could your majesty not know where the swarm is?"

"Don't worry about it," I realized I was in the presence of an ally. This was my opportunity to get some answers, "I have a few questions for you."

"Anything you want to know, your majesty."

"Explain to me, exactly what happens when a pony has their love drained?" the changeling gave me a funny look. I think he was hoping for a king that was more on the up and up, but I'm glad he's willing to bring me up to speed.

"When we've drained all their love, the toxin in our magic prevents the pony from recovering physically and magically. They are doomed to slowly die unless somepony else intervenes with magic," so draining love can kill a pony. I'm not exactly sure how magic can be toxic, but I don't know jack squat about magic. So far all I've done with my magic is nearly kill three ponies and myself. Why am I so shocked to find out it's toxic?

"Next question," I decided to move on, "does the pony's love come back if they survive the toxin?"

"Of course," the changeling answered, "that is why we changelings slowly feed on our victims so as to keep our food source flowing. Of course, when we do a feeding swarm, we drain everypony in an area of all their love."

"What exactly is the point of a feeding swarm?" if the changelings needed the ponies alive to feed, why kill them in one fell swoop?

"Gathering enough love to survive is simple, but sometimes we need extra love for large undertakings."

"Large undertakings?" the changeling only nodded in response. I remember back to the show, how Chrysalis had attacked Canterlot with the whole swarm. I suppose that qualified as a feeding swarm. The "large undertaking" seems to have been taking over Equestria as a whole. Chrysalis had some pretty straight forward ambitions.

"Alright, last question: do all the changelings know I'm their king?"

"It isn't likely, your majesty," the changeling cast his gaze aside. He probably thought I would be offended by the fact. "If you want, I could bring word to the Hive that you are our new King."

"Sure, go ahead. Tell them that Cocoon is their new king," I didn't see the harm in it. The changelings were my only allies, so having their full support was important. The changeling saluted, morphing back into a nurse.

"I'll inform the hive after my shift," he started talking in a female voice. It was odd thinking that the mare I was looking at was actually a changeling. "I've got my hands full tonight. Some maggot was foolish enough to fully drain two ponies and get caught. If I find out who it was, should I bring your justice upon them your majesty?"

"Uh, as long as those two ponies survive I don't think it's a big deal," I didn't have the heart to tell him I perpetrated the act myself. I neither wanted him to tell the hive I was a complete moron or chastise himself for insulting me.

"You are a merciful king, your majesty," the nurse bowed low and unlocked the door. We headed back towards the waiting room together before he was swept up by a doctor.

"Ah, I've been looking for you nurse. I need you in the break room, right away," he whispered, just loud enough so I could hear it. The doctor and the changeling headed back the other direction, giving each other sultry looks. Wow, these changelings will do anything for a meal.

I returned to the waiting room to find Lou had been released and waiting in the lobby with a bandage on her face. She was talking to somepony I hadn't seen before, and they both looked incredibly angry.

"Yo, what's up?" I tried to lighten the mood. Lou turned around and glared at me. The other pony, an older looking blue stallion with a white mane and a tipping scale on his flank, looked happy to see me.

"You must be Duncan!" his expression turned chipper as he took and shook my hoof enthusiastically. "I want to thank you for helping my daughter today!"

"Your daughter?" I figured he either meant Lou or the pony called Aqua. Based on his color scheme, I'm going to guess Aqua.

"Yes! I am Mayor Marine of Manehattan, and I hear you aided in the rescue of my daughter Aqua from the hands of the vile changeling king!" as much as I didn't like being called vile, it was true that I did save her from myself. Of course, she wouldn't have needed saving if I hadn't done anything to her in the first place. If I hadn't though, I'd be dead. In the end, I think things turned out okay. I get to live, she gets to live, and everyone goes home happy. Well, I'll go home eventually once I figure out how.

"I didn't do all that much," I admitted. Honestly I hadn't. I wasn't even the one that carried his daughter out of the woods.

"Nonsense!" the mayor slung his hoof over my shoulder, "You took down that nasty Changeling King down all by yourself, didn't you?"

"He wasn't there Mayor! I'm the one who fought the Changeling King!" Lou forced me and the mayor apart. The mayor regained his cross expression from earlier.

"Miss Louise! If I recall, you said the Changeling King knocked you unconscious! He didn't devour your love, so I can only assume Mr. Doughnuts here saved you!"

"Uh, Mr. Marine?" I tried to correct him, but I was a bit giggly due to the fact he'd called me "Mr. Doughnuts". The mayor turned to me, brimming with joy.

"And it's a good thing he did! That repulsive and conniving Changeling King wasn't able to do any more harm to my precious daughter!" okay, he'd better lay off the insults pretty quickly here.

"He didn't to anything! He just carried Wrenchell back after I found him at the edge of town!" Lou tried to correct the story. Mayor Marine didn't pay her any heed.

"Mr. Doughnuts, where are you staying in town?" Marine questioned me, throwing a foreleg around my shoulder again.

"I don't have a place, but sir-"

"Well then!" Marine planted a hoof on either of my shoulders, "You must stay at my house as a guest of honor!"

"Huh?" was this guy for real? He just met me, but he's offering to let me stay in his house just because he came up with some far-fetched story about how I'd defeated what was technically myself?

"Mr. Mayor! He didn't defeat any Changeling King!" Lou protested.

"Quiet, Miss Louise! Let's hear it from the stallion himself!" both ponies stared at me intently. I weighed my options at the moment. I could tell the truth and end up scrounging around for a place to stay tonight, or I could lie and stay in the lap of luxury.

"That changeling was no match for me sir," I was already lying about a lot of other things, how much will one more hurt? Just seeing the look on Lou's face made it worth it. She knows I'm lying, but I don't care in the slightest. I was finally on somepony's good side, and I intended to stay there.

"I knew it!" Mayor Marine put his foreleg around my shoulders and began leading me out of the waiting room. "Come, come! You simply must tell me and my daughter all about it! Oh, I'm sure she's going to like you. I have reason to believe you're just her type!" it dawned on my that "being someone's type" was the driving force behind staying alive for me. If I could get somepony to direct their love towards me, I could feed off of them without harming them. In fact, I'm getting a little love from Mayor Marine right now! This platonic sort of love isn't quite as filling or tasty, but food is food. If I could get Aqua to throw a little love my way, I'd be rolling in love soon enough.

When we got to Aqua's room, I was relieved to find her awake and reclining in a hospital bed. I had officially not killed anypony today. It was a good feel. Aqua was happy to see me at first, I could tell because I got smacked in the face by a chunk of love as she excitedly sat up. She must have thought I was her lover Wrenchell because as soon as she saw my horn I stopped getting fed.

"Hello daddy," Aqua greeted the mayor, "Who's this?"

"This, my dear," Marine took my hoof and put it in Aqua's, "is Mr. Duncan Doughnuts. He saved you from the Changeling King!"

"He did?" she withdrew her hand with a skeptical look, "I thought Lou saved us."

"Oh, well she didn't," the Mayor cringed a bit at the mention of Lou. I couldn't speak intelligently about it yet, but I got the feeling that the mayor wasn't too keen on Lou.

"Uh, so Aqua," I had a few questions I wanted to ask her, "how much do you remember of the attack?"

"Well," Aqua reclined into her bed, "I was in the forest with Wrenchell and Lou when I thought I saw daddy stumble out of the brush. He looked terrible, so I rushed over to him and picked him up. It must have been the Changeling King in disguise because my memory gets all fuzzy from the point I touched him. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital."

"I see," I am absolutely sure I didn't change into her daddy. For some reason, she edited her story so her dad was the object of her affection and not Wrenchell.

"How steeped in evil must this Changeling King be, to take advantage of a poor mare's love for her father like that!" Mayor Marine is lucky he's my ticket to a meal and a roof tonight, "I'm just glad the wretched creature didn't take away your innocence!" I was beginning to put the puzzle pieces together. Methinks that Aqua is fooling around with Wrenchell behind daddy's back. I don't know where Lou fits in, but I bet things will get juicier when I do.

"So, Mr. Doughnut," Aqua spoke up, "how did you defeat the Changeling King? Did you see what he actually looks like?"

"Oh, yeah! I saw his true form. He's pretty crazy looking," I go ahead and give a pretty vague description of myself.

"Ah, what a sickening, detestable, parasite this King must be," the Mayor chipped in. The dude has never even seen me, why in the world does he act like he's the expert on me? I swear, if I find out this dude's wife is dead, I'm going to find a picture and transform into her. I'll drain all the love out of him, call an ambulance, and he will love me for it! It'll be the perfect crime!

I'm terrible, I know.

"Anyway," I left my revenge plans for later, "changelings are quick, but they can't take a hit well. I got in one good shot at him and he ran away."

"Brilliant!" Mayor Marine applauded the tale enthusiastically. If he thought that was good, he should see the kind of story I could tell when I'm actually trying.

"Thank you Mr. Doughnuts, I'm glad you were there to help. I heard from Lou that the Changeling King was extremely powerful," Aqua explained. Well, I don't like to brag...

"I consider myself lucky. A King is rarely without his swarm," I pointed out. The statement was completely inaccurate, considering I had only spent a short while with my swarm. The Mayor and Aqua seemed to buy it though.

"Do you think the King is planning some sort of attack on the city?" Aqua suggested. Although I wasn't planning anything, I could apparently bring down the swarm on this place if the mood hit me.

"I don't know," I shrugged it off. In reality, this city wasn't in any danger from me. Lou and the Mayor might be in danger, but nopony else had given me a reason to drain the city of all its love.

"Looks like the city will need somepony to investigate," Aqua turned to her father. She had one of those looks on her face that said "you know what I mean".

"My dear, sweet daughter," the Mayor took his daughter's hoof in his own, "If your friend Lou wants to snoop around looking for changelings I won't stop her, but just stay out of it dear! I don't want you putting yourself in danger!"

"Daddy!" Aqua threw her father's hoof down, "If Lou and Wrenchell are going to investigate, then I want to help!" I recalled that Lou's cutie mark was a magnifying glass. It stood to reason she was good at investigating, meaning Aqua was talking about joining Lou and Wrenchell on an expedition to find out if there was a changeling plot brewing in the city.

"If you insist on chasing down those hideous insects and their revolting King," that clinches it, I'm eating this dude's love, "at least take Mr. Doughnuts for protection." There's an odd phrase if I've ever heard one. "Take Mr. Doughnuts for protection" sounds like something out of a-

... Now wait just a minute!

"Fine! If that's what it takes for you to let me do this," Aqua huffed before turning to me, "I'm glad to have your assistance Mr. Doughnuts." I don't remember giving anyone my assistance.

"Um, Mr. Mayor," I tried to voice my opposition, but Mayor Marine suddenly brought me into a huddle with him away from Aqua.

"Mr. Doughnuts, I would not ask you to do this if I didn't trust you. I can tell you're a straight shooter, I real genuine pony, so I want you to look after my daughter while she is investigating. If you seek her affections, I would support this because I know an outstanding pony such as yourself has only the purest intentions towards a young mare's feelings," I have determined Mayor Marine to be the worst judge of character I have ever met. "Genuine pony"? "Purest intentions"? I'd like to amend my previous statement to read "worst judge of character in any universe". I wanted to revert to changeling form and give him the biggest shock of his life.

I know that is unwise to cut off my supply of food. Mayor Marine is practically throwing his love at me. It wasn't exactly the bucket's I'd extracted from Aqua and Wrenchell, but it was food. If playing Sherlock Holmes with his daughter and her friends is all I need to do to stay in his good graces, I'm game.

"You can count on me, Mr. Mayor," I assured him. He beamed widely.

"Good, good!" we broke our huddle. Marine started out the door, saying, "I'll let you two get better acquainted." With that, I was left alone with Aqua. It's time to snoop into her personal life.

"So," I took a seat next to her bed, "how long have you and this Wrenchell stallion been an item?" Aqua's eyes shot open.

"Please don't tell my father!" just the reaction I was expecting.

"I won't breathe a word," I assured her, "Are you really serious about investigating the changelings?"

"Of course!" her tone was convincing, "Manehattan is my home. If the changelings are planning to harm the citizens, I have to do something about it!" she hopped out of the hospital bed. Seeing as she was standing, I took the opportunity to find out what her cutie mark was. I could be wrong, but it looked like a flag. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it could hinge upon whose flag it was.

"You're quite the single minded stallion," Lou is a the door, glaring at me. How perfect is that?

"I was just looking at the flag," I defended myself. Thankfully, Aqua prevented us from getting into a spat over it.

"Lou! The city needs your help again!" Aqua trotted up to her friend.

"Are you saying she's helped the city before?" it would take a little convincing for me to believe the stick in the mud Lookie Louise was helpful in any way shape or form.

"She's the city's best P.I.! She's helped bring more ponies to justice than anypony else!" I could tell Aqua had faith in her friend's abilities, but I know that she's capable of spinning a lie.

"I couldn't do it by myself, Aqua. If you and Wrechell will help me, I'm on the case!" to be honest, Lou was probably the most honest pony I've talked to so far. I hadn't caught her lying yet and she wasn't letting me have any illusions about her liking me.

"What's the case Aqua?" Lou got right down to business.

"I don't think the King of Changelings showing up outside the city is just an odd occurrence," Aqua began briefing her friend, "I want to conduct an investigation to see if there is a changeling threat against the city," Lou nodded in response.

"I was thinking the same thing. For all we know, this Changeling King is hiding out right here in the city."

"So you'll take the case?"

"Yep, we'll take the case," Lou giggled as she threw a foreleg around her friend. I had forgotten this is Equestria, where the magic of friendship runs rampant.

"Oh yeah, daddy has enlisted Mr. Doughnut here to help us," Aqua gestured to me, tagging me on as an afterthought. Lou smirked at me. I do like where this was going.

"Well, Duncan, can I expect your full cooperation?"

"I'm here to help!" I might as well. Well, I'm not actually going to help smoke any changelings or myself out, but I'll play along until they give up.

"Very good. I'm glad to have your help," Lou actually sounded like she was actually on board with this. Maybe I'm finally out of the frying pan!

"Because you're my first suspect!" and into the fire...

3rd: Fly Under the Radar

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Changelings... kind of a sucky thing to be. Your sustenance revolves around people liking you, but everyone hates your guts just because you're a changeling. As a result, you take on the guise of somebody else whose guts they hopefully don't hate. You can only survive if you lie and use everyone around you. It's like highschool, but if you screw up you die... for real.

"Tell me... 'Duncan', if that is you real name, what brings you to Manehattan?" Lou had put me in the hot seat, almost literally. She forced me into a hospital chair and had Aqua turn all the lights off. Aqua found a flashlight and was now pointing it right in my face. As if things couldn't get worse, Wrenchell showed up right before my interrogation began. He and Aqua instantly got all lovey-dovey, so I had to pretend the oodles of affection oozing out of them wasn't giving me a wicked appetite. I guess I should be thankful that I was plenty full after devouring their love in the first place. Now Lou was starting to question me, and I could tell already I wasn't going to enjoy this.

"I'm just a tourist," and might I add from another world? I'm just so silly, I accidentally bought a one way ticket. I guess I'll be here until I can scrape together the cash to get home! Until that time, I'm in your care madam!

"Why come here by way of the forest?" Lou inched closer to me.

"I like the outdoors," and I really didn't have a choice. I got dropped off in the forest without any food or money. Perhaps it was a slight oversight on my part, but the travel agency should have explained my means of transport a little better. Am I right?

"That doesn't answer the question, Duncan," Lou got just a bit closer to me, "Why didn't you take the train or fly in on an airship?"

"Okay, okay. I'm broke, you happy?" I also feed on love, so please don't hate me.

"Being a broke tourist doesn't add up, Duncan. I'm starting you think you're here to visit your changeling friends!" Lou crossed the border from "invading personal space" to "uncomfortably close".

"I don't have any 'changeling friends'," actually all my friends are changelings. All the ponies I've met hate me, but they seem to like who I'm pretending to be. Well, everypony but you Lou. I don't know whether it's the fact that I looked at your butt for a moment too long or the fact that you obviously just hate strangers.

"Sure, sure... so why did you let the Changeling King escape?"

"Escape?" trust me lady, I only wish I had escaped.

"You said you stopped the Changeling King, but you didn't finish the job. You let him get away on purpose, didn't you?" Lou put her nose right up to mine. She smells kind of funny.

"Yes, I got in one good shot and let him get away. I wasn't about to push my luck. He was... uh... scary!" I'm just as scared of me as I am of myself though.

"And why didn't you help Aqua, Wrenchell, or me when he ran off either? On top of that, when I saw you outside the forest, you acted like you didn't know about the Changeling King!" even if I didn't like how Lou was horn to horn with me right now, she was pretty sharp. Either that or my alibi and story were just terrible. It didn't help that her suspicions were completely on base.

"I didn't see you guys. I was pretty freaked out by what I saw and just booked it out of the forest," Lou might be good, but I'm better. Aqua and Wrenchell were stashed in a bush and Lou wasn't exactly laying about in the open. Any reasonable human being, or pony I suppose, would run like the dickens if they managed to scare off a monster in the woods. What kind of idiot would stick around to see if he could find any mangled bodies? Those kind of brain dead idiots only show up in horror movies!

"That still doesn't explain why you feigned ignorance about the Changeling King," Lou took a step away from me for once. Was I actually doing it? Was my bluff working?

"I didn't know the changeling I fought was the king! Sure, he looked kinda funny, for a changeling, but it's not like he was wearing a sign that said 'I'm the king' or something. How is it that you even knew he was King of the Changelings?" Ah-ha, take that Lou! I know how you know, but it would sound freakin' ridiculous if this were a real court of law!

"He just came out and told me," Lou admitted quite easily. No one seemed very shaken by the confession, which bugged me. I wanted to see her squirm a little.

"Lou," Wrenchell stepped into the light, "you really think this dude is a changeling?" Lou heaved a large sigh.

"I thought he was... but maybe he isn't," Lou grunted. She trotted over to the door and turned the lights back on. Aqua stopped shining the flashlight in my eyes and sidled up next to Wrenchell.

"Does this mean I'm not a suspect anymore?"

"I guess so..." Lou sounded incredibly bummed out, but I couldn't be happier!

"I guess this means you'll be coming back with me, Duncan," Aqua beamed.

"What?!" Wrenchell instantly sprung into protective boyf-er... coltfriend mode. He puffed up to full size and stood between me and Aqua.

"No, Wrenchell," despite the death Wrenchell was obviously wishing up on me at the moment, Aqua began giggling at the display, saying, "My father just invited him to stay with us during his time in Manehattan," and that was all it took to cool his temper.

"Alright sweet thing," he pecked her on the cheek, eliciting another giggle. Normally, this kind of display of public affection is supposed to make me gag, but it was actually making me a bit hungry. What a strange twist of fate.

"Careful you two, the Mayor is still here," Lou addressed the lovebirds flatly, "We'll meet up at your place tomorrow morning at six, Aqua. We've got to get a jump start on these changelings."

"Sounds like a plan," I was finding Aqua's chipper attitude not fitting of a pony who is supposed to be going out on an investigation to possibly save the city. It really didn't matter to me though. The worse the investigators, the easier to throw off their investigation.

Not much else happened at the hospital. Mayor Marine and Aqua whisked me away in a fancy carriage to an appropriately large estate nestled in the city. The city itself is kind of like the actual Manhattan, but a little scaled down. There aren't quite as many skyscrapers and the city as a whole feels set back over a century. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that there were ponies walking around in top hats and the architecture was reminiscent of someplace more rustic. Horseshoes and shutters on the windows are generally design choices reserved for barnyards and farmhouses.

I had hoped to arrive at the mansion, eat, and hit the hay after my full day of crazy antics, but fate had other plans for me.

Dinner consisted of cooked asparagus over collard greens. Now don't get me wrong, I love asparagus and all variety of green vegetables. I was only reluctant to eat the food placed before me because I'm a huge carnivore. If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose ribs. Oh sweet or sour Nonspecific Deity I would choose ribs... but, Equestria being Equestria, I knew I would have to go herbivore to maintain my ruse. I gratefully tucked into the emerald meal.

For a split second, I thought they'd poisoned me. The taste was so terrible I abandoned all courtesy and spat out what I'd put into my mouth. I played it off on choking a little, but I still wanted to blow chunks. I've never eaten bellybutton lint, but I would have exchanged the meal before me for a plateful of the stuff in a heartbeat. I thought there might be something wrong with the asparagus, so I went for the greens. My taste buds wailed in agony, but I managed to chew it and force it down my throat. I grabbed my glass of water and attempted to wash the taste out of my mouth.

I don't think I've ever spat so far. Even the water tasted like fermented dish soap! I played the "down the wrong pipe" card and got off scot-free, but I was seriously confused. Was there something wrong with the food in Equestria? Was it really terrible beyond all belief? Are the residents the only creatures able to stomach it?

Of course, there was the possibility that it had something to do with me being a changeling. Changelings eat love, not salad. It stood to reason I might not even be equipped to digest normal food. There was no time like the present to experiment, so I said a quick prayer and began choking down the rest of my meal. I've never had to try so hard to keep from hurling.

After dinner, I was shown to the room I was going to be staying in while I was here in Manehattan. My first course of action was to turn off the lights and go to bed. I stretched out and let the stress of the day melt away. The mattress was nice and soft. The blankets were fluffy and warm. My pillows were cool and comfy. I listened to the quiet nighttime bustled of the city below in my dark, peaceful room.

But I can't fall asleep! I've been watching the clock for two hours now, but I'm more bored than tired. I'm not tired at all! I'm beginning to wonder if changelings even need sleep. I get up out of bed. If I can't sleep, I should do something productive.

Convinced I'm alone and bound not to be disturbed, I change back into my normal body. I feel stiff all over, like I'd just been sitting in a cramped car for hours on end. It felt good to unload the burden of maintaining an alien body, especially one you had to cram yourself into.

I sauntered over to the window and peeked through the curtains. The coast was clear. I drew back the curtains and opened the window up carefully. The night air was surprisingly warm.

A quickly got up on the sill and jumped out into the night. Working my wings furiously, I managed to fly over to the roof on the opposite side of the road. I got a running start and jumped into the air again, using my wings to gain more altitude. I rose until I was arcing high over the city of Manehattan. Against the dark, moonless sky I was invisible. I surveyed the city below me, as if I were the king of this domain. I could be. All I had to do is drop the changeling swarm down on the city's sleeping, unsuspecting residents.

I gently touched down on another rooftop. I didn't want to cause any trouble. I just wanted to get home. Maybe if I ditched this town and scampered off to Canterlot, I could see Princess Celestia. If I explained myself, it's possible she'd be willing to help me. What's the point of staying here in Manehattan if it didn't get me any closer to going home?

"Your majesty?" I swung around. I was so lost in thought I had failed to notice the buzzing behind me. There were three changelings hovering in the air behind me, one of them decked out in dark, changeling armor.

"Hey there," don't loyal subjects know better than to scare the living daylights out of their king?

"Is there something you require, your majesty?" the changelings landed and bowed low. I need a lot of things, but I doubt a handful of changelings could get them for me. The King of Changelings having a nice chat with Princess Celestia was too far fetched to ever happen. Telling someone you're the King of Changelings is like telling someone you make your living as a con artist.

"... Do you guys have a hideout or something in the city?"

"Of course, your majesty. Would you like us to escort you there?" I nodded in response. The changelings took to their wings and I followed after them the best I could. I decided there was a good reason to stick around. The ponies might never help the King of Changelings, but they will help out a pony in need. I need to test the water here and make some friends who aren't changelings. For all I know, the solution I need could be here in Manehattan.

If nopony here can help me get home, I'll just look for it elsewhere. Maybe I'll go to Ponyville next. I know Ponyville best and I know there is a group of ponies with a knack for solving problems. Besides, if I go anywhere else I'll just end up wishing I was there. It just makes good sense to go.

"We are here, your majesty," I moved back into reality. The armored changeling was standing next to me, pointing a hoof at what looked like a small apartment building. It was incredibly hard to believe what I was looking at could be a changeling hideout. The building was very well maintained and even had an elderly pony sweeping out front. The only reason I did believe it was a changeling hideout was because that elderly pony looked up, saw four changelings standing in the street, bowed, and then went right on with what he was doing.

"Hiding in plain sight... I like it," the changelings lead me in through the front door, "So... do all the changelings in Manehattan live here?"

"Yes, your majesty," we started down a pretty standard, white hallway, "those on duty occupy the apartment rooms while the others live below."

"Below?" on top of that, what constituted an on duty changeling? Before I got an answer, we stopped in front of the apartment of... somepony. There was a nameplate, but Equestrian is still just chicken scratch to me. It's going to be a while before I get used to being unable to read. The armored changeling slammed three deliberate knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" I shouldn't have been so surprised to hear the voice of a mare.

"Family and friends," the changeling answered. After a momentary silence, I heard the tumblers on the door disengage. It opened up to reveal a perfectly normal looking mare.

"Good evening your majesty," she bowed low and greeted me.

"Yeah, good evening," I tipped an imaginary hat at her. I was pretty terrible with all this formal "your majesty" stuff. I needed to come up with better responses than "yeah" or "hey there". I'm a king for crying out loud. I should be a little more regal.

"Would his majesty like to go down to the lower level?" I nodded my assent. Nodding is regal, I think. The mare, a changeling in reality, gestured for me to enter. The armored changeling followed me in, but the two other changelings stood around outside. The mare walked over to her dresser, put her head against it and began to push. Now this is the kind of stuff I expected to see in a changeling hideout.

Behind the dresser was a tunnel, crudely dug and covered in green slime. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for me, but I managed to follow the armored changeling down into the tunnel's depths. It was nearly a straight down drop and I found myself just sliding down the green slime. All good tunnels must come to an end though, as I felt my feet touch down on solid ground. It was too dark to see, but I knew exactly where I was based on the smell. I was impressed that the changelings had made a tunnel that connected down to the sewers, even if it was disgusting.

"It's a bit dark, don't you think?" I felt around for the changeling I'd come down here with.

"You heard him! Light!" the entire area lit up a sickly green, allowing me to see that I was indeed in a sewer. There was a cave in of sorts to my right, making it impossible to proceed further in that direction. There were smaller cave ins to the left, but not so much so that one couldn't proceed if they were cautious. Intuition tells me if I do venture further to the left, I'd find the tunnel sectioned off by caution tape and other such warning signs. Other than the two sides of the tunnel, the rest of it looked like I'd envisioned it. Green slime all over the place, discarded chitin laying about, but I didn't see any changelings. I also didn't see where the light was coming from either. It seems to be coming from the ceili-

Nonspecific Deity be praised or not, that is a shrimp ton of changelings!

Above me was another changeling made tunnel just as wide as the sewer. It stretched at least two stories up and was saturated with changelings. Most of them were staring down at me, their horns providing the emerald glow that bathed the tunnels.

"I was told there were only about a hundred changelings here!" I turned to the armored changeling, who was standing idly beside me.

"One hundred scouts, your majesty. Our warrior reserves are just upwards of a thousand," he explained. I looked back up at the mass of changelings. Upon closer inspection, the changelings who weren't providing light were wrapped in the same slime that coated most of the walls.

"They're... sleeping?" I was totally jelly of them if they were.

"They are awaiting the day you decide to bring down the swarm upon town, your majesty," I had been thinking that one hundred changelings was too small of a number to take over a place as big as Manehattan. Over a thousand changelings? That's far more plausible.

"So... what do you other changelings do?"

"We gather food for the sleeping warriors," the changeling began explaining, "Scouts take shifts posing as ponies in the city in order to gather love," it sounds like a pretty solid operation.

"This is the only changeling hideout in Manehattan, right?" I had to be sure. I'm sure if Lou and the others stumbled upon this, they'd instantly assume there was an invasion on the way.

"Yes, your majesty. Other than the changelings in the field, the Manehattan Swarm is stationed in this location only," that's good to hear. That means as long as I keep Lou away from this apartment building and the room with the tunnel, there was no way she'd find any changelings. There was only one avenue I was worried about.

"What's further down that tunnel?" I pointed to the side of the tunnel that wasn't completely blocked off.

"More sewer, your majesty," that much I suspected. I walked over to the open side of the tunnel and began to work my way over the rubble.

"Your majesty? Where are you going?" I turned around to see a very concerned changeling.

"I want to know what's down this way. It's possible that someone or somepony could come this way and discover us," I reached the top of the rubble and scrambled down the other side. I touched down with a splash, landing in knee deep water. Plunged into darkness again, I attempted the illumination spell with my hand. It was simple as commanding my fingers to gather energy to throw beams of green light all around me. With the rubble behind me, the sewer before me was relatively destruction free. A pile of loose bricks here, a hidey-hole for some rats there, and dank sewer smell all around.

"Your majesty! I would not venture down that way!" the armored changeling called to me, just barely peeking over the pile of rubble. Call me suspicious, but I think he's scared of something. Of what, I have no idea.

"Don't worry, I'll be back shortly. Hold down the fort," the changeling saluted and ducked back behind the rubble. If he was worried, that was reason enough to be cautious. In retrospect, I should have asked him why he was worried. If I did though, it would just give him ammo to convince me not to go. I needed to make sure nopony was going to come down this way.

I kept walking down the dark sewer, only illuminated by the light flowing out of my fingertips. There really isn't much to say about Manehattan's sewers. If you want to know what it's like, just imagine a stereotypical sewer. As long as your idea of a sewer doesn't involve hamburger vending machines or can-can dancers, you've probably got the feel down pat. It smells bad, the air is stale, and every so often I hear a single drop fall somewhere in the distance. I almost abandoned walking through the sewage for the walkway, but the rats look hungry. I'm pretty sure rats eat bugs, so I'll stick to walking through the pony refuse.

After probably a solid five minutes of walking, I came to what I was looking for. Before me stood another impassible cave in. All the other diverging tunnels I'd found were either barred off, too small for a pony to get through, or caved in. Unless somepony came down through a manhole they wouldn't be able come down here.

"Wait... is it still manhole?" there was still a lot of pony-talk I hadn't gotten straight, "It's either ponyhole or stallionhole... or maybe colthole. I think ponyhole sounds the best. It's gotta be ponyhole."

"You're wrong actually. They're called mareholes."

"Mareholes? That does sound better than ponyhole. I guess it makes sense."

"Of course it does. I can't imagine why you think they'd be called something else."

"It's a long sto-," hold up... who am I talking to?

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," I swung around to the source of the voice. On the walkway to my right sat a creature I'd never before laid eyes upon. Granted, I'd never really laid eyes upon magical ponies or changelings before today, but at least I had an idea of what they looked like.

"Who or what are you?" I backed up a bit, noting that it was bigger than me.

"Silly changeling, I'm a Sphinx," the monster sat up on its furry haunches, swishing its tail and flitting it's wings. The hawk and lion elements were present, but it was missing something.

"If you're a Sphinx, why don't you have the head of a... oh," I realized something. It wouldn't make sense if a Sphinx in Equestria had a human head. The substitute in this case was the head of a black ram. I actually think they're a thing back on Earth. I believe the term is Criosphinx, but here in Equestria the distinction would be pointless.

"You are delightfully stupid," the Sphinx chuckled, looking me up and down with his crimson eyes, "that should make things quick for me."

"Buddy, if you're looking for a bite to eat you'd better take a hike," I took another step towards my escape route. One does not simply fight a Sphinx in a sewer.

"We all need to eat, right changeling?" the Sphinx jumped down with a splash and joined me in the water, "At least I'm honest with my prey and have the decency to put them out of their misery," the Sphinx started stalking towards me.

"I don't feel like discussing our respective dietary habits. Aren't you suppose to give me a riddle or something?" I made sure to maintain the distance between the two of us.

"Oh yes, the riddle," the Sphinx stopped and sat on its haunches in the water, "Answer me this changeling: What is owned by you, but used more by others?"

...

Dangit, I have no freakin' idea. I take another step back. Something tells me I'll be running like the dickens soon enough.

"You don't know? It's a shame you can't appreciate the irony of that, changeling!" the Sphinx lunged, bleating like a sheep from hell and bearing its fangs. The sight of claws and curved horns against a pair of massive wings was such a surreal sight I nearly forgot to get out of the way. For once in my life I was glad close only counts in horseshoes as the Sphinx crashed into the water just as I managed to jump out of the way. I touched down a couple yards away and took aim with my finger. I let a green bolt fly and bulls-eyed the Sphinx right on the head.

But it wasn't very effective...

"That was cute," the Sphinx smirked and brushed some misplaced wool out of its eyes. I should have guessed this wasn't going to be so easy. The Sphinx leapt into the air. I turned and ran as it spread its wings and dove at me. I narrowly avoided getting snatched up in it's paws by jumping face-first into the murky water. Even in the dark water, I could hear the massive beast splash into the water in front of me. I got to my feet as quickly as I could, but by the time I was up the Sphinx was already charging me with its massive horns. It lowered it's head in preparation to gore me when it got close enough. I saw only one way to avoid that fate.

I ran at the Sphinx myself until he was almost within the distance he needed to turn me into a ceiling pancake. With everything I had, I jumped and tucked myself into a ball. I passed unharmed over the charging Sphinx, exiting my aerial roll by spreading my limbs and water-heavy wings. I didn't turn to see what had become of my aggressor. This time, I just booked it down the sewer. There was no way I was out muscling the Sphinx, but I'd be willing to bet I could outrun it.

I listened as the Sphinx bleated behind me, but the splashing of its paws was fading behind me rapidly. I whooped in victory as I sprinted through the water, the way only illuminated by my swiftly swinging hand. It was odd though, the glow coming from my hand seemed like it was tinted red. I looked down at it for a moment, but it was glowing green like it had always been. The sewer passage way was getting progressively redder and redder. I had no idea what could be going on, until I noticed my own shadow lengthening before me.

I twisted my body around just in time to watch the ruby streak collide into me and cause green fissures to explode all along the right side of my torso.

The impact lifted me right of my feet and tossed me like a ragdoll against the sewer wall, sending a dull pain across my whole body with the impact. I hit the ground with another painful thud. I managed to push myself off the floor and into a sitting position with my back against the wall. Whatever had hit me hadn't intended to clip me, and I watched it spin and crash into the ceiling a ways off. The immediate effect was a tremor that shook the entire passageway. The ceiling cracked and dislodged, sending an avalanche of concrete and rock tumbling down. The shower of debris was dangerously close to me, so I tried to get out of the way.

I tried to get myself standing by leaning on my right arm, but the action immediately caused knife like pains to shoot through my body. I felt like several doctors were trying to open me up from different points with rusty scalpels. In the chaos, I looked down at my wound. My exoskeleton along the right side of my body was cracked and falling to pieces all the way from my shoulder to my hip. Green liquid was flowing freely from each crack and opening. I realized that it hurt, a lot. If that red blur had hit me full on, it would have easily snapped me in half. I guess I was right about changelings being unable to take a hit.

I placed my left hand over my wounded area. The attack hadn't killed me, but this wound might if I don't treat it. I had no medicine, no bandages, and nobody to help me. All I had was magic. A changeling's body is designed to twist and change. The magic is the same, so healing has to be possible. At least, I pray it's possible.

The command is the most complex one I've issued yet. The magic flows out and then back into me. I'm changing my body again, but the changes I'm making are to be permanent. The changes I'm making require the creation of new structures. I envision what my whole torso looks like, but that isn't enough. I picture my whole body, where and how everything is in relation to everything else. I expected the magic to take hold gradually, but with a burst of green light and a moment of mind-numbing pain the wound becomes whole again.

A boulder crashed into the pathway right next to me. I get up, my body feeling good as new, and book it away from the cave-in. It's dark without the illumination from my hand, but I don't have far to go. When the cave-in is only a distant rumble, I stop and catch my breath.

I'd survived. It was a miracle, but I'd survived the attack. I'd bet my mustache the culprit behind the red blur was the Sphinx. I'd also wager my beard that he's got something to do with all the other cave-ins. If he hadn't crashed like that, I'm sure he would have finished me off easily. I'm only alive because I managed to heal myself, but healing magic took quite the toll on my energy. It was quick and convenient, but I won't be able to pull it off again unless I do some serious feeding. My energy is precious, so I can't afford to waste any more of it tonight.

Going back towards the changeling hideout wasn't an option. If the cave-in wasn't dangerous enough, the Sphinx might have managed to dig itself out. If I continued forward, I'd just run into a dead-end. There was only one way out: a marehole.

I continued down the sewer, feeling my way along with one hand on the wall. It only took a minute or so to feel out a ladder. I grabbed on and started to climb up it, hoping that there was a way out at the top. As I got further up, I noticed pinpricks of light and listened as a carriage rumbled overhead. When I reached my goal I tested the weight of the cover with one free hand. It pleased me to feel the metal plate lift easily, allowing me to scope out my surroundings before exiting cover.

Once I was sure I was alone and nopony was coming, I pulled myself out as quickly as I could. I managed to replace the marehole cover and duck into an alleyway just before another carriage turned onto the street. I tested my wings to see if they were dry enough to assist with jumping. After a few experimental buzzes, I hopped back up on the rooftops. The Eastern horizon was just starting to light up, so I hurried back towards where I believed the Mayor's estate was.

I mentally high-fived myself when I realized I'd pretty much survived a whole day in Equestria. I'd been eyelash close to death more than once already, but I'd managed to stay alive through a strange blend of determination and luck. Equestria was undeniably magical and extraordinary to someone who'd only ever been a third party observer. The entire range of emotions and experiences I've had so far will probably stick with me forever. As I hopped from steeple to balcony towards my lodging, I couldn't help but smile as I said to myself:

"I need to get out of here."

4th: Oedipus Or Odysseus?

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Even if I had the ability to sleep, I probably wouldn't be right now. As soon as I returned to the Mayor's mansion I shut the window and assumed the alias of Duncan Doughnuts again. I hadn't come here looking for trouble, but I went ahead and found just that. There was indeed trouble brewing in Manehattan. It's safe to assume that a Sphinx in your sewer is not something you call a plumber for. No, this job required someone skilled in fighting monsters.

Is that me?

...

Eh, might as well be. Of course, returning to the sewers right now to confront the beast would just be suicide. I could pray the cave in smooshed him, but based on the number and severity of the other cave ins I think it is safe to assume he will be okay. If I was going to defeat him, or even just stand a chance against him, there were some things I needed to know:

What in Nonspecific Deity's mystery is a Sphinx doing in the sewers?
Are the ponies around here aware of its existence?
How am I going to defeat it?

The second question is the easiest to get an answer to. I'll just ask the Mayor or Lou, both of whom seem to know what goes on around here. I don't even know how to go about answering the first question. I imagine that if I waltz up to the Sphinx and ask him myself, he'll try to eat me. If ponies around here know about the Sphinx, I could milk them for information. The third question was the one I really wanted an answer to. The Sphinx tried to eat me, so I'd kind of like to settle the score with him. My trick-tionary, as some might put it, had run dry in our last encounter. I can't shoot him, I can't fly away in a sewer, and I can't even outrun him. I need to pay another visit to the changelings. If anypony knows what else I can try, it'll be them.

The name of the game was first things first. I can't scamper off to see the changelings until I take care of things with Lou and the other investigators. I exit my room and move to the dining room for breakfast. The only pony around was Mayor Marine. This was my chance to get some answers.

"Why good morning my good pony! How are you this morning? Did you sleep well?" Mayor Marine greeted me with breakfast. It was a scant meal of unfounded adoration, but after last night I'd eat anything. Well, I don't think I'd eat asparagus.

"I slept okay," I lied, "How are things around the city today?"

"Oh, Mr. Doughnuts, I'm afraid we're in a bit of a rough patch right now," he admitted.

"Really? Explain," I urged him on, hoping to hear tales of a Sphinx.

"For a while now there have been going-ons in the sewers," yes, yes, yes, "There have been multiple cave ins, but we don't know why."

Well shoot.

"You don't know what's been causing the cave ins?"

"Me or anypony else for that matter. When they first started happening, we sent in construction crews to fix them, but ponies on the teams would start mysteriously disappearing." That sounds like the work of a Sphinx to me. A pony gets left alone or wanders off, the Sphinx riddles him this or that, and then you have a slightly less hungry Sphinx.

If I were actually Duncan Doughnuts and not Cocoon, I could just reveal to the mayor that his sewer problems stem from the beast. Since I am Cocoon, I can't reveal my knowledge of the Sphinx without revealing my true identity. As much as I'd like help from the city, I ain't about to get any. If anything, they'll assume we're in cahoots. Rather than muddling over how to get their cooperation, I should focus my efforts on taking care of it myself.

"Until we figure out why this is happening," the Mayor continued, "we can't fix the damages."

Okay, that puts me in a bit of a bind. I guess I have to let the Mayor and the city know about the Sphinx before I take it out. I have an idea about how to do that, but I'll think about that later.

"What do you think is causing the cave ins?" I went ahead and asked, hoping the answer wasn't changelings.

"Not changelings... that's for sure," as relieving as the answer was, I sensed it had a double meaning. Dare I prod further? No, I'll just keep my questions knee deep for now.

"Are the cave ins isolated to a certain region of the city?"

"No, they occur all over the city. Whatever is causing the cave ins appears to be able to access parts of the sewers that it shouldn't have access to," the Mayor brought up a perplexing point. If the Sphinx has free reign of the sewers despite the cave ins, what's keeping him from exiting the sewers? Nothing that doesn't fall down from the ceiling would be in his way if he wanted to exit upwards. I know a Sphinx doesn't have any fish parts, but it was starting to smell like it did.

I wished to investigate further, but Aqua burst into the dining room.

"There you are!" before I could get my head together, she grabbed me and started dragging me out of the dining room.

"Good chat, Mr. Doughnuts! I will see you tonight then!" the Mayor waved me off.

"Bye Daddy!" Aqua waved to her father before we exited, "It's time to go investigate, Duncan! Get ready for some hardcore detective work!"

If what I just had to endure could be considered "hardcore detective work", I never wanna be a private investigator. All we did all day was follow Lou around and listen to her interrogate different ponies. None of them knew anything about changelings in the city and there wasn't a single pony who knew anything about a King of Changelings. We searched a few buildings too, supposedly for swarms, but only run-down buildings and sketchy looking ones. We walked right past the real changeling hideout, but Lou didn't even give it a second glance. I was so psyched about it, I smiled and winked to somepony who walked out as we walked by. He must have not been a changeling because he responded with a funny look. What is a normal pony is doing at the changeling hideout? I can only assume he is having his love drained, willingly.

The trip wasn't completely useless for me. Talking to ponies about changelings let me glean some information about a recent event involving changelings: the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. It happened a little while back and from what I hear it probably happened exactly like the show had depicted it. That placed Queen Chrysalis's defeat at a different moment than the one I arrived.

How does that leave me? Clueless, that's how.

Something else happened to Chrysalis after the wedding. Obviously what had exactly happened was a complete mystery to me, but maybe the changelings could shed some light on the matter.

That would have to wait until after the investigation. The sun is getting low now, but Lou is refusing to give up. Originally, we were only accessories she had taken along for the ride, but now she had turned to us for any ideas.

"What about the sewers?" I pitched my idea out there. Lou, Aqua, and Wrenchell all exchanged glances at the proposition. At first, I thought they were concerned, what with the cave ins and such. The looks on their faces betrayed their actual thoughts though. They know something I don't know... and they're confirming with each other that things should stay like that.

"The sewers are too dangerous to investigate right now," Aqua shot down my suggestion. I agree, the sewers are dangerous. I only wanted to go down there because I selfishly wanted to see if I could expose the existence of the Sphinx. The only problem I had with her reasoning was this: danger didn't appear to be an issue for this crowd. They knew full well their enemy was stronger than them and came in greater numbers, but they nonchalantly wandered into place after place looking for them. They don't want to avoid the sewers because they're dangerous, but because they have reason to believe the changelings aren't down there.

I need to know why. I'm going to have to push for information, but I need to be careful. I need to confirm my suspicions without acting suspicious.

"Too dangerous?" I feigned ignorance.

"Lots of cave ins recently and ponies going missing," Wrenchell explained.

"And it isn't due to changelings?" everypony nodded their heads, "Then what is it?"

"Nopony knows," Lou explained. I expected her to expound upon the subject, but we all just stood around in silence.

"Uh... what do you think it is?"

"Beats me," she shrugged the mystery off. For a pony who's special talent and passion is investigating, she didn't seem to be concerned about looking into it. Why? My guess was she already knows what's going on down there.

"So, it's a problem for the Mayor then?" I decided to exit this topic. The looks I was getting from these three ponies were becoming more and more unsettling. Upon me dismissing the issue, their expressions brightened back up.

"Yep, my father will take care of it. We've got a real mystery to solve," Aqua laughed, snuggling up a little closer to Wrenchell. I've got a mystery of my own to look into. I need to find out what they're hiding before find out what I'm hiding.

"I guess we'd better call it a day," Lou dismissed everyone, "I'm going to head back to my place, what about you guys?" Lou looked at her two friends to ask the question, but never glanced at me.

"We're going to go grab a bite, right?" Aqua nuzzled Wrenchell as he nodded in confirmation. I don't want to know what they're going to be biting. "What about you, Duncan?"

"I'm just gonna head back to the Mayor's. I'm probably just gonna crash when I get back." That was a lie. After we said our good-byes, I waited until they were out of sight to head to the changeling hideout. One trip down a slimy tunnel later, I was in an entirely different world.

"Welcome back, your majesty." Even if it was dark as a dungeon, I could hear the place buzzing with activity. Once I entered, every horn in the place lit up. I found a chunk of the ceiling that wasn't too slimy and sat down.

"I have many, many questions," I groaned.

"I will do my best to assist you. What is it you need?" I reached up and stroked my beard thoughtfully.

"Does this beard make me look old?"

"Very old, your majesty. It is very dignified, displays your maturity splendidly."

"I don't want to look old, I want to look my age."

"Yes, your majesty. You should be rid of it and reveal your childish nature."

"I don't want to get rid of it."

"Of course, your majesty. A beard is a symbol of strength and power. Altering it would be a sin."

"I think I'm going to trim it."

"A wise choice, your majesty. Good grooming is the sign of a wise leader." I looked up at the group of changelings that had gathered around me, each one staring at my beard and hanging on my next word in order to give their respective opinions.

"You two, get a mirror for me." I pointed at two arbitrary changelings. They buzzed their wings and flew off, mumbling to each other.

"A sin to change his beard? What's wrong with you?"

"Hey! You're the one that called him old!"

When the two returned, the armored changeling had dispersed the crowd. I began grooming myself, using the index finger of my right hand as a trimmer. If I would someday have to reveal myself to the world as King Cocoon, I should try and look more presentable. Big beards haven't been in vogue for a long time, not since Abraham Lincoln at least.

"So, tell me about this Sphinx that's roaming the sewers." I turned my chin up and began working on the hair near my neck.

"The monster has been wandering the sewers for a month now. It entered this place only once, but it fled once it realized it was outnumbered," the changeling explained.

"Any idea what it wants, what it's doing?"

"It wants to eat ponies and it is destroying the sewers."

"Wonderful." I guess I should have figure that out myself. "If it wants to eat ponies and destroy stuff, why does it stay in the sewers?"

"The barrier."

"The what?"

"The barrier."

...

"What barrier?!"

"The one around the sewer, your majesty." Well this was news to me. Nopony had mentioned a barrier before. I certainly hadn't seen anything that looked like a barrier.

"I hadn't noticed that there was a barrier around the sewer," I informed by servant.

"I apologize, your majesty. The barrier is designed to be undetectable after it's cast, unless one was to use magic to specifically detect and examine it. Only the beast it is meant to contain if effected by it," he explained. From the little I knew about magic, barriers were definitely possible. An undetectable barrier that is designed to contain one thing in particular? I buy it.

"Who cast the barrier?" The who was important because the why was obvious. You don't cast a barrier designed to keep a Sphinx in a sewer for any reason other than to keep a Sphinx in a sewer. Why somepony would want that, I don't know. If I knew who did it though, I might be able to riddle it out or ask directly.

"The magic is distinctly unicorn, but the caster is unknown. Should I have a scout investigate its origin, your majesty?"

"You can do that?" The changeling nodded. "Then yes, please do it! That would be a huge help."

"Then it will be done," the armored changeling answered then turned to one of the changelings holding the mirror, "Stagger Fang, I'll leave it to you."

"What?" the two changelings began whispering to each other, probably thinking I couldn't hear, "But it's my turn to gather as Honey Pot tomorrow!"

"You should have considered that before you called his majesty 'old'," the superior changeling snarled. The changeling named Stagger Fang just grumbled, leaving his position on the mirror and causing his friend to struggle under the weight alone.

"I'll take that from you," I reached out and took the mirror off the changeling's back. The armored changeling dismissed his subordinate as I examined my handiwork.

"So... you guys actually have names?" I'd never heard a changeling call another changeling by name before.

"Yes, your majesty," the armored changeling confirmed.

"Mind telling me yours? And on top of that, do you have a rank or something?"

"I am Captain Gorehoof, your majesty."

"Gorehoof? Yeesh," with names like Gorehoof and Stagger Fang, you'd think they were named by a bunch of twelve year old MMO players. I stood up and held the mirror so I could examine myself a little better.

I'd successfully quarantined my beard to to my chin, keeping the hair under my chin away from my neck. I shortened up the sideburns and whacked down their length, just to make sure I didn't look like an English gentleman. I didn't mess around with the mustache much. I kept the thickness, but shortened it up so I didn't look like a wild man. I look pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

"If only I could do something about this hair." I took a strand of it and examined it.

"Good luck finding a barber, monkey boy."

"Whoa, Gorehoof," I scolded my subordinate, "Just because I know your name doesn't mean you get to call me names."

"I didn't say anything, your majesty," it struck me that he was telling the truth. I had recognized the voice, so I had assumed it was someone I knew. I looked around the room, thinking I'd see a familiar face.

"Look in your monkey paws, sasquatch."

I remembered the voice all at once. I looked down at the mirror in my hands, but it wasn't my own face in the glass.

"Discord!?" The grey draconequus looked right back at me. Normally, I'd picture him happy and smiling, but the Discord I was looking down at looked downright peeved.

"That's absolutely right! Tell him what he's won John! ... Nothing!"

"What do you want?" If Discord is contacting me, that can only mean he knows why the heck I'm in Equestria.

"What the heck are you doing in Equestria?" Or he could be as clueless as me. "Out with it you knuckle dragging gorilla!"

"I have no idea how I got here! Are you telling me you had nothing to do with this?"

"Are you kidding me?! I wouldn't bring someone like you to Equestria," Discord snarled at me, "Before I drag one of you monkeys into this world, I carefully screen you to make sure you'll cause chaos and plop you down just in the right place."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You mean you have brought other humans into Equestria?"

"Your dimension and our dimension are very closely tied together. Transferring your kind to our world is one of the only ways I can spread chaos even while I'm imprisoned. Before I got sealed away the second time, I made darn well sure I kept one foot in the door between our two worlds."

"You can't just drag unsuspecting people out of their own homes and lives!"

"Why not?" Discord crossed his arms and glared at me. "Most of the guys and gals I bring over here thank me for the opportunity! They meet their idols, they fall in love, and they decide to stay forever. Do you know how much chaos is put out by your kind? The irrationality of their actions is tremendous, so I make sure the chimpanzees I bring over want to be here!" Discord was absolutely steamed. Even Fluttershy hadn't made him this peeved during the show. For some reason, his lack of cool made me feel more in control of the situation.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Discord, but I'm taking the first bus out of Equestria. If you don't like me being here, I would gladly submit to being sent back," I offered earnestly.

"I couldn't do that even if I wanted too!" Discord shot my hopes down. "If you want to go back, you should try asking the rotten, no-good, monkey-loving pony who brought you here!"

"And who would that be?"

"I have no clue," Discord pouted, "But I've got a way to get rid of you that'll work just as well."

"What've you got in mind?"

"I'm just going to kill you." That wasn't the answer I was hoping for. I shook the mirror back and forth and watched Discord rattled around. When I stopped shaking, I watched him try to sit back down in the chair he apparently had with him wherever he was as his eyes spun in circles. I took the mirror and turned it upside down. Discord's body fell onto the floor like a heavy rope, quickly followed by his plastic, fold out chair.

"I see you're taking this well," Discord groaned. He stood back up and glared daggers at me, even more furiously than he had been before.

"There is no need to be upset," I smiled as serenely as I could manage.

"Considered my jimmies rustled, man bug! I don't like you. I already screened you prior to you coming here, and I did not like what I saw!" Discord huffed.

"Whaddya mean?" I didn't like the idea of Discord examining me to see if I was fit to wreak chaos in Equestria.

"I've never seen someone so ill-suited to wreak chaos. You've got no desire to abandon your home, you suppress your anger, and you're very close minded about getting it on with anything other than a human."

"If those are the criterion, I'm glad you passed me over."

"You've got no sense of adventure!"

"I don't know about that," I poked the glass right between Discord's eyes, "but only a coward runs away from their home and self-discipline is a virtue of those with true strength. Don't act like you know anything about me!"

"That's what I don't like," Discord began pouting again, "I really don't know anything about you. I can get inside the heads of the people I've sent here, but not you. I don't know what you're thinking, what you want, I don't even know what or who you had for breakfast today. I just sensed that you showed up. I'm happy I was able to contact you so soon because now I know you're better dead to me."

"Gee, and to think you were my favorite villain. I'm throwing my lot in with Chrysalis now."

"You're just biased! You know what? I shouldn't have wasted my precious energy reserves finding and contacting you. Hasta la vista, buggy!" Discord's face flickered away and was replaced by white noise, which was odd because it was on a mirror. I turned it over and smashed it against the rock I had been sitting on.

"Gorehoof!" I called to the changeling who had been standing by idly while I talked to the avatar of chaos.

"Yes your majesty?" he stood erect at attention. I turned to a section of the wall and began etching a message into it, one only I could read.

"I don't care how you do it, but I want you to take down what I've carving onto this rock and bring it to the hive. I want this same inscription on rocks near towns, in fields, in caves, rocks anywhere you see fit. Do not place them in plain sight, but be sure they can be found and examined. Then tell the hive this, 'if they encounter any creature, pony or not, that claims that it is human, bring them to King Cocoon'. Those are my orders, see to it that they are carried out."

"Yes, your majesty!" Gorehoof saluted, and I took my leave of the underground hideout. I changed back into my disguise and began trotting down the now dark streets. There was much, much more I wanted to attend to, but I needed to return to the mansion and resume my guise as Duncan Doughnuts. Upon arriving back at the mansion, I ran into a bit of trouble.

"Where have you been?" Aqua greeted me at the door.

"Out," I answered, "I got lost on my way back, so I settled on seeing the sights."

"We were worried sick about you!" Aqua let a trickle of genuine concern flow into my body. I'm glad to see I managed to make an impression on her, even if it is pretty weak.

"I'm a grown maaa-stallion! You don't need to worry about me," I assured her.

"If you say so." She neither looked or sounded like she was going to stop worrying about me. I announced I was tired and going to bed, then proceeded to my room. I kept wondering what could make her so worried though. I don't think staying out a bit too late merited such a mood swing. Did something happen while I was in the hideout?

I'm probably just over thinking things. Without sleep or video games, I didn't have any way to turn off my brain. Silly me, I need to stop thinking. I tried to switch off my brain while I waited for the right time to sneak off, but that wasn't happening. The least I could do was push the more pressing matters to the back of my mind. Instead of thinking about how there are more humans out there than me and how Discord now wants to see me dead, I thought about what cool changeling powers I hadn't tried out yet.

The only problem was I couldn't think of any other powers I should have. I'd tried shooting lasers, eating love, and changing into ponies. What else can a changeling do? I thought back to the episode the changelings had appeared in. I remembered the changelings using magic to turn themselves into living projectiles, but I'd kind of already done that when I fought Lou for the first time. There was also the slime thing, but after seeing how that was done, I wasn't in a hurry to try it.

There had to be something. I knew there was something I was forgetting about that episode. Something important had happened in that episode, and I mean something aside from Lyra talking.

...

Hold up... Lyra talking... bridesmaids... the caves... green eyes?

...

Oh Nonspecific Deity I have the ability to control minds.

The bridesmaids were totally Chrysalis's mind slaves! They weren't changelings because they got distracted by the bouquet. Speaking of that bouquet, I'd always wondered where Cadence pulled that out from. Hammerspace?

I had more pressing matters to attend to though. If I can mold a pony's mind to my will, I had to try that out. I shifted back into my normal body and jumped out the window, wondering if I was capable of hypnotism or full on mind control. I jumped from rooftop to rooftop, searching for somepony with a brain I could control. Then I saw him, a gift from Celestia herself, stumble drunkenly into an alleyway. An off white, blue maned, unicorn stallion with a very squishy and moldable looking brain. For my first mind controlling session, I imagine a squishy and moldable brain was desirable, and one saturated in alcohol is more apt for being controlled than a normal mind.

Making sure my target and nopony else was watching, I glided down from the rooftop and assumed my Duncan Doughnuts disguise. Before approaching my target, I had a thought: what if it didn't work? Duncan Doughnuts might get branded as some weird nighttime marauder. I ducked behind a garbage pail and shifted forms. I'd started out a tan, unicorn stallion, but emerged a mint green, unicorn mare. Seeing as Lyra had inspired this little escapade, she was a fitting pony to use in this situation. On top of that, if things go south Duncan's name will still be good and I could just call my target a lecher. Win-win!

Feels weird being a mare... I feel... strangely similar. I want to feel different, but I don't. Maybe it's me, maybe it's this body, but there really aren't any outstanding differences to note. Even the one you think would be bugging me isn't.

No time for distractions though, I've got to try controlling this pony's mind. The pony in question was on his back in an alley, waving his hooves in the air in an attempt to right himself. I decided to be a model citizen and help him back up, but he didn't thank me. Instead, he gave me the greasiest smile I've ever seen. The meaning behind it eluded me, until food started entering my system.

"Hey there sugar, do you know karate cuz... cuz I wanna make you brukfast," the stallion slurred. Now I don't feel so bad about what I'm about to do.

Using my horn, I began to weave my spell. This wasn't like anything I'd attempted before. Changing my body structure, healing myself, and devouring put the focus on my own body. This spell wasn't even like firing a projectile. My energy reached out into the mind of another being, a place swimming with foreign energies. The mind of another person is a frightening place. My job is to make this mind subservient to me.

How is it done? What makes the mind obey an order given to it? What makes a mind obey anything? The mind adheres to what it thinks is true. The mind will do or think anything if the right truth is impressed upon it. I need to find the truth that will make this pony do as I want.

...

No, there is no need to find it. There is a truth every mind simply wishes was true, and it's linked to a place in the mind of a pony that my changeling mind and magic is automatically drawn to: the part that decides what to do with love. With my spell, I bind that part with a lie, the lie the mind wants to hear.

With one last push, I watch the stallion's expression visibly shifted into a blank stare, but only momentarily. His pupils shrunk as his irises turned luminescent green. He looked even dumber and happier than he was before, but he didn't speak. He didn't move a muscle. The ball was in my court.

"What is your name?" I asked him.

"Unsewn Bolt," despite Unsewn's enamored expression, he spoke in a dull monotone. The dapper looking stallion, despite being outwardly enamored with my current mask, was not feeding me. I had been thinking that feeding through mind control would be like cheating, but I guess something in the control spell prevents a pony from loving. Food isn't the point of this exercise, control is. The question was what to do with this stallion?

"How can you be of use to me?" That was all I really wanted to know. If this guy wasn't useful, I could just set him loose and be done with him.

"I can make clothes," Unsewn droned his obligatory response. I stole a glance at his flank, noting the spool of thread and needle on it. I half expected Lou to jump out, but I guess she wouldn't care if Lyra Heartstrings was looking at somepony else's flank. She might even go so far as to call it progressive.

"Take me to your place of clothes making," I commanded him because for some reason having a hypnotized slave made me unable to talk like a normal person. I gave orders to the changelings normally, right? We weren't far from Unsewn's establishment, aptly named "Unsewn Designs". He unlocked the door and we went inside. Despite his previous state of mind, he was much more sober and coordinated since I worked my magic on him.

"Alright, let's get down to business." Upon entering the safety of his store, I changed into my true form. Thankfully, Unsewn didn't appear to be bothered that the mare he was gazing upon suddenly shifted into a huge monster. In fact, his utter lack of any reaction whatsoever was underwhelming.

"Look here Mr. Bolt," I started, "I might be making a public appearance in the future and I need to look my best. These rags aren't befitting of my office, so I want you to whip up something for me. As well as looking good, I need it to be light and not very restrictive. It still needs to show ponies that I am a king, but I am a busy king who has to slay a Sphinx and find his way home. Can you do that?"

"It will be done-"

"Excellent!"

"-my love."

...

I guess he actually believes I'm still Lyra. I'm not exactly sure what I did to his brain, but it certainly is potent.

Whilst Unsewn took measurements and did his clothes making thing, I pretended to read one of the magazines he had. I still have no idea how I'm going to learn to read. I wonder if the other changelings will teach me. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't tell them that I can't read. I don't know how they'd feel about an illiterate king. Literacy and intelligence is probably something they value, seeing as the scouts here have to convincingly act the part of a nurse every day.

It didn't take too long before I was standing before a mirror, decked out in my new duds. I wasn't the expert on kingly garb, but I did very much like what I was seeing. The top was a simple, tan vest with a trail of brown ovals along the waist. The pants were the same color of the vest and had the same pattern around the ankles. A blue sash adorned with triangles held the pants in place.

"This is good work, Mr. Bolt."

"Thank you," was his only reply. I admired myself a little more in the mirror. Kings came in many different sizes, shapes and types. Even if I didn't look like any king I knew, I now thought I looked like the king I was. I wasn't regal, royal, or even authoritative. Now I had the clothes to back it up. I was a king in name. I hadn't done anything to earn the title. Heck, I hadn't even been born into the title. I woke up a king, but I couldn't help but smile as I examined myself.

"Now I look like a king who doesn't want to be king."

The spell I was using was scary. This wasn't what I'd asked for, but it was what I wanted. Our minds weren't connected, but our desires were. Unsewn Bolt wants to please Lyra and I wanted to look how I felt. Chrysalis had wanted her plan to go uninterrupted and the bridesmaids had wanted to make sure the wedding went perfectly. Those ponies went for that bouquet because their brains were switched into best wedding mode. If the real Lyra Heartstrings walked into the store right now, Unsewn Bolt wouldn't listen to a word I say.

I was thinking too much again. I told Unsewn that in ten minutes he will awaken from his trance and remember nothing that had happened in his store. I don't know if it'll work, but it's worth a shot. I morphed back into Duncan Doughnuts and hit the streets. Unsewn had done his duty for the day. It would be unfair to ask any more of him tonight. What more could I ask of him? The answer is simple:

I'm feeling hungry.

5th: Real Monsters

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

When you were little, did you believe there were monsters in your closet? Did you believe there were monsters under your bed? In the alleyways? Behind fences? In the dark? Try and remember what that monster was supposed to look like. Did it have claws and fangs? Was it slimy? Have multiple eyes? Did it breath fire and eat children?

Of course, you know now that there never was any monster in the closet. It was just the heater coming on or your dad flushing the toilet across the hall. The monster was just a sweater in your closet or a pile of clothes on the floor. There was nothing in the dark that wasn't there in the light.

For me, that last part rings oh so true. If being a human was like walking around my house with the lights on, being a changeling is like running around it in the dark. Things are confusing and scary, but I'm still in the same house. I'm still me on the inside. The things I'm doing, the things I've done, everything up until now is simply what me as a person would have done.

Isn't that a frightening thought? I'd feed on the innocent to save my own life. I did that! Me! No one held a gun to my head and said "eat their love"! I don't even think they have guns in this world.

You're probably wondering why I'm going off on this. Well, let's pick up where I last left off.

Dear Nonspecific Deity, when a changeling gets the rumblies in their tumblies they get it bad. You know what they say about being thirsty: if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Well, the rule for changelings seems to be this: if you're hungry, you're already dying. I've got to eat something, and the sooner the better. I've been wandering around looking for something to eat, but I haven't had any luck so far. This might be easier if I knew the city a little better. I mean, this is a city, right? On Earth, if a dude finds himself in a city and he's looking for quick love, he's just got to locate the-

"Well hey there big boy."

And bingo was his name-o.

"You looking for a good time?" I turned and looked at the mares who were calling out from me from the opposite side of the street. There are three of them, and I guess all of them are what ponies consider "dolled up". The changeling part of me was telling me the appropriate term here was "garnished". As the smell of food invades my brain, the last of my sanity remembers my first encounter with Wrenchell and Aqua. The two of them had smelled and tasted like fine dining. These mares smelled more like carnival food. I wonder if changelings can get indigestion.

"Hey buddy, if you just look much longer we'll have to charge for that too," one of the mares complained. The last of my sanity was sucked away. The smell of food just drives me nuts, you know? I'm a king though, so this time I'm not just going to gorge myself like an idiot. That was a special and unrefined moment, but tonight I shall be truly royal in my actions.

Without even a fraction of the effort as before, I reached out into the minds of the mares before me and bound them to my will. It's such a simple technique, why did I struggle with it so much before? One as regal as me shouldn't have to stalk prey in such a roundabout manner.

"Let me feed," I demand. My subjects comply, but did they really have a choice? They brought this upon themselves. Isn't this what they want? Isn't this exactly why they're out here? I feel the love that's stocked up inside them begin to flow into me. It's a scant meal, but food is food. A king deserves a feast though. These mares are merely the appetizer.

"Bring me more," my regal voice decrees. The three mares, which I made sure not to drain fully of love, begin to lead me through the dark, city streets. The first pony we come across is a patrolcolt. When he sees me and three mares who are obviously up to no good, he takes out his flashlight and heads towards us. This oughta be fun.

"Stop right there! Where do you think you're going?" the pony asks. My minions stare at him blankly, but I can't help but sneer. May as well let the peon in on our secret.

"We're going to the feast, and you're invited!" The patrolcolt looks delectably shocked by what I've just said. He doesn't react fast enough as the three mares grab him and hold him down. He struggles against them, he struggles against my spell, but in the end he succumbs. I draw out his love and continue down the street with my now larger entourage.

"More..."

We run into a mare walking alone. We come across two young colts in an alley, both of them up to no good. We stumble upon a stallion and his daughter having an argument on the front stoop of their home. Our group meets three sanitary workers slacking off from their nighttime duties.

"Still more..."

I add a stallion walking his two dogs to the group. I add two mares in formal attire to my followers. I add a young filly who strayed a bit to far from home to my horde. A nurse leaving her night shift at the hospital joins the swarm.

"I want more..."

Two ponies join in. Three ponies get tacked on. We run into another pony and then another pony. We meet four ponies the next time. Next is one pony. Now we'll add these two.

"Bring me more..."

I'm on the inside of myself looking out. Somewhere in all of this, I'd converted back to changeling form. Right now I was using one of the stallions like a throne while I sent all the other ponies out to fetch me food. I don't know where they're getting these ponies from, but I don't care for some reason. This is wrong, I shouldn't be doing this. I can't be doing this. How is this even possible? Ponies crying and confused, begging for an explanation of why they've been brought here. Young ponies, old ponies, and everypony in between is brought in. Once I've taken the majority of their love, I send them off to find me more food.

When you eat food, you only taste it and feel it fill you up. When you're on the inside though, you see it getting chewed up. Love isn't made of bread, meat, or stuff like that. No, I'm chewing up thoughts, feelings, and all matter of things I can't explain. I hear voices, I experience powerful longings, and I feel comforting hooves. The feelings are there, then they're mushed up and turned into something wicked, but that something wicked sustains me. It's my lifeblood, but to the ponies who provided me with it, it's poison.

I'm on the move again. My conscious isn't at the helm, but something inside me is telling me it's time to finish the meal off. Wherever I've gone, there are guards. I drain them as my massive herd begins wreaking the place. I go through a gate, then a door, then up stairs, and all the while it feels very familiar. I've been here before.

My eyesight is hazy, but I suddenly see a pony very clearly. A pony who once genuinely cared for my safety and reached out to me out of kindness: Aqua. I scream out to halt, but my mouth and body don't obey. I add her to my collection, but I'm not done yet. I turn back into Duncan Doughnuts and continue on my own. I knock on a door I've never seen before and call out.

"Mayor Marine! It's me, open up!" No sooner do I ask than Mayor Marine opens the door swiftly and lets me in. He redoes all the locks and rushes to me.

"Duncan! Thank heavens you're alright! What's going on, where's Aqua?"

"Aqua is safe, sir. I made sure of it," I lie. He looks so relieved by it. What a pure and innocent man. More concerned with the safety of his daughter than his own well-being. Why am I here and lying to him? What in all that is good's name have I been doing? I've got to stop! I've absolutely got to stop!

"Any idea what this mob is? Why are they attacking?" the Mayor asks. The sudden increase in volume in his voice causes me to jump. In fact, the general increase in volume is scaring the heck out of me. Do I smell smoke?

"Mayor!" I shout, my body obeying me again. "I'll take care of it! You stay here!" I turn and begin unlatching the door.

"I can't let you go alone Mr. Doughnuts!" the Mayor tried to stop me. Unfortunately, one of these locks needs a key. If I want to leave and fix this, I need to get it from him.

"Mayor."

"Yes, Mr. Doughnuts?"

"I'll make this up to you later."

"Pardon?" I reach out into his mind with my magic. What had been so darn simple a moment ago became incredibly difficult. The Mayor's brain actively struggled against the magic I was forcing onto it. My reserves of energy were larger than they'd ever been, so it was simply a matter of out muscling his mind. It took three whole minutes, but he became obedient.

"I'm so, so sorry! Please just give me the key and forget all about what happened," I pleaded. The Mayor complied, smiling warmly all the while. That just made me feel even worse. Just out of curiosity, I reached back into his mind and felt around the epicenter of his love. It appeared to be completely closed off, but I'd somehow been breaking and entering the love supplies of ponies all night. I can't imagine how I went about it, but I don't have to. There is no excuse to having to resort to feeding off ponies whose minds I'm controlling.

I exited the Mayor's office, tossing his key back to him as I closed the door behind me. Sure enough, ponies who are supposedly under my control are running rampant through the mansion. I was trying to think of a way to stop a giant mob, but since they're under my control they should obey my commands.

"Stop!" Everypony in the place stopped moving. That was easy enough. What next?

"Everypony go to sleep and... uh... stop being controlled by me?" Once again, everypony in the place obeyed, each of them falling to the floor and closing their eyes. I wandered towards the entrance of the mansion, surveying the destruction. All of this is my fault. I dragged these ponies out of their peaceful lives. I'd taken their love from them. Why had I come here? Why did I go completely bonkers? What the heck is wrong with me?

Now I'm sitting at the entrance of the mansion, just brooding. Policeponies and medics came eventually and they asked me what happened. I told them that the King of the Changelings had happened. They didn't believe me, but there was one pony among them who payed heed to my words.

"So he is in the city." Lou's sudden appearance caught me off guard. I just nodded in response. "Then we can't waste any time. Let's go."

"Go where?" I mumble. I'm really not in the mood for chasing myself around anymore tonight.

"The sewers." I look up at her. She looks down at me, dead serious.

"Why go now?"

"It's the only place we haven't checked." I know that isn't true. "It might be dangerous, but the King of the Changelings could be down there." She hadn't thought that earlier. "If we go now, we might catch him retreating." She reaches out a hoof to help me up. I take it and pull myself up, but I know she's lying to me. I've got a terrible feeling in my gut, even worse than when I realized the massive amounts of chaos I'd incurred tonight. I seem to recall a certain draconequus thinking I didn't have it in me. As we made our way out of what was quickly becoming the site of a major disaster, I let my curiosity get the better of me.

"Did you plan on going to the sewers all along?"

"To be honest, I decided we should probably check them out. I told Aqua and Wrenchell about it, but you weren't around so I couldn't tell you. The plan was for me and you to go to the sewers while Aqua and Wrenchell look about town."

Sirens were going off in my head. Lou tells Aqua she's going to bring me to the sewer. Aqua freaks out afterwards when I get back from being gone too long. The three investigators reject going into the sewer in the first place. I don't know why, but something tells me they're worried about more than cave ins. Were their worries Sphinx shaped? I'm jumping to conclusions. I don't have any evidence to that effect.

...

Why am I so darn worried?

"Down here." Lou levitated a marehole cover out of it's resting place. After awkwardly descending into the sewer by climbing down the ladder on hooves, we were in. Lou lit up her horn, revealing that the stretch of sewer we were in was no different from the sewer I'd been in before. It was murky, dark, and wet. You know, the whole shebang.

We started walking. We walked and walked down the dark sewer passageways. It could be my mind playing tricks on me, but I feel like Lou is traveling very purposefully. She hasn't once stopped to consider moving down one branch of the sewer or the other and she's been keeping up her quick pace for a while now. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has a destination in mind.

"Hey, Duncan," Lou broke the silence that had been maintained for so long.

"Need something?"

"Have any regrets?" I stopped dead in my tracks. She must have anticipated this because she swung around and faced me after asking the question. Nobody asks that kind of question unless the possibility of death is in the range of extremely likely to certain. I didn't care if I was jumping to conclusions anymore. That feeling in my gut wasn't coming from there being no threat at all.

"Just one," I growled, "trusting you."

"Good answer!" The sewer shook as something dropped down behind me. I knew the voice, so I didn't have to turn and face the Sphinx to know he'd shown up. I turned and looked at him anyway, knowing all to well what the beast was capable of.

"What are you doing Charon? Just eat him already," Lou complained. Her voice didn't indicate her having any qualms with Charon here eating me.

"This pony has a good head on his shoulders," Charon laughed. "I'm a reasonable Sphinx. For amusing me, he should get the answer to one question before he dies."

"Whatever," Lou grunted. Okay, I know she hates me, but I didn't think she'd want me to get eaten. I don't plan on dying here... but I really don't see this going any other way. I could ask "how do I get home", but that would be a moot point. Maybe I should ask him to divide by zero, just for kicks. No, I'd better go with a serious question.

"Why is Lou feeding me to you?" I asked just as bravely as I could.

"Well, that's an interesting story, isn't it Lou?" Charon smirked. Lou didn't say anything, she just displayed her impatience by flicking her tail. "You see, Lou here was at the top of her game up until a few months ago. She was an investigator for the Manehattan police and one of the mayor's closest advisers. She realized how fragile her position was and was stressed out most everyday. Then she found me!" Charon spread his wings and glided over next to Lou.

"You see I'm a Sphinx, a creature born to rule of cities. I see everything that goes on, big and small, in this city. Lou is a clever girl. See she trapped me here with her spell, basically condemning me to starve to death. I started messing up the sewer to attract the repair crews down for me to survive on, but the mayor pulled the plug on that. I was sure I was going to die."

"I could still see what was going on in the city though, and I noticed that Lou was refusing to investigate what he mayor thought was random incidents in the sewers. Her refusal to fulfill her duty got her kicked out of the police, and that's when she revealed her plan to me. The deal was this: she brings me ponies to eat and I give her information that lets her solve cases. Good deal, right?" I cast my gaze on Lou.

"You would've done the same thing," she accused.

"You'd let innocent ponies die so you can keep solving crimes?"

"None of them were innocent." She shook her head slowly. "I fed him criminals to catch criminals. It was all justice."

"That's not justice, it's just murder! What would Wrenchell or Aqua say if they knew you're doing this?"

"They don't need to know."

"So you admit that it would look bad!"

"Charon, eat him already," Lou grunted. Well this was bound to happen. I turned to run down the sewer, but Charon swooped around and cut me off. He advanced on me, raising his claws to strike me.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" Charon suddenly retracted his claws and sat down in front of me. "I forgot the riddle."

"Charon! Stop screwing around!" Lou barked. Charon guffawed in response.

"Oh please, there's no way he's going to get it right anyway." Charon licked his chops... his lamb chops... he-he. Oh jeez, this immanent death thing is making me loopy. "Answer me this pony: what walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?"

Wait a second... I know this one! The answer is "a man", but there aren't any "men" in Equestria. C'mon something bipedal, something bipedal, something bipedal...

"A minotaur?" The effect of the correct answer was instantaneous. Charon's body froze in place and crusted over with grey stone. His statue still looked ironically smug. I turned and faced Lou, who appeared quite shaken.

"Lemme guess, you were going to sacrifice me to find the Changeling King?" I feigned anger. Truth be told, I was so freaking happy I wanted to dance a jig. I ain't gonna get eaten!

"You idiot! The Changeling King was my ticket back onto the force!" Lou growled.

"You see, that's what I don't get," I grunted. "If you want to be on the force, why did you refuse to turn in the Sphinx? That's what got you kicked out in the first place, and plus a Sphinx is just as good as a Changeling King."

"Idiot," she flat out insulted me. "A Changeling King could easily best a Sphinx."

"He could?" Please, tell me more!

"A Sphinx might be intelligent, but it's still just a monster. It has no defense against a Changeling King's Mind Poisoning."

"Mind Poisoning?"

"That mob that attacked the Mayor's house? They were all poisoned by the King. The poison gives him control over their actions! A monster that can control other creatures and ponies like that needs to be stopped! I kept the Sphinx down here because I knew I could control him! I could use his powers to benefit this city. I am using his powers for the good of this city!"

"I can't let you continue on like this, Lou."

"And I can't let you blab my secret." Crackling energy began gathering in Lou's horn. "Charon has accepted dead bodies in the past. He'll break out of there soon enough, and when he does he'll be hungry."

"So... it's gonna come down to this?" I sighed.

"Any last words?"

"Just one." I have been waiting to do this for so long. "Surprise!" I shifted back into my normal form. The sight caused Lou to lose her concentration as she gaped up at me.

"No... way," I didn't hesitate. I reached out with my magic and snagged her mind, but that turned out to be a mistake on my part. Lou's mind was soldered shut against my magic, and the expression on her face told me she knew full well I'd just realized that. She charged her horn and shot a blast at me. I countered with a blast from my own finger. The magical collision caused an explosion, the brunt of which I must have took as I got knocked back into the stone Charon. Lou was still advancing on me, charging another bolt in her horn.

"When I found out the King of the Changelings was here, I made sure to find and prepare the spell that blocks changeling magic. It's a fairly common spell, so casting it was a no brainer for a genius like me." Lou dipped her horn down and released the blast. There was nowhere to run and blasting it with my own magic would just make it explode in my face. As my mind slowed everything into slow motion, I tried to formulate some brilliant escape plan.

...

... Nope, nothing.

Blasting it was my only option, but in my panic I threw out both hands in protection. The entire tunnel flashed green as a dense and writhing beam of green energy jumped from my hands. Lou's attack got pulverized. My attack survived the the collision and made a beeline right for Lou. Lou tried to jump out of the way, but my attack caught her on her hind leg.

The effect was akin to what I always imagined being struck by lighting was like. Even if the lighting grazes you, the current flows through your body and fries you. Lou's body lit up violently with green sparks as she screamed and writhed in pain. When the display was over, the tunnel went dark. Lou's horn had been lighting the place, so I lit up my hand and inspected my handiwork.

I checked Lou's body, confirming that I hadn't actually killed her. Even if she was technically evil, I didn't want to kill her. Sure, she would have blasted me to bits without a second thought, but that's no excuse. Besides, I was still pondering how I shot that huge bolt of energy. I looked down at my hands and thought hard.

...

"Your majesty, I would ask you to be careful where you point your horns like that."

"Careful where you point your horns like that."

"Your horns."

"Horns"

How could I be so stupid! Heck, I'd even realized it the first time I thought my fingers were horns! All my fingers were horns, but I'd just been doing the blasting with one finger! For maximum effect, I must utilize all the horns I have! Sweet.

With that out of the way, I turned back to the stone Charon. There was still one thing that was bugging me about all this.

"If you know everything that happens in this city... how come you didn't know I was Duncan Doughnuts?"

*Crack*

...

The statue smiled even wider than it had been. I backed off as Charon shone with red light, causing the stone around his body to melt away. This was bad, bad, bad. It was perfectly bad!

"I did know, bug. I just needed you to do something for me, and what a fine job you did!" Charon chuckled.

"Explain yourself... better yet, I'll just make you!" I reached out for him with my magic, but Charon leapt into the ceiling, literally into it. The Sphinx touched the ceiling, and with an ominous red glow melted into it. I thought he'd escaped, but then I heard his laughter echoing through the sewer.

"I have to say, it's such a huge stroke of luck that you've come here, changeling! The last time you knocked her out cold right outside the city, the barrier went down, but I didn't realize it until it was too late! I was going to eat you initially, but then I came up with this great plan to have you knock that accursed unicorn out for me again! The barrier is gone and now it is my turn to feast! Ta-ta!" The sewer went silent.

Is it just me, or does everything I do just make things worse than before?

6th: Rollercoaster

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

The key to success in any situation is to get rid of any preconceived notions. You must walk into a situation knowing that you don’t know anything for sure about it. Just know your objective and your limits, and you can turn the outcome in your favor. Trust your own objective judgments and form your own subjective opinions and feelings. This is the first key to success.

Before I climbed out of the marehole, I turned back into Duncan Doughnuts. I could have assumed there would or would not have been ponies when I emerged, but I opted to simply transform so I wouldn’t have to worry about it either way. When I walked out into the panic-stricken streets in the growing dawn, I made sure to assess exactly why all the ponies were in such a state. I could have assumed it was Charon, but I didn’t. The exact origin of their distress wasn’t immediately evident, but they kept looking towards the sky. It wasn’t long before I saw the streak of red that was zipping about the sky. Even from on the ground, I could tell it was Charon. I took to my hooves and went after him, which was easier said than done since he’s faster than me and has the ability to fly.

You might ask, why be so thorough? The answer is simple: I’m done screwing up. This time I’m going to be careful and calculated. This time I’m not going to make any mistakes. This time, when all gets said and done, everything will be perfect. I’ve done nothing but trip over my own ignorance since I arrived in Equestria, so it’s well past time that I got my act together.

Charon far more mobile than I am. I follow his contrail in one direction, but he gets away and changes directions. At this rate, I’m going to run myself ragged before I encounter him. Not only is Charon moving quickly, but whatever kind of magic he has allows him to fly while his body is stone. The result is a high-velocity and durable projectile that causes quite a bit of damage when he touches down, evident by the pillars of debris that rises up whenever he dips under the skyline. He isn’t spending much time on the ground, which makes catching him near impossible. I just need one shot at him with my magic, but getting that shot will require speed.

I duck into an alleyway. I make sure it’s empty before plotting my next course of action. If I called out the swarm, they might be able to help slow Charon down, but I don’t want to waste time going to get them for a plan that just “might” help. I needed something sure-fire. I needed something with the mobility to chase Charon and the speed to catch him. Only one pony springs to mind.

Turning into Rainbow Dash poses a whole slew of problems though. First off, I don’t know how to fly. I said it once and I’ll say it again: having wings isn’t equal to being able to fly. On the same premise, being Rainbow Dash isn’t the same as being Rainbow Dash. Secondly, pegasi can’t do magic. Even if I did manage to catch Charon, I’d have to transform into something else to seal the deal. I needed a different plan. Judging by the sounds of panic and the increased frequency with which I’m hearing crashes, I need a different plan fast.

The first thing that springs to mind is to go alicorn and chase him down, but the alicorns I know of would attract far too much attention. I don’t want ponies thinking changelings had anything to do with Charon. Turning into a princess is a big no-no if one wants to avoid detection.

I decide to throw chasing and catching Charon out the window. Luring him to me seems to be the next best option. Even if he isn’t staying on the ground, he is still going to the ground. If I can predict where he’s going to crash land, I could catch him before he flies off. It’s a sketchy plan, but it’s the only one that’s viable right now.

I wander back into the streets and search for Charon. He’s still dive-bombing the city streets. Keeping one eye on him, I try and find a point at which he’s touched down. It doesn’t take too long before I turn a corner and find a sizable hole in the middle of the road. I look around for some sign of why Charon would attack this point in particular, but it just looks like a normal hole to me. Before I can conjecture he had destroyed his target, a rather calm pony approached me.

“Good day, your majesty,” the crimson stallion greeted me. “It’s me, Stagger Fang. I came to report on my findings.” There was another explosion in the distance, but Stagger Fang didn’t flinch. Something tells me the changelings aren’t very invested in the well-being of the city.

“Sorry, but you’re a bit late. I already know who it was,” I explained to him.

“Very well, your majesty. I’ll just head back n-”

“Hold it!” I stopped him. Stagger Fang stood rigid at attention. “We’ve got a bit of a Sphinx problem. Any ideas on how to stop it?”

“Of course, your majesty.” I eagerly awaited any suggestions on how to bring down this menace once and for all. “We wait.”

…

“Why would we do that?!” I felt bad about yelling at the guy, but he honestly suggested the very last thing I wanted to do I glared at the now visibly shivering Stagger Fang as I hoped he had some darn good justification for his suggestion.

“Well, your majesty, the barrier isn’t receiving any power right now, once it kicks back in the Sphinx will be forced back inside it.” This barrier I keep hearing about was getting cooler and cooler.

“So we just need Lou to wake back up?” Stagger Fang gave me a funny look. “Lou is the nickname of the pony who put up the barrier.” Stagger Fang quickly nodded. “Okay… so, just to be sure, is there any way the Sphinx could prevent getting sucked back in?”

“Yes, your majesty.” Stagger Fang confirmed. He didn’t say anything further, so the two of us stood motionless in silence as chaos unfolded all around us.

“Well… what is it?” I went ahead and asked. I was starting not to like Stagger Fang.

“The Sphinx would have to destroy the barrier.”

“And he could do this by…”

“Destroying the focal point, your majesty.” I started connecting dots in my head. Charon is a hungry Sphinx, but he’s not eating ponies. He is instead crashing into the city streets over and over. I just discovered he has until Lou comes around to destroy the “focal point” of the barrier that holds him in the sewer so he doesn’t have to get trapped again. He must be trying to destroy the focal point so he can be free forever and eat ponies to his heart’s content! Only one question remained.

“Where is the focal point? Take me to it!” I honestly have no idea what a focal point is when talking about magic and barriers and whatnot, but that’s not important. What is important is preventing Charon from destroying it.

“This way your majesty.” Stagger Fang trotted off, a little slower than the urgency of the situation merited. As we leisurely made our way through the policeponies and panicking citizens of Manehattan alike, I kept an eye out for Charon. I could see pegasi darting around the sky, attempting what I had thought about doing. Not to my surprise, they weren’t seeing any success.

I was sure in my current plan. If I stood over his target, he’d have to come to where I’m at eventually. All I need is one clear shot to take him down. If he doesn’t attempt to come after me, Lou will come back around and re-establish her barrier, effectively trapping Charon in the sewers again. It would be much, much easier to find and defeat him down there. Plus, I could do so in my own body.

My mind drifted to the barrier Charon was subjected to. It was like the opposite of the changeling barrier that was over Canterlot. When up, changelings couldn’t get through, but when it was down changelings could do as they pleased. When the barrier turned back on, it was bye-bye changelings. That barrier kept stuff out, this one keeps stuff in. The magic in this world is extremely fascinating.

“Here we are, your majesty.” I looked around. Lou is quite the trouble-maker, isn’t she? She put the focal point for the barrier right out in front of the Mayor’s Mansion! There were more ponies around here than I would like, but I have to put my plan into action quickly.

“Thank you. Report back to base immediately.” Stagger Fang bowed and trotted off, faster than he had when he brought me to the focal point. His priorities are so transparent.

Now came the waiting game. Either Charon was going to attack or he wasn’t going to attack. I had to be ready for his attack, especially since there are so many fireponies and paramedics in this area. For a moment, I reach out with my magic and feel the ground. There was definitely something here. Was it a focal point? I’d just have to trust Stagger Fang.

A sudden crash jarred me from my own little world. The ponies around me began shouting and fleeing. Standing before me, as smug as ever, was Charon. He’d landed a few yards away, and this time he’d obviously come down to see me. As he began plodding up to me, I got ready to strike.

“I see and hear everything that happens in this city, so don’t think I didn’t notice you consorting with your servant. Well, I’ve got to thank you for sniffing out the focal point. Now, step aside,” Charon commanded.

“You don’t get to boss me around, monster. I’m going to put you down.”

“Is that a threat?” Charon laughed, picking up his pace.

“I’m just filling you in on what’s going to happen.” Charon jumped, bleating fiercely as he flew up, looped around, and then dived down towards me. I reach out with the Mind Poison while he’s off the ground. With no way to dodge, Charon folds a wing and stops the incoming spell. I expect it to latch on, but the spell dissipates the moment it hits the solid surface. Without a successful attack, I was left with an angry Sphinx coming at me. I formulated and switched to Plan B: blast him.

I gathered what I could in the brief slice of time I had and fired it at Charon. He swatted the attack with his front paw, but it was a mistake on his part. He bleated in pain as a jolt of green energy shot through his body. His wings twitched and flared out, causing him to nosedive into the street before he reached me. A few ponies who were in hiding around the scene poked their heads out and cheered. I wished I could tell them it was over, but I know Charon better than that.

After picking himself up, Charon jumped back a few feet. He’d managed to close a lot of distance, but that just gives me a clearer shot.

“That… you’ve gotten a bit better,” he chuckled. I could be wrong, but he sounded concerned for a moment. I don’t give him any more time to rest. I reach out with my spell again, but Charon bats it away with his paw. At this point, I think it’s safe to assume I need to hit his head directly. “Alright, I was going to eat you, but now I’ll settle for just squashing you!” Charon took to the air again, flying up and away from where I stood. Once he became just a speck in the brightening sky, there was a flash of red. Based on previous experiences today, I know what’s coming next.

I charge up a projectile in my horn. I’ve probably got one shot at this, so I can’t leave anything to chance. The green light growing on my forehead lights up the faces of all the ponies brave enough to peek out to see what’s going on. Many of them duck back into cover, anticipating what’s coming next. I take aim at the dive-bombing Charon, knowing for certain his target is the focal point I’m standing on top of. With my horn pointed right at Charon and Charon careening through the air at me, I wait. I wait until he’s just close enough to me and the ground before firing off a radiant bolt of green directly at him.

I couldn’t have been more pleased to see my attack headed on a crash-course with Charon. Charon banked up, allowing the bolt to pass harmlessly under him, but that’s what I’d hoped he’d try. Without enough time to correct his flight path, Charon slams right into the ground behind me, causing an eruption of concrete and dirt. I hit the deck, protecting my head from debris with my hooves. The cacophony dies down and I get back onto all four hooves so I can inspect the crater.

…

Well, it’s a pretty nice crater. Good diameter, nice depth, and its shape is a near perfect circle. It would be completely satisfactory for me, except there is no Sphinx inside it. The other ponies are also looking around, trying to locate the missing monster. I looked in the sky, but there was no sign of him there either. If he wasn’t here on the streets or up in the sky, that means he must have…

“Shrimp tacos!” I jumped backwards as just as quick as these hooves would allow. It was just in the nick of time too. Charon burst up through the ground, creating a Sphinx sized hole where I’d just been standing. As he flew upwards into the sky, a crackling ball of energy formed in the hole he’d just made. It was visible only for a second before it threw a few stray bolts of silvery energy off and then exploded. I assumed the worst about what the display meant.

“Checkmate!” Charon landed with a thud right behind me. I scuttled backwards away from him before he could open me up with a swipe from his claws. “That’s the last I’ll see of that wretched barrier! I feel like celebrating! How about doughnuts filled with bugs?!” No more barrier? A snappy one-liner? Did I screw up again?

“Uh… can a dude get some help here?” I look around at the ponies who’d been watching the whole time, but none of them budged. A lot of them just turned tail and ran. You know you’re in trouble when you ask peace-preaching, pastel-painted ponies for help.

“It was a valiant effort, but I’m afraid it’s over.” Charon bleated and lunged straight at me, both paws extended and wings flared. I grimace as his massive forelegs wrap around me. He rears up on his hind legs and begins squeezing the life out of me.

“Yeeeer, *cough* ntvry… smmm!”

“What was that?” Charon sneers at me, loosening his grip for a moment so I can get a single breath in to speak my final words.

“You’re not very smart!” I touch my horn to his forehead as he looks down at me, creating a direct line from his brain to mine. The spell doesn’t miss this time because there is no way it could miss. His mind is not near as complex as a pony’s. It’s intelligent no doubt, but it is driven by instinct. It’s only love is the love that drives it to obey it’s simple desires. By binding it, I become the sole provider of those instincts.

Charon is my puppet.

“Alright, let’s make this look convincing,” I whisper to him as his vice grip descends to a hug. I build up small amount of energy in my horn and let it burst with a flash. There is no force behind it, but Charon fakes a dramatic fall backwards and drops me onto my hooves. Charon gets back onto his paws and comes at me again, but this time I bound and greet him. He swipes at me with a paw, but I avoid it with a beautiful flourish just before bucking him on his snout. He bleats in protest and swings at me with his claws a few more times. The whole fight is choreographed by yours truly, so I avoid all the attack easily while giving the Sphinx his licks.

“Big finish,” I whisper to myself, but Charon understands it too. I zap him with a perfectly harmless bolt of energy, but Charon rears up and turns to stone. The ponies who are watching cheer widely as I charge up the final blow in my horn. This shot has to legitimately finish him off, so I spare no expense in charging it up. Compared to my hands, the horn feels like a very rigid spell weaving device, so the shot I produce is a clean, straight bolt of green. The attack nails the statue of Charon right on the head, sending a shower of rock in every direction. When the dust clears, a headless statue stands before me. As if to dispel any doubt that Charon is done and gone, the rest of the statue crumbles to pieces before my eyes.

I waited for something else to happen. I waited for Charon to reappear or some other monster to pop out and attack, but neither of those things happened. What did happen, though, was pretty sweet.

All the ponies who had been in hiding came out and swarmed me. They cheered, applauded, and lifted me into the air. I felt their admiration start to feed me. Each pony was feeding me a mere trickle of energy, but as more and more ponies joined in the celebration all those trickles added up. I was feasting, and I was doing it without harming a single pony.

The ponies set me down on the stairs to the Mayor’s Mansion. They began to shake my hoof and hug me, all without asking me. I didn’t care though. I was psyched to have my first true victory. Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, Mayor Marine appeared.

“Mr. Doughnuts! Ponies have been telling me you vanquished a Sphinx?” Mayor asked me, taking my hoof and shaking it vigorously.

“Just trying to help out.” This is way too crazy for my first few days here. I’m glad the whirlwind of events has ended with me on top though.

“You’ve done more than help out! Ponies reported they saw it come out of the sewers, so it’s appearance explains the trouble we’ve been having these days! We can finally get down there and make repairs thanks to you! I say Mr. Doughnuts, you’ve got a knack for fighting off the nasty beasties!” I can barely hear Mayor Marine over the cheering crowd. If they keep indulging me like this, I’m going to get fat. Can changelings get fat? I hope not! If I can stay here like this in Manehattan, I’d never go hungry again.

This is just what I needed. This is just-

“Stop right there!” an all too familiar voice screams from the crowd. The ponies part, revealing a very peeved Lou. I’d forgotten about her, but it’s a good thing she showed up.

“Mayor Marine!” I point a hoof at Lou. “Arrest that mare! She was the one keeping the Sphinx down in the sewers!” The crowd collectively gasped and began murmuring with one another.

“That is a serious allegation, Mr. Doughnuts!” Mayor Marine turned to Lou. “Miss Louise, is it true?”

“Mayor Marine,” Lou calmly said. “You can’t trust anything Duncan Doughnuts says… because Duncan Doughnuts is actually Cocoon, King of the Changelings!” There was no collective gasp from the crowd. There were a few isolated snickers, but everypony else said nothing.

“T-that is an even more serious allegation, Miss Louise! Serious, but also completely unfounded and ridiculous! Why would a changeling fight off a Sphinx like that?” Mayor Marine posed a good question. The answer was “because he’s a cool dude who does stuff like that because he’s cool”, but for now it was better to let on that no such changeling and Sphinx confrontation actually happened.

“Ask him yourself!” Lou shouted. A tendril of silvery energy spiraled forth from her horn. Before I could react, the energy engulfed me. I feared the worst, but as the spell settled in I didn’t feel any pain. In fact, the spell actually felt kind of good. I felt like I was being massaged and unfolded from a sight space. The spell felt so natural, my body and mind just went along with it until the spell reached its conclusion.

Ponies in the crowd began to cry in terror.

I only had to look down at my hand to know what Lou’s spell had done. The jig was up and I’d been unmasked.

“Behold! This is the true face of your hero!” Lou proclaimed, stepping towards the stairs. I glared down at her. I know this is my own fault for revealing myself in the sewer, but I can still turn this around.

“So what? I am Cocoon and I am King of the Changelings! What of it?” I asked the crowd. My heart sinks as I feel the streams of love cut off until total extinction. They don’t trust me any longer. They don’t admire me at all. They don’t love me anymore.

“Stand down!” I turn and look at the guard ponies who had replaced Mayor Marine at my side.

“You’ve got to listen to me! I’m not here to-“

“He’s a monster!” somepony shouts from the crowd. I turn and face the crowd.

“No! I need your help!”

“Get out of our city!”

“I just wanted to-“

“He’s going to eat us!”

“No, I only-”

“Kill it!”

“Please, I-“

“Down with King Cocoon!” Lou shouted. “Down with King Cocoon!”

“Down with King Cocoon!” somepony else joins in on the chant.

“Down with King Cocoon!” another pony shouts.

“Down with King Cocoon!” More and more ponies start joining in.

“Down with King Cocoon!” the entire crowd demands.

“Down with King Cocoon!” an entire city curses me. The crowd is closing in on me and the guard ponies have begun advancing on me as well. In the air above me, pegasi are also circling down towards me. All the while, my ears are filled with their chant.

“Down with King Cocoon! Down with King Cocoon! Down with King Cocoon!”

“Enough!” I scream. My magic creates an involuntary shockwave, pushing ponies who are too close backwards. All at once their rage disappears. Fear sets into their faces as I make the final transition into monster in their minds. They’ve formed a wide circle around me, but now they don’t dare make it any smaller. It’s just like when I fought that Sphinx. Too bad I can’t be the hero this time. Instead, Lou steps into the improvised arena.

“This ends today, Cocoon.” Lou is the last pony I thought would step up to fight.

“Tell them about the Sphinx, Lou. Tell them the truth,” I urge her.

“Fine,” she grunts. “Truth is you put that Sphinx down there so you could pretend to be a hero. It was your mind slave all along.” Some ponies in the crowd muster up the courage to boo and hiss at me. I should have known Lou had the gall to add on to her lie.

“You don’t want to do this Lou. You know what happened the last two times,” I warn her.

“Those were flukes. This time is real.” Lou’s horn flashes as it starts building up energy. She point her horn at me, getting ready to unleash everything she can muster. I don’t know why she’s banking on one huge attack, I can avoid it by simply…

There are ponies to my left and ponies to my right. There are ponies up above and ponies all around me. The only break in the crowd is directly behind me where the doors to the Mayor’s Mansion are. Lou has me cornered and she knows it. She knows I won’t endanger the innocent citizens of Manehattan. I know she doesn’t care who gets hurt in the crossfire, as long as she wins.

My principles won’t allow me to let her win.

For a while now, I’ve been using magic the way I believe magic should be used. I need to get rid of all notions I have about magic. I need to forget them and remember the basics. The intensity of the events around me slip away as I recall the most basic of basics I’ve been taught.

Breath in through the nose and down into the gut. Fill slowly from the bottom to the top. Release the breath gently from bottom to top. Repeat this process.

Breathing is the first thing to learn when learning anything, so it makes sense to me to go back to it for magic. Magic is like a muscle; it has reflexes and can be worn out. I need to stop treating it so distantly and accept it. Thanks to the crowd’s former support, I have more energy than I’ve ever had. I am going to stop Lou’s attack plain and simple

I take a breath in as Lou releases a massive, crackling, silver bullet right at me. As I take my breath out, I reach out my hands and let magic flow out of them as naturally as releasing a breath. When the magic collides with my hands, there is already a barrier of green energy protecting me. I feel the massive impact against the barrier. It’s the same feeling as stopping a swinging sandbag with your hands. I slid backwards a bit, evidence that the protective barrier I’ve erected is an extension of my body. Lou’s attack comes to a close. The crowd looks like it’s having trouble believing what it just saw. The look on Lou’s face is priceless. I don’t have time to appreciate it. I must strike while the iron is hot and make hot the iron by striking.

I take a breath in and release it as I jump as high as I can manage. Taking a breath in, I raise my hands towards heaven. In response, my magic collects in a neat sphere in my hands. No crackling energy, just a soft radiance sitting in my hands. I breath out and turn my hands quickly towards the earth. The sphere I’d crafted sails back towards the ground, right into the center of the clearing the ponies made for me and Lou. Lou tries to escape, but the tightly bound circle refuses to make way.

The impact of my attack results in an explosion and a bright flash. As a glide lazily over the scene, I watch my very under-dramatic attack finish up. There is no crater, only a dense singe mark where the attack hit. Lou appears badly burned, but her cries of agony are evidence to her survival.

The ponies on the ground and in the air watch me, but none dare make a move. When I land down in the street, panic returns. Ponies run every which way to escape from me, as authorities try to calm them as an excuse to avoid confronting me.

I don’t really care for this scene. It’s so chaotic, nopony notices a rather calm pony walk right up to me.

“Your majesty, there is a scout from the Hive here to see you.”

“Lead the way.” The changelings are not at all invested in the well-being of this city.

7th: Hive Sweet Hive

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

There is still panic in the streets above me. After assaulting Lou like that, there is no way they'll ever listen my pleas for help. When news of the incident spreads to other towns, there will be no sanctuary for me. It isn't even my fault. I had nothing but the best of intentions, but my plans were foiled by the one pony with the worse intentions. The citizens deserve a hero like Lou. I mean it. They deserve a slimy, back-stabbing, morally compromised psychopath. Lou is the worst fate I could wish on them. As for Lou herself, I just hope my attack leaves a scar.

Personally, I've never wanted to get home more than I do right now. I want to go home where everyone isn't out to kill me, for the most part. Home where I have friends and family. Home where ponies can be trusted and asparagus tastes like asparagus. Home where I don't have to live a lie to gain anyone's trust.

"Welcome back, your majesty," Gorehoof greets me once I return to the sewer headquarters. Normally, he's the only changeling down here with a helmet on, but there is another changeling with an armored noggin with him now. "Allow me to congratulate you on defeating that monster. It was an excellent victory."

"More like a hollow victory. I'd rather not talk about it. Is this the scout from the Hive?" I point to the other changeling with him. The changeling bows deeply as he addresses me.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, your majesty. I've come at the request of the Hive Minds. There is much to be done and much to discuss back at the Hive."

"The Hive Minds? Who are they?" I ask. If they can summon me back to the Hive, they probably pull a lot of weight.

"They are your senior officers, your majesty. They work solely in your interest and wouldn't be summoning you if things at the Hive weren't so... hectic.," the changeling explained. I can imagine that a sudden change in the head of a monarchy would throw the other parts of the governing body into a state of chaos. Based on my previous experiences with changelings being ashamed when talking to me, this changeling's hesitance to admit things are "hectic" is a sure sign that these Hive Minds are having trouble holding down the fort themselves.

"Tell me your name and rank," I demand, wanting to sort this changeling out from the thousands of clones running around.

"Captain Bloodbuzz, your majesty."

"Well then, Bloodbuzz, take me to the Hive!" I wait momentarily for Bloodbuzz or Gorehoof to say something, but they both stare at me without saying anything. The only sound is the buzzing of other changelings above. "Umm... are we going or not?"

"Of course, your majesty. When would you like to go?" Bloodbuzz asks. It's a stupid question, really. I mean, how much longer do you think I want to stay in a city full of ponies who fear me to no end and would very much like to see me dead?

"I'd like to go right now," I answer his question and my own.

"Very well, your majesty. Fly close to me."

"Hold on!" I stop Bloodbuzz before he can fly away. "I hate to admit it, but I can't fly."

"I'll arrange for a swarm to carry you." Just like that, Gorehoof solves the problem. No discussion about my inability to fly, no questioning my ability to fly, they just solve the problem.

I love changelings.

True to his word, Gorehoof enlists the help of six of his scouts to lift me. I expected them to take my arms, my legs, and my shoulders and just lift me, but that didn't happen. Two lifted my butt, two lifted from under my feet, and two lifted from under my forearms. I found myself hovering in a living chair. It's weird, but it's comfortable. I was going to ask exactly how they planned on flying out of the underground liar, but before I could Bloodbuzz darted off into the darkness above. My throne followed, flying just as fast.

I got the sensation of losing my stomach as my chair rocketed up, down, sideways and backwards. I grabbed on for dear life, disregarding that I was grabbing two living things. I don't know where we went after things got too dark to see, but I saw a light at the end of the tunnel we were apparently in.

Upon exiting, the sight that greeted me washed away all my previous experiences. We were flying high over Equestria. Most of what stretched out before me was trees and modest patches of farmland. I look straight down, right down into the city that shunned me. Directly below us is a dilapidated skyscraper with a hole in the top. I look back out over the horizon.

It strikes me that Manehattan is just one city. Lou is just one pony. This attempt at getting home was just the first one. There is a lot more to the world I'm in. I can't get down because one city rejects me. Somewhere out there, there has to be one pony who can help me. On top of that, Discord revealed that I'm not alone. If I can find a human who doesn't happen to inspire fear in the general population with his newly acquired form, we could help each other get out of here. With the entirety of the changelings at my disposal, there is no way we wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Feeling rather rejuvenated, I hardly noticed when Bloodbuzz suddenly banked out from in front of my flying chair. I finally realized what was happening when my chair also banked right and dropped down. A white pegasus whizzed past, joined by a few more as the changelings in charge of keeping me airborne did their best to keep out of the way. Having to move me around and having to move in tandem was obviously keeping them from moving effectively. We were all surrounded by seven armor-clad pegasi, Bloodbuzz included.

"In the name of Princess Celestia, the Forty Third Pegasi Troop will be seeing to your immediate termination, changeling," the pegasus who appeared to be in charge snarled.

"Jeez, that's a lot of troops," I grumble, just to myself. "The army got out here awfully fast," I directly address the horse in charge. "Is it a slow day or something, buddy?"

"I am Lance Corporal Summitplunge, not your buddy you cur! We saw the commotion from Canterlot and the Princess dispatched us. We didn't expect to find changeling royalty up to no good, but I see the new king didn't waste any time in making himself known." I wasn't paying much attention to whatever-plunger. When he said he could see the commotion from Canterlot, I began to look to see if I could see that capital city from where I was now.

Turns out the pegasus wasn't lying. I guess I hadn't noticed it before, but Canterlot is visible from Manehattan! Even from this distance, the city looks absolutely pristine and beautiful. Pasted right on the side of a mountain, the ivory city appears to be the perfect roost from which to rule the rest of Equestria. It was just as I'd imagined it.

"Look, Plungersomething-"

"Summitplunge!"

"That sounds ill-advised. Anyway, I was wondering if you could deliver a message to Princess Celestia for me."

"I'll be sure to relay your final words if that's what you want," Summitplunge sneered at me. I probably shouldn't push his buttons, but I'm in an odd mood at the moment.

"I'm serious here. Just tell her I don't mean her or her subjects any harm." Summitplunge crinkled up his nose, obviously not convinced that the King of the Changelings would earnestly mean such a thing. I didn't blame him. It's been made painfully clear changelings don't exactly have the best rap with ponies. "Just as sort of a royalty to royalty sort of thing."

"Submit and you can tell her that yourself on the execution block." The thought of ponies using beheading as a means of punishment wasn't one that had crossed my mind. I didn't even think they'd have capital punishment.

"Well, that's okay. I could just have Bloodbuzz here turn into you and deliver the message."

"You wouldn't dare," Summitplunge growled. I don't actually know if I'd do it, but I know Bloodbuzz would do it if I told him to. It doesn't even have to be Bloodbuzz... well, maybe not Stagger Fang, but every changeling would probably jail their own mother if I told them to.

"Just give her the message. Now I've got to get going. Let's hit the road." Just as I expected, Bloodbuzz and the changelings carrying me went ahead and began to fly off, despite the pegasi surrounding us. The circle quickly adjusted, blocking our exit route.

"Don't mock the Forty Third Pegasi Troop! Attack!" the ring of pegasi began spiraling in towards our group. I expected Bloodbuzz to give an order or something, but instead he turned to me.

"Your orders, your majesty!"

Oh yeah, I'm in charge.

"Stay close to me!" I order, standing up on the two changelings under my feet. The other four fly down to assist so the twothey don't have to bear my full load. Bloodbuzz joins them, which leaves me at the center of the circling pegasi.

I take a deep breath in, focusing my magic into my hands. I concentrate hard, putting both hands out to the side. I focus on building up a careful heap of energy in either hand. The task feels like piling individual snowflakes into a tower. It's tedious and I feel like hours are passing. Out of the corner of my senses though, I can see the pegasi preparing to make their move.

It's a lot to ask, but I can feel the nature of the spell starting to take hold. With an exhale, energy flows out of me and begins wrapping itself around the changelings and me. I shut out all distractions as I take in another breath, gathering up the energy necessary to execute. All I need to do is hope it goes well and give it one, final pu-

"Charge!"

Summitplunge tears my concentration asunder, causing the carefully constructed spell to fall to pieces. I'd been trying to teleport my little posse away from trouble, but the spell's failure had an entirely different effect. The membrane of energy surrounding us tore, releasing the energy I'd so carefully contained. The energy, however, hadn't liked being contained that much. The release was not a flash of light or a simple explosion, but a emerald firestorm that blazed outward.

Pegasi scattered to avoid the oncoming wave of flames. As the flames expanded outward and drove the ponies away, it appeared my magic had still sealed the deal.

"Alright, let's get o-"

It was at that precise moment, as Summitplunge knocked me off my mount, that I decided I should not underestimate Equestria's military prowess in the future. I didn't have time to wonder how he'd navigated his way through the flames or how I hadn't seen the huge horse barreling towards me. I only had enough time to realize I'd gotten the wind knocked out of me and I was now falling towards the roof of a nearby building very quickly.

My only option was to spread my wings and beat them as hard as I could. I took a deep breath, reclaiming the situation and righting myself as I made a harsh touchdown. I collected myself and looked up to where I'd fallen from. An air battle between my small changeling escort and the Forty Third Pegasi Troop had broken out. Only one pegasi had broken ranks, and that pegasi was charging straight at me.

"Die cur!" Summitplunge cried as he dove at me. There wasn't much I could think to do at the moment, so I just hit the deck and covered my head. Summitplunge, being the warrior he was, didn't miss a beat. Instead of crashing into me, he reared his front hooves up to slow his descent. His back hooves touched down right in front of me, warning me that a reared up horse was standing right in front of me. I tumbled backwards onto my butt, watching as two meaty hooves bashed the ground where my head had been.

Summitplunge reared up again, but the sudden familiarity of the situation inspired me to act. I got to my feet as the horse reared up, thrusting my left hand into the bend in his left forleg and wrapping my right arm around his body. I held him, stopping the assault, but the stallion didn't appreciate being held against his will. Before he could free himself though, I spun to put my back against his chest. I exhaled sharply as I lifted him onto my hip, then followed the motion through with my arms. The pony rolled over my body and landed hard on his back.

Still operating on hours of practice, I held fast to Summitplunge's left hoof. I laid down, ramming my butt into his left shoulder and tucking him in close by wrapping my legs across his torso. Holding his hoof to my chest, I raised my hips ever so slightly.

"Graargh!" Summitplunge grimaced as I worked his body against its will. Without fingers or hind legs that bend the right way to push off the floor, I realized I'd turned the pony into my plaything with a simple arm-bar.

"I don't know about Equestria, but back home a horse with a broken leg is as good as glue." I push up a little more to reinforce the fact that I am in control of the situation. "How about you let me and my good buddies up there leave Manehattan and I'll let you walk on four hooves a while longer."

This is where I'd tell you what Summitplunge's response was, but quite frankly I don't want to repeat what he said. Essentially, he told me I was something and that I should go do something to something somewhere.

*snap*

"GAAH-AH-AAARGH!" Summitplunge's scream drowns out the pleasantly underwhelming sound of a bone breaking. I free myself from under him as he writhes in agony. Letting magic flow through my body, I change forms for my Plan B.

"Whaddya think? We're exactly the same! ... Except for the broken foreleg," I taunt the pegasi in his own voice, wiggling a perfectly functioning hoof in his face.

"I'll kill you!"

"Later." Seeing as Summitplunge can't protest or resist me very well, I take off his armor and put it on. Unless his men have a seventh sense for their leader like mine do, they'd never know it was me. I begin flapping my new feathers to see how they feel. To my surprise, I begin to lift effortlessly from the ground with just a few beats of my wings. Pegasi must have some sort of special, passive magic within them to be able to fly with such proportionally small wings.

Unfortunately, I realize I have no idea how to fly. As I elevate up and up and up, every twist and twitch of my body jerks me left and right. Luckily, my destination is straight up, so as soon as I'm within earshot of the full-swing aerial battle I shout out an order.

"Everypony for himself! Retreat!" I bark an order to the pegasi troops. Just like changelings, they don't question my order and simply obey, turning one by one back towards Canterlot. I turn to my actual allies. "Catch me!" Shifting back into my regular form causes the shining, golden armor to fall away. My changeling escort stops me from falling. Bloodbuzz and the entire chair swarm is accounted for, much to my delight.

"I would advise we hurry back to the Hive, your majesty. Reinforcements could arrive any moment," Bloodbuzz suggests. All it takes is my nod in agreement to get the swarm on the move.

The Changeling Hive is located outside of Equestria's borders. Bloodbuzz alerted me when we flew over the Pale Mount River, the natural, northern border between Equestria and a dry wasteland known simply as Minor Mineral Desert. I asked if there was a Major Mineral Desert, and I was surprised to learn it was our destination.

The Minor Mineral Desert was pretty unimpressive. I could be wrong, but the dilapidated, abandoned huts and farms lead me to believe this is where the earth ponies lived before they found Equestria. At any rate, whatever lived there doesn't anymore.

Until we actually arrived in the Major Mineral Desert, I hadn't considered why there needed to be two different deserts. Minor Mineral Desert was really just a dry prairie, but Major Mineral Desert is a massive sandbox. Nothing but dunes as far as the eye could see. I got a little worried that we would get lost when even the Minor Mineral Desert disappeared behind us along with the sun. I trusted that Bloodbuzz knew where he was going though.

I hadn't misplaced my trust.

I imagined the main Hive would be some sort of gooey, oozing, green shell in the middle of the desert, but that was far from the truth. I didn't see the Hive before I heard it. I didn't hear buzzing or changelings talking. I heard sand rushing towards a massive pit. Just like a whirlpool in the ocean, there was a spiraling, rampaging tide of sand flowing into a dark hole in the ground.

When I saw it I thought to myself, "I'd like to get a closer look at that thing", but I hadn't expected Bloodbuzz and my chair to dive bomb the very center of it. The inside of the hole was darker than the night outside and louder than I cared for. As we approached the bottom, the sand began to light up sickly green, the trademark color of changeling magic. A long, jagged spike with a green bonfire was below us, drawing the sand under it aside like a curtain. We swooped into this opening. We swooped into the heart of the Changeling Hive.

"Oh someone's Nonspecific Deity..."

Bathed in the light of countless green bonfires, the heart of the Changeling hive was an ebony beehive. Hexagonal combs tessellated the enormous, egg-shaped cavern. Dormant changelings slathered in green ooze covered almost every inch of the combs. The walls were impressive, but even more impressive was the full-sized castle suspended in the center, like the yoke of some giant, alien egg.

The castle was suspended by several thick, black beams that, just like most of the other surfaces, were lined with sleeping changelings. The thickest of these spires went straight down and occupied an entire comb. The castle itself was constructed entirely of whatever black substance everything else was composed of and the architecture was distinctively Gothic. There were high, pointed spires, flying buttresses, and high black walls. Changelings buzzed in and out of windows and doors, nearly obscuring my view of the castle by sheer number.

My throne set me down at the front step of the castle, which lead into a massive great hall. Armored changelings lined the floor, walls and ceilings. Each one snapped to attention as I entered.

"Welcome back, your majesty!" the crowd greeted me as I strode down the tattered, green carpet towards the opposite end of the hall. I took in the tall, shattered windows and the exposed supports in the high ceiling. I don't know if the changelings built this or not, but it is sure impressive.

I noticed a group of changelings walking down the carpet towards me. Each one of them was decked out in more armor than any other changeling I'd seen before, so I could only assume that they were the hive minds. Their torsos were completely encased in a shell of the deep, violet metal. The openings for the legs and head had a round plates with jagged spikes to protect the joints. The armor on their hooves sported the same motif, but featured three long spikes that mimicked claws. The helmets were the same design as their subordinates', but their own horn was accompanied by four more; two horns rested directly blow the real one and the other two sprouted from the cheek guards like ebony pincers.

"It is good to see you, your majesty. Your arrival here already eases much of the unrest here at the Hive," one of the Hive Minds explains to me. They number seven in total, each of them looking exactly like the other six. I need to order that everyone wears a different hat or something...

"What kind of unrest?" I ask.

"It is a... complicated matter. You should come and see for yourself." The seven changelings walked ahead of me while Bloodbuzz and I followed closely behind. The rest of the castle was equally impressive, but the architecture never changed. It was always the same tattered carpet, the same black bricks, and the same green torches. It's fitting, I suppose; changelings aren't much for variety.

"If you'd step inside, she's waiting for you." The Hive Minds stepped aside as we arrived at a door made of black wood.

"Um... who is 'she'?" I asked. The Hive Minds glanced at each other, but didn't respond. I swallowed my nervousness. Whomever I was dealing with could make my own changelings question my orders. I opened the door up and quickly slipped inside. I looked around, but I didn't see a soul.

Whoever lived in this room lived in luxury though. The furniture in the room was well made and looked very comfortable. I also couldn't help but notice there were toys littered all over the room. Plush ponies, little figurines, and an assortment of play clothes carpeted the floor. It was as if I was in a kid's room, but there was no kid.

"I have you now!" I realized I had spoken too soon as a tiny black figure squeaked and latched itself on to my face. While the speed with which it managed to attach itself was impressive, the assault only succeeded in blinding me. I could feel it trying to bit into my head with tiny little fangs, so I grabbed it and pulled it off.

...

What in the name in all that is cute, precious, and puppy-like is this?

"Let me go! I will destwoy you!" the pint-sized changeling threatened.

"You are adorable! What's your name little guy?"

"I am Ka-ween Chrysalis!"

"Queen Chrysalis?"

"That's what I said!"

"No, you said 'ka-ween Chrysalis'."

"That is ee-well-evant!" She was right, it was irrelevant.

"Why are you so tiny?" I posed my question. Now that she'd brought it to my attention, I realized I was indeed holding the filly version of Queen Chrysalis in my hands.

"I do not know! Last I we-member I was fighting wid Celestia's forces while twy-ing to retreat back to the Hive, but then I suddenly wake up here! Worst of all, I'm a filly and I learn some foal calling himself Cocoon has usurped my thwone!"

"I didn't take over an purpose. I'm just as lost as you are," I attempted to explain. Chrysalis wasn't about to believe me though, scrunching up her face into the cuuuutest of expressions!

"Liar!" Chrysalis started beating her tiny little hooves against my hands, attempting to free herself. "You are some sort of iwm-postor!"

"Just let me explain myself!" I barked. Chrysalis continued beating against her prison a few seconds longer before submitting, crossing her forelegs in protest and pouting. "Look, we really want the same thing: I want to get out of here and you want to be queen again-"

"I am the ka-ween!"

"No, you're the princess, you are Princess Chrysalis. Anyway, I don't belong in this world. I'm from an entirely different plane of reality!"

"That sounds unlike-aly." Chrysalis still appeared skeptical, but maybe I'd gotten it across that we're not enemies. To confirm this, I released her. Instead of attack me again, she buzzed her wings and hovered in place. Her silence implored me to continue.

"All you've got to do is help me find out how I can get home and you'll be running this show before you even know it." I smiled as I made her my offer. Her skepticism persisted.

"Okay, suppose I be-weave you. How exact-we would I be able to help?"

"I barely know anything about this world. I need you to help me not look like an idiot in front of... well in front of the world." Chrysalis smirked a little, probably elated by the thought of me making a fool of myself. "All I want to do is get home, so I'm not going to make any huge policy changes or try to take over the world. I'll leave things exactly how I found them. For all intents and purposes, you might as well be Queen." Chrysalis's eyes wandered a bit as she pondered what I'd just said.

"If you're from another world, how did you get here?" she asked. Coming from another world is a claim about as far-fetched as they come, but I had to prove it was true somehow.

"I don't know how I got here just like you don't know why you're a filly again. If you help me out, we might be able to riddle it out," I offered. Chrysalis didn't respond. She buzzed down to the ground and paced around me. I stood rigid at attention as she examined me from head to toe.

"I'm not convinced. Come wif me!" Princess Chrysalis commanded as she fluttered up and opened the door. I followed her as she meandered out. "Out of my way you bumbling imbeciles!" The Hive Minds moved aside and came to attention as the tiny tyrant marched past.

"That's not any way to treat your subjects," I scolded her. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at me like I was the craziest person on the face of the planet. She didn't elaborate on why she was confused, but instead continued on her way through the castle. The Hive Minds followed us until we reached what was or destination.

We'd gone down several flights of stairs to reach what looked like a well. I peered down into it, noting that I could not discern what was at the bottom. Chrysalis hovered over it and descended inside.

"Follow me!" her voice echoed up. I turned back to the Hive Mind.

"Where does this go?"

"Down below the Hive, to Tartarus." How pleasant is that? The changelings have a direct passage to a giant underworld of monsters. Now all this castle needs is a death-ray and we can go in for our evil lair certification.

I should have asked how I get back up if I can't fly, but my brain is too stupid for that. Instead, I just climbed over the edge of the well and let myself drop. It was a bit of a battle to get to get in the very center where I could move my wings, but I managed to slow my long descent into the depths of Tartarus. Unlike the entrance to the Hive, there wasn't a speck of light when I reached the bottom.

"What took you so long?" Chrysalis chided me from somewhere in the darkness.

"Do you mind explain what we're doing down here?" I asked, fumbling around for the tiny changeling in the dark.

"So... you're King Cocoon?" a voice I'd never heard asked me from behind. I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered the ominous and powerful voice.

"Yup... that's me," I whimpered as I turned about. I was greeted by not one, not two, but eight, enormous, globes of red eyes. Two bonfires jumped to life on either side of me, revealing the full extent of the monster I was being confronted by. I was staring into the many eyes of a massive, crimson tarantula with fangs that would be big on a humpback whale. Each of it's eights pupils were fixed on me. I backed off just as fast as I could. If this is the kind of stuff that's locked up in Tartarus, no wonder ponies want Cerberus to keep watch.

"And you are?" I don't know what came over me that made me ask that question, but I was hoping that if he hadn't eaten me the moment I came down here it meant he wasn't looking at me as a snack.

"Baal the Blacksmith at your service," Baal introduced himself and bowed... sort of. It was hard for something his size to bow to something my size. The "at your service" eased my heart a great deal, but there was another piece of his introduction that piqued my interest.

"Blacksmith?"

"I have been outfitting the Changeling Army and Changeling Royalty for many millenniums, and now I extend my services to you."

"Quiet Baal! That's not what we're here about!" Chrysalis shouted. I looked over at where she was.

...

Well... that's disturbing. Chrysalis is standing on a massive pile of changeling carcasses. It's not the only one too. As I look around, I realize I am surrounded by dead changelings. A great deal of the bodies are missing certain parts, especially heads. Calling this place a graveyard would be sugarcoating it.

"What's with all the... uh... dead... stuff?" I dare to ask.

"Quiet!" Chrysalis doesn't allow the interruption. "Baal! Cocoon keeps going on about being from a different world! I wanted to know whether or not you knew if that was true!" Baal raised one of his massive legs and scratched his head. The rubbing of his hair against his own hair sounded like someone running their hand through tall grass.

"It's not impossible." Baal lowered his arm towards me. Without a word of warning, a long claw shot out of the end of his leg and nearly punctured by face. Instead of killing me with the claw, he began to examine me closely. "One things is for sure: he doesn't look like any changeling I've seen before."

"That could mean anything! I want proof one way or the other!" Chrysalis complained, jumping up and down on some poor, departed soul's head.

"I have no way of telling," Baal admitted. "There is someone who could tell us though." Baal scurried and turned himself around. I could hear him rummaging through something, but I couldn't see around his massive abdomen to see what he was rummaging through.

He turned back around, holding something rather large in one of his arms. He held it before his face as his eyes lit up with a frightening, red light. After a few seconds of laser-eyes, I swore I heard the faint sound of someone clipping their nails.

"Baal? What's up man, I haven't talked to you in a while. How's the whole blacksmith gig working for you?" I recognized the voice as Discord immediately. I realized that Baal was holding an old vanity mirror and had somehow contacted Discord with his magic or something. Somehow I wasn't all too surprised that the two knew one another.

"I have a quick question for you. Is this your doing?" Baal turned the mirror around, revealing to me the image of my sworn enemy holding a toenail clipper. He looked less than happy to see me, but the feeling was mutual.

"No, he's not my doing. I don't know who brought him here," Discord admitted. Baal turned the mirror back to himself.

"So you're saying he did come from somewhere else?"

"That would be correct. He's a human, not a changeling. Hey, would you mind letting me talk to him for a moment?" Baal lowered the mirror so Discord was facing me again. "I saw what you did in Manehattan."

"Right... and you said I couldn't do chaos."

"You can't," Discord growled. "Things were chaotic before! Everything is all normal now. Lookity Louise is back on the force, the sewers work, and most of all there is no Sphinx! No sacrifices of ponies Louise thinks are criminals and nopony gets prosecuted without proper evidence! That, my bipedal friend, is order."

"What about my crazy snack-attack or when Lou unmasked me?"

"Those things? Please, spare me the explanation. Changelings feed, that's what they do, how is a changeling doing as changelings do chaotic? On top of that, how is everypony knowing your true identity chaotic? You see, this is what's wrong with you! You can't even properly identify chaos!" As much as I hated to admit it, Discord was right. Boy, do I hate admitting it. When all is said and done in Manehattan, things are back to normal in the city.

"Whether I'm wreaking havoc or restoring peace, I don't care. I just want to go home. You say you want me gone so bad, but I didn't hear you offer any suggestions!" I point out.

"I did offer a suggestion!"

"One that doesn't involve killing me!"

"Now you're just being picky!"

"Can you really blame me?!"

"Bowth of you shut up!" Chrysalis shrieked in my ear. I held my ringing head while Discord made a face.

"Wow Chrysalis, what happened to you?" Discord chuckled.

"I do not know! It would appear to have something to do with Cocoon's appearance, so I have decided to help him get home!" Chrysalis stated her allegiance. I couldn't be happier to have at long last convinced someone to be on my side, even if it was a tiny, changeling Princess.

"I'm telling you Chryssi, just have Baal cut off his head or something. He's just going to cause trouble," Discord grunted.

"We are through talking! Baal!" Chrysalis squeaked up at the huge arachnid.

"Now hold on a mi-" the image in the mirror faded away before Discord could finish. I kind of wanted to ask him about the other humans he'd peppered Equestria with, but on the other hand I really shouldn't trust him with being forthcoming about that information. After all, they are his precious sources of chaos.

"C'mon, let's go Cocoon!" Chrysalis demanded, buzzing her way on up towards the hole in the ceiling I can only assume we came in through.

"Now hold up, I wanted to hear more about this blacksmithing deal." I reach up and grab Chrysalis by her tail, yanking her back down to my level.

"Nonsense! You don't need Royal Armor! You're not staying here!" Chrysalis retorted.

"... Royal Armor?" Now there was no way I was leaving here without at least an explanation. Chrysalis heaved a sigh, handing the metaphorical mic over to Baal.

"The ruling changeling always receives a set of protective armor for battle. The royal armor is special since the base for it is the King or Queen themselves."

"I don't follow."

"It's easier if I just show you." Chrysalis hovered away from me as Baal reached out one of his massive legs to me. I wasn't sure what he wanted at first, but eventually I reached out and took the hairy ligament in my left hand.

The next moment one of his bladed arms cut the arm clean off at the shoulder.

I reached out to my stump of a shoulder and pushed as much magic as I could into it, supressing the howls of pain welling up inside me. In a flash of light, I had my arm back. I wiggled my fingers around, making sure I hadn't been damaged permanently.

"What the heck was that?!" I normally try not to explode with anger, but I'd just got my arm cut off. You don't just cut someone's arm off without telling them. It isn't cool.

"This is the material I'll be using to make your armor," Baal explained, waving my severed arm around as it flopped around like a dead fish. "Your body has a natural need to consume and become whole, so by tempering your arm with the bodies of your fallen comrades I will forge armor that will reinforce your natural body."

"You could have warned me before you lobbed my arm off!"

"Quit your whining! We need to go con-salt with the Hive Minds!" Chrysalis flew off before I could protest. Not having time to explain I couldn't fly, I simply turned back into Summitplunge and clumsily made my way back up the hole in the ceiling. When I finally reached the top, Chrysalis was waiting impatiently with the Hive Minds and Bloodbuzz.

"This flying thing is going to take me a while." I changed back into my normal form, panting from exerting myself in such a strange way. Even if I was trained to be an endurance runner, that didn't make me an endurance flier.

"That's not important! Did you order the Manehattan branch to transport a rock here?" Chrysalis asked right out of left field.

"I guess I sort of did. I made an inscription on a rock and told them to copy it down all over Equestria." Chrysalis shot a look back at the Hive minds who began to shuffle their hooves nervously. I began to wonder what had happened while I was struggling to get up here.

"The etching on the rock was confusing, so they cut it out and attempted to bring it here so we could just make duplicates and place them in different places," one of the Hive Minds explained.

"Oh, well that's perfectly fine... hold up... uh... 'attempted to'?"

"Well... the changelings who transported it... dropped it." The Hive Minds all grimaced, ready for my unadulterated rage. Luckily for them, it wasn't a huge deal for me. I could just make another one.

"Where'd you drop it?" I asked my only question. The Hive Minds peeked at each other cautiously before answering.

"Right outside of Appleloosa."

"Would somepony be able to find it?"

"I... I guess so."

"Perfect, take me to it!" I commanded. If someone could find the rock, there was a chance someone had found it. I'd left instructions in my message to respond right on the signpost, so with any luck someone would have made an alteration.

The Hive Minds perked back up and conversed amongst themselves momentarily. Chrysalis took to her wings and got on eye level with me.

"What's so important about this rock?"

"Discord told me he'd brought other people from my world to Equestria as well, so I want to help them get home. The rock had a message only we humans could read."

"If so many of your kind have come here, how come I've never heard of a human? On top of that, why haven't any of them figured out a way to return?"

"Discord turns them into ponies and... well... I guess none of them want to go back." Chrysalis scrunched up her face again.

"If they don't wanna go home, why are you twying to help them get there?"

"Because they need to go home. We don't belong here and that's the bottom line." For the first time, Chrysalis smiled in earnest. She buzzed upwards and roosted on top of my head.

"I misjudged you, Cocoon. You're not stupid, you're just simple."

"Uh, thanks? By the way, how did you know about the rock?"

"I asked them about any large ordered you'd given so far. I just wanted to make sure you weren't already up to somethign weird." Oh, to be trusted by one's allies...

"Your majesty," one of the Hive Minds called to me. They parted and let Bloodbuzz trot right up to me with another, unarmored changeling right beside him.

"Who's this?" I indicate the newcomer.

"I'm Plundergrub, your majesty!" Plundergrub saluted, knocking himself in the head with his hoof. He winced, but straightened up quickly.

"He was part of the team assigned to carry the rock," Bloodbuzz explained. "Appleloosa isn't changeling territory, so we're going to have to go there in disguise. Plundergrub will act as your guide."

"What about you, are you coming?" I question Bloodbuzz.

"If your majesty wishes, I will not hesitate to accompany you."

"Then you're coming. Neither me or the Princess are the strongest of fliers," I admitted. I noticed Bloodbuzz's eyes wander a little, no doubt because he'd seen me try and fly.

"I'm a great flier!" Chrysalis protested. "I'm just... young." I had suspected as much.

"Alright then, I'm counting on you Plundergrub, Bloodbuzz."

"Yes sir!" Plundergrub bellowed. Bloodbuzz made due with a simple salute.

Just like that we were on our way to Appleloosa. The four of us transformed into pegasi, Chrysalis turning into a barely flight capable filly. She rode on Plundergrub's back while Bloodbuzz gave me instructions on the fly. I'd opted to turn into Thunderlane, the only pegasus stallion I could think of who was inconspicuous. Soarin' was a celebrity, Snowflake was enormous, and Summitplunge was a royal guard. Compared to them, Thunderlane is just chopped liver.

It was a nice long flight to Appleloosa, but by the end I still wasn't very good at flying.

"Down there sir! I can see it!" Plundergrub began to descend. There was indeed a stone that looked very much out of place in the dawning light sitting in the middle of a field just outside the collection of buildings known as Appleloosa. Nobody and nopony was out and about, so now was an excellent time to check things out.

Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub, and by extension Chrysalis, made perfect landings. I crashed into the ground a short distance behind them.

"Your language is weird, Cocoon..." Chrysalis pointed out.

"Are you sure this is it Plundergrub?" Bloodbuzz asked. I sat up and spat dirt out of my mouth. I'd spent all that time perfecting the art of staying airborne, so the art of getting back to good 'ol terra firma had been neglected.

"I think so... looks a bit different than I remember."

"Really? Let me see!" I get to my feet and gallop up to the rock. The sight that greeted me made my blood run cold.

"LEAVE ME ALONE"

8th: Ecophobia

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

"Somepony else wrote on your rock?"

"Yes!"

"In your weird language that only you can read?"

"That's what I've been saying!"

"No, you've just be pacing awound in circles and rambling like a madpony. You need to calm down!" Chrysalis flew up and smacked me across the face with her tiny hoof. It actually helped, despite the looks of horror that crossed Plundergrub's and Bloodbuzz's faces.

"Sorry, you're right. I need to hunker down and figure out who did this."

"What? I didn't say that!" Chrysalis shouted, smacking me another good one across the cheek. "What does somepony writing on your rock have to do with getting yourself home?"

"Two heads are better than one. If I can find out who wrote this, we might be able to work together and find a way home together!" I explained. Chrysalis didn't look convinced, but that was nothing new.

"What exactly did they write?" she questioned. When I told her, she snickered. "Yes, it sounds like they will be very helpful. Great plan."

"They just need a little convincing, that's all. I can't imagine that they don't want to go home." I was having trouble believing my own words. The message was about as clear as it got. I offered a way home and they rejected it outright. Why? I'd have to do a little investigating. "C'mon Chrys, we're going incognito."

"We are already incognito!" Sharp as a knife this one.

"I need a different disguise and a different alibi. Last time I made one up on the fly and that ended... badly. This time I've got it all figure out! We need to be unicorns, you and I." As I said this, I shifted into the form of Unsewn Bolt from Manehattan.

"If you say so," Chrysalis mumbled. She got all four hooves on the ground and shifted into... Sweetie Belle?

"Uh... not that unicorn."

"What? Why not?" Chrysalis protested. "I saw this filly at the royal wedding, so she shouldn't get recognized in Appleloosa."

"Yeah... that isn't the problem. Look, just change into someone else."

"No!"

"Do it."

"No!"

"Do it." You get the picture. After several rounds of bickering back and forth, I finally gave up. I explained My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic to Chrysalis. After concluding my lengthy explanation, she peered up at me in awe.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Just change into another unicorn already!" I demanded. Chrysalis rolled her eyes and shifted forms, this time into a pony I didn't recognize. The light blue coat and jet blue mane made us look somewhat related though, which is what I was aiming for. "Perfect. Now, I'm your father and we're in Appleloosa to see the sights."

"That doesn't sound like it would be much fun."

"I am your father. It is my job to bring you to horrible places and convince you you'll thank me when you're older. Anyway, as for you two..."

"Yes, your majesty! Shall I be the mother?" Plundergrub offered.

"Eh, no... just.... you two just hang around. I'll tell you if I need you." I discarded my thoughts of Plundergrub acting motherly or... affectionate. A shudder ran down my spine.

"What about the message, your majesty?" Bloodbuzz asked.

"Just leave it. If the person... or pony I suppose, who edited it sees it was moved, he or she will get suspicious. Now you two go, me and PC here are going to begin our search." My grunts saluted and flew off, leaving me and Chrysalis to wander into the pioneer town of Appleloosa in the early morning bustle.

"What does PC mean?" Chrysalis questioned as we trotted along.

"It's short for Princess Chrysalis. It's my nickname for you, like it?"

"No."

"Tough. Mind if I ask you some questions?"

"You're probably going to ask regardless." I get the same vibe off of Chrysalis that I do off my little sister. She acts abrasive and tough, but I can tell she doesn't hate me. You might think a familiar feeling would make me feel more at ease, but it just makes me more homesick.

"So, is there usually a King or Queen plus a Prince or Princess?" I start into the matter that had been eating at me for a little while.

"That is correct. There is always a ruler and an heir."

"Where do the heirs come from? It can't be like bees or ants because I know you didn't sit around laying eggs all day."

"No, we are not like bees or ants. Think more along the lines of a praying mantis." The image of Chrysalis feasting upon the head of another changeling flashed through my mind. It was not a pretty picture. "Queens will select a trusted adviser to consume, and then that changeling will be reborn as a royal egg. The royal eggs will remain unhatched until a ruler passes away."

"What if the heir passes away?" Chrysalis chuckled at the very thought.

"Who knows? An heir has never been lost."

"What about your heir?" Chrysalis frowned and looked up at me.

"They didn't tell you about Prince Mangle?"

"... No." If a dude is named "Mangle", I would really hope someone would say something about him.

"Oh... well apparently he is still alive somewhere. He was in the Hive for a while, but he left when the changelings wefused to obey his commands."

"He's the Prince though, why wouldn't they obey him?"

"I was presumed dead, so technically he should have become king. For whatever reason, the swawm only recognizes you as king and I emerged as the new heir. There was no plae for Mangle in the traditional hierarchy, so they just ignored him."

"Shrimp... that dude probably has it in for me, doesn't he?" Chrysalis's silence told me everything I needed to know. The Abandoned Prince Mangle is out there somewhere, and he probably wants to see me dead. If Chrysalis helped bring him up, he'd probably be a proper King. He'd know more about the world around him, he'd be more ruthless in his feeding, and he can probably fly too! I was up against a more dangerous version of myself. I need to get serious about finding a way to fight.

"So, how do you plan on finding your 'friend'?" Chrysalis diverted my train of thought with her question. I hadn't even seen heads or tails of Mangle yet, so worrying about him now is just a distraction. Besides, he's probably not so stupid as to attack me in broad daylight where all the ponies can see.

"Well, being the resident expert on humans, I can honestly say there is no way to know for certain what they're up to."

"Really, you've got nothing?" Chrysalis squeaked. It was true, I had no idea where to start looking. Fortunately, looking for our mystery pony-person wasn't the first step.

"We can look after we gain the townspeople's trust. Our target is probably wary, so if we appear to be snoopers he or she might throw us off their trail. For now, we just do as tourists do and see the sights. I wonder where we should start."

"I might be able to help y'all there!" A twangy, southern voice calls. Chrysalis and I turn about to face the enthusiastic stallion.

...

Indeterminate and ever confusing Nonspecific Deity it's Braeburn as I live and breath!

"Howdy and welcome to AaAaAppleloosa! My name is Braeburn an' ah'm kinda the welcome wagon 'round these here parts!"

Now you have to understand, the only recognizable characters I'd come across so far were Chrysalis and Discord. Both experiences were slightly dampened by the fact that both wanted to kill me at the time. Here before me was a beloved protagonist who instead of making death threats was rolling out the red carpet as he pushed me and Chrysalis around the little town. I'd given up hope that there were any decent ponies in all of Equestria, but with the sudden app-

"And that's our little town! I reckon you've got somethin' to say 'bout it now, Mr. Pinhead!"

...

Wait... did I miss something? Okay... uh... Braeburn introduced himself, I began to panic, we were moving, I think someone asked me some questions, and now Braeburn is calling me... Pinhead? I look around at the expanse of apple trees in the valley below where we stand. I don't really remember coming here. I glance down at Chrysalis. She is snickering to herself! What did she do?

"It's... very nice... your town... Braeburn. I'm looking forward to our stay," I manage to spit out, coming down from my ratehr embarrassing stupor.

"Ah'm shore y'all will have a great time, you an' Ms. Blue Bolt here. Do y'all know where yer stayin'? I'd be more than happy to escort you!" Braeburn offered.

"Oh, we don't have anyplace to stay."

"Yer kiddin'!" I felt Braeburn's heart go out to me. I chewed on it while I pondered what I should do for living arrangements. "Well, what's yer budget look like?"

"We're broke because daddy is a deadbeat." My, what would a loving father say in this situation?

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. I haven't got a doll-er, bit to my name."

"Well shucks, at least y'all still got yer name, Mr. Pinhead." Oh yes, thank goodness for my name. "Ah might know somepony who can put y'all up, but it won't really be for free."

"We'll take what we can get, right sweetie?" I flare my teeth at my "daughter". She responds in kind.

"Whatever you say, daddy." Our alibi is so convincing, isn't it?

"Fantastic! Follow me! Cain't have y'all sleepin' on the streets while yer visitin' Appleloosa! I kin understand yer eagerness to visit though, and I know plenty of ponies who git by on just a hoofful of bits," Braeburn talked on as he lead us back into town. By now, the town was bursting with activity. The town smelt of baked goods and chimney smoke, a testament to how rustic it was. Ponies pulled ponies in carts while others pulled lumber, food, and other wares down streets. We passed the sheriff's office, complete with Sheriff Silverstar standing outside with what looked like one of his deputies.

"Mornin' Sheriff, Mornin' Deputy!" Braeburn gave the two ponies an ecstatic wave. Braeburn recieved two tips of a hat before we proceeded. "That's Sheriff Silverstar and Deputy Quickdraw. There ain't too much trouble 'round here, but the pair of them help keep this place safe. If y'all need anythin' and can't find me, the two of them would be willin' to help!" Braeburn explained as we came to a stop in front of a relatively newer looking building.

"Is this the place?" Most of the buildings around Appleloosa were made of wooden slats, but this one was made out of red brick. It wasn't tall, but it was pretty long and wide. There was a painted sign over the paned double doors, but I wasn't able to read it.

"Yessir! This here is Appleloosa Library!" The thought of staying in a library was not appealing seeing as I can't read one word of Equestrian. "The place just opened, so the librarian needs help unpacking and cleaning. I know he has a spare room in his home, so y'all might be able to stay there!" Braeburn lead us into the library. When he opened the double doors, I relished in the cool breeze that wafted out. The inside of the library did indeed look like the place had just opened up. The vast majority of the shelves were bare, but the floor was littered in crates full of books. Behind what looked to be a reception desk sat an elderly, grey maned, auburn unicorn. He pulled his beard out of the book levitating before him and faced us.

"Good morning Braeburn, what brings you here?" The old stallions voice was crisp and deliberate. It was the kind of voice you'd expect from someone far wiser than yourself.

"Howdy Tomesworth! I brought y'all somethin'!" Braeburn stepped aside and allowed me and Chrysalis to approach the counter.

"Well now, we don't get too many unicorns in Appleloosa. What brings the two of you here?"

"Sightseeing! I'm Pinhead and this is my daughter, Blue Bolt."

"They've come all the way from Manehattan to visit, but they ain't got not place to stay. I was thinkin' if they helped out with the library you could put 'em up?" Wordsworth turned and looked Chrysalis and I over one more time. I don't know when I'd told him we'd come from Manehattan, but I guess I have Chrysalis to thank for that one.

"I can use all the help I can get. I wasn't planning on starting until Sweet Tea arrived, but considering that she is fifteen minutes late I may as well get to work with these two." Almost as if on cue, somepony burst in through the double doors.

"Sorry ah'm late Mr. Tomeswoooooooorth!" the mustard colored mare screamed as she tripped and fell flat on her face. The sound and sight of it made me cringe. "Oooow~" the earth pony whimpered into the floor with her orange ponytail (not the one attached to her rear end) dangled over her forehead. She sat up and tenderly touched her now bleeding nose.

"Are you alright Ms. Tea?" Braeburn asked as we all rushed over and helped her up. Tomesworth took her head in his hooves and inspected her. He sighed, probably because her nose was obviously broken. I'd never seen someone break their nose from tripping before.

"I think it might be broken," Tomesworth observed without much certainty.

"Any difficulty breathing through it?" I asked. The victim nodded. "Definitely broken," I confirmed. The mare, who was apparently Sweet Tea, turned to me.

"A-are you s-s-sure?" she sobbed, tears flowing from her eyes just about as fast as blood was dripping down her nose. A person's broken nose and a ponies broken nose were eerily similar apparently. There really wasn't much that could be different.

"Pretty sure. Hold still," I ordered. I don't exactly know why, but I grabbed her nose with my magic. She jumped and tensed up a good deal since she hadn't expected it. "Calm down and exhale on my command. Ready?"

"No!"

"Three, Two, One." We exhaled simultaneously, uniting our beings for a brief moment. When I changed into Summitplunge, I hadn't carried over his injury. If I could fix my own body and determine the complete state of a foreign body, it stood to reason I could return foreign bodies to their complete state. I put theory into practice as the exhale ended, commanding bone and flesh to move back into place.

"Yeeeeeeowch!" Sweet Tea yelped at the top of her lungs as her nose popped back into place. The pain ran away from her face shortly afterwards as she sucked some air in experimentally through her nostrils. Aside from navigating around crusty blood, her face lit up when she realized her nose had been restored to perfect condition.

"Huh, cool," I mumbled to myself.

"Oh thank you, thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Sweet Tea squealed as she put me in the mother of all bear hugs. Out of instinct I try to free myself, but this strange body of mine doesn't know what to do with itself. Thankfully, the mare releases me before I pass out. "That was amazing, mister! Are you a doctor?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Tomesworth muttered, stealing an obvious glance at my posterior. He had a point. You wouldn't expect a broke tailor to be able to fix a nose like that. Taking a look at the mark I had to work with, I thought up a quick lie.

"I'm not a doctor, I'm just good at mending things." It was a good cover if I do say so myself. Tomesworth bought it and Sweet Tea ate it up.

"I say, y'all are mighty lucky Mr. Pinhead was here. I don't know if the Doc at the infirmary could have done such a bang-up job!" Braeburn praised. The three ponies were beginning to open up to me, allowing a steady stream of admiration and trust flow into me. Sweet Tea in particular was very impressed based on the stream coming from her.

"Braeburn is right, Ah don't even know how to thank you Mister... Pinhead, was it? Ah was afraid Ah was gonna have to walk down the aisle with my nose all bandaged up."

"Walk down the aisle? Are you getting married?!" Chrysalis beamed brightly and began to jump up and down. If she was merely acting, she was doing a good job of making me think she cared about the wedding. Considering what weddings meant, perhaps it was no surprise a changeling would get excited over it.

"Why yes Ah am, in just less than a month now," Sweet Tea admitted, leaning down close to Chrysalis.

"Do y'all think you'll stay in town that long?" Braeburn questioned. Chrysalis turned and beamed right up at me. She smiled all her teeth at me and expanded her eyes to the size of dinner plates. She must really want to go to this wedding.

"Well... we have time to spare-"

"YIPPEE!" Chrysalis cheered, bounding up and down around the bride to be. Was there some connection between changelings and weddings I was missing or did Chrysalis just really like weddings this much? Maybe being a little filly is messing with her brain.

"Alright, alright, that's enough excitement for now. We've got work to do," Tomesworth reminded us, clapping his hooves together. "I trust you know what your job is Ms. Tea, so I'll be showing Mr. Pinhead and his daughter the ropes. You two just wait here a second." Tomesworth wandered out into the rows of shelves while Sweet Tea trotted off towards some open boxes. I got down to Chrysalis's level and whispered in her ear.

"You really like weddings, don't you PC?"

"Not as much as you like alibis."

"Huh?"

"I don't care about a stupid wedding, I was just getting us an alibi for sticking around here."

"Oh... quick thinking."

"Somepony as to do some!" she hissed.

I should probably be thankful that I got to work with Chrysalis to help put the books in their proper place. Seeing as I can't read, having her secretly tell me what certain books were made things run smoothly. It wasn't terribly exciting, but it was what it was. We are building an alibi, and doing that right takes effort.

"PC, what does this say?" Chrysalis looked up at the book I was levitating before her face.

"M. U. Quill's Collected Works. Put it over with the poetry." Thankfully, there was no such thing as the Dewey Decimal System in Equestria. Things were arranged merely by genre, which made my job quite easy once I knew what the book was titled.

I read very little back home, but there were a whole lot of books here I wouldn't mind cracking open for a while. Books like "The Complete Equestrian History", "Legend of the Alicorns", or "Inherit Magic of Equestrian Races". The cosmology of this world was something unknown to me, so finding out more about how this world came to be and what laws governed it would be fascinating. If I wanted to read though, I'd have to learn how. Chrysalis is probably okay with reading the titles of books if we're doing it for a job, but I'm willing to bet she won't read me any bed time stories.

"PC, what's this one?" I levitated yet another book before the little Princess. She looked up from putting a book up on a shelf and eyed the title idly. Her eyes grew wide.

"Uhm... I'll take care of that. You go put these under Historical Nonfiction," Chrysalis ordered, taking the book from me and trotting off. I looked at the large stack of volumes she'd left me with. It figures that she'd leave me with the bigger job. I inhale as I wrap the books in my magic and exhale to lift them all into the air before me. I can't help but think Twilight Sparkle made this look to darn easy as I drop the entire thing. As an amateur who has only been at this for a few days, I probably shouldn't be comparing myself to the Element of Magic herself. Fixing a broken nose is apparently pretty impressive, but changeling magic is just suited for it. What is unicorn magic suited for? Maybe it's variable.

There really isn't any use in conjecturing about aspects of either changeling or unicorn magic. When it comes right down to it, I'm doing just fine in learning by myself. Magic, like most other activities a person does, is deeply connected to the rhythm of their body. Controlling the rhythm is as easy as breathing in... and then back out. If you keep it steady and controlled, you will achieve higher levels of concentration and power. Learning to breath better can improve natural movement, posture, stress levels, and endurance. It might sound far-fetched, but think about it. What would happen if you stopped breathing?

I settle for transporting the books onto the shelf two at a time. I could totally do three or four, but, you know... I don't want to finish things too fast. It is not an excuse, it's just a reason why.

"I think that'll do it for today." As I put the book Chrysalis dumped on me onto the shelf, Tomesworth appears. "As per my promise, I'd like to show you to a place the two of you can rest your heads."

"Did Ah hear that it's quittin' time?" Sweet Tea appeared from the stack of books she'd been napping behind. Tomesworth rolled his eyes.

"Have you seen Blue Bolt around? She ran off to put a book somewhere..."

"I saw her over in the children's section. She was looking at a picture book pretty intently," Tomesworth revealed. Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings does not look at picture books. She's up to something. Before I can figure out what, the changeling in question comes trotting up behind Tomesworth.

"Time to go home, sweetie."

"I'm tired. Carry me." It seems I have no choice in the matter as she gets up onto my back.

"Aww... Ah hope my kids are as cute as yours," Sweet Tea gushes.

"I wouldn't wish that on somepony I just met..."

"Pardon?"

"You never told us who the groom was!" I point out, making a flawless recovery. The three of us walk of the library and into a nearly dark Appleloosa. Unlike Manehattan, there are no street lamps or lights from huge buildings to keep things bright. There are only a handful of windows with light in them, but hardly enough to illuminate the dusty road. Luckily, the moon and the stars are clearly visible all the way out here. I hadn't realized we'd been in the library so long.

"Ah don't reckon you know Deputy Quickdraw, do ya?"

"Not personally, but Braeburn pointed him out. Is he your beau?"

"No, he's my fiancee," Sweet Tea attempts to correct me. I understand she's not exactly Einstein, but this pony had a few of her tools out of place. "He was awfully kind to me when I first came to Appleloosa. I'm pretty new to... well, a lot of things. I don't know how I would get by here without him."

My brain jumped to a conclusion. Phrases like "first came to", "I'm pretty new", and "get by here" didn't sit well with me. Was Sweet Tea a human? Had I really stumbled upon my first human so easily? It's too soon to say anything definitively, but I'd have to keep my eyes on this mare.

"Sounds like a nice pony." There isn't much more conversation for the rest of the walk. Sweet Tea is the first to break off, returning to the hotel she's put up at. Tomesworth takes us to his home, a modest little place. He shows us to a small, upstairs room where he says we can sleep. There is only one cot, but he claims there is room for a father and daughter. Thank goodness we won't be doing any sleeping.

The last hurdle of the day was dinner. The two of us had to eat it, and all of it to keep up our impression. Apples were on the menu, so I had prayed that by some miracle that food would actually taste good. Much to my dismay, apples taste like boxer shorts deep-fried in motor oil. Even if I do get home, I might be ruined for food forever.

With all our interactions with ponies done for the day, we return to our little room and draw the blinds so we can assume our natural forms. I had been wondering what we should use the night hours for, but Chrysalis apparently already had something planned.

"PC, I can't read. Besides, we don't have a book."

"We do!" Chrysalis runs over to the cot and produces the book I had handed to her in the library. "I stole this!"

"... PC, it's a library, you're supposed to take the books."

"... I stole this for you!" she insists on having committed some kind of crime.

"Fine, what is it?" Chrysalis jumps on my head and levitates the book to my face. Magic brings it open and flips through the pages, stopping about halfway in. "Oh yes... I see... I still can't read."

"This is a book about Changelings! I'm going to use it to educate you," Chrysalis explained.

"You are a changeling. Don't you already know everything there is to know about changelings?"

"I do!" I am failing to see the point of this the further and further along we go. "The pony who wrote this book hardly knows anything about us!" Chrysalis successfully makes me abandon all hope that there is a point to this exercise.

"I've got a better idea: let's go into the nighttime streets and go human calling. We'll just dangle you from some fishing wire and use your cuteness as bait."

"... Are you being serious?" I find it hard to believe she actually considered it for a moment. It does have a chance I suppose...

"Of course not. Why should I be reading a book about changelings that isn't true?"

"Because, it'll give you insight into how ponies view changelings."

"Don't they just, you know, hate us?" I asked a pointed question.

"Fine I'll give you an example: it says here that a changeling's poison will take hold at the slightest contact." Chrysalis pointed a porous hoof at the page, as if I could read it for myself. "That's a common misconception. Our poison can only take hold of a body that's been significantly drained of love."

"I don't see how that's helpful."

"Ugh! Why are you so stupid!" Chrysalis complained as she began to stomp on my head. "Ponies think even feeding off them a little will cause them to be poisoned, so as long as we don't poison anypony, nopony will suspect changelings."

"I didn't really have my heart set on draining anypony completely." Chrysalis grunted and flipped through the pages.

"Changelings can only feed off romantic love between two ponies."

"Now I know that's not true." She leafs further into the book.

"Changeling drones only act on the orders of their monarch."

"That's kinda true..."

"Ponies aren't aware that we've got a hierarchy within the swarm. Drones are just mindless warriors that have only just awoken, Scouts are Drones who manage to survive long enough to gain some sense, Captains are Scouts who have shown leadership capabilities, and the Hive Minds are the eldest among the Captains."

"So that's how it works." I'd been wondering for a while how changelings received their rankings. Just like in any other monarchy, it's not easy to work your way up unless you're already at the top. "What else don't I or ponies know?"

"Says here that a changeling's bite is lethal."

"Is it?"

"Only if you tear out their throat."

"Eugh..."

"It gets better. There's a whole chapter dedicated to ways you can identify a changeling clone," Chrysalis giggled. "It says here, word for word, 'All changelings are allergic to lemons. A changeling clone will refuse outright lemons or lemon products.' Isn't that a riot?"

"All food is terrible if you're a changeling... terrible."

"Ponies sure are dense. 'Changelings have an aversion to water, so if someone you love is more reluctant to bathe than usual they may be a changeling.'" We fell silent. "My, you smell terrible. Have you taken a bath recently?"

"Nope, don't need it."

"Changeling!" Chrysalis accused, grasping my head with all four legs.

"I actually haven't bathed in a while... do you think I should?"

"Our magic does a good job of cleaning us off when we switch forms. As long as we change forms periodically, we won't smell," Chrysalis explained, standing back up upon my head.

"Does it say anything about changeling sleep habits?" Chrysalis flipped through the book until she found what she was looking for.

"Changelings cannot maintain their form and sleep at the same time. If you wake up one morning to an empty bed where there should be a lover, you may have had relations with a changeling."

"That just sounds like wishful thinking..."

We spent the remainder of the night pointing out all the other fallacies in the book, such as changelings are attracted to bright lights and have a tendency to overpay at restaurants. Ponies apparently don't know much about changelings at all, and what they do know is just conjecture based off arbitrary observations. Bad conjectures, I might add.

A preconceived notion is the greatest advantage you can give someone. Stereotypes and second-hand observations are distractions. You don't really know something until you've seen it happen or heard it said right before you face. Thanks to this book, if I eat lemons and jump in every puddle I find, nopony will suspect I am a changeling.

I must adopt this tactic for finding the human in this town. If I believe a human will do this, then that, and then something else, I'll get thrown off if it doesn't happen. Only an open mind, open eyes, and open ears can determine what is important and what isn't. Looking at things through a checklist can tell me what has and hasn't happened, but it can hardly tell me anything beyond that.

Finding a human is going to be difficult and it's going to require a great deal of patience.

I hadn't counted on just how much patience I'd need...

9th: Spaghetti Western

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

The past month has not been productive, but allow me to elaborate if merely for continuity's sake.

Every morning PC and I woke up and headed down to the library to organize and clean. During our breaks and after work, we went around town in search of the human. It involved going around and talking to ponies, in order to get to know them a little. I listened and watched closely as I tried to pick out "human" traits. That tactic got us nowhere fast.

After a week or so, we decided to take a different approach. We took a step back and analyzed what we did know about the human we were searching for. Our first breakthrough was the response to my message he or she left. Chrysalis pointed out that the letters had been carved into the rock using magic, evident by the scorch marks. Now we knew we were looking for a unicorn. With our biggest lead though, we had to drop our number one suspect: Sweet Tea.

Out of all the ponies in Appleloosa, she struck me as the most human. The facts are all there: she's new around here, she doesn't have much knowledge of Equestria, and she's clumsy with her hooves. I thought I had her pinned, but I ran into a hitch when I found out she's perfectly literate. Add the whole unicorn bit on top of that, and you've got a pony who never was a human.

On the other hand, there are only a handful of unicorns in Appleloosa. Sheriff Silverstar and his deputy were happy to point out who all the unicorns in Appleloosa were when I told them I was wanting to chat with someone with magical talent. I should point out, by the way, that Silverstar and Quickdraw are two upstanding ponies. Silverstar is a gentlecolt right down to his core and passionate about his job. Quickdraw is the quiet type, but he's just as dutiful. I should have known they were good ponies; they always wear hats!

The first unicorn to investigate was Tomesworth of course. He is a bit secretive, but he'll actually talk about anything if you ask. I'm extremely sure he isn't the human, mostly because of the all the albums and memorabilia he has from his life. The other unicorns weren't any more human than Tomesworth. I either dismissed them after seeing pictures of their parents or pictures of them as a foal. It was dead-end after dead-end.

Other than the lack of progress, I only ran into one other problem when Braeburn caught on to the fact that I was looking for somepony. I'd been talking with him a little and I'd seem him around from time to time, but I hadn't realized he'd played a little detective and watched me a bit. He meant well, saying I seemed like a pony with a lot on my mind. After all that earnest concern, I couldn't lie to him outright.

I confessed I was looking for somepony. I told Braeburn I had another, older daughter who ran away. I didn't want to cause a stir, so I made him promise to keep it a secret. He promised, but the ordeal left me thinking that he hadn't believed me. For whatever reason he'd chosen, he didn't speak a word of it to anypony else. He still trusts me, which is how I know he's still keeping an eye on me when I'm out and about. It's not like I mind being fed.

Despite all my best efforts, my search has come up dry. I even asked around if anypony had left town recently, but that question left me just as empty handed. I'm starting to think my rock was vandalized by a drifter. He or she didn't live in Appleloosa, but he or she had happened to pass by and read my rock.

I can't believe I've wasted a whole month in Appleloosa.

"Cheer up! We can go back to the hive tomorrow morning," Chrysalis assures me. All I can do is groan and continue stroking my beard, which has nearly grown back in the time I've spent in Appleloosa. My hair is getting pretty long too. I look like an old man again, but I sort of feel like one.

"Can't we skip the dumb wedding? I'm sure Sweet Tea and Quickdraw will be very happy together."

"No! We have to stick to our alibis!" Chrysalis scolds me. "What's one more day? Who knows, a wedding might cheer you up."

"Uuuuugh..."

"Oh, come off it! Try and think about something else," she recommends.

"Like what? There is nothing but finding humans and getting home." I get up off the bed and shift into my disguise. "Look, I'm going to go get Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub so we can go back."

"Leaving before the sun comes up? That'll look suspicious... hey... hey! Are you listening to me?"

"Have... have you even seen those two since we separated?" The two of us wrack our brains for a handful of seconds.

"I don't remember what their disguises look like," Chrysalis admits. "Did they change disguises?" I shake my head.

"By now, I know all the faces in Appleloosa. I haven't seen two strangers, so unless they're posing as citizens I don't think they've been around." Two changelings would never defy my orders. I told them to stick around, so they had to be somewhere. If you're a creature that lives off love, it's ill advised to remove yourself from society for too long, so they have to be here. "I'm going to go look for them."

"Don't you mean 'we'?"

"No, you stay here," I clarify. "If Tomesworth asks where I am, just tell him I can't sleep and went for a walk."

"Trot?"

"I'll go whatever speed I like. I'll try to come back before too long." Chrysalis warns me to be careful before I slip out of the house and into the dark of the coming dawn. We don't start our day until shortly after the sun comes up, so I have yet to experience Appleloosa at this hour. For once, the streets are completely empty. The city that is industrious by day and full of activity by night is actually sleeping at this early hour.

I wander the town and listen to the crickets. If Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub see me wandering around on my own at this early hour, they'll come running. In fact, they should just sense I'm meandering around town. I can't get rid of the nagging feeling that something is wrong as I approach the town's gate.

I freeze before jumping into cover behind a barrel. There is a silhouette of a large stallion standing at the gate. I don't think he saw me. Now that I think about it, I don't know why I panicked there. Everypony in Appleloosa is friendly, so I'm sure this guy will be able to help me out. Before I come out of hiding though, I'm surprised to see two familiar pegasi touch down in front of the gate.

"Bloodbuzz? Plundergrub?" I ask under my breath, still intent on hiding from view. Why are these two coming here at such an odd hour, and why is this mystery stallion waiting for them? Now I don't just feel something is wrong, I know something is wrong.

"Ah told you two to stay outta town." I know that voice, even if I've only heard it a handful of times; it's deputy Quickdraw. I peek out just a little from the barrel, verifying his identity when I spot the clay pigeon on his flank. "Y'all just don't quit, do you? Y'all ain't welcome 'round here, so git." The two fake stallions exchanged a quick glance with one another. The one that was Bloodbuzz turned back to the deputy.

"We'll be returning to Dodge Junction," he says just loud enough for me to hear.

"Ah don't really care, as long as ya ain't here." Quickdraw tipped his white stetson and began to walk off. I ducked further into my hiding place. Quickdraw trotted silently back to his home and I heard my subjects take wing and leave.

... What am I still doing in hiding?

"Quickdraw!" I jump out from behind the barrels and start after him. He turns, with a look of surprise on his face.

"Mr. Pinhead? Y're up awful early."

"What was that all about?" I ask, doing my best to sound concerned, not agitated.

"No worries Mr. Pinhead, just a couple of no-gooders ah've told time an' time again to keep out."

"Well... what did they do?" I ask, trying to keep my knees from knocking together. Quickdraw is a big pony. In this light and under these circumstances, he's scary. In my normal form I'd probably tower over the earth pony, but as an average unicorn I had to gaze up at him. I'm not too accustomed to looking up at anyone.

"They're no-gooders. They ain't good for nopony." I don't pursue the subject any further with Quickdraw. He pulls his hat down before trotting away from me, no doubt to get in a few winks before his big day. I really should tell Chrysalis what I'm going to be up to, but I need to get a move on to Dodge Junction.

Before you say anything, yes, I did know where Dodge Junction was. In the rolling prairies and rugged mesas that dotted the landscape, the slightly more developed pioneer town was clearly visible in the north when the sun was out. I only had moonlight to navigate by, but I shifted into my regular form in order to run at maximum speed. The first rays of the sun brought with it the requirement I use my disguise, but Dodge Junction is a mere mile from me at this moment.

I had expected the town to be a bit more... populated. As I stare into the silent and deserted main street, the obligatory tumbleweed blows past. I wait for the director to cue the cheesy music and pan up at a hawk circling overhead.

...

That hawk is wearing the armor of a royal guard!

...

Wait, it's just a royal guard. I almost lost it there for moment.

"Halt, citizen!" I cast my gaze back down towards the ground. Two grey unicorns in dazzling, golden regalia are approaching me from the end of the road. There is a third, smaller pony accompanying them. He, or she because I honestly can't tell, is draped in an emerald robe with golden vines embroidered all around the edges. The hood of the cloak is drawn tight with a golden cord, hiding the wearer's face from view. I look for a hint of hooves or horn under the cloth, but the pony before me is completely covered. Saying that it's a pony at all is really just conjecture.

"What's going on?" It's an innocent question, but it's met with harsh stares from the unicorn guards.

"Haven't you read the paper?" Have I read the paper? Of course I haven't read the paper! I can't read and Tomesworth always commandeers it for the crossword. In light of the fact I can't tell them all that, I opt for a shake of my head. "We've asked everypony to stay indoors in the town today so we can search for changelings."

"Changelings?" I don't need to pretend to be surprised because I have no idea why they would be looking for changelings. I know Plundergrub and Bloodbuzz are here, but surely they didn't raise a hullabaloo, right?

"Go back to your home, sir." The guards advance on me, ready to carry me off themselves if I didn't move fast.

"Uh, I live in Appleloosa. I was coming by to visit somepony!" I lie. I can't leave now, not with Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub at risk of getting exposed.

"And this 'somepony' didn't tell you what was going on?" the hooded figure speaks. It had to have been the hooded figure because the voice that I just heard doesn't belong to an imperial guard.

"Lou...?"

"Pardon?"

"Nuuuu! No, that is a no! He did not tell me about this... thing that is going on here." What in blue blazes is Lou doing here? No, I take that question back. What in blue blazes is Lou doing here looking for changelings with the royal guard?

"You're going to have to return later," one of the guards informs me. "We'll have a guard escort you in order to assure your safety." The first guard nods to his companion, who marches off back down the road. I don't have much time before I'll be forced to leave.

"This whole thing seems rather high-handed. What part of the royal army is lead by a hooded mare to hunt down changelings?" The guard steps aside and the hooded Lou steps up to the plate. I hadn't counted on seeing her so soon, let alone ever again.

"I'm Special Agent Louise, head of the newly formed Unit for Changeling Response, UCR for short. Our group is a collaborative effort between the Fifteenth Unicorn Brigade and the Forty Third Pegasi Troop to respond to possible changeling threats in Equestria." Great, not only is Lou part of this little party, but the knuckleheads from the Forty Third are here too. I don't know if the Fifteenth Unicorn Brigade has a beef with me, but something tells me these three components of UCR were not just pulled out of a hat.

"What makes you qualified to lead this sort of operation?" I'm going to be honest: Lou is the last person that should be running this show.

"I'm the leading expert on their current monarch, King Cocoon the Liar."

"King Cocoon the Liar?" I thought The Terrible was a bad title, but The Liar? I can't say it isn't true, but it's uncalled for. "You know a lot about this Cocoon fella?"

"I've gone horn to horn with him on several occasions." She should tack on "and got my plot handed to me on a silver platter each time" for accuracy. "Princess Celestia thought the fact made me more than eligible for the position."

That was the clincher for the whole situation for me. Princess Celestia not only condoned this organization, but she'd elected its leader. I guess Summitplunge didn't deliver my message.

"So, why are you here in Dodge Junction?"

"We received a tip from local law enforcement, Appleloosa's actually, that two changelings were seen flying off in this direction. Where there are two changelings, there are probably more." If there was no changeling encampment in Appleloosa, I doubt we'd have one in Dodge Junction. It's more populated than Appleloosa, but that just makes it the big fish in the small pond.

"Sheriff Silverstar saw that happen?" Lou shook her head, at least I think she did. Her robes moved as if she had.

"The Sheriff sent the report, but it was your town's deputy who saw them."

"Quickdraw?"

"I don't remember his name; it's not my business. My business, mister..."

"Pinhead."

"... Mr. Pinhead, is to get rid of changelings. Now, if you'd kindly let the Lance Corporal escort you back to your hometown."

Lance Corporal? Oh no... don't tell me...

"Lance Corporal Summitplunge reporting for duty, ma'am." Summitplunge swoops down and lands next to me. He salutes Lou with his good hoof. The one I broke is wrapped up tight in a hard cast. I guess they didn't turn him into glue.

"What happened to you?" I ogle his cast with feigned interest. He snorts, making it obvious that it's a sore point for him.

"A word of warning to you citizen: nopony tangles with the current Changeling King without getting a scratch or two," Lou answers my question, much to my surprise.

"Is that why you've got the robes?" The question was obviously not one I was allowed to ask. All three guards backed off the moment it left my lips, but Lou stomped right up and put her hooded visage into mine.

"Citizen," her tone is cool, despite the tension in the air.

"Special Agent..."

"You wouldn't mind submitting to a test, would you?" Her tone is even as ever, which makes me worry about the designs forming in her mind.

"What kind of test?" The Lou that stands before me is a slight variation on the one I met in Manehattan. She is out for vengeance, and she isn't afraid to sublimate her anger onto an innocent pony.

"I will perform the changeling reversion spell on you, just for protocol's sake." This isn't good. "It will burn momentarily, provided you are not actually a changeling." Under her hood, I can see the energy starting to charge in her horn. I barely managed against the Forty Third when I had a small force on my side, so there is no way I can take them and a bunch of unicorns all by myself. Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub would join in if I was in trouble, but I don't know how much of a difference two changelings could make.

Even though the spell hasn't launched yet, I can feel my disguise starting to fail. I consider changing right there and then in order to keep the element of surprise on my side, but I hold out. I take a deep breath to relax myself, bracing myself for a fight against a group of ponies I did not particularly care for. I'll make my stand here, show them I still mean business. Today might be the day I impose upon the sanctity of another's life.

The inside of Lou's robe is getting brighter and brighter. When the spell is ready on the tip of her hoof, I get a fleeting and haunting glance at her face.

*thwam*

Lou's horn dies down as everypony turns to get a look at what's going on behind me. It sounded a lot like something heavy had slammed into the ground, but there isn't any sign of that.

"What's going on?" Summitplunge shouts, as if he could see some sort of invisible commotion. Two helmet adorned heads pop out from an alley a little ways behind our position. Two unicorns emerge, dragging behind them a familiar looking pony.

"Sir! We caught this stallion snooping around!" The unicorns throw the yellow body in question down at my hooves.

"Braeburn?" There is a lot going through my head right now, but Lou shoves me aside and examines my fallen friend. He stirs, dizzy from whatever the guards had done to apprehend him. He looks up at Lou first, but his eyes shift over to me.

He winks.

"Well, is he a changeling or not?" Lou asks. The two guards steal a glance at one another before shaking their heads. "How do you know?"

"He's a pony, ma'am!" Lou is not satisfied with the answer. She charges her spell and blasts Braeburn with it in a brilliant, silver flash. He grunts in pain, the spell searing him instead of freeing him from a false body.

"Get these two out of here. We have official business to attend to," is all Lou says before turning and walking away. I don't know where all her anger from before went, but this seems like an anti-climactic ending to my time in Dodge Junction. Doesn't matter, though, seeing as I can bet that this isn't the last I'll see of the UCR.

The two unicorns salute to their superior and escort Braeburn and me to a strangely rustic looking wagon. When we're both inside and the guards are hitched up, Braeburn lets out the breath he'd been holding in.

"Welp, that was excitin'! Do you fellas do this kinda thing often?"

"... I don't follow."

"Your majesty," one the guards speaks as he turns and looks up at me. "Will we be returning to Appleloosa?"

"Bloodbuzz?"

"Plundergrub too!" the other guard announces as he turns and smiles. I must have the weirdest look on my face right now.

"Uh yeah... Appleloosa... but... but... Braeburn?!" I look at the pony, emphasis on pony, who is sitting in the wagon with me. As we lurch forward, Braeburn removes his hat and casts his eyes downward.

"Ah reckon I owe you an apology yer highness..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... are you a changeling?" I ask. Braeburn quickly shakes his head, making this situation one million times more confusing. "Okay... if you're not a changeling you don't have to call me 'your highness' or 'your majesty' or anything like that." Braeburn's eyes shoot towards my subjects momentarily. "You need to explain this to me, all of it."

"Well, it goes like this: Quickdraw came to me one mornin' an' told me to be on the lookout fer any strangers comin' into town. He says, 'send 'em homeward, we can't trust nopony right now'. I didn't know what had him so riled up, but I wasn't about to argue with 'im. When you an' yer daughter... well, I guess she isn't your daughter..."

"Oh, you've got that right..."

"When the two of y'all showed up, I reckoned ya didn't mean no harm. Just a kid an' her father, out fer a good time. Quickdraw wanted me to turn y'all back all the same, but I plead your case. He allowed you to stay, on the condition that I monitor you as close as I could.

"I didn't wanna do it, but I was just so dern curious to see what Quickdraw was so antsy about. Y'all turned out to be a nice pony from what I saw. Goin' 'round town an' talkin' to ponies 'bout their families and askin' how long they'd been in good 'ol Appleloosa. Add that to yer healin' Sweet Tea like that and bein' honest about lookin' 'round for somepony, Ah figured you as trustworthy. I knew there was somethin' up 'bout yer story though, seein' as yer 'daughter' told me she was an only child an' y'all were split from her mother."

"I should have paid attention to that alibi," I grumble. I should work a little closer with Chrysalis to solidify our alibis the next time we have to do something like this.

"Ah couldn't pin down what y'all were hiding, so ah kept watchin'. I saw y'all leave this mornin', an' Quickdraw was talkin' to those ponies, an' then you ran off an' turned into... yerself I reckon."

"And you followed me all the way to Dodge Junction?" If Braeburn woke up early just to track me down, I'm impressed by his resolve to find out my secret. Although, a true private eye would have spied into our room and seen our true forms beforehand.

"It weren't easy, once you changed into yerself Ah lost y'all. Ah didn't want to show up to Dodge Junction fer no reason, what with the changeling inspection goin' on-"

"You knew about that?" Braeburn nods before continuing his story. I guess it was common knowledge.

"Ah grabbed my cart so it looked like I had business of some sort, but when Ah got here y'all were talking to a bunch of guards. Ah was duckin' behind some barrels watchin' an' wonderin' what to do, but then these two unicorn guards come up behind me. Ah don't know what they were gonna do, seein' as your buddies here came 'round and took 'em out. They almost went for me too, but Ah explained to them Ah was on their side."

"How'd he do that?" I ask, turning to Bloodbuzz.

"He said he was 'with yer kingship'." Somehow, it feels like they were too easily convinced. Braeburn picks the story back up.

"They announced they were gonna jump in an' rescue you, but Ah came up with the whole 'capture me' plan. Ah don't know how you usually do things, but Ah prefer not to see ponies get hurt. That mare just needed somepony to let her frustrations out on, I reckoned." Braeburn is laughing at the conclusion of his tale, but I'm not amused.

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why help me? Why help us? We're changelings. Changelings and ponies don't mix," I explain, even if I don't see the need to. It's an axiom everypony adheres to; it's just how status quo works. The stallion across from me puts his hat back on.

"Well... fer now Ah just wanna know what yer doin' in Appleloosa. To be honest, if'n you'd just trotted up in yer regular changeling form I woulda applebucked you back to wherever it is ya'll come from." Honesty is always refreshing. "In a month, though, ya'll haven't done anythin' Ah thought a King of the Changelings would do to a little town like Appleloosa. Nopony got their love drained or nothin'. So what Ah wanna know is, why? What're you actually lookin' fer Mr. Cocoon?"

I find myself at a fork in the road. I could lie to Braeburn, use his trust in me to make sure he keeps helping me. I could tell him Quickdraw is a renegade changeling or something like that. I could turn him against his own kind. He's opened the door that would allow me to do that. Maybe I don't even have to lie. If his mind is open to me, I could simply control him like a puppet. Either way, he could be a useful tool.

"I'm looking for a creature called a human." I don't want to lose his trust, and if I do lose it I want to lose it telling the truth.

"A... human? Never heard of it. Is it dangerous?"

"It could be, but that's not why I'm looking for it. It doesn't belong in Equestria, so I need to find it and take it home."

"Okay... so, what's it look like?"

"Doesn't matter what it looks like because here in Equestria it takes the form of a pony, just like you."

"It's like a changeling then?" I shake my head. It is a bit of a hard concept to grasp, seeing as it barely makes any sense at all. I'd chalk that on up to the Master of Things Not Making Sense.

"It can't change back into its original form. It lives life and goes around just like any other pony in the world."

"Then how do you find it?"

"... I've been wondering the same thing. I got lucky this time, though. By chance I dropped a message to any human near your town and got a response. I have a feeling I know who did it now; I just need to know a few things."

"What's that?"

"I've only ever seen him with a hat on... but is Quickdraw a unicorn?" Braeburn nodded, confirming my suspicions. "Bloodbuzz, why was Quickdraw suspicious of you?"

"He saw Plundergrub and me flying away from your rock, your majesty. From that point on, he hounded us whenever we got close to town."

"Why didn't you change forms?"

"We tried, but he would turn back any traveler he didn't recognize. We instead tried to sneak in at unruly hours for ponies, but he'd always catch us." With the final piece of information in place, I'm sure I know who the human in Appleloosa is.

"The wedding... has it started yet?"

10th: Do Us Part

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

I should have known that bumbling idiot wouldn't come back! Arriving one or two hours late would have been one thing, but ditching me completely? If he ever shows his misshapen face to me again, I'll stick his beard in the wheels of the next train to Canterlot!

All day long, it's been the same drill! "Where's your father little filly?" they say! "Did you lose your daddy?" they ask! I'm sick and tired of covering for his rancid carcass! If he doesn't come back with the best news I've ever heard in either of my lives, I'll see to it that I'm the youngest Queen of the Changelings in history! You think I'm joking, but I'm dead serious!

I'm gonna murder Cocoon!

I'd bet anything he's just skipping out on the wedding. I don't know why he's so intent on avoiding it, it's not so bad. You sit in a pew at town hall, the mayor says some stuff, ponies kiss, and then you mingle. You can suck the love out of the air too. Easiest meal I've ever had... well, maybe not ever.

Right now the mayor of the town is going through all the old stories about the institution of marriage. The story all about how Celestia saw to it that each stallion shall have one mare and each mare shall have one stallion. She sealed this sacred bond blah blah blah rings blah blah matrimony blah blah blah copulation blah blah unbreakable vows blah blah whatever.

She loves him, he loves her, marriage. How have these ponies managed to make it so complicated?

Don't get me started on how much things have changed. I read all the old books about the institution of marriage back in the day, and let me tell you something: there is a lot of goop going down here that wouldn't have happened back then. This wedding is even worse than the one those ponies in Canterlot were preparing. Let me break it down for you.

First off, the bride's dress is freaking me out. It's got some sort of weird, high-cut. I can't see her back hooves, but I can see her cutie mark. That glass of tea is staring at me, saying "Hey, look, flank." Secondly, the groom is wearing a hat. He is wearing a hat! You know? A hat. One of those things you wear to block out the sun? It just screams reverence for Celestia, not that I'm ga-ga about her either. The final point I'll make is that there is no organ. There is a piano, but it's just not the same. I mean, come on ponies! I know you're dumpy little pioneers, but can't you load up a wagon with a proper organ one of these days? It's just... stupid!

"If anypony has any reason these two should not be wed, then speak now or forever hold your peace." I've got a reason for you: they don't know how to have a wedding. I'd also like to point out that "forever hold your peace" is an obsolete clause nowadays. Ever heard of divorce? I should ask Cocoon if weddings are as much of a joke in his world as they are here. Do humans even get married?

*whoosh-bang*

"Don't worry, I'm here! I'm here!" The doors of town hall are suddenly flung open and everypony turns around to see what the pony in the doorway is yelling about. I'm too short to see over the pews, so I have to hop out to see what going o-

Sweet Mother Mantis! It's Sweet Tea!

I blink once or twice to make sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. Nope, it's that mare Sweet Tea alright. She looks like she's been through Tartarus to get here. Her mane is a wreck and her hooves have rope dangling off of them. I look back up at the altar.

Oh... oh no he didn't just...

"Wh-what? Who are you?" Cocoon shouts at the pony he is imitating. What is that moron thinking? There is absolutely no benefit in getting betrothed to the deputy of Appleloosa! Is he completely off his rocker?

"Me? Uh, ah'm Sweet Tea," Sweet Tea explains, as if it weren't obvious. I don't know where Cocoon's plan when awry, but boy did it go awry. I mean, sure I wasn't any more successful... but...

"No, Ah am!" Cocoon insists, but the murmurs from the crowd are not in his favor. The groom levitates the white stetson off his head and places it on the altar.

"Y're that slimy snake Cocoon, ain't you?" Quickdraw astutely observes. As if to confirm his suspicions, two bright green flashes erupt from the crowd. Plundergrub and Bloodbuzz take to their wings and tackle the real Sweet Tea.

"Aaaaieeee! Help me!" she screeches. At this point, I don't know whether I should try to help Cocoon or just keep playing innocent. Quickdraw doesn't waste any time though, instead he blasts Cocoon with a brilliant blue bolt. Cocoon nearly flies out of that ridiculous dress as he slams into the opposite wall.

"Ah'm coming!" Quickdraw calls, letting off a few shots at Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub. They abandon their offensive and instantly fly off to gather up their fallen monarch. Bloodbuzz bucks a window to pieces, carrying off the unconscious and still shifted "Drag King" into the wild blue yonder.

City Hall is in a general panic. Everypony is gathering around Sweet Tea, obscuring my view of what's going on. Being small, I manage to navigate my way around the legs and hooves to get a front row view of the mare, who seems to have taken a bit of a beating from my followers. The crowd lets Quickdraw through, allowing him to stoop over his true bride.

"Are you okay?" he asks, propping her head up in her hoof. Her eyes were a bit hazy, but she managed to look up at his and smile. The whole scene just makes me wanna gag...

"This reminds me... of the first time," she whispers just loud enough to be heard.

"The first time what?" Quickdraw chuckles pulling his love a bit closer.

"The first time I fed."

... Did I hear that right?

I must have because Quickdraw's love is being forcefully siphoned out of his wide-open heart! I can feel the torrential force of his thoughts and emotions drain into who I thought wasn't a changeling. Cocoon stops within a hair's breadth of total drainage, letting Quickdraw slump over onto the floor to gasp for breath. Cocoon shifts into his normal body, turning the panic in Town Hall into complete chaos. Cocoon is smiling smugly right at me.

"Did you miss me PC?"

"You'd better be ready to explain yourself!" I shout as I change back to normal. I hover over his head and stare down at him, asserting my dominance.

"Come with me little one and I shall explain everything!" Cocoon chuckles as he grabs me around my torso and carries me out of the confusion. Silverstar tries to stop us at the door by charging Cocoon, but the King of Pacifists jumps over the stallion and lands outside. He stretches out one of his creepy arms and spreads those freaky horns, lighting them with magic. The doors to town hall slam shut and lock tight. He tears out a nearby fencepost and bars the door, successfully trapping what is practically the entire population of Appleloosa. "Don't you love weddings?" he asks, skipping down the road back into town.

"Do humans get married?"

"Yes, but half of them end in divorce," he enlightens me.

"I guess humans and ponies aren't all that different," I observe. He ditches his silly grin for a moment and smiles earnestly at me.

"For better or worse, that seems to be the case."

"Ms. Tea? You feelin' okay?" Braeburn asks the dazed pony. I feel bad about bringing her to his house, and just bringing him into this in general. I'll try and make this quick. Interrogate Sweet Tea, then shake a leg to get out of Appleloosa.

Sweet Tea is tied down to a chair across from me. Braeburn's basement isn't terribly well lit, so this whole situation would probably look pretty dismal to somebody on the outside. Chrysalis is down here too, sitting quietly on the table between me and my prisoner. Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub stand guard at the door. Only Braeburn talks as he tries to rouse Sweet Tea back to consciousness.

"B-braeburn? Wha... where am ah?" Sweet Tea asks, just coming out of her daze. Quickdraw reacted a bit more violently than I expected. Despite that one minor flaw, my plan was executed perfectly. I just pretended to be a kidnapped Sweet Tea so everypony thought the real one was fake. Have changelings take her away, eat the groom's love, and then escape.

"Yer at my house an' I promise you yer safe. There's... someone here you wants to chat with y'all." Sweet Tea's eyes looked across the table and fell on me. Her eyes turned to pinpricks.

"You're... King Cocoon," she rasped. As fear pumped adrenaline into her system, she attempted to struggle free of her restraints.

"Calm down, I'm not your enemy," I attempt to calm her down.

"What do you want?!" she screams. She practically gasping for breath, getting herself worked up into a frenzy.

"I want to get back home, the place you and I belong." Her breathing evens out, but she still looks scared out of her wits.

"Ah don't know what you're talking about," she claims.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She remains completely silent as she stares me down. "Look, I know you're human."

"Ah don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine, then allow me to elaborate." I take a deep breath, removing the agitation from my tone. "The UCR told me Quickdraw saw my subordinates flying towards Dodge Junction, but I know that's a lie on two accounts. First off, Quickdraw didn't see them. When I came into town he was at the Sheriff's office. Secondly, they weren't seen flying to Dodge Junction. They were seen flying away from the signpost I left. He couldn't have known they were changelings otherwise.

"Actually, he shouldn't have even considered that they were changelings, considering he can't read the message I left. He also shouldn't have been able to respond, but maybe a pony who could read the message could tell him what to put down. I'm guessing a pony who showed up late to work could be a good candidate for that. You had enough time to see my changelings and run to tell Quickdraw. You were watching that rock, weren't you? It hasn't been too long since it touched down, so you probably thought someone or something would come along any day and see the change.

"It boils down to this: you're not afraid of me because I'm King of the Changelings, but because you don't want me to return you to your home." I managed to get through my speech without yelling or getting angry. I kept that smooth, reasonable tone I needed. I want to spit and curse my confusion at her, but I focus on breathing to keep calm.

"... Ah don't want to go back," is all she says. If I knew the way back, I would have sent her right there and then. I would send her back just out of spite. I might be the one explaining things, but I'm the one who is angry and confused.

"What's your real name, where are you from?" She remains silent. "I doubt you developed that accent overnight. Are you from somewhere down south? I knew a girl from Texas who had an accent like yours." She still refuses to say anything. "Tell me about yourself." She looks me dead in the eye and speaks in a shaky voice.

"My name is Sweet Tea, an' I live in Appleloosa." I make a mental note to apologize to Braeburn for breaking his chair after I kick it back and stand up to my full height. I bang my hands on the table, leaning in to bring my face closer to her's.

"You've got a lot of guts. Must be awful proud of yourself, huh?! What's your defect, huh?! Why don't you want to go home?" Each of my breaths are deep but harsh. I grit my teeth and try to bring down my temper.

"This is home."

"Tiger shrimp!" I curse, banging a fist on the table.

"Ah feel more at home here than Ah did back on Earth."

"But it's not home! It will never be home!"

"Why can't it be home?" I can't believe she's asking these questions. Doesn't she know? Isn't it obvious? Am I the only one that's seeing this?

"You didn't move from Kentucky to Kansas! This is an entirely different reality! We don't belong here! It's that simple!" I can feel my body tensing as my anger starts to boil. My breathing isn't strong and audible, but silent and sporadic. If I was a dragon, I'd breath fire.

"Home is where the heart is," she claims. I've had enough of this nonsense.

"Home has nothing to do with 'the heart', okay?"

"You don't understand what it was like for me," she snarls, starting to get indignant herself. "Ah had no friends, mah family was distant, an' everything was just fallin' to pieces." Her expression softens as if she's recalling the most touching moment of her life. "And then Ah came here an' I made friends, got my life together, an' even fell in love. I'm happy here."

"You can be happy on Earth too!" I shout, having blown my fuse halfway through her explanation.

"Aren't you listening? My life back there was terrible!"

"So, what? You, you just quit? You just pack it in and say 'so long life'? Is, is that what I'm hearing? You're just a coward who'd rather take the easy way out?" I back off from the table and begin pacing, chuckling to myself like I used to. "No... no, no, no you can't just... give up! If you try, and I mean really, earnestly try your hardest, things can get better. I mean, ffft-yeah it's hard but... but, I mean, that's life! That's how it goes! You don't bake a cake without breaking a few eggs and you don't get through life without shedding a few tears. Some people hurt more than others, but heck, life is and never will be fair. The bad guys will win and the good guys will lose. It doesn't mean the good guys should just stop being good, you know? The, the fact that people get through life everyday without pushing down everyone they meet and stealing everything they can get their hands on is a sign that, that living life as a good person isn't a flawed system! If that person who does shove everyone to the ground comes and gets you, you stand back up and keep going because you... you gotta go be good. It's not easy and it's not fair, but at the risk of sounding corny I'd like to inform you that life is exactly that. That's life!" My breathing is even again. I continue while my mind isn't spinning with confusion and hatred.

"This, what has happened to me and you, is not life. People don't get knocked out and transplanted into the bodies of otherworldly beings. You and me fell off the train, we got knocked out of the current! We can't stay here and drift around! We have to get back into the flow. We have to get back to our lives! There are people who'll miss us and people who will welcome us back with open arms. If you can't go back for your sake, go back for their sake. If you don't think there is anyone like that, well, you just haven't met them yet. If you don't go back, somebody back home is never going to wonder what their life without you would be like. Doesn't that scare you? Aren't you determined to bounce back from this? This is an extraordinary experience, no doubt about that, but that is all it is. Celebrities and actors and normal people have extraordinary experiences all the time, but that's not where they live. That isn't their life. They have to eat breakfast and walk their dogs too. They have to talk to that guy who they don't like and wait in line. They have to see the ones they love pass away and see their elementary school get bulldozed to make way for a warehouse. They have to go be in love with someone and have someone pat their heads.

"That's why we have to go back. You might think you can have all those things here, but they won't be worth a thing to you. You're not rooted here like you are back home. If you live a lifetime here, you'll just end up regretting it. Please, help me find the path home." I extend my hand to her. I don't need to see my face to know I look sad and pathetic. I haven't felt this miserable since I got here, and all I want is a sign that getting home is possible. It won't get me there, but I want someone like me to empathize with.

"I don't believe you," is the whispered reply. The whisper crushes me. I don't get angry, but there isn't a trace of calm within me either. I lose the strength to keep my hand extended as I just let it flop down to my side. I shuffle over to the opposite wall and put my forehead against it.

"... Bloodbuzz?" I manage to choke out.

"Yes, your majesty."

"Can The Hive house a prisoner?"

"W-what?" Sweet Tea gasps.

"Of course, your majesty." I swallow the lump in my throat as I back off from the wall. I scratch my head and give my orders.

"Bloodbuzz, Plundergrub you two take her back to The Hive and hold her there. You go ahead of me, take Chrysalis and go."

"You can't do that!" Sweet Tea protests, but my servants are already moving to fulfill their duty.

"I'm not leaving until you do," Chrysalis states in a flat tone.

"Fine, but we're not sticking around to have fun." I turn to Braeburn. "I'm sorry I got you tangled up in this. It would be best if you forgot you ever had any dealings with me. Sorry for the chair... and sorry for what I'm about to go do. It would be unwise to follow me."

"... Normally Ah tell everypony that they're always welcome in Appleloosa, but Ah don't think the Appleloosans would want that," he chuckles at his own joke. "I had you figured right, Mr. Cocoon."

"How so?" Braeburn looks up for me, filling my already stuffed belly with unyielding trust.

"Yer not bad, yer just in a bad way. Ya made yer choice, though, an' that choice was to git yerself home. It looks bad to ponies who just see you as a Changeling King, but if'n they could see what I saw an' know what I know now I reckon they'd sympathize with you."

"I'm glad you think so, but so far you're the only pony to hear me out. If the first ponies I met were all like you, I might be home by now. It's a bit of an odd request, but will you hear me out one more time?" I smile despite the dark intentions brewing inside me.

"If'n it's somethin' Ah kin do."

"There is an odd rock outside of town with a message I wrote on it. It's in the language of my homeworld, so only humans can read it. If it's not too far out of the way, add it to the tour of the town." Braeburn cracks a bright smile.

"Ah reckon folks'll be interested if'n I tell them the King of the Changelings put it there. Just do me a favor an' take good care of yerself." Genuine concern feels the same, whether you can eat it or not. By now, Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub have gone. All that remains for me to do is bid farewell to the citizens of Appleloosa.

"You take care too." With one final wave, I tuck Chrysalis under my arm and start my walk out from under the only roof in Equestria that could offer me any refuge.

The Appleloosans managed to get out of city hall. When I emerged from Braeburn's house, I was spotted by somepony I'd spoken with once or twice when I was masquerading as Pinhead. The stallion didn't waste any time in running off, shouting that he'd found me. Nopony ran towards me. Everypony got well out of the way when they either saw me or heard the other ponies calling out my name.

I don't blame them; I didn't give them a reason to trust me.

When I finally reached my destination, the town was quiet. There was only a light breeze blowing across the deserted main street. I'm the first to arrive, but I know there's somepony who wants to see me. I don't know if he'll be up for talking, but I do have some choice words for him.

I absentmindedly start singing to myself, forgetting that Chrysalis is watching and listening from a porch behind me.

"Leave your home... Change your name... Live alone... Eat your cake..."

Sure enough, the orange unicorn emerges from an alley on the other edge of the street.

"Vanderlyle, crybaby cry... oh the waters are risin', there's still no surprisin' you."

I'm amazed at how fast these ponies bounce back after having their love drained. If Chrysalis was able to feed like this off of Shining Armor for several days, it doesn't surprise me she could contend with Celestia herself.

"Vanderlyle, crybaby cry... oh it's all been forgiven, the swans are a swimmin'."

Humans might not belong here, but ponies sure as anything do belong. This is their world and they deserve to be happy in it. If taking away humans infringes on that happiness, I should at least of the courtesy to apologize.

"I'll explain everything to the geeks..."

"Ah don't know if yer stupid er cocky," Quicksilver shouts from the other end of the block. "Standin' out here, singin' to yerself! Tell me whar Sweet Tea is before I splatter yer guts across the street!"

"I can't let her return here, Quickdraw, you know she doesn't belong."

"Ah know her story, but she's happier here! You'd take that away for such a silly reason as not belonging?"

"Yes, I would," is my honest answer. "I offer my condolences; I'm sorry that this all had to happen to you."

"You take her away and now yer apologizing for it?" I shake my head.

"I'm sorry that she ever fell into your life. You're a good pony, so I don't think you deserve this sort of dilemma." I can't exactly read his expression from so far away, but I can tell by his silence that he's having trouble formulating his response.

"Y'all're the craziest thing to ever breath Equestrian air."

"I've said my piece, so it's time for me to go." I could have turned and walked away, but that would have been foolish. Keeping my gaze fixed on Quickdraw allows me to sidestep the azure projectile he fires out of his horn.

"Silverstar is gettin' the UCR right now. I dunno if I kin best y'all, but I think I kin hold you up fer a little while."

Just like the the fight is on.

Quickdraw lives up to his name, firing off round after round of searing shots in rapid succession. I never was very good at dodgeball, so I opted to put out my hands and form a barrier between me and the trigger happy stallion. My barrier is sturdy, but I realize it won't last forever. Deciding to take a risk, I put down the barrier.

I inhale and condense energy into my right hand, forming a neat little ball of fire. I step back to dodge another one of Quickdraw's shots by a narrow margin and then step back up and pitch the ball of energy with a smooth exhale. Quickdraw stops firing to jump clear out of the way. Just like back in Manehattan, the orb expands with a flash of green flames. Quickdraw isn't close enough to be in danger, but a nearby building is not so lucky.

It's only a small tongue of flame that reaches out and grabs the wooden structure, but it takes immediately and quickly. I can't watch as the flames spread, but only because Quickdraw has disregarded it to continue firing at me. I throw my barrier back up in order to defend myself, but I know I have only a few seconds to think up another strategy.

Luckily, somepony leans out a window and douses the fire with a bucket of water. I don't want to risk burning the city down, so I need to attack with a different spell. I only know one other way to attack with my magic, and thankfully it's given me good results in the past.

I can't wait for another lull in Quickdraw's assault, so I risk life and limb to put down the barrier. I duck an incoming shot before jumping out of the way of a shot aimed at my abdomen. I have to hand it to Quickdraw; not only is he quick but he's accurate. Without bothering to focus my breathing with my attack, I extend my hand and force magic out the old-fashioned way. The response is a crack of green lightning that jumps from my fingers to the other end of the block where Quickdraw is standing. The attack misses by a nose, but Quickdraw flinches.

This is where having two arms with five horns attached comes in handy.

I reach out with my other hand and let another bolt of green magic fly out. The bolt connects with Quickdraw's horn. His body flashes and pulses green as arcs of green energy fly from the tip of his horn and eyes. When the quick display ends, he stands at the end of the street in a daze. On the outside, he doesn't appear to have taken any damage, but on the inside he must be feeling hurt.

He attempts to charge another bolt, but I silence the attempt and any successive attempt with another bolt from my own horns. Quickdraw's legs finally gave, forcing him to collapse for the second time in a day. I dash to his side to make sure I haven't killed him. He glares up at me as I approach, throwing a long shadow over him.

"Are ya gonna finish me off?" he rasps.

"No, I'm not going to kill you. If possible, I'd like to be allies." He is silent once again, but I can tell by the look on his face that it's not because he's considering it.

"If you don't kill me, I will hunt you down and kill you. You can rip of all my limbs and tear out my guts, but as long as you don't kill me I will come after you. That's a promise, Cocoon."

There is nothing left for the two of us to say to one another. I turn and walk away from the dour scene for our battle, heading right out of town. Chrysalis comes out of her hiding place to follow me. She buzzes her little wings and flops herself over my right shoulder. We exit the town in silence and head to the place our Appleloosan troubles began.

I look over the initial message I left. It's full of earnest hope and promise, broken only by the frightened scrawling at the bottom. I reach out my hand and exhale, letting a gout of fire leap forth and singe the message into obscurity. After erasing my first message, I circle the rock and begin writing my new message.

If you can read this, you are a human, but you know that. You're in a different form than you used to be in, but you're still human. Your location on a broad scale is a country called Equestria. For those of you who know what that is, I'm sure you're excited. If you don't know what it is, just know talking ponies are the norm in these parts.

If you're looking for a place to lay your head, look no further than the quaint town located at the foot of this hill. It's called Appleloosa and the ponies here are very friendly, provided you are not a changeling. You will not find me in town for a long list of reasons, but I encourage you to visit in order to gather yourself in this new world.

Once you are ready, seek me out. We cannot stay in this world, no matter how fascinating we find it. We have homes to return to and I promise I will return you to yours safely. To find me, just look for changelings. Tell them that you are a human and I promise they will not harm you. They will bring you to me so that we can combine our efforts and get home that much faster.

Of course, there are those of you reading this who don't want to go home. Just know that I will find you and I will bring you back to Earth. There isn't a soul in this world that can save you from me, so don't try and run. I will go to any lengths to capture you, so don't resist. Make this easy on yourself and find me yourself. Any foolish attempts to try and build a home in this world will be snuffed out by me. You've been warned.

Sincerely,

Cocoon, King of the Changelings

I step back and examine my handiwork. I try and put myself in the shoes of someone reading this for themselves, but something tells me I'm biased. I'm afraid that everyone I meet will fight me like Sweet Tea did, I'm afraid that I'll have to apologize to a million Quickdraws, I'm afraid I'll endanger a thousand Braeburns, and I'm just afraid in general.

I wish this would all go away and I would wake up back home. I wish to go home as hard as I can, but I don't even know what to wish on.

11th: Tracks

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

I'm getting the hang of this flying as a pegasus thing. Even with Chrysalis on my back, we're making pretty good time back to the Hive. Granted, we could have been there a while back if I hadn't gotten so magnificently lost, but I'm not complaining. Three days was enough time for me to stop sulking about getting rejected by the first human I've come across. Plus, I'm thinking that maybe Sweet Tea's time in our dungeon has changed her mind about some things.

More than that though, I'm kind of jazzed to see if Baal finished my armor. I mean, yeah, getting home is important and stuff, but there's no reason I can't check out my cool armor. I hope it's cool because I'm not wearing it if it makes me look stupid. You think I'm joking, but I'm serious.

"I thought we'd never get here," Chrysalis sighs.

"Well, maybe if someone was a better navigator..."

"Or if someone just knew where he was going..."

We'd been arguing on and off about this since around midday on the first day. We've simply agreed to disagree.

The gaping maw of spiraling sand that marks the entrance to the changeling hive has finally come into view. A few changelings are buzzing about the entrance, forming something of a welcome wagon for Chrysalis and me. As I fly directly over the entrance, a captain and a cadre of his subordinates approach me.

"Welcome back, your majesty," he greets me. "We've been eagerly awaiting your return."

"I'm flattered. I need to talk to Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub right away," I inform the changeling.

"Very good, your majesty. We will arrange an audience, but first I have instructions to take you to the Hive Minds." I'm not shocked that the Hive Minds want to talk with me. I did kind of run off all of a sudden right after they told me there were things in the Hive that needed my attention.

"Lead the way."

"Yes, your majesty." We descend into the dark depths of the Hive. It hasn't changed one bit since I saw it last. It's still just as menacing, spacious and slimy. I mean, would it kill them to hang some pictures in the castle or something? Maybe I'll order that they hang up a Picasso or a Monet... or Picoltto and Manet. If those were actual artists here, I would not be surprised.

The changeling captain lead up the stairs of the castle until we could go no higher. I was surprised to find that the top floor of the castle was really just the roof. Immediately ahead of the stairs was a round table like you would find in a war room, but you couldn't rightly call this a war room because it technically it wasn't a room. All of our activities would be exposed to the changelings buzzing around the Hive.

"Your majesty, you've returned!" one of the Hive Minds greets me as I approach the table. All six of them stand at attention until I motion for them to be at ease with my hand. I joined the seven changelings at the table, with Chrysalis fluttering up and sitting down on the tabletop.

"So... how're things going?" That was the only question I could think to ask. I don't really know what kind of things go on in the Hive. The constant buzzing of changelings flying around assures me that it's a busy place, but I just realized I have no idea what they're doing.

"We're still in a population deficit," one of the Hive Minds informs me.

"What do you mean 'still in a population deficit'?"

"We don't have the resources to keep up with the demand for drones," another Hive Mind explains. "The Old Queen's attempt to gather love from Canterlot was a failure, so the most pressing issue at the moment is what to do next." I looked over at Chrysalis. I don't know if she's sulking because they called her "Old Queen" or because they called her plan a failure.

"So... you want me to pick the next city to try and get love from?" All the changelings at the table nodded their heads. "Look, guys, I'm not too keen on attacking ponies. Isn't there another way to get the love?"

"I'm afraid not, your majesty. We must restore our forces before they drop to an unsafe level. The Canterlot Siege set us back more than we anticipated, so we might only have one more attempt to make some headway."

"Well, that's comforting." Nobody told me I was inheriting a dying kingdom when I signed up for this, but in everyone's defense I never actually signed up for this.

"Would you like to hear the potential targets we've prepared?" a Hive Mind asks. I nod, prompting the start of a long list of cities I'd never heard of. I didn't pay much attention to the list. It was actually more like a menu than a list, considering that we were going to eat whatever we picked.

I don't want to make a decision. I have to and I probably will, but I don't want to. There are incentives to attacking a city. If the changelings are in good shape, that means I'm in good shape. It's also an excuse to look around the city for any humans that might be lurking around. Whatever incentives there might be, there is still the reality that one decision on my part could tear asunder the lives of innocent ponies. It would be great if I could avoid leaving such a big footprint on Equestria.

"What are your orders, your majesty?" If I had come here as just a pony, finding my way home would be simple. For whatever reason, I'm King of the Changelings. Kings leave footprints, it's just what they do. They leave big ones, small ones, good ones, bad ones, but they always leave them. The whole point of being in charge or putting someone in charge is so that they can change things.

People, ponies, and probably changelings all expect things to be different when a new leader takes charge. That's why back in America we have elections every four years. That's why here in Equestria Princess Celestia kicked Discord off this throne. Maybe some higher power put me in charge of the changelings because I'm supposed to make things different.

I don't want to make things different; I just want to go home.

"It doesn't make much a different to me one way or another. Quarterholm sounds like a good a place as any."

"Very good, your majesty. We can launch an invasion at once."

"... Like right now?"

"That's what 'at once' usually means," Chrysalis grumbled.

"I'd prefer to scope out the place for myself a little before we just up and invade it." As much as I'd love to just get it over with, I still need to look around for humans. Part of me also believes I could save a few good ponies from the coming disaster. There is also the possibility that the UCR is running around either in the Quarterholm or in a nearby city. "Do we have an outpost established there?"

"Yes, we have established an outpost in that town, your majesty. There should not be a problem with you visiting the city beforehand. We'll arrange for an escort to the city immediately."

"Hold your horses. There's still some stuff I gotta do here at the Hive. One of those things is talkin' to those dudes." I point to the roof entrance where Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub have appeared. I'm surprised to find that I actually recognize them. Come to think of it, I think I can pick out some subtle differences in the Hive Minds as well.

"Of course your majesty. We will go ahead and arrange your escort. Send word when you are prepared to depart." With that, the Hive Minds rise from the table and depart, allowing my good ol' buddies BB and PG to approach me.

"Plundergrub, at your service your majesty!" the changeling scout throws me a clumsy salute. Bloodbuzz opts for his usual bow.

"We've been awaiting your return, your majesty."

"How is our prisoner?" I ask.

"She's been very quiet, your majesty," Plundergrub informs me.

"She's not dead, is she? You've been feeding her, right?"

"Of course, your majesty. Aside from eating, she does very little besides lay around." I guess when you're a prisoner in the changeling Hive, you don't have much to occupy your time with. I don't know what I expected her to be doing.

"I'd like to try and speak with her."

"Because that worked so well last time," Chrysalis giggled as Plundergrub and Bloodbuzz bowed.

"Follow me, your majesty," Bloodbuzz offers before turning and heading out. Once again, I'm lead through the unfamiliar castle, but this time we head down. We go way, way down into the castle's dark bowels. Considering the deepest part of this castle goes to Tartarus, we're still pretty high up.

We got to the point where the stairs could take us no further down: the dungeon. The castle's dungeon does not look like you are probably imagining it. I'll venture to guess you're envisioning a dark, narrow passageway with barred cells on either side. That couldn't be father from the reality I was looking at.

Just like going up the stairs ended with the open roof, the bottom of the stairs led out through the exposed bottom of the castle. After a short landing, there were more stairs that spiraled down the support beam that I assumed reached all the way down to Tartarus on its hollow inside. I was lead down the spiral staircase, a journey which gave me yet another stunning view of the surrounding hive.

All along the exterior of the spire were large niches dug into the side with enough room for even me to stand up and pace around a bit in. Each was outfitted with a cot of questionable integrity, a mirror, and a bucket. All the way to Sweet Tea's cell, I wondered what kept the prisoners from simply wandering out of these niches and escaping up or down the staircase. The answer gave me a pleasant surprise with its ingenuity.

Just as Plundergrub had explained, Sweet Tea lay in a lump on her cot, separated from the rest of us by a film of changeling slime. I gave the slime barrier an experimental flick. It wobbled a good bit, but didn't show any signs of damage or loosening. There was only one tiny gap in the bottom corner, presumably for putting food in and getting the bucket out.

"I'd prefer to do this alone." Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub bow once more before departing back up the stairs. I glance of at Chrysalis, who hasn't made a move to leave. "You too."

"I think not," she insists. I guess there's no helping it.

"Sweet Tea," I call out to my prisoner. She rises from her cot and turns to look at me.

"So... you've finally come yourself," she rasps. It's frighteningly obvious that even three days in the Hive had been rough on her. There's no doubt that being torn from a dream and dropped into a nightmare will do that to someone.

"I only just got back from Appleloosa." My confession makes her eyes grow wide. She gets on her hooves and dashes towards the barrier, jumping up against it. The membrane stretches a little, almost to the point where she could touch me.

"What did you do? What did you do?!" she screams at me.

"I didn't do anything. I left Appleloosa just as I found it, if not just a little worse for wear," I assured her. My words did little to ease her worries.

"What about Quickdraw? What did you do to him?!" she shouts, even more incredulous than before.

"We had a bit of a scuffle-"

"I swear if you hu-"

I give her a rough push through the barrier, knocking her onto her back.

"Calm down! Quickdraw is just as alive as he was when you last saw him." Sweet Tea sniffles and gets back on her hooves. She doesn't look at me. With her eyes fixed on the floor of her cell, she says something very strange.

"When I get out of here, I'm going to help make sure you get taken down," she promises. For whatever reason, my eyes dart over to the mirror in her cell. "You're not going to get away with this."

"With what? Removing you from a place you don't belong?" My question brings her eyes up to mine. Her stare could burn a hole right through the cell wall and into my head, but at the same time it makes a chill run through me.

"I do belong here. You don't understand what it was like for me back on Earth."

"I'm not going to pretend I do, but just because you had it a little rough doesn't mean you can just walk away from your life. Like I said: that kind of stuff isn't supposed to happen. You don't belong here."

"No, we belong here!" I can't help but raise and eyebrow at this statement. Her own words make her draw back too. She slipped up.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. Your thinking is wrong, and therefore I must punish you." I bend down and slip my arm into the little hole.

"Cocoon? What are you doing?" Chrysalis panics, jumping over to me and tugging at my arm. She's too weak to stop me, and even as Sweet Tea retreats to the corner of her cell I have a clear shot. I inhale through my nose slowly, gathering energy into a my index finger. "Don't do it!"

I exhale sharply, making a stream of fire jump from my finger. It flies up and strikes the mirror in Sweet Tea's cell. The mirror cracks when it is impacted and whatever was holding it to the wall gives out. The small, charred glass falls to the floor and shatters. As I remove my arm from her cell, Sweet Tea gets up out of the corner and examines my handiwork with wide eyes.

"You won't be needing that. It's not like you could actually look at yourself anyway." Beside me, I hear Chrysalis let out a sigh of relief. "I'm going to find a way home, and when I do I'm going to bring you and anyone else I find with me. That's how it's going to play out."

"We all don't have lives as wonderful as yours to get back to," she mumbles just loud enough for me to hear.

"I'd love to empathize with you, but quite frankly I can't stand your attitude. When I'm convinced you'll cooperate, you can roam free." I don't wait for a response from her. I turn and start heading back up the stairs. I know it was wishful thinking to believe she had changed her mind, but I'm still disappointed. She still sees me as the bad guy.

What worries me more is the way she was talking. She didn't say "I", but "we". Maybe I'm just paranoid, but Discord did say he was out to kill me. There is no doubt in my mind that he's miffed about what I did in Appleloosa. I don't know what he's scheming, but is there any way to know what the Avatar of Chaos is thinking? When you add looking out for Discord's plot to taking care of the changeling swarm, looking for humans, and finding a way home, my juggling act is becoming a burdensome one.

"Cocoon, you should really say something before you blast stuff. You nearly gave me a heart attack." As soon as she finished her statement I whipped around and faced the princess buzzing in the air behind me.

"Why exactly did you care so much?" Chrysalis getting worked up about the well being of someone else was hard to believe, especially when that somepony was a prisoner. Before answering she snorts and rolls her eyes, a sure sign that it was not compassion that led her to try and actually physically stop me.

"After we went through all that trouble to get her, it would be a waste if you just offed her right afterwards. Besides, you'd probably use it as an excuse to leave the Hive behind and look for more." Not only are those reasonable concerns, but they fit Chrysalis to a T. "Now it's my turn for question time: why blast the mirror?"

"Discord," I reply. The look of confusion on Chrysalis's face tells me I'm going to have to elaborate. "All the times I've talked to Discord, it's been through a mirror. Discord brought her here from my world and he's out to kill me, so I was worried he might contact her and help her somehow."

"You sound paranoid," the little changeling Princess observes before flying on up the staircase past me. I shake my head and follow after her. Maybe I do sound paranoid, but I'm also better safe then sorry. Sweet Tea seemed convinced she wasn't going to be staying long in her cell. Perhaps I should order more guards to keep an eye on her. "Anything else you need to do while we're here?" Chrysalis asks.

"I wanna go see Baal about that armor. Do you think he's done by now?"

"It's been a month, so he's probably been done for a while. He works fast," Chrysalis explains as we reach the landing that leads back into the castle.

"Must be all the legs." I look around the landing for Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub, but they're nowhere in sight. Instead, there is a different changeling captain with a group of scouts accompanying him. They all throw me a coordinated salute when I approach.

"Your majesty! I have urgent news from the perimeter guards!" the captain informs me.

"That doesn't sound good. What's the news?"

"There's an airship approaching from the south. It's flying a white flag and requesting an audience with you."

"An airship? Is it Equestrian?" I question.

"Yes, your majesty. What are your orders?"

"Take me to it!" I command, marching over to the group of scouts. They automatically arrange themselves into a throne and allow me to sit down.

"At once your majesty!"

"Hold on, wait for me!" Chrysalis calls after us right as we take off without her. With her tiny little wings, she isn't able to catch up as we exit. Leaving Chrysalis behind is not what is on my mind.

This could finally be what I've been waiting for. It's possible that this airship is manned by a human or simply has one on board. They read one of my signposts and found me, just like I'd instructed. I imagine that if the airship was aggressive, it wouldn't be flying a white flag and asking to talk with me.

Flying out into the high noon sunshine, the oppressive heat of the desert hits me hard. Even in the harsh sunlight, I can see the airship in question. It appears to be on a flight path that orbits the entrance of the Hive. With the number of changelings that are now flying around the Hive entrance, I don't blame them for keeping their distance.

As we approach it, I can tell the zeppelin-like craft is very considerable in size. The ivory and gold hull could easily house several hundred ponies, but I don't know if the two large, blue balloons on either side of it could support that much weight. Atop the main hull of the ship is an open, flat plaza. Just like the changelings had told me, there is a group of armored unicorns waving white flags standing near the hatch down into the ship's interior.

My heart sinks when I see the figure accompanying the flag waving guards.

I don't wait for the chair to fly in closer. As soon as we're over the airship, I jump of and begin flapping my wings to guide my descent onto the zeppelin's smooth surface. It's a harsh landing, but I wasn't looking for a graceful entry. I half expected to get blasted by one or all three of the ponies on the deck when I arrive, but I find them all surprisingly civil. Of course, things between me and this pony never remain civil for long.

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise, Lou?" The hooded unicorn began crossing the the platform to where I stood, her long, green robe flowing behind her. I listened as my entourage of changelings took up a position behind me, but I didn't dare take my eyes of of Lou.

"We have it on good authority that you've kidnapped a pony from Appleloosa. We've come to get her back," Lou explained. She turns momentarily to her guards and gives them a nod, prompting them to return to the depths of the airship.

"Well, that is certainly interesting." I guess there had to be some sort of consequence for absconding with Sweet Tea, but it wasn't something I'd considered when I did it. I guess this is my mistake coming back to haunt me.

"I'm a reasonable mare, as you know." I can't tell if she's joking. "So if you return her to us, we will turn this ship around and go back home." She begins walking up to me, making the changelings around me land and form a protective circle. I extend my hands and signal for them to stand down.

"Leave us," I order. No objections are voiced as my minions slowly fly off, leaving me alone with Lou aboard the airship. "I didn't take her just so you could fly out here and get her back," I explain. Lou resumes sauntering up to me, her green cloak dragging behind her.

"Well, no one really knows why you took her. Her friends, her neighbors, not even her fiancee could give a possible motive behind the kidnapping. I will admit, though, that it was a well thought out plan. All that for one mare. I'd love to get the full story from you," she confesses, walking past me to the bow of the ship. She turns her back to me and stares out over the empty desert.

"Is that so? Quickdraw didn't tell you why I took her?"

"Like I said, the fiancee didn't know why you'd take her away." There are two distinct possibilities in this situation: either Lou is lying and Quickdraw did tell her or Quickdraw lied and Lou really doesn't know. Either way, I don't see the harm in telling the truth.

"Sweet Tea and I are the same: we're not originally from this world." Lou stood fast, not even turning to acknowledge what I'd just said. All in all, she's acting very strange.

I feel very uncomfortable and I know something is wrong. Even if I can trounce Lou in one on one combat, she's no pushover in the brains department. She's off her rocker and intelligent, a deadly combination. She's also incredibly confident today. She sent her guards away, she approached me without hesitation, and to top it all of she isn't keeping her eyes on me. She's probably got a great poker face under that hood.

"Interesting, go on," she urges me.

"There really isn't much else to say. I don't belong here, she doesn't belong here, and there is a handful of other people out there who don't belong here. Contrary to whatever you think, I'm just looking for a way back home. I'd rather not have the whole of Equestria as my enemy, but rather I'd like to ask them for help," I plead with her. She goes silent again for a few seconds, before she finally turns and faces me.

"Okay, let's say I believe your story. Is everything you've done really to help you get home?" Her question puts me in a corner.

"Even if I want to go home, there are other things I have to do as King of the Changelings, things I'm forced to do because of everypony's attitudes towards changelings. I'm doing my best not to leave a mark on this world."

"... Is that so?" I watch as a bandaged hoof reaches out from Lou's cloak. She undoes the fastener on the front, letting the hood and heavy cover go slack. A gust of wind catches it and carries her concealment away, revealing what lay beneath. Wearing a smaller, lighter green cape with the same golden vine embroidery, the mare before me was very, very different from the one I met in Manehattan.

My eyes instantly fell upon the gruesome burns that covered her body. I could tell the scarring was particularly bad on her hindquarters, but her right hoof, the left half of her face, and her chest were covered by bandages. I could only imagine the extensive damage beneath them. The scarring around her visible eye made her violet gaze seem more intense. Her mane was shorter and drawn up into a tail, but I could tell her actual tail was probably singed off for good.

"Trying not to 'leave a mark', huh? I don't believe anything you've said, not for a second." She continues to drill into my skull with her stare. "Now, either return your prisoner or suffer the consequences," Lou demands, delivering her ultimatum.

I'm still too hung up on what I'm seeing to give her my response. So far I'd managed to avoid killing anypony, but it seems there are more ways than murder to leave a mark on this world. I wrack my brain for an excuse for what I've done. Lou is my enemy, but she's a resident of this world who should've never had to deal with me in the first place. This is a direct result of my actions. I didn't have to fire a parting shot. I didn't have to stop her attack. I didn't have to ruin her operation with the Sphinx.

I was too naive. I won't escape this world without leaving footprints.

"My prisoner isn't going anywhere. I won't yield on that point." Lou titters and begins making her way back to the ship's interior.

"I'm a little glad things turned out this way. I'll look for you on the battlefield," she threatens before disappearing. It doesn't take long for the swarm that accompanied me to descend and aid me back into the air. Lou's word's keep ringing in my head as I watch her ship change course for a point on the desert horizon.

I strain my eyes a bit when I think I see something other than sand out on the horizon.

"... Captain..."

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Alert the Hive. We're about to come under attack."

"Yes, your majesty!" the changeling captain barks before our whole group picks up the pace back into the Hive. Before we descent into it's depths, I take one last look back at the horizon. Not counting Lou's airship, there are three, larger ships making their way towards the whirlpool of sand.

12th: Fight/Flight

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

I have a question for you: have I been asking for this? Did it seem like somewhere deep inside me all I wanted was to tear the lives of Equestrian citizens asunder? Hasn't all my aggression been in my own defense? Haven't I refrained from losing control and acting out? Did I mean to bring war to Equestria?

I'd like to see Discord tell me that this is order. I'd really love for him to justify all this. I can't do it. I can't put a positive spin on this. I don't see a silver lining on this cloud. I can't see a light at the end of a tunnel. If I win, I lose any chance I have at forming an alliance with the citizens of Equestria. If I lose, I'm dead.

Once again, I've been unwillingly and suddenly thrown into a situation where there is no right decision to make. Ponies will die, changelings will die, and I might die. This isn't a back alley brawl. This isn't a skirmish I can run away from. This is an all out war.

The Equestrian forces have several distinct advantages. They've got airships, four of them to be exact. They no doubt have competent commanders on board those airships, ready to evaluate the situation and issue proper orders. Each and every one of their soldiers is well trained, well fed, and well motivated.

In order to determine what our advantages might be, I find myself in an impromptu audience with the Hive Minds in the main hall of the castle.

"Based on the reports we're receiving, we do not possess the swarm power for a full frontal assault," one of the changelings informs me. My eyes dart to the activity taking place right outside the castle windows. The air is even thicker with buzzing as changelings scramble to prepare for the coming battle. From what Chrysalis explained to me back in Appleloosa during one of our many lessons, they were waking up the mindless drones so they could fly out and attack.

Drones wake up hungry, so their first instinct is to go feed. The drones that manage to feed and survive the battle will live on and become smarter, self-aware scouts. The Hive Minds were not optimistic about the chances of many drones surviving.

"This is going to hurt us, your majesty," I am warned. "Our numbers will not last a drawn out battle."

"Okay, so we'll just have to end it quick. Any ideas?" The seven Hive Minds just stared blankly up at me.

"That's not really their area," Chrysalis buzzed up and whispered in my ear.

"Excuse me." Our entire company turns and cranes our necks to look at the scout standing at a rigid salute behind me. "We've got confirmed identities of the Equestrian Airships."

"Well, feel free to fill us in," I implore him. The changeling nods and bows, something I wish they'd just stop doing. I think in an urgent situation, formalities can be dropped for the sake of efficiency.

"Yes, your majesty. The airship company is as follows: Snow Singer of the Forty Third Pegasus Troop, Cherished Victory of the Fifteenth Unicorn Brigade, and Cradle III for the General Infantry. Their flagship is The Queen Harmony of the Royal Guard." I take a moment to process the information. I recognize the group of unicorns and the group of pegasi that Lou lead and I assume General Infantry is just a term for regular earth pony ground forces. I can't pin down what the last one might be.

"Queen Harmony, the Royal Guard? Aren't they all royal guards?" I ask, turning to Chrysalis and the Hive Minds. Before I get an answer, I take note of the concerned looks on the faces of the Hive Minds. Chrysalis suddenly flies up in my face and locks eyes with me.

"The Queen Harmony isn't just the flagship out there, but the flagship for the entirety of the Equestrian Royal Army! Do you know what that means?" she yells.

"... Uh... we're in trouble?" I guess.

"Big trouble. That airship doesn't go up without permission from Celestia herself and it's always crawling with elites! You do realize that Celestia herself could be on board!"

My blood goes cold as I take an involuntary breath. I just stare at Chrysalis as she glares back at me. I don't see her. All I can see is the bright sun glaring against the desert sands. All I can feel is the hot, dry wind raking across my face. If Celestia awaits outside the Hive, this isn't a fight for us but a walk to the scaffold. We're going to be crushed like bugs.

"Negative, your majesty. We have already confirmed Celestia is not aboard the Queen Harmony." All at once I reclaim my bodily functions and set my train of thoughts back into its tracks.

"Are you sure?" Chrysalis questions the scout.

"Absolutely. She was not present among the commanders on deck."

"Not on deck with the commanders? She is pretty hooves-on... I guess she wouldn't sit out of a strategy meeting," she confirms, burying the last of my anxieties about squaring off against Equestria's monarch. I heave a sigh and compose myself before turning back to the Hive Minds.

"Would I be right to guess we don't have an airship?"

"Yes, your majesty. Our previous flagship was destroyed in Canterlot," a Hive Mind explained. I'm not sure what I would want to do with it if we had one, but I'd feel like our forces were more prepared to fight if we had one.

With all the cards on the table, I could surmise only one viable strategy.

"Alright, all the Equestrian forces want is the return of one prisoner. They probably don't want to sustain too many casualties over one pony, so we've got to punch a hole in them to make them lose the will to fight. We've got to do it before they find out we don't have the resources for a drawn-out battle. There's only one way I can see us achieving that goal: we've got to cripple their flagship. I don't really care how it's done, but that ship has to decide to turn back. If we can send it down, that'd work too, but I have my doubts about that actually happening. Are my orders clear?" Fourteen wings flare and seven hooves rise into sharp salutes.

"Yes, your majesty!" All seven of the Hive Minds answer in unison.

"Then go!" I command them. Without another bow or utterance of a pleasantry, they take off. As I watch them go, I feel Chrysalis alight upon my head. "Looks like it's time to go see Baal."

"What for?" she grumbled.

"What for? My armor, of course. I need every advantage I can get," I inform her.

"You're going out there... to fight?"

"Of course I am! What did you expect me to do?" I ask her.

"... Good point. I'm going with you." I don't bother arguing with her this time. No hero can go into battle without their annoying sidekick. Well, I guess they can, but it's just not the same.

The descent into Tartarus is just as dark as I remember it. When I reach the bottom of the darkest of darks, the bonfires ignite and illuminate Baal's graveyard of a forge. I'm surprised to see there is actually a large number of live changelings accompanying him.

"Hey Baal, did you hear the news?" I try and start off on a light note, but an eight-eyed glare tells me my humor isn't well timed.

"Even the otherworldly King makes light of war. I presume you didn't come here for idle prattle." I feign a cough and nod. "Before I arm you, you must be made aware of what exactly will happen when you put on this armor. This is not a coat of metal forged from foreign metals. This is not something that is separate from you. This armor shares your DNA and, as long as you wear it, it will be an extension of your body... no, truly a part of your body. Wearing it means you will burn more energy than usual and the armor's benefits will be outweighed by that fact if it is worn for extended periods of time without feeding."

"What are the benefits?" I hesitate to ask, but only because I just want to get on with it and see what the armor looks like.

"You will be more resistant to damage, your strength will triple, and your body's magical efficiency will rise dramatically," Baal explains.

"Magical efficiency?" I question. Chrysalis gets her answer in before Baal can reply.

"You will be able to do more with less magic."

"Oh... so I'll be literally more efficient at using magic?"

"That is correct." Baal raises one of his massive legs, signaling the changelings around me to jump into action. Without a word of warning, a group of them hoists me a few feet off the ground. Others begin swarming me, holding pieces of steely blue metal with them. "Other than the armor draining your energy, there are a few other setbacks. You'll be much to heavy to fly on your own and transforming will be impossible?"

"I can't really fly already, but no transforming?" I protest as a changeling tears off my vest. "Whoa, whoa! Watch it!" I reprimand him, but the entire group of them just continues working. I watch as they clamp the first pieces of ridged armor to my feet.

"Not impossible, but the sheer amount of magical energy required to change such a rigid, magical construction makes it impractical. A changeling's body is magically unstable by nature, so think of using this armor as a way to 'stablize'." By now the changelings have outfitted me from sabaton to fauld. They clamp a ridged cuirass sporting six green gemstones onto my torso.

Already I can feel the change taking place. I feel heavier, but lighter in a sense. Heavier because I'm bigger and bulkier, but lighter because I'm much, much stronger. When the changelings slip to cocoon-like gauntlets over my arms, the transformation feels practically complete. My actual hands fade from my senses. Instead, I find I'm able to wiggle the jagged fingers at the end of my gauntlets as if they were my own fingers. I can feel magic pulse through them which each breath I take.

True completion only arrives when my helmet is placed on my head. With it's wide brim and bug-like antennas, I didn't think its placement on my head would change much. As soon as it was on though, I felt the rest of my helmet extend itself and wrap around my face with several tendrils ending with teeth. A visor descended from the helmet and covered my eyes. The physical transformation wasn't even the most dramatic part.

As soon as the helmet clamped its own "mouth" over mine, we began to breath as one being. I used breathing as a means to control my magic, but with the addition of the armor my breathing and my magic became intertwined on an extremely intimate level. I breathed in magic and I exhaled it. Magic cycled through ever ounce of my body. As the armor drew out my magic, it brought the deepest and most inaccessible parts of it right to the surface. I thought that if I sneezed, I would explode.

"That's... that's quite the change."

"It's a little frightening, isn't it?" Chrysalis asks, flying up so I can look at her face to face.

"Honestly, yeah." I'll admit it: I was super psyched up until the point the changelings actually started putting the armor on me. The prospect of going to war, going to battle, became all too real. I've had altercations before, but this is nothing like those. If I knock a pegasus out of the sky, I'll still have hundreds more to deal with. If I blast a unicorn away, several more will try to blast me. I've said it so many times, but now it's not just something I've said.

I have to go out there and fight.

"Let's do this before I lose the nerve." On my command, I'm plunged back into darkness as the changelings swarm me. The trip to the surface happens all to quickly. The changelings part, allowing me to see the battle unfolding over the desert.

"... Dang." I can curse only once before the sights and sounds render me speechless. Gold and black clash against one another in every packet of airspace available. Flocks of pegasi attempt again and again to get into the airspace directly above and around the Hive, but the high concentration of changelings right over the pit is making it nearly impossible. The four airships are advancing towards the opening at a cautious pace. Unlike when I saw them earlier, each ship has a protective barrier surrounding it. Even without the barriers, the density of pegasi near the ships is obviously impeding any changeling attempt to break through.

The battle has only just begun, and there is no clear sign as to who will be victorious. I know that time is not on our side, so I'll have to act quickly.

"Your majesty!" I'm surprised to see Bloodbuzz hovering just a few feet from me with two other changeling captains. "Our swarms are having trouble getting to The Queen Harmony. Equestrian forces are too heavily focused in the surrounding airspace and the barrier is exceedingly powerful. What are you orders?" I wrack my brain for orders.

"Which ship has the fewest pegasi around it?"

"Cherished Victory, your majesty; however, there are a large number of unicorns on board."

"We've got to force the pegasi around the Queen Harmony to split and aid the Cherished Victory. I don't know if it will work, but taking down the Cherished Victory couldn't hurt our chances either. Take me to it."

"Yes, your majesty!" Bloodbuzz and his two associates throw me a set of salutes. As the swarm carrying me begins to move towards the battle. I feel like I've just stepped onto a rollercoaster. I've got a knot in my stomach the size of Texas. I have to calm down. I close my eyes and just focus on my breathing.

"Pegasi incoming!" My eyes snap open at Bloodbuzz's exclamation. My panic spikes. I reach out with my hand and let out a primal roar. Even I'm blinded momentarily by the literal thunderstorm that erupts from my palm. When I'm able to see again, I don't see any pegasi. I look down, but all I see is a blanket of changelings. I'm made aware of exactly how many changelings are in my company, and it's a heck of a lot of changelings.

"Excellent work, your majesty." I'm not sure who said it, but I'm congratulated on my attack. I hadn't meant to do anything. I'm not even sure what I did.

Actually, I know what I did: I attacked the enemy. I attacked them and took them out. I'm not sure if they're dead, dying, or wishing for death. My brain tells me to feel some sort of remorse, but my own selfish desire to survive is able to override my conscious. Mourning and regret can follow this battle.

"Your majesty, we are over the Cherished Victory! What are your orders?" I take a cautious look straight down, confirming that we are right above the enormous aircraft.

"How do we get through the barrier? Just break it?"

"Yes, your majesty. Should we scatter the swarm and send some drones down to work on penetration?" I take a look around the airspace. Pegasi are already circling underneath our ebony cloud. I only have one crazy idea.

"Keep the pegasi off of me. I'm going to see what this armor can do." I step off my platform and into the air before I lose my nerve. I've fallen once or twice before, but never like this. As I fall towards the ship, streaks of gold, white, black, and green fly all around me. The translucent barrier draws closer to me, protecting the white zeppelin like an egg protects its yoke.

I hoist my hands skyward and clench them together. I concentrate and begin gathering energy into them, a task I accomplish with extreme ease. I feel the massive waves of energy try and escape from between my fingers and I end up using more of my concentration to keep the swelling mass of electric energy from blowing me to pieces. It's far more energy than I've ever had to hold on to, and I begin losing control. A breach in my concentration causes a leak of energy in the form of a flame-like explosion that throws me into an aerial somersault. Everything turns into a blur as I tumble aimlessly through the air.

For a brief second, I hit something fists first. There's a green flash, the sound of glass shattering, and then more falling. This fall, while extremely chaotic, did not last near as long. I crashed right onto my back. I lay there, for a second or two, just looking up at the trajectory of my journey. The whole thing probably lasted fifteen seconds in all, but that was still enough time to see my life flash before my eyes.

The skies above me are still filled with fighting, but there is a gaping hole in the barrier around the Cherished Victory. After realizing that Baal wasn't kidding when he said I'm nearly indestructible now, I stiffly get up and dust myself off. I wish I could say the fall didn't hurt, but an impact that makes a dent in a solid,steel surface is bound to damage whatever made it.

"Don't move changeling scum!" Despite the warning, I go ahead and turn around to face the armored unicorn who had just called me out. He is accompanied by more guards than I care to count. "Surrender or die!" I've got a bit of a headache from landing so hard, so having somepony yell at me is not at all what I want right now.

"You do know who you're talking to... right? I'm a King of sorts."

"King Cocoon the Liar!" one of the guards shouts.

"Alright buddy, I really don't like that name."

"You're a liar and a thief!" another guard yells.

"King Cocoon, taker of mares and destroyer of towns!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! At least one of those is completely unfounded," I retort.

"He never spares anypony his wrath!" The guards begin to close in on me.

"You're right! We shouldn't extend him that same courtesy!"

"Down with the Liar!" somepony shouts. I grip my ringing head with a hand.

"End his cruel rule!" another one yells.

"Burn him!"

"Squash him!"

"Kill him!"

"Shut up!" The simple act of swiping my claws towards them as I yell brings forth a stupendous result. Each of my fingers throws out a gout of searing, green flames. Flames sweep entire deck of the Cherished Victory and knock the approaching unicorns off their hooves and away from me. The aftermath of the attack leaves me as the only thing standing on the deck. I stare down at the ghastly scorch mark my spell left.

I focus for a moment and gauge how much energy I have left. Appleloosa left me with the largest store of energy I ever gathered, but between attacking those pegasi, breaking the barrier, the stunt I'd just pulled, and the suits constant drain I wad down to only half of what I originally had.

"I can't be so reckless," I mumble to myself.

"Hey!" I turn about and see a familiar face fluttering down towards me.

"Hey, PC! Where have you been?" I ask her, putting on an air that I was perfectly okay. She grunted and glared right through me.

"I got tangled up in the swarm. I just managed to escape when I saw you just jump off like a complete idiot! You're supposed to let the swarm do the stupid, dangerous stuff!"

"Speaking of the swarm, where are they? Why haven't they come through the hole yet?"

"Don't move changeling scum!" Before I can get an answer, we're interrupted by yet another unicorn guard. Chrysalis sets up shop on top of my helmet and speaks to me.

"The swarm can't get to it! When the Queen Harmony's forces saw you attacking, they sent a more pegasi to assist."

"Cool! My plan worked!" I cheer. Chrysalis pounds my helmet with a little hoof, an act that sends a rattle of pain through my poor brain.

"You may have helped our chances at getting at the Queen Harmony, but now you are stuck on this tub!" Chrysalis points out.

"Stand down changeling!"

"Might as well make the best of a bad situation. Let's see if we can't turn the Cherished Victory into No Victory." I pluck Chrysalis from my head and free her into the air. "Go get someone in charge and tell them what I'm up to."

"Hey, are you listening to me!" the unicorn at the other end of the deck shouts. I extend my hand and take a cautious breath, causing electricity to jump from finger to finger.

"You want me to go back out there alone?" Chrysalis complains.

"You got here just fine, I'm willing to bet you'll get out just fine. Now hurry and go," I command her as I face the guard and the ship's entrance. I concentrate hard, keeping the dancing electricity at a tame level.

"Fine, but I'm coming right back once I get help!"

With her final, determined declaration, she buzzes off towards the hole in the barrier. I stride towards the guard, who despite all his yelling hasn't sprung into action yet. When I get closer, he shies away and bars the doorway that leads down into the ship's hull.

"Uh-uh hum... su-surrender?" he stutters. While I try to riddle out why he hasn't turned tail and screamed for help, he swallows hard. "L-look... I'm just here t-to fix the barrier. I don't want trouble..."

"I can relate." The energy in my hand leaps out and strikes the poor guard. He flashes green and sparks once before grunting and falling to the ground. With the one obstacle out of my way, I duck down and descend the stairs into the depths of the ship. "Whoa, fancy."

The interior of the ship is furnished like a palace. Between the red carpet and the marble pillars, it's like a flying palace. It even comes complete with guards.

"Get all free hooves up here! Protect the Commander! Let's move!" Unicorn guard after unicorn guard begins filing into the hallway. Before I can formulate a plan of action, I'm staring down at least ten charged horns.

"... Okay, this hardly seems fair."

"Fire!" The gold and blue flash nearly blinds me. I only have enough time to put up my arms in defense. The magic hits my armored forearms like a barrage of dodge-balls. I can feel the large amount of magical energy that's flying at me, but warding it off is a simple task. The assault is relentless, but I take an experimental step forward.

I can't understand the unicorns over the din of their attacks, but I can hear somepony barking off more orders. I feel shots impact my legs as they try and stop my advancing, but I still press on. I spread my forearms enough to look through and determine that I'm not too far from the line of attacking unicorns. Sensing that I'm in no immediate danger, I extend a finger and let a bolt of energy jump onto one of the unicorns in the front line. After dropping the first unicorn, I extend my entire right arm and allow a chorus of bolts to leap forth. The fire fight continues as fresh unicorns replace the ones I retire, but the tides were looking more in my favor.

"Hold him off boys!" the unicorn in charge shouts. "Put up a barrier! Don't let him through!" As ordered, the guards switch tactics. The front line puts up a golden shield while half the back line reaches out with their magic to halt my progress. I try and zap their barrier away, but every bolt just glances off. Their attempts to stop me, however, are not as successful. "Stop him, stop him!" the head guard shouts as I get close enough to put my hand on their barrier. I give it a few experimental knocks.

"Don't worry, I'll let myself in." I pull my right arm back and take a deep breath in through my nose. One sharp exhale later, the barrier grows a spiderweb crack under my fist. In one more fluid motion, I slam the same spot with a left jab. The magical barrier shatters like a pane of glass, creating a fist sized hole.

"Everypony on the barrier! Keep him out!" The firing and the pushing come to a sudden stop, but the barrier's hole starts to close up at an alarming rate.

"Not happening!" I stick my claws through what's left of the hole and pull. My intention was to pull the hole apart, but I end up slicing a tear right through the golden wall with each of my fingers. Even more of the barrier falls to shreds and I continue slashing at the openings.

"No, no, no!" I lift my foot and step through the barrier. The unicorns try and close the barrier around me as I come through, but as soon as my hand crosses over their fates are sealed.

"That's enough out of you," I gripe before taking a pot shot at the unicorn in charge. The rest of the unicorns are thrown into a panic, but not as much of one as I'd hoped.

"Let's get him!" Their organized assault turns into a chaotic charge. The gutsiest, or stupidest, of the guards charges ahead of the others with his long horn pointed at me. All it takes is one right cross to redirect his charge into the wall. I backhand the next charger with the same hand before soldier kicking him right in the chest. The crowd of unicorns grows denser behind their fallen comrades.

"For Celestia!" somepony shouts, prompting two unicorns to charge right at me in tandem. I reach out and slam their helmets together before they reach me, but the attack allows a third unicorn to get around to my left flank. The armored stallion bucks me good right in the side, an attack that sends me crashing into one of the marble pillars.

My armor keeps the blow from crushing me, but I still have to jump out of the way as two more unicorns try to impale me with their horns. The first bangs his head into the pillar, leaving me to stop his friend with a side kick to the left side of his face. I keep my leg up and thrust the sword of my foot into the unicorn who had failed to hit me, toppling him into another stallion before he could charge me.

The pony who managed to buck me reappears next to me, but this time I notice him before he can crush me against the wall. I manage to step out out of the way before his armored hooves slam into me, so I seize the opportunity and tuck his hind legs into my side with my right arm. I give him a sharp chop to the back of the head before letting him slump onto the floor.

I glance around the hallway. Unicorns have managed to gather on both my exit route and my route forward. There are still a lot of them and not many of me. Now would be a great time for changelings to come storming in all of a sudden, but the general lack of buzzing in my ears told me that wasn't going to happen in time. Instead, I traced the path of my breath in with my hands, cradling the air just below my shoulders.

"What's he doing?" somepony asks before I thrust my palms towards either end of the hallway and release my breath. Twin tongues of fire leap from my hands, turning the entire hallway into a green furnace. In the ensuing chaos, I make a dash down the hallway. The unicorns unfortunate enough to end up directly in my path are knocked aside or kicked down while they try to figure out what had just happened. I get out of the initial hallway and arrive at the first fork in my path.

"Okay... if I were an airship Commander, where would I hole up?" There's a placard in front of me with arrows on me, but I can't read what it says. Chrysalis managed to teach me a little about Equestrian language back in Appleloosa, but I could do little more than identify letters of their alphabet. "I go... down... maybe? I wish I had a better sign than this."

"There he is!" I look down the right fork as one of three guards shouts in my direction.

"Works for me," I grumble before dashing down the hallway to meet them. The first one takes a shot at me, so I hug the left wall to avoid getting hit. The unicorns run at me in a "V" formation, still shouting all about how they're going to take me down. I snare the end of the V closest to me by grabbing him by his cuirass. I guide the galloping stallion in an arc and slam him right into the wall, but I end up with my back turned to his friends. Both stallions barge their shoulders into me and smash me into the wall. The impact jars me and makes my headache return in full force. With a grunt of effort, I push off the wall and out from in between the the two guards. Before they can turn about, I grab them around the necks and shove them into the wall. They slump over and join their groaning friend on the floor.

I continue my journey through the innards of the Cherished Victory. As I get closer and closer to my destination, I encounter more and more guards. Each skirmish finishes a little faster and I get out with fewer scratches. I'm getting used to being in the armor, and I'm glad for it too. As I toss aside a shrieking guard, I stare down the mahogany doors that stand between me and the Commander of the Cherished Victory. The same pony who lead the unicorn group that supposedly had been hoof picked by Celestia herself to impede my shenanigans. If I add this pony to Lou and Summitplunge, I will have the trifecta of ponies who want me dead. I really wished my swarm was around to back me up.

"I guess it's time for another meet and greet with a sworn enemy." I compose myself before kicking in the door and storming into the room. "Alright! Let's settle... this?"

"AaaaaAaaah! D-d-d-don't come any closer, p-please!" I blink once or twice to make sure the unicorn I'm looking at is really the unicorn I think it is. There, hiding behind a bar in full, golden regalia, is Prince Blueblood. "I-if you hurt me, y-you will hear from my aunts!" His threat, while juvenile and cowardly, did strike a chord with me. I magic the door shut and lock it.

"Yikes, I didn't finger you as the military type Blueblood. What brings you to the hunt to kill me?" I ask him. He ducks even further behind the bar.

"I-I-I don't care what you do in backwater towns like Appleloosa or Manehattan! As long as you st-stay out of my mane!" He squeals a bit when the ship lurches momentarily.

"Fair enough, but you're here to get my prisoner back anyway. You lead the Fifteenth Unicorn Brigade, right?" Blueblood's shaky head nods. "That means you're part of this wacky Anti-Changeling force Lou and Princess Celestia put together. Care to explain?"

"It wasn't my idea! You have to believe me!" he pleads. "Auntie insisted I get some 'real' combat experience, so she thought helping that madmare would be a good experience!"

"... So... you're telling me you and all your little soldiers don't get out much?" All it took was one nod of the Prince's head to make me realize how I'd just stormed this entire airship by my lonesome: Prince Blueblood and his cronies are a bunch of pushovers. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Cherished Victory hasn't seen even a narrow victory."

"No! We've been in some principle battles!" Blueblood says. I pokes his head up from hiding only momentarily. "We were... there," he says in retreat. The terms "PX Rangers" and "beer hall budomen" came to mind.

"Well, I didn't come here to discuss your military prowess. The barrier around the ship, put it down." Blueblood shrank behind his hiding spot until I could only see his horn.

"...N-no..."

"Excuse me? Was that a 'no?'" I plodded over to where he was and slammed by hands onto the bar. The ship rocked once more, this time with enough vigor to send a few bottles of liquor crashing onto the floor and spilling their crimson contents across the floor. Blueblood didn't respond, or at least I don't think he responded. Somewhere in his whimpering there may have been a reply, but I couldn't hear it.

"Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat." I reached out and touched the end of Blueblood's horn with my index finger. After a moment's exploration of his mind, I cast my spell and bind him to my will. The ease with which the task is complete is indicative of his stupidity. At least the results are instantaneous. Blueblood gets up and stands at attention. Now that he's serious, he almost looks intimidating.

"Alrighty, now let's get tha-" Before I can finish my order, the ship rocks more violently than ever. I had chalked it up to nothing before, but now I want to know what's going on. "Are there windows in here? I want to see what's going on!" With a flick of his horn, Blueblood raises all the curtains in the room and allows me to get a very good view of what's going on outside.

"Hey Blueblood, what does that say?"

"Cradle III." I just stared out at the enormous airship looming just outside the window. The barriers around the Cradle III and the Cherished Victory had somehow become intertwined with one another. At the point of intersection, the they opened up into one another without opening up to the outside. Changelings swarmed around the outside, but I watched as pegasi streamed in through the hole.

"Aww, shrimp! Blueblood! Put the barrier down!" No sooner had I ordered it than Blueblood made it so. I watched as white fissures spread across the translucent, blue surface until the whole thing shattered. In place of the blue, black began to swarm in. "Ah-ha! Progress!"

I wasn't celebrating for very long. As pegasi and changelings clashed in the air, I noticed a peculiar group of pegasi approaching the windows at high speed. As I looked closer, I noticed both pegasi were carrying a pony each with them.

"... Hey Blueblood, how sturdy are these windows?" Before Blueblood could answer, a shot of silver and a shot of blue impacted the window and shattered it. I jumped backwards as a troop of familiar faces swooped into the room.

"... Okay, what the heck are you?" Summitplunge points a hoof in my direction.

"Oh, come now Plunger. Don't you recognize your old buddy King Cocoon?" I asked. I turned back and called to Blueblood. "We have company Blueblood. Pour the cognac!"

"Cut the manure, Cocoon. Either surrender or allow us to kill you," Lou says, her cape flowing in the wind.

"Why hurry? You have time, I have time, let's play a little catch-up." I held out my hand as Blueblood levitated a glass of amber liquid into my hand. "I see that leg of yours healed up awfully nice Summitplunge. It's hard for me to believe you're so keen on getting injured again."

"It'll be different this time," he replied. I shifted my gaze over to the other unicorn in the room.

"What's the matter Quickdraw? Got tired of Appleloosa? Joined the army? Nice armor by the way."

"Where's Sweet Tea?" the stallion asked.

"It would be better if you just forgot about her." I turned my attention to the other pegasus in the room. "Alright, who's bug eyes over here?" The armored stallion, who had just been staring at me wide-eyed the whole time, snapped back to attention.

"Sparrow... I'm Sparrow." I looked him over a little more. Unlike the other pegasi, he wasn't white coated and blue maned. Instead, he was red coated with a distinctive, orange mane.

"So, Sparrow, is this like your initiation into the 'We Hate Cocoon Club'? What brings you here?" He hesitates before he answers to look me up and down a few more times. "Well?"

"I'm here with the Royal Guard!" he exclaimed. I noted the spear fashioned to his back.

"I see. What about me has got your feathers rustled? Or perhaps you're just a true Equestrian patriot." Sparrow hesitates once more, scanning me once more. He finally shakes his head and gives me a stern look.

"I love Equestria." The three words are carefully articulated. "I can't let you endanger it."

"You see, that's where your knowledge is flawed!" I throw down the glass in my hand. It shatters and stains the carpet. "I'm not a danger to Equestria; I'm here for Equestria's benefit!"

"You're completely off your rocker," Summitplunge says. I just shrug.

"Anyone in my position would go a little crazy," I reply.

"I've had just about enough of you." Lou takes a step towards me. "You're no more beneficial for Equestria than Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, or Discord. As an agent of disharmony and chaos, it's our duty as Celestia's servants to return things to normal."

"Fine, you want normal?" I ask. I clap my hands, summoning Blueblood to my side. "I'll tell you what normal is! Normal is when a group of foolish ponies attacks the Changeling Hive and subsequently get pummeled by the Changeling King!"

I don't screw around with my first strike. As I slash the air before me, fire jumps from each of my fingertips to create searing streaks of green energy. The four ponies split, avoiding the wall of fire however they can. Summitplunge manages to corkscrew through a gap in my attack and fly at me head on. I though I was about to get pegasi'd in the face, but a bolt of blue from Blueblood knocked the pegasus askew.

Even after that close call, I didn't have time to relax. A volley of silver and blue shots began flying at me. Blueblood quickly erected a barrier, but the intensity and speed of Quickdraw and Lou's attacks formed cracks across its surface. The final straw was Sparrow striking the wall with his spear, splitting it clean down the middle. The attack left him wide open.

I wrapped my hand around his neck and twisted my body around. I released him and set him into an uncontrolled flight into the shelves of liquor. He slammed into it with enough force to bring a hail of bottles cascading down.

"My, my, you can tell he's new to fighting me," I noted while retreating with Blueblood, seeing as our means of defense had disappeared completely. We were quickly pursued by Summitplunge, who darted over us and then looped back towards our front. I launched a fist to greet the pegasus, but I failed to hit home. Summitplunge managed to bank out of the way, but his new heading took him away from us. I took an offensive swipe at him with my claws, but his flying prowess proved too much for me once more. I didn't even manage to rend the breeze he left in his wake.

There was still the problem of Lou and Quickdraw. Blueblood was managing to fend for himself with smaller, temporary barriers and my armor compensated for all the hits I was taking. I finally decided to retaliate, extending my index finger and letting a bolt of lighting fly. Lou and Quickdraw ceased firing to avoid the attack, but the moment's reprieve changed the name of the game. Blueblood and I kept letting attacks fly, forcing our opponents to keep their heads down as we moved into cover behind a fainting couch. As soon as we were in cover, we got bombarded by another volley of shots.

"I need a break right about now." I winced as a shot broke through the back of the couch and nailed me in the shoulder. "Well, I guess you gotta make your own miracles." I grabbed the couch and began to push it back from where we came. I wasn't exactly sure of my heading, but one glance through the hole told me all I needed to know.

"Quickdraw, look out!" Lou called. Quickdraw twisted his head and looked up from his cover just in time to watch me flip the couch on top of him. I stuck two fingers in the hole and shocked him through a direct touch. "That's it!" I cocked my head to see Lou charging me with her horn ablaze. Summitplunge came out from his hiding place to charge, but Blueblood made him retreat with a few quick shots.

"C'mon Lou, you're supposed to be smarter than this!" All I have to do is lunge forward and grab Lou. The mare's torso fits neatly in my armored grip. Before she can discharge whatever she had cooking in her horn, I gave her a sharp shock of energy. She let out a single cry of agony before falling unconscious in my grip.

"No!" Summitplunge erupted from his hiding spot this time, barreling right into Blueblood and knocking him flat on his back. "Let her go!" he shouted before wheeling around to hit me. I took a step back towards the windows and narrowly dodged his attack.

"Let her go?" I extended my arm and held Lou out the window. I didn't hold her there very long. Summitplunge's eyes went wide as her form disappeared from view. "It's funny: she would probably want you to stay here and kill me." Whether or not he heard me, Summitplunge made the choice I expected him to. I didn't even have to move out of his way as he dashed out the window and after Lou.

"Well, I guess we can move on to the next item on our agenda." I turned back to Blueblood who had dutifully gotten back on his feet. "Goodness, Blueblood. You're a lot more together when you're under my control."

"Yeah, I didn't think that was the same Blueblood from the Grand Galloping Gala." I looked over at the bar where Sparrow had managed to get back on his hooves. His spear was already poised and ready, but he didn't make a single move.

"You went to the Grand Galloping Gala with him?" I asked. Sparrow shook his head.

"I watched him." To say a lightbulb went off in my head would betray the sense of dread his confession placed in me.

"... You mean you're-" Sparrow interrupts me before I can finish.

"You're human, aren't you?" I nod my head. "Should have figured."

"Was it the hands?" I ask, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Sparrow's brow furrows as he glares over at me.

"No, I was just thinking it would take a human to cause trouble on this scale."

"Hey, hey, hey! I didn't ask for y'all to come down here and attack. You wanna know why I kidnapped that mare?" Sparrow neither nodded or shook his head. He remained as silent as a stone. "She's like you and me: a human." Sparrow's eyes went wider than dinner plates.

"W-what? You mean it's not just me and you?"

"From what I've heard, it's much more than just me and you, but don't worry because I'm going to find a way to get us all home. We don't belong here," I said. Sparrow's expression didn't change. I had no way to know what was going on inside his head.

"Yeah... I guess we don't belong here." I could have done a backflip I was so happy. I'm not exactly sure how I did it, but I'd finally found somebody who agrees with me. "Humans are nothing but trouble."

"... Uh... what?"

"Humans are troublesome. They lie, they cheat, they steal, and they kill each other. The evil prosper while the good suffer, but everyone is evil at heart. They don't deserve to live in a paradise like this. I don't deserve to live in a paradise like this, but I'm not about to leave." My spirits sunk lower than they had been before he got my hopes up. "This place has changed me for the better. I've become a pony who deserves to live here."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow up there for a second buddy." I have to take a moment to collect my thoughts. I should have counted on meeting someone this crazy, but I guess there's no end to my lack of foresight. "How long have you been here? This isn't a paradise. Ponies aren't any better than humans."

"How can you even say that?!" Sparrow shouts.

"How can I say that? Experience, mainly. There are bad ponies and people who have bad lives and some good ponies and people who have bad lives; likewise, there are good ponies and people who have good lives and bad ponies and people who have good lives. Equestria is just like Earth. There isn't a lot of correlation between how you act and how your life is. There are bad people and bad ponies, but neither of them are fundamentally bad. They're just fundamentally human or pony."

"No, all the ponies are good. It's people like you who bring evil and disharmony to Equestria. You and the other humans are the root of this world's problem, so I'd better set things right." Sparrow doesn't waste any time. He lunges at me, spear forward, and nearly turns me into a Changeling shish kebab. I fell flat on my back as I tried to make my hasty escape. Sparrow loops around with an alarming amount of deftness. He can only roll away as he spears the floor where I once lay. I extend my finger and fire a green bolt at him, forcing him to abandon his spear in the floor. Blueblood and I keep firing at him, but even in the confines of the room Sparrow finds ways to avoid our attacks. Noting that I'm just wasting energy, I motion for Blueblood to stop. I call out to Sparrow.

"Calm down Sparrow. We should talk this over like civilized people." Giving him a moment's reprieve was a huge mistake on my part. I manage to duck as he swoops at us, but Blueblood is not so lucky. I watch as he's dragged across the room and thrown headfirst into the bar. Blueblood's head gets stuck inside the bar, meaning I was on my own for now. "You do realize I can't let you do as you please. You're coming back with me, no matter what you say."

"Make me!" he shouts. He reach out to punch him, but as he enters my range he dips towards my chest. He slams both hooves into my shoulder. The impact wrenches my body into an agonizing spin as I fall to the floor, but my punishment is far from over. Sparrow spares no quarter, looping back around and slamming his back legs into my stomach and winding me. I feel myself roll towards the window, stopping with one arm dangling out.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see him coming at me once more. I reach out in haste with my hand dangling out the window. I manage to get a firm grip on him, but I notice there is something wrong with my grip. My fingers can't quite grasp him, he keeps squirming in odd directions.

The weirdest part is my thumb feels warm.

His weight falls upon my arm before I realize what's going on. My arm falls back out the window, giving Sparrow the momentum to fall off my thumb. I peer over the side and watch him fall. He becomes nothing but a speck on the earth below. I lift my hand and examine my thumb, confirming my worst fears.

I continue to just lay there, all sorts of thoughts swimming in my head. I don't deny what just happened. It saves me a lot of trouble to just put the truth out there.

"I just killed somebody."

For all the confusion in my brain, I feel oddly serene. He wanted to live in Equestria, and that's exactly what he did. He lived here until his time for living ran out. To want to live here is to want to die here. It's not right or proper, but it's a thought that staves off the guilt.

Top of my list of concerns was an odd question: where does his soul go now that he's dead? Is there a place for human souls here in Equestria? It occurs to me that I need not find an answer to that question. The reasoning is simple: humans aren't supposed to die in Equestria. It's supposed to be impossible. It's a question that gives way to "what if" after "what if".

I actually start laughing. It's pretty funny when you think about it. I'm trying to save these people, but I ended up killing one. What's more, Sparrow claimed that humans only caused trouble, and then he was killed by one. That's tragic irony. It would be a sin not to laugh. What's even a sin here anyway? There is no deity watching me. There probably isn't a heaven or hell for me here. Death is the end all be all for me if I stay in Equestria.

I refuse to let that be; however, I don't think I'm of sound mind at the moment. It's just occured to me that I probably shouldn't try to hijack the Queen Harmony and run it right into the heart of Canterlot with a payload of Changelings. That would be bad. That would be wrong. The morals of being in another dimension aren't easy to riddle out, so I've got to try and feel them out as I go. I'm a guest in someone's house. I've come too far to leave things the way I found them. I can try to make things better, but there is only one absolute: I must return home.

"Your majesty!"

"There you are!" I find myself with the pint-sized Princess standing on my chest. Bloodbuzz and a couple more changelings gathered around as well.

"Where have you guys been? I can't believe I'm saying this, but Prince Blueblood has been more useful than you lot." I point over to where the unicorn in question is still struggling to free his head from the bar. "Is this ship secure?"

"Yes, your majesty! Are we taking prisoners?" Bloodbuzz asks. I hesitate. If I say no, innocent ponies will end up dead. If I say yes, innocent ponies will be taken from their homes. My hands may be wet now, but that doesn't mean I have to dive into the ocean.

"We're taking prisoners. Gather them up into one spot, we're going to use them as leverage to stop this madness. There's a dude under that couch, make sure to get him too. Also, get to the helm of this thing and set a course for the Queen Harmony." A few changelings salute and head out as I turn to Bloodbuzz. "Gather a big swarm around this ship. We're going to storm the Queen Harmony."

"What about the Cradle III?" he asks. I turn my head to stare out the window at the large airship. Unlike the others it appears to be held airborne excursively by spinning propellers.

"Hey, PC."

"What?"

"How bad would it be if that ship lost one of its props?" I ask. Chrysalis stares up at the ceiling for a moment.

"I guess it would start going down. Why?" Chrysalis's voice trailed off as her gaze shifted to my outstretched hand out the window. Already I've got a pretty respectably sized orb of energy built up.

"No reason." I set the attack free. It zooms off until it's just a green blip, but the result is much more magnificent. One of the propellers on the ship's long wings goes up in flames, forcing the ship to tip. Satisfied with my handiwork, although it was expensive energy wise, I turn to Bloodbuzz.

"Swarm. Around the ship. Now."

"Yes, your majesty!"

I've probably said it before, but I'm so glad I can count on the changelings in this messed-up, crazy world. Their allegiance and adherence to my orders are the one thing I can always depend upon.

"Do you finally have a solid plan?" Chrysalis asks. I give her a nod before getting back onto my feet. I help Blueblood free his noggin while the sound of buzzing and hissing grows louder and louder outside. By the time Bloodbuzz returns, the swarm made it darker than night aboard the airship.

"These are all the changelings we can spare, your majesty! The Queen Harmony's shield is getting closer as well. What are you orders?"

"A hole leading to the Queen Harmony will open up soon. When it does, go through and subdue their forces. Send an escort down to me so I can follow you in." Bloodbuzz salutes and flies off once more. I turn my attention to Blueblood. "Restore the ship's barrier." Blueblood's horn flashes once, making shadows grow across the tattered room in the blue light. After that, there is nothing. I meander over to where Sparrow's spear is and pick it out.

A minute later it begins. The Cherished Victory rocks as our barrier impacts the barrier over the Queen Harmony. A few moment later, the ship rocks once more. The excitement and agitation building in the swarm reaches a fever pitch. Even from inside the ship, I can hear their wild battle cries.

With one last push, all Tartarus breaks loose. I watch as the cloud of changelings just outside the window vanishes. A small contingent flies in through the window and whisks Chrysalis and I away to where the rest of the swarm disappeared to. Once I'm outside, I can see my plan worked exactly as I thought it would. The collision of the two barriers created a crossing between them just below the Queen Harmony's hull. Instead of keeping changelings out, the Queen Harmony's barrier is now keeping changelings in. I issue a command to the swarm carrying me.

"Take me to the upper deck." My knees buckle under the g-force as we gained altitude. From a distance, the Queen Harmony looked enormous, but now that I was right next to it I could tell it is literally a flying fortress. Unicorns poked their heads out of windows, firing shots at changelings as they whirred by. Armored pegasi leaked from every window and hatch under the ship's brilliant, white balloons.

Despite the evidently large population on the Queen Harmony, it was far more evident that they were not betting on dealing with so many changelings so closely. Unicorns abandoned their posts as drones recklessly dive-bombed their windows. Pegasi scrambled to reseal hatches and windows before mobs of changelings slipped into them. The chaos of the battle disappeared from sight once we crested the top of the ship. I jumped off my mount and landed on the top of the Queen Harmony, spear and Chrysalis in tow.

The top of the Queen Harmony was far grander than the top of the Cherished Victory. I found myself standing in the midst of a lush garden, complete with a domed gazebo and working fountain. I didn't have time to admire the flowers or stone walkways. My attention instantly went to the group of armored unicorns situated under the gazebo.

"I think... I think I'm going to watch from over there," Chrysalis whispers in my ear before flying off. While I can't say I know what's making her uneasy, I think I feel it too.

"Who's in charge around here?" I ask them as I march up to their position. Many of these unicorns look like older, seasoned veterans, present for their strategic and tactical prowess rather than their fighting ability. By the looks on their faces, I assumed persuading them to retreat wouldn't be difficult.

"Leave us." My spine tingles at the speaker's air of command. The older unicorns disperse in haste, leaving me alone with one, violet armored unicorn. "I am Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. I assume you're King Cocoon of the Changelings." I take a moment to remind my brain where I am and what I'm doing, taking a moment to collect my thoughts for a second. Clearing my throat, I begin to converse normally.

"I've come to ask you to surrender," I tell him. Even under his helmet, I can tell he's scowling at me.

"You have, have you? Explain yourself."

"It's not too complicated, really," I state. "All I'm asking is you send them back to their wives and children. Send them back to their brothers and sisters. Send them back to their mothers and fathers. It doesn't do me or you any good to draw this fight out any longer. All this for one mare? Come now, Shining Armor, you can't really believe it's worth it, can you?"

"You seem to think its worth it," he replies. "I'm not sure what you gain by taking arbitrary prisoners, but I can't just stand by and let that happen. You're going to have to do better than just saying you want my boys to go home safe."

"Alright, how about this? I've got a whole ship full of your men down there, including a certain Prince Blueblood. If you don't surrender, I'll take down this little bird you're on and turn everypony on the Cherished Victory into my slave. I think I'll keep the ship too, but I'll rename it something cooler. How about... Strange Victory?" I propose. I expect Shining Armor to mull it over just a little, but he wastes no time with his response.

"How about you hand over the prisoner you have and then we'll leave."

"I can't do that." I reply. Shining Armor shakes his head and titters.

"I don't get it. Why not?" he asks.

"She isn't what she seems. She's really not a pony at all."

"What?"

"She's not the only one, either. Are you familiar with the pegasus named Sparrow?" Shining Armor's eyes widen at the mention of the deceased pony's, or rather human's, name. To drive home what I'm getting at, I toss Sparrow's spear at Shining Armor's hooves. He stares down at it in silence. "If you did know him, he was keeping an enormous secret from you."

"Sparrow was a good soldier. He was loyal, courageous, and wouldn't keep secrets from anypony. Tell me where he is." I accidentally allow an unintended silence slip into our conversation.

"... He's beyond reach." I'm not sure why, but that line sets Shining Armor off. I have no idea what he did to me, but I somehow discovered myself laying on my back in the grass. My head started throbbing with renewed vigor. Next thing I know I'm enveloped in violet and careening across the garden. My back slams into one of the gazebo pillars. Now my whole body hurts, but at least I manage to land on my feet.

When my vision stops spinning, I notice Shining Armor marching towards me. Without putting too much though into it, I extend my hand and attempt to shoot him with a bolt of lighting. Shining Armor doesn't even flinch. He puts up a small barrier around himself and keeps walking, letting my attack arc harmlessly into the sky. I can feel my energy getting close to zero, but I press on anyway. I begin plodding towards him. He fires shots like purple bullets from his horns, far too fast for me too feel comfortable as I strafe out of the way. I keep firing small bolts of electricity at him, trying to get a lucky shot in. Shining Armor's shield banishes everything I throw at it. In one more attempt to crack it open, I extend both hands and exhale sharply. A concentrated ball of green flames slams into the barrier.

I don't wait to see if my attack succeeds in doing anything. I'm almost running on empty. I don't have a long time left to wear this armor. I need to bring this to a close. I make a mad dash for Shining Armor. The flames of my attack wrap around his barrier. Throwing my caution to the wind, I follow up my attack by delivering a wide slash across its surface.

My heart sinks as my claws rake against a solid surface of energy. Spent magically and physically, I lift a finger when Shining Armor rears up and pins me to the ground. He stoops low and points his glowing horn right at my face.

"Before I finish this, I've got just one question," he tells me. I mumble my response.

"... I guess nothing matters now." I walked right into the wolf's den. My career in Equestria was going to end in yet another short-sighted blunder. I suppose I'll be seeing Sparrow real soon.

"Why are there so few changelings here?"

In a moment of what I can only describe as desperate brilliance, I say something fitting of King Cocoon the Liar.

"Twilight Sparkle, she's your sister, right?" Shining Armor's pupils shrank. "Considering the size of that little town, it shouldn't take long at all to clean it out with a swarm that size."

"You monster!" Shining Armor cries. "You're going to regr-" Before he could finish his threat, he suddenly tumbled off of me. Running off mainly adrenaline, I get up and try to riddle out what just happened. It doesn't take long for me to see that Shining Armor fell off of me because a stray changeling slammed into him. The changeling in question sat atop Shining Armor, who's helmet had been pushed down over his eyes.

Still panicking, I grab the changeling and call out for Chrysalis. As I run to the edge of the airship, she catches up and flies alongside me. From behind me, I can hear Shining Armor shouting.

"Sound the retreat! We're moving out! Sound the retreat!"

"You did it! I don't know how, but you did it!" Chrysalis cheers. I save my own breath until we arrive at the end of the airship. With one last push, I jump off the edge and into the open air.

"That was too close!" I turn my back to the earth and hoist the changeling who saved my butt in the air. "You! What is your name?" The changeling, who I noted had a particularly twitchy eye, gawked down at me.

"Nope, don't have one. Nope, no sir," he hisses.

"Ugh, he's just a drone," Chrysalis says. "Looks like some of these maggots managed to get some sustenance. I'm surprised this one can speak."

"So... now that he's survived the battle, should I give him a name?" Chrysalis went bug eyed as if I'd just proposed we make him Princess.

"Th-that's a huge honor, you know. The other changelings won't overlook it," she says.

"Will they dislike him or me for it?" I ask.

"W-w-well... no."

"Well then, I think he deserves a high honor. He did just save my life; therefor, from this day forth you shall be known as... uh... Swerve!" Swerve responds by extricating one of his hooves from my grip and throwing a salute. Right on cue, a swarm swoops in and stops my descent. Among them is Bloodbuzz, who for some reason I am not surprised to see. "Bloodbuzz! The Equestrian forces are retreated. Get everyone back to the Hive! Get me there too, I need to get out of this armor before it sucks me dry!"

"Yes, your majesty!" If I could sleep, I would have done so right there and then. Unfortunately, there's no rest for a king after a battle. As soon as Bloodbuzz was gone, two of the Hive Minds joined me on the swarm.

"An excellent victory, your majesty," they greet me. "We believe our gains will exceed our casualties."

"Sure, but we still have to attack Quarterholm, don't we?" They both nod. "Ugh... you two got names?"

"Bragback, your majesty."

"Hellwire, your majesty."

"Alright, our next move is to attack Quarterholm. I'm going to go ahead first and scout things out. I'm bringing the Princess, Captain Bloodbuzz, Plundergrub, and Swerve with me. I'm leaving it to you guys to get ready for the attack. Unless I say otherwise, you will drop the swarm on the city in six days. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your majesty!" they respond. I heave a sigh and take a look back at the retreating airships. In the nervous pit of my stomach, I keep thinking they'll turn around and come back. "There is one other issue at hand, your majesty."

"What would that be?"

"Your official coronation."

I always imagined a coronation ceremony would be stuffy, and it turns out I was right. This really is super boring and I'm the one being crowned. The actual crowning is part is taking a while. First we had to gather every single changeling in The Hive into the castle, and that was more of an ordeal than I would have cared for. Next, they put me in some fancy clothes. It's some kind of cottony, violet suit and green cape with fur around the collar. I miss my light, breathable vest and trouser combination. I don't know what kind of fabric I'm wearing, but it's really tight.

Right now, I have no idea what's going on. I can only assume it's some sort of arbitrary ceremony where the Hive Minds recite stuff from a bunch of moldy scrolls. I tuned out at about the same time Chrysalis fell asleep. They already officially crowned her Princess, so I'm starting to wonder what's taking so long on getting to making me King.

It's not that I need this ceremony to validate my station as monarch. Heck, I don't need this ceremony at all. We were all simpatico beforehand, weren't we? I never heard anyone say "Hey, I'm not gonna listen to Cocoon cause nobody crowned him yet." If it was said, I missed it.

The name Mangle jumps back into my head. I'd nearly filed the memory of the lost Prince under "information I couldn't care less about." I don't know where he's hiding, and I don't even know if anypony in Equestria knows he exists. They're all probably too busy worrying about King Cocoon. When all is said and done, he's the one changeling I can't trust.

"We present to you, King Cocoon Ten Horns!" I felt a crown settle onto my head as a chorus of cheering and stomping broke out. I was still a bit stuck on "Ten Horns", but I suppose it's better than "the Liar." Still, I'd prefer King Cocoon the Surprisingly Adequate.

The ceremony disperses immediately afterwards. Well, I had to give a speech of sorts, but it was just general fluff about working hard and doing what's best for the Hive.

After that was over, I decided to hold a walk and talk with my little gang before we headed out. Our destination was the dungeon so I could speak with Sweet Tea one more time. I'm sure she'll want to know all about what happened while she was locked up.

"Please, for once, tell me we're going in with a plan!" Chrysalis complained.

"Yes, yes, but first things are first. How was the battle for all you guys?"

"What?"

"Bloodbuzz, take out any of those Equestrian dogs... so to speak?"

"Unfortunately not, your majesty. I spent most of my time running your errands." I could of sworn I detected a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Okay... so, Plundergrub, is that a new helmet you're wearing?" I asked. Plundergrub nodded. "Does that mean you're a captain now?"

"Yes, your majesty! I got promoted after Captain Blacklung got incinerated!"

"Wow Plundergrub, that's... well... depressing. Swerve! Anything exciting happen to you?" I turned my attention to the lowest ranking changeling among us. His left eye was still twitching.

"Eh... nope, nothin' really happened, sir. Got hit by a thing while I was flyin' about, but I landed on that unicorn fellow. Then you whisked me away, sir."

"Well, sounds like I had the most exciting time then." I don't exactly condone my own use of the word "exciting". The low part of the whole thing wasn't getting my shrimp rocked by Shining Armor, it was killing Sparrow. I could play it off as an accident, but how would it have ended otherwise? I wanted to capture him like I did with Sweet Tea, but Sweet Tea didn't try to kill me. Granted, she probably wants to kill me now, she hasn't had a chance to. Still, another human attacked me. He found out what I was, learned my intentions, and then retaliated with violence. Sparrow and Sweet Tea are two sides of the same coin.

It's just basic flight or fight instincts, but it's their life in Equestria I'm threatening.

"Uh... Cocoon." I look up at Chrysalis. I realize we've gotten pretty far down in the dungeon.

"Whoops... did we pass Sweet Tea's cell?" I ask. Chrysalis shakes her head and points next to us.

"This is her cell." I briefly examine the torn cell wall.

...

Sweet Tea really was geared towards flight.

13th: Corpus Corporum

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

There were a couple of times in Appleloosa during the night time between trying to teach Cocoon to read and teaching him about changelings that Cocoon told me a little about his home. It was never really anything in depth, but just a few bits and pieces of what his life was like. Just little stuff like how he'd gone to school most of his life, how he ran around in large circles for fun, and he told me stuff about the ponies... or "people" he knew.

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around an entire society filled with creatures like Cocoon. If all humans do all the mental and moral gymnastics Cocoon likes to do, I can't fathom how they function. Being a changeling, changeling royalty I might add, I don't waste much time thinking about morality. Cocoon, on the other hoof, wastes all his time thinking about morality.

Life is pretty simple. When you're hungry, you feed. It doesn't matter how you feed, just get out there and do it. If you don't feed you die, and that's bad. If Cocoon has some high-fluted ideals about how ponies are more than food for us, that's fine, but he needs to stop bawling over it already. If the end result of your actions isn't death, you've done something right. It's pretty darn simple.

I've tried explaining this to Cocoon, but he just won't listen.

He killed a human, so what? It was self defense, couldn't be helped. It's kill or be killed. Ever since Sweet Tea escaped, Cocoon has been in a... well, in a mood. I expected him to explode and tear the desert apart after he discovered she was gone, but he did the exact opposite. He just went on with the plan.

So here we are, flying out to Quarterholm as a group of pegasi. Me, the King, two captains, and a fresh scout who I think took a few too many hits to the head when he was a drone. No one has spoken a single word since we left. Bloodbuzz and I asked what the plan for when we arrive is, but Cocoon never responded. Heck, he didn't even acknowledge our existence.

When Quaterholm finally came into view, Cocoon broke his silence.

"Go ahead of me to the headquarters. I'm going to feed." Of course, the underlings just agreed with him immediately, but I'm not about to let Cocoon out on his own.

"Are you that hungry? Come to headquarters and then go feed," I tell him.

"... Fine." As annoying and wishy-washy as he usually is, I kind of miss the normal Cocoon. He kept things... fresh.

We make our final descent into Quarterholm. I really don't like cities like this. Every inch of it is covered in cobblestones and all the buildings have tall, pointy roofs. This kind of architecture would look better in the Hive. The notion that a place that looks this way will be teeming with ponies in the daytime just bothers me.

It's only a short walk down an alley to reach the building that houses our hideout, one of the only buildings on the block with its lights still on. We walk right in the front door and up to the front desk. The ponies moving about the place's cubicles glance over at Cocoon as he walks in.

"Welcome to Magpie Insurance, are you interested in starting a policy with us?" the mare behind the front desk asks us. Bloodbuzz clears his throat and answers.

"I'm looking for some family insurance." The mare behind the counter smiles and nods at us. She guides us into a backroom where a couple of stallions are drinking coffee and chatting. When we enter, they get up and move over to a pair of filing cabinets sitting in the corner. Upon pushing them aside, they reveal the dark hole that leads down into the heart of the hive.

We slip down into the dark, dank, and slimy cavern. Just as a respectable Hive should, the cavern's walls and floors are covered in dormant drones. The Quarterholm operation has been running without a single mass feeding for a long time. Canterlot had been running even longer at the time we attacked it, but that foothold was lost faster than we anticipated. As we walk into this productive little hive, everypony but Cocoon reverts back to their normal form.

"What's the matter? We're here, loosen up a bit and tell us your plan already," I tell him. Cocoon shakes his head and turns back towards the exit. I cut him off before he can reach it. "Would you knock it off with the mopey act? I'm tired of a-" Before I can finish what I'm saying, Cocoon pushes me out of the way.

"I'm not mopey; I'm just hungry." I try and follow him, but he orders Bloodbuzz and his other two lackeys to make sure I stay here.

"Let me through, I order you!" Neither Plundergrub or Swerve budge an inch, but I catch Bloodbuzz shuffling a little. "You know something is up with him, right?" I ask him.

"You heard his majesty, he is only hungry," he says. I shouldn't have counted on any of these simpletons disobeying their leader's orders. Of course, I'm just used to being that leader. I never knew what being in control was like all throughout my own foalhood, so being unable to give orders wasn't a problem before.

My thoughts turn to Mangle. According to the drones, he was in the Hive when I awoke as a foal, but he never once came to see me. We weren't exactly best friends, but I expected him to at least make sure I was okay. I guess he didn't want to acknowledge I was still alive, just in case it meant he didn't get to be King. The very next day, Mangle is gone and I get a report of a changeling named Cocoon running around in Manehattan. I continued to ask where Cocoon came from and where Mangle ran off to, but no one saw Mange leave and no one saw Cocoon arrive.

I try to remember the last time I actually saw Mangle, but my last moments as Queen are all fuzzy. I can still feel the sting of being blown away by that massive wave of energy, I can still see the rocky cliffs my followers and I were dispatched too, I can still hear the Equestrian troops shouting orders from above to finish us off, but after that the feelings, sights, and sounds get muddled together and opaque.

"Bloodbuzz, do you remember seeing Prince Mangle around after the assault on Canterlot?" I ask. Much to my surprise, he shook his head. "Really? Not in the battle in the canyon or back at the Hive?"

"I never personally saw him at the Hive, but several scouts reported that he had locked himself within his personal quarters. Captain Bitedown found the Prince's chamber unlocked and empty the next day when he went to inform him of King Cocoon's emergence as our monarch," Bloodbuzz said. I'd never heard this version of the story.

"So... Mangle never heard about Cocoon?" I asked.

"That seems to be the case."

There's something even more off about Mangle's disappearance now. I'd chalked up his abandonment of the Hive to the fact that he could not be King with Cocoon around, but the changelings at the Hive should have treated him as the acting monarch until they learned about Cocoon. Did he leave for a different reason, or did he know about Cocoon's existence before the rest of us?

"What about during the battle?" I ask. Bloodbuzz shrugs and looks over at Plundergrub. Plundergrub scrunches up his nose and shakes his head, indicating he doesn't know anything either. Neither of them spare a glance over at Swerve, who is idly picking at one the orifices in his hooves.

"I only remember seeing him before we were attacked," Bloodbuzz says. "Captain Bilebulge lead the contingent assigned to protect him, so he might have more details of the Prince's actions before and after the battle."

"I assume Bilebulge is back at the Hive?"

Bloodbuzz nods, but not before Plundergrub offers his opinion on the matter.

"Provided he didn't die during Cocoon's Triumph," he says. I look the maggot right in the eyes. I don't know why he put the words "Cocoon" and "Triumph" together in the same sentence, let alone right next to each other.

"What is 'Cocoon's Triumph?'" I go ahead and ask.

"That's what the others were calling the battle we fought outside the Hive," Bloodbuzz explained. "It was considered a 'triumph' because it broke our current losing streak against the Equestrian Army."

"If we lost, we probably wouldn't have called it anything," Plundergrub added. I catch Bloodbuzz rolling his eyes.

"Why did they pick you to succeed Blacklung?" he said, startling me by complaining all of a sudden. When Cocoon is around, he only speaks when spoken to. "What about Break Back or Collider? Don't tell me they died in the battle too."

"Hey! I'm just as capable as those two, but I have the added perk of being close to the King." Plundergrub sticks his nose skyward and puffs out his chest. The pose itself would've been enough to hide him among the Canterlot elites.

"I used to be proud of the trust the King places in me, until he put the same amount of trust into the two of you." Bloodbuzz glared right through Plundergrub to Swerve, who obviously wasn't paying attention as he scratched behind his ear with one of his hind hooves. I can't help but chuckle a bit at the expense of all three of them.

"Let's hope Cocoon gets back soon," I say. "I think his stupidity makes us all feel a little better."

What kind of town is this where everyone actually goes to sleep when the sun goes down? No wonder Princess Luna lost her shrimp. I haven't even seen a policepony come by. Is pony on pony crime really so scarce here? Nonspecific Deity, I miss Manehattan. There were plenty of night walkers there.

Speaking of night walkers, I must look like one. I dunno why I decided to turn into Rarity. I guess it's because she's cast as a beauty. Doesn't matter though, seeing as there isn't even a single stallion out here tonight!

I guess it's time for Plan B. I just came up with it, so bear with me.

Looking around, I find a toolbox somepony left outside their store. Rooting through it, I find a nice, heavy crowbar. I levitate it before my head for a moment before I turn around and chuck it through the first window I see.

"Whoops! Dropped my blinkin' crowbar." Funny, my voice doesn't sound Rarity-y to me.

Eh, whatever.

I buck down the door and enter the establishment. It's even quieter in here than it is outside. I begin to wonder why I bothered throwing the crowbar in through the window, but I figure it's just because damaging property gives me a rager.

"Hey! Is anypony home?" I shout. I don't get an answer. I don't even get an echo. I wander through the drab, little abode and find the window I trashed. I levitate the crowbar and examine the walls of the house. There are some pictures of ponies on the wall, but only one, yellowish stallion appears in all of them. I can only assume he owns this place. I smash one of the pictures with the crowbar.

"I'm in your den messing up all your shrimp!" I clear the contents of a table onto the floor. "Come down here and stop me... or something." I tip his bookshelf over and throw my crowbar across the room, lodging it in the opposite wall. I don't have the energy to keep holding it.

I give up on having the owner of the house come to me. I search around and go up a staircase. There are two doors at the top. One of them leads into a bathroom, and the other I find tightly locked. I try the nob a few more times, but stop when I finally hear something from behind the door.

"G-go away," somepony says.

How rude. I am a guest in his house and he refuses to entertain me. I even asked nicely, so there is no way I'm leaving without a little face time. I break down his door as politely as anypony would and let myself into his bedroom. Despite his best efforts to hide behind his bed, I can still see his tail sticking up as it quivers.

"I've been looking all over for you, buddy," I say. The timid stallion pokes his head out from his hiding place, but his expression changes to one of confusion when he sees me. He stops shivering in fear and stands up at his full height.

"I'm being robbed by a mare?" he asks. I want to tell him he isn't being robbed by a mare at all, but I'm getting impatient. I came here to eat, and that is what I intend to do. Unfortunately, I'm not getting anything from this stallion, but he probably just needs a little encouragement.

"Yes, I'm a mare. Do you need any additional proof?"

"Get out of my house!" I see this stallion's courage has been fully restored. I look around at the picture covered walls of his bedroom. I smile when I notice a particular light-blue mare occupies a lot of them.

"Alright, we'll do this the way you want to." I pour the very last of my energy into one, final transformation. I'd been doing okay up until now, but now I'm losing the strength to stand. If this form doesn't work, I'm sunk.

Fortunately, this stallion, no matter how skeptical he might be, can't help but let a bit of his love trickle out to me. With a pathway into his energy open, I don't waste any time extending a stream of energy back along the path. I reach into his being and force even more love out. It doesn't want to come to me, but now that I have a hold of him the only outcome is total compliance.

Gallon by gallon, cup by cup, and drop by drop I drain him. The draining process is so violent and deep, the flow of energy from him to me becomes visible. The room is alight with a sickly green. I can sense that he's almost been sucked dry, but I keep going. I press on and I refuse to let up. I eat at every last bit of love I can find within him.

Then I arrive at the bottom. I expect to find nothingness, but there is still more love. I pull at it and tug it from where it's rooted. Once it's free, it slips out of the stallion's body with ease. Whatever it is, though, it is not love. It is partially comprised of love, which is why I was able to grasp it and pull it out. I'm not entirely sure I should eat it. I sense a great power from it and decide I've already come this far.

I swallow it easily, but it does not sit well once it hits my system.

My ears are filled with the sound of the stallion screaming while my vision simply turns off. Pain like hooks being gouged into my body erupts from the root of every hair. Those hooks pull, but its as if my very essence is being torn at, not the body I'm in. I do all I can to fight against it, but in all the pain and blind confusion I don't know what the heck I should be doing. I kick and flail and cry out in agony. I clasp my hooves over my ears to drown out the screaming, but it doesn't do any good.

The sound is coming from inside me.

My left hind leg goes numb, all feeling replaced by pure, unfiltered pain. I try to redirect the pain back into the leg in an attempt to restore control, but I'm being pushed out. Something inside me is trying to take control if me against my will, but it's more than that. This body I'm in is accepting whatever wants to take control. I'm being rejected by my own body.

I can't let that happen.

From somewhere inside me, I manage to construct and cast the spell to morph my body into its normal form. I can feel the transformation start in my torso. The pain lessens as my own power reclaims what is rightly my own. The battlefield is changing into one I'm more familiar with. The outside entity still fights for control, but it's suddenly a losing battle for the visiting team. It doesn't know how to command this chest, these shoulders, these hips, these arms, these legs, this mouth, these fingers, these toes, or these eyes.

The last thing to come back under my command is my throat, which finishes off my intruder by the only way it knows how: regurgitation. I recognized the thick, green slime that other changelings cough up, but for a few moments something glitters inside it. As the faint light fades away, realization washes over me.

I just tried to eat somepony's very soul.

The events leading up to my foolish blunder play through my head like a poorly shot movie. It takes me a whole three minutes of thinking to realize I'm in Quarterholm. I mentally trace my footsteps into the house, around the den, and then into this room. Where there was once a cowering stallion I see a face forever etched with surprise and horror. The stallion is no more, but a white statue stands in his place.

I get to my feet and examine it. I put a careful hand on the stallion's rigid mane, confirming that his body has turned to minerals. Even at the lightest touch, a bit of it flakes off and sticks to my hand. Curious, I raise the sediment closer to my eyes for examination. The cubic, white crystals remind me of salt.

I lick my hand.

It is salt. As I continue to lick the granules off my fingers, I assess the gravity of the situation. Like any other predator, I killed for food this time. Now that I've killed before, I feel like I shouldn't be so bothered by this; however, what I've done makes me sick and I know why.

I was so far out of my mind. I want to rationalize it. I just want to say that wasn't me acting, but that it was the hunger that made me go so far as to devour my victim's soul. As with when I killed Sparrow, there appears to be a way to shed the blame. The fact still remains that this stallion lost his life at my hands, so how does that make it not my fault? I could have avoided this if I just restrained myself, so why didn't I? Why did I break the taboo and drain this stallion completely?

I take another bite of the statue's ear and search for an answer.

...

It has just come to my attention that the statue is missing both ears, but I find one is half eaten and in my hand. To confirm my absent-minded, deviant behavior, I explore my mustache with my tongue. It tastes salty.

Now this is a whole different level of wrong. I can't justify snacking on my victim's remains, especially while I'm trying to riddle out why I killed him. Now I've got to figure out why I'm eating him. Even stranger is why am I eating him at all? To changelings have some sort of instinctual craving for salt?

*thunk*

I jump when the statue suddenly falls on its side. I look down at the big, leg-shaped salt lick in my hands.

"Am I going crazy or something?" I ask myself before taking a big bite of salt leg. I haven't actually physically eaten in such a long time. It's kind of relaxing to do something normal for once. Actually, I guess eating insane amounts of salt isn't exactly normal. I'm surprised the saltiness hasn't knocked me on my rear yet. Back home, I could hardly stand a pinch of the salt you find in the bottom of a pretzel bag. My mouth is full of salt, but it tastes just fine to me. Further experimentation with salt and salty food must be performed.

I dusted my hands off and took inventory of how much of the statue I hadn't eaten.

...

Nope, he's all gone. What have I done?

"Okay, okay... calm down... this isn't as bad as it seems," I say to no one in particular. I guess it's not. There's no body for the police to find or anything, but now this stallion's fate will forever remain a mystery. It's cruel, but I can't do anything about it now. I take the form of a pony and try to find my way back to the Quarterholm Hive.

"I swear Cocoon! If you ever brush me off like that again, I will make your life a living Tartarus!" Chrysalis screams at me. I look to the others for some help with calming her down, but Plundergrub and Bloodbuzz quickly avert their eyes. Swerves, however, picks up on my silent cries for help.

"He's a big fella, ma'am. Yup. He can do what he wants, bein' king 'n all," he said. As Chrysalis turned to sublimate her anger onto the poor guy, I couldn't help but feel proud that I had finally found a servant who could take the heat off of me.

"No! Being King doesn't mean he can do what he wants! He has to do what's best for the Hive, but seeing as he has no idea what that is ever I have to stick around and make sure he does do what's right! I'm the only one around here who is willing to sacrifice her time to make sure he gets it right!" Chrysalis says, getting further and further into Swerve's face. If changelings could sweat, Swerve looks like he'd be saturated. "You all are just a bunch of enablers! Don't just do what he says! Listen to me once and a while; I'm the voice of reason around here! Me! Me, me, me!"

I never knew Chrysalis saw herself as such a martyr. She finishes berating poor Swerve and turns back to me.

"Please tell me you ate your fill without causing trouble." She glares up at me like she knows I screwed up. Tonight brought up a lot of questions for me, but if I reveal them to Chrysalis now she's just going to yell at me. I'll tell her the truth, eventually.

"Yes, yes, I'm all full now. If you'd like to calm down, I want to hurry and start putting my plan into action tonight," I tell her. At the mention of my plan, her eyes light up and she calms right down.

"We finally get to your plan," she says. She buzzes over to Swerve and roosts on his head. "This better be good."

"Gentlemen, PC, esteemed members of the Quarterholm Hive," I say. All the shouting Chrysalis was doing managed to draw a crowd of idle workers. "We have got six days before the Swarm shows up for an attack. In the meanwhile, we've got to put the threat of a changeling attack out of this city's mind."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Chrysalis asks. I can't tell if she's feigning her interest or not.

"We'll give them something else to worry about. They won't even suspect changelings when the city is suddenly struck by a group of master thieves!" I expected some sort of applause when I finally unveiled the plan I was so proud of, but I was met with deafening silence.

"That's your big plan? Just to rob people?" Chrysalis asked. "I don't get it."

"Okay, let me spell it out for you," I tell her. "We start by stealing something everypony will notice is gone and then we'll leave a calling card. It won't just be any kind of calling card, it will be a message that only humans can read. Everypony will see the message and realize there's a group of thieves roaming their town, but additionally any humans here will be aware of my presence. We keep on pilfering things, but the day before the swarm we threaten to steal something specific. While the ponies of Quarterholm rush to prepare for our theft of a single object, they will leave themselves open to an attack by a changeling swarm. With any luck, I will have made contact with a human by that point as well. We all eat and go home. The end." Chrysalis and company just stare at me with wide eyes.

It's a long, painful silence until Chrysalis finally says, "That might actually work."

14th: Worth Your Salt

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

"No, nobody wants to be no, no one's lover, no matter what they say."

Let me tell you something about playing a musical instrument without hands: it is not easy. In order to get this guitar a-strummin', I have to cheat a little with magic. I discovered I have a very limited use of magic when I'm an earth pony, but have to be touching the object I want to perform magic on. It works well for playing guitar, but it's still harder than it should be.

"Lovers know they are the ones who one day have to go."

I would say it's harder than robbing a museum in Equestria, but that wouldn't be saying much. As someone who has done both things, you can take my word to the bank an cash it. Don't go to Chedder & Dough Equestrian Bank because they do not have any money left in their vault. Me and my associates made sure of that.

"Trophy wives I know they wander."

We also stole this guitar from the Quarterholm Conservatory along with several other assorted instruments. That was the first job we ever pulled and probably the most disappointing illegal thing I've ever done in any world. There are a good number of guards in the city, but they aren't really guarding anything in particular. They just walk around and make sure there isn't anything crazy going down, and I mean truly crazy things going down. They've never even asked if I'm a licensed street performer, but they have thrown a bit or two in my hat.

"And find a young, young colt. Trophy wives, I know they wander."

I didn't steal the hat, strangely enough. I found it in a dumpster. Now the story of how I got into a dumpster is far more interesting than any of the robberies we pulled off. Heck, how I got in that dumpster is just about the only other interesting thing that's happened since I killed somepony. I still haven't told PC about that.

Anyway, a man only ends up in a dumpster when he's hit rock bottom. It's the same for ponies. Rock bottom is usually preceded by alcohol consumption, but lately I've been hitting a different poison pretty hard: salt. I've been eating lots and lots of salt.

Ponies do have alcohol, but in this universe salt works just as well on ponies. To put it in perspective, salt is to cider as beer is to hard liquor. I'm not much on the drinking scene, but the gist of it is that salt isn't as potent. It's a good thing too, considering it's a necessary part of everypony's diet. Only salt in obscene amounts will give ponies a buzz. I am not a doctor; I have no explanation as to why.

What I do know is that salt does not have that effect on me, which is how I ended up in that dumpster. You see, after we stole all those musical instruments, I spotted a salt bar called The Salt Shaker. Curious, and perhaps secretly craving more salt, I left my party and went inside. I didn't have a single bit on me, but the barkeep said I could lick for free if I was able to consume an entire block. Have you ever seen a salt block? It's pretty much just eight pounds of salt.

In order to sate my odd craving, I devoured the entire block right in front of everypony in the bar. The barkeep apparently wasn't serious about his little deal, so he booted me out the back door and into the dumpster. Before shutting the lid, he told me not to come back. Naturally, I spent the next day playing guitar for money and then returned to the bar in a different disguise in order to have more salt.

I think I might have some sort of problem, but being addicted to salt is the least of my worries right now. My biggest concern is currently whether or not there is a single human in the entirety of Quarterholm. On all three sites of our robberies, I painted the message "Meet Me In Quarterholm Park" in English. The last two times I even added "I'll be playing guitar." It's only noon on day three, so maybe I'm just too antsy.

"Mommy, can I put a coin in that stallion's hat?" a little filly asks her mother as the two trot by. I look up from the guitar and meet her big, glittering eyes. Her mother, on the other hoof, gives her daughter a tug on the tail and urges her to pay me no mind. I catch her saying something about wasting all my money on salt. I can't get angry because she's right.

Just then, another filly approaches me. Her eyes meet mine, but they do not glitter. She's levitating a newspaper in front of her, which is something most fillies her age wouldn't really do. I suppose there are a million more suspicious things she could be doing.

"Any good news?" I ask her. She takes a seat next to me and nods.

"We made the front page," she says. I look down at the strings and start playing some scales. Even the most basic parts of playing take a lot of concentration.

"Not a big surprise, considering we made it yesterday too," I remind her. Chrysalis shakes her head though. She folds the paper up and shows me the front page. I can't read it, but I do recognize the city pictured on the front. "Is that Ponyville?"

"Indeed it is."

"What's Ponyville got to do with us?" I ask her, but I can't take my eyes off the picture. The town looks exactly like the one in my memories. I always thought seeing it would be really weird, considering I've only ever seen it on television, but "weird" is not the sensation I'm getting. I feel more... nostalgic, as if I were seeing my hometown after a really long time away from it.

"That's what I want to know. Apparently, all of your good friends like that bandaged unicorn and Shining Armor have the city on lockdown. They're convinced we're going to attack," Chrysalis explained.

"Yeah, I guess that's because of the threat I made to Shining Armor." I look up from where my hooves are plucking the strings to see Chrysalis shaking her head.

"It says here they found a changeling in Ponyville."

"... Well gee, that kind of seems like something we should be concerned about!" I stop playing my guitar and look at Chrysalis. I would imagine that a changeling in Ponyville would be upsetting news for her, but she doesn't seem like she cares. "So... why aren't we concerned?"

"Doesn't it work in our favor?" Chrysalis says. "They think we're out to get Ponyville, not Quarterholm. That's what this whole theft plan is about, right? It's working so far. The guards have started sticking around places they think we'll hit next. When we issue that threat letter, they'll probably flock to it. The guards will be isolated in one area and we'll drop the whole swarm on them unannounced."

"Oh... right." I strum a little more on my guitar. "But why is there a changeling in Ponyville?"

"Who knows, who cares? Serves him right for going out and being stupid on his own," Chrysalis says. She uses her magic to turn to the next page. I decide to drop the subject of the Ponyville changeling when I see a picture that interests me.

"Is that a rhinoceros?" I point to the picture in question. Even though it's not on the front page, it's still a color photo of a rhino dressed in armor reminiscent of the royal guards.

"Keen observation there," Chrysalis responds.

"I didn't know there were rhinos in Equestria," I say, but Chrysalis gives me an odd look. "What?"

"If you didn't know there were rhinos here, how did you know what a rhino was?" she asks. This time it's me giving her a funny look.

"There are rhinos where I come from," I tell her.

"... So no unicorns, pegasi, or griffons... but you've got rhinos?" she asks. I nod, but at the same time I wonder what she's getting at.

"Is there... something about rhinos I don't know?"

"Look, all you need to know is that this rhino is coming to Quarterholm," Chrysalis says.

"Why would a rhino be coming here? Is he coming by himself? Does he... need a passport?"

"Shut up and listen!" Chrysalis rolls up the newspaper and bops me on the head with it. I focus on playing an arpeggio while she reads part of the article aloud.

"Due to the sudden and severe rash of thefts occurring in and around our fair city, we called upon Canterlot to help us bolster our security. Due to the recent changeling threats, the palace cannot spare many regular soldiers to be guards. The Princess has, however, has sent a battle rhino as compensation. We are not sure what merit a wild beast is in catching burglars, but in this reporter's opinion, it's better than nothing. Besides, it scares the feathers off me."

"So its cavalry?" I ask, getting a nod from Chrysalis. I can't bring myself to be concerned about a rhino showing up during the swarm. Chrysalis doesn't look worried either, which makes it easy to relax.

I'm glad the swarm looks like it's going to go well, but I'm pretty bugged by the fact that my search for a human hasn't turned up anyone yet. The messages have been in the newspapers, on warning fliers, and just out in the open for anypony to see. If no one has stepped up yet, maybe there aren't any people to step up at all.

"Chrysalis, go find Plundergrub and tell him to deliver a message to the rest of the swarm: we're invading tomorrow night."

"Giving up so soon?" Chrysalis asked, folding her paper up and setting it beside my half empty hat.

"We'll break into Town Hall tonight and leave our threat. I think we should tell them our target is the vineyard on the edge of town," I explain. I put a hoof over the frets and strum a quick chord, but it comes out dissonant. I focus and try again, this time producing the low, rich tone I wanted. "It's far enough away that it'll disperse the guards and seems important enough that they'd try and guard it."

"Sounds good to me," Chrysalis says while spreading a genuine smile across her mask. "When you use your brain, you actually come up with some good ideas."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell Bloodbuzz and Swerve to take the night off. It'll just be me and you busting into Town Hall," I tell her. "No need to kill mosquitoes with cannons."

"I think that could be said for every job we've done so far."

I consider what she's said, but it doesn't take long to realize she's right. I was about to tell her, but she'd already left before I got a chance. I shrug and turn back to my guitar, my mind drifting towards putting bits in my hat. I strum a few sober chords, starting up the first song that came into my head.

The guard even salutes to us while we waltz in the front door. It just goes to show you: if you trot with purpose while wearing any sort of uniform ponies will assume you're important. This applies to janitorial uniforms. Once we're through the front door, Chrysalis pokes her head out of the garbage can I'm wheeling in front of me. Other than herself, she's got her letter to the mayor ready to go once we get into his office.

"This is too easy," I grumble. Chrysalis turns her head just enough to let me see she's rolling her eyes.

"That isn't anything to complain about," she responds. I don't bother arguing with her. We just continue down the dark, deserted halls of Town Hall. We get to the main hall of the building, and I suddenly realize how quiet it is.

Something about the red carpet and the stone pillars just throws this place off from what it really is. In the waning moonlight, I may as well be walking deeper into the depths of a castle dungeon. I slow my trot down to a slow walk, making the wheels under the garbage can squeak as we slowly roll towards the oak doors at the end of the hallway. The lid on the can raises as Chrysalis looks ahead of us.

"Are you getting bad vibes too?" I ask her.

"No, just wondering why we're going so slow."

I ignore her and press onward, but as fate would have it Chrysalis was right not to worry. We arrived in the mayor’s office with the door shut behind us without incident. It’s not like I want anything bad to happen, but it would be nice to know these heebie jeebies are justified. Then again, I haven’t had any salt tonight. Maybe I’m suffering withdrawal.

“Alright, put the note on the desk so we can get out of here,” I tell Chrysalis. I don’t have to tell her twice as she emerges from the trash can and buzzes over to the desk in the center of the room. Aside from the large window behind the desk, the rest of the walls are covered in bookcases. There’s also a closet in the corner of the room, open far enough for me to see the myriad of offices supplies inside. It isn’t a very deep closet and a pony probably wouldn’t fit in there unless you flipped them vertical.

“What are you staring at?” Chrysalis asks me. She’s standing on the desk, illuminated by the moonlight. As much as I hate to justify her impatience, we really should be going. As I turn to face the door again, I hear the knob click. The door swings open, and I just stand there like a freshly cut ice sculpture. The guard at the door does little more than raise an eyebrow at me.

“You’re not supposed to be in here. It’s off limits fo-” The guard cuts off when he sees the only other being in the room: Chrysalis. It’s easy to tell what he’s thinking by the way his eyes grow wider than the moon outside. “Ch-changli-”

This time, I cut him off by reverting to my true form right before him. Faced with a much, much larger problem than he originally thought he had, the guard doesn’t say a single word. Just in case he gets any ideas, I extend my hand and slam the door behind him with my magic.

The guard doesn’t take to kindly to being trapped. His disbelief turns into determination as he readies his spear at his side, tucking it beneath his wing and pointing it right at me. He charges, but my leg has more reach than the shaft of his spear. With one swift kick to his exposed throat, the guard drops his weapon on the floor. Before he can uncover it, I throw both hands out and envelop him in magic. Under my power, he bicycles his legs as they involuntarily depart from the floor.

I sweep my hands to the side, sending him flying into the closet. With another swing of my hand, the door slams closed on him. I pick up his spear from the ground with my magic, and launch it like a torpedo into the door. The only indicator of how the guard fared after the attack is a muffled cry from behind the door.

We just stare at the shaft protruding from the door for a handful of seconds. What I’ve done, while sensible given the situation, was done without premeditation. The faint sound of approaching hooves outside the door is enough to distract me.

“Cocoon, we’ve got to get out of here!” Chrysalis says, stating the painfully obvious. The door we came in through isn’t an option, so my eyes dart to the only other exit: the window.

Now, throwing a fireball or a lightning bolt would have easily broken the glass, but for whatever reason I was in a different sort of mood tonight. I reached out with my magic and grabbed the window panes. Glass is inanimate, and therefore not capable of taking commands, but for whatever reason that’s exactly what I did. It was a very simple command: break.

The glass shattered and fell about the window sill in a way I wanted to assume was metaphorical. Chrysalis looked from the window, to me, to back at the window.

“How did you-?”

“Magic! Let’s go!” I vault over the desk, landing on the other side. I grab Chrysalis and leap out into the night. Flying isn’t an option in changeling form for me, so we land a ways away in some bushes. We use the cover to transform into some unassuming forms before tip-toeing… or tip-hoofing rather, across the street. We hasten away from city hall, but we don’t dare go faster than a slow canter. Once we’re comfortably far away, Chrysalis turns to me.

“You mind explaining how you did that?” Chrysalis asks once again.

“I just used magic to shatter the glass. You remember what magic is, right?” I ask. Chrysalis glares at me and I can tell she’s considering chewing me out over something. For whatever reason, her rage subsides a bit.

“You know how we changelings eat love, right?” she asks me. I nod, but I’m entirely unsure of where she’s going with this. “We convert love into energy. Energy we use to transform, levitate things, make shields, shoot lightning, and light things on fire. Energy can do those things.”

“Yes… yes it can.” The look on Chrysalis’s face tells me my comment was not appreciated. “Okay, yeah, but it can’t break windows?”

“Energy can break windows, but you didn’t use energy. You, somehow, used magic.”

…

“I… I don’t follow… at all.”

Chrysalis smacks her hoof into her forehead. She mutters something under her breath, something I can tell is laced with explitives. Eventually she sighs, and looks back up at me. I sit down on the pavement, showing her that I’m ready to listen if she’s ready to explain.

“Levitation, fireballs, beams of lighting and whatnot are technically magic, but that stuff is simple. The magic is just using energy to exert a force of some kind or cause a natural, explainable reaction with internal energies. More advanced magic involves unnatural uses for energy, like growing hair in strange places or conjuring objects out of thin air. Now, have you been able to do things like that in the past?”

“Well I haven’t tried,” I explain to her. “But I don’t see how breaking a window is magic.”

“Normally, it isn’t,” Chrysalis says. “But you didn’t break it with force, you forced it to break.”

“… Huh?”

“Instead of bashing it with energy, you used your own energy to make an unnatural change in its nature. It’s a very basic change, but a change nonetheless. That shouldn’t be possible for a changeling, even royalty,” Chrysalis says, but things still don’t quite add up for me. Then again, I’m not very well versed in magic. If even breaking a window is this complicated, Twilight Sparkle really is a super genius.

“So what about healing my body and fixing Sweet Tea’s nose? Also Mind Poisoning. If Changelings aren’t capable of complicated magic, how can I do that stuff?” I ask. Chrysalis titters and shakes her head.

“Really… this stuff is common knowledge around here. I guess there really is no magic where you come from.”

“There is, but we just call it science.”

“Anyway, back to your question,” Chrysalis says. “Healing yourself is an easy one: our bodies are sustained and changed by the energy we absorb, so it’s no big surprise that you can stimulate our exoskeletons and internal workings to repair themselves by adding energy. As for Sweet Tea, I doubt you could’ve restored an amputated limb or replaced a kidney, but a pony’s natural energy coupled with your magic could push bone and flesh back into place. Mind poisoning is a bit more complicated, but there’s an easy way to explain it: the soul and brain communicate with each other and the body through energy impulses, so all Mind Poison does is set up a way for us to control those impulses. The point we bind to manipulate minds is the same point that releases love, so we’re naturally attuned to find and exploit it. It’s almost real magic.”

“Okay, okay… so why can’t changelings do real magic? We can do all that other stuff with our energy, so why no magic?” I ask the looming question. This is all very complicated, but Chrysalis would probably feel overwhelmed too if I had to explain to her how a computer or a car worked.

“It’s not that changelings can’t, it’s just that unicorns can,” she said. “All the other… creatures that can release energy like we can also have another uniting factor: they don’t eat solid food.”

That’s when everything clicked for me.

“So, what? What does eating have to do with it?” I asked her, but Chrysalis scrunched up her mouth and averted her eyes.

“Nopony is really sure. Unicorns and alicorns have tired endlessly for the source of magic, but it eludes them. All they know is that a starving unicorn can’t use magic. As for magic itself, all they know is that through concentration and deliberate methods they can do just about anything.”

As much as I’d hoped for a definitive answer, I guess that’ll have to do. I can’t get blood from a stone, but I can experiment with what eating all this salt might do for me.

I hold out my hoof and focus my energy in my horn. Using a horn instead of my hands isn’t favorable, but it’ll have to do in public. I tune everything around me out and focus on my breathing. I take a breath in and fill my lungs from the bottom up. I take a breath out, pushing all the air out. Manipulating energy should be as natural as breathing. I pick an object at random and focus on its image. My goal is to bring it into existence. To achieve it, I must start from scratch and…

Without realizing what I’d done, I find a baseball in my hoof.

“C-conjuration? How did you…? You can actually?”

I barely hear Chrysalis. I feel weird all of a sudden. I managed that magic with such ease, but I did it only because I felt like I’d done it before. Not just once before, but a million times before. My brain is telling me there is experience of struggling to conjure, just barely conjuring, and perfection of conjuring. It tries to pull up the memories of those events, but it can’t.

It’s an odd feeling, as if I put a key in a hole, undid the lock, but the door still won’t open. I pull, I push, I kick, I yell, and I knock, but the door refuses to open. I didn’t even realize the door existed until just now, but here I am standing in front of it. I remember what should be on the other side, but I can’t get to it.

“Cocoon? Are you okay… C… oon? …o…n!”

The corridor of my mind is long and winding. I remember how to navigate this place. It isn’t hard. This is the place where my past memories should be and here is where the explanations for what is happening should be hung.

“C…oon, … …n’t funny! … …p! G… u…! Coc…n!”

Someone has been in here. They wrote lies on the wall while I was away, asleep, or not looking. They locked the doors from the inside. I just believed whatever was presented to me. There is so much of my own mind hidden from me. I remember that I can’t remember things. Questions I should have asked, but neglected to have answered. Things I should have noticed were missing, but I was blind and couldn’t even notice them.

“…oon! C……n! ……..! …………”

The machine finally ran a program that would be met with an error. The next step is shut down.

“Same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was.”

My eyes opened up. There are very few things one wants to see when waking up, and high on that list for me is the Avatar of Chaos, Discord, staring right into my face.

“Oh good, you’ve retained some of your sanity,” Discord says. He flies up and away from me, giving me enough room to sit up. I feel fine, but my head is all over the place. I rub my forehead, in some attempt to physically reclaim mental clarity. Rubbing, though, makes my hand and my forehead feel… familiar. I bring my had down and take a good look at it.

…

It would appear I am among the human.

“What the?!” I jump up on my feet, my fleshy, human feet, and look myself all over. I’m me again. I’ve got flesh instead of chitin, red hair instead of blue, teeth instead of fangs, and… no pants.

“Here, monkey boy,” Discord says as he tosses me a pair of overalls. I don’t know why overalls, but I’m not about to look the gift pony in the mouth. Besides, this is Discord we’re talking about. I should be happy he didn’t give me a frilly, pink tutu. “Now, you’ve probably got a loooot of questions, don’t you?” I finish putting the overalls on.

“I’ve always had a lot of questions… but I guess I kind of want to know where we are.”

“We’re nowhere.”

Looking around at the inky, black, endless nothingness around us, I’d buy that.

“How did I get here?”

“Hmm, you’re right… you do have a lot of questions,” Discord said, scratching his beard idly with his talon. “If I can be perfectly concise, you’re not really ‘here’. You’re still in back in that body. Your mind has come here because the burden of consciousness is preventing it from… fixing itself. Your consciousness will hang out here until your mind is ready to agree with itself.”

“Yeah, about that.” I look down to see what I’m standing on. The expanse of darkness stretches on even below me. I realize I have a strange sensation for falling while being grounded. “Maybe you can shed some light on why I feel like I can’t remember some stuff about… well, me.”

“I could, but that would take the fun out of it.” Discord whipped himself up a Starbucks coffee cup. A pair of thick framed glasses appeared on his nose and a long, striped scarf wrapped itself around his neck. “I’m very picky when it comes to fun. Besides, you can’t remember because somepony edited your memories. That much should be obvious.”

“Yeah, but who and why? What aren’t I supposed to remember? Which of my memories are lies?” I ask. I don’t know why I’m bothering with this psychopath. He’s always… always...

There is static in my brain. The words almost form, but they just aren’t there. My mind says the conclusion should be there, and yet there isn’t. I get away from that line of thought, just in case my mind decides to push my consciousness into an even more obscure place. I shudder to think about what kind of place is worse than Nowhere, but at least I can think about it.

“Again, I don’t wanna go spilling all the beans. Somepony worked very hard to keep you from remembering, and quite frankly I prefer you better this way,” Discord explains. “It’s easier to… hurt you.”

“What is any of that supposed to mean?” My mind is already jumbled up enough without Discord being all cryptic.

“On the other hand, I want you to remember,” Discord admits, much to my surprise. “But only gradually and painfully. That is how you must remember everything because it will be all the more satisfying to end your existence once you’re writhing in the knowledge of the whole truth!”

“Again with the killing thing. If you want me gone so bad, just send me home! It’s as easy as that!” I tell him. Discord’s glasses become opaque, just so he can pull them down and leer at me over them.

“Just like you send Nathanial, or should I say Sparrow, home?”

I have to hand it to Discord: he really knows what buttons to press.

“Listen up, ape! This isn’t about you screwing with my plans a little or jumping some of my pawns!” Discord shouts. He winds his way through the air right up to me until I can feel hot breath coming out of his nostrils. “No, this is personal! You and I have a little game to finish, whether you like it or not!”

“… And what if I refuse to play?” I ask. Discord grins as he chuckles to himself. He draws himself up to his full height as he begins laughing just as loud as he can.

“Well, how can you play chess without a King? You need to play and, in fact, you’re going to play regardless of what you do because the only way to get home is to win. You’re already two moves behind and doomed to lose in the end.

“So hurry and remember, but no too fast! I want to see you squirm and wrestle with it a while longer. This game should have ended before it got to this stage, but since you somehow managed to prolong it I’ll indulge you.”

Suddenly, I feel like static. I’m leaving Nowhere and returning to my body. I can already feel waking thought returning to me as the darkness of Nowhere engulfs me.

“Ah yes… but our time here is short. We’ll meet again real soon. I know we will. I’m the only one who can answer all those burning questions you have, but to simply answer would be too easy. I hope you’re up for a bit of sport.”

Discord fades completely from my vision. I realize I’ve been numb this whole time as feeling returns to my body. Before I’m gone completely, Discord plants instructions into my brain. I can hear him in my head, mocking me with his rhyme:

“If you’re looking for answers to the reasons why

If you want to unscramble the truths and the lies

Then go where it’s never midnight nor noon

Stare into the mirror between the Sun and the Moon.”

15th: Unforgettable

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Reality rushes back far too quickly. The nothingness and Discord are gone while I'm staring up at a sky full of changelings. There is buzzing and hissing resonating from all around me. I can hear scattered explosions rocking the ground. The voices of frightened ponies make me shudder and realize that the invasion has begun.

My mind is still full of static and Discord's rhyme is rattling around my brain. I've got spiritual aches and emotional pains plaguing my heart that I can't explain. Alien yet vaguely familiar voices without faces or names fade in and out. I can't make out what they're saying because they're talking all at once. It's as if someone took the contents of my memories and scattered them onto the floor. I don't know what goes where or who goes when, but another force is gathering them back up and restoring order to my mind. When it’s clear and the racket of information ceases, the static still remains. I've got memories I didn't know I had before.

"Hey, you're awake!"

The current situation isn't going to give me a moment to reflect upon them, however.

"What in all of Tartarus happened to you?" Chrysalis asks. I realize she's been sitting on my chest while I lie facing the sky. Two other changelings in Hive Mind armor are standing over me. I recognize them as Bragback and Hellwire, but I'm surprised I can considering all the things I still can't seem to remember. Everything since I woke up as King is clear and normal. My memories of life back on Earth up until I got sent here are bright as day, too. There are holes in my memories of just before being sent. Some of the details feel... wrong. I feel like I'm remembering things that never happened, but what's the reality in my past and what's fake?

By far the most disturbing bit of haze lies just between the point of being sent and waking up. I sense a static between them, as if I have memories of some intermediate period between the two events, but that doesn't make any sense. I was sent and then I woke up. There should be nothing else in the chronology of my memories.

"Hey, I asked if you're alright!"

"What?" I say, finally sitting up. My body feels just fine, even if my head is a disorganized maze of missing documents and locked file cabinets. As much as I need and want to deal with all these thoughts and feelings, I have matters to attend to presently. "Did the invasion start? How're things going?"

"Oh, they're going alright!" Chrysalis answers. The way she answered makes me think things aren't going so well, but looking around I can tell that isn't the case. Changelings blanket the sky and the ground. I can see pods of green gelatin with ponies suspended inside; they're stuck to every wall and hung from every pillar. Changelings hover through the streets, over guardsponies stuck in thick, green mucus like many slimey stalagmites.

"We are encountering a bit of a problem, your majesty," Hellwire says. "Your plan has worked splendidly. Quarterholm didn't even see us coming and there was an astounding lack of guards in the city limits. We've secured every section of the city... except one."

"Which one?" I realize just moments after asking what the problem must be, but my head is going in so many different directions that the little details are escaping me.

"The vineyard," Bragback explains. "The concentration of guards is extremely high and they've got a heavily armored cavalry unit. A large number of townsponies have managed to flee there. We've been trying to take it, but their forces are proving too much for us."

"Great... I'm really not feeling up to combat right now." I can groan about it, but I get to my feet anyway. There won't be any peace for me until the swarm is fed and out of Quarterholm. "Well, what needs to be done?"

"We simply need to eliminate the forces guarding the vineyard. Both their ground and air support is formidable," Hellwire says.

"So since you can't fly worth anything, you'll hit them on the ground!" Chrysalis says. She buzzes up and lands on my head, craning her head down to whisper right in my ear. "After all this is done, you've got a lot of explaining to do."

"Whatever. To the vineyard then." No sooner have I said this than I raise my hands to weave my spell.

"Teleportation, short or long distance, is a dangerous affair. The right energy resonance will bend and fold space, but your proximity to such raw power during teleporation makes the spell volatile. The energy must envelop targets, but not embrace or constrict them."

My magic wraps around me and my passenger, cramming us into a tiny space. Energy extends outward to our destination and then drags it right next to us while punching a tiny hole to travel through.

"Exiting a teleporation spell is tricky as well. There would be no need to minimize the mass of the teleporting target if this wasn't the case. Displacing a smaller amount of matter is always preferable. A quick exit is always a safe one."

In reality, we move just the smallest amount. All at once, space expands and we expand. Our true displacement becomes apparent as we find ourselves standing in front of the vineyard.

"Wha-howdidyou-youcan't-butyou're-WHAT?" Chrysalis jumps off my head and latches herself into my face. All I can see are her bewildered eyes staring into mine. "You teleported us!"

"Yeah, can't you do teleporation?" I ask. I specifically remember hearing... no... seeing Chrysalis teleport Twilight Sparkle under Canterlot.

"I can displace myself, objects, and ponies through matter by using lots and lots of energy, but I can't teleport! How did you do that?"

I peel Chrysalis off my face, but I have to contemplate the answer to her question. I did know how to teleport. I didn't just "get the idea" of teleporting, I understood how to use magic to achieve teleportation. I remembered how to do it. I remember because I figured out... no... learned? I... I can't remember. There's static where the answer should be.

"Let's deal with the problem in front of us first, alright?"

Chrysalis doesn't protest any further.

I've only been to the vineyard once before, but it barely looks like what I remember it looking like. The fields are utterly destroyed and the winery on the property is protected by a spherical barrier. Changelings are trying to approach it from every angle on the ground and the air, but it's no use. Unicorns behind the barrier blast back any of our soldiers that get close while pegasi in the air keep dive-bombing them, preventing any changelings from hitting home. What I don't see—even though I’ve been expecting it--is a rhino. I guess I'll be crossing that bridge later.

"Okay, so first we need to get that barrier down." I'm a ways away from the winery, but at this distance I should be able to fire off a shot and hit it. Like any other day of the week, I loose a bolt of green lighting at the barrier. The shot gets through, but the results were not impressive. If I threw a rock and missed, it would have been just as productive. I try again, but this time I give it more oomph. My efforts are met with even more nothing.

"Knock it off, Cocoon!" Chrysalis yells at me. "You're going to need a physical force to crack the barrier! You managed to break those barriers during the battle over the Hive, right? Stop messing around and go tear it apart!"

I only wish it were that simple. There are too many unicorns blasting away in the safety of the barrier. I could try dropping a rock or a chunk of concrete on the barrier, but the unicorns would probably blast that too. I need something they can't blast to pieces if it gets too close, and I need to be able to deliver it without getting too close myself.

"Conjuring clouds is useful for economic and agricultural needs, but they're always temporary and powered down. A conjured storm cloud will never produce a lethal bolt of lighting. Can lethal, powerful lighting be conjured? The answer is no, it cannot be conjured. A unicorn can, however, harness the power of lighting with magic."

I extend my hand towards the barrier. Magic can be used to disrupt the natural order of things. I agitate the air around my hand with an electric charge, but at the same time I keep it from discharging. My hand tingles with anticipation.

"If you know how lighting works, you can replicate it with magic. Call upon the physical, scientific forces you want with your magic and simply cause the event; however, this is the realm of magic we're talking about. Since we’ve used magic to get this far, why not use a little more?"

I let my energy flow and mingle with the increasingly agitated electric charge. The total energy goes up, and I can see blue arcs of electricity prematurely jumping around my hand. I put out more of my own energy, but this time to shield myself from what's to come. I fix my gaze on the barrier.

"When you go beyond what nature can do using magic, you've stumbled upon the realm of the Arcane. Arcane Lighting is just one of many possibilities, but I believe the ponies of the court will find its effects more profound."

There is only a flash of the electrical discharge connecting my hand to the barrier. Once my vision is all white, I hear the deafening boom of thunder. To hold, for an ephemeral moment, such raw power in my hand is exhilarating. With the practiced motion of a martial artist, I extend my other hand where I have been inadvertently preparing another crackling, charged bolt. The second leaps from my hand with all the heart-pounding light and sound of the first and strikes the barrier in the center of aa now splintering spiderweb of cracks across its surface. Compared to my assault, the resulting dissipation of the barrier is anti-climactic.

The unicorn guards are rushing to re-erect their magic shield, but the swarm dives in close and crosses the defensive line. Putting up a barrier now would mean sealing in changelings. Our offensive heightens while their defense falters, prompting me to start walking towards the winery.

“But the best offense is a good defense, and the best defense preserves both you and your opponent. Assail their senses and leave them without a trail to follow. Just as with any other element, call upon nature to roll in fog while you call upon your own power to turn it into a mystifying miasma.”

Water is gathering around my hands, condensing and cooling into mist. It gathers around me like a second cloak while it rolls along the ground towards the winery ahead of me. It grows exponentially, wrapping around fence posts and walls and flowing fluidly into windows.

“As the caster, I have complete control over who feels and sees what, so allow me to give the members of the audience a demonstration of this spell’s capabilities. You may now find yourself asking where the pony sitting on either side of you has gone. You can all see me clearly, but now my voice sounds as if it is coming from behind you. This is nothing but illusion at its finest.”

The fog hangs all around the air of the vineyard. It isn’t thick or heavy, but the magic inside it tinges it a sickly green. The guards inhale it, and it makes their eyes grow wide. The changelings are suddenly all about them. Their eyes perceive escape beyond the walls of the vineyard. Each pony in the fog is clamoring to get to what they believe is safety. They think their walls are breached and the changelings are just on their tails, but the reality of the situation is much more dismal.

Ponies run out of the building before me, but they are blind to my presence. I wait until there isn’t a living soul in the fog, but one remains behind. A wild, untamed being is still with me in the fog. The thing here with me is not afraid of the changelings swarming in. I can feel it struggling against the phantasms it is seeing.

I find it. It is a berserk, wild, horned beast. The rhinoceros is barreling towards me, chasing some ghost in the fog. Its horn and armor glisten green with moist changeling blood and its eyes burn red with animalistic rage. If I don’t stop it, I’ll be gored.

“A beast’s mind is very malleable. Ponies have an innate resistance to anything that tries to directly control them, but that is something only they exclusively possess. Now, it is within our ability to halt rampaging monsters with force or tame their minds into an illusion of calm, but those methods are tedious and energy-consuming. If my lovely assistant would be kind enough to release our captive, I will demonstrate the simplest way to pacify a beast.”

As the magic weaves through the fingers of my right hand, I am almost muttering the instructions out loud to myself. The rhinoceros is still charging, but I have more than enough time to finish my spell.

“Critters and beasts, unlike monsters, are peaceful at their core. If they are agitated on the surface, simply turn them inside out and slip them into the most peaceful of states!”

I extend my charged hand. Playful wisps of green energy move like liquid around my fingers and down through my palm. I bring my middle finger and my thumb together, and with one snap the energy flashes once before fizzling out like a birthday candle.

The rhino skids to a halt. It wobbles on its feet a little, but it slowly lowers itself onto the ground. It lolls onto its side with a metallic clank of its armor coming down. The massive chest of the beast heaves up and down as it silently sleeps.

I can hear the applause of stamping ponies.

“Thank you, thank you!”

I know it’s in my head, but the sounds around me sound muffled now. The scene around me is surreal. It’s like my eyes are windows and I am a small child, standing behind them looking out at the rain. There is a big, bad world out there. I emerge from my own fog and walk into the street.

“Magic promises prosperity! I’ve only shown you the tip of the iceberg here tonight. If we work together to cultivate our magic, imagine what we could achieve! We could bring the citizenry into a golden age!”

The streets are lined with suffering. Ponies run without escape and beg mercy into unhearing ears. There is destruction written on the side of every building and despair etched into the face of each mare, stallion, and foal.

“Come with me into the next era of magic, where each cup will overflow!”

Changelings feed without regard for life. Ponies who resist are knocked to the ground and jabbed with curved horns. Love is taken from them forcefully by poisoning their minds with desperation, false promises, and just a dash of sadness. When the feeding is done, they are left clinging to life on the pavement.

“Where ponies sleep safely in their beds!”

The changelings are everywhere, drowning the city in a tidal wave of black hunger. Neither a sun or moon hangs in the sky, but in their place hang a million ravenous eyes. This new sky hangs so close it is tinged red with the fires burning below.

“Where there is a solution for every problem!”

Behind me lies the most fantastic scene of terror. The city’s final stronghold has changelings going in and out of every opening. Guards brave enough to attempt to stem this tide are swept aside, but kept alive so their love can be harvested. Groups of changelings drag ponies kicking and screaming from windows. They are being torn apart.

“Where ponies live in harmony!”

Friends are torn from friends.

“Where the children’s futures are ever brighter!”

Mothers are torn from their foals.

“Where love abounds!”

Husbands are torn from wives.

“We’ll do it together!”

This whole city has been torn to shreds.

For all of the violence, I am strangely serene. I stand alone as the ever silent king on the chessboard, who nearly stands completely apart from his war when he is in no danger. My brain is all horror and chaos, but I can almost see the almost comically mortified look on my face. Once again, like someone turning on a radio in my head, I hear that distant, familiar voice speaking.

“For the Princess, we will forge a brighter future. Magic will make it possible, my friends. I promise you all, I will never lead our herd astray.”

I can bear being here no longer.

“Hey! Stop! Stoooop!” Chrysalis calls after me. Four or five other changelings are buzzing after me, but that’s just a guess. I won’t look back towards Quaterholm. I won’t even venture a glance. I just run like a fool into the night. “Cocoon! Get back here!”

“Leave me alone! That’s an order!” I shout. I don’t know where I’m going. I didn’t even take time to choose a direction. Before I realize what I was doing, I’d already run past the city limits. I can’t remember how long I’ve been running and I don’t know how far I am. Everything about me is a mess right now.

To accent that point, I trip.

“Your majesty!”

All five of the changelings approach to pick me off the floor. One grabs my arm, but I jerk it free and lash out. My hand catches him across the face, knocking his helmet right off.

“I said get away!” I half shout and half growl, getting back onto my feet without a helping hoof. I shoot a glance at the changeling who tried to help me.

“Forgive me, your majesty,” Bloodbuzz says, lowering his head in submission. Another changeling catches my attention.

“What in all of Tartarus is wrong with you?!” Chrysalis gets right into my face. I reach out and grab her around her tiny body. A small section of my brain warns me not to crush her, but I don’t intend to. There is fear in her eyes as she looks at me. It’s a look I haven’t seen from her, not genuinely.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I tell her. “I’m hearing voices in my head. I can do all this crazy magic. All my memories are fuzzy. You tell me what’s wrong with me!” I feel Chrysalis shrinking in my grip.

“Look, Cocoon, just calm down.”

“No! Not this time!” I release her. I shove past Swerve and Plundergrub before me and trudge onwards. The whole group continues to follow me.

“Where are you going, your majesty?” Hellwire asks from behind me. I open my mouth to answer. I have the answer. It’s right here in my mind and right on the tip of my tongue.

“I have to go… to… go to…” There is nothing but static here, but still I forge ahead. “I can’t stay here, alright?”

“You mean Quarterholm, your majesty?” Bragback asks.

“No. I mean here, with the swarm,” I answer plainly. No one has a response this time. I hear their hooves stop while I continue forward.

“So that’s it? You’re abandoning us?”

I stop and turn around. The five lesser changelings have parted. Chrysalis stands beyond them, staring me down with a severe expression.

“What do you even need me for?” I ask. “You fed. You’ll rebuild. I have personal matters to attend to.”

“So you’re abandoning us?” she asks again.

“Yes, Chrysalis, I am. I am abandoning you all. Is that what you want to hear?” I ask right back. “It’s odd, but I’m starting to fully realize the messed-up-ed-ness of my time spent here. I’d like to avoid more feeding, more killing, and more changeling shenanigans in general.”

“That’s it? You’re through?” Chrysalis starts chuckling a bit for some reason. I guess it is kind of funny in some sick way. “Nopony made you feed or kill, Cocoon. Don’t think that running from us means you get away from those things! You want to survive, so you feed and kill. That’s how it works. You’re a changeling!”

“But I’m not!” I shout. Two small gouts of flame burst in my open palms. The fire is gone in a flash, but I find myself staring down at my alien digits. “I’m human, Chrysalis. All this magic… it isn’t something I just suddenly picked up. I’ve been able to do it since I woke up, I’m sure of it… I’m so sure of it. I can just see the truth more clearly… or less clearly, but more fully. I don’t know how to explain it! I’m not a changeling, not at heart at least. I’m not your king, so just forget about me.”

Chrysalis won’t stop glaring at me. She shakes her head, no doubt disappointed that I won’t do as she says anymore. The rest of them don’t say anything. They’re probably too stupid to figure out what’s going on anyway.

“You can’t back those claims up,” Chrysalis says. “You can’t prove you’re different. You can’t prove you have some kind of remorse. You can’t prove there is any more to your situation than you can sense.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t about having proof.” I turn my back on them for the last time. “This is about finding proof.”

The old king is wandering the countryside. I try and keep myself from thinking too much because I’m afraid I’ll start hearing voices again. I don’t dare dwell on the voice either, especially not on how familiar that voice sounded. There is no need to use magic or spend energy. I just have to walk forward.

Without any ponies or changelings around, Equestria could be mistaken for Earth in a place such as this. Earth or Equestria, nothing beats these rolling, grassy knolls that I grew up around. It’s good to remember something that is certain. I know my childhood. I remember my childhood home. The face of my mother and my father are clear in my mind. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, and the things I’ve done while on Earth are clear.

I sense static. There it is, in the months before I left Earth. It’s a piece of the puzzle that doesn’t actually fit. It’s a bit of paint peeling off the wall. It’s finding the blinds open when you know you closed them. I can almost see what’s wrong, but just almost. It hurts how much I want to remember.

Thinking about that won’t get me anywhere. I turn my attention to something else: Discord’s riddle. To be honest, I haven’t got a clue what that crazy mismatch of a creature was trying to tell me to do. There is also no guarantee that listening to him will actually be helpful. He could be setting me up for a deathtrap. It would be just like him.

“It would be just like him…”

That thought isn’t mine. It is, was or will be, someone else’s. It belongs to someone I know or knew. I can’t put the voice to a face or name, but I can predict its rises and falls perfectly. This is someone I know intimately. This is someone who when they spoke, I listened closely.

Once more, my mind is bubbling with static. I need a distraction right about now. I don’t want to deal with all of this right now. I need it in easy doses, or at least smaller doses. It’s imperative I find a way to step back. There has to be some sort of starting point, something to go off of. I’m never going to find it if I spend all my time drowning in all these conflicting signals. Any distraction would be fine right about now.

I’m suddenly aware of a low humming overhead. At first, I pass it off as an airplane, but then I remember that there are no airplanes in Equestria. I wonder if it’s the swarm coming to bring me back, but then again I figure if they were going to try that they would have done it already. Out of guesses, I stop and turn myself around.

There is an airship looming a mere hundred yards behind me, but that’s not where the humming is coming from. Armored pegasus after armored pegasus are pouring out of the sides of the dirigible. They fall into a v-formation with the practice of an elite fighting force. They aren’t just heading in my direction, they’re coming right at me. It occurs to me that I am still King Cocoon of the Changelings in the eyes of the law.

It is time to run.

I curse my wings for being unable to grant me the gift of flight, but even if I could fly I don’t know if I could outrun this military outfit. Part of me hopes the voices in my head will speak up and tell me how to magically fly away. I could try teleporting, but I’m too panicked to recall exactly how it’s supposed to be done. I know I have the knowledge, but I’m too focused on my pursuers to muddle through the static and find it.

Shadows fall over me. Running won’t do me any good now, so I skid to a halt and prepare to fight. I raise a hand to fire some spell into the air, but I hesitate. The pegasi are so dense as they circle the air around me that there is no way I’d miss, but I still hesitate. I can’t do it, or rather I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to hurt them. Even with all my power, I find myself powerless.

A chain lasso finds its way around my outstretched hand. A tug from the other end tightens it around my wrist and almost lifts me into the air. I pull back with my arm and reach up with my free hand to keep them from dragging me off. Another lasso wraps around both my wrists. I keep pulling, but another lasso falls around my shoulders. It tightens, pinning my arms to my sides and my wings to my back. I struggle, but my feet leave the ground. The pegasi get closer. They lasso my legs together before I can kick them away. While I’m distracted, another pegasus drops down right in front of my face. I recognize him.

“Here you go. I’ve got a present from Louise!” Summitplunge shouts before he slaps an iron around my neck like a collar. I hear it clamp behind my neck like a normal iron, but once it’s secure I can feel that this isn’t a normal restraint. A jolt runs down my spine and through my arms, numbing me for a frightening moment. “And here’s a present from me!” The burly pegasus punches me across the face, leaving a smarting cut on my left cheek.

“Shrimp, Plunger! Is that all you’ve got?” I ask him, still struggling against the restraints the best I can. I try using magic or transforming to break free, but there is no response. Something tells me this collar isn’t just to make my neck uncomfortable. Unable to resist capture, I’m lifted up, up and away.

“Lucky for you, that is all.” Summitplunge whistles up to the pegasi carrying me and motions to move towards the airship. “We’ve got orders to capture you alive.”

“What? Did Celestia decide I’d make a nice statue in the garden?” I meant that as a joke, but I realize that’s a frightening prospect.

“We might be capturing you alive, but don’t think that means we’ll be keeping you alive.”

I don’t know why his statement surprises me. It’s not like being captured is a good thing.

I’m in the jailhouse now. Well, this isn’t the jailhouse, but the ship’s hold is close enough. The good news is I’m not overburdened with chains anymore, but the bad news is my hands are tied behind my back with a rope and the silencing collar is still around my neck. I expected Lou to come down here and give me an earful, but after some careful consideration I realized that wouldn’t be her style.

It’s like this: she probably isn’t happy that I’m being taken alive. That mare wants to ride into Canterlot with my head on a spike. That’s a gruesome exaggeration, but you get the idea. She won’t come down here and acknowledge that there is some purpose in keeping me alive. If I wait, I bet I’ll see her at my execution. I’m sure she’ll be ticked if she isn’t the one carrying it out.

At least, that’s what I think. I’ve had plenty of time to think down here. I was thinking about escaping, but that’s decidedly impossible right now. I started thinking about how to appeal to my captors. I’ve come to two conclusions: 1) nopony around here is going to sympathize with me and 2) Lou and Plunger should totally get together. Yeah, I ship that. Together, they can have psychotic little foals. I can’t get this image of the two of them as old ponies sitting together by the fire with my head fixed over the mantle out of my head.

“Hey! You’ve got a visitor!”

A guard is looking at me from outside my cell. I thought for a second he was talking to somepony else, but I’m currently the only thing incarcerated down here. I assume it’s Plunger or maybe even Lou come down to poke some fun at me, but the truth is far more shocking.

“Y’all ‘aven’t changed much.”

It’s Sweet Tea. What else can I say? It’s friggen’ Sweet Tea standing outside my cell. It’s not exactly the proper response, but I start laughing when the irony of the situation sinks in.

“Oh, how the tables have turned! How have you been, little lady? How’s Quickdraw? Last time I saw him he was trapped under a couch.”

“Still think yer right?” she asks me. This version of Sweet Tea is such a big contrast to the one I first met. She looks tired and strained. There is no life behind her eyes, just anger. I guess it’s my fault.

“Yeah, I’m still right.” I assume she’s talking about my desire to send all the humans home. I’m still right. I’ve been right all along.

Yeah… I’ve been right all along. I’ve been right since… since… I can’t remember. There is static. There is static all around some argument for sending humans home, some knowledge I had but lost. I feel dread sinking into my gut. It’s important. It’s terribly, awfully, cataclysmically important. I need to remember. It’s the whole reason he... and I… the reason we… we?

“No point in arguin’ with you,” Sweet Tea says, almost to herself. I guess I can understand her sentiment: why argue with the loser? “Ah’m goin’ back to Appleloosa with Quickdraw. We’ll live happily, an’ there ain’t nothin’ you kin do about it.”

“Yeah… seems that way,” I say, pulling a bit against my manacles. “You know, you could at least thank me.”

“What do Ah ‘ave to thank you fer?” she asks.

“I didn’t do to Appleloosa what I did to Quarterholm,” I tell her. “I was just there for you, but I could’ve been a bit more cruel with how I handled that.”

Sweet Tea’s expression changes, but it’s to one of confusion as she cocks her head and raises an eyebrow. Surely, she has to know about Quarterholm. This ship looked like it was coming from the direction of Quarterholm, so it has to know.

“Ah don’t know what yer talkin’ about,” Sweet Tea says. She’s not lying. There isn’t any reason for her to lie. She doesn’t know about Quarterholm.

“I attacked Quarterholm. Last time I saw it, the population was being drained of their love and then left for dead. You must know about it!”

There are a few moments of silence. Sweet Tea exchanges a concerned glance with the guard outside my cell. This ship has to know about Quaterholm. Sompony has to know. If nopony knows, the citizens of Quarterholm could be dying without one bit of help from the outside. If nopony helps them, the feeding I ordered turns into the massacre I ordered.

“You’re bluffing,” Sweet Tea says at last. “Just like with Ponyville.”

“No, no, no! You don’t understand!” I yell, standing up in my cell. I get close to the bars and look her directly in the eyes. “Quaterholm needs help. You’ve got to get them to turn this tub around and go back!”

“Ah ain’t gonna fall fer that.” Sweet Tea turns to leave. I can’t think of anything else to say. I have no credibility. Nopony on this ship is crazy enough, or the right kind of crazy, to listen to me.

“Hey! Where is this ship coming from?” I ask the guard through the bars. He regards me momentarily through the corner of his eye. He takes his time deciding if my question is worth an answer.

“Ponyville.”

“What was it doing there?”

“None of your business.” The guard doesn’t say a word more, even after I ask him a few more times. I may as well be talking to my cell bars. I can’t say I didn’t warn them about Quarterholm. It doesn’t absolve me of my crimes, but it’s fun imagining Sweet Tea’s face when word finally gets out. I wonder if she’ll feel guilty or foolish. If it confuses her about the nature of my character, that would be an added bonus.

Thinking about that keeps me entertained for another five minutes or so, but after that I’m left to ruminate about whatever else. I still can’t remember a lot of important things. There really isn’t anything I can do about that. There isn’t anything I will be able to do about it. This is the endgame. This is the walk to the scaffold.

*creak*

The entire airship makes a sound airships shouldn’t be making. If I were on an airplane, this would be the part where the pilot comes on and tries to play it off as turbulence to keep everybody from panicking. The ship lurches violently again, right before I feel myself start to slide towards one side of my cell. We’re going down.

The guard has already booked it out of here, but luckily he left the door out of here open. There are still cell bars between me and that exit, but the reason I’m happy he neglected to close the door is the fact that I can hear what’s going on now.

“-get everypony to the escape balloons!”

“We need more stallions to hold it off!”

“Keep it from flying too close, watch out for the head!”

“Don’t let the rig catch on fire!”

“Everypony evacuate! Dragon off the portside!”

This could either be really good or really bad for me. I try to imagine scenarios where the dragon rends my bars open and I’m able to escape, but that seems unlikely. The more plausible scenario is the one where the airship crashes, catches on fire, and then I get barbequed, so this is actually really bad for me. Shrimp…

Other than the dragon screeching outside, it gets really quiet on board the ship. I can still feel it going down, but I think the evacuation was successful. That’s great for everypony else, but crappy for me. The best I can do to preserve myself is roll under the pony-sized cot and brace for impact.

The crash is loud, bumpy, and all-around terrifying. It lasts a long time too: over a minute. It all ends with one, final, screeching impact. I keep still for another five minutes, just in case something else terrible happens. I don’t know if this airship is going to explode or burn up, but I squirm out from under the cot and survey the damage to my cell.

The roof above me has caved a bit, bending the bars out a little. The bars were already a bit wide, but now there is an opening just wide enough for a beanpole like me to slip out of. My head passes through easily, and the hardest part of getting out is keeping my balance while I try to pull my legs out. I end up falling onto my face, but once that happens I’m free.

I get up and make my way out the door, which isn’t easy since the entire ship seems to be leaning to the side ever so slightly. I stumble up the stairs and out the door, which has been torn from its hinges. I make my way down a hallway and out another shattered door before I’m out on the deck. Once I’m outside, I realize why the crash was so magnificent.

The front of the airship is crammed right into a cliff face that goes up quite a ways. All around are tall, leafy trees. One or two coniferous trunks jut out of the deck, piercing the ship like wooden spears. I’m glad one of those wasn’t positioned under me.

Looking around, I catch my next break: a broken window. It’s an odd operation to perform, but I manage to lean forward and catch the rope binding my hands on a jagged edge of glass. After sawing at it for a minute or two, the rope is thin enough for me to snap by my own power. I remove the rest of the rope from around my wrists, returning all my motor functions to me. With one leap, I jump off the ship and flutter down to the forest floor.

“It’s good to be free again!” I say to myself. I don’t expect an answer, but I swear I hear a muffled groan somewhere on my right. Curious, I venture over to see if some other, poor soul is on the forest floor with me. I have to push through some tall grass to get to the source of the noise, but I do indeed find somepony: Summitplunge sprawled out on his side.

I lean down and examine his body. From what I can tell, he should be just fine. The fall couldn’t have hurt too bad since he’s wearing a helmet and body armor, but for whatever reason he appears to be unconscious and unresponsive. On a hunch, I reach my hand around and under his body where his other wing should be. His body twitches and he groans again. I’m no wing doctor, but I think he screwed his wing up.

I poke my head up to see if there’s anypony around to help the poor guy. I know he’s been a total rump to me, but that’s no excuse to leave him to die out here. If he can’t fly, he can’t get out of here. Come to think of it, I can’t fly. I can’t get out either, save for walking.

Before I can plan my exit from the forest, I see something in a glade beyond me.

“Hello? Is anypony here?”

I recognize the voice instantly. It’s none other than my mortal enemy, Lou. I really don’t want to deal with her, but she’d be happy to help Summitplunge out. I almost call out to her, but then I see she’s levitating a spear in front of her. I quickly duck back down into the safety of the long grass. Knowing Lou, she’ll spear me before I can direct her towards Summitplunge.

Well, if she doesn’t recognize me she won’t spear me. All I have to do is morph into a different pony and grab her attention. The only problem with that is I still can’t use magic. This dumb collar is keeping me from using it. I reach up and feel around for some kind of latch or lock, but I can’t find anything. As a last ditch effort, I grab it and try to yank it apart.

A little click reaches my ears as the circle comes apart. I remove the collar and just stare down at the easily removed contraption. Now that I think about it, a pony without magic wouldn’t have the ability to reach up and grip the collar to do that. Score one for fingers.

Wanting not to waste time, I morph into Summitplunge. He’s probably the safest bet for not getting skewered. I clear my throat as I emerge from the grass.

“Hey! Over here!” I call out to Lou, waving my hoof in the air. Lou spins around and locks eyes with me. She hesitates, which makes me wonder if I’m actually disguised or not.

“S… Summit? …Summit!” Lou drops her spear and dashes towards me. I guess my disguise is working. Lou is running like Tartarus right at me, and as she gets closer I think I see a tear in her eye and a look of genuine distress on her face. I can’t help but feel that something is… off. “You’re okay!” Lou doesn’t stop until she rams right into me, wrapping her forehooves around my neck. She squeezes me, really tight. With all the red flags going up, I get a whiff of food.

“Uh… Louise, I ne-”

“Just call me Lou,” she says.

That is all she says before she puts her hooves on my shoulders, leans in, and plants a big wet one right on my lips.

16th: Cootie Catching

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Ew… ew… ew ew ew ew ew ew ewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW-

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. I mean, there are pony lips touching my lips! I’m being kissed by a horse! I’m… I’m gonna blow chunks. At least she’s not using her-

Oh sweet or salty Nonspecific Deity there it is.

Before she can push the kiss any further, I place my front hooves on her chest and push for everything I’m worth. She tumbles right over, freeing me from her soul crushing lip lock. I dunno what the proper protocol for washing my body and soul clean of this vile event are, so I try raspberrying between speaking the names in vain of every deity I know and several movie stars. Nothing will change what has come to pass. I’m scarred for life. I’m damaged goods. I’m gonna hurl.

“I-I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me,” Lou says in almost a whimper from where she’s laying on the ground. “It’s just… you saved me from the dragon, but when you fell like that… I… I…” Lou must have realized I wasn’t listening as I continued dry heaving near the long grass where the real Summitplunge was hidden. “… That bad… huh?”

“You have no idea!” I shout at her. I think I might have a hair from her stuck in my throat. I make every coughing and hacking sound I know of, but nothing is relieving me of this tiny, itchy feeling at the back of my throat.

“Yeah… I get it.” She keeps saying stuff, but I’m a little busy with my own, personal crisis over here. I want to take so many showers, a couple hundred baths, and just curl up inside a fireplace for a while. You know, just until I’m clean again. “Would you knock that off?”

“This is your fault!” I shout at her once more. She does not look pleased, but she doesn’t exactly look angry. She’s somewhere between faking total, stern composure and breaking into lamentations over her shredded heart. I don’t know why. She’s not the one who had a being of a different species press their lips to hers!

“Well you could at least be a little more mature about it!” she cries. I can’t believe it. Lou is actually friggen’ crying now. Sure it’s just out of her one good eye, but she’s doing it. She’s got the tears and all that going on. “I mean… I… I loved you…”

…

Oh, now I get it. I mean, ew yeah I kissed a pony, but I think I-

*HERK*

I feel the cold steel of the magic suppressing collar around my neck. A rigid shock courses through my body, canceling the disguise that I’m currently wearing. Whatever put the collar on me jumps onto my back, forcing me to the ground. After a painful meeting with the dirt and grass on my face, I manage to look up at Lou. She’s not crying anymore, but she’s got this hilarious look of surprise on her face. Her jaw is just kind of hanging open like a nutcracker.

“Ew… ew… ew ew ew ew ew ew ewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW-”

You know what, yeah… that is kind of offensive when you’re on the other side of it.

“Hey, calm down! What’s the matter?” Judging by the voice, I guess it’s Summitplunge standing on my back. This does not worry me as much as the fact that Lou has dislodged a nearby boulder with her magic and is now levitating it uncomfortably close to where I am. “L-Louise? Put down the rock!”

“I’m going to kill him!”

“We’re taking him ali- Louise, Louise you really need to put down the rock!” Summitplunge warns her as the rock loomed directly over the both of us.

“Move so I can crush him!”

“Look, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” I shout at her. “You don’t have to do that!”

“What did you do?” Summitplunge asks, pushing my head into the ground with one of his hooves.

“If you say one word I will drop this rock on both of you!”

“Nevermind.” Summitplunge takes his hoof off my head, but remains on my back. Despite being captured, I’m awfully glad he’s holding fast to his position. He is the only thing keeping me from becoming a green splatter on the bottom of a rock. “Look, Louise, you need to calm down. We’re still on a mission here, and we’re not in good shape. Just calm down so we can assess the situation, please.”

Lou’s expression stays hardened, but she doesn’t shout out any death threats. Slowly, she removes the boulder from overhead and drops it where it won’t be crushing anything. After the threat of the boulder crushing me is gone, though, Summitplunge suddenly collapses on top of me.

“S-summit!” Lou drops all signs of anger as she runs over to me, or rather Summitplunge. I can’t exactly see what’s going on, but if I had to guess I’d say the adrenaline he was feeling wore off. Death may have passed me by graciously once more, but I’m a prisoner once again. “Are you okay?”

“Not really. The dragon got my wing and I think I fell on it. It hurts… a lot,” he admits. I feel him shifting around on top of me while Lou uses my body as an examining table. I can stay shut up for a while, I owe her that much I suppose.

“Oh dear…”

“That bad?” Summitplunge asks, no doubt about Lou’s evaluation of his wing.

“We need a first aid kit. There might be one in the wreckage. I’ll go find it!”

“Wait,” Summitplunge rasps. “What about him?” I can see his hoof pointing down at me from above.

“Right… I’ll restrain him first…”

And that, children, is how I ended up lashed upside down to a tree. Lou did find a first aid kid in the wreckage which she used to fix up Summitplunge’s wing… somewhat. It still looks like one of his wings got run over by a truck, but at least it is covered in bandages. There is absolutely no way he’s flying out of here in the near future.

Lucky for the two ponies, Lou managed to find food and flammable material in the wreckage too. She constructed a modest campsite right outside the wreckage, complete with two makeshift tents and a glowing fire. They ate a meal, checked Summitplunge’s bandages again, and now they’re just staring at the fire. Meanwhile, I’m just third-wheeling over by this tree.

“You should get some sleep. You did a lot of work,” Summitplunge says to Lou, and he’s right. Seeing as Summitplunge is injured and therefore completely useless, Lou had to do all the setting up for wilderness survival. She probably won’t admit it, but she looks dog tired.

“No, you need to rest. I’ll stay up and watch Cocoon.” I think she’s so delirious from fatigue she forgot that I’m tied to a friggen’ tree and unable to move a muscle beyond wiggling my toes.

“You can rest first,” Summitplunge says, continuing to insist on taking the watch first. Lou looks too tired to continue arguing. This time, she just nods and plods over to her tent.

“Get some shut-eye when he falls asleep,” she orders before slipping inside.

Oh, this should be interesting.

Summitplunge obeys, taking up the spear and sitting down in front of me. With all the dirt and scuffs on his armor and the bandages over his wing, he doesn’t look too intimidating. He watches me with that trademarked thousand-mile-stare all guards have and doesn’t say a word, but I know the gears and spinning up in his head.

“I guess I should be thankful you saved me,” I tell him. I do mean it, just a little.

“Shut up.”

“Whoa, I get it, I get it. You’re a scary guard and I’m your helpless prisoner.” I realize what I’ve said is completely true, but I continue nonetheless. “But it’s gonna be a loooong night if we don’t conjure up some idle chit-chat.”

“I’m a soldier,” Summitplunge tells me as if I’d forgotten. “I can stay up until the sun comes out if I need to.”

“Oh please, I bet you’ll nod off before I even start feeling tired.” Knowing what I know, it’s cute to see him scrunch up his nose and roll his eyes. “That’s just more reason to trim the fat a little.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about,” he tells me.

“We’ve got plenty to discuss, trust me.” Once again, Summitplunge rolls his eyes at me.

“The rescue party will take us back to Canterlot tomorrow and I’ll gladly be rid of you.”

“What makes you so sure you’ll be rescued tomorrow?” I ask him.

“We’re camped out next to the remains of a crashed Equestrian Military airship. If not tomorrow, one will come the day after. There’s no way they won’t come look for us.” Summitplunge looks certain, and he’s got a good point. We really are in the optimal spot to get rescued right now.

“Can I ask you something?”

“No.”

“What exactly do you need me alive for?” I ask. It brings me joy to see Summitplunge’s conflicted expression, stuck between giving me the answer he is under order to uphold or honoring his intention not to answer my question.

“Princess Celestia wants you to remove your curse from Prince Blueblood.”

“Curse?” I don’t remember putting a curse on him or anypony for that matter. Besides, curses aren’t real.

“He’s been catatonic since the battle over the desert,” Summitplunge explains. “All we know is you were controlling him prior to this predicament. Are you telling me you had nothing to do with it?”

“No, that was definitely me,” I say, even if I’m only hoping it. “Must have given him a little too much juice…”

“Well, once you’re done with that Princess Celestia will be deciding your fate.”

I assume he means Princess Celestia will be condemning me to death or exile or petrification. I can deal with that later, but I can only deal with the present right now.

“Now, was sharing all that information such a burden to share with me?” I ask him.

“Shut up.”

“Oh, we’re back to the silent treatment, are we?” I wait for Summitplunge to respond, but just as I suspected he doesn’t even twitch and eyebrow. “Aww, c’mon. Don’t be like that. You should listen up because ~I know a secret~!”

“I don’t care,” Summitplunge says, but his eyes dart to the side for just a moment. He’s got something on his mind, and I think I just might be able to sate that curiousity.

“But it’s about our favorite unicorn, Lou!” The moment I say “Lou”, Summitplunge points his spear right at my face.

“Don’t call her that,” he warns me, bringing the spearhead right up to my nose for emphasis. “You don’t know a thing about her.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Summitplunge.” I drop any trace of sarcasm or comedy from my tone. “Did she ever tell you how we met?”

“You tried to take over Manehattan, but she stopped you,” he says.

“Do you really believe that?” I watch his grip on the spear falter a little. “She says she stopped me from harming that city, but she’s the one with the burns. You saw it for yourself. I left that city with my little swarm without a scratch on me. If I wanted Manehattan, I would have taken it.”

“But the Sphinx-”

“The Sphinx that I killed,” I remind him.

“Because you-”

“Do you really believe I’d do that?” I ask him, interrupting the claim I know he’s going to make. “Why would I put a Sphinx in the sewers to cause so much trouble just so I could destroy it and play the hero? If I wanted to take Manehattan, I’d skip the theatrics and just bring the whole swarm in for an attack. You’re a sharp pony, Summitplunge. You know that story doesn’t add up.”

I’ve got him now. The spear is pointed below my head and Summitplunge is wearing a look of uncertainty. He probably already had his own suspicions, and now he’s running out of reasons not to listen to them.

“I don’t claim to understand how you operate.” Summitplunge lowers his spear all the way, stepping back and sitting back down. “But I won’t fall for your tricks.”

“Oh, no tricks here,” I tell him. Even if he says he won’t fall for my tricks, he’s already got three hooves in my trap. “All that business in Manehattan is boring anyway. No, I know something far more interesting about our friend.”

“It doesn’t concern me,” Summit says.

“On the contrary, it has everything to do with you.” I stare at Summitplunge inverted before me. His expression doesn’t change and he doesn’t say a word. I do the same. A minute goes by without either of us saying anything… then five minutes… then half an hour. Actually, I have no idea how much time went by because I have absolutely no way to keep track of it, but it felt like it was an hour later when Summitplunge finally spoke up.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” I ask him.

“I thought you were going to tell me your big secret or whatever,” he said in an audible grumble.

“If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret anymore,” I said, casting my gaze aside to the upside-down forest around me. “All you need to know is that it involves you and has everything to do with why Louise tried to drop that rock on me.”

If I didn’t have Summitplunge’s attention before, I have it now for sure. He cocks his head at me and raises an eyebrow, silently imploring me to go on. I don’t make a single noise. He waits and waits, but I just keep on staring at him.

“Seriously?” he asks after a few minutes. “All that build-up and then nothing? You’re bluffing.”

I act like he didn’t even say anything and he goes on squirming with the desire to know what I know. I string him along without a single word.

He keeps quiet too, which surprises me. I can tell the identity of my secret is bugging him, but he holds out and just watches me. For what feels like several more hours, we just watch each other. Between the exciting day we’ve had and his injury, Summitplunge starts to fade fast.

“Getting sleepy?” I ask him. He perks up again, but only for a moment. I’ve nodded off in enough classes to know that he doesn’t have long left. “Do you want me to sing you a lullaby?”

“Don’t screw with me…”

“How scary, coming from the soldier who can’t even fight off sleep.” I will admit he’s put up a valiant fight, but he’s bound to lose. Each blink lingers a little longer. Each loll of his head dips a little lower. Little by little, his head gets closer to the ground until he is sawing logs like a baby lumberjack.

Now I am alone. I don’t know how much time I have until Lou wakes up, but all I can do until then is enjoy the feeling of blood pooling in my head. It’s a long night, but that’s typical of most of my nights in Equestria. At least having Lou and Summitplunge around keeps my mind from wandering through its static. Aside from thinking up new ways to torture Lou and Summitplunge, I try and think of some viable escape options. If I make a break for it, they won’t be able to pursue me in their respective states of health. As long as my legs are untied, escape is possible.

I break from my own thoughts when I hear stirring from Lou’s tent. I shut my eyes and play possum, which isn’t hard because I’m already upside-down on a tree. I wait and listen while Lou approaches Summitplunge and me. I’m not a great judge of distance based on sound, but I hear her come to a halt right next to Summitplunge. My suspicions are confirmed when I hear her let out an angsty sigh.

“Boo!”

“Eek!”

“Hu-wha?!”

Ah, priceless. Lou jumps back about two yards while Summitplunge jolts awake and prepares to be attacked. It doesn’t take them long to realize it was just me playing a prank on them. My uncontrollable laughter probably tipped them off.

Before I calm down, Lou and Summitplunge wordlessly trade posts. I’m not under the watchful eye of Lookity Louise. She might have been asleep up until now, but she still looks like a mess. Perhaps she didn’t get any sleep while thinking about a certain stallion.

“So, I understand Summitplunge saved you from the dragon?” I ask her. She wrinkles up her nose and glares at me with her one eye.

“I hate you.”

“Well, jee. You say that as if it should be news to me.” She hated me pre-kiss, so I’m not surprised she still hates me. If she didn’t, that would be incredibly weird and I would feel even more compromised in my current, restrained position. “C’mon, give me the details. Did Summitplunge saving you from that dragon make you realize how much you yearn for him or was it something else that made the schoolfilly in your swoon?” Lou is turning red as a beet and I am enjoying every second of it.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you!” She’s persistent, but I think if I apply the right pressure I can get her to crack.

“I don’t think you need to explain,” I tell her. “I mean, two ponies united by their common hatred of… well, me… spending long nights plotting to take me down… alone.”

“That never happened!”

“The plotting or the alone time?” I ask her. I like this flustered version of Lou; she’s fun.

“H-he doesn’t see me that way! We just work together,” she says, but I know the truth. She’s doing a horrible job of hiding what she thinks of her “coworker.”

“So you’re telling me you just want to make a sandwich with Summitplunge?” I ask her. She doesn’t respond at first, looking uncertain as to what I’m getting at. “As opposed to being a sandwich with him.” Lou’s face gets redder than I thought was even possible. I mean, her face is covered in hair (at least the part not covered in bandages), so how does that even work? “Look, you can’t fool me. That kiss was fattening for me… if not the single most horrific thing to ever happen to me…”

“I didn’t enjoy it anymore than you did!”

“On the contrary!” I’m not about to let her get away with that claim. “You were enjoying yourself plenty! You thought you were getting all lovey-dovey with Summitplunge; meanwhile, I get forced into a lip-lock with my mortal enemy. I feel bad for Summitplunge, seeing as I totally killed his game.”

Lou’s expression gets distant. I think she just realized that if it really had been Summitplunge back then things would be very different for the two of them. This would be… well, do I really have to spell it out for you? They’d be all alone in this forest and totally aware that they’re into each other. I think that’s enough said.

“So, is it really going to take a near death experience for you to summon up the courage to tell him what you think of him? If so, I’d be more than happy to help!”

“I don’t need your help!” That’s okay. Having her permission to beat the tar out of her would take a lot of the fun out of it. “I just need to wait for the right moment.”

“Guuuurl, you can wait all you want, but if you don’t just suck it up and do it you never will do it… tell him, I mean.” It’s good to know ponies are as wishy-washy when it comes to romance as humans. I mean, they’re just as wishy-washy about everything else so I dunno why that would be the super-special exception!

“I can’t very well tell him something like that during a mission,” she says. “I mean… what if he doesn’t think of me the same way? That would be distracting and could compromise our ability to work together and distract us…”

Uh-oh, I think she’s on to me.

“You have to be willing to take that risk. If you bottle it up, it will end up distracting you and you’ll get sloppy,” I tell her. Her eyes flicker down, which tells me I may have hit the mark.

“… I already got sloppy. If I wasn’t so eager to get you back to Canterlot so this could be over, I wouldn’t have made the ship fly over the Everfree Forest. If I hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t have been attacked by the dragon.” Lou is slowly curling into a ball. Her hooves are shaking a little, but her voice is shaking more. As she shrinks, she is replaced by a frightened mare I’ve never met before. “If I wasn’t so busy daydreaming about what might happen when we return to Canterlot, I would have been at my station when the dragon attacked. If I had been there… Summitplunge wouldn’t have come looking for me. If he was there from the start, that dragon wouldn’t have cornered me. He wouldn’t have had to save me, and he wouldn’t have fell. I wouldn’t have stayed on the ship, and we wouldn’t be in this situation…

“This is all my fault. My goal was finally in sight, but I couldn’t do it. I thought I lost everything, so when I saw him, or rather you disguised as him, I just wanted to have that one thing! I just wanted him, even if I couldn’t have anything else! When you rejected my advance… when I thought he rejected me, I was crushed. I didn’t believe it, though. I thought it might be some trick or a lie, and thank Celestia it turned out that way. Now I’ve got both of you back where I want you… well, mostly where I want you.”

…

I wasn’t counting on this. I know her goal is to see me destroyed, but here I am empathizing with her. She really does try, maybe a little too hard. She just wants a shot at a better life, at a happier life. She’s a lot like… she’s… a lot like… like… who?

No… it’s on the tip of my tongue, the edge of my thoughts, the very threshold of the things I just can’t remember! A name, a face, a life of someone I once knew just erased and filled with static! There is a gaping hole in my mind, bigger than anything I’ve encountered yet. It’s not a when, or a what, or a how, but a who. Whoever wiped my memory doesn’t want me to remember who this person is.

Even so… Lou, she fits the hole somehow. The way she’d do anything to get what she wants. The way she gets nervous talking about the guy she likes. The way I know she’s kind of mean and bad, but I also know she is one heck of a good guy. Not a perfect fit by any means, but enough of a fit that my mind would find her familiar.

“What am I doing talking to you about this?” Lou says, chuckling at herself. I watch a few tears fall up onto the ground. “What do you care? All my love is to you is food.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. Here I am, face to face with my weeping adversary, but I’m frantically trying to come up with some way to comfort her and help her. I can’t even pretend that we’re friends somehow, but the better part of me doesn’t want to let things be how they are. Although the bridge between us might be burnt, the worst that could happen if I brave the waters is I end up dead.

“You shouldn’t cry,” I tell her, but the words feel like they’re coming from someone else or from a different time. “He wouldn’t like that.”

“I’m not crying!” Lou shouts, but quickly puts her hooves over her mouth. She lets a shaky breath out through her nose and puts her hooves back down, but not before ever-so discreetly wiping away a tear. “Besides, he’ll be asleep for a while. I don’t have to worry.”

“If you don’t mind me asking… what does bringing me in do for you?” I’m curious to know the price on my head. What’s the value placed on my life? What am I worth to Lou in trade?

I wait for her to respond, but she takes a while to decide. If she was going to flat out reject my query, she wouldn’t be thinking so hard about it. Perhaps I’m worth more than I thought.

“Turning you in… might bring me absolution.”

“Absolution? From what?” I ask her, but I realize what she’s talking about instantly. I realize what a huge risk she’s taking.

“That whole mess with the Sphinx. My hope is that if I snuff you out, they’ll forgive me for what I did in Manehattan,” she says, confirming my suspicion. I don’t know enough about the Equestrian government to say whether or not her logic is sound, but there is something else I am curious about.

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why do you want forgiveness?” I ask more clearly. She hesitates again, but I think this time she has to search for the answer. “Is it because you’re sorry?” She stays silent still.

“It’s complicated.”

I was a little too hopeful for this new side of Lou. I don’t think chasing a King around is an appropriate way to display remorse anyway. I should be glad she’s at least willing to fess up for what she did. That takes guts. I suppose I should take a page out of her book.

“I abandoned the swarm.” I can barely tell if she heard me; her expression doesn’t change one bit. Lou might not even believe me. I can understand where she’s coming from. “After you attacked the Hive, we attacked Quarterholm. It was quite a scene, but too much for me. I fulfilled my duty as King and assured their survival, so I left.”

“I’m supposed to believe that?” Lou says. The answer is “yes, because it’s true”, but there is no reason for her to believe me. Just like anything I say to her, there is no reason for her to believe me.

“Just thought it was relevant.” She wants King Cocoon, but I might just be Cocoon now. Chrysalis is the only royal changeling left. Mangle too, but who knows what happened to him. “Hey… how did Sweet Tea escape?”

“A changeling helped her escape.” That doesn’t make any sense, even if it kind of does. Only a changeling would have been able to go to her cell, open it up, and lead her out, but there is no reason a changeling would do that. If one did, he would be going against my orders. “It was the same changeling we found in Ponyville.”

“What did you do with him?” I ask. Lou furrows her brow and looks down at the dirt.

“Nothing; we let him be.”

Now nothing makes sense. I get why Lou seems upset, seeing as she hates changelings, but she’s not exactly the odd pony out for that. All ponies detest changelings. This rogue changeling shows up in Ponyville, but they’re okay with it? Maybe Ponyville is as benign as I’m lead to believe by the… by those… by…

…

Wait… how do I know about Ponyville? How do I know anything about Equestria? I knew… there was a reason I knew. I know because I… I… I what? It’s gone. It’s just gone. The entire reason is completely gone. Before I had some excuse for knowing about it before I came here. I scramble through my memories to decipher how I knew, but there isn’t anything. There isn’t even static.

It was all a fabrication. When I was on earth, I didn’t know a thing about Equestria. It wasn’t even a thought that crossed my mind. How could I have conceived of it? How could anyone? I believed that lie, for whatever reason my mind formed.

This isn’t good. Even if the static and lies are cleared, this isn’t good. I’m missing a big piece to the puzzle now. I clearly see my life on Earth as a human, knowing only Earthly things and going about my life like Equestria didn’t exist in any reality. I clearly remember waking up as a changeling, already aware of concepts, beings, events, and ponies here in Equestria.

I haven’t got a clue what I’m not seeing, but it frightens me more than anything else I cannot remember. It may very well be the truth that could fully reopen the static clogged doors of my mind. In the process, though, the stress of remembering something this huge might destroy my mind.

If this is the sort of slow remembrance Discord wished on me, I ought to cut off his head the next time I see him.

17th: The Woods Are No Place for a King

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

Oh, how the days just drag on by. We’ve been stranded in the Everfree for one week now. I guess we’re still holding out for rescue, seeing as we haven’t left the safety of the crash site. Yes, the crash site is safe. The Everfree makes noises at night, noises that pump adrenaline into your veins no matter how many times you hear them.

At least I’m not inverted against a tree any longer. Lou and Summit decided it wasn’t wise to just leave me out like a snack, what with all the noises and me being defenseless. They untied me and tethered me to the hull of the fallen airship by a chain attached to my collar. My hands are free, but the padlock holding the chain on the collar is also keeping the collar shut. I’ve got as much freedom as a dog tied to a post. It’s a darn good thing because I’d probably go nuts if I had to be tied to a tree for an entire week.

Summitplunge and Lou don’t mind me too much, satisfied that I won’t be breaking free with or without their watch. I spent most of the daytime watching them, actually. I didn’t have much else to do with my time for the past week. It was either watch them or pick my nose.

I wish I had some fantastic stories about daily life in our little survivor camp, but there are none. Summit and Lou barely say two words to each other over the course of the day. They take turns watching the sky and forest. They prepare two meals a day with the rations they found in the airship. They used to give me food too, but they stopped when they realized I wasn’t going to eat it. Now we all know that I don’t need food. I guess I should be thankful Lou thought I was Summitplunge.

Still, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. This waiting is killing me, but getting rescued means a march to the scaffold. I’ve got no clever escape plans, not even stupid escape plans. I’ve just got a rock I’ve been counting the days with.

Something has to give. If rescue is death, and hanging around here forever is death, I need to find door number three. Only Lou and Summitplunge have the power to offer up a possible door three, so I’ve got to prod them into action. After a week of no rescue, maybe the tension in camp is ready to pop. They’re just sitting there, chewing away at some bread for dinner. It’s time to shake things up.

“So… when is that rescue team coming?” I ask. They both stop eating, suddenly becoming catatonic. Both ponies fix their gaze at the fire pit, the dying embers of last night’s fire still smoking a silver strand. I think I broke them.

“They’re coming,” Lou says after quite the pregnant pause.

“Yeah, but when?” I don’t get an answer right away, but I didn’t think I would. They don’t know. They have no idea why we’re still out here, roughing it. “They know we crashed, right? What’s taking them so long?”

“Just takes time.” Lou gets up and wanders off towards the forest. “I’m going to get more firewood.” She does exactly that, fading from sight before either Summitplunge or I can say anything further. Summitplunge shoots me a dirty look, curling his lip into a snarl. He gets up and advances towards me, but stops right outside the ring of my reach, marked by two spears driven into the ground.

“You’ve done something, haven’t you?” Summitplunge asks me.

“Sometimes I do pushups when you’re not looking, if that’s what you mean.”

“Why haven’t any changelings shown up to save you?”

Ah, I see what he’s getting at. He thinks I’ve got a bunch of changelings ready to swoop down and attack, changelings that I used to keep help from coming around.

“I told them to leave me alone. I denounced my crown, in so many words,” I tell him. I might as well tell him the truth. It isn’t like he’s going to believe me anyway.

“Bull.”

See?

“I don’t know what you’re scheming, I don’t know what you’ve done, but it won’t work.”

“My, my, Plunger… that’s a brazen claim.” I can’t help but chuckle a bit. If I did have something brewing, I don’t think two weary and injured ponies would be able to stop a whole swarm of changelings. I guess I’ve come to expect such guts from him. Still, he needs convincing. “You want to play a game?”

He doesn’t say no, not immediately. He hesitates. His lips move like he’s about to say it, but he stops. There is another pause.

“What’s the game?”

“Oh, really? My, this is gonna be fun!” I wring my hands together in mock excitement.

“Hurry before I change my mind.”

“Alright, it’s a relatively simple game,” I tell him.

“Relative to what?”

“Life.” He doesn’t find that funny, but I go on anyway. “It’s called Two Truths and a Lie. Just like the game sounds, I’ll tell you two things that are true and one lie. It’s your job to figure out which statement is the lie!” Summitplunge raises an eyebrow at me.

“What’s the point of this?”

“You might learn something,” I say, unable to stifle a bit of laughter. “Or perhaps you’d like to sweeten the deal?”

“I’m not going to gamble with you. Let’s just play this game,” Summitplunge says, planting his butt on the ground. Well, I guess I’m gambling alone. I know this’ll do something, but I have no idea what.

“Very well, let’s begin.” I clear my throat and hold up one finger. “I’ve renounced my monarchy over the changelings.”

“This game doesn’t seem very hard.” Summitplunge snorts. He keeps his eyes fixed on me. I think he does expect something, which is good news. I hold up a second finger.

“I’ve got a swarm of changelings keeping any help out of the crash site.”

“Tch, maybe you’re just not good at this. Isn’t there some kind of trick to this?” Summitplunge says, smirking. “I may as well chock that up as a confession. You do realize that one of those must be false if the other is true, right?”

I hold up my third finger.

“Louise is madly in love with you.”

Silence. Nothing but the ambient noise of the forest. They say silence is golden, but I’d say the look on Summitplunge’s face is the real gold here. He looks about as shocked as somepony who just had the moon dropped on them.

“That’s not true!”

“So the other two are true?” I ask him, wiggling my first two fingers at him. “But you said-”

“I know what I said!” he yells at me. “But that last one can’t be true!”

“Is that really your final answer?” I ask him. “You could still say the first one is false and paint me for the evil tyrant you think I am.”

“Why would you even say that?” Summitplunge isn’t listening to me. I can’t tell if he’s mad, shaken, confused, or a little of everything.

“C’mon, is Louise having the hots for you really that far-fe-”

“You don’t know anything!” he shouts, cutting me off rather suddenly. I guess he is mad. His nostrils are flared, his brow is furrowed, and he’s got one hoof across the safety line. “I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re trying to stir up with your stupid little game and your stupid little lies, but you’re not gonna get to me! Alright? So drop it!” His shouts scatter a flock of birds that had been roosting nearby. In the following silence, I can hear his last three words echoing through the forest.

“Hey, what’s all the commotion?”

Lou comes back into the improvised camp, with a notable lack of firewood. She looks at Summitplunge, who quickly averts his gaze, and then at me. She lingers on me, and I think it’s because she suspects I’m the one causing trouble.

“I think we’ve been holding out for a rescue that hasn’t been able to rescue us,” Summitplunge says. He’s facing me, but I think he’s talking to Lou. As much as I’d love to dwell on Summitplunge being bashful, he’s currently bashing my character. “I think Cocoon has a swarm monitoring this place.”

“You think so?” Lou asks, very underwhelmingly I might add. She’s shifted her gaze back to Summitplunge’s back. Call me crazy, but I think she’s more concerned that Summitplunge isn’t making eye contact than the possibility of me totally hoodwinking them. Wow.

“Don’t think it’s strange that his swarm hasn’t come for him? He wants to keep us here for some reason, and I wanna know why.” All eyes switch to me.

“I already told you, the swarm isn’t coming because I’m not their king anymore. I don’t know why nopony is coming any more than you do,” I tell them, but it does nothing to convince them of my innocence. “Why in the world would I subject myself to hanging out with you two in the Everfree Forest?”

“Stop lying!” Summitplunge shouts once again. I swear I feel the forest shake when he does, even though I doubt that one stallion’s yelling could do so. “What other possible reasons could there be for a rescue squad not showing up?”

*BRUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUR*

The camp is thrown into complete darkness as something enormous flies across the sun, leaving behind it the echoes of its roar and a trail of black smoke. It’s gone by the time we all look up, but we’re all thinking the same thing at this point.

“Dragon!”

Lou and Summitplunge pull the spears from the ground in front of me. Summitplunge keeps his pointed at me while Louise unlocks the padlock on my collar. I am… “escorted” into the wreckage of the airship, to take cover from the dragon. Even in this tense situation, I find it ironic that even when there is a giant, fire-breathing dinosaur flying around I am the one having the weapons pointed at him. Still, it’s better than being eaten.

We wait in complete silence for some kind of sign that it’s safe to go back out. Even in the wreckage, we can feel the occasional pulse in the air from the dragon beating its huge wings somewhere overhead. The occasional bellow keeps us on edge. It is out there, somewhere, possibly searching for us. With giant lizards, it’s hard to say exactly what’s going through their heads.

Any suspicion that we aren’t the target is dispelled when we feel the ground shake right outside the wreckage. Every beat of the creature’s wings sends a gust through the cracks and we can’t hear anything aside from his breathing. We can’t see him, but we can hear him stamping around the small, makeshift camp. All we can do is continue to wait and wonder what will happen next.

What happens next, brings a rather abrupt end to the waiting.

The dragon’s thrusts its claw through the opening we entered the wreckage through. He grabs the opening and pulls the metal and canvas aside. We all scramble away from the wall, before the advancing wall of metal crushes us. Another, massive claw grabs the edge of the wreckage above us. With one pull, the dragon dislodges the destroyed ceiling and exposes us to the sky above. The daylight had turned black as night, but even through the thick, obfuscating smoke we could make out the creature assaulting us.

This dragon was nothing but a solid mass of dull, brown scales. Each claw could’ve easily crushed the three of us all at once and its tail ended in several rows of tarnished, silvery spikes. It’s leathery, tattered wings made the beast look twice as large as it already was. The dragon’s green eyes locked onto us, peering down across its long, thick snout. When it opened its mouth to roar and blow more smoke, we momentarily caught a glimpse of it’s countless, crooked teeth.

“Run!”

That really went without saying.

Lou and Summitplunge ditch the spears and we all ran in the one direction there was no dragon: into the forest. We didn’t have to look back to confirm that the dragon was chasing after us, we could hear it lumbering after us on its claws. We ran like Olympians until we were well beyond the treeline. I thought that such a large creature wouldn’t be able to make its way through the foliage, but it turns out our pursuer is a bit more clever than we gave him credit for.

Instead of blowing more smoke at us, the dragon opens its mouth and lets out a gout of hot flames. The forest behind us goes up like a pile of dry matchsticks, so we keep running through the darkness. We stumble over roots and I almost hit my head on every low hanging branch as we made our way through the smoke-thick and slowly burning forest. It isn’t easy going, but stopping isn’t really an option.

The dragon plows through the burning forest behind us, pushing over charred trees as if they were flimsy things and letting out another tongue of flames whenever it pleased him. The futility of the whole situation was slowly sinking in for me. There is no way I’m outrunning a dragon.

My only option is to abandon Lou and Summitplunge and hope he chases after them. It’s the only chance I have of surviving. I reach up and undo the collar. Without the padlock, I remove it just as easily as I had the first time and cast it aside into the bushes as I dart past. All my magic and power returns to me, and I feel rejuvenated despite the dire situation.

“River!” Summitplunge yells as we reach the end of the line of trees. We come to a halt just shy of the shore, observing that crossing here could be taxing. The waters are churning violently and almost pure white. Even stepping in could mean being swept away.

“Now what?” Lou asks, but I already know what comes next. With my magic, I could teleport to the opposite bank and leave them behind. I’d run ahead while the dragon would have them cornered. I could escape, just like that. I could escape… but I don’t. I just stand there like an idiot and stare at the water.

The dragon saunters into the riverbank’s clearing through the flaming tree line. He issues a deep growl from his throat and stops just short of us. He turns his body, flanking us with his tail and his head. His massive body stands between us and any foolish ideas of running back into the flames. For the moment, he is not killing us.

“What pesky ponies think they can intrude upon the realm of Dnaglefreed?” the dragon asks. I had almost forgotten they could speak, not that I’m super exciting about remembering that right now. “This part of the forest belongs to Dnaglefreed! None are allowed here!”

The three of us exchange looks. I can’t speak for the others, but I’m not entirely sure if we should be trying diplomacy here or if we should be cooking up some fantastic lies.

“Speak!”

We don’t have much time to decide.

“We’re trapped here!” Lou shouts at the dragon, but she does it as politely as she can. It makes sense that she’d speak up, seeing that she has the most experience dealing with monsters… myself included I suppose. “We did not mean to intrude!”

“How is it that you came to be trapped in the home of Dnaglefreed?” the dragon, who I think might be named Dnaglefreed, asks us.

“Our ship crash landed in the forest!” Lou replies. Dnaglefreed’s snout curls up for a moment. He snorts some more smoke into the air above us while he grumbles to himself. After a few seconds of draconic reflection, his already huge eyes get wider.

“No, you ponies were on the tiny balloon Dnaglefreed destroyed seven suns ago! You ponies hid in the remains, thinking you could fool mighty Dnaglefreed!” Dnaglefreed points an accusing claw at us, letting out a growl of displeasure. “Dnaglefreed is tired of seeing ponies flying around his home. Ponies must be searching for you ponies! If they will not leave the home of Dnaglefreed until they have you ponies back, then Dnaglefreed will return you in charred pieces!”

“Can’t you return us whole and unburnt?” I ask. The dragon squints and brings his head closer to where we are, much too close for my tastes. He focuses on me in particular, eying me up and down. I think he just noticed I’m not a pony.

“You… Dnaglefreed knows what you are!” he says, withdrawing his head a bit. He stares down at me and smiles… at least I think he’s smiling. He might just be showing me all his teeth. “Dnaglefreed has heard from Kramastos about Old King Cocoon Ten Horns!”

“Old King?” I remember when I first came to the Hive, they called Chrysalis “Old Queen Chrysalis.” I’ve got a feeling the title is no coincidence.

“Yes, Kramastos tells me how those changelings Gutterburn and Stitchwing from the old castle are searching for the King who abandoned them!” Dnaglefreed says, and not without a bit of smoky chuckling.

“Abandoned?” Both Summitplunge and Lou turn to me.

“Wait… you were telling the truth?” Lou asks. “You really did give up being King?”

“I like you believe him and not me,” I reply. “But yeah, I was telling the truth.”

“Grah ha ha ha haaaar!” Dnaglefreed laughs, spitting out enough smoke to simulate several house fires. For a moment, we can’t see a thing or breathe, but with one beat of his wings Dnaglefreed blows a clearing into the smoke. The surrounding smoke is so heavy, we can just barely see the forest fire raging behind our scaly foe. “Kramastos may tolerate changelings in his home, but Dnaglefreed is not so lazy when it comes to defending the horde of Dnaglefreed!”

I swear this guy speaks in a way that just allows him to say his name over and over...

“It is time for you ponies and you puny changeling to pay for your crime!” Dnaglefreed shouts. The next time he opens his mouth, words aren’t what fly out and nearly burn us all to a crisp. We manage to dodge the first fireball by jumping out of the way, but we jump right into the path of Dnaglefreed’s next attack.

Lou throws up a shield, keeping the three of us safe as the fireball crashes into the magical field. Lou’s shield shatters to pieces after a single impact, but there is already a third tongue of flame coming at us. I put up my own shield over the three of us, but mine doesn’t fare any better than Lou’s. Dnaglefreed’s fire isn’t like normal or even magic fire; it’s a whole different ballgame. This is dragonfire, I suppose.

Dnaglefreed grunts before slinking into the cover of his thick smoke. The massive dragon disappears from our vision in a surreal amount of time. When the fourth fireball suddenly flies out of the smoke behind us, the only way we know it’s coming is the intense heat it puts out. We break for the center of the smoke field, leaving the fireball to incinerate the ground behind us.

Seeing that blocking his attacks isn’t going to go very well, we start running again, but we don’t really have anywhere to go. There is smoke all around us, keeping us from getting a bearing on our direction. If we go into the smoke, it would be impossible to know if we were running into the forest, into the river, down the bank, or right into the waiting claws of Dnaglefreed.

“Dangit, how do we give a dragon the slip?” Summitplunge shouts. Before anyone can answer, a stream of fire bursts from the smoke and flies at us. We scatter to get out of the way, nearly tripping over each other in panic. Between the difficulty I’m having breathing and the fact that I have absolutely no idea how to get out of this situation, I don’t think we’re going to last much longer.

“We need to hit him hard and get out of this smoke before we get fried!” Lou says. It seems like the obvious thing to do, but it’s also easier said than done. We can’t see Dnaglefreed, and we can’t hit what we can’t see.

Lou doesn’t seem to care, though, as she fires a bolt at random into the smoke. The attack flies into the smoke in a rather anticlimactic fashion, but the brief light it puts out briefly reveals the location of Dnaglefreed behind us.

I reach out both hands and let a bolt of lightning fly to where I saw the dragon’s silhouette. The light from my attack is much more blinding in the darkness, momentarily blinding me. I gotta remember to keep my eyes closed in the future. In the aftermath of the attack, there is a brief silence. That silence is ended by a tongue of fire coming at us from our right flank. We narrowly avoid once again, but Dnaglefreed’s aim is getting better and we’re getting clumsier. Our time is running out.

“Dangit! If only my wing weren’t busted!” Summitplunge shouts, stamping the ground and growling. “We could fly out of here!”

“Miserable ponies!” Dnaglefreed taunts us from somewhere in the smoke. “No pony could outfly Dnaglefreed. There is nothing that can save you from the wrath of Dnaglefreed! Not magic! Not flight! Not trickery! Only the mercy of Dnaglefreed could bring you salvation, but no such mercy is known to Dnaglefreed!”

A claw bursts from the smoke. My heart stops when I see it looming directly over us. I don’t even remember dodging it, I just remember not dying and watching the claw slam into the ground in front of me.

Lou’s horn sparks to life, reaching out to the claw with several tendrils of magic. A dome of magic forms around the claw while the tendrils wrap around it and lash it to the ground. Dnaglefreed pulls against the magic restraints, but they don’t give. His head emerges from the smoke, jaw open wide. I can see the flame welling up in his throat.

Lou’s horn sparks once more, sending out even more tendrils at the beast’s mouth. Several ropes made of thick magic tighten around Dnaglefreed’s mouth and seal it shut. He growls and spits tiny flames from his nostrils, but the threat of being burned is gone, for the moment.

Dnaglefreed reaches up and claws at the restraints on his jaw, but the one clawed operation isn’t going well. He turns his attention to tearing through the restraints on his other claw, which he starts dispatching with alarming speed.

“That’s… that’s all I’ve got… I can’t finish him like this,” Lou says between labored pants.

“I guess it’s up to me.” I reach out both hands towards the huge dragon. Lightning is out of the question, but I try reaching out with Mind Poison. The spell hits, but it doesn’t get through Dnaglefreed’s dingy, bronze scales. My only remaining choice is to blast him with everything I’ve got, and hope that takes care of it. I hesitate, unwilling to take that gamble. I search my mind for something else to use. I search for a spell that can fell even dragons.

“… It’s ambitions bu… an be done with a… tle willpower and ma…ic know how!”

That voice reaches me through the static. It instructs me.

“They’re nothing but pure, concentrated masses of energy and matter. It is dense, dense matter and dense, dense energy, but like I said: willpower. There has to be no trick and no gimmick to this spell. I’ve got to have it right in front of my face, fully formed, in order for this to work. It will work, just so you know.”

I start gathering all my energy into my hands, but this gathering is different. I am not letting the energy freely flow, but I am forcing it into a cramped, small space outside my body. I am smashing and whirling it together right in my hands. I can feel it growing beyond itself.

“Power, big power! It’s so powerful, it never really fizzles out, never fades! If you can imagine that raw power, you can conjure it up if it’s inside you. It’s inside me, I feel it. It appears to be my destiny, in fact! This is the purest essence of magic! Watch it grow and become something alive!”

A glittering, shining orb forms between my hands. Within it is nothing but turmoil and competing energy. I’m so wrapped up in it, I only notice on the very edge of my senses that Dnaglefreed has liberated his claw. He starts tearing at his jaw restraints.

“Yes, it is life. With life, there is something important we must do as we introduce it… this world. Gather it… give to this… one that wi… in whi…… …….. …………………”

Static, and lots of it. The voice cuts out and my memory of this spell is fading as the energy within my body starts to get low. I’m not sure if I have the energy to finish whatever it is I’m doing, but that doesn’t matter; it’s become erratic. I can’t contain it any longer. I take my hands away and watch it writhe like a dying thing that never truly lived. Right before its death manifests, I remember something important: a warning. Dnaglefreed breaks his snares and roars, but somehow I manage to yell over him.

“Shield your eyes! Don’t look at it!”

I don’t have time to account for how Lou and Summitplunge react. I only have time to yell my warning, shut my eyes, throw my arms over them, and turn away before it happens. Even in this state of defense, my vision behind my eyelids goes painfully white. The heat, too, is intense. It does not sear or burn me, but I can feel it in every fiber of my being. It is the sensation of the energy passing through me like wind passing through a curtain on a breezy day.

When the heat passes, I open my eyes but only see blurry outlines. I don’t know if there is anything I need to see in this aftermath, but what I hear speaks volumes.

“Cocoon? What was that? Where are you two? I can barely see a blasted thing.”

“Summitplunge? I’m over here, head towards my voice! Cocoon, Cocoon?”

“I’m here!” I call out to them, heading towards where I hear Lou. My vision is returning little by little, and I can make out her dull outline. The three of us seem to be okay, but there is a fourth who doesn’t sound like he is faring well.

“My eyes! You have burned the eyes of Dnaglefreed you wretched, disgusting changeling! Where are you! Dnaglefreed will pay you back for blinding him!”

We don’t answer him. I manage to grab on to Lou’s cloak with one hand and Summitplunge with the other. The three of us make a break for it in some blind direction. All we know is that we are going away from the rampaging Dnaglefreed. We believe that will lead us to safety.

When Lou is suddenly torn from my grasp, I suspect we did not wisely choose our direction. My worst fear is realize when I take a step into cold, rushing water. The water sucks me into the current instantly, tearing me away from Summitplunge. Along with my impaired vision, I lose my hearing as my head goes under the rapids.

I tumble through the rapids, banging against rocks and scraping against the river’s bottom. I don’t know which way is up, when it’s safe to take a breath, or how fast I’m going. I’ve never known such physical disorientation. I can’t breathe, I can’t see, and I can’t hear. I can only attempt to feel my way right again, but I’m fighting a desperate battle.

I catch a break, somehow. I still can’t see, but my hand catches something stationary and latches on. I pull myself up and out of the water and bring precious air back into my lungs. I still can’t see much, but I can hear again. Over the raging rapids, I hear a sound that gives me hope.

“Lou! Cocoon!” I hear Summitplunge calling out. He must be a strong swimmer, or maybe he just had the benefit of noticing that his companions plunged in so he managed to swim instead of sink. I don’t have to call out to him, as he bumps right into me. I feel him latch on, a bit tighter than I’d like him to. “Cocoon?”

“Nice day for a swim!”

“This is no time for fooling around!” Summitplunge shouts. “Where is Lou?”

“She fell in before me.” I feel Summitplunge unclasp himself from my body and dive back into the river. I can’t speak for Lou’s swimming abilities, but I do know she has a history of floundering.

… Yeah, now really isn’t the time for fooling around.

I take a deep breath and let go from whatever I was able to grab onto. I manage to keep myself upright, now that I know what’s going on. I more or less doggy paddle my way through the water, which seems to be becoming progressively smoother. I don’t hear Summitplunge ahead of me, which is a little concerning. He’s either found Lou or he has drowned. I don’t have any other option beyond paddling onwards.

As the river becomes calmer, my vision becomes more than just blurs surrounded by more blurs. The centermost blurs become a little less blurry and I can actually figure out what’s going on. As the water becomes less treacherous, I paddle my way over to the shore. With my height, my feet manage to touch ground. After that, getting to the bank wasn’t too hard. I manage to pull myself out, and other than being a little soggy I am very much alive.

“Cocoon!” I hear Summitplunge calling for me. I turn my eyes in the direction the sound is coming from. Daylight is fading fast, but I can still make out the blur that I think is Summitplunge in the water. He has another blur on his back, which I assume is Lou. I don’t know what kind of crazy luck allowed him to rescue her, but for some reason he is swimming like mad to avoid going further downstream.

“I’m coming!” As I move along the back towards them, I realize how odd this situation is. I’m running to my two mortal enemies in order to be their savior. When I get to them, I pull them from the river like drowned rats with my telekinesis. They too, appear soggy but alive. Even Lou is on the bank hacking up a lung.

We all sit around, catching our breaths and regaining our vision. We’ve drifted pretty far downriver, far enough that the smoke that once engulfed us is just a black smudge against the sunset. There is no way Dnaglefreed will find us now.

“So… what now?” I ask when it seems appropriate. Lou is laying on her back, staring up at the sky. Only Summitplunge turns to acknowledge me.

“We should all be dead,” he says, so matter-of-factly that I forget for a brief moment that we did, in fact, not die. “What the heck?” Summitplunge starts chuckling to himself. I’ll be honest, it’s freaking me out.

“Ponies have tangled with dragons before and made it out,” I tell him. “We’re just special.” Summitplunge finds that particularly funny, or particularly stimulating to his growing mania. At any rate, he starts straight up laughing. I miss the Summitplunge that constantly yelled at me.

As if to make things even more uncomfortable, Lou starts laughing too. Where Summitplunge is just kinda chortling, Lou is just straight up cracking up. Their laughter isn’t menacing or even terribly crazy sounding, but I just don’t know what’s so funny. In fact, Summitplunge was just saying that this was no time for fooling around! Is it time now? What the heck, ponies?

“… So why didn’t you do it?” Lou asks when the laughter ends. It gets real quiet. “You could have moved to the other side of the river without us. I saw you thinking about it, so why didn’t you do it?”

The two ponies stare at me, their eyes begging me to explain myself. The only problem is, I don’t know what to say. For once these two just want an honest answer. For once they think I have an iota of decency in me. For once I could tell them the truth and know I’m going to be believed. It would be now, of all times, that I don’t know. I’m not sure what kept me on that bank with them.

If I was suddenly going to throw my life away, why do it for these two? They hate me… or hated me, maybe. Staying on that shore might be the first, purely unselfish thing that I’ve done since I got here. I helped out in Manehattan just because I wanted their trust. I helped out in the Hive just got get the fate of the changelings off my conscious. I went after Sweet Tea due to my own ideals, which I failed to realize might not be a universally accepted ideal. I ran away from Quarterholm because I was just scared.

When I stayed on the bank, I didn’t do it for me. I was thinking of my own life and wellbeing, and I was thinking real hard about it too. My actions didn’t reflect that. I didn’t teleport, I didn’t jump, I didn’t say anything, and I’m not even sure I made a decision. I didn’t do a darned thing. When it comes right down to it, there is only one thing I know:

“I just didn’t.”

It gets quiet again. I guess I’m used to things not making sense anymore. I’m used to having loose ends and being unable to explain things. I don’t know why I have all this knowledge concerning who the Elements of Harmony are. I don’t know why I feel like I know Ponyville like the back of my hand. I don’t know where these voices with magical advice come from. I just don’t know. I just don’t.

All I know is that I’m here in the Everfree with Lookity Louise and Summitplunge. I’m can’t say what’s going to happen next. I can tell they’re thinking about what I just said, and I’m curious to hear their take on it. After all that’s happened, I wonder what they have to say.

“That’s a stupid answer,” Summitplunge says.

“Yeah, you should’ve left us,” Lou adds.

That was the start of a two beautiful friendships…

18th: Ardently

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

“This still doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“Yeah… explain the part where you learned how to do magic again.”

There exists within me a desire to go back to being Lou and Summitplunge’s prisoner. Those were simpler times. I didn’t have to recap all my adventures since I arrived in Equestria. I didn’t have to explain how I come from a world apart from this one. I didn’t have to explain how my memory is all messed up. No, all I had to do was sit around and stare at rocks.

The larger part of me is extremely happy that I am alive and safe. Lou and Summitplunge aren’t trying to kill me, Dnaglefreed is Nonspecific Deity knows where, and my previous captors are even feeding me ever so slightly with a trickle of trust. Things turned out okay.

“I didn’t ‘learn’ magic, I knew how to do it previously. I don’t know when I learned it or even why I can do it,” I explain for the seventh time tonight. “The memories of my magic come and go.” A breeze comes along and chills me a bit, even in front of the fire. My clothes and cloak got absolutely soaked, so I hung them all up to dry on a tree away from the riverbank. I’m glad my duds came with some long underwear, so I at least don’t have to be completely naked.

“What was that spell you used that almost blinded us?” Lou asks. All I can do is shrug. “You’re just doing whatever the voices in your head tell you?”

“When you put it that way…”

“I call it how I see it.” Lou levitates another berry into her mouth and chews on it thoughtfully. Being dropped in the river destroyed her bandages, so she’s having to improvise with torn pieces of her cape. She didn’t let either me or Summitplunge see her while she changed out of the damp wrappings, but even now she isn’t as wrapped up as she once was.

The damage I did to her still throws me. Her newly exposed chest is covered in an astounding amount of scarring and without her cloak I can see that the hair on her tail is still growing back. The area surrounding her tail has new wrappings around it, so I’m left to speculate what the full extent of the damage might be based on the scars peeking out from under the wrappings. As for her face, she’s still opted to cover her right eye with a makeshift bandage. Even with her mane down like when I first saw her, the scars make her look entirely different. They’re off-putting at first, but I think I’m used to them by now. I’m not brave enough to ask if she’s used to them.

“Rgh… this is all way too much to process for one night,” Summitplunge grumbles. After having to swim with his armor on, he has opted to discard it. He says that even if Dnaglefreed showed up again, he might as well be wearing a bathrobe. “Humans, changelings doing magic, and Discord. This is way too heavy for me.” Summitplunge gets up from the campfire and heads towards the trees, away from the riverbank.

“Going somewhere?” Lou asks, putting another berry in her mouth.

“I’m gonna go fertilize the forest.”

“Ew.” I still can’t get over the fact that ponies just do their business wherever they feel it’s “needed.”

“Don’t get lost!” Lou calls after him. He doesn’t turn around, but he waves a hoof back at her to indicate that he has no intention of wandering too far. Once he’s gone, it gets kind of quiet. Ever since we set up our makeshift camp, we’ve been talking nonstop. Well, I’ve been talking and they’ve been asking questions and making pointed remarks. “Hey.”

“Huh?” I realize Lou is trying to talk to me. She averts her gaze when I look over at her, which makes me suspicious. I smell something a little fishy.

“Thanks for… editing your story.”

I purposefully left out the fact that Lou and the Sphinx were in cahoots, out of consideration for Lou. I also left out the part where we kiss, out of consideration for myself. It’s my story, so I can take any artistic liberties I want.

“Don’t thank me quite yet,” I tell her. This makes her turn and raise an eyebrow at me. “I kinda told Summitplunge you have a thing for him.” Lou’s eye gets real big, but she also gets real quiet and real still. She stays like that for an unsettling amount of time.

“You… he… I… eh-I…”

“Try breathing.” Lou takes my suggestion, calming herself down before attempting to form a rational sentence.

“Oh… h-how did he take that news?” Lou forces herself to smile a big, toothy grin. I should probably proceed with caution.

“It was before the dragon attacked, so he thought I was pulling his leg,” I explain, but her fake facial expression doesn’t budge an inch. I’m afraid she forgot to breathe again. “He didn’t really have time to react because the dragon attacked and all.”

“O-oh… I see,” Lou says, her expression not matching her tone of voice. The berries she’d been shoveling in not two minutes ago go untouched while the pair of us sit in awkward silence.

“You know,” I start, and I almost don’t go on. I can’t believe I’m about to suggest this. “I could transform into you while you hide. If he has any feelings for you, even ones he’s repressing a little, I’d be able to sense them.” Lou’s ears perk up and her smile fades. She opens her mouth to speak, but then stops. Her gaze keeps flying every direction, which is probably indicative of the fact that her thoughts are all over the place.

“No… no, you don’t… I mean, you shouldn’t do that,” Lou says, with a giggle tacked on the end that comes right out of the blue. “I’d hate to see what would happen if you two had to kiss each other.”

“Ah, eeeeew! Don’t even joke like that!” Kissing Lou was one thing, but smooching on Summitplunge would be a whole different ballgame. “No amount of bathing would make me pure again. I’d rather kiss a minotaur after he’s eaten a clove of garlic.” Lou finds this particularly funny, and breaks into a fit of genuine laughter. I’m hurt that the thought of me and Summitplunge doing something that would probably ruin both our lives brings her joy, but at least she has stopped being all paranoid.

“What’s so funny?” Summitplunge reappears at the camp, prompting Lou to go ahead and stiffen back up. When the stallion sits down, she gets up. We wait for her to say something or leave, but she kind of just stands there for a few tense seconds. “Hey, are y-”

“I’ll be right back!” Lou shouts before darting towards the treeline. Summitplunge turns and gives me a funny look.

“… When nature calls?” The woods are a big place, but I’m not sure if it’s good manners to wait until the forest is unoccupied to go do your thing. Summitplunge seems to accept the notion that Lou has gone to use the little filly’s tree.

Once again, I’m alone with Summitplunge. The situation feels eerily similar to the one I was just in. Before it even happened, I predicted what Summitplunge was going to ask me.

“… Hey… is what you said about Lou back there… true?”

I should have put money on that.

“What I mean is… is she interested in me?” he asks. “In a romantic sense I mean… does she-”

“Yeah, she is.” What is it about these two and their little crushes on one another that turns them into irreconcilable piles of pudding? “What’s your opinion on her?”

“My opinion of Miss Louise?” he says, clearing his throat and composing himself. He successfully hides his pitiful side and acts like he’s not visibly sweating bullets. “She’s a fine mare. She works hard, she’s intelligent, and I find her easy to get along with her. I have a… high opinion of her.” I feel like I should give him some kind of award for totally avoiding the real question.

“Are you attracted to her?” I ask more directly. He loses his composure for a second, but manages to keep a straight face. I swear, these two try way too hard to be serious all the time.

“She… has her appeals,” he says, still refusing to give a real, committed answer.

“Do her appeals appeal to you?” I feel like I’m trying to get a little kid to admit to stealing cookies. I know he knows I know what’s really going on, but he just doesn’t want to say it. He doesn’t even answer me this time, but he chooses to just stay shut up. I may have to prod a little harder. “Would it be in bad taste to say you’re after her hot body?”

Ah yes, only I can make the ponies blush, but I think the tasteless joke went over his head. His eyes drift upwards, and I can almost see what’s he’s fantasizing about. I guess he doesn’t need to say anything, at least not to me. I don’t think there’s a girl out there who wants the guy they’re interested in to be all ambiguous and uncertain about their thoughts on them. Women want men, and men make decisions about stuff. Decisions are sexy.

“Well, it’s your love life,” I tell him, but I don’t think he heard me. He’s off in his own little world now. Considering how close we all came to dying back there, I’m surprised both Lou and Summitplunge are able to distract themselves. On the other hand, maybe coming close to death puts things in perspective; it reminds you of what’s really important.

Nothing has changed for me. As beautiful as it is out here in the woods under the hundreds upon hundreds of stars, I still miss my home. No matter what happens, I’ve got to get back.

After an entire night of keeping an eye on our fire and the possible, fire-breathing pursuer we might have, Celestia finally decides to put the darn sun into the sky. Summitplunge and Lou slept quite soundly after all of the excitement we had yesterday, but that isn’t an option for me. I should be used to staying up and doing pretty much nothing all through the night, but it’s so darn boring. Can I really be blamed if I had just a little fun?

It wasn’t easy to do, but the payoff should be more than worth it. Inch by inch through tiny bouts of levitation and light tickling with blades of grass, I was able to coax the sleeping Lou over towards where Summitplunge was sleeping. Once she was within hoof’s reach of him, nature took over. Lou rolled over and one of her forelegs landed on Summitplunge’s back. Things just got better from there.

Summitplunge eventually turned over himself and put a hoof around Lou. Slowly, yet surely the two got closer and closer until they were full on cuddling in their sleep. I gotta say, with them being ponies and all, it’s pretty adorable. It’s a shame that adorable isn’t what I was going for. No, I know exactly what’s going to happen.

The sun rises over the top of the trees, casting the first shafts of light over our camp. The leaves rustling in the wind bid the sunbeams to dance over the sleeping ponies’ faces. Their light, morning sleep is broken with the intrusion of illumination. They groan and cuddle closer to one another, in resistance to the consciousness washing over them. Lou buries her muzzle into Summitplunge’s chest, trying to shut out the light with her living pillow.

Her eye flutters open. I suppress my laughter from where I am watching as the look of slumbering content morphs into confused panic. Lou freezes, likening to a stone. She probably isn’t sure whether or not she is still dreaming or if the situation she now finds herself in is the real deal.

While she’s sorting everything out, Summitplunge opens his eyes. He doesn’t see what is going on before he feels it, and his hooves shuffled around a bit to figure out exactly what he’s clinging on to so tightly. When he does look down, he reaction is a perfect parallel to Lou’s. His eyes get wide and he stops moving altogether. I grit my teeth and wait for the next part.

“G-good morning?” Summitplunge says, clearing his throat immediately afterwards. “I trust you slept well?”

“Yes... just fine,” Lou responds as if nothing in the world were wrong. In a way, everything is just fine. There couldn’t possibly be anything better than awakening in the hooves of the one she loves. I’ll be that’s what she’s trying to tell herself, but the situation is still deliciously awkward. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

There appears to be nothing left to say. The two of them go ahead and slowly release one another, rolling onto their backs and just staring up at the brightening sky.

“Body heat.”

“Huh?” Lou looks over at Summitplunge, who clears his throat and clarifies.

“It was probably cold last night, so we instinctively used each other for body heat,” he says in an attempt to justify what had happened. “That’s all that was.”

“Of course!” Lou says, getting up with a start. “That’s all it was. We just needed to survive.”

“Yes, survival,” Summitplunge parrots, standing up himself. The two look at each other and nod with stern expressions, but they avoid making eye contact all the while. I think it’s time for me to save them from themselves.

“Good morning sleepyheads.”

Lou and Summitplunge quickly turn to me. The looks on their faces tell me that they realize I’ve probably been watching them from my seat just across the fire pit. They open their mouths to speak, but I silence them by raising my hand.

“Right, right… body heat.” It takes everything I have to keep from bursting into laughter. “You two better eat some breakfast. It’s a long way out of the forest.”

The Everfree Forest… even when the sun is up it doesn’t feel quite right. Considering that most everywhere else the weather, plants, and animals are sustained with the help of ponies, this place should feel the most natural to me. The trees grow of their own volition. The clouds drift by on the whim of the breeze. The animals eat one another. This is nature au naturale.

There is a miasma about the Everfree. I feel it and I can tell Summitplunge and Lou feel it just by looking at them. This forest is steeped in something black and dark, and we might be wading up to our necks in it. It scares me, but there is something else about it that bugs me. There is something about this air, infused with inconsolable panic and berserk fantasies, that feels familiar. With each footstep and with each step behind me, I feel like I’m walking backwards into my memories. I don’t remember anything, but I have this nagging feeling that I should.

“How far did you say we’d have to hike?” Summitplunge asks. “Feels like a bit like we’ve been wandering in circles.” I share his sentiments, but I don’t really know how long we’ve been out here. The Everfree is dark as night even in the daytime, so it’s impossible to know what time it is. The only thing keeping me certain that we must be making progress is the river. We’re following it out of this forest, but it seems to be taking its sweet time. This is the safest option we have.

“Looked like half a day’s hike, maybe. I’m not a very good judge of distance,” I tell them. I want to say something else to lighten the mood, but the ambiance of the forest keeps me shut up. The canopy of trees makes it like night on the forest floor and every branch and knothole looks like the appendage or orifice of some hideous creature. I concentrate on breathing, but it does nothing to soothe my nerves. This air is tainted, I just know it.

“What happens when we get out?” Lou asks, her voice barely rising above the sound of us walking. I feel a chill run up my spine. She isn’t insinuating what I think she’s insinuating… is she?

“We’ll all just go home.” I’m not exactly where “home” is for me, but my statement if more of an offering to Lou and Summitplunge. We’re going to part ways, and that’s that. I’m not going to Canterlot as their prisoner.

“Right,” Lou replies after a beat.

Maybe it’s the forest that has me on edge, but I can’t shake the notion that Summitplunge and Lou might have different ideas about how this all will end. I’m still their enemy and their prize. For all I know, they’ll turn on me once we’re out of the Everfree. To be honest, I don’t know if I have the energy to fend them off. The spell I botched earlier cost me an incredible amount of energy and to top it off I had to spend what little energy I had left rescuing Lou and Summitplunge and then fixing up some of my wounds. Even with the morsels Lou and Summitplunge are letting me have, I’ve got just enough energy to make a daring escape if it comes to that. Goodness knows how I’ll fare if we run into trouble before escaping this forsaken place.

“I could fly above the canopy and check where we are,” I offer. I’m currently the only one here capable of any sort of flight. Summitplunge’s wing is still all screwed up and Lou… hasn’t been able to fly from the get go. I can’t fly-fly, but getting high enough to judge our distance is something I can manage.

“We’re safer if you stay on the ground,” Lou says. “I don’t want to run the risk of you getting spotted by something like Dnaglefreed or just Dnaglefreed himself.”

“I think if Dnaglefreed was after us, we would have run into him by now,” Summitplunge says. “I’m surprised he’s not, seeing as he was so bent on seeing us dead for trespassing.” Summitplunge brings up a point that had been bugging me. All signs point to us being in the clear in regards to Dnaglefreed; however, I have a feeling in my gut that we should still be wary.

It would be one thing if there was smoke following us around every turn or we could hear him coming after us, bellowing his wrath to the heavens. If a huge dragon was following us, we would know. I mean, it’s a huge fire breathing lizard! You can’t miss one, you just can’t.

Dragons are supposed to be the perfect predator. Perhaps being on edge isn’t a bad thing.

“Not counting his attack on the airship, that’s the first time I’ve been so close to a dragon,” Lou says. “I’m not counting that dragon in Ponyville.”

“Spike?” Both of my companions get quite again. I realize this is because there is no preface for why I would know anything about the residents of Ponyville. “I know Ponyville well, so sue me.”

“Considering Ponyville houses the Elements of Harmony, our greatest hope in the face of unstoppable evil, it is a little concerning,” Summitplunge says. “Exactly how much do you know?”

I pause for a moment and think.

“Twilight is the Element of Magic and works at Golden Oaks Library. She lives with Spike the Dragon and Owlowiscious the owl. Her brother is Prince Shining Armor who is married to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Applejack is the Element of Harmony who lives and works on Sweet Apple Acres with her sister Applebloom, brother Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith. Fluttershy is the Element of Kindess and she lives alone with her animal friends at the edge of the Everfree. Rarity is the Element of Generosity who runs Carousel Boutique. Her little sist-”

“Okay, okay, we get the point.” Lou looked somewhere between puzzled and appalled that I knew so much about the Elements. To be honest, I’m no less confused. There is no context for my knowledge. “Are you some kind of stalker?”

“I don’t have the kind of time and resources to keep tabs on the daily lives of the Elements of Harmony,” I tell them, but something still isn’t right. I do have details from their daily lives. I have little snippets, episodes if you will, of events they’ve gone through and challenges they’ve undertaken. Aside from the occasional snuffing out of some baddie, I don’t see why I would need or want to know any of this. “Speaking of Ponyville and all that, is that town I scoped out Ponyville?”

“Not likely, seeing as Ponyville is in the north,” Summitplunge explained. “We’re going west, which means we’re heading towards Iron Flats, a little rock farming community right on the edge of the forest.”

“Should we be heading to Ponyville?” I ask. Summitplunge shakes his head and looks up at the canopy.

“There isn’t a military outpost in Ponyville, but there is one real close to Flats. It doesn’t matter really; all towns mean help.”

The conversation dropped after that, and in the ensuing silence me and Summitplunge noticed the same thing: there was a set of hoofsteps missing. Fearing the worst, we turned back around to see Lou just standing in the path a few yards behind us. She looked transfixed, almost in a daze. I wanted to call after her, but she spoke up first.

“We have to go back!”

“… We do?” Backtracking after coming so far is the last thing on my mind. With the condition Lou and Summitplunge are in, we shouldn’t be considering it. Heck, there isn’t a reason to go back; however, Lou has to be on about something. “What for?”

“Dnaglefreed shouldn’t have let us go,” she says. I don’t interrupt, giving her the benefit of the doubt that her plan does not involve becoming a stain on the bottom of a dragon’s claw. “Think about it: if that spell screwed up our vision like that while we were turned away with our eyes closed and covered, what do you think it did to Dnaglefreed?” The answer doesn’t take much thought.

“So he’s blind for good then?” Summitplunge asks, confirming what we’re all thinking. “That would explain why he isn’t hot on our tails.”

“But he had to have gone somewhere,” Lou says. “Cocoon, go above the trees and look around for any smoke. He’s out there causing a ruckus; he has to be.”

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious too. With one bound, I elevate myself about the treeline and into the sky. With a quick glance to the slowly setting sun, I confirm we are indeed heading west towards a little town that looks much bigger than it did this morning. Before me, there isn’t a hint of smoke or even inclement weather. I buzz my wings to spin myself around. The south looks peaceful. The east appears serene.

There is a black cloud in the north. My landing is less than graceful, both due a bit of shock and my quickly emptying belly.

“He’s headed north, towards Ponyville,” I tell them, revealing the source of my anxiety.

“No!” Lou shouts. “I knew this was too good to be true!” She turns where she is on the path and starts heading backwards.

“Louise, wait!” Summitplunge runs after her the best he can, catching up to her when his shouting finally brings her to a stop. “It’ll probably take us over a day to get to Ponyville this way, even if we run the entire time. We’re not in any shape for running or walking that far.”

“So what do we do? Stand by idly while Ponyville gets turned into a smoking crater?” Lou asks.

“I’m afraid the situation is out of our hands,” I answer after catching up to the two. They give me an odd look for a moment. “Hooves in your case.”

“We have to stop him before he makes his way to Ponyville!” Lou says, still insistent that we must act. “There must be something we can do!” Lou stares at the ground before her, obviously trying to come up with some sort of crack plan to create a miracle.

“Even if we could catch up to Dnaglefreed, we’re in no shape to fight him,” Summitplunge says, trying to snap Lou out of her panic. “I know the Elements of Harmony will be in Ponyville, but still… I don’t know if they’ll be prepared for a sudden attack like that. I wish we could help, but I just don’t see how!”

“He’s after us, isn’t he?” Lou says, leading into a proposal I just knew was coming. “If we can get close enough to catch his attention, we can lead him away from Ponyville!”

“And if he catches and kills us?” Summitplunge asks. “He still might wander into Ponyville and wreak havoc.”

“It’s the only chance we have!” Lou starts charging magic into her horn, a grimace of pain forming on her face. Whatever she is trying to do is too much strain too soon, but she isn’t letting up. “I’m going to teleport us closer!”

Summitplunge and I are left to exchange worried glances. Letting her proceed is agreeing to embark on a suicide mission that has a low probability of even being effective, but it’s the high road option. Call me crazy, but protecting peaceful little Ponyville from our blunder is important. Summitplunge’s expression tells me just how important.

“… Don’t overdo it,” Summitplunge warns, his voice very even. Lou cracks a smile under her furrowed brow and crackling horn.

“It’s a suicide mission anyway,” she says with such calm it frightens me. Her gaze switches up to me. “You’re coming too.”

Is saving Ponyville more important than going home? The selfish answer is “no,” but seeing the moral choice in this situation is just simple math.

“I guess this is partially my fault, so it can’t be helped.” My hesitance shows in my voice. “I’m not going down without at least trying to kill that thing.”

“That’s the spirit.” Lou’s horn sparks and crackles with hot energy. She’s scraping the very bottom of her reserves to dredge out this spell. Summitplunge and I get closer and prepare to jump into Dnaglefreed’s waiting claws. I close my eyes and brace myself when I feel the spell start to envelop my body. The sensation of teleportation sinks in as I feel my body flood with alien energy, forcing it to fly across space. The jump does not land so much as it falls, throwing us onto the hard ground when we exit.

I scramble upright and take stock of our position. The Everfree in its entirety lies before us, and a black cloud of smoke hangs over our heads. We’ve been much farther displaced than I anticipated, and one look over to where Lou is confirms the distance took its toll. Summitplunge got to his hooves and ran to her first.

“Louise! Louise! Hey!” he calls to her, propping her head up with a hoof and shaking her shoulder with the other. Her eyes are open and her chest is heaving with massive breaths, but her expression is twisted and pained.

“I panicked… that was… much farther…”

“You’re in no shape to move,” Summitplunge says, doing his best to check her for any other signs of damage. No doubt her main problem is that she is magically drained, like me when I’m starved for food. Speaking of that, I don’t have much left in my stomach. As if to punctuate the urgency of the situation, a booming voice roars from the edge of the forest.

“Where are you? Where are the tormentors of Dnaglefreed?! You will pay with your lives for robbing the sight of Dnaglefreed!”

“We have company!” My warning is accented by Dnaglefreed’s head popping up from the forest. He looks far move peeved than we left him, and he has hot fire seeping from inbetween his snarling lips. He stops suddenly and takes a break from spouting smoke from his nostrils. He sniffs the air, taking more smoke than air into his lungs. Slowly, his head turns down to where we are on the ground and his snarl turns into a sinister smile.

“Dnaglefreed has found you! The stench of unicorn magic and changeling hangs heavy here! Make yourselves known so the wrath of Dnaglefreed may fall upon you!” the dragon demands.

I take a glance backwards. Behind us is a sight so nostalgic it throws me. Ponyville is close, only a mile or two away from our current position. The risk of him blindly wandering into the little town is far too great and even fighting the dragon here would pose a fire danger.

“Do not keep silent! Speak!” the dragon roars, spitting fire into the trees before him. Before we can say anything, his anger hits its boiling point. “Do not think you can play Dnaglefreed for a fool! If you insist on hiding in this forest, Dnaglefreed will burn it to ashes!”

Dnaglefreed points his open mouth skyward and throws fire into the air with all the intensity of an erupting volcano. The waning sunlight gives way to intense firelight, bathing the forest in dancing flames and rising smoke. The flames rise before us and start spreading around us, leaving only one avenue of escape.

“Run for it!”

When Summitplunge gallops past me with Lou on his back I don’t register his command for a second or two. Somewhere, in all this fire, I saw Quarterholm burning again. I thought, perhaps, now Ponyville will burn for my sins. As I run, the hellfire growing on either side, my gut twists with pangs of guilt and denial.

Dnaglefreed’s blind stumbling doesn’t keep pace with us this time. We’re outrunning him, leaving him in the dust and smoke. Of course, we aren’t running towards escape, but a greater tragedy. The scenery flies by and we leave the growing fire behind us. Running side by side with Summitplunge, our frenzied and shallow breathing gets more and more painful to listen to with each step. With our groundspeed, we less than a mile from the town proper within a few minutes. I can clearly see ponies lined up on the town’s edge trying to get a look at the commotion arising from the Everfree. Against the flames and smoke, I doubt they can see us or Dnaglefreed yet.

Summitplunge catches his hoof on the ground and takes a spill, dumping Lou onto the hard ground as well. I skid to a halt and I try to get them back on their hooves. Summitplunge, who wasn’t in any shape for distance running to begin with, is at the end of his rope. Lou’s condition hasn’t improved anymore. They have to lean against each other for support, and running any further is hopeless.

“Dang… we didn’t exactly do much to help, did we?” Summitplunge chuckles between wheezes. “I always hoped I’d go down fighting a little harder…”

Lou opens her own mouth to speak, but the only thing that comes out is a tired, strangled sob. She’s got tears streaming out of her one good eye, reflecting the light from the fire growing closer. She coughs and tries again, but her voice doesn’t rise above a whisper. Summitplunge wraps a reassuring hoof around her. She sniffles and the two make eyes contact. They hold it, sharing a knowing moment.

“I should have told you I love you,” he says. Lou manages a sincere smile.

“We still have a little time left.” I watch as their eyes grow misty as their noses meet. My heart sinks knowing that this too I have destroyed. “I wished I could be with you until I died, so I guess my wish is coming true.”

“You deserved more,” Summitplunge tells her. I turn away to give them their privacy. I fix my gaze on the oncoming wall of fire. There is still no sign of Dnaglefreed among the smoke and advancing flames, but I can hear him roaring in anger. Behind me I can hear the concerned citizens of Ponyville growing closer as well. Death is on all fronts. A dragon rises before me, a population that fears me approaches my back, and famine grows in my own stomach. As unsatisfying as this is, I don’t see how I’m getting out of this ali-

“That’s it!” Lou shouts, startling me so much I topple over onto my back. I thought we were all quietly reflecting, why is she shouting? “We can still stop Dnaglefreed!” Lou is standing over me, smiling with fiery determination. Summitplunge is too, but he looks just as confused as I am. Lou looks so certain that I am compelled to believe her.

“Seriously?”

“Do you have enough energy to transform?” she asks. I nod my head, even if transforming would probably result in total starvation in a matter of seconds. “Then turn into Summitplunge.”

I don’t argue, I just get to my feet and shift. I’m so hungry it physically hurts to drain my energy and contort my body. When I finish changing I feel my consciousness fading. All my focus shifts to the last drops of energy slipping away.

Lou kisses me.

The weirdness of being kissed by a pony is severely mitigated by the flash flood of energy introduce into the desert of my body. I blow past famine and hunger as if I’d never known them. The energy is so great my flimsy formshift comes undone the moment Lou’s lips leave mine. I am left sitting on my butt with an overly full tank of energy. There was significantly more love in that kiss than the first one.

“Now it’s your turn,” Lou says, turning to Summitplunge. My head is still spinning from the experience so it doesn’t register with me what she could be talking about. The look on Summitplunge’s face, however, tells all.

“You want me to kiss him?” he asks. We share a quick glance, which tells me we have mutual feelings about this. Much to my relief, Lou shakes her head no. Before Summitplunge can riddle it out, Lou locks their lips together. His shock melts into happiness as the two share a passionate embrace. I cover my eyes when it starts looking particularly intense and wait for them to finish.

“But seriously, you also need to kiss him.” Lou’s voice prompts me to put my hand down. Summitplunge doesn’t look quite as conflicted as he did before, and he gives me a look that tells me he’s ready to go through with it.

“Where are you ponies? Where are you changeling? Dnaglefreed has your scent! Your lives belong to Dnaglefreed!”

Well, I would rather kiss Summitplunge than die. I shift myself into Lou and brace myself. He hesitates, giving me a rather wide-eyed look. Lou looks pretty shocked too, but it isn’t clear to me why. Whatever gave Summitplunge pause doesn’t keep him from pressing his lips to mine. I want to hurl just about as bad as I ever have, but the transfer of energy is no less fantastic. I’m already above and beyond any level of energy I’ve ever known, but when we part at long last I feel like I have enough energy to tear Dnaglefreed apart with my bare hands.

Summitplunge immediately turns back to Lou and jumps on her, locking the pair into another lustful embrace. I promptly turn my back and return into my normal form. Looking into the flames and smoke, I can see Dnaglefreed’s silhouette making its approach.

“Time to finish this.”

I start weaving the spell into my hands once more. The energy gathers, condenses, and smashes together much faster and far more violently than before. I am able to control it though with spell crafting instincts so far ingrained into my being that no memory hex could bid me to forget them. When it comes time for the final phase, I am left with a writhing and living mass of swirling, green energy in my hands. The final instructions ring clearly in my mind as I recite them aloud.

“Yes, it is life. With life, there is something important we must do as we introduce it into this world. Gather it close like a newborn and give to this new life a name, one that will clearly give it purpose. Endow it with a name in which it will find its path into the heavens! This is the greatest and most sacred of magic: Arcane Star Birth!”

Dnaglefreed erupts with his body awash in flames from the smoke. He bears down on my position like an enraged bull. Fire leaks from his throat as he screams his rage into the heavens. A cry rises from the crowd that has gathered in the surrounding area at the sight of the raging beast.

I notice these things only on the very edges of my senses. The rest of my is consumed by what I have created. Instead of becoming erratic, the star lives on when I take my hands from it. There is only one step remaining to put its wheels in motion. I am remiss to see it go; I can feel its unconditional love for me as I bathe in its light. I must send it to where it belongs, so I call it by the name that will send it home.

“Draco!”

It streaks towards Dnaglefreed’s head like a bullet shot from a gun. The light emanating from its body is so intense the exact moment it impacts him is obscured. The impact itself is brilliant and overpowering. The ground shakes and a wind so intense is whipped up that the surrounding fire dies in the expanding vacuum. The smoke parts in the sky as the star continues up and away into the heavens while the smoke on the ground starts thinning around the site of impact.

Dnaglefreed is still mostly intact, but his head and most of his neck appear to be completely gone. What remains falls limply to the ground with a thud that rings through the silence. Still brimming with energy, I observe my handiwork in the growing starlight. The fire still rages deeper in the forest, lighting smoke that still hangs against the sky, but through one pocket of smoke I spot something interesting: a green star hanging in the sky. Against the silver and smattering of gold stars hanging in the heavens, it stands out.

“…ngs there still because I put it there. That’s permanence. That’s leaving a mark. Now I know there is a solution to the problem I wa…”

For once, all the static and worry fades away. I feel very calm and reassured. Suddenly my concerns feel almost silly and I can let myself smile. It’s only for a moment, but it’s a moment that sticks with me more than the guilt, the pain, and the panic. It wasn’t just hope, it was concrete certainty that everything will work out just fine.

Of course, in this moment of certainty I realize something isn’t quite right. I turn around and clearly see the crowd that can clearly see me. The citizens of Ponyville are quietly taking stock of what has just taken place. I guess an ex-king of the changelings blowing off a dragon’s head with a star isn’t an everyday occurrence. Heck, it actually sounds like the sort of thing you’d have to pay to see.

Lou and Summitplunge are nearby too, but they don’t look certain about how to proceed themselves. To be honest, I’m not sure where we go from here either. I don’t know if I’m about to be arrested, attacked, or set free.

While I’m ruminating, a pony in the crowd catches my eye. I can’t say I’ve ever seen the stallion before, but that isn’t why the unicorn stands out from the crowd. No, it’s just the way he’s looking at me. Most of the crowd is animated in their confusion, excitement, or fear, but not this pony. This pony is stiff and unmoving. Only his deep, labored breaths given any sign that he is alive. The frightened mask on his face doesn’t fade or look away from me for a second.

I don’t know why, but he is giving me a different vibe from the rest of the crowd.

He notices me looking at him. The stallion shrinks and slinks into the crowd with his head down, but I can see him going. I want to know where he thinks he’s running off to all of a sudden. He’s up to something, I just know it.

“Cocoon.”

There are more pertinent matters at hand. I look down at Lou and Summitplunge, who still look conflicted; however, they are wearing forced smiles.

“We aren’t in any shape to pursue if you run.”

“I’m touched.” I force out a chuckle, for their sakes. We both know what needs to happen to make a clean escape. The crowd is getting over its confusion, and it sounds angry. “I wish I could convince them like I convinced you…”

“It just doesn’t work that way,” Lou says, casting her eyes to the ground. “We might be letting you go, but you’re still an enemy to the monarchy. You attacked our citizens and killed our soldiers, and it takes a lot to forgive somepony for those kinds of things. It doesn’t matter if you’re a changeling or a pony…”

“… Yeah, you’ve got a point.” I take a step back from them.

“We forget virtue in our enemy and sin in our saviors,” Lou says, taking her own step backwards. Summitplunge joins her. I raise my claws at them as they take an offensive stance. Lou looks over at Summitplunge for a moment. “Would you forgive me if I did something terrible?”

“I can’t give it to you if you don’t ask for it,” he replies. She smiles and turns back to me. We all take another step back. Lou raises her voice for all to hear. “You’ll do anything to get want you want, Cocoon! You strike down foe and push aside friend if they stand in your path!”

“Your no better than me, pony!” I shout back. “Do you think you’re shielding the people with your lies? Do you dare step out into the light of the truth? It takes astounding character to reveal our greatest sins!”

“You are King Cocoon the Liar!”

“And you can’t hide your ugliness!” I extend my hand and set loose a bright flash. Lou advances into it, piercing through the weak magic with her horn. I hurl another ball of light, but she advances again. Summitplunge breaks from her side and dashes up to me. He spins around while I cross my arms before my body. He bucks my guard hard, hard enough for it to hurt a little. As I feign tumbling backwards, he gives me a little smirk. I guess a little payback was in order. I get back on my feet, the crowd behind my good rivals going nuts for their saviors.

“I won’t forget this!” I shout at them.

“They are my children. If their father calls for them, they will speed him to their side.”

I extend a hand to the starlit heavens. With a green flash like the light of a lighthouse, I cry out with a name half-eaten and buried in the swamp of my memories. I feel an energy reaching out for me, grasping my hand like a dear old friend. It fills me with its warmth and whisks me away from this place. My vision turns white for a moment, but when it comes back I am drifting among the stars.

I feel that release of my worries wash over me again, but this too is so tragically ephemeral. The stars, like all my buried memories, fade into static and I feel myself returning to the ground below.

19th: Bygone Days

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

There is no structure more fair in all of Equestria than The Castle of the Royal Sisters. These painted white pillars of the basilica have a fair glow to them in this midday sun. I’ve walked this cobbled pathway many a time, in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Spring is the best season, for it is in the spring that the flowers of the front gardens start to bloom in yellows and white while the fruit trees bud with green leaves. Ponies chat at their leisure in this public space, enjoying this most pleasant change in the seasons.

Walking into the throat of the castle, I am greeted by the smiles of even more ponies. This corridor, painted like precious, soft marble, also glows in the spectrum of colors flowing in through the arched, stained glass windows. The passing of each pony is met with a bow and a casual “how fare thee?” A group of ponies lounging by the statue in the oculus flag me down to ask me how my journey was. We laugh and swap stories of our final winter days before I bid them good day and continue on my way.

I walk out in the the wide, peristyle garden of the castle. From here, it is only a short walk from the patio to my quarters, but I’ve no doubt that I won’t be getting there anytime soon judging by the crowd here in the garden. Servants carry appetizers about on platters for all the guests gathered around the fountains or relaxing on the benches and enjoying the first blooms on the rose bushes.

I guess this is some sort of party, by the looks of it. I’m certain that today isn’t anything special, but then again I’m not certain I remember what the day is. Remembering things has never been my strong suite.

I move around the partygoers, stopping every minute or so to catch up with a delegate or soldier I haven’t seen since I left at the start of winter. Even Princess Celestia herself, busy chatting up the members of her court, gives me a brief smile as if to say “we may talk later.” I’m glad to see she hasn’t loosened up while I was on my little haitus.

Princess Luna, in contrast, does far more than smile at my approach. As she says a hasty goodbye to the guests she was entertaining, I can’t help but think I’m glad to see she hasn’t straightened out. I guess three months is not much time to change.

“Oh, we are ever so glad to see you are returned and well!” Luna says, not hesitating to break ceremony in order to give me an energized hug. I swear, she could snap me in half with that strength of hers. “We missed your presence, yet we did not shrink from our studies, wise mentor!”

“I’m glad to hear that, but didn’t I specifically say your highness could take it easy whilst I was away?” I ask her. Luna pushes me away with a shocked expression on her face, the exact same reaction I got when I purposed the idea in the first place. She really needs to stop being so rough with us aging folks.

“Neigh, we perish the thought of being lax!” Luna stamps a hoof and pouts like a child, not very befitting of a princess. “We hoped thou would praise us for our efforts.”

“I did, did I not?” I think I said something along those lines. Bah, I can’t remember. “Your highness is powerful and skilled enough as it is. Even before my help you could raise and lower the moon as you pleased. My training is just fine tuning in comparison.”

“And finely tuned we are becoming,” she says in the Canterlot voice as she tends to do whenever she becomes excited, angry, indignant, happy, sad, annoyed, sleepy, or a menagerie of other emotions I can’t be bothered to list at the moment. “To truly bring peace and happiness to our subjects, we must master all aspects of magic!”

“Most aspects,” I tell her, correcting her once again. “Which brings me to another reason I want you to keep thy magical exploration to a minimum whilst I am away: I don’t want your highness using any magic she should not. There are many helpful tomes in my library, but there are also dark, twisted tomes that con-”

“Contain chapters of corruption and volumes of violence. They are powerful indeed, but there is more to magic than just power. We must hold control above all else.” Luna finishes my shpeal for me, but if she knows what I’m going to say I don’t understand why I need to keep saying it. “We know this, mentor; however, we have been diligent in our studies and you yourself have said we harness an astounding aptitude for control. We are not the reason you have made this rule, so we think it is unfair our studies should be limited because of it. We can handle it.”

My eyes can’t help but dart over to where Princess Celestia is seated. She represents my hesitation, but it would be unfair to say she is the only source of my hesitation. I am no stronger than she was then, and I’ve never met anypony as powerful as she’s ever been, sans her sister. Perhaps that’s why her failure bothers me the most.

“Famous last words, my princess.” If there is anything I’ve learned in my life in the court, it is that in discouraging a Princess one must employ no small amount of guilt. “Is your highness ungrateful for the aid I’ve supplied you? If my teachings are unsatisfactory, I could perhaps direct thee to the nearest witch or warlock to sate your thirst for forbidden knowledge.”

“Neigh, mentor! This is not what we imply!”

“No, no, it would be no trouble for me.” I idly cast my gaze up and away from her. “The hardest part will be finding one who isn’t sealed in a stone or simply defunct…”

“We do not desire a perished warlock for a mentor!” Luna shouts in her royal voice, causing nothing short of a large disturbance in the party. Most of the guests just roll their eyes, having become accustom to these sort of outbursts. From where I’m standing I can see Celestia staring up at the heavens and shaking her head. Most ponies would lower their voices after all this, but Luna isn’t most ponies. “Forgive us our transgressions, mentor! We meant no disrespect!”

“I jest, your highness,” I say in an attempt to calm her down. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving your studies in the hooves of a pony who would abuse your power or convince you to abuse your own power.” Luna smiles brightly again, pleased to have her mentor back no doubt. She strikes me as more of a puppy than a Princess, really.

“Thank you, wise mentor. We shall not breach the subject again!”

That’ll be the day.

“All is well, I assure you. I would ask you, your highness, what you have been studying while I’ve been away?”

“… Refining the skills you taught me, sir,” she says in her normal speaking voice. Luna forces a smile while her eyes dart about. She pins her ears back, completing a look that I’ve seen far too many times.

“You’re making that face again, your highness.”

“Nonsense!” Luna continues making that face.

“You’re a terrible liar, Luna. You may as well come right out with the truth.” I wait for her to respond while she continues not making eye contact. I stare long and hard, willing the information out of her. She cracks just as a bead of sweat starts forming on her royal forehead.

“We attempted the time-traveling spell!” She cups her hooves over her mouth as if somepony else had answered instead of herself. I don’t know what I’m going to do with Luna. She is capable, but she is still so childish sometimes. I don’t want to be cross with her, but situations like this require me to be firm.

“And the truth comes out. See, your highness, lying will only delay the inevitable. Did you really think I-”

…

“Time Travel?!”

“We offer our most sincere and genuine apologies, mentor!” Luna resumes using her full Canterlot voice. “If it alleviates our transgression, we were not successful in performing it!”

“Do you have any idea how lucky you are right now? Time isn’t a plaything! You can’t bandage time back into place if you mess it up! You’re lucky your mind wasn’t turned to cornmeal in an unstable tachyon field!”

“… So we have done well?”

She is a puppy, not a princess…

“There are consequences for dangerous actions like these, young lady.” I watch as Luna’s eyes drift to the ground. She knows that when I pull out “young lady” I mean business. “There will be no shortage of work to be done for your studies, starting immediately.” At the mention of studies, however, she brightens back up.

“Yes, mentor! We are ready to work hard!”

“Good! You can start by writing a report on my dissertation on Magi-Medical Procedures for Non-magical Ailments paying particular attention to the section on Tactile Silencing so you can outline how advances in that field have advanced the practicality and affordability of invasive field surgeries. You will also prepare alchemic recipes with complete elemental distributions for no less than five autonomous creatures without the use of mannequins. Considering I wrote Not-So Natural Nature’s Alchemic Almanac, I will know if you copied out of it. In addition to those I want you to write a spell that will analyze the contents of any goblet and identify any of six distinct liquids and simultaneously reveal the volume. I want this spell written in Magi Exact and not Equus Arcana which means I expect to see notes at the start of each phase shift and you will utilize only a small number of circuits and absolutely no aggregate circuits! I want this all done before the end of the week, understood?”

“... B-but mentor, I was hoping our punishment would involve more practice instead of theory,” Luna says, ever hopeful with her innocent smile. I wouldn’t say she’s dependable, but she sure is predictable.

“Practice is good for power, but theory is good for control. If your highness can’t keep from using spells I’ve explicitly told her to stay away from, I believe some exercises in control are in order.”

Luna heaves a sigh, acknowledging her defeat. I send her back to the party with one last instruction to take it easy and a promise that I will tell her all the details of my trip over tea once she has raised the moon. As for myself, my trip has worn hard on me. After socializing with the most eager of my two students, I’m at the end of my rope.

I walk just as briskly as I can to my tower, chastising myself all the while for not opting to move my study closer to the castle gates. Halfway between the garden and the door to a soft bed, I stop. The throne room lies to my left, unguarded.

I push open the double doors and let myself in, not that the guards would stop me even if they were present. After seeing how lively the party in the garden was, the silence of the throne room is eerie. There isn’t a sound besides my own walking reverberating against the painted stone and the only light comes down in cascades from the traditional stained glass windows.

I ascend the stairs up to the twin thrones one at a time. They stand before me now, these great stone chairs. A sun adorns the tip of the throne to my right, but a moon looms over the one on my left. Beyond and between the two thrones is something I forgot we kept around: a mirror.

It’s odd… but I can’t see my reflection in it. I should be able to… but I can’t. No… I was able to, but I can’t now? It’s because… … I no longer… and then… will… … ………………..

The dark, blank stone of this decrepit castle is smooth and cool against my hand. I turn and look down at once was a commanding view of a throne room, but is now an overgrown mess of vines and the dishearteningly many, broken pieces of architectural greatness. There is no sun adorned throne anymore, but when came the day it was lost? When came the day any of this was lost? Why does this alien, unfamiliar place give me such a haunting, sinking feeling?

Shadows of a memory played out in my mind, and before I realized what I was doing I had come to this place. I can’t quite remember it now, as if I was trying to remember a vivid dream upon waking. The words are muffled, the faces are blurred, and the colors are faded. I’m only certain of a handful of things, but one of them stands out: I’ve been to this place before.

This is the old castle in the Everfree, where Twilight and company defeated Nightmare Moon in most recent history. I’m not sure why I remember that event with such detail, but I also don’t feel that memory satisfies why I know this castle so well.

Part of my memory has returned to me, memories of what this castle once looked like. I remember the magnificent, Corinthian columns. I remember the reliefs in the frieze of old, famous ponies. I remember the figures depicted in these stained glass windows before they were shattered. It was a beautiful place like I’d never seen before.

Now it’s a scarred place I have seen before.

“If you’re looking for answers to the reasons why

If you want to unscramble the truths and the lies

Then go where it’s never midnight nor noon

Stare into the mirror between the Sun and the Moon”

I remember the mirror… well, more accurately I remember it existed. Between the thrones of Celestia and Luna, marked by a sun and moon respectively, was a mirror. It seems like a viable answer to Discord’s riddle, if it wasn’t for the lack of an actual mirror. I don’t know if this place qualifies as a place where “it’s never midnight nor noon” anyway.

… But still…

Riddle aside, that mirror was important… or is important. I need to find it, granted it wasn’t destroyed or lost forever. It’s too big of a hit to simply let it slip away. Besides, what else am I gonna do? I’m a little scrapped for options.

“…And I suppose I shouldsiasdman I haven’t perfected it, but with a little tiasdslkafis seriously for once in yoausdlajsaf growing near, and I’m-”

My mind is being assailed. My senses are being flooded by one voice.

“Just your imaginaslkadjere for a reason, right? You kneasjdafklwqoipuxan’t go back now! Tell me hoaqoioxczmut of touch with the ladies I gaowijzoijsijdiction grew and grew until haesiooajklee it has to be this wa-”

This isn’t remembering; this is torture. I fully see everything for just a moment, remember for just a moment before it is torn away from me. I feel like I’m going insane as vivid scenes from a life apart rise in front of me for a moment before turning into loud, wild static.

“Phla lamtoojsvrgzoojsvrgzkwcsoojslamt.”

“I remember.”

“Phla wbnazchybhna Bhnaabiozchylamtbhnawbnaphlalamtyzul abiotdphoojs Kwcsoojszchylamthyhyoojshyhy.”

“But of course. How could I forget something to important?”

“ Uliotdphlamteanabhnazchyyzulphlabhna wbnaphlafamtoojshyhy eanagzqtqtphlamt vrgzoojsvrgzgzqtlamteana.”

“Right, but why? Why would she do that?”

“Bhnatdphoojs yzulgzqtrxxtoojshyhy eanagzqtqtph.”

“That doesn’t make any sense…”

“ Bhnatdphoojs tdphzchybhna mttdgzqtlamtnaoogzqtabioabiooojsiovr tdphoojslamt abiolamtqtphoojs phlahyhyoojsiovrabiophlaabioeana.”

“And that makes less sense.”

“ Phlaabio wbnazchybhna eanagzqtqtphlamt hyhygzqtphlaiovrnaoo.”

“An eye for an eye I suppose.”

“ Iovrgzqtwbna bhnatdphoojs mttdgzqtlamtnaoooojsabiobhna abiogzqt abiooojsiovrhyhy tdphoojslamt bhnafamtoojsyzulyzul.”

“That’s why I’m starting to remember, isn’t it? What about her?”

“Hyhyoojsuliozchyeana phlabhna phlaiovroojsrxxtphlaabiozchykwcsyzuloojs.”

“Where does that leave me?”

“Lamtoojsuliogzqtrxxtoojslamtphlaiovrnaoo.”

“And after that?”

“Hyhyoojszchyabiotdph.”

“No! I don’t want that! Why does it have to be that way?”

“Eanagzqtqtph vrgzqtphbhnaabio lamtoojsvrgzoojsvrgzkwcsoojslamt.”

“I can’t! I’m already forgetting what you’ve told me!”

“Wbnatdphzchyabio eanagzqtqtphrxxtoojs abiogzqtyzulhyhy eanagzqtqtphlamtbhnaoojsyzulmttd.”

“Who?”

“Phla lamtoojsvrgzoojsvrgzkwcsoojslamt...”

“No, I don’t… I can’t… what was I-”

“Your majesty?”

Just like that, it’s gone. The voice of a lone changeling standing behind me turns the lights back on in my head. I can’t remember what I was on about, just that my head hurts and I still can’t remember why I remember this old place. I had been wondering about the mirror, my head hurt, and now I can’t remember when this changeling scout made his way up to me and saluted. He stands there, waiting for me to respond.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“Yes, your majesty,” the scout says. “I welcomed you to the Everfree Hideout.”

“The Everfree Hideout?” I ask. I get a nod from the changeling in response. “You mean the changelings are set up in this castle? There’s a swarm here?”

“Under the castle, your majesty. It is not a swarm hub but a treasury.”

“Changelings have treasure?” I can’t quite imagine what items of worth changelings would be keeping around under a dusty old castle. I’m not even sure if I need to concern myself with it. Now that my brain isn’t swimming in static, I remember Dnaglefreed mentioning changelings at the old castle looking for me. Treasury or no treasury, it seems I’m back on the changelings’ radar.

“Yes, your majesty.” I’m already getting tired of being called “your majesty” again. “The Queen and many in the swarm are here now to dedicate your armor to the treasury.”

“Hold the phone.”

“The what, your majesty?”

“I mean, you mean that Chrysalis is here right now?” I ask him, very much unable to believe the coincidence. Much to my surprise, he nods. Chrysalis, and no doubt many other changelings, are here right now. I’m not exactly sure what this could mean for me, but I can tell the best choice for me right now is to go to where they are. I need their help, even if it’s just one last time. I get the feeling that it will be just one last time. “What’s your name?”

“Gulletswatch, your majesty,” the changeling responds with a sharp salute.

“Can you take me to where Chrysalis is?”

“Very well, your majesty.”

The “your majesty” bit is already wearing on me again, but I don’t have time to sweat the small stuff. Heck, I’m not even sure what my next move really should be. I follow the Gulletswatch for the time being, but in my mind I can already see where the path I’m taking may very well lead. I just hope I’m wrong, but I’m probably not. I’ve got a nagging feeling I’m in for those “I hate it when I’m right” moments.

Around the back of the dilapidated castle, Gulletswatch leads me to an inconspicuous pile of rubble. This is, of course, the perfect place for the changelings to hide the slimy, damp hole that leads to whatever kind of outpost this place is for them. I said it once and I’ll say it again: I don’t know why the changelings would need a treasury. After sliding down into the depths of the treasury, we enter a dim, torch lit passageway. It is here that I realize the significance of this place.

The hallway is lined with armor. Sets of wicked, chitin encrusted armor stand empty on either side of the passageway. If what I’ve been told is true, these must commemorate the dead changeling rulers who came before me. I can tell there are little plaques on each of the displays, but I’m unable to read them. I can only read the dates, and that certainly tells me a lot.

I walk slowly, both admiring and pondering the vast differences between each suit of armor. There were kings with long, scorpion like tails. There were queens with impressive, thick beetle horns. Some rulers had two heads while others had more legs than seems practical. Looking around, I feel a little less like a freak. Despite all the differences, none of these rulers stayed on their throne for very long. The average is only about seven or eight years, but there are few reigns that went on much longer or shorter.

I can’t say I know anything about the history here, but I can’t help but wonder. Why did changeling rulers spend such a short time on the throne? Were they all hot heads who died in battle? Were they hunted down by their enemies? Maybe it’s just a matter of not gathering enough love. I’ve walked a mile in their shoes, so I can say for a fact their burdens were not light ones. I didn’t last much more than a month, so I respect superior ability. Advantages and inner desires aside, I’ve got nothing to be proud of compared to these monarchs.

One plaque makes me double take. I recheck my math before I check it one more time. Once I’m sure the numbers aren’t lying to me, I take a look at the armor above. The shape is reminiscent of a pony, but the more spindly and awkwardly tall. I look up and down the length of the notched, curved horn atop the helmet. For such extraordinary dates, the appearance is disappointingly ordinary.

“Who is this?” I ask my guide, who has stopped next to me to look up at the armor as well.

“Her majesty, Mother Mantis,” he answers. I look up at the armor of Mother Mantis, full of questions. I feel like a child staring at his great-grandfather’s headstone. My time here in Equestria has been so short, it is impossible to think about the great stretch of time Mother Mantis sat on her throne. She was changeling royalty like I am, so it is possible I could have sat upon the throne. At least, this plaque tells me so.

“Did she really rule for two hundred years?” I ask the changeling beside me because I have to be sure. If I could really live for two hundred years, it would come as a bit of a relief. That would be plenty of time to figure out how to return home. If I only had seven or eight, I would be more justified in panicking.

“Yes, your majesty.”

If she could do it, why not me? What makes us different, aside from the obvious? The real question is this: how did she do it?

“What can you tell me about her?”

“General things, your majesty,” the Gulletswatch answers. He pauses a moment, probably to recall whatever history lessons he’d received in his short lifetime. Two hundred years must be a lot for him as well. “She was our greatest monarch. Under her benevolent rule, the changelings flourished in size and power. She was organized, well-respected, and a master tactician. There are legends that say she had unnatural powers that she gained by worshipping a dark god.”

“… A what?” I wasn’t aware Equestria acknowledged any sort of gods. If anyone or anypony does, I imagine it’s a primitive sort of thing. It makes more sense that changelings would think there are “dark gods” or “good gods” than a pony. To ponykind, Celestia and Luna are probably what they consider gods. Discord would probably be a dark god. Now that I’m actually thinking about it, the whole concept doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore…

“It is only a rumor, your majesty.” The changeling turns back down the hallway, prompting me to follow behind him and resume our journey. “It’s been two thousand years since her rule, so it is impossible to know where such claims even came from. There are stories that she would go into her chambers and lock the doors where she could be heard whispering to something, often begging or pleading with it. Other stories say she made a deal with a demon in Tartarus and later laid an egg without consuming one of her subjects. The most popular theory is that she was trained by King Sombra before either of them took their thrones, but these are all baseless and without proof. What can be proven is that she ruled long and well, and that is all you really need to concern yourself with.”

His warning comes at the perfect moment; we arrive at the end of the hallway where the air is buzzing with activity. I only have to take one look at the group of familiar changelings to figure out what they’re doing: putting my armor on display. At my approach, each head turns and looks up at me. I’m pretty sure this is pretty surreal for all of us. I’ve barged in on them essentially erecting my tombstone and they’re now face to face with the king they were in the middle of saying good-bye to. It’s silent for a few tense seconds.

“Welcome back, your majesty.” Bloodbuzz is the first to speak up, of course. I don’t think he has it in him to break ceremony, not now and not ever. Plundergrub is here as well, along with Bragback and Hellwire. The others are still reeling from the shock to greet me, except one changeling who has no sense of protocol.

“You’re still alive, sir!” Swerve scuttles over and hugs my leg. His choice of words confuses me a bit.

“Am I supposed to be dead?”

“Any king who would give up his throne is as good as dead,” Chrysalis chimes in, buzzing her way over with a stern look on her face. “Even if you’ve changed your mind, there’s no way I’m letting your irresponsible butt back into the throne.”

“I’m not interested in being King again.”

I watch the disappointment set into Chrysalis’s face, indicating that she was hoping to punish me for what I did. For her sake, I hope she’s got a Plan B; however, I have more pressing matters to attend to.

“I’m looking for help with a personal matter,” I tell her, trying to be as courteous as I can.

“Oh, so you don’t want to be king, but you still want us to help?” Chrysalis says with a derisive snort. She raises a hoof to her mouth and cackles in her little voice. “We’ll leave you like you left us: hung out to dry! You can see yourself out.” She turns her back and hovers in the air just in front of me with her nose upturned.

I find Chrysalis’s dedication to make sure I know how upset she is touching, albeit frustrating given my current predicament. I know she’s got a good point, but I still wish our relationship wasn’t based on perfect reciprocity.

“So… I guess you’re all doing alright?” I ask. I’m not sure where the question is coming for, but at the end of the day I do care about this bunch. I might not have made it this far if it wasn’t for their help. There is a chorus of silent nods from everyone but Chrysalis, who lowers her gaze to the floor. I’m getting the feeling I missed more than my own funeral while I was gone.

“Our future is uncertain, Cocoon,” Chrysalis says, her previous malice gone. “We tried to round up the changelings who were with Mangle before he disappeared, but they’re either missing in action or dead. Aside from you, I’m currently the only changeling eligible to be on the throne.”

“That doesn’t sound all that bad.” From the looks on the other’s faces, I apparently don’t know what I’m saying. “Okay, whatever. Mangle might be gone forever, but you’ll just rise to power and hatch another heir down the road, right?”

“An egg should have hatched when Mangle died! That’s how it works… I think. It’s never been like this. We don’t know what to expect, but things look bleak.” Chrysalis buzzes right down to the ground, kicking a hoof in the dust.

“You’re overreacting,” I say, still trying to console her. “I’m alive and you’re alive, so the number of changeling royals hasn’t ducked down below normal levels.”

“You just don’t understand.” Chrysalis continues to face away from me while the others stare at their hooves. At the end of the day, I’m still an outsider. I just have to accept there are some points I can’t empathize with them on. “The attack on Canterlot was our last mistake, so go ahead and abandon us. It won’t be your fault if it all comes to an end. You’d make a nice scapegoat, but it just wouldn’t be true. It’s my fault, probably.”

It would be easy to say “it’s not your fault” or “no, you’re wrong”. The problem is I don’t believe she’s wrong. It is her fault, through and through. She bet everything on an invasion of Canterlot and now she’s paying the price. The event robbed her of her heir, her throne, and her former age. It was her order that put her into this corner; however, all of this doesn’t mean I think she deserves to sulk. No, I believe the exact opposite.

“If you give up, you’re no better than I am.” It’s all I can say, really. If Chrysalis doesn’t want me around I’d best take my leave now. I think I know what I need to do now, and I doubt she’d want to lend a hoof anyway. “You focus on making sure your worst case scenario doesn’t come to fruition, and I’ll take care of my problems.”

“Yeah, where’re you going this time?” she asks, nearly turning to look at me. I turn back towards the exit with Gulletswatch in tow.

“Canterlot,” I tell her. “I think I can find some answers there.”

“Canterlot? Understood, your majesty,” Gulletswatch says all of a sudden. He runs out in front of me and throws me another salute. “As per my orders, I will guide you to Discord.”

Even without turning around, I just know everypony is staring at Gulletswatch. Even before I know what I want to question him about first, Bragback dashes up and confronts him.

“You, scout! State your name!” he shouts in what I believe the first display of changeling anger I’ve seen from somepony other than Chrysalis. Gulletswatch answers with his name without missing a beat. “You were reported missing in the aftermath of the Canterlot attack. You served under Bilebulge protecting Prince Mangle, correct? After your unit broke off to find a hiding spot for the Prince you were never seen again. Care to explain what you’re doing here now?”

All eyes are still on Gulletswatch, who has been frozen in a salute all this time. I merely thought he was guarding this little hideout, but if he’s been missing I doubt that’s actually the case. There is no doubt something off about this changeling in what he has said and what he has done.

“I have orders to lead his majesty to Discord should he ever express a desire to go to Canterlot. To achieve this, I have been acting as his shadow ever since he arrived in Manehattan.”

“How come you never revealed yourself?” Bragback asks, stepping up with his fellow Hive Mind.

“I was told that if his majesty ever came to this place that he would soon set off for Canterlot,” Gulletswatch tells us, but I don’t know how he could have known that. It’s true that being here sparked something strange within me, something that has convinced me that my target is Canterlot based on Discord’s riddle. There is only one other mystery to clear up.

“Who gave you your orders?” I ask. There is a hanging, heartpounding pause between the end of my question and Gulletswatch’s answer. Even if that moment had lasted forever, it wouldn’t have been enough time for any of us to guess the answer.

“Prince Mangle, your majesty.”

It’s the kind of answer that just gives way to more questions.

20th: Fractured Inner World

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

“What are you doing?”

I finish scrawling my message in the rock and turn to Chrysalis. Our current position is just below Canterlot where our little group has made a temporary camp. If it were up to me, we would don disguises and head into Canterlot at once, but Gulletswatch is in charge today. He has insisted on waiting, so wait we will. In the meantime, I couldn’t help but put up a signpost for humans.

“Just leaving a message kind of like the one I ordered the changelings to put up around Equestria,” I tell her. “It’s just kinda general stuff: where they are, what this place is if they didn’t know, who I am, and making sure they know I can help them get home.” We stand with our backs to the setting sun, casting warped, gangly shadows onto the side of the mountain.

“What if they don’t want to come home?” Chrysalis’s question is one I’ve been trying to avoid, but not one I didn’t consider. I would like to, if I can, discourage anybody from having that kind of thought.

“I made it clear that we need to go home.” I put my hand against the rock and retrace my own words of warning. “I don’t want to believe that somebody would actually ask to come here and stay forever. I certainly didn’t.” At least, I don’t think I did. There is static clogging the answers to all the questions I have. All I know is that I had some foreknowledge of Equestria before I woke up as a changeling, but the reason is all fuzzy now. If Discord is my only chance to clear up these mysteries, I have little choice but to trust him.

There is one silver lining to all of this: Prince Mangle. Gulletswatch can’t say for sure if the wayward prince is alive or dead, but it is clear he knew I was coming and that Discord was somehow involved. Beyond this, however, Gulletswatch has been strangely tight lipped. He won’t explain why his unit was virtually wiped out or where Mangle went after he issued this order. He just says that if we want answers, we have to go along with the plan Mangle has set up for us.

“So you do understand where they’re coming from?” Chrysalis asks me, making me remember the conversation at hand.

“They’re escaping from reality. The truth of the matter is they should be heading home, but for some reason everyone thinks they can just go on living here like nothing has happened.”

“What, was your life back home so perfect that you wouldn’t trade it for anything?” The question catches me off guard. I hesitate to answer, but only because trying to remember my life back home causes bursts of static in my head. Despite whatever it is I can’t remember, I know my answer.

“Nobody’s life is perfect, and I’m no exception; however, it was my life and I worked hard on it. I can’t just throw away the people I knew or the dreams I had,” I tell her. “Am I really supposed to believe that there is a person who wouldn’t be missed if they dropped off the map? Is there really someone who could abandon everything they know without once looking back?” I’m sure I’m right. For me, it’s argument that puts the nails in the coffin. I can’t believe even Chrysalis is going to grill me on this.

“You really don’t understand the appeal of a fresh start?” Chrysalis stares me dead in the eyes while a stray wind brushes against the cliff face. “Maybe you’re not wrong, but they’re not wrong either.”

“Someone has to be wrong,” I remind her.

“It’s not a matter of fact, just a matter of opinion,” she says to me. Her eyes are still locked on mine. It seems nostalgic, but in a painful sense. I can’t place the reason. “Have you ever considered just settling down and trying to make the best of your situation?”

“No.” I can tell by her face that the bluntness of my answer doesn’t satisfy her. “The best I can do with this situation is to try and find a way out of it. If I could have it just the way I wanted, not a soul in Equestria would know I was even here.”

“It’s a little late for that.” She makes no attempt at hiding her contempt for my decisions. By now our conversation has attracted the attention of the others. Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub make like they aren’t listening when I throw them a glare. Bragback and Hellwire wisely do the same. Swerve keeps looking on, but there’s not much I can do about that.

“But it’s never too late to go home.” Once again I’m certain that I’ve ended the conversation and a prevailing silence seems to confirm my belief; however, Chrysalis has one more thing to say.

“What if there is no way home?”

I have to stop and wonder where all of this is coming from all of a sudden. It’s certainly nice that she’s so concerned about my predicament, but she hardly seems empathetic. In essence, she’s telling me to give up. In essence, she’s saying…

“What if this is your home now?”

“This is not home,” I tell her, maintaining our unyielding eye contact. “There has to be a way home.”

“Stop kidding yourself!” she shouts, flittering her wings and flying up to my level. “I think you realized that if there was a way home, you’d of found it already! Somepony would have found it already!”

“You can’t say that for sure!” I can feel myself getting hot as my blood starts pumping faster, but I don’t shout. I’m not shouting yet. “Every other fool is content to stay trapped here, so they never looked! I’m looking and I’m going to find it one day!”

“And what if that day never comes?” she asks me. “What if you’re just supposed to live your life here, but instead you squander it all chasing something that doesn’t even exist? What then? Who will be the fool then?”

“At least I will have tried to get out! Besides, what do you care? You don’t get to decide if I leave or not.”

“I’m just concerned about you.”

“Oh, is that so?” I don’t believe her for a second. “If you were really concerned, you’d be helping me look for a way back.”

“That’s what I’m doing, aren’t I? We’re here in Canterlot just like you wanted looking for your stupid thing that Discord told you to find and Mangle seemed to know you’d want!” she shouts back at me. I’m not sure where she gets off being so angry all of a sudden. Everything was just peachy a couple of moments ago. What the hell happened?

“Well thanks for showing up!” Now I’m shouting too. “Now that you’re here, maybe you could stop trying to tell me what to do and just be supportive for once!”

“Oh, like I haven’t been supportive?” Chrysalis extends the shouting match, which I realize will evolve into pettiness rather quickly. Honestly, I’m too fed up and angry to care that this whole argument is becoming rather silly. “If it weren’t for my support, you wouldn’t know a darned thing about this world you seem so ready to leave behind! And I’m sooooo sorry that I ever tried to direct who obviously has it so together! Really? You’re so focused on that impossible goal of yours that you stumble over every little bump in the road.”

“Well, what do you want me to say Chrysalis?” I turn out towards the edge, gesturing towards the entirety of Equestria that sits stretched out before us. I shout out my declarations for anypony to hear. “Yeah, I really don’t care too much what happens to the changelings in the end! Once I get home, it will never affect me ever again! And sure, maybe life in Equestria wouldn’t be so bad! Between all the murder and wanton destruction, there’ve some pretty swell moments; however, I think I’ve amassed enough guilt for one trip to Equestria. I’d rather go home, where the people actually care about me and I don’t have to be a literal parasite on the face of the planet so survive!”

“If you don’t care about us, why should we care about you?” Chrysalis screams.

“Don’t even act like you really cared about me! You only kept me around because I was useful to you! You just looked out for yourself!”

“And so did you!”

“Yeah, I did!”

My voice echoes against the cliff face and the forest beyond. Now we’re done, and we both know it. Our working relationship has been a ticking timebomb all along, and maybe even I didn’t realize it. Relationships built upon utility tend to shatter when one party realizes they’re being used and they’re only being used. There is no chance for promotion between the changelings and me. There is not deeper bond I can share with Chrysalis. I was their king of convenience and they were readily disposable for me. Chrysalis is wrong when she says we can both be right, but we sure as anything can both be wrong.

“Ahem.” Gulletswatch is back from wherever he up and went, shuffling his hooves a couple feet behind Chrysalis. “Everything is ready for us to enter Canterlot.” It is still uncomfortably quiet. Even after all we’ve said, I suppose we’re still going through with this.

“Mind telling us how you plan on doing that now?” I ask him. Gulletswatch has been pretty taciturn thus far. Each time we ask him to elaborate, he always says the same thing.

“I was left with very specific instructions.”

“And what were those instructions?” It’s like trying to get blood from a stone. We don’t even know if Mangle’s supposed plan is gonna work. Heck, we don’t even really know that Mangle has anything to do with this. I can only believe that he left me some odd set of instructions because I find it even harder to believe that some random changeling would blindly lead us into Canterlot.

“We will proceed into the city gates to our final destination in the guise of the Elements of Harmony,” Gulletswatch says as if it were the simplest matter.

“Even if we look like the Elements of Harmony, we’re walking into a deathtrap,” I tell him. “They’ll pick our façade apart in seconds. Surely the ponies here know where the Elements of Harmony are supposed to be.”

“The Elements are currently in Canterlot.” Gulletswatch has all kinds of interesting news.

“And you still think this is a good idea?” I just have to ask, especially considering how stupid this plan is looking right now.

“I was left with ve-”

“Skip it!”

“As you wish, your majesty.” Gulletswatch doesn’t know that I’m one more piece of bad news away from tearing off his wings and tossing him off this cliff. “Mangle told me we would never get far using impersonation. Confusion is our ally in this endeavor. We will enter the castle as the Elements of Harmony and then we will launch an attack in disguise.”

“And what then? If we attack them, they’ll attack us,” I say, pointing out the obvious flaw in Gulletswatch’s logic; however, I’d be lying if I said I’m not interested in hearing where he’s going with this.

“Our attack will be a hit-and-run. Once news gets out that the Elements of Harmony are somewhere in the castle attacking, we can go anywhere we want disguised as soldiers.”

I’m honestly pretty surprised that this plan sounds just crazy enough to work. Hats off to Prince Mangle for having the smarts to cook that one up. I suppose he did study under Chrysalis who came up with a pretty okay plan to take over Canterlot.

“His majesty and his subjects will disguise themselves as the Elements. Her majesty can take whatever form she finds appropriate for the situation,” Gulletswatch tells us, starting to shift himself.

The rest of us cue off him. I concentrate and shift into Twilight Sparkle, which only seems appropriate. I turn behind me and watch Bloodbuzz morph into Applejack while Plundergrub fixes his own cocky smirk on Rainbow Dash’s mouth. Hellwire becomes a convincing Rarity while Bragback looks a little too stoic for Fluttershy. Swerve, by some cosmic force, decides he shall be Pinkie Pie. He looks so pleased with his choice that his disguise fits perfectly. Once they’re all finished, I turn my attention back to Gulletswatch. He now has the appearance of a unicorn who is vaguely familiar to me. The azure coat and gray mane don’t ring any big bells, but for some reason I believe I’ve seen him before.

“What form are you taking?” I ask, both to satisfy my curiosity and find out why he himself isn’t changing into one of the Elements of Harmony.

“Recently the Elements have solicited the assistance of this unicorn,” Gulletswatch explains to me, even though it does little to answer my most pressing question; however, Hellwire has more to say about him. “I will be playing his part.”

“You were busy during the time of the investigation, your majesty, but we have reason to believe this unicorn is a rogue changeling.”

“Is that so?” In my mind I think back to Quarterholm. I believe there was tale of a changeling in Ponyville around that time. Lou told me that same changeling set Sweet Tea free. Something tells me this unicorn and that changeling are one and the same. “What kind of ‘assistance’ have they ‘solicited’ from him?” I don’t know what would make a changeling go rogue, but I’d to know exactly what he’s been up to. I’ve seen what just one changeling can do, and frankly I’m not impressed. What could the Elements of Harmony want from just a lowly changeling?

“He has been providing information about your location.”

Well, I guess there’s that.

“I’m telling you, he’s coming here right now!”

“And I say you’re talking crazy.” Honestly, King Cocoon wouldn’t march on Canterlot. He might be an idiot, but he’s not suicidal. Actually… he kind of is a suicidal idiot, but even so he shouldn’t have any interest in coming to Canterlot. “It’s been a long day for me, so why don’t you just rejoin your friends and get out of my mane.”

“Put your prejudice aside for just a second and listen to me!”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong little changeling. I might hate your guts, no matter how much the Elements of Harmony trust you, but today my decision is not based off of a mistrust of you.” This time I choose to trust Cocoon. He may have burned me, but now he’s saved me too. You might know where he is, but I know where he stands.

Make no mistake: King Cocoon of the Changelings is still my enemy. I’m head of the anti-changeling forces and he is a changeling. We play on different teams, in more ways than one it seems. If he does cause trouble, he will have broken our fragile bond of trust and I will put him down. That’s how this mare plays.

“Look, blame whatever you want, but I’m not taking this up with Shining Armor or any of the Princesses. If I find out you went behind my back to bother them, I’m going to have trouble trusting you in the future.”

Besides, even if Cocoon is planning on visiting Canterlot, I don’t want anything to do with it. For all we know, he’s going to sneak in and out without bothering anypony. He just wants to go home, so maybe he thinks there is some piece of knowledge in Canterlot Library or buried underneath the castle that will help him. I say let him have it. It wouldn’t do anypony in Equestria any favors. If we step in and stop him, it will be a whole big ordeal. He’ll fight back, the Royal Guards will get involved, and it will just be one huge mess as we chase him out of the city. He might even come back with a whole swarm of changelings if he’s really convinced Canterlot has something he needs.

Okay, so maybe Cocoon is coming to Canterlot. Even so, the situation is what we make of it.

“Trust me in the future? Since when have you ever trusted me?” our resident rouge changeling says. “You don’t know how dangerous Cocoon is! No, you do know but for some reason you’re ignoring it! How can you just ignore him? What happened in the Everfree?”

“That information is only for ears higher up than yours.” Summit and I have already been debriefed on the Everfree incident. We left out a lot of specific details, but the long and short was we begrudgingly worked together with Cocoon to get out of the forest and he escaped afterwards. The Princesses had a lot more questions, but they let us go to rest for a while. I’m sure they’re curious about how Cocoon put a star in the sky. “Anyway, if you knew where Cocoon was you should have told the Princesses so they could come rescue us from the forest.”

“I did tell them! Did you already forget about the dragon?”

“Yeah, the one Cocoon killed for us,” I remind him. “Right now, our enemy has been more useful to me than you. It’s embarrassing, quite frankly.”

“You’re hiding something, and I want to know what it is.”

“Fat chance, fly boy.”

We just keep staring each other down in the hallway. For a changeling, he sure is smart. I mean, if Cocoon is their monarch, the rest of them can’t be all that intelligent. This changeling has bugged me from day one, but his willingness to comply has made him untouchable to me. I thought he might be in league with Cocoon, but that doesn’t seem true anymore. Even if he is on our side, I don’t trust him. Can a changeling really disobey his king?

“Louise!”

I turn my head to see a familiar mare trotting through the hallway towards me.

“Sweet Tea?”

The southern belle trips and smacks her head on the floor on her way to me. Despite everything she’s been through, there are things that just won’t change. Anyway, I didn’t think she would be in Canterlot right now.

“Fancy seeing you here.” I help her up back onto her hooves. “What brings you Canterlot?”

“Ah guess y’all didn’t hear, being trapped ‘n all,” she says, nursing her forehead. “After the airship got attacked, the rescue team brought us to Canterlot. We could have gotten on the train back to Appleloosa, but I wanted to make sure you ‘n Summitplunge made it back okay. We were all mighty worried about y’all. I’ve been meaning to come see you ever since you got back, but you were in the infirmary then with the Princesses. I was gettin’ afraid I wouldn’t catch you.”

“Well, you found me,” I tell her, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. “And me and Summit are in one piece… two different pieces I mean… as in, we’re not the same piece!” Not that I would mind being in one piece with him…

“Ah’m glad to hear y’all are okay,” she says, but then her expression turns cold. I know what’s coming next. “What about Cocoon?”

“That’s what I’m here about,” our changeling friend says, interrupting our conversation. “He’s coming here, I can feel it.”

“What, he’s comin’ here?” Sweet Tea goes into a panic. “What’re we standin’ ‘round fer? We gotta go warn everypony!”

“Calm down there, Sweet Tea.” Great, this is exactly what I needed. That was sarcasm, by the way. “After spending a week with him in the forest, I understand how he works a lot better. If he is coming, which we don’t know for sure, it isn’t to attack us. The best course of action is to just keep calm.”

“If he’s not goin’ to attack us, this is our chance to take ‘im out, right?” She says, much to my surprise. I didn’t take her as the kind to launch a preemptive strike. “You know how dangerous he is. We can’t just let him run free and do as he pleases.”

“We aren’t,” I tell the both of them. “Don’t mistake our inaction for compliance. We’re not going to throw the first punch if we don’t have to. He might want to avoid a fight today, but that doesn’t mean he won’t if we start one.”

“This here’s the heart of Canterlot! There ain’t no way he could win!”

“Cocoon is unpredictable. Attacking him might even be exactly what he wants us to do. Ever think of that?” It’s a long shot, but I need to get these two to drop the subject.

“He’s close now… really close,” the changeling says. He looks panicked, which in turn panics Sweet Tea. “He’s almost to the gates… I can tell…”

“There’s no way Cocoon is going to walk in the front door of the castle.”

“He must be in disguise!” Sweet Tea argues, but even that is a questionable statement.

“Not just anypony can walk right into the castle. The guards know to stop any suspic-”

“He’s inside.”

“Huh?”

For some reason, the changeling is freaking out more and more. He can’t be serious, can he? Cocoon can’t just be waltzing right into the castle. That would be insane.

“Nopony is stopping him! He’s… he’s never been this close to me before! He’s coming right towards us!”

The three of us turn to watch the end of the corridor where this hallway intersects the main hall. Sure enough, we can hear several hoofsteps coming towards us. We wait with baited breath to see who or what comes around the corner. The changeling and Sweet Tea get behind me, anticipating the coming danger. I hold my ground as the first pony comes into view.

“… It’s just your friends, you stupid changeling!” I yell at the bug cowering behind me. Two heads poke out from behind me to watch the Elements of Harmony proceed past.

“But… I can feel him, he’s walking past us!” the changeling says, but he’s not seeing the situation as it is.

“He’d have to be an idiot to try and pull of masquerading as the Elements of Harmony. It’s just your friends looking for you, no doubt.” I point a hoof as the ponies drift past, but then I notice something wrong. At the tail end of the group is a male unicorn that I recognize. The others must see what I see because they fall silent until he leaves our field of vision.

“That… that was me!”

“You’ve got to be-”

Before I can finish that thought, an explosion rocks the air.

“This is unbelievable! We’re actually under attack by changelings!” I shout, getting our changeling and Sweet Tea back on their hooves. I grab the changeling and look him dead in the eye. “Find the actual Elements of Harmony. We need to know where the real deal is in order to identify the clones!”

“R-right!” He runs off back down the corridor hopefully as fast as he can. I turn back to Sweet Tea.

“Come with me. We’ve got to go tell the Princesses what’s going on.”

Sweet Tea doesn’t argue. She just picks herself up and runs after me. All the while, I’m just wondering what Cocoon is up to. This isn’t an attack, I’m sure of that. Six changelings and their King are no match for the entire Royal Army. He’s got something different in mind, but it’s hard to say what. He’s going to make a mess to get at it, so I guess my job is to make sure it’s a small mess. For the time being, we head towards the throne room.

We are surrounded by guards who are running around and looking for us, but the last thing they would expect is for us to be guard running around and looking for ourselves. Of course, or true objective is something different. As we follow Gulletswatch down into the depths of the castle, I notice there are less and less guards around.

The journey is silent and quick. With little commotion, we arrive at a boarded off room in the basement of Canterlot Castle.

“So, this is the place?” I ask Gulletswatch, who nods at me. I give the word so Bloodbuzz and Plundergrub take off the barricades on the door. We open the door for the first time in what must be decades. The hinges squeak so loudly I’m afraid somepony will hear us, but nopony comes. This corner of the castle must have been long forgotten.

We shut ourselves inside and shift back into our normal forms. We light our horns so we can see, but the room isn’t much to look at. It’s just a lot of crates covered with tarps. I know we’re looking for a mirror, so it must be hidden in here somewhere.

“So, where is it, Gulletswatch?” I ask our guidepony. So far his “very specific instructions” have been accurate. There is no doubt that Mangle was intimate with the layout of Canterlot Castle. This is entirely possible if he helped orchestrate the whole thing. I can’t be bothered to ask Chrysalis about it right now.

“It is in here somewhere,” he says. “I was only told that the mirror is tall and cracked.”

“Like this one?” Swerve shouts from the corner of the room. We immediately gather around what appears to be just your average, broken mirror. It’s just discarded junk like everything else in here.

“I swear, if Discord is messing with me…”

With nothing to go on but a riddle and a lack of faith in Discord, I get in front of the mirror and stare into it. All I see is myself and the cracks in the mirror. The others stand back, except for Chrysalis. She squats in front of me and stares too. Don’t ask me why.

“Do you need to say the magic words or something?” she asks me, but I don’t know any better than she does. Discord just promised to give me some answers if I managed to get this far, but so far I don’t see him honoring his side of the deal. At any rate, magic words are as good as a plan as anything.

“Discord is a butt.”

“How’s about you say that to my face?”

All I remember after hearing that is the reflection of Chrysalis and I staring catatonic into the mirror. After that, it just fades to black for me.

“…ke up…. Wake u… Hey, wakey wakey! I’m not above hitting a little girl!”

I don’t know who is shouting, but it isn’t Cocoon. It sounds more like Discord. If he’s the reason my head hurts and my body feels funny, I will murder him. I am not in the mood to be trifled with today. Very carefully I open my eyes up, but the room has suddenly a lot brighter. Once my eyes adjust, I see an odd creature looking down at me.

“Well good morning sunshine.”

The creature is talking to me with Discord’s voice, tipping its silk hat down at me. Then again, the white beard, huge eyebrows, and yellow eyes are far too reminiscent of Discord. Aside from the hat affixed with a blue feather, the rest of his get-up is so mismatched it can only be classified as high fashion. On second thought… I think this is Discord.

“I know, I’m quite the sight aren’t I?” he says, stroking his beard with a gloved hand. “I kind of wondered what I would look like if I were a human.”

“Why are you a human?” I ask him, still lying on the ground. I feel so funny.

“I’m not the only one,” he says reaching down and grabbing my… arm? He lifts it so I can see. I’ve got a thin, pale arm attached to my body. I use what little motor control I have to yank it away and examine it closer. I’ve not only got one arm, but I’ve got two of them with hands on the ends. I look down the rest of my body, most of which is covered with a plain, white dress. I’ve got pale little legs and feet too.

“W-what’s going on here?”

“Hey, Cocoon’s mind Cocoon’s rules.” Discord says. He grabs my hand again and pulls me up onto my feet. I wobble a little at first, but I’m surprisingly stable. I take a few experimental steps, none of which cause me to fall flat on my face.

“So… we’re in Cocoon’s mind?” I feel like I’m asking a lot of questions, but it isn’t like I don’t have any reason to understand what’s going on.

“Yep!” Discord says, throwing his arms up and causing a rain of confetti to shower down. “I meant to come alone, but I don’t mind the company.”

“You in Cocoon’s mind alone?” I shudder at the thought. “It’s a good thing I’m here to keep tabs on you.”

“You stop me? How funny. Chrysalis, you wouldn’t stand a chance against me outside of Cocoon’s brain. In addition, you’re powerless in here.” Discord snaps his fingers, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. When he reappears, his head and hands are screwed on backwards. “I, on the other hand, have free reign… sort of. It is my mirror.”

“What’re you planning, Discord?”

“Me? Why, I just want Cocoon to remember what he’s forgotten!” Discord says as his body parts twist back into place. “That’s all I’m here to do: make him remember!”

“You can do that?”

“Stop asking questions and just follow me.” Discord grabs my hand and starts pulling me behind him. “I meant to enter near the right memory, but I hadn’t factored in your coming with me. We could be incredibly off base. We’ll have to navigate our way there.”

I don’t know how anypony or anyone could navigate through this mess. This whole place is just chunks of hallways and doors floating about in space. It looks like it might have been a whole structure at one point, but something tore it apart. It is unclear if there is any logic to the layout anymore. After looking at this, it’s little wonder that Cocoon is having trouble remembering things.

“Alright, let’s get a bearing on where we are right now,” Discord says, taking me to a freestanding door on the platform we landed on. He grabs the knob and opens it up, revealing more than just empty space behind it.

“Give us the ball!”

The scene looks like a playground filled with small humans, children probably. A solitary boy grips a red ball while a group of larger looking kids stands over him. The ringleader, a rough looking girl with blonde hair, appears to be the ringleader.

“No, I got it first!”

“Discord, are these Cooper’s memories?”

“Really, you need me to clarify that? Isn’t it obvious? Shuttup and watch.”

“You better hand it over, or I’ll sock you!” the girl threatens, holding up a fist to make sure it’s clear she means business. The boy with the ball cowers a bit, faltering. It would have been noble if he held on to the ball in the face of these bullies, but he’s just a kid. Casting his eyes down, he hands the ball over to the girl.

“Just leave me alone, Olivia,” the boy says as the girl who is called Olivia takes the ball. She turns and leaves, bringing her gang with her. One of them knocks the poor body down before chasing after the group.

“Jeez, poor Cocoon…”

“Really, he seems fine to me,” Discord says.

“He is not fine! He’s crying!” I say, pointing to the boy who had the ball taken away.

“Yeah, that kid is crying, but that isn’t Cocoon… or Cooper as he is called on Earth,” Discord says, much to my surprise. “Cooper is the scrawny one in the green shirt.”

I look at the kid Discord is pointing at, the one who was tagging along with Olivia’s little gang. As he plays a game of catch with his friends, he doesn’t seem conflicted at all about what has transpired.

“He hasn’t changed much… has he?”

“Hard to say,” Discord says, shutting the door on this memory.

“So… can Cocoon, er, Cooper remember that?” I ask, still fuzzy on how this whole process works. Discord just shrugs, moving on down the broken corridor.

“Hard to say. He might remember all of it, he might remember some of it, or he might not remember it at all. To find out, we’d have to delve deeper into that door. For our intents and purposes, we’re going to stay on this level for now.” Discord keeps rambling as I run to catch up with him, jumping over debris to get to the next part of the corridor. “From what I can tell, he seems to have forgotten who Olivia is.”

“Is she important?”

“You are just full of questions today!” Discord says, stepping in front of another door. “Shall we take a look?”

He opens up the door, revealing a scene inhabited by slightly older versions of Olivia and Cooper. I’m no expert on human aging, but they still look pretty young. I’ve seen enough schools in Equestria to know that they’re in a classroom, surrounded by other kids. Olivia is leaning over the back of her chair, talking to Cooper sitting behind her.

“Whatcha reading there, Coops?”

“Spiderman.” Cooper seems very into his reading, although I have no idea what a Spiderman is or does. It’s probably a human thing.

“Let me see!” Olivia reaches out her hand expectantly, but Cooper doesn’t move to give it to her.

“I’m reading it.”

“Fine, then will you loan it to me afterwards?” she asks, retracting her hand. Cooper flips the page and glances up at her.

“Promise you won’t fold up the corners like last time. If you do it again, I won’t loan you anymore.”

“I said I was sorry!” Olivia seems genuinely remorseful, which is big change from the last memory I saw her in. I think that maybe she’s changed since then, but then she sticks her foot out and trips some boy walking past. He yells at her but she just tells him to watch where he is going. I can’t get a read on this kid.

“Fine, you can see it when I’m done,” Cooper says, flipping the page again.

“When will that be?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, be quick about it!” Olivia says. She turns back and sits in her chair, but not for long. In seconds, she has turned back around to bother Cooper once more. “Hey, do you think it would be cool to be Spiderman?”

“Huh?” Cooper looks up from his reading at his friend. He’s got a weird look on his face.

“Like, would being part bug be cool?”

Cooper looks down at his book and seems to think for a second. For a child, he’s got quite the introspective look on his face. I’m actually interested in hearing his answer. He looks back up at Olivia and smiles.

“No, bugs are stupid. I’d rather be a wizard!”

“Yeah, bugs are lame. I’d rather be like Superman and fly around!”

Discord shuts the door as the two humans laugh together.

“You hear that? Wizards are better than bugs!” Discord says, snickering to himself. He walks off again, but he walks backwards so he can mock me.

“Well, he didn’t get his wish, did he?” I point out the irony of the situation.

“Hmm… I wonder.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, nothing. In good time, Chrysalis,” Discord says, not that I can fathom why.

“Anyway, I still don’t see how Olivia is important. They’re just friends, aren’t they?”

We come to a large gap between two platforms. Discord strides right up to it and jumps across like gravity isn’t a thing here. I approach and peer over the edge. I don’t even want to know what happens if I fall into the white abyss below.

“Friends are important, aren’t they?” Discord fires my own question back at me. “At any rate, there is a coyote behind you.”

“What?” I turn around and see that there is indeed a coyote behind me. I’ve barely got time to react before the snarling beast jumps up and bears its fangs. I topple over backwards, but when the coyote touches me it suddenly fades and disappears. With that episode suddenly over, I’m faced with the new problem of falling into the void below.

“Call me Ishmael!”

Something snags the back of my dress and keeps me from falling. After a brief pause, I can feel myself rising up to the platform where Discord is. I rise up and up until I am suspended in front of Discord from the end of his fishing pole.

“Oh, it’s just a little shrimp,” he says. “Maybe I should throw it back.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Eh, gotta feed my family somehow.” Discord snaps, poofing the fishing rod away which causes me to fall flat on my face. I get back up with every intention to kill Discord, but he is already skipping merrily down the broken corridor. All I can do is trudge after him, and onto the next door.

“So… care to explain the coyote?”

“Cooper’s mind, Cooper’s rules,” Discord says for the second time. “Gallivanting through somepony’s mind isn’t supposed to be a walk in the park. His subconscious might attack us with projections to try and get us to leave, but his memories are so scattered he can’t muster up a good offensive. We might see some frightening things, but none of them can hurt us.”

“Unless we get knocked over the edge.”

“Yeah, there is that.” Discord just shrugs and stops in front of another door. “Anyway, navigating through a broken mindscape isn’t easy. We’re going to have to stop every once and a while to make sure we’re still going chronological.”

“Is there another way to go?”

“Have you ever considered not asking questions?” Discord is trying to get on my nerves now. “Just be quiet and enjoy the show. I believe we’ve moved a little farther ahead.” Discord opens up the door.

“Hit ‘em!”

One human punches another right in the gut. The scene looks like a park once again, but there are hardly any humans around. I don’t recognize the human getting hit, the one holding him still, or the one doing the hitting, but I can see Olivia and Cooper standing by idly.

“Hit him again,” Olivia orders. She looks older, a lot older. Not exactly adults or teenagers, but a bit before that I guess. “For such a smart guy, he sure is having trouble learning his lesson.”

The smart guy gets hit again in the stomach, and it sounds like it hurts. The other kid lets him go, letting him crumple up on the ground. I can’t say for sure how humans operate, but these one seem to be treating Olivia like their Queen. I wonder if they were all hatched from the same hive. She gets up and stands over the human that is being punished.

“You know what happens to snitches. I know you know, so why do you keep tattling?” she says, lifting up her foot. She stamps on his back, soliciting a groan from the poor fellow. For such a young Queen, she’s good at exercising her authority. “We’ll just have to show you how serious we are. Cooper.”

“Hmm?” Cooper doesn’t seem to have been paying much attention. He has been whispering with some other guy in the group this whole time.

“How about you put that orange belt to good use?” she asks, but Cooper isn’t even wearing a belt. “Break his arm.”

“I’m not gonna do that.” Cooper doesn’t sound pleased at all with being told what to do with his belt, or maybe he’s angry because he doesn’t have it with him. I can’t tell. “I’m not going to disgrace my rank by hurting someone who can’t defend themselves. Just let him go, Olivia.”

“Hey, don’t act all high and mighty, Cooper!” one of the group members yell at him. “You’re in a Judo class with a bunch of toddlers. Don’t talk about ‘disgracing your rank.’ Sheesh.”

“Other kids from our school go to that class, man,” Cooper says, turning on the person who is supposed to be his friend all of a sudden. “If I break his arm, I’ll get in trouble with Sensei. Besides, it just isn’t right to do anyway. Don’t act like it is.”

“He’s not gonna snitch if you break his arm, Cooper!”

“Yeah, don’t be a wuss.”

The group keeps egging him on, and even though I’m still kind of lost I understand this much: Cooper doesn’t want to participate in this punishment.

“The kids in school aren’t actually afraid of you all,” Cooper says, mainly to the guys around him. “They just hate your guts.”

“Stop bein’ a wuss.”

“Yeah, stop being a wuss!” Discord shouts, not that anyone can hear him.

“This was cute in third grade or whatever, but this isn’t elementary school anymore. McMiddleton agrees with me.” Cooper points back to the kid he had been whispering to earlier.

“McMiddleton is a wuss!” Discord shouts before the other boys can.

“Fine, you and McMiddleton and get out of here!” Olivia shouts at the two offending boys, casting them out of the swarm. This seems unwise, since the swarm was already so small to begin with. Cooper and the McMiddleton boy do leave, leaving the others to continue the punishment.

“Cooper, what are we gonna do?” McMiddleton asks his friend as they continue to walk away, not looking back. “We should have told them we were the ones who went to Mr. Baxter.”

“We go back and talk to him tomorrow morning,” Cooper says. “It’s too bad someone else has to pay for it, but eventually those guys will learn they can’t just do this stuff without getting in trouble. It isn’t right.”

The door closes on the scene once again and we march on.

“Seems like Cooper has had a change of heart all of a sudden,” I say, trying to make some conversation. “Does it have something to do with wearing orange belts?”

“He’s growing up,” Discord says, very plainly. “Human society likes to impart morals on their young to get them to behave a certain way.”

“Sounds like what ponies do.”

“Basically,” Discord says, scratching the back of his head. “I prefer brainwashing. It produces much more interesting results.”

I’m still not sure I can trust Discord, but I’m not sure what I can do to stop him. He knows his way around and he’s got all the power right now. I’m just along for the ride. The more and more I think about it, the less I think I can trust him.

“Oh… I think we went a little farther than I intended,” Discord says, stopping in front of another door. “Time to make sure we’re on track again.”

“Do we need to watch the whole memory?” I ask. “Wouldn’t it just be easier to just take a quick peek and then move on?”

“Those who know nothing of mindscape navigation should remain silent.”

I want to protest, but Discord opens up the door before I can.

“Just subtly hint at the fact that I love him!”

We’ve come across an interesting scene.

It’s a school again, even though Cooper and Olivia now look significantly older. Olivia appears much more feminine than before and Cooper has started developing that all too familiar beard on his chin. They’re teenagers for sure now, and they probably have been for a while.

“I’m not your messenger,” Cooper says, his voice leagues lower than it was in the previous memory. “And ‘love’ isn’t something to be subtly hinted at. I mean… I don’t even know what you want me to say. Do I tell him-”

“Tell him nothing!” Olivia shouts

“That makes my job easier,” Cooper says, picking up a bag and strapping it to his back. “I’ll see both of you in Chemistry. Did you do the homework?”

“I did it this time!” Olivia pauses for a second. “Wait, are you going to say anything to him?”

“You said not to.” Cooper walks away, while Olivia keeps calling after him. He looks annoyed, to say the least, but not unhappy. He walks into the largest school building I’ve ever seen with a massive number of other human teens. He makes his way through the teeming mass with practiced movement to finally arrive at a mostly empty room. Cooper takes a seat next to a powerful looking human. The guy is wearing a red jacket and reading some kind of book. I wonder if it is a Spiderman.

“What’s up Roger?”

“Nothing but the sky. How’re you Coops? Any news?”

“Olivia is in love with you,” he says out of the blue. I’m not sure how the dynamics of relationships work in the world of humans, but this seems highly irregular.

“Ah… yeah, that’s good news!” Roger says, looking a lot more interested in his book all of a sudden. “Don’t tell her, okay. You didn’t tell her that-”

“As per your request, I haven’t said I word. I mean, if I did this whole situation would become significantly less complicated. You’d better not just tell her what’s on your mind. She’ll tell you she likes you, you’ll start going out, you’ll get married, make babies, and you’ll die together in the back of a taxi cab. God forbid you die in the back of a taxi cab.”

“Why a taxi cab?”

“Dunno. It’s your life, dude.” Cooper heaves a huge sigh. “God, you two are impossible.”

“You say that, but you haven’t told her either!” Roger says, even though he explicitly said not to earlier. The look on Cooper’s face tells me he is thinking the exact same thing.

“You told me not to tell her, so I’m not. Don’t ask me to break the promise you made me keep,” Cooper says. “Speaking of which, remember that I promised Olivia not to tell you either. I only told you because you got down on your knees and begged to know what she thought of you. It isn’t like I’m not sympathetic to your plight, I’m just morally obligated not to do anything.”

“Jeez, you’re no help.” Roger closes his book and lays face first on his desk. “I should have known better than to go to you for help. The only girl you can talk to is Olivia.”

“That isn’t true. I talk to girls all the time.” Cooper pokes his friend in the shoulder in some attempt to rouse him. “There’s like a shrimp-ton on the Cross Country team. I talk to them all the time.”

“But you can’t talk to Sydney Birch.”

“I can’t talk to her because I don’t have any classes with her!” Cooper has suddenly become very nervous. He picks up his own book and pretends he cares what is written on the first page he opens up to.

“No, you can’t talk to her because she’s your Goddess.”

“Who’s Cooper’s Goddess?” a guy sitting behind the two asks, leaning in.

“I swear to God, you better not say a word, Roger!” Cooper threatens his friend then turns to the guy behind him. “All you need to know is that Roger is in love with Olivia.”

“Wha-duuuuude!”

“Everyone knows that Cooper,” the third guys says. “I want to know who you have a crush on. Who is the lady who is tempting Cooper to crawl out of his cocoon and blossom into a beautiful butterfly?”

“Sydney Birch.”

“I will murder you, Roger.”

“Cooper, Roger, McMiddleton!” another human, who is obviously the teacher, yells at the three boys. “Settle down before I throw your butts in detention so fast you’ll all get rug burn!”

Another door closes on yet another of Cooper’s memory.

“Humans have such strange names.” I can’t think of anything else to say about this memory. Seems pointless, not that any of these seem to be leading anywhere. “Is Cooper’s entire life this boring?”

“Trust me, all this is going somewhere,” Discord says, leading on through the mindscape. “You don’t know it, but there is a common thread in these events.”

“It’s time you tell me what you’re really after, Discord.”

“What I’m really after?” Discord just laughs, not even turning back to look at me. “I already told you: I’m going to make him remember.”

“Yeah, but remember what?” I ask him, despite how much he seems to hate questions. “If he’s forgotten Olivia, who else from his world has he forgotten? Why would he forget them anyway?”

“Questions, questions, questions!” Discord growls and comes to a halt. He turns around and leans into me. “If you must know, he was made to forget all about dear Olivia and Roger. The reason why? They are the reasons he came to Equestria in the first place.”

“Huh?”

“See, you don’t have enough information,” Discord says, moving forward through the mindscape. He stops in front of another door and puts a hand on the knob. “Just pay attention, alright?”

Without another word, Discord opens the door on another scene.

“So you’re not going to come down, Cooper?” Olivia asks, sitting across from our bearded hero at a picnic bench. Roger is next to her with his arm around her shoulders, something even I can tell is a sign of affection. Much time seems to have passed, enough for Olivia and Roger to become an item. Cooper, however, sits alone on his side of the bench.

“No, my folks want me to come home. I haven’t seen them since the semester started, so I really want to pay them a visit,” Cooper says. He leans back a bit, looking up at the sky. It’s a clear sky all around, a perfect day if you ask me. Judging by the buds on the trees, these humans wrapped up winter recently.

“C’mon Cooper, it’s spring break!” Roger says. “You were just at your folks’ for Christmas. It’s our first Spring Break as college students, so we should live it up! Don’t tell me you don’t want to come because we said we were going to invite Carmen.”

“As much as I hate her, I promise that isn’t why.”

“C’mon Cooper, you don’t hate her,” Olivia says, smiling deviously at him. “I remember you saying you thought she was pretty cute when you first saw her.”

“Then I met her and found out she’s a sadistic witch who constantly smells like a burnt down house,” Cooper replies, plugging his nose for dramatic effect. “Besides, Smoky the She-Bear is gonna turn you guys down. I’m sorry Olivia, but your roommate is a fun-sponge.”

“It’s a shame you two don’t get along,” Olivia says, leaning into Roger. “You’d really hit it off if you could only get past the first hurdles.”

“Well, that isn’t going to happen,” Roger says. He reaches across and fiddles with Cooper’s wild beard, which doesn’t amuse Cooper. “Cooper will never shave and Carmen will never quit smoking. They are just two ships passing in the night, I’m afraid.”

“Speaking of ships, don’t you have Biology in five minutes?” Olivia says, unwrapping herself from Roger.

“What does Biology have to do with ships?”

“Nothing, but you’re going to be late.”

“… Crap!” Roger grabs his belongings and dashes off. He turns around, however, and returns. He gives Olivia a quick kiss and then runs off again. Cooper and Olivia watch him until he can’t be seen anymore.

“You two are too lovey-dovey. It is painful,” Cooper says, clenching his stomach. Olivia just laughs, but Cooper growls at her. “Shuttup, I hate you both.”

“Now I know you don’t mean that,” Olivia says, still laughing. “Don’t worry Cooper, one day love will come for you.”

“Yippie. Is it one day yet?”

“Cheer up, Cooper.” Olivia reaches over and takes his hand. “The waiting is worth it. I know I couldn’t imagine a life without Roger. Love is a powerful thing.”

“Amen to that,” I say, but the door slams shut on that memory. It wasn’t like they could hear me anyway.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, dear Chrysalis,” Discord says. We start walking again. “This is where the story gets very interesting.”

“How do you know what happens next?”

“This is the point in the story where I come into the picture.” Discord leads me on, past rows and rows of doors of unrelated memories. These are the things that make Cooper and Cocoon who they are, or rather they should. It’s hard to believe he could forget his friends who were beside him all through his life. How has forgetting changed him? What else has he forgotten?

We aren’t on great terms right now, Cooper and I. We’ve finally come to the point where we’re tired of having competing desires. Part of me wants to say I understand him a bit better, but I won’t. I’m not going to forgive him just because I’m taking a stroll through his mind.

“Alright, this is a good place to check up.” Discord stop in front of another door. I’m getting a little too comfortable here, falling into this routine of walking then watching. If I have to keep this up for much longer, I’ll go crazy.

Discord opens up the door.

I don’t know where this place is. Cooper is alone, standing in an empty room staring out the window. He doesn’t move or speak. He stands so still he could be counted among the room’s meager furnishings. The sun is setting and Cooper just watches. The silence breaks when a girl walks into the room.

“Was that everything?” she asks. Cooper nods. “Cool… thanks for helping out.”

“I had to help. You don’t have to thank me,” he says, his voice quiet. Neither party says anything for a few seconds. “How’re you feeling?”

“… Still shaken up. You?”

“I’m just worried about you and Roger right now.” Cooper walks to the window and puts his hands on the sill. He cranes his neck to look up at the darkening sky. “Last time I saw her, she was standing here staring at the sky.”

“She did that a lot after… after everything started.” The girl speaks even quieter than Cooper. “What even started? I still can’t wrap my head around it. She’s fine one day and then the next it’s like she’s someone else entirely.”

“Nobody knows,” Cooper replies, giving up on looking out the window. “But the things she would say… it’s like she woke from a really vivid dream, convinced it was real. I have never felt so distant from her.”

“I know. She got so quiet, like she didn’t even know us anymore,” the girl says, shuffling her feet. “Whenever I asked her about it, she just said I wouldn’t understand. I guess I never will.”

“I want to know why this happened.” Cooper visibly tenses up. He clenches his fists and stares at the ground. “She treats us like strangers all of a sudden, she just stares at the sky no matter where we go, and then all this happens. It only took a day.”

The talking ceases. It’s obviously hard for them to make conversation. Even though they haven’t said it out loud, it’s very clear what has happened. The door closes on this scene, still quiet on the inside.

“Olivia died, didn’t she?” I ask Discord. Despite what we’ve seen, he’s already moving on, but I run after him as always. “You said you factor into this somehow. Tell me what happened between the memories.”

“Hmm… ‘It only took a day,’” Discord says to himself, sounding somewhat pleased. “Olivia is no more at this point, that much is true. She brought an end to her life in that world, leaving Cooper and his friends to wonder why.”

“And what does he mean by ‘It only took a day?’”

“For them, Olivia’s change in personality was sudden and jarring. Olivia, however, had a lifetime in Equestria to experience the change,” Discord says, revealing his role in all of this. “Well, Equestria didn’t depress her. No, she absolutely loved it here. It was having to return that crushed her.”

“But she doesn’t tell anybody.” Things are starting to come together now.

“Not straight up, but she says enough. Cooper wasn’t the only one who couldn’t let the circumstances around her death go. As you will see, finding the answer becomes more of an adventure than he bargains for…”

We are in front of another door now, but somehow this one seems different. The doors from before were tall and rectangular, but this one is short and curved at the top. It’s painted a tame shade of blue and the nob has been replaced with a handle. Something tells me I’m in for a big surprise on the other side.

“Hmm… I hope we’re still on track. It gets harder to follow for a little while.” Discord grabs the handle and yanks the door open. “Nope, this is definitely the right way!”

“Ladies and Gentleme-*cough*-colts! Prepare for the spectacle of a lifetime!”

Up on a ramshackle stage, there stand three unicorns. One is a large, brown stallion with a short cropped red mane and the other is an attractive white mare who looks like royalty. The third is a thin stallion with an orange beard, who is familiar for obvious reasons.

“Is that Cooper?”

“He doesn’t go by that right now.” Discord pulls a tub of popcorn out from behind his back. “Now shh! This is a good one!”

The mare steps forward on the stage and addresses the crowd.

“Presenting the greatest wizards of all time, Soulrock and-”

“You!” In the crowd of onlookers, a stallion starts shouting at the ponies on stage. He points an accusing hoof at the pony version of Cooper and proceeds to call him out. “You have made an offense against House Brightstar, the most prestigious house east of the Everfree!”

Cooper looks over at his companions.

“Did I do something like that?”

“You called us House Blightstar!” the stallion in the crowd shouts, marching up to the stage. He climbs on up with some difficulty while Cooper and his friends get into a huddle.

“I told you that the other unicorns around here are very sensitive! I told you like a million times! I know you two aren’t really from the neighborhood… but I told you a million times,” the mare says, glaring at Cooper.

“I said it as a joke,” Cooper replies. “I didn’t know puns were a punishable offense.”

“In our world, they can be,” the mare says with an added groan. “Now Mr. Frou-Frou over there is probably going to challenge you to a Magic Duel.”

“Magic Duel?” The pony named Soulrock parrots the mare, a smile spreading across his face. “That sounds right up your alley!”

“Should we charge extra for this?” Cooper asks. The mare looks like she is going to scold him, but she stops and actually considers it. After some thought, she resigns with a sigh.

“Look, just don’t mess this up. I’m going to go collect some bets.”

“How long do you intend to keep me waiting, cur?” the insulted pony asks, standing at the other end of the stage. The other three unicorns eyeball him for a second before huddling back up.

“He’s got the tiniest moustache I’ve ever seen. I can totally take him,” Cooper says.

“Don’t lose because we are not refunding this ponies.”

“I’ll worry about the magic, you worry about flaunting your… whatever it is ponies have a fetish for,” Cooper says, sending the mare off with a wave of his hoof. She rolls her eyes and jumps from the stage along with Soulrock. Cooper turns to the offended unicorn. “Alrighty knickerbockers, you got a problem with me?”

“I am Sir Polaris of House Brightstar! You would be wise to address me as such unless you wish for a more strict punishment!” Polaris says in his screechy voice.

“What is my punishment exactly?” Cooper asks.

“I shall embarrass you as you have embarrassed House Brightstar!” Polaris levitates a hoofkerchief out of his pocket and throws it on the ground between them. “I demand a duel!”

“I’m cool with that.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean… I accept your challenge!” Cooper imitates Polaris’s voice, much to the crowd’s amusement. Polaris, however, looks more steamed than before.

“You will not be so confident after I’ve thrashed you!” Polaris lights his horn and points it at Cooper. “Draw!”

Polaris fires into the air between him and Cooper, making the air explode in a frenzy of fireworks. There are blues, greens, and reds of all colors lighting up the stage like a second sun. Golden sparks fall down from grand explosions and dazzling helixes erupt out the sides. The display is very impressive, especially for an opening act. After the lights fade and smoke clears, Cooper can be seen looking very unimpressed.

“Is that really the best you can do?” he says, suppressing laughter.

“I beg your pardon?” Polaris snaps.

“That was flashy and all, but I think you can do way better.”

“You’ve yet to prove you can do any better!” Polaris shouts. “Now draw!”

“I feel kind of bad about this, but if you insist.” Cooper’s horn flashes gold momentarily, releasing a single spark. It falls onto the stage and fizzles out, much to everypony’s confusion.

“Aaaaiiiiieeeee!” On the other side of the stage where nopony was looking, Polaris’s tail has suddenly burst into flames. He sits down on the stage and scoots around, which amuses the crowd to no end. They cheer while Cooper smiles big and bows repeatedly for them.

“You brute! You savage! You vagabond! House Brightstar will hear of this outrage!” Polaris shouts as he heads for the hills, his rear end still in flames.

“When you get where you’re going, tell them Starswirl sent you!”

“Starswirl?!” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Where does he get off calling himself that?”

“At the right stop, dear Chrysalis,” Discord responds. “He’s the genuine article.”

I can only watch in disbelief as Cooper and Soulrock put on a magic show for the crowd, assisted by their “lovely assistant.” At the end there is applause, bowing, and packing up. We sit through the whole show, which seems to pass in an instant for me. Who would believe that King Cocoon was Starswirl the Bearded in a past life? How is that even possible?

The group retires to a hotel for the night, counting their coin and getting some rest. The two stallions are about to go to bed when their assistant shows up.

“Starswirl, we need to talk,” she says, hanging in the doorway. “Can I come in?”

“If you say we gotta talk, sure thing,” he says. The assistant walks in and sits down while Starswirl closes the door behind her. “What about?”

Without one word of warning, the assistant flashes green and transforms. When she finishes, I find myself staring at a changeling royal. My jaw nearly drops clear past the floor, but neither Starswirl or Soulrock look even remotely surprised. In fact, they don’t react at all! They just go on talking!

“It’s about how you treated that unicorn noble.”

“I set him on fire,” Starswirl says as if everypony had forgotten the little display. “If you’re worried about more coming after me, I’ll just set them on fire too.”

“That’s exactly what’s going to happen, you blockhead,” the changeling says, shaking her head in disappointment. “I guess this is my fault for not explaining a Magical Duel more properly to you.”

“What do you mean?” he asks, but even I know what the problem is.

“A Magic Duel isn’t a fight, Starswirl. It’s just a display, a show of magic. You can use magic on each other, but the idea isn’t to cause injury. In essence, you broke the rules.”

“Yeah, but I won.”

The changeling buries her face in her hooves and mutters a few things to herself.

“Aaaanyway, they’re gonna send more unicorns after you. The first time you just made a pun about them, so I think you can imagine what they’re going to try and do now that you’ve assaulted one of them. You can’t just set them all on fire.”

“You’re right… I should figure out how to freeze ponies…”

“Starswirl!”

“Mantis!”

“Stop that!”

Cooper keeps chuckling to himself along with Soulrock, but the third party is not amused.

“The Unicorn Houses hold the power in Equestria. Not only do they have large, supportive networks within themselves, but they have Discord supporting them in Canterlot. If you plan on fighting against everypony they send after you, you’ll be up against every unicorn alive. If your goal is to get back home, this isn’t the way to do it. Don’t fight a battle that isn’t even relevant to you.”

“But isn’t it relevant?” Starswirl says, taking a serious stand. “You said the ponies all arrived in Equestria in order to live united under one banner, but if you look around that isn’t what’s going on. The unicorns are firmly seated on top and everypony just accepts that. The pegasi and earth ponies willingly sit on lower rungs of the ladder, but the hegemony must come to an end. If that means somepony has to take the unicorns down a peg, then it may as well be me. Besides, this is the road that leads me to Discord. I’ve got a bone to pick with him, whoever or whatever he is.”

“… Fine, if you feel so strongly about it you can get yourself killed,” she says, sitting back down. “But at least believe me when I say that you’ll need to be able to do more than set ponies on fire or freeze them. I can’t speak for the unicorns out there, but I hear Discord’s magic is so powerful it distorts reality. Rumor has it he isn’t even a unicorn, but something different entirely.”

“Well I’m not a unicorn either.” Starswirl get up on his hind hooves and balances there for a few seconds. “I am a man! And so is Soulrock! And you’re not a unicorn either! There is a smell of destiny about our fated confrontation with Discord!”

“Has he always been like this?” the changeling asks Soulrock.

“As long as I’ve known him.”

Once again, the door closes.

“You’re telling me that not only was Cooper Starswirl the Bearded, but he was friends with a changeling ruler?” I ask, needing a great deal of clarification. “Why did you bring him here? What possible reason could you have?”

“Hey, hey, I wasn’t the one who brought him here,” Discord tells me, but I’m reluctant to believe him. “He found his own way in.”

“That seems unlikely,” I say to him. “If humans knew how to come here, wouldn’t there be more of them? Wouldn’t their existence not be a secret?”

“Disbelieve all you want, but I assure you I wouldn’t joke about this.” Discord seems serious for once, but that alone isn’t enough. I listen to what he has to say with careful consideration. “I just drag human’s souls into this world and affix them to suitable bodies, but Cooper marched in the door body and all.”

“But he was a unicorn.”

“There are things even I can’t explain,” Discord tells me. “But that isn’t any concern of yours though, is it? No, you want to know more about the changeling.”

He’s got me there.

“Who was she?” I ask. “And why was she hanging around those two?”

“That, dear Chrysalis, was the exalted Mother Mantis.”

“What?!”

“She is in her formative Princess Mantis years, of course. You know how that time goes for you young changelings. You wander around a bit, then your ruler dies for some reason, so you return to the hive and take the throne. She’s still in that first stage.”

“But why hang around those two?” I ask once again. That’s the mystifying part, really. When I was outside The Hive, I never stuck to one place very long. I don’t remember much about it, really. It was uneventful and boring.

“That’s was her choice, and she stuck with it for her own reasons. I can’t say why, seeing as I’ve never invaded her mind.” Discord just laughs to himself, but I just wonder if he realizes he just said something fishy. “Well, we do learn something later down the road. This might be the last stop before we get where we’re going.”

“Where are we going?”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

Once again I don’t have time to question him for we have arrived at the next door. He grabs the handle and opens it up, revealing another piece of the past.

“Is that so, Mantis?” Starswirl asks. He looks a bit older than before, but not by much. Perhaps time just hasn’t been kind to him in Equestria. He looks tired. “That’s unfortunate. I think it will be a lonely road without you.”

“Yes… well, my duty to the changelings comes first,” Mantis replies like a true Queen would. “… Although, I could be persuaded to stay.”

The sun is setting on their hilltop looking out onto the Everfree Forest. I can’t tell why they are here, but right now they are exchanging good-byes. At least, one of them is.

“If your turn on the throne has come, I won’t keep you from it. You have your duty, and I have mine,” he says. “I decided a while back that I would face Discord alone anyway. That is just the way it will have to be. I wish you all the best luck.”

“… Don’t…”

“Hm? What was that?”

“Don’t be so cruel to me.”

Starswirl lifts an eyebrow. I can’t read what’s happening either, but Mantis looks like she is about to cry.

“This is supposed to be the part where you beg me to stay by your side,” she says, stepping towards Starswirl. “This is supposed to be the teary-eyed good-bye.”

“W-well, it isn’t like we’ll never see each other again,” Starswirl says, trying to comfort her. “Once all this is over, we’ll get together and say, ‘This is just like the old times.’” He laughs, but Mantis just stares at him, tears forming in her eyes.

“What is it that I have to do? What do I have to say? I can’t figure you out!” She begins to yell at him. “I’m leaving and you’re not even bothered by it.”

“Mantis, that isn’t true,” Starswirl says, doing his best to keep calm. “I’m sad to see you go, really. I guess I’m bad at showing it.”

“I’m not leaving,” she says all of a sudden. “I lied. I don’t have to go back.”

“O-oh… okay. That’s good? I mean, what?” Starswirl can’t find the right words to say now. “Mantis, you’re acting really strange. Is something the matter? You call me out here and won’t say why, then you say you have to take the throne, and now you’re saying you’re lying? What is this about? You know you can tell me if something is wrong.”

“I know I can! Don’t you see, that’s the problem!” Mantis chokes back a sob and fights on more passionately than before. “I’ll come to you with a problem and you’ll laugh like it’s nothing but I get angry so you get serious because you care about me and it is. Just. So. Frustrating. I know what’s going on, but it’s like I’m the only one. Are you going to make me say it first? Is that your game?”

“What are you talking about, Mantis?” Starswirl puts a hoof on her shoulder. “You’re starting to scare me, talking like that. What’s wrong? Please, tell me.”

“I love you!”

The hill goes completely silent as the pair just stare at one another. Mantis smiles sweetly while Starswirl’s mouth hangs open.

“I love you, oh how I’ve loved you, Starswirl,” she says, smiling and crying at the same time. “I thought love was weakness, but I wouldn’t stand so tall or be so proud if I didn’t love you. Your confidence, your resolve, and even your sense of humor, the funny way you sing… goodness, I’ve grown so accustomed to the way you sing. Sometimes you break into song when it’s completely inappropriate, and those are fond memories of mine. I remember all the times you made me angry or sad, the times you cheered me up and helped me along, and I will never forget the time we’ve spent together. I’ll never forget you… how could I? You’re so strange and full of quirks, and I love them all. I love you… and I know you love me.” She takes two steps towards him, but he takes four steps back.

“… Look, Mantis I-”

“No, don’t even try.” Mantis glowers at him. “I can feel it, Starswirl. You think you can hide it, but why do you hide it? Even now you’re going to carry on like this? I’ve never felt such strong emotions, not for or from anypony. I just want to hear you say it, please!”

She waits with tears flowing down her cheeks for an answer. Starswirl hesitates, avoiding eye contact by looking at the ground. It isn’t hard to tell what he is thinking, but he doesn’t want to say it. I can’t say I blame him.

“I care for you, Mantis.”

“… No…”

“You are a dear and close friend of mine.”

“No.”

“I don’t doubt the sincerity of your feelings, and I don’t doubt that mine are any less sincere.”

“No… no.”

“However…”

“Please don’t say it…”

“It isn’t appropriate for our relationship to take on a romantic nature.”

“…”

“I never imagined this would happen… I’m sorry.”

The sun drops out of the sky in a nearly comical fashion in the distance. Neither Starswirl nor Mantis speak up, but what can they say? Now everything is out in the open, but what has it come to?

“I… I think I will go back to The Hive,” Mantis says, backing away from Starswirl. They don’t look at each other. “… But… can I know… just tell me why…”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Starswirl asks. “I don’t belong here. I’m going to leave, Mantis. When I know how, I will leave this place in a heartbeat. That’s all there is to it. I’ve never thought of putting down roots here.”

“… What if there is no way home?”

“There is. I wouldn’t be the first one.”

“Right… that’s right,” Mantis says, taking a few more steps back. “You will have what you want. Starswirl will take what he wants then leave. He will go home. Starswirl the Visitor.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Starswirl says, but Mantis shakes her head.

“It isn’t right just because you say it is.”

“It isn’t wrong just because you don’t like it.”

“Then what is it?” Mantis asks.

“It’s right.”

The hinges squeak as the door slowly closes itself. Even if he can’t remember so much about himself, Cocoon or Cooper or Starswirl hasn’t changed. He’s got one goal in mind and nothing else really matters to him.

“So that’s the legacy of Mother Mantis, our exalted Queen,” I say to myself. I always looked up to her. I wanted to be like her: powerful. If she was good friends with Starswirl the Bearded, she must have picked up a few tricks along the way. What I wouldn’t give to be inside her mind. It feels strange to think, but I can’t say why.

“Yes, turns out she was just a huge xenophile.” Discord laughs at his own joke, moving on faster than before. He said earlier we were very close to the final destination. I guess I’m about to find out why we’re here in the first place. “And that Starswirl the Bearded sure isn’t one himself, more of a xenophobe really. Of course, he had his silly morals and a desire to help ponies out, but he really needed to get past that. It wasn’t healthy for our relationship.”

Discord stops. Before us is a door of a different kind: a door made of iron. It rattles every so often as shadows seem to seep out from under it.

“What in the world is that?”

“Hold this.”

Discord hands me a brick. Before I can riddle out why he has done this, he dumps liquid grout on my feet. Faster than physically possible, Discord lays brick after brick until he’s successfully built me into a wall.

“Are you serious! Let me out of here!” I shout at him, but he just admires his handiwork with a sly smile. “I knew you were up to no good!”

“Well, I knew that you knew!” Discord replies, opening up the iron door. I can’t see what is happening behind it, but it sounds like one heck of a commotion. “You see, Starswirl does come and face me. We traded blows, fired some spells, shared a few insults. It was a pretty standard affair, but I begrudgingly admit that I underestimated him. Before the final blow was struck, I twoh-*cough* I played a little trick on him. You see, I don’t really like killing ponies or turning them to stone. I prefer to attach a few strings and watch them dance like a puppet! Oh, what a wonderful puppet he was! The greatest wizard of all time, working for me! Why, I had to go on a recruiting spree just to collect servants who could be on par with him. Even I like a little organization… bwha-ha-ha! That was a joke! It was still complete chaos!”

Discord steps into the memory itself, letting it suck him in. He stands on the other side of the door looking back and smiling at me.

“It’s time to give fair Equestria a little blast from the past.”

Author's Note

Ding-ding-ding.

I felt kinda weird about leaving you all with just a tiny little chapter before taking off again, so I decided to quell my guilt by dropping this bad boy on you. The radio is going to go quiet for a sometime now, but this story will continue on to its conclusion at whatever time I'm back. I hope it's sooner rather than later, but I'm not in control of that. Thanks for reading!

21st: Role Restoral

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

“Hello again, ponies! Guess who’s back in town!”

I like to think I know Cocoon pretty well due to our former working relationship. We meet, we exchange a few angry words, and then we try to kill each other. The situation has been complicated slightly due to recent events, but when I saw he’d actually come here to Canterlot I knew we’d be sorting out our new relationship real quick. I’d hoped for a civil, if not frustrating and dangerous, discussion of future arrangements. I know Cocoon; I know how he likes to operate.

Bursting into the throne room and announcing his presence isn’t very Cocoon-y. I thought he would have at least tried to sneak up on us so he could wait to reveal himself until the opportunity to display his odd sense of humor reared its ugly head. No, there’s something wrong with this picture.

I realize I’m the odd mare out here, wondering why Cocoon is acting out of character all of a sudden. The Princesses and Sweet Tea are no doubt wondering what evil Cocoon has brewing in his brain. While I don’t have to feign my surprise at his appearance, I restrain myself from calling him out. If I hold out, more information may come to light.

“Guards!” Celestia calls, rousing every armored stallion within earshot into action. Each one points their spearhead at Cocoon, but keeps their distance.

“Come now, Celestia. Is that any way to treat your old pal?” Cocoon starts laughing, but his laugh is more of a maniacal cackle this time. I thought he was crazy before, but apparently there was an even deeper madness available for him to fall into. As he raises his hands to the sky, I fear the worst.

“Get down!” I grab Sweet Tea and huddle on the ground, throwing up a barrier over us. My warning comes not a moment too soon.

“Arcane Nocturne!” Cocoon shouts some spell that rocks the room and sends a wave of searing heat over my shield. When the commotion dies out, I open my eye without realizing I ever closed it. It’s dark and I know now that I’m afraid for sure. This situation is real dangerous.

All the drapes in the room have been shackled shut somehow. Only the chandelier and candles along the wall burn with sickly, green flames. All the doors are shut and all the guards are nowhere to be seen.

“You say we’re ‘old pals’, but this is the first we’ve met, Cocoon,” Celestia says, stepping down from the throne and cautiously approaching the changling with her sister right behind her. The pair look undaunted, as one would expect from the rulers of Equestria.

“Oh, yes, Cocoon… that’s right,” Cocoon mutters as he approaches. He scratches his head with one hand and his beard with the other. “That name is the trapping of a mistaken identity. No, you may call me by my true name now: Starswirl the Bearded!”

“So, I was right about the green star, Draco.” Luna steps out in front of her sister and confronts Cocoon straight on. Cocoon keeps his eerie smile while the princess of the knight glowers at him. “I don’t know how you did it, but you put it up there as some kind of sick show of power. One star doesn’t make you Starswirl, you misguided coward. I’ll put you in the ground for tarnishing my mentor’s good name!”

Cocoon’s reaction to Luna’s last remark could only be described as utter confusion. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but then stops. His lip curls up in disgust, like Luna had just described the contents of a week-old trash heap to him. The bump in the road he makes his cocky attitude disappear for a moment so he might seek clarity.

“What the devil did I ever teach you?” Cocoon asks, poking Luna with a finger. “I’ve only just begun to teach you what happens when you cross the greatest wizard that ever lived!”

“It seems you know little about who you claim to be,” Luna says, lashing at him. “If you’re really the renowned Starswirl the Bearded, you would know it was he who mentored the young Royal Sisters after the defeat of Discord.”

“Has it really been so long that they could falsify all history?” Cocoon claws at his clothes, apparently distressed that some perceived part of the history he’d made up wasn’t working out. “When was my master ever defeated? He’s going to help me realize my greatest dream!”

“To help all ponykind through the conventions of magic?” Luna asks. Her question sounded a bit like something I’d read in one of those elementary magic tomes, many of which I believe are just excerpts of longer books Starswirl wrote.

“No, that’d be stupid and a waste of my time. Helping ponykind… hah!” Cocoon says, spitting on the ground after the words leave his mouth. “No. He’s going to help me bring an end to this world!”

Luna turned back to Celestia. They shared a look that spoke volumes about what they thought about what Cocoon had just said. It was their turn to be confused by the turn of events. Celestia stepped forward, joining her sister on the front lines of conversation.

“You’re sounding a lot like Starswirl when we first met him,” she said. “That was back when he was working for Discord.”

“Nothing’s changed, Celestia,” Cocoon replied. “You might have stopped me and sealed me away all these years, but I’m back now to finish what I started.”

“So then you remember how our last meeting went. You remember being defeated and being freed from Discord’s brainwashing?” Luna asked, but the question didn’t sit well with Cocoon.

“Defeat, yes. Brainwashing, no. You ponies say the darndest things,” Cocoon mutters, scratching himself with both hands again. “Look, I didn’t wake up so I could chit-chat. I have an Apocalypse to cause and I need complete control of the heavens. That means you two have gotta go!”

“I won’t underestimate a changeling twice, Cocoon,” Celestia warns him, taking a few steps backwards with her sister. In the background, I can hear the guards trying to break down the door to enter the throne room. The time for battle is slowly falling upon us. “You don’t stand a chance. The Starswirl of the past had a whole magical repertoire at his disposal, but all you’ve managed to do is light some candles and put one star in the sky. While the former is impressive, just know cheap tricks won’t save you here.”

“Come now, it’s like you don’t believe I’m the genuine article,” Cocoon says with a scowl on his face. Between all the confusion and insults, I’d venture to guess he’s feeling very dangerous right now. “Could a poser pull this out of his sleeve?”

Energy gathers in Cocoon’s hands in a magical cadence I can feel resonating in my very bones. The very shadows start to churn as he actually begins to weave a spell, and no small spell at that. I saw him shoot lighting and fire off a star, but until now I didn’t fully rationalize what it means for a changeling to do real arcane magic. I’m not sure if what Cocoon has cooking is natural, though. The magical tension is laden with dread and fear. Even Celestia and Luna are taking an extra cautionary step back. Cocoon’s hands glow a sickly green, coating the ground around him with a dismal light.

“Arcane Phantasmagoria!”

There is a pulse. Nothing happens at first, but the silence feels unnatural. My ears perk up, picking up a trickle of sound just low enough to hear. It is a rattling, steady and constant as if it were the marching of a band of soldiers. The trickle becomes a flood, but I can’t find the source of the noise. Like the end of a bad dream, the entire flood is silenced by the sound of the throne room doors bursting open and the guards rushing in. The rattling seems to vanish as soldiers bark orders and dozens of armored ponies flood inside with spears at the ready. They charge at Cocoon, who stands about like there isn’t a thing he needs to worry about.

“No, stay back from him!” Celestia shouts.

His confidence is founded, I would say.

What happens next can only be described as a nightmare peeling itself out of dreams and landing with a rattle into the waking world. Up from the flickering darkness around Cocoon’s feet and the dancing edges of the torchlight along the walls, slender, ebony creatures peel themselves off of flat surfaces and stand like shadows against our vision. They walk upright and hold crude, long weapons in their thin fingers. The guards find themselves set upon on all sides by these creatures. I light my horn in preparation to fight, but that’s the first mistake I make.

“No! The skeletons live in the light!” Luna warns me, but a little too late. From the edge of the light I give off, more of these creatures pop up. Instinctively, I fire a blast at the first one that manages to menace its weapon overhead. The beam of light warps the creature’s chest, parting the front before impacting the back. The front closes like a cage, trapping the light inside. The creature continues its advance, more of them sprouting from the edge of the eerie shadows of its chest cavity.

“These things are skeletons?” I ask, examining the figures again. I’m sure I’d remember seeing something this freaky in an anatomy book. They’re nothing like the bones inside a pony, but something about them is reminiscent of Cocoon. “What do we do?”

“Starswirl used this spell when we had to fight him,” Luna tells us, squaring herself between us and the skeletons. Celestia joins her while I try my best to form a second line of defense with Sweet Tea staying safe in the back. “They are fragile things.”

With one swift turn and buck, Luna obliterates an entire wave of skeletons approaching us. The one bearing my energy like a desk lamp breaks apart and clatters into nothing with the rest of his friends. The light dissipates, leaving us in the dark again.

“We have to douse the torches!” Celesta tells me. “The spell only works in shadow, not complete darkness.”

“My sister and I will fly up and put them out. Try and keep Cocoon busy.” Luna is able to give her order just before she takes to the air with her sister. I take a look back at Sweet Tea, who I failed to notice is very shaken up right now.

“Uh, stay close!” I’d rather fight without having to worry about her, but I don’t have much of a choice. No matter how fragile these skeletons are, I can’t ask her to attack them. She nods and trots close to my hindquarters as I charge towards Cocoon’s position. I charge my horn and fire off a right at his head, but he already saw me coming. He puts his hand up and catches the shot as if it were a baseball. Just by closing his fingers, he fizzles the spell into nothing.

“Well met, Ms. Louise.”

I skid to a halt just short of the boundary line where skeletons are crawling out of the nothingness. Thankfully, the shades seem more interested in fighting the guards who are spawning just as quickly out of the open doorway.

“Snap out of it Cocoon, this isn’t you!”

“C’mon, call me Starswirl,” he says to me, but I’m still having trouble believing any of that. “The person called ‘Cocoon’ was just a temporary identity change. I’d forgotten what my real goal was, but I suddenly remembered everything! Wonderful, isn’t it?”

“What exactly did you remember?” I ask. Out of the corner of my eye, I look up to see how Luna and Celestia are doing. The torches are still burning. Skeletons are climbing through the holes in the darkness to grab onto the torch mounts, so putting them out requires more effort. I need to keep Cocoon’s attention away from them for as long as I can. With any luck, Starswirl here will have just as much love for chit-chat as Cocoon.

“I finally found a safe passage home,” Cocoon says, much to my surprise.

“That’s impossible!” Even more surprising is Sweet Tea coming out from behind me and confronting Cocoon. “There is no way home! Yer just bluffin’!”

“That’s where you’re wrong!” Cocoon swipes his claw down towards Sweet Tea in what looked like a simple, aggressive gesture. Out from the shadows, massive fingers arc out and come crashing down around Sweet Tea. Withdrawing his hand, he drags her to him with this impromptu cage. I jump over the shadow line after her, but skeleton hands reach up and pull me down. A pair of the “fragile” creatures pin me down, keeping me from doing no more than glaring up at Cocoon as he traps Sweet Tea in a black cage.

“There is only one way for the two of us to get back home safely,” Cocoon says to her, sounding happier than I’d ever imagined he could sound. “We have to destroy this world!”

“What? No! You can’t do that!” Sweet Tea argues, and I have to say I agree. If I had to choose between sending Cocoon home and letting everyone in the world live, I think the obvious choice stands out. “How can you be sure that’ll even work?”

“I wouldn’t understand someone as unenlightened as you to pick up on the specifics of my plan,” Cocoon says, dismissing her perfectly good points with a passive wave of his hand. “Just remember to thank me when you return home.”

“I can’t let you destroy the world, Cocoon,” I shout at him. “That’s wrong, just plain wrong.”

“Wrong?” Cocoon walks over to where I’m pinned down. He gets down on his haunches and looks me in the eye. “The morality of this situation is overridden by the realities surrounding it. Do you really think ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ play a part in this? This is a matter of what I do and what you do. I understand that you don’t want your world to be destroyed, like an immune system battling an infection. These are the roles we are cast into. Neither you nor I do it because it’s right; we just do it. I just have to make my way home. It is my… prerogative.”

“You don’t have to be an infection,” I tell him. “Why don’t you try coexisting?”

“That doesn’t align with what I want, unfortunately,” Cocoon says right back. “What forces a soul down a path other than the one of least resistance? It’s a strong desire, my friend. I thought you, of all ponies, would understand what wanting something badly can make a pony or person do.”

“Do you realize what you’re saying?” I ask him, losing hope of finding any shred of sanity within this Cocoon.

“Do I really have to spell this out for you?” Cocoon stands back up and cackles some more, obviously amused with himself and drunk on power. I’m afraid to find out what he’s thinking, but I have to listen to him. “I don’t care what happens to all you little ponies. As long as I get what I want in the end, I don’t see why I should regret it in the slightest. If my success brings the ruin of so many others, then why would it be allowed to come to fruition unless my desire was the greatest? Shouldn’t the greatest effort and the strongest desire be granted the highest achievement? Isn’t that how the world should work? The man with the greatest hardship will be the strongest for it, right?” At the end of his shouting, he clenches his forehead and grunts a bit. At first whatever is bothering him seems tame, but little by little his snarls and groans escalate until he is roaring in pain.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sweet Tea asks over the commotion, but as soon as she’s asked Cocoon stops making noise altogether. Panting a little, he manages to compose himself to some degree. It’s obvious he’s pissed about something.

“My memories have been tampered with,” he says. The complaint is one I remember hearing from Cocoon the last time I saw him. “This is troublesome, but once I return home I should regain what I’ve lost.”

Taking another look around me, and I can see it’s gotten darker. I can hear the guards more clearly, probably due to the dropping number of skeletons they have to plow through. I just need a little more time. If I can keep him talking just a little longer, we can get the jump on him.

“If your memories have been tampered with, how do you know you’re really Starswirl?” I ask him, gaining a funny look in response. “Last I heard, Starswirl was a unicorn and not a changeling. He used his magic to help ponies, not hurt them. He was a good guy. He held his students to high standards which he upheld himself. He lived a life of service and then died an old, old pony.”

“No… I’m quite sure that is all untrue,” Cocoon replies with yet more casual dismissal. “Sure, I was once a unicorn, but I’ve obviously been reincarnated into this form. And yes, I used to be a ‘good guy’ as you so aptly put, but that was before I found the truth.”

“And what truth would that be?” I dare to ask. Cocoon grins wickedly down at me, his eyes glowing against the growing darkness. He wraps his fingers around my neck and hoists me up into the air. He doesn’t choke me, but he digs into my neck with his claws. I wince as he draws blood struggling against him, but his strength is almost unnatural now. I can’t get free, but the worst part is I can’t reason with this monster.

“My main goal has always been to return home in one piece, but frankly that prospect looked awfully bleak. After many hardships and dead-ends, Discord finally revealed the true way home to me. I used to think him my enemy, but now I see we really want the same thing in the end. Now, not only can I return safe and sound to my home, but all the other humans will be returned as well! The whole of Equestria is a trivial price to pay for this luxury!”

“You’re mad!” I scream at him, but he tightens his grip. His claws dig deeper and my breath cuts off. I fight as hard as I can, but it’s still no use. I feel myself getting weaker and weaker, slipping into unconsciousness.

“I’m just a product of my environment.”

There is a great rush of air before I find myself sprawled out on the ground. I recover as fast as I can, but my head swims and spins like a top. A moment passes and I find myself aided upright with a helping hoof.

“Has Cocoon gone completely off the deep end?” Summit asks. I feel the blood returning to my head, but most of it goes into my cheeks. Summitplunge rescued me again! Now isn’t the time for swooning, so I get my head back in the game.

“He thinks he’s Starswirl the Bearded, but some version that wants to destroy Equestria!” I tell him. The lights in the room are all put out now and the guards have our position surrounded. Cocoon has backed off, taking Sweet Tea and her cage into a ring of skeletons that remain from the light emanating from his magic. The Princesses land outside the ring, both looking a little worse for wear in the dim shadows. It’s obviously been a tough fight.

“That’s a yes, then?” Summitplunge replies, stepping between me and Cocoon (he’s so brave!). The tables have turned, but once again Cocoon doesn’t look ready to give up. If anything, he looks annoyed.

“Come quietly and maybe we’ll listen to whatever story you’ve got cooked up in that head of yours,” Luna orders him, but Cocoon makes no move to throw in the towel. Celestia puts a hoof on Luna’s shoulder, indicating towards Sweet Tea with her head. “Oh, it would seem you’ve taken to kidnapping again.”

“I’m insulted that you’d assume I would ever hurt her,” Cocoon says, with such indignation I can’t bring myself to believe he isn’t telling the truth. “You think blowing out a few candles is going to put me in the corner? Honestly, I expected as much from your brash sister, but I always pinned you as a bit wiser, Celestia. Would I be Starswirl the Bearded if I only had one spell at my disposal?”

Cocoon raises his magic charged hand towards the ceiling, obviously preparing for another spell. Everything switches to slow motion as he puts his middle finger and thumb together. Celestia and Luna charge forward, along with the rest of the guards. The skeletons form a tight barrier around Cocoon. Manes flutter in the air of movement. Tails swish in the action. Cocoon squeezes his to fingers together, until the middle finger releases to click against his palm.

“Arcane Catastrophe!”

Flames spread outward from Cocoon’s hand. The surge of heat passes through ponies without harming them, but everything else flammable in its path explodes into a roaring inferno. In one move, the walls are painted with red light and flickering, dancing shadows. From these new boundary lines, even more wicked creatures from our nightmares emerge.

The entire room breaks out into fighting again as the skeletons rampage forth and attack with new fervor. Small, imp like skeletons prod at guard’s feet with barbed sticks while enormous, gangling ones rip themselves from the sides of pillars to try and smash ponies with unruly clubs. Amid the confusion, the Princesses take wing again and begin casting spell after spell in their defense. The guards are being overwhelmed though, and the fight looks hopeless unless the inferno can be stopped. I don’t see that happening without some serious firefighting, but there is one other option to end this madness.

Cocoon uses the confusion to make a break for the door with Sweet Tea in tow. I take to my hooves and run after him. Bony hands reach out from between flames and smoke to grab me, but I’m far too nimble to be caught by these lumbering frames a second time. It doesn’t hurt that Summit flies at my side, kicking away any skeleton that dares get too close.

We make it out of the throne room by some miracle and continue chasing Cocoon down the hall. His phantoms don’t follow us here, but Cocoon is hard enough to chase even without them. He moves quickly for something with only two legs, even while carrying Sweet Tea in his cage. I don’t know what he’s planning or where he is going, but I can’t let him get there.

“Hey, what do we do once we catch him?” Summit asks a question I’d been wondering myself; however, Cocoon has made it clear where he stands right now. If he can’t be convinced, there is only one other option.

“We put him down.”

“I was afraid of that,” Summit grumbles in reply. We bank hard left down the hallway, but we only catch a glimpse of Cocoon’s mantle fluttering around the end of the hall. We pick up the pace and gallop after him.

“Conflicted about taking him out now?”

“It isn’t what you think,” he replies. “It’s just… we haven’t got the greatest track record against him. The last couple of times we squared off against him, we didn’t exactly hold our own. Even with help, he was strong enough to come out on top. After hearing his side of the story, you know as well as I do that in any of our encounters he wasn’t aiming to kill us. Now he’s completely nuts with a larger arsenal of magic at his disposal. I just get the feeling we’re trying to catch a bug bigger than our net.”

“This is the job we signed up for,” I tell him. “Changelings must not be allowed to cause trouble for the citizens of Equestria. If he’s going to play for keeps this time, then so will we.” I say this, but deep down I know Summit is right. Cocoon is far more powerful than he previously was. I don’t know whether he’s actually tapped into Starswirl’s memories and if he did how he managed that, but it’s clear that his newfound power stems purely from some sort of knowledge. He’s still just a changeling; he can only use his magic for so long. We can’t overpower him right now, so we’ll just have to wait until we can.

“Listen, we just need to convince him to expend all his energy. For all we know, he’s already running low. Those two stunts he pulled in the throne room couldn’t have been inexpensive moves. We just need to catch up with him, force him to fight, and he’ll be sure to burn himself out.”

“There’s a plan.” Summit laughs a little. He looks down at me and grins. “But what exactly is he gonna try to burn himself out on?”

“Focus on not dying,” I order him, getting him to laugh a little.

“How about I watch your back and you watch mine?”

Swoon.

We focus on running/flying as fast as we can. We get out of the hallways as Cocoon takes us on very stair oriented journey through the castle. He is heading upwards for some reason. Wherever he’s going and whatever he’s got planned, we have to get catch up before it’s too late.

We go up and up and up until there isn’t any farther up we can go. We find the door to the Canterlot observatory torn off its hinges and the starry sky set before us. Against the stars stands the silhouette of the ex-king and current madpony… or madwhatever. He has placed Sweet Tea aside so he can raise both hands towards the sky.

“Cocoon!”

The night is silent. Cocoon stands with his hands outstretched while we take up battle positions behind him. Slowly, his shoulders slacken. He drops his hands to his sides and sighs, but he doesn’t turn to face us.

“Now, now… I appreciate the concern, but I’ll rejoin the fray shortly. I just need a little recharge is all,” Cocoon says.

“I don’t see anypony to sap love from out here,” Summitplunge replies. “It looked more like you were stargazing.”

“You’re wrong on both accounts, Plunger.” Cocoon snaps his fingers. Suddenly, the air is filled with buzzing as a group of changelings emerges from the shadows. We ready ourselves against them, but they don’t make a move towards us. Instead, they move towards Cocoon, each one carrying a peculiar item with it. Piece by piece, we watch as the changelings outfit Cocoon in the armor we saw him use back in the desert.

“What’ve you got planned, Cocoon?” I dare to ask. A changeling places the helmet over Cocoon’s head. The entire suit of armor twitches a few times, but soon afterwards it starts to heave and slacken like an organic body. Cocoon turns to face us, another changeling replacing his mantle onto the back of his armor.

“For the last time, I am Starswirl the Bearded!” he shouts. He throws his arms towards the heavens and clenches his claws as if to scoop up the darkness. “The stars bend to my very will! When I am low on power, I need only to ask for their assistance!”

Stories from my childhood reran in my head. Ponies said Starswirl could call upon the stars to grant him power, seeing as he put many of them in the night sky and they were constructed from his own energy. Legend even had it that he once swallowed a star to become even more powerful and increase his connection to his “children” as he would often call them. Honestly, if Cocoon pulled off something like that, I would believe he’s Starswirl.

“You really are crazy,” I tell him. I don’t believe him for a moment. Whatever he’s going to try, it sounds like it will provide an opening for us to attack. “You hold no sway over the stars.”

“I’m tired of you nonbelievers! This oughta shut you all up!” Cocoon shouts at the top of his lungs, stretching his arms as high as they could go. “Celestia and Luna managed to defeat me by dislodging Animus from me all those years, but once I call him back I will have enough power to make it rain down stars! Combined with the magical power of this armor, the entire world will be my plaything! Say farewell to the world you love because I’m about to crush it beneath the fire of astral magic!

“Now come to me, Animus!”

Before either Summit or I can move to attack, there is a bright, golden flash. We freeze in place. I don’t know about Summit, but I can feel something coming. I can feel the approach of an immense, unimaginable power. I felt this before, when Cocoon killed Dnaglefreed by creating a star. This time, however, the feeling has been magnified ten-fold. As the world around us becomes bathed in gold, the pressure only increases.

From the heavens, a golden star is descending onto Cocoon. His claws twitch in anticipation as the gold orb comes within reach. The first claw sinks into the shining surface, making it emit a soft chime. Cocoon stretches up and takes the star in both hands. He digs his claws with a whole chorus of bells and guides it to his chest. The mass of the star sinks into his armor, disappearing bit by bit and returning the night to its normal, dark state.

The green gems on Cocoon’s breastplate light up like new, golden stars. Fractures spread through his entire armor, each crevasse emitting more and more intense, golden rays. Rather than break down, Cocoon’s armor begins to change. The jagged plates collapse into one, smooth surface. The plates in the armor thin out, revealing ebon black mail around the joints. The claws fall away, giving way to simple gauntlets. All of Cocoon’s ornamental horns break off while the fangs on his helmet melt together into a single plate. We watch his visor split into two, thin eyes. The brim of his helmet expands outwards while the dome turns into a curved peak, forming an all too familiar mage’s hat. As if to silence any question of Cocoon’s true identity, bells ring into life around his hat’s brim, the tail of his cape, and the peak of the hat. The shine fades away, leaving only the newly transformed Cocoon behind.

“That’s… impossible…”

“And yet here I am! My full power has been restored to me!” Cocoon cackles madly. He stretches out one hand towards us. In a flash, we find ourselves locked in golden cages. Summit kicks and rams against the bars while I shoot spells at them, but nothing works. These are truly the works of a master wizard. These are the works of Starswirl the Bearded.

“Congratulations!” Starswirl turns back to the horizon of Canterlot. “You’ve got front seats to the end of the world!”

He throws his hands up again, and all we can do is watch and pray that he doesn’t have what it takes to actually end the world. He’s got a whole sky of stars to work with, so our prayers end up feeling like wishful thinking. We listen to him chant the name of star after star to call upon their power, the golden glow around him increasing with each name uttered. It strikes me that this is it; we lost when it counted the most. It’s over.

“… Wait… this arrangement… what does this… wait! What is this?! No, no, no!” Starswirl suddenly grips his head while his golden glow turns erratic, flashing and fading without warning. “What are these? What are these memories? Animus? Why are you betraying me? Why are you showi- guh?! GRAAAAAAH!”

What happens next can only be described as an explosion. With Starswirl at its epicenter, the entire observatory is subjected to a quickly expanding mass of magic, debris, and the sound of bells. Our cages ironically keep us safe from the sudden radiation, but I’m forced to shut and cover my eyes to avoid looking directly into what may as well be the sun. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I’m benching on it being good.

The light and dust settle rather suddenly. When I manage to take a look out of my cage, I see Starswirl. Still decked out in his armor, he is lying on the ground in front of our cages. The fact that they are still intact indicates that he is still alive. He further proves this by slowly getting to his feet. Even as I watch our enemy get back up, there is something missing from the scene. I sense no malice, no anger, and no confusion. Starswirl just stares down at his hands, as if seeing them for the first time. Once he’s done with that, he looks at me and Summit.

Starswirl snaps his fingers.

I wince, but nothing happens. When I open my eye, I see my cage disappearing from around me. Summit is freed as well, leaving us completely mobile while Starswirl makes no move to defend himself. Instead, he does the exact opposite; he gets down on his knees and bows.

“Can you forgive and old wizard for his transgressions?”

“Wha… what’s going on?” I ask. I had to ask. I have no idea what’s going on! Starswirl was just threatening to end the entire world a few seconds ago, and now he’s apologizing? He also called himself an “old wizard” which I guess is more in line with being Starswirl.

“My memories were scattered, but now that my full power has been restored I was able to right the all wrong in my mind,” Starswirl tells us. “You see, a long time ago I accidentally allowed Discord to creep into my mind and convince me that I could only safely return home if I destroyed this world. It was ironically the vast power of Animus used against me that kept me from reversing my corruption. Now, however, Discord has been foiled by Animus’s power. Now I remember everything… at least, everything an old man can be expected too!” Starswirl laughs at his own joke, but he stops once he realizes that is completely inappropriate given the current situation.

“So… all along Cocoon was…”

“Yes, Cocoon and Starswirl are one and the same. It is a long story, and I’d rather tell it once. Please, gather the Princesses so I might clear up this mess once and for all.”

“Will do!” Summit turns and runs back out of the observatory. I turn to follow him, but I feel Starswirl’s hand on my shoulder. He turns me back around and faces me. For a while we just stare at one another, but I can’t read his expression through his mask.

“Please forgive me,” he says, breaking the silence. “At the end of the day, we have faulted one another. Cocoon in his limited knowledge did things I am not proud of, but as Starswirl it pains me to leave things as they are. Allow me to show you the depth of my sincerity.”

Starswirl touches his thumb to my horn. Without warning, he invades my entire being with his own magic. The frightening speed with which he breaks down all my defenses nearly gives me a heart attack, but he doesn’t do anything malicious with his power. Instead, I feel as if I’m being healed. The process is slow and I can’t tell for sure what he’s doing, but I’m able to relax and accept it.

“Back in the forest, Summit hesitated when I turned into you, right?” he asks me, but I’m at a loss to respond. I remember it well because I was surprised for the same reason he was. “When I transformed, I transformed into an unscarred version of you, didn’t I?”

I nod slightly in response. I remember it vividly, along with the rest of the events from that day. It puzzled me for the longest time, but I had put it out of my mind. The reason I wanted to forget it is simple: it’s a painful memory. I’m still not used to these scars, and I’m far from sure I’ve forgiven Cocoon for what he’s done.

“Changelings cannot emulate imperfections or scars on ponies they’ve seen, even if they’ve only seen them in that state. They store the data of the ‘perfect’ form in their minds. It is a hindrance to their camouflage, but the data itself is useful to us.” Starswirl removes his thumb, but his other hand moves up to the bandage around my eye. It feels irritated for some reason. Again without asking permission or anything, he removes the bandage. I’m about to yell at him, but he conjures a reflective surface before me.

“… I… I’m…”

“What I have done I now have the power to undo. Your image bears the scars of my mistakes no more.”

I’m exactly how I was before the incident with Cocoon. There isn’t a hint of scarring on me. I remove the rest of my bandages, but don’t find one inch of scar tissue. I’m free of all burns. I’m free of gashes. I have both my eyes back. I’m healed.

“And this is… permanent?” I ask him, ready to wake up from this dream at any moment. Starswirl nods and I don’t wake up. It’s real. It’s all real! I throw my hooves and him and squeeze hard against his armor. He puts his arms around me and squeezes back. “I’m sorry too.”

“You already have my forgiveness. I’m far too old to hold a grudge.”

We stay embraced for a moment, until a distant groaning stirs me back to reality. Beyond me, Sweet Tea is still in her shadow cage. It seems she probably wasn’t protected from the explosion. I’m glad to know when she comes back around she’s waking up to good news.

“You should probably take care of Sweet Tea,” I tell Starswirl, who immediately drops me and bolts upright.

“Dang, I’m already forgetting things again! I tell you, never live to be as I as I got… or am… I’m not sure what my age is technically,” he goes on as he heads towards Sweet Tea, still mumbling about how age should be measured in his case. I just smile and watch him for a moment until the sounds of hooves coming onto the terrace rouse me back to reality.

Summit and the Princesses appear in the doorway, all three of them looking incredibly shocked to see me, Starswirl, and stuff not blowing up for a change.

“Lou? You look… you look…!” Summit starts to stutter, visibly sweating and going red.

“Better?” I ask, teasing him by swishing my tail at him. It feels good to have a tail again!

“Well, I wouldn’t say better but, uh, I well… you’re…”

I shut him up with a kiss. I’m too happy to be overly cruel right now. We stay embraced until I hear Princess Luna clearing her throat. We quickly separate and stand at attention.

“Summit filled us in a bit,” she says to me. “Is that truly Starswirl? He and Cocoon were indeed one and the same? He has stopped aggressive activity?”

“It seems that way,” I reply, trying to sound as official as I can under all this emotion. “He says the power of Animus was restored to him, allowing him to mend his fractured memories. He’s got some explaining to do, but he’s peaceful now.”

We all turn to look at Starswirl, who appears to be in conversation with Sweet Tea. I can’t hear what they’re saying or make out their faces, but the scene is peaceful. The sight even gets the Princesses to visibly loosen up.

“Well, today has sure been interesting,” Celestia says with a heavy sigh on the end. “I just hope the action is over.”

“I would not savor another fight with Animus infused Starswirl,” Luna chimes in. “I’m glad he’s appears to be on our side at any rate.”

We all start to walk to where Starswirl and Sweet Tea are talking. Their chat seems animated. In fact, it seems a little too animated. It’s okay for them to be excited or even a little frustrated, but something seems off. I chalk it up to Sweet Tea’s stubbornness when it comes to issues with Cocoon. Nothing seems off until Starswirl conjures a dagger and plunges it into Sweet Tea’s heart.

22nd: Secrets/Lies

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

At the end of the flashing lightning and rumbling thunder, Cocoon’s mind is still again. We are still standing before the iron door, but there is a major difference in the scenery. The walls and ceiling, originally dispersed about the mindscape have melded together along golden seams. I’m no longer bound to a wall and I’m able to move around. The iron door stands shut tight with Discord lain out on his back before it. He starts to get up too, rubbing his head and looking around.

“What in blazes happened out there? This is… this is!” Discord hops to his feet and begins to panic, swiveling around to take in the ivory walls and columns now in whole form. “Something mended the chaos of his mind, but that shouldn’t be possible! How did this come about?”

“Your own thirst for power brought his upon you.”

Discord and I take note of the figure that has appeared literally out of nowhere. It’s Cocoon, or rather Cooper, standing before us in some kind of white suit. His usual, disheveled appearance isn’t about him. For once his mane looks combed and his beard is trimmed.

“Cooper?” I ask, still shaken up from everything that just happened.

“Just a projection of his subconscious, but yes, it is I,” Cooper responds. He gestures out with his left arm to a door that wasn’t around previously. “It is time for you two to go.”

“That’s it?” Discord says with a snarl, marching up to Cocoon’s projection. “You’re just going to say something cryptic and boot us out? Give me one good reason I should leave!” Discord pouts as he crosses his arm. He stares Cooper down, tapping his foot impatiently while the stoic projection stares through him.

“Animus and I have been united once more.”

Discord’s expression nearly drops right off his face. He tugs at his collar and starts to chuckle nervously. Discord, the all-powerful avatar of chaos, starts inching towards the exit.

“Well, congratulations on that! I’m sure your memories will be fully healed in no time at all then! Glad I could help you out with that… but I really must be going now.” Discord crosses in front of the projection and stops. He tenses up and winces, waiting for something that never comes. After a few anticlimactic seconds, he takes another cautious step. With one hand on the doorknob, he glances at the projection. “… That’s really it then? You’re just letting me go?”

“I have my reasons.” The projection sounds completely uninterested in what’s been going on. “Besides, I know letting you off the hook is a more effective way of bothering you than getting revenge.”

“… Fine, you got me there,” Discord grumbles, opening the door up. Behind it is black nothingness, deeper and darker than any shade I’ve ever seen. Discord puts one foot in and waves good-bye to the projection. “I guess you win again, Beardy. This is probably the last we’ll be seeing of one another. Don’t you have any sentimental parting words for me? C’mon, you’re not really just going to boot me out the door like this are you?”

“You are a contemptible pile of mismatched offal and if it were in my power I would have permanently destroyed you the first chance I got,” Cooper says, his expression unchanging. He doesn’t even spare his nemesis a parting glance. “Goodbye Discord. Eternal misery is too good for you.”

“Oh, stop it. I’m just going to miss you more now.” Discord laughs, even as the darkness behind the door swallows him. As he is absorbed back into nothingness, he turns to face the specter of Cooper. “I never got a chance to ask, but I do wonder if you find solace in your sacrifice. From what I’ve heard about the bitter, old Starswirl I don’t think you do despite the big game you talk.” He cackles to himself while his neck begins to depart from Cooper’s mind.

“What is he talking about?” I ask, interrupting Discord’s speech. Neither party answers. Cooper just keeps on staring straight ahead and Discord continues to laugh as hard as he can. “What ‘sacrifice’ is he talking about?”

“Don’t feel bad, Beardy!” Discord calls, his head finally disappearing into the doorway. Before the glow of his eyes fade into blackness, he issues one final declaration: “Your only mistake was caring about someone other than yourself!”

With that, the door slams shut and Discord is gone. Now I’m alone with Cooper, or rather the projection of Cooper’s subconscious. Unlike the coyote from before, this one is stable and whole. It seems safe to say that Cooper’s mind is fixed, at least for the time being. The fracture lines are still laced with golden light, meaning the damage isn’t repaired. I can’t say I know much on the subject, but I hope they heal up soon.

“You must go as well, Chrysalis.” Cooper opens up the door Discord left out of again, but this time there is no darkness outside of it. Instead, I can see the barred off room. For some reason, it’s empty; however, there are more important matters to attend to.

“Cooper, are you really just going to let Discord go?” I ask the projection. “After all he’s done to you?”

“Yes. Discord is not the true enemy.”

“Huh? Not the true enemy?” I think when Cooper got his memories back, he forgot a few key things. “Discord summons humans to Equestria! He summoned that changeling that got you captured. And need I remind you he trashed your memory and tried to get you to destroy Equestria!”

“You are mistaken on only one account, but allow me to enlighten you.” Cooper shuts the door, but he promptly reopens it. Behind it I can see a memory being played out, so I take a few steps closer and watch the scene unfold. Up in what seems to be an observatory tower, a greying Starswirl the Bearded is staring out at the night sky. His horn flickers and the stars move and shift to his whim. He works in peace, concentrating on the work before him.

“Dearest Mentor!” The peace is suddenly shattered by a young Luna bursting into the room. Starswirl’s horn sparks suddenly, causing a star to shoot across the sky unprompted. The two ponies stand fixed in silence while a low rumble is heard off in the distance. Starswirl shoots Luna a harsh look, but the young alicorn just smiles sweetly.

“Is there something amiss, Princess?” the old wizard asks, looking back out the window and returning to his work. “I am preoccupied at the moment.”

“What are you busied with?” Luna asks just as innocently as she can. Starswirl can only sigh in defeat, even if it seems a little preemptive to me. Perhaps he knows that there is no denying the young Princess the answer to her curiosity.

“Star patterns.”

“You are making star patterns without me?” Luna exclaims, rocking the tower with her loud voice. “Mentor, please allow me to join you! I am excellent at star patterns!”

“Yes, yes, I am aware of this, Luna.” Starswirl shifts over so Luna can sit next to him and look out the window. The little Princess eagerly agrees, setting herself next to her beloved teacher.

“I can assist you, mentor!” Luna declares, looking extremely sure of herself. “Is your arrangement to bring fortune, a safe journey, or sweet dreams?”

“Why, you wound me, Luna,” Starswirl says, clutching one of his hooves to his heart. “You think your old mentor would be sitting up here by himself practicing such simple star patterns? Surely you’re not mistaking me with some half-baked wizard for I am the pony who pioneered modern star patterns.”

“Ah! I meant no disrespect, wise mentor!” Luna seems genuinely worried that she may have insulted Starswirl, but I don’t think she realizes she’s being toyed with. “Obviously you are arranging the stars to increase the power in the land’s ley lines so you may perform some incredible feat of magic later! No… you are sending an omen to some far off pony to save him from danger!”

“Perhaps you should take a look at my arrangement and tell me what it will do,” Starswirl says. He lights his horn, causing a far-off star to flash briefly. Luna concentrates on this star, lighting her own horn. The alicorn Princess looked confident, but after a short while her face twisted into pure concentration. As time went on, even that expression faded into confusion mingled with frustration.

“M-mentor… this … this… this is… complex!” Luna shouts as loud as she can on the last word, nearly rattling the stars out of arrangement. “What could possibly be the meaning of this pattern?”

“Yes, it is a rather complicated one I’ve been working on for quite some time now,” Starswirl says, staring up at the golden stars shining in the sky. “It is very important to me, so I make sure to use only my best and brightest stars.”

“I am curious about this pattern, mentor!” Luna shouts directly into Starswirl’s ear, who looks like he is used to this sort of treatment. “Had I the ability to move your stars, I would assist you!”

“No need my eager student. This pattern is complete. Why, I first arranged it in the sky a short while after meeting you and your sister.” Starswirl smiles down at the Princess beside him. “Thank you for the offer.”

“If it is done, what effect does it have on the world below?” Luna asks, her eyes glimmering brighter than the stars outside with all the possibilities. “You must tell me!”

Starswirl looks back out the window, but with a look verging on sorrow on his face. He is fighting back his emotions before his student, and I can only wonder why. With firm resolve and an even voice, he goes on to explain.

“This pattern is a guide,” he says, his tone careful and even. “It is a guidepost those who are lost. They resist the path home and if they arrive home unguided many will pine for the way back. They’ve been filled with a new hope here, but they believe that if they return home they will lose their hope. I have made this pattern they might return home with that hope in their hearts still.”

“Lost? Hope?” Luna didn’t appear to quite understand, but she could tell her mentor was very serious right now. She went back to being silent, allowing Starswirl to keep going.

“Hope and comfort are just things we feel. In the end, we don’t need to understand why we feel them. This path guides them on a path of forgetting, so they arrive home with the hope they needed to find at home all along. This changes a dire situation into a ray of hope. These stars will shine where they sit even long after I’m gone. Even though they will never lead me home, their presence brings me the same comfort.”

“You speak as if this is not your home, Mentor.” Luna sidles up closer to Starswirl and leans on him. “You aren’t planning on leaving, are you?”

I swear I hear Starswirl’s breath skip for a moment, like he was about to cry; however, he just laughs and rubs Luna’s head. He puts up a brave front in the face of something he is obviously incredibly afraid of.

“No, I am here to stay.”

The door closes, sealing the tender scene back into its piece of the past. While I can’t say I know exactly what all of that meant, I can tell exactly what Cooper wanted me to understand from this.

“Even though you found a safe way home for everyone else, you can’t go back.”

“Yes, this is the unfortunate truth of my condition,” the projection says, not showing the pain on his face. “I am the sacrificial lamb, whether I wish to accept that fate or not. Discord abducted humans through their souls, but my entire being was transferred to Equestria. I can’t go back the way I came like they do.”

“There is absolutely no way for you to return home?” I ask, but I don’t know why. If he knew a way home, he wouldn’t have said there was no way home.

“There is one way,” Cooper says, much to my surprise. “But it is completely unfeasible.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I were to restore myself to natural human form, I could send myself back to my world via a similar ceremony that brought me here in the first place. I thought the Elements of Harmony might have this power, but I found that to be untrue. There was nothing unharmonious about my unicorn form, so there was no effect. There needs to be a far more vast discrepancy between my human soul and vessel body for the Elements of Harmony to change me.”

“You’re a changeling now, aren’t you? That could be enough of a difference!” A slow shake of Cooper’s head tells me that my theory is just wishful thinking.

“It is a step in the right direction, but not far enough,” he explains. “I would need to be something like a monster from Tartarus for the Elements of Harmony to have the desired effect upon me. As I am now, the Elements would just turn me to stone as with Discord.”

“Alright, so what does all of this have to do with Discord not being the enemy?” I ask, trying to get back to the topic at hand. It’s a bit insensitive given the nature of the information I’ve just learned, but I doubt this stiff projection will mind.

“Discord is no longer a threat to my home. Anybody he brings here will return home while the joys of life in Equestria hang like pleasant dreams in their minds. Discord lashed out at me only in his bitterness for our past transgressions against one another, but he is not my main concern.”

“But he wiped your memory and turned you into a changeling!” I remind him. “You’re not going to let him just get away with that, are you?”

“That is where you’re mistaken.”

I don’t understand what Cooper is saying. There aren’t any other beings besides Discord in Equestria with the power to do something as intricate and complicated as a calculated memory wipe. Celestia and Luna might be able to do it, but that still leaves the matter of Cocoon being a changeling. I don’t think they have that sort of power.

“If it wasn’t Discord, then who did it?” I wait for the answer, but Cooper’s projection hesitates. I would assume he is thinking, but I doubt he does that. The pause frightens me, but his starting to speak scares me more.

“Think about it, Chrysalis. Why would Discord resurrect me in a wiped state so very long after my death as Starswirl? Furthermore he had been sealed away, so he wouldn’t have been able to anyway. It never made sense for the culprit to be him all along. No, Discord merely seized an opportunity created by the original memory wiper’s blunder.

“When you think about it, there is only one pony who could do this to me. Just ask yourself, who had access to Starswirl’s advanced magic? Who could gather the energy needed to perform such an extensive and powerful spell? Who has the means to create changeling royalty? Who would be glad to resurrect a version of me without knowledge of myself?”

…

“I… I guess that would be… Mother Mantis…”

“Correct.”

“But, wait! That doesn’t answer everything!” I blurt out. My mind twinges a bit and I feel fuzzy, but it only lasts a moment. It is probably nothing. “Why would Mother Mantis want you to wake up all alone? If she wanted to be with you, wouldn’t she have resurrected as well?”

“The answers will come soon enough,” Cooper says, opening the doorway to the outside again. “For now we have important business to attend to. Corrupted Starswirl has summoned a swarm to attack Canterlot. I need you to go now and intercept them!”

“What?! Why didn’t you say so in the first place!” I shout at the apparition as I head for the door. “We could have just as easily talked about all of this outside your head!”

“Forgive me,” Cooper says, his face finally changing a bit. “The situation out here is getting heated and my mind is still a bit of a mess. It has taken me a little while to reconnect my consciousness with my restored subconscious. Go stop the swarm, please! If they arrive, I’m afraid we will have a very difficult time from here on out.”

“Right!” I shout, hopping through the door. “Just take care of yourself until I get back!” The world of Cooper, Starswirl, and Cocoon’s mind fades behind me in a flash of white. Before I fully return to reality, I hear one last thing.

“Stay safe, dear friend.”

“Cocoon! What is the meaning of this?” The words fly from Luna’s mouth, breaking the silence after Sweet Tea’s limp body falls to the ground. I’m surprised she can talk because everypony else is speechless. Summit and I can only stare on in confusion while Celestia grits her teeth and glares at… well… who? Cocoon? Starswirl? Someone else entirely?

“I apologize,” he says, dropping his dagger to the ground and facing us. The weapon shatters into golden dust the moment it hits the ground. With open arms, he approaches us. He must have some kind of explanation, some reason for what he’s done. I wait to hear it. “I didn’t mean for you to see that.”

“Your deceit knows no boundaries, does it?” Luna asks, but she isn’t looking for an answer. Out of all of us, she seems to know best where she stands. “You attack our home. You tarnish the name of our mentor. You kill an innocent pony! I can scarcely imagine a creature more sinister than you.”

“Scarcely, huh? So there is still hope.” Cocoon’s sick sense of humor is definitely present, but I still can’t believe the person before us is evil. He needs to explain himself. Why doesn’t he explain himself?

“Why did you kill her, Cocoon?” I shout, unbidden. “That goes against everything you believe, right? Why would you keep her from going home?” It’s a cold, cold night out tonight, but it’s Cocoon who has put the chill into the air. As a changeling king, he would flee in the face of danger. As a mad wizard, he talked big until he had to turn tail. As an all-powerful master of the arcane, he doesn’t look like he will yield. Even if he is on our side somehow, he is still the most dangerous iteration of Cocoon to date.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t divulge why I had to do what I did,” Cocoon tells us. “I will not lie to you, but neither can I tell the truth. This is a secret Sweet Tea has taken to her grave, and I will too.”

“If it’s about that, just explain yourself! We can’t help you if you’re our enemy!” I implore him, but his mind seems made up. It is possible that he made it up long, long ago before we even met. Starswirl the Bearded may keep far more secrets than King Cocoon ever did.

“You know too much as it stands. If you pursue the issue, you can share your fate with Sweet Tea.”

Honesty is out of the question, so kindness is off the table. Cocoon has drawn his battle lines, lines he will not tolerate even his allies crossing. Rather, Cocoon has no allies; he is all on his own now. That’s what happens when you bite the hoof that feeds you.

“I’ve heard all I need to,” Celestia says, stepping forward. “I didn’t take the threat of your existence seriously enough, Cocoon. In your short rule, you’ve caused us more trouble than any other changeling monarch in history! This is now the second time I’ve paid the price for underestimating a changeling, and it’ll be a dark day before I allow a third!”

“Fighting me is a mistake, Princesses,” Cocoon warns them. “If you leave me to go about my business here, King Cocoon will be a name that plagues you no more; however, I can only foresee more strife if you engage me now. If a promise of peace doesn’t sway your decision, then allow me to remind you that a duel between us will not be a case of students surpassing their mentor.”

“Drop the Starswirl act, Cocoon. You’re growing more insane by the day,” Luna says, stepping up to engage the thing she considers her mentor’s impersonator. “He was an upstanding wizard and you are a stain on the face of Equestria. I don’t know how you marred the heavens with your magic, but I will prevent any further transgressions by silencing you here.”

“I am of one mind with my sister on this issue.” Celestia joins her sister and confronts Cocoon right on the line of battle. Both alicorns light their horns and flair their wings. “I can’t even begin to wonder what you believe you’re going to gain from posing as our teacher; however, Starswirl taught us to defend our home until the bitter end, so if you’re who you claim to be you can’t hold this against us. We will defend Equestria from all who threaten her, and that means you.”

“Very well, let us take the matter of my being Starswirl or not off the board. What you are proposing to fight against is unlike anything you’ve ever come across.” Cocoon extends his hand, gathering energy into it. He focuses it into a single ball, which he divides into two smaller balls. He divides those balls as well, and he keeps doing so until they are almost too many to count and too small to see. “Changeling Armor synthesizes with a changeling’s magical pathways, opening them up further and allowing the wearer to bypass many magic consuming detours. Internal and external magical flow not only increase in speed but also in efficiency. By attaching a source of energy other than my own body for the armor to feed on, I have undermined its greatest weakness. The armor now supplements my own energy, forging a symbiotic relationship rather than a parasitic one. In one fell swoop, I have increased my magical capacity, magical control, and magical output to levels on roughly par with your own.”

“It’s still two on one, Cocoon,” Luna says to him. “You might be powerful, but you’re not even ‘roughly’ equipped to take on two alicorns.”

“Ah, but I have yet to showcase my defensive capabilities.” Cocoon clenches his hand, dispelling the tiny specks of magic surrounding it. “Armor is armor, my dear princesses. The high rate of power traveling through this suit of armor makes it nearly impossible to harm my actual body. Go ahead and throw a building at me. I won’t even feel it, and I’ve already told you why it is within my power to toss it right back to you. Can your crowns protect you like this armor protects me?”

I can see the Princesses faltering a little. Cocoon has always been a tough customer, but he’s in excellent form today. He broke into Canterlot, fought off the Royal Guards with an army of shadows, and made himself a souped-up suit of armor. If I was in their shoes, I think I might back down. Then again, what could he want with all that power?

“However, you don’t need to worry,” Cocoon says all of a sudden, as if he’s interested in being friendly. “I wouldn’t dream of harming my brightest students. If you choose to fight me, I will merely use it is a stage to demonstrate that I am indeed Starswirl the Bearded.”

“Then perform!” With that warning, Luna fires a bolt of energy right at Cocoon. The moment it explodes on him feels like the exact some moment it was shot. The whole thing is over so quickly I can hardly believe it.

“Strange…”

Yeah, I shouldn’t have believed it.

“You always listened so well, Luna. If you want to hurt me, you’ve got to really mean it.” Cocoon stands in the smoke unharmed. Actually, it looks like he got his ego hurt a little; he was probably hoping for a grander attack to start things out. “Would you like to take a shot, Celes-”

Cocoon doesn’t finish offering Celestia her free shot before she takes it. She’s a faster draw than even Luna, blasting Cocoon with a solid beam of energy. Even after the beam of solar energy strikes and explodes, she keeps on firing. She keeps it up for so long I’m afraid she’s going to hurt herself. After a solid number of seconds, she finally lets up, allowing the smoke to clear.

“Come now, the point of this exercise is to try magic that isn’t so pedestrian.” Cocoon is still around, looking as unimpressed as ever. “Look, I’ll write this off as you simply testing my defensive capabilities, so show me some real magic.”

Celestia and Luna look completely flabbergasted. Both of them seem to be at a loss for what to do in this situation. I’m beginning to lose faith that we can fight Cocoon like this.

“Fine, I see a demonstration is in order. Watch closely.” Cocoon points a finger skyward. There is a flash of energy the nearly blinds me and then I see it floating above Cocoon’s finger: a star. In less than a second, he’s pulled off a spell that took him a lot more time and effort to pull off. “From my bestseller ‘Starswirl’s Guide to Using the Arcane to Crush your Enemies and Impress your Friends Volume Three’, it’s Arcane Shooting Star!”

Bracing for the impact would have done us little good. Cocoon missed the Princesses by such a small margin he must have done it on purpose. The star flew past us, into the castle, and exploded with a tremendous burst of light and force. We all turn to see the destruction left in its wake, and it is absolute.

“I like that spell’s name because not only is a shooting star a thing but it’s literally a star specifically for shooting.”

I do hope Cocoon and Starswirl are the same person because it would be terrible to know it’s possible for two ponies to have the same terrible sense of humor.

“Anyone can read a book, Cocoon,” Luna says in response, regaining her composure. For some reason, she looks leagues more confident than before. “That’s hardly proof that you’re Starswirl.”

“Now that you’ve shown your hand, we know how to deal with you,” Celestia says, also looking far more confident. “As we suspected, you’ve got a strange fixation on arcane magic. Starswirl was the same, but his level of skill made it practical for him. All you need to make a star is an over-abundance of energy and a little instruction. I’m sorry Cocoon, but making stars was a parlor trick for Starswirl the Bearded.”

“Oh?” Cocoon actually sounds impressed now, which I’m not sure is a good thing. “So you were just testing me. I see I’ll have to step up my game, but it is now your turn to try and impress me.”

“You’ll regret giving us a free shot after this!” Luna shouts. “Ready sister?”

“Always!”

In what I’m sure is a rare sight, the Royal Sisters touch horns and combine their magic. The light they put out is greater than anything Cocoon has provided thus far, throwing multicolored rays all about the battlefield. From the point their horns are touching, a tendon of energy lashes out. Cocoon actually raises an arm in defense, but the tendon just wraps around it. Once he is in its grasp, it wraps around the rest of his body and fully restrains him.

“My, my! This is a new trick,” he says, but the attack isn’t through with him yet. The tendril whips upwards and tosses Cocoon high into the air. He just keeps going, up and up until we can’t even see him anymore. Back down in Equestria, the two sisters separate their glowing horns and face opposite directions. Swiftly and suddenly, they whip their horns towards each other, crossing them and making the sky flash with magical energy.

Up in the sky, many twinkling lights can be seen coming into existence that are not stars. They get bigger and bigger until they are at last identifiable as large, flaming meteors. All of them converge and crash onto a single point, which I can only assume was where Cocoon was. Even after all the talking he did about his armor, I doubt he could make it through all of that.

“Well, that takes care of that,” Luna says with a satisfied smile, putting on a pair of sunglasses to watch the small chunks of meteor and Cocoon burn as they fell. The display whole display was impressive to say the least, but for some reason it didn’t feel quite right to me. I kept watching the firestorm.

On piece of debris seemed to refuse to fizzle out as it fell. It fell and fell and just kept burning, and it seemed to be coming our way. As it got closer, I became fairly certain it was headed right towards us. In fact, it’s flight pattern seemed to curve right at us. We all watched as the ball of fire came to a graceful, skidding halt in front of us. With a golden flash, the flames were doused, revealing the thing clapping its hands hiding underneath.

“Now that was pretty impressive.”

I don’t think any of us can believe he’s still alive. I can’t even think of how he’s still alive. Nothing should have made it out alive of that attack. The Princesses look like they’re looking at a ghost, and part of me wishes we were. Cocoon is back, however, and he is applauding our attempt to kill him.

“Those were antimage restraints of the highest caliber, very impressive. Falling from so high would’ve been incredibly painful even for me, but the meteors were an inspired addition too. That’s the kind of ingenuity that makes me proud that I’m your teacher. Top notch sorcery ladies. You’ve gotten your point across: arcane magic isn’t all there is.”

“How did you survive?” Celestia asks, her astonishment clear from her voice. “There’s no way you could have escaped.”

“I didn’t escape,” Cocoon says very plainly. “I was served on a silver platter, no doubt about that. Those meteors surprised me so much I almost didn’t have time to defend myself.”

“How could you have defended yourself? You should’ve been completely silenced!” Luna shouted, casting her sunglasses aside and stamping on them.

“How many times have I said this: silencing only disrupts external magical flow. I couldn’t throw up a shield to defend myself or shoot lasers to destroy the meteors, but I had all my internal tools to draw upon. Normally this is pointless, but for me the area between my body and my armor counts as external space. I just covered myself in superhot flames and melted the meteors before they touched me. You may want to consider enhancing the magical bindings so they don’t disappear after your target has been allegedly crushed by space rock.”

“Don’t you dare try to lecture us!” Luna shouts, no doubt fed up with having the impersonator of her old mentor trying to actually mentor her. She lights her horn and with a single flash a bomb with a lit fuse appears in Cocoon’s hands.

“Now this… not so inspired.”

With another flash a metal safe appears with Cocoon clearly visible through the open door. Luna magics the door shut and spins the dial on the front, locking it in place. After a second or two, the safe rattles and jumps a few feet in the air. After landing and smoking a little, the safe poofs away. Cocoon is still standing there, his hands outstretched and holding the detonated bomb. Other having his entire front side covered in ash, he appears to be unscathed.

“Please tell me you’re going to drop an anvil on me next,” Cocoon says. He heaves a heavy sigh before crossing his arms and shaking his head disapprovingly at Luna. “Or will it be a piano first and then an anvil? You were doing so well, don’t hold out on me now.”

“We’ve yet to see any truly impressive display from you,” Celestia says. “Weren’t you supposed to prove to us that you are beyond a doubt the tried and true Starswirl?”

“Sounds like an invitation to me.” Cocoon surrounds himself with magic and then pulls it off, removing all the ash from his body. The ash stays in a concentrated ball in front of Cocoon, which he promptly fires right at Luna. She ducks, allowing it to pass harmlessly over her head. She sticks her tongue out to taunt Cocoon, but with a wave of his hand he boomerangs the ball into the back of her head. The ash explodes out and covers her. It’s a real shame that her mouth was open.

“Alright, so you two want infallible proof?” Cocoon asks, gathering energy in his hands in preparation for some spell. “How about a little unpublished magic? The kind of stuff I thought was too dangerous for normal ponies to wield? There’s quite a bit of it to choose from, but I believe I know one that really leaves an impact! From the depths of the Forbidden Arcacol, this is Arcane Black Surge!”

Cocoon’s hands sound like a thunderclap has he rams them together, generating such a massive gust of wind we all have to brace ourselves to keep from sliding back. The wind is the least of our concerns, as pitch black smoke clouds erupt out of Cocoon’s hands as well. Before we can get out of the way, we’re all encased in boiling, sightless darkness. The smoke pushes out the air little by little. First it is hard to breathe, then it is painful, and finally impossible. All there is to breathe is soot and poison. There is no calling for help or searching for a way out. Between the burning and absence of air, I can feel my will to live slipping away. I can feel myself blacking out, all the while cursing the existence of forbidden magic.

Then a miracle occurs. The smoke disappears and with one breath I fill my lungs with clean air. A few more seconds in there, and I know it would have been game over. I cough to clear the pollution from my lungs while I listen to the Princesses and Summit do the same. True to his word, Cocoon has spared us.

“I hope you’ve learned a lesson from all of this,” he says, standing over us with his arms crossed. He sounds angry now, frustrated that he had to dangle us over the edge and pull us back over. He has displayed is power again while simultaneously keeping his promise of mercy. The ball is in our corner.

“Okay, that was pretty good,” Luna says, getting back on her hooves. “But it doesn’t prove anything, Cocoon. You can’t prove that spell is within the Forbidden Arcacol.”

“Ah… well… no, I suppose I couldn’t without defeating the purpose of there even being a Forbidden Arcacol,” Cocoon says, scratching his chin with a finger. He puzzled a little longer before giving up. “Trust me, it’s in there.”

“What in blazes is the Forbidden Arcacol?” Summit asks, being the only non-magic user around right now. It isn’t exactly common knowledge, but among circles of mages these things get talked about sometimes.

“The Forbidden Arcane Collection,” Celestia speaks the full, proper name of the book in question. “A heavy guarded book written in a coded language of Starswirl’s design. Hundreds of arcane spells of destructive or devious nature are written inside. He did not wish these spells to be lost to time, but he also didn’t want them being misused. He decided if they were every truly needed, the virtuous of Equestria could take the time to interpret the book. The world has been peaceful, so the book has never been opened.

“Now Cocoon, just because you whip out this unknown, powerful spell doesn’t mean it is in the Forbidden Arcacol. There is also the possibility that you decoded it somehow. If you could perform the spells, it would certainly be in your interest.”

“Oh come now Celestia!” Cocoon stamps his foot and shouts at us. “Why would I go through the trouble of decoding the Forbidden Arcacol just to nearly kill you with and then spare you? If I wanted you out of the picture or meant you any real harm, I would have dozens of better ways up my sleeves! The fact of the matter is that it just doesn’t make sense for me to be pretending!”

“No Cocoon, you’re wrong,” Celestia says. She marches up to him, forcing him to back up from her. “You only need us to believe it would make no sense. You must have something to gain by fooling us. Maybe we don’t know what it us, but that hardly matters. The fact is, we don’t have any reason to trust you. You could not kill us with every spell in the Forbidden Arcacol and it wouldn’t make a difference.”

Cocoon backs up some more and stares at the ground. He’s struggling in earnest to do something, that much is clear. There are so many conflicting signals that it’s impossible to gauge what he’s up to. When it all comes down it it, Celestia is right: Cocoon can’t be trusted. His history of hiding the truth is too extensive. If he wants to be believed, he’ll have to start with far less wild claims.

“… I suppose you have a point,” Cocoon says, perhaps finally seeing reason. “The history of King Cocoon doesn’t really merit me a second chance, does it? Ah… if only you were like faithful Animus, coming just when his father calls him…”

“… Animus?”

Luna and Celestia share a glance, and I can see hope reflected in their eyes. They turn to us quickly and speak urgently.

“Did Cocoon truly call down a star he called Animus?” Celestia asks. “Please, this is very important.”

“Summit told us that was the case, but we need to be absolutely certain. If it’s true, we might have a chance of stopping Cocoon right here and now,” Luna says. The Princesses stare at us and suddenly the fate of Equestria might just sit in our hooves. We have to be certain now. There is no room for second guessing.

“He definitely talked at length about a star called Animus,” Summit tells them.

“He shouted that name at the sky and a star certainly fell down and transformed him,” I say to the group. “Before and after the transformation, he kept talking about it. He could be bluffing, but if we’re going with the theory that he’s gone through a lot of trouble to be authentic…”

“Then we’ve got one shot at this.”

Celestia and Luna turn back to Cocoon, who is still staring at the ground and talking to himself.

“You’re wise to put your faith in Animus, Cocoon,” Luna says, her horn charging as her eyes start glowing. Next to her, Celestia does the same. “He really does come when he is called!”

Before Cocoon can put two and two together, the Princesses’ horns fire out bolts of energy. He lifts his arms in defense again, but the bolts don’t strike him. Instead, they burn the air around him, carving runic circles all about him. In a heartbeat, Cocoon finds himself trapped inside the floating circles of some advanced magic. He slams a hand against them, but they don’t budge. He fires magic, but it fizzles out at the box’s boundries.

“No… no… anything but this!” Cocoon cries in despair. “You mustn’t do this! I’ve been so focused on battle, I’ve yet to fully repair my mind! Extract Animus now and this will have been a zero sum game! King Cocoon will return! ”

“That sounds like a threat, doesn’t it Celestia?”

“Whatever you are biding time for, the clock has run out on,” Celestia says. “After this, there will be no more mercy. You’ve nowhere left to run and nopony to turn to…”

Celestia stops when she realizes she is having to yell over a strange buzzing sound rising from the distance. It only takes one look out at the horizon to see what’s coming.

“Changeling swarm!” Luna shouts. Even Cocoon spins around to look at the approaching cloud of bugs at his back. For whatever reason, he falls to his knees.

“But… if they’re here… that means,” he says just barely loud enough for me to hear. Still on his knees, he spins around and put his hands against the walls of his cage. “Chrysalis! What has happened to Chrysalis?”

Once again, something isn’t right. Cocoon should be celebrating. Even if we take Animus away from him, his swarm has arrived and he’s got the advantage again. Now he’s suddenly concerned about Chrysalis?

“Princess Celestia!” I can’t believe I’m about to do this. “Maybe we should let him go.”

“That is not an option,” she says, but I can’t blame her. It’s not that she doesn’t trust me, but she sure as anything doesn’t trust Cocoon. Now that he’s right where she wants him, his fate is sealed.

“No, you must set me free!” Cocoon yells at us, sounding so genuinely distraught that I feel justified in believing him. “If I lose my memories again, I doubt I will turn the swarm back. Please, just let me turn away the swarm and I will willingly submit to being a prisoner!”

“Please, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, let him go!” I continue to plead with them. “Whoever he claims to be or whatever lie he is telling us today, I assure you he is not our enemy! Free him, and I will accept all responsibility if anything goes awry!”

“No she will not,” Summit says, stepping up between me and Celestia. He puts a wing between me and the Princess and turns to her. “The blame will fall on me, your majesties. Let Cocoon free.”

Both Princesses stare us for what feels like an eternity, their eyes still glowing and their spell still holding. They look at each other, staying silent all the while. With the swarm growing closer and closer, I wish they would make a decision.

The cage fades around Cocoon, setting him free once again.

“Thank you! I promise, you have made the right decision!” he calls to us as he runs for the edge of the observatory. He jumps off, even though I explicitly remember him saying on one or two occasions that he is incapable of flight. That doesn’t seem to be the case, however, as he simply floats off towards the swarm. Celestia and Luna take off after him, flying at a safe distance behind.

“C’mon, let’s go,” Summit says, picking me off the ground and flying after them too. This isn’t my first flight, but I’m still not very gung-ho about this whole being hundreds of feet off the ground thing. I trust Summitplunge, but I’m still scared out of my wits. It doesn’t help that I’m frightened that we just set a monster free.

The swarm is dangerously close now, but Cocoon bursts ahead of us to meet them. He stops short of them and throws his arms out wide.

“Halt!”

All at once, the entire swarm stops moving forward. This is either very good or very bad. The next words out of his mouth will determine everything. This is either were we get betrayed or we find salvation. I haven’t the slightest idea which way this will go.

“This is an absolute order to be carried out immediately directly from your monarch!” Cocoon shouts at the changelings, his arms still outstretched. “Return to The Hive. The order to attack is being revoked.”

Without one word of protest or moment of hesitation, an entire swarm of changelings turns around and goes back the way it came. I can hardly believe it, but I’m glad it’s true. Once again, Cocoon has pulled us back from over the edge of oblivion. We all watch as the swarm gets farther and farther away until they are just a distant, dark cloud.

“Okay… that was too close,” Summit says, with a few forced chuckles. “I’m not entirely certain how much fun being responsible for Canterlot’s destruction would be.”

“You were real brave,” I tell him, stretching up to kiss him on the cheek. He blushes, of course, and chuckles some more.

“W-wait! Stop!”

Cocoon’s sudden shouting brings us back to reality. We worry that he’s yelling at his swarm, but once we see the spell box around him we know what he’s worried about.

“I submit, but you must not separate me from Animus!” Cocoon pleads once again. “If we part, I will lose all my memories again! King Cocoon will return!”

“Celestia, what’s the meaning of this?” Summit asks, turning us towards the Princesses. They are powered up again, with stern expressions on their faces. “This isn’t what we agreed on!”

“We never said we would not remove Animus if we freed him,” Celestia says, no compassion in her voice. “Swarm or no swarm, he is a threat as he is now.”

“Please, you’ve got to listen to him!” I tell them. “I remember he said something… something about his memories coming back after he transformed. After that, he stopped attacking us! In the forest, Cocoon complained constantly of feeling like he was missing memories!”

“That’s right!” Summit says, backing me up. “Look, he told us a lot of things while we were in the forest. If you knew what we knew, you might understand why he has to keep things secret. If you trust him, you won’t have to fear him!”

“I hear your pleas, my subjects. Perhaps there are truths in the shadows we cannot see,” Celestia says. She turns to Cocoon. “However, our choice is to neither trust nor fear him.”

As Animus was ripped from Cocoon’s body, he yelled something nopony could hear.

“Poor Cooper, fate has been unkind to you.”

I am standing before a mirror, but my reflection is speaking while I’m quite. The odd thing is, my reflection is my old, human self while I am in this changeling body.

“Don’t you mean, unkind to us?” I ask myself, but my reflection just shakes its head. I have no idea what is going on.

“My time here is short, Cooper,” my reflection tells me. I’m suddenly very aware that there is no mirror and we are just floating in white space. There are other things floating here too. Floating hallways and doors being ripped apart by golden sparks. “We are forgetting once again.”

“Wait, what do you mean? Did I remember something?”

“I remembered everything.”

“Don’t you mean we remembered everything?” I ask, but once again my reflection just shakes his head.

“No, you represent the portion of memories that will resurface when we regain consciousness.” He can say that, but it doesn’t make any sense. “I didn’t have time to fully repair our memories, so I am using what little moments we have to recover some key things.”

“Like what?” I ask, eager to remember anything I can. “Please, tell me!”

“First, some smaller details of our past,” he says to me. “Before we were King Cocoon of the Changelings, we were Starswirl the Bearded.”

“What?! How? Why? And if I was why-”

“Please, time is short. I must tell you what you need to know for the next step.”

I stop asking questions and shut my mouth, resolved to just listen.

“As Starswirl the Bearded, you have a strong connection to stars and starlight. To that effect, you can utilize the power of the stars. Unfortunately, the knowledge of how to use your old stars is lost to you; however, the star you created as King Cocoon, Draco, will listen to your calls. It is small, but it should be enough.

“There is a book in the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Canterlot Library called The Forbidden Arcane Collection, The Forbidden Arcacol. It is full of spells you created, which means you will remember them upon simply reading the text of the book. The book is heavily encrypted so ponies cannot read it, but you should have no trouble. Go there and read the book for you may require the use of exceptional combat magic in the near future.

“Before that, I am transferring the memory of the spell Reverse Memory Wipe. Despite the name, you cannot use it to restore your own memories. Go back to the mirror and look for Chrysalis, and if you find her use the spell on her.”

“W-wait,” I say. I can’t help but interrupt here. “I didn’t wipe her memories. What’s the point of that?”

“That will become clear once you’ve done it.” It seems what my reflection can tell me really is limited. If I needed to know, he would have explicitly told me. I’ve gotta trust… well, myself I guess.

“Continuing on, this next piece of information is very sensitive. For the people who have been brought here by Discord, the only way they can return is through death. Their souls were brought here through a tear Discord maintains, so when they lose their body in Equestria they just go back the way they came. Due to your efforts, their memories will fade into what feels like a dull dream upon returning. In this way, they return safe and sound. You on the other hand will not return home if you die… so don’t die.”

I think that last part went without saying, but this is comforting information. This means I didn’t actually kill Sparrow, I sent him home! That’s good news for sure!

“Now you’re probably wondering why you’re a special case. My last gift to you before I depart is a very important memory. More specifically, this is the memory of how you actually ended up in Equestria. Before I show you this I am inclined to warn you… this memory is not pleasant.”

“Lay it on me… uh, me!” I tell my reflection. “Good or bad I need to remember!”

“I knew I would understand,” I say to myself. “Just remember, I will wake up after I’m done viewing this.”

My own reflection disappears as the surface of the mirror is replaced by a door. I grab the knob and pull the door open. In that instant, I begin to relive the most important day of my life.

I can’t find Roger and now it is raining. The weather is rather appropriate, but who gives a shrimp about proper weather in real life? Just let it be a partly cloudy night. Partly cloudy can be depressing too.

I used to say “I can’t believe Roger ran off again,” but now I don’t bother. I technically don’t have to be the one to track him down. I could call campus safety and they’d bring out the SUVs and drive around looking for him. On the other hand, I forgot my phone. I’m starting to get worried. I’m seriously worried this time. It’s been too long and his car isn’t in the parking lot. I checked twice.

Now I’m running back towards the dorm just so I can check if he is back in the room. I know the answer is no, but I might as well grab my raincoat and my phone. I kind of feel like I’m about to be a father as the words “this is it, this is gonna be the one” keep replaying in my brain. Ever since Olivia… left, I’ve been afraid this might happen. Heck, I’ve been warned this might happened. Roger has been taking the stuff she said before it happened way too seriously these days. He’s slipping away and I’m running around in the rain complaining about it because that’s the only thing that keeps me from panicking.

I get to the dorm, and low and behold Carmen is standing outside. Even in the rain she is hanging out under the awning to smoke. I gotta give that girl some credit, even if she does piss me off.

“Hey, Carmen!” I call to her, trying to get her attention. She looks up at me, but she doesn’t say anything. Perhaps running around in the rain like a madman isn’t enough to tip her off that the situation calls for a little urgency.

“What?” She says, taking her cigarette out of her mouth briefly to spare a word for me. I’m not sure whether I’m happy or sad she hasn’t broken out the sarcasm yet.

“Have you… seen Roger?” I ask her, out of breath from running around. She takes another drag of her cigarette, the smoke from which is not making this needing oxygen thing a lot of fun.

“He literally just drove past.”

“Please tell me you’re serious.”

“No, I’m not lying, jerkwad.” She blows smoke in my face. I fan it away while she takes precious time out of her night to talk to me. “It was his truck and him in the driver’s seat. He drove past before you came running up. He didn’t park in the lot out front, but he’s on campus. You can call off the search party.”

“I hadn’t called it on yet,” I tell her. I leave out the part where I forgot my phone. “God! That guy needs to tell me before he disappears.”

“You’re way too uptight,” Carmen says, not that I asked her. “He’s a big boy and can take care of himself. I think it’s been long enough that we’re out of the danger zone.”

“… You think so?” I ask, to which I get a nod in return. “So I guess that means you’ve been holding up okay?”

“Whoa? Concern for little old me?” she says, cracking a smile. “Don’t hurt yourself, cowboy.”

“Hey, I’m trying to be nice!” I raise my voice in a kind of not-nice way, but I swear she started it. “I mean… it’s good that you’re doing fine. I am happy that you are alright.”

“Thank you, Cooper,” she says. I don’t think she has ever used my name before. It feels weird. “So what about you?”

“What about me?”

“So how about how are you doing?” she asks out of the blue.

“What about me? I wasn’t t-”

“No, Cooper, don’t even try.” Carmen is serious all of a sudden and I feel like I’m in a corner for some reason. “If you wanna real-talk right now, we gotta talk about you. Olivia was your friend for like ever, right? Before she knew Roger and way before she knew me. I’m not a psychologist, but I know what a coping mechanism is and your habit of chasing Roger around is for sure one. When are you going to confront your feelings about this? You can fight Roger’s demons until the sun comes up, but that doesn’t mean you’ve conquered your own.”

“Shut up.”

Carmen is right, and I know it. I mourned her death properly, that much I know is true, but I know that I haven’t really sorted out how I feel about the circumstances surrounding her death. No… that’s not quite right. I know how I feel… I just… I just…

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why not?”

“Because… because it’s not right.”

“What… what’s not right?” Carmen asks, but I stay silent.

“Hey, hey, look at me.” She grabs my shirt and tugs me towards her. She knocks the ash of the end of her cigarette outside the awning and puts it back in her mouth. “Whatever it is you’re thinking, you can tell me. I have an incredibly low opinion of you, so it won’t hurt me. It does a lot of good to hear yourself just say it.”

By all logic, I should just tear my arm away and go look for Roger. Rather, if I want to keep avoiding this conversation that is what I should do. It’s not like I can do it forever. As long as I live, Olivia will have done what she did and people will ask me how I feel about that. I’ll test the waters, I guess. I’ll tell Carmen and I’ll see what happens.

“To be honest,” I start, but it’s hard. My throat kinda hurts. “I feel cheated, in a sense. It’s like, she just decided it would be okay if she just left forever without consulting the rest of us. I think it’s wrong to say I hate her for it, but I think I do. I don’t understand, so I’m angry. I want to honor her memory and remember the good things though, so I just tend to Roger’s wounds. He needs more help than I do, so I give it to him. I’m not sure how to move beyond what I’m feeling… I don’t know how to forgive her.”

With that, it’s all out in the open. I wait for Carmen to say something, but she is silent. She watches me and says nothing and I have no idea whether it is because she has nothing to say or because she needs to think about it. Either way, I’m failing to see the benefits of bearing all right now. Saying how I feel makes me feel terrible.

“I guess… I can get where you’re coming from.” Carmen says the last thing I expect her to. She doesn’t look particularly moved or touched, but when does she ever? I should be grateful she even graced my confession with a response, an empathetic one to boot. “You wish she had said something to you, that way you could have at least let your opinion be heard, right? You’re her good friend, so you thought she would consider your feelings before making such a big decision.”

“Yeah… yeah, that’s it exactly!” She does get it! She does get where I’m coming from! “And it’s not just me! It’s you and Roger and her parents and everyone and all the rest! If she just let us know or if I could have just read the signs enough to have known to say something… maybe things would be different. In the end… I’m mad at myself too. Did I not make it clear that if she stayed here, she would’ve had my support no matter what? Was I a good enough friend? What should I have done?”

I realize I’m crying right now and also that Carmen is hugging me. When I try to figure out why I realize I am also hugging her. This is kinda confusing, but now I’m starting to feel what she was talking about. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I still feel angry, guilty, and sad, but that will only change in time. Now is when I start to move on.

“Man… this sucks,” I say, sniffing back a few tears. We break our hug and I wipe my eyes. “No one should have to go through this.”

“Amen to that,” Carmen says, laughing a bit in what I think is her attempt to lighten the mood.

“If it were within my power, I’d prevent it from happening again,” I tell her, completely serious. “I know it won’t bring her back, but then I’d be able to forgive myself.”

“If that’s the case, you’ll never forgive yourself.” Carmen is pretty smart, or something. In reality, I guess I’ve never really talked to her like this. It’s actually kind of nice. “But hey, you don’t need to forgive anyone tonight. Time heals all wounds and all the jazz.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” I tell her, which I’m sure she’s happy to hear. “Thanks a lot.”

“Like I said, don’t hurt yourself, cowboy,” she says, lighting up another cigarette for herself. “You’d better say something in character before I actually start to like you.”

“You should quit smoking.”

“Mmm… close, but that’s showing concern for me.” She takes a deep drag of her cigarette. “And no.”

“It decreases your lifespan,” I tell her.

“Yeah, well, so does worrying.”

“Now who’s showing concern for who?” I ask, but she just wiggles her eyebrows at me. I have no idea what that means, but I laugh anyway. She laughs too.

“Ah, speak of the devil,” she says, looking out into the rain. “There goes Roger.”

I look out where she is looking. Roger is walking off the campus with a big bag over his back. It’s hard to tell from this far away, but he looks like he’s been rolling in the mud.

“What is he up to?” I ask, not to anyone in particular.

“Cooper.”

I look over at Carmen. She’s got this look on her face like she is incredibly worried and then it suddenly hits me why: Something is way off.

“I’m going to go catch up with him. Can you call campus safety?”

“Sure, just be careful,” she says, and she’s still so freaked out she’s freaking me out.

“Hey, stop showing so much concern for me,” I tell her in a kind of weird attempt to reassure her. “I’ll be right back to tell you Roger is just being Roger, so stick around, alright?”

Carmen makes a strained attempt to smile.

“I’ll keep the sexual tension right where it is.”

With the weirdest sendoff I’ve ever received, I follow after Roger in the rain. I don’t know what he’s carrying around, but he’s a strong guy so I don’t doubt he can move quickly with it in tow. I take off after him just as quick as I can, and that’s pretty quick if I do say so myself.

Of course, it’s dark and rainy and I’ve got no idea where Roger has gotten off to. I can only follow what seems to be the logical path to take. This leads me away from campus and towards the park, but he’s still nowhere to be seen. I keep going into the woods and I start calling after him.

He doesn’t respond, but I catch a glimpse of his red jacket moving between the trees. I kick it in and go after him, determined to figure out whatever it is he’s after. I’m getting to the bottom of this tonight.

When I find him, he’s huddled under some forgotten gazebo on the side of a trail in desperate need of care. The five concrete pillars of the structure are lit up with candlelight, and someone has scrawled something on each of them in different colors of chalk. I’m willing to bet that someone is Roger. He stands in the middle, staring at me wide eyed and holding the bag at his side.

“Hey man… whatcha up to?” I’m gonna be honest here… I’ve never really been good with this kind of thing. It’s only become a part of my daily life fairly recently, so cut me some slack. I’m scared out of my wits this time. There’s Roger weird, and then there’s this.

“Coops… I’m glad you’re here,” he says to me. I can’t tell if that’s rain on his face or if he’s been crying. “I thought I might have to do this alone.”

“Do what alone?” My eyes flick to the bag and then back to him. It’s a big bag and it looks heavy, soaked with rain and covered in dirt. “What’s in the bag?”

“Oh… this?” He looks down at what he’s carrying. He opens up the top and peers inside. “You wanna see?”

I can’t nod or shake my head, but Roger goes ahead and reaches inside. He grunts and struggles with the damp bag, having trouble removing whatever he’s put in there. Eventually he just gets frustrated and hoists if over his head. The bag is overturned, and out of the top falls… falls…

…

A saddle.

“Roger? … God! What the hell, man?! You scared me to death!”

“What? It’s just a saddle,” he says, like it isn’t a huge deal. I guess a saddle is no big deal, even though I have no idea why he has one or where he got it. Judging by the sketchy means of transportation and abundance of dirt, theft might be involved.

“Dude, if you’ve got a saddle in your bag and I ask ‘what’s in the bag,’ just say ‘a saddle, that’s what.’ Don’t be all weird about it!” I yell at him, both because I’m glad it really is just a saddle and because I’m still scared half to death over all of this. “Honestly, dude…”

Roger may not be listening to me. He has cast aside the sack and set the saddle in the middle of the gazebo’s concrete floor. It doesn’t lay flat because of the flaps, but Roger sits down on it anyway with his legs spread out awkwardly. It stops raining rather suddenly and he pats the back of the saddle.

“Room for one more!”

Now we are both sitting on this saddle and I’m sure we look absolutely ridiculous. I take a look another look around the gazebo as we sit in silence. In the candlelight, I can make out the images Roger has no doubt drawn on the pillars: an apple, a butterfly, a diamond, a balloon, and a lightning bolt. Had I noticed what they were sooner, I probably wouldn’t have assumed he was about to perform some satanic ritual. This seems more like a ritual to summon a five year old girl.

“Hmm… maybe it isn’t that simple,” Roger says out of the blue. “I’m sure it would have happened by now.”

“We’re waiting for something?” I ask him. I can’t even begin to image what he is expecting to happen.

“I was sure if I did this I could go where Olivia went.”

“Roger…” This is painful. My good friend is lost in his delusions and I can’t do a darn thing. He disbelieved Olivia just as much as I did when she first started talking about another world, but I guess believing her claims is a sort of coping mechanism for Roger. He’s even gone so far as to search for stories of similar experiences. I don’t doubt he’s lying when he says he thought this would work, but whoever told him it would is a terrible person. “How about… we just go back now?”

“No, no, no.” Roger dismisses the idea of giving up pretty easily. He sounds optimistic, for once. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to humor him for one night, let him get it out of his system. Once it’s all out in the open air, I think we’ll be able to work through it. “We just need… something more! That’s it! We gotta let the world know we wanna change tracks!”

“Okay… how?” I ask him. “What is all this anyway?” I need to get him talking. Talking is good.

“People who have been where Olivia went said there are these overriding powers in that world,” Roger says to me. “Even though they’re separate, they all work towards peace and harmony. The Elements are Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Loyalty. They say the people there who exemplify these traits are protected underneath them.”

“So… you want to ask the Elements to bring you to that world?” I ask him. He nods, and even though this is completely ridiculous it makes sense in a way. “Okay… then ask them… I guess.”

“Oh Elements of another world, take me away!” Roger shouts with such power that when the saddle shifts I actually hang on for dear life. We don’t go anywhere because that would be absolutely bonkers. The craziness aside, this is probably the most innocuous pagan ritual I’ve ever heard of. Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Loyalty? Heck, I’m down to summon those.

“Maybe you should yell louder.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Roger crosses his arms and pouts a bit. I doubt he’s done trying yet, but I’m not making any more suggestions. He’s the expert here and I respect his authority. “… Laugh it up… that’s it!”

“What’s it?” I ask. “We have to laugh to open the portal up?”

“No, remember what I said about the Elements?” Roger says, turning to me. “In that world, the people are protected by them because they exemplify them. If we provide examples of how one of us represents the elements, they should listen to us!”

This sounds more like something we did during circle up in Kindergarten than a ritual to open up a portal, but who’s complaining? Roger puts on his serious face and turns forward.

“Listen to me, Elements! My friend Cooper fits all your Elements!” he shouts a the gazebo pillars. The sounds echoes as it tends to do in these structures.

“Why am I the example?” I ask, but Roger just shushes me.

“Now look here Elements!”

I must say the vernacular of this ritual is certainly stunning.

“Cooper is honest because whenever the cafeteria lady asks him if he got water or Sprite, he says Sprite even though they charge him for it.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely a saint. Different dimension here we come…”

“Shh, I’m doing the talking!” Roger is completely serious here, even though it just keeps climbing on the wacky scale. Besides, his speech sounds a lot like an elementary school kid’s writing.

“Cooper is kind because he doesn’t just hold the door open for pretty girls. He holds them open for anyone coming by, and he keeps holding it too! Cooper is generous because whenever he has cafeteria credit left over at the end of the month, he buys people who’re out of credit meals!”

“It doesn’t count as generosity if I don’t need it,” I tell him, but he’s so far into this that there is no point in stopping him. He’s determined, more so than ever today.

“He is laughter-y because even though I’ve been really distraught for a while he always comes around and cheers me up. He’s got a weird sense of humor, but he’s always trying to make us laugh even when we don’t want to. We need to though, so he does it.”

I’ve got nothing to say this time. If that’s how he really feels, I’m touched. It isn’t like I do it on purpose. I just feel better if we can find something to laugh about at the end of the day, that’s it. It’s not a selfless thing, really.

“And most of all, Cooper is loyal! Did you know he was friends with Olivia since they were kids? He stuck with her through thick and thin and they were best friends! She told me all about it! He’d stick his neck out for his friends anytime, no doubt. He does it for me all the time…”

“Roger…”

His voice fades a bit and he starts sobbing. I want to say something like “thanks” or “of course I’ll be there for you buddy”, but I get this feeling he’s going to keep going. He’s got something else to say.

“He’s been such a good friend to me, through all of this. He hurts too, but he’s more concerned about my hurt than his own. After hearing all of that, I bet you Elements just wish he was born into your world and not ours. Nope, he belongs to us, you see. That’s the magic of it. In this world without magic, he’s really, really magical.”

The saddle jerks a bit under us.

“Cooper, sit still or this won’t work,” Roger says with and added sniffle on the end.

“Hey, I’ve been sitting here listening. I didn’t mo-”

The saddle jostles so violently under us that we both grab on for dear life. The saddle keeps rocking under us and rising up unbidden. I start to panic as Roger starts to cheer.

“Uh… Rooooger?!”

“It’s wooorking!” Roger yells as the wind picks up around us. The candles blow out, but the drawings on the wall light up different colors. Now I’m no expert on portal opening rituals, but I think Roger has actually done it! On one hand, I’m rather intrigued by all of this, and on the other I am losing my cool faster than a peguin in the Sahara!

The saddle reaches its apex just shy of the ceiling before turning down and pointing us towards the floor of the gazebo. Before I can even imagine being splattered against the concrete, a sixth drawing appears in light on the ground: a star. When it is complete, it lights up like the sun and shine on us.

“Here we go!”

“Roger, this isn’t a good idea!”

“Heeeere we goooo!”

We go. We fly down into the star, and as we sink into it I can feel everything change.

23rd: Slow Show

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

One might think falling from an impossible height would be the greatest among my worries when I suddenly come back around to reality; however, this isn’t the case. I have a brief moment to feel like I’ve been gone for a while, a second to notice my current downward velocity, and then I got to notice the incredible, crushing pressure in body. I’m running out of food at an alarming rate, and I know why: Wearing this armor is killing me quickly.

“What’s the point of remembering if I die here?” Here is our hero (even if there are those who would disagree), plummeting to the ground in a sure-death fall as his life force is sucked from him by his own armor. How will he escape this one?

…

Dear readers, a little help would be rather gracious of you every once and a while.

While I’m busy calculating whether I’ll be a pancake before a prune or the other way around, I notice that there is a green streak flying right towards me. Remembering what I just remembered, I reach out for it. It’s my only salvation right now.

“C’mere, Draco!”

The star hits me with the restorative power of a thousand meatball sandwiches. It may sound ridiculous, but all at once I feel alive and charged again. My armor stops draining my life and we enter into a symbiotic relationship. As energy courses through my veins at an accelerated rate, I feel like I could forge another star in seconds. I feel as if I could fire a thousand lightning bolts. I feel like I could go toe to scaly toe with Dnaglefreed again. I feel like I’m flying!

Upon looking again, I find I am flying.

“What? How long has this been a thing?” I ask only myself. Whether or not I know how, I am now suspended in mid-air by nothing more than what seems to be the power of pure coincidence. It probably has something to do with the star inside my armor, but I’m a little too excited to think straight.

“Alright, enough fooling around. I have to find Chrysalis and the Forbidden Aracacaol… call… uh, the book!” At the risk of further embarrassing myself, I start my ascent back to the castle. I keep my eyes peeled for the Princesses along with Lou and Summitplunge, but they are either too high up to see or they have assumed I fell to my death. I would love to assume the latter, but I doubt they missed the star whizzing past them to save me.

Whatever they’re up to, the top floor isn’t my target. I head towards a window on a lower level so I can get back to the sealed off room. I fly right into the crash, not needing to care about broken glass because I’m covered in armor. I touch down on the marble floor and look around. The coast is clear.

Unfortunately, I just realized I don’t know how to get to the sealed off room. I know it’s probably down, but I don’t know which way to go if I wanna go down. Having a lot of my memories back is nice, but a map would be cool too. I decide just to go left and take off running.

Despite my map woes, I am glad to remember. I can’t believe I forgot all about Olivia and Roger. I can’t believe I forgot I was Starswirl the Bearded. I’m not surprised I forgot this Reverse Memory Wipe spell because it is complicated. While a lot of details surrounding my past as a human still feel fuzzy and I can’t remember any specifics of being Starswirl, just knowing what I know has brought me great peace. Once I get to Chrysalis, I hope I’ll be able to unearth some more memories.

“Halt!” There are guards here, go figure. I suppose I couldn’t go too long without seeing them. Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t eager to flex my new guns. On top of that, I think I left myself a present before I forgot everything. “King Cocoon, we have orders to capture you. If you resist, we will be forced to terminate you.”

“Aww, c’mon you guys. Why don’t you just… chill out?” I point my finger and say the magic words. “Arcane Freezing!” A beam of searing cold jumps off my fingertip, striking one of the guards directly in the torso. Ice begins to incase him, wrapping around his torso and down his front legs. It isn’t much, but it’s effective enough to immobilize the pegasus.

“We warned you!” the other guard yells, charging at me.

“I think somepony needs to… chill out!” I set another pun and another beam of ice free, incasing the second guard’s entire right side in ice. He topples over, unable to move. “I don’t mean to be cold, but I’ve gotta run. Stay frosty!” Humor makes everything better.

“Cocoon, stop right there!”

Before I can make another ice based pun, there are more guards running down the hallway towards me. I fire a sustained blast of cold at the floor, turning into a slick layer of ice. Although I’m skeptical about it working, I forgot that fast horses don’t mix. The layer of ice causes several guards to pile up, biding me enough time to take off in the opposite direction.

“Agh, why couldn’t I remember a spell that makes me invisible or a spell that temporarily turns ponies into fish? Those would have been a bit more useful.” It figures that as soon as I’m starting to remember, I’m already complaining about it. This is a classic example of beggars can’t be choosers, so I shut my mouth and keep running.

I pass by the window I entered in rather quickly, but after passing it I’m in unknown territory. At the end of this hallways is a set of doors. It’s my only option, so I blast them with lightning and run out into the night.

“Give it up. We have you surrounded!” I’m in a statue garden, but there are more guards here than statues. They’ve been waiting for me, that much is clear.

“Man, how are you all finding me so fast?”

*jingle*

…

Why am I covered in bells? This is the least stealthy outfit that was ever created. In a fit of frustration, I cast off my mantle and take off my helmet. I don’t feel any effects on my magic flow as a result, so I throw the helmet to the wayside. I wouldn’t have to worry about head injuries if I didn’t sound like Santa’s freaking sleigh while running down the hallway.

“This is your last chance to submit peacefully,” one of the guards shouts at me. “We will attack at the first sign of resistance.”

I make sure my first sign of resistance is a good one. I teleport to the guard who called me out and slug him right across the face. My armored fist lights up like a sickly fireball, sending the poor stallion rocketing across the courtyard. Now this is power.

“Get him!”

With plenty of energy at my disposal, I teleport without care several times in a row until I’m floating above the fray upside down. I hold up my hands to the ground and send out several bolts of lightning in rapid succession. I touch down lightly on the ground, where there isn’t a conscious threat left to be found.

“Dang, this new armor is way too awesome,” I say, looking myself over. “How did I even do this?”

“A fair question, King Cocoon.”

I know that voice. I turn back to the entrance to the garden and see him standing there in full regalia. It’s Shining Armor, the Captain of the Guard. It seems fate has seen fit to bring us together for another round. It didn’t go so well last time, but I’m feeling pretty good today.

“Hey there, Shining Armor. How’s the wife?”

“I never thought I’d see the day,” he says, totally ignoring my question. “Will my troubles with changelings never end?”

“You could walk away,” I tell him. “Even though my word seems to be no good around here, I promise that I wouldn’t attack a retreating foe.”

“What is it with you and asking for ponies to simply forfeit?” Shining Armor asks, stepping into the courtyard with me. “It’s insulting to be asked something like that when the battle has already reached its boiling point. If you’re so keen on avoiding a fight, why not retreat yourself?”

“I have things I gotta do here.”

“Like what?”

“Gotta pick up my Princess, go to the library.”

“The library.”

“I gotta get a book,” I tell him. “The Forbidden Arcacol. I hear it’s a real page turner.”

“Why would something like you want a thing like that?” he asks, which is a fair question. “Does this have anything to do with the Starswirl nonsense you were spouting earlier? Stealing his books won’t convince anypony that you’re him.”

“Nah, I’ve moved beyond that.” I’ll never convince anypony in a thousand years anyway. “I was just thinking of trying to hook up with your sister. I hear she hangs out with changelings now, so I figure as long as I pretend to be bookish and interested in friendship I’ll be golden.”

“Let’s leave wives and sisters out of this, Cocoon,” he says. “It won’t kill you to stop trying to be witty and charming.”

“Oh, have I struck a sensitive chord?” I ask, just stringing him along at this point. “But of course, you turned an entire army around when I threatened your sister. I wonder how far you’d go for your precious bride, hmm?”

“You’re really going to stand there and make me angry, aren’t you?”

“That’s what we antagonists do, Shining Armor. We make you hate us so you can feel justified in attacking us. Besides, I’m just trying to lighten the mood. You’re always so grumpy when you’re working.” I take a few steps back, preparing for the detonation for the bomb I’m about to light. “And if anybody here should be offended, it really should be me. I mean, you slept with our Queen!”

Shining Armor is just as quick as ever, firing off a shot faster than any unicorn I’ve encountered thus far. The magical bullets he fires from his horn just barely miss me as I teleport as far out of the way as seems practical. This doesn’t stop his barrage, however, and I have to keep up my teleportation stream to stay out of the way. Little by little, I weave my way towards him. I make the jump into striking range from farther away than he anticipates, opening up for a straight punch to his chest.

My fist impacts magic, shattering the small and sturdy barrier Shining Armor managed to throw out to cushion the blow. I still hit him, but the effect is drastically minimized. It was a nice attempt on his part, but it’s my turn to attack now. I follow up with two more straight punches, snapping back quickly when he manages to weave out of the way. I raise my right foot and kick up into his jaw, knocking him back again. He stumbles dazed, staying open as I bring down my heel like a streak of fire.

My foot shatters the ground beneath it, but Shining Armor is gone out of my sight. I look around, but he isn’t anywhere I can see him. It then occurs to me he could have gone the one place unicorns don’t usually go. I don’t take any risks when it hits me that I’m standing in a shadow.

I jump back out of the way as Shining Armor and his shield smash the ground where I was just standing. Shining Armor dashes at me with his barrier up, so I charge him with every intention of crushing it. I pull a fist back before I’m within striking distance, but I’m hit right in that instant.

I tumble backwards, rolling back onto my feet. I don’t know what just hit me, but Shining Armor is still charging. I get up and put up a defense, but before he even reaches me his shield suddenly expands. I can only watch as my barrier is crushed and I’m left with little more to defend myself than my own arms. The impact hits me like a bus, sending my off my feet and into the wall behind me with enough force that I break through. Despite not wearing a helmet, my head is somehow still in one piece.

I get up and knock the rubble off of myself, but then I notice what this rubble is: books. I’m in a library. I take a look behind me and notice the giant hourglass statue, indicating that I’m in the Starswirl the Bearded Wing. That book I’m looking for is somewhere in here.

Looking for it at my leisure isn’t in the cards, however, as Shining Armor climbs in through the hole we made in the library together. Without missing a beat, he starts firing at me. His aim is really low, probably because he’s trying to reduce collateral damage to the books and scrolls here. This is the break I need to get away on foot. I duck behind a shelf, and as I predicted he doesn’t try and shoot me through it. He’s hot on my tail, however, so I make haste.

It would really help if I remembered how to read, but it seems that wasn’t in the cards. It isn’t easy running for your life and looking for a book when you can’t read. Even if I could, I’m not sure if it would be under “A” for Arcacol or “F” for Forbidden.

I round the corner around the bookshelf, narrowly avoiding a few shots from Shining Armor. I grab the shelf on my way out and give it a good pull. It topples over, closing the passageway through which Shining Armor was chasing me. I know I’ve bought myself a little time, but if he’s anything like his sister he’ll get through those books in no time.

I begin my search in earnest, considering that something labeled “Forbidden” wouldn’t be shelved with everything else. There really isn’t anything out by itself in this library, but the walls of shelves do lead into a sort of foreboding darkness in the way back. I know if I was going to put a forbidden spell tome somewhere, it would be there. I can already hear Shining Armor digging himself out, so I really don’t have much of a choice.

As there begins to get darker and darker along my path, I hold up a hand to light the way. In the green glow, I can see a book on a pedestal at the end of the hallway. Seeing as it’s my only prospect, I pick it up once I reach it. From behind me, Shining Armor starts firing shots into the dark of the hallway. Instead of dodging, I vote to teleport out of the library and back into the courtyard. I’m putting all my money on this book being the right one.

Looking down at the cover, I can’t tell what it’s supposed to be. It’s just a brown, bound book with a picture of a golden flame on the front. For all I know, this is the manual on fire safety in Equestria, but I doubt it would be so thick if that were the case. I don’t have time to worry too long, so I take a deep breath and open up to a random page.

“… No way…”

The Forbidden Arcacol… The Forbidden Arcane Collection… the heavily encrypted book of dangerous and powerful spells… is written in plain English.

“Cocoon!”

It works for me. Already, I can feel my knowledge return to me. I did tell myself I should remember it, so it’s time to put theory into practice. I extend my hand and focus the spell on the page.

“Arcane Monument!”

Shining Armor fires a bolt of magic from his horn as the earth shakes violently. Out from the ground sprouts an enormous, towering slab of stone. Shining Armor’s spell glances off the smooth stone without so much as exploding. He fires again and again, but the solid barrier between the two of us holds.

“Now that’s cool.” I waste no time in flipping through the pages of the Arcacol. I remember these spells, or at least I remember how to do them. I have no idea how I came up with them or how one even goes about constructing a spell, but like muscle memory the way to perform them is not lost in my mind. I only need to glance across the text to recall them. I search for a spell to finish things up here. I’d like to keep Shining Armor from chasing me without killing him or hurting him too much. You might that would be a simple task for somebody holding the very secrets of the arcane in his hands, but there are a ton of nasty spells in here.

There is, however, one I find that seems feasible.

“Come out and face me, Cocoon!” Shining Armor shouts at me. “Don’t be such a coward, hiding behind your wall!”

“Well, you were the one who started with the barriers,” I call back at him, closing the Arcacol and tucking it beneath my arm. “I bet you wish you could conjure such a sturdy defense, don’t you?” There is a brief pause.

“… I’ve never seen something like this before. You took something from the library, didn’t you?” he asks, just as astute as I give him credit for. “What did you take?”

“Would you like to see?” I step out from behind my shelter and face him. I can see his eyes flick to the Arcacol under my arm. “This is The Forbidden Arcane Collection, my dear boy. Would you test its might?”

“Your tales just keep getting more colorful and colorful,” he says, skeptical for reasons I can understand. “I’m supposed to believe that not only can you read and understand the book, but within seconds of acquiring it you’ve already mastered its contents? That seems unlikely.”

“So you admit it’s possible?”

“Many things are possible, but I wouldn’t count on them all happening.”

“Well put, Shining Armor. I’m glad I could mine you for that nugget of wisdom before putting an end to our fight. Get ready to believe the unlikely,” I tell him. I extend my hand towards him, gathering magic in it. He braces himself, putting up a shield before I can act; however, I had anticipated this. This battle will end a little too appropriately. “Arcane Fortification.”

My spell jumps out and wraps itself around Shining Armor’s shield, turning it from violet to green. Shining Armor is shocked by this, quickly retaliating by firing a shot at his own barrier. Much to his surprise, his blast ricochets off and begins bouncing around his bubble. It strikes the ground harmlessly, but I can tell he learned his lesson. He reaches out a hoof and taps the side of the barrier, finding it is completely solid.

“… Well played Cocoon… well played.” Even if he says this, he doesn’t look pleased by the outcome. “But you’re no more able to get in than I am to get out, or perhaps you already knew this.”

“It’s been a real blast, Shining Armor,” I say to him with an exaggerated bow. “But I’ve got places to be and things to do. I’ve defeated you once and you defeated me once. We’ll call it a tie and leave it at that.”

“When this wears off, I’m coming after you again.”

“When that wears off, I hope to be far, far away from here,” I tell him, turning and leaving the way I came. “But it is a rare day indeed when I get what I want.”

“Arcane Cloak.”

I am nothing but a shadow passing through these hallways. Canterlot Castle is still very much in a panic, so avoiding detection is very important right now. I’m better equipped to fight an army right now, but I can’t take any chances right now. No, now is not the time to risk everything. I’ve finally made some real, measurable progress. I need to collect Chrysalis and get out of here.

Navigating the castle is proving hard, but I’ve finally found what looks like the door leading to the basement. I slip through unseen, retreating into the safety of a mostly untouched section of the castle. I take to my heels and dash down the stairs, making more noise than a shadow should. If I can find Chrysalis, it won’t matter. I’ll just bust out and fly on to the hive. After that, I can plan my next move.

I slow my run to a jog. I maintain it briefly, but I slow to a walk. I hear something faint… a voice. Somepony is talking down here, very clearly now. I can see the busted door to the sealed room, but there is a voice I don’t recognize coming from the darkness inside. Cautiously, I move in to investigate.

“He’s here… I know it.”

A unicorn lights his horn, and the room lights up a sickly green I know all too well. It’s that unicorn, or rather changeling, I’ve heard so much about recently. Even if he can’t see me, he looks straight at me.

“I’ll show myself if you show yourself,” I say, becoming a speaking shadow. He hears my order, but he hesitates. He pauses, but then reverts to changeling form. Aside from being a smidge bigger than the average changeling, he looks as ordinary as any drone. True to my word, I snap my fingers and make myself visible in the light. His eyes get wide at my approach. He is afraid of me, this much I can tell.

“So… it’s really you,” he says, as if he has been waiting for this moment. I certainly don’t view him in the same light. If he wants to delay me or stop me, I’m going to push him aside.

“Seen a little changeling around here?” I ask him, focusing on the task at hand. A horn lights up behind the changeling, revealing Chrysalis’s location on the floor in front of the mirror. In the dim light, I can see she’s been tied up. The situation is a bit more complicated than before. “Alright, you’ve got my attention. What can I do for you… mister…”

“Havoc.”

“… Mr. Havoc. Perhaps you’d better start from the beginning then. Why free Sweet Tea and betray your entire race?” I ask him, getting right at the heart of the matter. I can’t figure out his motive, not matter how hard I try. If he is a fresh drone, he shouldn’t have the mental capacity for mutiny. If he is not, he must be very old to be so fed up with the way things are. I’m ready for an answer, no matter how shocking.

“Sweet Tea told me what you are,” he says. “And what you have in common with her, we also have in common.”

“… Ah, that explains everything.” Of course it’s another human who has come to throw a wrench in my plans. It’s pretty clear where he stands on the going home issue from current and past actions; however, that’s no longer a problem. “So, Havoc is an agent of Discord sent to screw with me, am I right?”

“I’m here to stop you.”

“Then you haven’t got the memo, have you?” It seems Discord was quick to abandon his disciples. He doesn’t seem much for becoming attached to somepony or someone. “Discord’s ultimate plan was a flop. I’m afraid this is the end of the line for you.”

“What are you going to do, kill me?” he says, laughing without knowing the irony. “If your goal is to send us all home, you can’t do much more than put me in a cage like you did with Sweet Tea. You might wander the world and expand your collection, but all you’ll be doing is gathering the army of your own demise.”

“And what if I told you I know to send you home? What if I could send you home right now?”

“Saying ‘what if’ doesn’t mean anything.”

“Alright, if you want to play that way.” I point a finger at him. “I know how to send you home. I’m going to send you home right now.”

“… Just becau-”

“I’m serious.”

There is a long pause before Havoc speaks up again. I’m sure he’s somewhere between not believing me and not wanting to believe me. Either way, he’s bound to be skeptical.

“And, if I might ask, how do you intend to do it?”

“By killing you.”

My own words echo off the walls, as if I’m supposed to realize how nuts what I’ve just said is; however, the proof is clear in my head again. Olivia never wanted to come back, but she came back anyway. She lived a full life in Equestria, died, returned to Earth, and her despair ended her life on Earth. Olivia had to die twice, once with in the warmth of a life well lived and once in the chill of a life long forgotten. I swore that would never happen again, and this is me keeping my promise.

“You’re completely crazy.”

I could argue against him, but I suddenly don’t see the point. His living represents an obstacle from getting home and his death represents honoring my grieving promise. If there was ever a time for me to kill, it’s now.

“Then say goodnight to the crazy man!”

I can see green. It is green, green, green as far as the eye can see. I can’t see all that far or concentrate through all the pain. I’m on my back now and I can’t remember how. All I know is that I am panicking and getting back to my feet to throw up my defense, but a beam of searing heat breaks through my flimsy shield and throws me aside. The Arcacol flies out of my hands.

This time I lay on the floor belly down and I take the opportunity to think. A changeling’s food is love. A changeling who has consumed lots of love is on par with Equestria’s strongest. I have firsthand knowledge of these facts. Havoc has been living among the ponies, gathering their love. When I get back up, I’ll have to keep that in mind.

Before he can nail me with another freight train of an attack, I put up a monument between us. Even under the incredible force of his attack it holds strong. I put some light in my hand and look around for the Arcacol. Unfortunately, I can’t see where it went. I’ll be restricted to the spells I’ve already learned. I run down the frighteningly short list of very passive spells I took the time to remember while Havoc keeps wailing on my shield. Becoming invisible or teleporting won’t too much good, seeing as he knows intuitively where I am.

“I guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way,” I say to myself before bolting out of cover. A beam of energy trails after me, flying past me as I sprint on by to the next piece of cover in the room. The stack of boxes doesn’t hold up very well against Havoc’s attacks, but it’s enough to protect me while I look around for my tome. I dart out of cover once again empty handed and once again having a close shave with the wrong end of a magic attack. I seem to have on obvious advantage in this battle: this isn’t my first one. Havoc’s sloppy firing, while explosive and painful, is a blessing for me.

I scrounge around for the Arcacol while dancing around attacks, but my search is getting me nowhere. As much as I’d like to march up to Havoc and sock him one in the face, getting that close wouldn’t be smart. My search comes full circle, bringing me back to where I set my monument. I crouch behind it, taking refuge in its safety.

“I thought you were going to kill me,” Havoc shouts at me, ceasing his firing for the time being. “You can run around all day, but I’ve got love to spare. What do you have? Who would feel concern for you?”

“Who indeed,” I say, playing along with this intermission’s conversation. “Even if she sees me as a tool of sorts, Chrysalis cares.”

Yeah… I suppose she does.

“She complains and bellyaches about everything I do, but she’s stuck to my side like glue ever since we crossed paths. Like I said, I’m a tool to her, but I’m her favorite tool. That counts for something, doesn’t it? We’re not so different, her and I. Maybe we hate each other, but we needed one another. There is no one quite so important as the one you need.”

“… Chrysalis, huh?” Havoc sounds confused. “So she is still alive. The girls told me she caused a lot of trouble too. Is she the one pulling your strings? If that’s so, where is she and why can’t I sense her?”

“Ah, I guess we didn’t exactly advertise it to the world.” Thinking back, Chrysalis being a kid again was a shock for me too. I knew her before I woke as Cocoon. There’s an enigma I’ve still yet to solve. “Chrysalis is your captive behind you.”

“But she’s too young,” Havoc shouts back at me. “If that’s her, what happened?”

“I’d like to find out too,” I tell him. “But she taught me what I needed to know about being a Changeling ruler. For all her help, I think I owe her an explanation at least.”

“… You’re telling the truth, aren’t you? This changeling is Chrysalis,” he says, getting much quieter all of a sudden. “No… whether or not she is Chrysalis, she is royalty too. One day, she’ll grow into a ruler like you…”

I don’t like where this is going. I come out from behind the monument. Havoc has Chrysalis levitate before himself. I sprint towards him, my foot kicking something on the way, but I ignore it. Like a nightmare, I can’t move fast enough. Time passes in snapshots as Havoc lets a bolt fly from his horn. It hits Chrysalis so hard her bindings come off and she pirouettes out of his grasp in slow motion.

…

I’m frozen where I stand for a moment that lasts for a sickening long while. My eyes glance at the floor where the Arcacol is sitting at my feet. I bend down and pick it up. I remember putting a particularly nasty spell here on page… ah, there it is. It’s right where I left it. I start walking towards Havoc, who is taking more shots at me now. Somehow I am not being hit, but I can’t say how. I’m walking through a fog while the same image keeps getting played over and over in my brain.

What I am about to do, I’m not doing because it’s justified. My end is death and my means are murder and violence. There is no justification here or even a sense of security in what will follow Havoc’s death. No, what I do is fueled by something far more primal now: revenge.

“Arcane Well.”

The ground around Havoc’s feet fractures as he crumples down into his belly. He groans and grunts in an attempt to lift himself, but he is pinned to the ground by a force he cannot see. Above him, the ceiling begins to crack.

“Why would you do such a thing?” I can’t hear any anger or sadness in my voice. That would require too much effort.

“Now you know… how it feels,” Havoc strains to say. “Now you know pain.” He’s being petty. Where did this eye for an eye attitude come from? Is Havoc that kind of person who would throw away one life just to hurt someone? Is this unhealthy attitude a result of being in Equestria? Is this my fault, again? Is this the Equestria I have formed?

Of course… the worst pain is the one you’ve given to yourself.

“… Man… and I can’t even hurt you back.”

The ceiling caves in, sending a solid chunk of rubble crashing down into Havoc. The dust can’t even rise up under the intense gravity, but as the influence of my magic starts to fade it does rise. Havoc has left for where I cannot follow; he left me to wonder if anyone really won this fight.

“… Co… Cocoon!” Her voice is quiet, but I can hear it in the silence.

I rush over to her, dropping the Arcacol to the wayside. Even before I see her shattered body, I know there is nothing in there that will help me. Her frame is warped and frayed on the edges like a sheet of paper torn too slowly on the perforations. Her holes have developed cracks, bright green and oozing. I scoop her up gently, unsure if touching her will hurt or help her. Looking closely at her wounds, she should be in pieces right now. She’s keeping herself together somehow.

“Don’t worry, I can fix this…”

“You ca… can’t… not this time, Cocoon,” she says managing to speak despite the state she’s in. Her eyes don’t focus up at me, but stare blankly at the ceiling. Despite what she says, I try and channel my energy into her; however, the wounds refuse to close. The best I can do is hold her together, but I can feel her slipping slowly. Nevertheless, I keep it up. If I can stave it off just a while longer, maybe I can figure something out. “This is your fault, you know? You kept me in your stupid head for too long and I got jumped. What were you thinking, running off on your own without me? Going crazy? You’d better be ready to accept the consequences.”

“Yeah, anytime PC.”

“Good, good,” she says, smiling. “Tell me this wasn’t for nothing. Did you remember anything important?”

“… I’m suppose to use this Reverse Memory Wipe spell on you,” I tell her with a bit of hesitation. Even at the end, I’m asking for her help. I swallow my pride and put my finger to Chrysalis’s horn. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, do it. There are a few things I’d like to remember.”

I put my finger to her horn and begin the spell. Even if I know it, many of its facets and inner machinations are a mystery to me. I fall through the performance, tracing the footsteps of a pattern a left in the snow. At the end of the line, I can feel something tugging. As I tug back, its strength multiplies. I coax and I coerce with magic and might, but what I’m removing from Chrysalis has unprecedented magnitude.

This is not a stone or a stain, but these are shackles that spread across days, months, and years. I draw my hand back and the restraints fall slack. Our bond breaks. Through the haze in her eyes, a spark of clarity can be seen. Now she is smiling earnestly, and I could have never imagined why until she spoke.

“Oh, my dearest… it seems your ambition exceeds mine,” she says, her tone of voice making a jarring change. She’s speaking to me like a mother comforting their child, with tenderness and care. “It seems my selfish dream has come to a close, so I won’t bar you from your final goal, my love.”

I’m speechless. Chrysalis is fading in my hands while laughing to herself. I can’t wrap my brain around all of this. What have I done? What did she remember?

“Those eyes… it seems you didn’t remember who I am,” she says, her smile becoming more strained. “But that is my own doing. I will die while my love looks on with the eyes of a stranger nearby. Our time is short, but our task is great.”

“No, no we’ve got time! Just keep calm and say what you need to!” I am pouring energy into her, but all I’m doing is pouring into a fractured cup. I cannot fill it faster than it empties without causing into to explode along the fault lines.

“Mmm, perhaps it’s good you don’t remember me. If you did, you’d surely hate me for what I’ve done to you. You said you wouldn’t be angry, but I know you. You’re too set in your ways to accept what I tried to do,” Chrysalis says, but she still isn’t making any sense. “Listen to me rambling on. I may as well come out and say it now. I am Queen Mantis of the Changelings, and I am the one who shrouded your memories.”

It appears I now know why I had myself do this.

“You see, I knew Starswirl the Bearded very well. We traveled Equestria together and had many adventures. I guess we came together because we were both fish out of water, but I know I stuck to you because nopony in Equestria was quite like you. History agrees with me nowadays. I grew fond of you, accustomed to you even; however, I grew too attached. I’d never felt such love from another before, but I mistook your friendship for romantic feelings. I was alarmed at first because I knew I could never love that way, especially somepony in your situation.

“But, I kept entertaining the idea. I could avoid it because you were there everyday, and then I wondered about a life without you. Suddenly, I needed to do everything I couldn’t do. In order to keep you around, I needed to return your feelings before you grew tired of waiting. I realized that was very much love, but I was stubborn about my own feelings right until the very end. I’ve never felt such bliss as the moment I revealed it all to you… and I never felt a colder sting then when you turned me down.

“And so we parted ways with you on your own and me on my own. I’ve been told absence makes the heart grows fonder, and sure enough my love turned into obsession. There was only one thing standing between us coming together: your desire to return home. If you accepted Equestria as your home, I thought that perhaps you would give up and stay with me in peace. You’re so hard-headed and obstinate when it comes to your home, so I knew you’d have to forget about it entirely before you would give up on it. I devised a plan, one only I could carry out. I knew I could use memory altering magic, but there was no way a unicorn as powerful as you were could be bent under a mere changeling. I waited patiently until you were an old pony at death’s door.

“You were expecting me, oddly enough. You knew I would come and devour you, turning you into a changeling heir. That’s what I did, and from that point on I spent all my time and energy ensuring that I too could be reborn alongside you one day. While you were dormant, I began altering your memories. It was no small task and I turned the changelings into a fearsome empire just to gather the love needed to carry the task out.

“I made you forget about your life as a human; however, I could not stop there. What I took away was too big and my magic was too unstable. I began removing pieces of your life as Starswirl away as well. At first it was just a few things here and there, then entire months and years, and then your memory of being Starswirl was no more either. I turned you into a blank slate. I had myself sealed away just like you by my heir, and we slept for many, many years.

“I awoke as Chrysalis, the reborn and knowledgeable Mother Mantis. When I became Queen Chrysalis, I made sure you woke next. When you came to, you were Prince Mangle. I looked for a spark of your old self inside him, but I saw only the dull eyes of an angry and confused changeling. Prince Mangle was not Starswirl the Bearded. Like any changeling princeling, you set off on your own, but I kept an eye on you. Even when you couldn’t remember anything at all, you had a fascination with the Elements of Harmony. You seemed to know they were coming even before they did, and you watched them for a long time.

“But I wanted Starswirl back. I wanted my love back, but I couldn’t do it without power. I stepped up and challenged Canterlot itself, and this was a fatal mistake. The attack that expelled us from Canterlot tampered with your memories. You recalled everything and began to fight against the restraints I placed on you. You were too weak to repair yourself in the short time you had, so you did something I didn’t even know was possible: you permanently altered your physical form. When I tried to stop you, you turned me into a child and locked my memories as Mantis away. You forged a body that was unmistakably human, causing your brain to begin breaking down the barriers I set up.”

That’s… a lot to take in. It does explain a lot. I mean, it puts me unconscious in the forest without my memories intact. The whole story is lined up before me: Cooper departs from Earth with Roger, he explores the world as Starswirl the Bearded, Mantis turns him into Prince Mangle, and he regains his memories long enough to become King Cocoon. The story of King Cocoon is one I’m very familiar with. Even if I can’t fully recall it all, I remember now. There is just one thing I need to know.

“How was I able to transform myself like that?”

“Mmm, I knew you would ask that. Yes, you’re almost the pony I loved. I’ll tell you what you want to know, but you need to promise you’ll repay me afterwards.”

“Anything you want, I’ll do it.” I owe her that much. Perhaps she’s right that I’m angry with her for putting me through all of this. If I wasn’t angry, I probably wouldn’t have gone so far as to turn her into a child and wipe her memories. Holding on to a grudge won’t do either of us any good at this point. We don’t have much time left, and it’s only proper to make that time pleasant for her.

“Then I’ll hold you to it,” she says, still smiling a gentle smile I never saw on Chrysalis. Even when she didn’t remember her love, she stuck by my side. She protected me and told me which way was up more than once. I am in this mess because of her, but I’ve made it through this mess because of her. I’m going to count on her for one last time. “You were waiting for me when I came for you. Starswirl the Bearded had turned into an old, spiteful stallion in his elder years. They say he wrote in a language he made up on his own and prattled on about monsters and star energy like the senile grump he was. He ate enough salt to strike a whole regiment of guards dead. He was a geezer who never got to go home.

“However, he had found the way home.”

“There’s a way home?” I ask, unable to keep myself from asking. “How? How!?”

“You told me you could return the same way you came if you could restore your original body. You knew that the Elements of Harmony would restore it if you could somehow occupy the body of a true monster. A changeling’s body is malleable enough to external change that you found it would be possible if you could acquire enough astral energy. When you told me this, I thought you’d simply gone off your rocker. You’d tried endlessly to harness the rawest form of energy stars give off in the past, but all those experiments were flukes. The best you could do was feed on the residual magical energies they give off.

“There is a way to harness it, and you had been doing it your whole life. The essence of stars is in all living things and trapped inside crystals. Simply by living and eating you gathered this energy. You said many other crazy things about the nature of souls and their link to stars and a corporeal form’s dependency on their soul, but it all boiled down to one thing: gather enough of the stars’ essence and a changeling could warp its body into something else entirely.

“Crystals and gems captured particularly large amounts of this energy, which you theorized made dragons change so rapidly and drastically under the right conditions. Being incapable of eating and digesting a dragon’s diet, you needed to find a sort of crystal that you could eat. If you hadn’t already guessed it, that crystal was salt. It wasn’t near as high as in gems, but it was the best you could do. You began storing up for a whole year, and the result got you as far as you are now.

“That’s the way home, my love. Gather energy until you can undergo an intense and dramatic change. If you can do that, the Elements of Harmony will separate your soul from its vastly alien body and give it a new, proper one. After that, you need only ask properly to be sent home.”

The last pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. Not only is the past back in one piece, but the future is coming into view now. I know what I have to do. The time has come to return home. It’s time to pay for the ticket back.

“Now, I believe you owe me a request,” Mantis says. She’s very weak now, from talking and losing energy. There isn’t much left of her. “I’ve got a question I want you to answer. This isn’t a question for Starswirl or Cocoon or Mangle, but for Cooper. As Cooper, I’d like you to answer… a question for me.”

“Whatever you want to know.”

“Thank you.” She closes her eyes, her chest moving slower and slower as she takes soft breathes. “If you had to, what kind of life would you make for yourself here in Equestria? If you couldn’t return home, what would you do?”

“…”

“Now, don’t… tell me you never considered it,” she says. “Paint me a picture.”

“… If I had to make a life here, it wouldn’t be as King of the Changelings.”

“Hehe… I see.”

“I’d probably do something laid back, like be a musician or something. When I was a kid, sometimes I thought it would be cool to be a rockstar. I didn’t have all that much talent or that much drive, so I never really pursued that dream. It could be fun, though, here in Equestria. I could live the simple life of a bard, traveling from town to town playing my songs.”

“Mmhm… that sounds… just like you.”

“Does it? It sounds lazy to me. I mean, as Starswirl and Cocoon I really stirred things up. If there was something wrong going on, I wouldn’t be able to keep my head out of it no matter what. I would tell myself just to live carefree and ignore it, but somehow I keep ending up in trouble. No doubt this traveling muse would get himself caught in some kind of turmoil.”

“Yes… your nose for trouble got us… into a lot…”

“Yeah, but even if I do get in trouble I get out okay. It would just be another story to tell when I get old, and I expect to be just as lazy in my old age as my youth. I’d just sit back and make passes at all the pretty girls… except they would be ponies… sheesh, you’re all just kinda adorable to me.”

“Ha… some things never… change…”

“Really, I just want to live a life free of regrets. I don’t want to leave any bad blood when I go or have there be anything I regret not doing. That would be a nice life.”

“Ah… it does… sound nice…”

“Do you have any regrets?”

“… I shouldn’t… have erased… them…”

“Hey, I’m not all that upset, really. It must have been tough for you. If I had to live a peaceful life here in Equestria, I’d gladly keep you around.”

“Haa… that’s… what I… to hear…”

“I’m not just saying it. If I cared for you like you said I did, it would have been romance in any other situation; however, I have to go home. You’ve been a better companion than I could ask for. I’m sorry my thoughts and feelings caused you pain.”

“I won’t… apologize…”

“…”

“For… loving you…”

“… Thank you.”

“…”

…

I wrap her in a sheet and set her at the foot of the monument with the Arcacol. When I leave the room, I leave it like I found it: sealed. Pointed in the right direction, I set foot on the path that leads home; however, I can no longer ignore all this blood strewn alongside it.

24th: Antagonist

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

“Princess Celestia! A report!”

A guard comes bursting into the throne room. Ever since Cocoon disappeared, we’ve been camped out here doling out orders. The Princesses are still extremely concerned, but they’ve decided to leave things in the hooves of the guards. Hunting down Cocoon has proven fruitless until now.

“Cocoon was recently discovered in the castle’s kitchen!”

“The kitchen?” Luna asks, vocalizing the question I’m sure is on all our minds right now. “Why was he in there?”

“It is a pretty clever place to hide,” I point out, but I doubt that was Cocoon’s goal. At this point, I’m not sure what his goal is anymore. The next time I see him, I’m not sure if he’ll try to destroy me or beg for forgiveness again. Maybe he’s trying to bake an apology cake. Can changelings even bake?

“He’s sealed himself inside the pantry,” the guard explained. “The first of us on the scene reported that he was eating the salt stored in there. When we tried to engage him, he put some sort of stone slab in front of the door. Magic has no effect on it, so we’re working on breaking it down with the battering ram.”

“Cocoon’s motives and methods have been a perpetual mystery,” Princess Celestia says. She puts a hoof to her forehead and sighs. “But this is really pushing it. I’m not even going to question what he’s up to this time. Remove him from the castle by any means necessary.”

The guard throws a sharp salute and gallops off with his orders. Here in the throne room, all we can do is puzzle over what to do next.

“I have a very bad feeling about all of this,” Celestia says after a long pause. “Cocoon’s display of power has been nothing short of impressive while his show of sanity has been less than impressive. This may come down to having him judged by the Elements of Harmony.”

“… Princess Celestia.” I’m not sure I can just leave things as they are. “You must have realized by now that there is more to what happened in the Everfree than what I told you.”

The Princesses turn to me, not saying anything. It’s a confirmation of sorts and now they’re wordlessly telling me that I am free to speak. This isn’t the time for holding back what doesn’t have to be held back. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell the whole truth, but I can shed some more light on what is happening.

“What if I told you that if what Cocoon is looking for falls into his grasp, we’ll never hear of him again? The moment his wishes are fulfilled, his part for history will be over for all of time. If he finds it in the next second, he will leave us as we are right now. What would you do if I told you this was true?”

Luna moves to speak, but Celestia raises a hoof and silences her. She closes her eyes, but I can’t say why. She is either concentrating or struggling with something inside of her. Perhaps I should have told them more, but talk of beings from other dimensions trying to get home might be needless complication right now.

“Louise, I thank you for sharing this with us.” Celestia opens her eyes up and looks directs her regal stare right at me. “But it changes nothing. This isn’t about what Cocoon wants, it’s about how he goes about getting what he wants.

“Ponies all across Equestria wake up with want in their heads every time I raise the sun. They want things like money, power, or love. A pony can do an honest day work for her pay. A pony can run a fair campaign to acquire office. A pony can go out of her way to display their affection for another. These are normal, healthy ways to obtain what one wants. Maybe these efforts are not enough or will never be enough, but the creative can find other, acceptable ways to speed the process along.

“There are ponies who steal to get money. There are ponies who lie to gain power. There are ponies who manipulate to gain love. Louise, is there anything fundamentally wrong with gaining money? With gaining power? With gaining love? Certainly not, but it all boils down to one thing: the ends do not justify the means. If there is only one, dark road Cocoon can travel to attain his goal, then we will have no part in assisting him on his way.

“If he can only achieve his ends with wanton destruction and venomous lies, then it would be best to seek something else. It isn’t what he wants that makes him evil, it’s how he must obtain it.”

“That seems unfair,” I say just as I think it.

“We can’t always have what we want,” Luna says. Coming from her, the truth of the matter becomes very clear: if Cocoon’s going to do something terrible to us in order to return home, we have to stop him. “In a perfect world, we all walk away happy, but how can we be happy with what Cocoon has done? If he will not consider us, we will not consider him.”

There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said. The die is cast. Cocoon stands at one end and we stand at the other. He either gives up his dream or we take care of him once and for all. It is rather sad that it has to come down to this, but he started it. He is the only one forcing himself to go home.

The sound of an explosion resonates from outside. The castle shakes, and we hold our breath until a guard comes rushing in.

“Your majesties! Cocoon has just been sighted leaving the Chamber of the Elements!”

“What?” Celestia gets up and starts moving towards the door, Luna close behind her. “Please tell me the Elements are safe. I only just sent Twilight and the others to retrieve them.”

“We haven’t had time to get confirmation, but… those of us who saw him agreed he appeared to be carrying a chest with him.”

“Curses!” Luna shouts, turning to her sister. “We should go after him ourselves, sister!”

“No, that’s too dangerous,” Celestia tells her. “Our last scuffle with him used up too much of our power, and he could be setting up a trap. We need to know what he’s up to. Where did he fly off to?”

“He flew off towards the city,” the guard tells us, pointing out the window towards the town proper. It looks peaceful enough, but the thought of Cocoon running rampant through the streets of Canterlot wasn’t good.

“And do we know where Twilight Sparkle went with her companions?” Luna asks.

“We believe they must have seen Cocoon break out with the Elements. Chances are they’re heading towards his position right now.”

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” I say, knowing full well that if they attack Cocoon he will probably attack back. “We need to intercept them.”

“Not yet,” Celestia says. “If you’re up for it, I have a task for you.” She looks down at me and puts a hoof on my shoulder.

“O-of course, anything.”

“Then come with me to the Chamber of the Elements,” she says without a moment’s hesitation. “Cocoon could not have possibly stolen the Elements of Harmony, no matter how powerful he is. He is trying to fool us once again, no doubt intending to lure Twilight Sparkle and our attention out towards the city without the Elements with us. You will thwart his plan by bringing the Elements of Harmony to Twilight in the city. Come with me and I will get the Elements for you. Take them to Twilight so we can put an end to Cocoon and his reign this very day.”

“Yes your highness!”

This is it. We’re about to embark on the final battle.

How much salt will pay the toll home? I’ve emptied the castle’s kitchen and several establishments across Canterlot. I don’t know where I put it all because I’ve easily eaten tons of it. For some reason, this plan seems plausible for that reason only. I’m gambling everything on this go, so it had better work. If I had to describe how I feel right now, strutting down Canterlot’s panicked streets in broad daylight, I would probably say “unstable.” That’s the idea anyway.

To go home, I must become a monster, in a physical sense; however, if having a human-ish body inspires human memories inside me I can only guess what having a monstrous body will do to my mind. I can’t even say how monstrous I have to become to get this to work. Is there such a thing as too monstrous? I can easily see myself overstepping the line if I lose control.

I could, in theory, begin transforming at any time, but the timing doesn’t feel right. I didn’t steal this chest just so I could have something to tow from location to location. Nopony I’ve seen has cared about what was in the box. I just demand all their salt and they either run away screaming or comply before running away screaming. There should be roughly six ponies who want this box. I need to find them.

“Hold it, mister!”

Unless they find me first.

I turn myself around and look down the street in front of me. I see a blue pegasus pointing an accusing hoof at me. I see a blonde earth pony staring me down. I see a white unicorn glaring at me. I see a yellow pegasus hiding from me. I see a pink earth pony entranced by a donut dangling from some apparatus on her head. I see a purple unicorn.

“King Cocoon, I presume?” Twilight Sparkle herself asks me. I’ve got all these memories of watching her when I was Mangle, but I still feel like I’m seeing her for the first time. It would be inappropriate to act differently, given the situation.

“The Elements of Harmony. It’s hard to believe it’s taken us this long to meet.”

“Cut the crap, bug-legs!” Rainbow Dash yells at me, with an insult I haven’t heard yet. “Give us the Elements of Harmony!”

“Do I look like a jeweler to you?” I ask, holding the box right in front of my chest. “Don’t come crying to me if you misplaced your trinkets.”

“Yer not foolin’ anypony, Cocoon,” Applejack says. “Yah can’t hide the truth from us.”

“Ah yes, a lecture about truth from Applejack the Element of Honesty.” I place the chest on the ground and put one foot on it Captain Morgan style. “Will I also receive lessons on Kindness and Generosity from Fluttershy and Rarity? Will Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash tell me all about the values of Laughter and Loyalty? Or perhaps you, Twilight, would like to preach about the Magic of Friendship, hmm?”

“Talking to somepony who won’t listen won’t do any good,” Twilight says. “On the other hoof, I’d like to know exactly what kind of game you think you’re playing, Cocoon. Why don’t you enlighten us?”

“Me? Enlighten you?” I hadn’t expected to be saddled with all the talking during this confrontation. “What is there for me to say? I want what I want and I’m going to do what I must to get it. I’ve got nothing to lose for trying and everything to gain if I succeed.”

“But we’re going to stop you, Cocoon!” Twilight says, taking a step forward. The rest of her companions, step up with her. “I don’t know what it is you want, but you obviously know what you’re doing is wrong! Why go down this path?”

“This is the only one that leads home!”

“Then maybe home is elsewhere.”

“… No, no, no, no…. no no no no no no no no NO!” Something verging on demonic awakens inside me. “I won’t turn back after making it so far! If I wasn’t meant to go home, I would have perished long ago!

“You want to know what keeps me on this road, Twilight Sparkle? I know, deep down inside, that I don’t care more than a tuft of wool for Equestria and her citizens. They called me King Cocoon the Liar, but I won’t live a life of denying what it is I truly want! I won’t live a lie! Settle down and pretend I’m satisfied here? No, I refuse outright. If that makes me the villain, then so be it!

“I won’t back down now. I said I’d go home, and so I’m going home. There’s no reason to turn around and be a hypocrite. There’s no reason to admit the merits of giving up. Other than it being wrong, there’s no reason not to tread the path home. Here, in front of the world, I will make my stand.”

“… Alright, you’ve made your feelings on the matter clear,” Twilight says. “If you won’t give up the Elements of Harmony, we’ll take them from you. I’ll give you one last chance: give us the chest.”

“Oh, you mean this chest?” I take my foot off the chest and kick it over. It topples open and spills its contents into the street: nothing. “It’s just an empty, forgotten box I found. Like I said: don’t blame me for your misplaced baubles.”

“But if you don’t have them, that means-”

“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t even look right where you left them!” I laugh in a way fitting for the antagonist. Whether or not I’m about to face my nemeses on the verge of the final battle, I love it when a plan comes together. “Well, at least you have front row seats to the grand finale! Even I don’t know how this one ends, so for those in the audience with hats I would advise holding on to them!”

I focus all my energy onto transformation; however, this time I don’t settle for mere camouflage. The folds and creases I make in my body aren’t designed to be reversed. My goal is concrete, permanent. This is the first step in becoming a monster. I step fearlessly, pouring everything I have into this cry for freedom. I feel the power take hold, granting my reward with two sharp stings to my sides.

“…How… how did you…?”

My cuirass has broken. Only the star-shaped chestpiece remains on my body, if only because it appears to be bonded by scorches along the edges. The chainmail beneath my armor hangs like rags about my waist, but my armor is the least of my change right now. I raise my arms over my head so I can clearly see the new pair that has sprouted directly under them. I flex and move them, from the elbows to the fingers. It feels natural, as if I had four arms my entire life. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a real trip.

“That isn’t possible!” Twilight Sparkle yells at me. “Changelings shouldn’t be able to do that with their bodies. How can you do that with your body?”

“It’s very simple, Twilight!” Another pair of arms sprout from my back with two additional twinges of pain. “I never was a changeling; I’m a God.”

Six balls of fire fly from six outstretched hands, causing six ponies to jump from their spot on the street. Not only have I changed my body, but I seem to be more powerful as a result of it. By using the energy to transform, I’m taking it directly into my physical body. Armed with six limbs, I can grab at power more easily. I could tear this world apart!

I keep my head level, at least for a moment. I have a specific goal, and I must ensure it gets seen through.

“If I were you, I would be looking to collect your precious Elements of Harmony!” Another searing pain rips through me as a long, plated tail sprouts out of my body and slithers along the ground. The pain is somewhat less than before, which I can assume means this is working. The red, hazy clouds in my mind must also mean this is working. “I’m off to give judgment on Equestria.”

Pain and wind rush past me, but this time I’m not sure what has changed. When I land, the ground crumbles beneath my hulking frame. I catch a glimpse of myself in a window. My mouth is a cage of fangs while my body is an asphalt temple with a star crest hanging in the middle. This is the image of something to be feared. How is it I was immediately taken for some kind of monster in Manehattan?

The pain is numb and satisfying. I’m morphing more and more drastically without hardly trying. I become aware that I am no longer walking down the street, but slithering on a long tail with pulsing, green veins running down my length. My bottom four arms help drag me along and hold me upright, but I still have eight free limbs to cause destruction with. Lightning sparks from the ends of long, wicked fingers and the tips of jagged, scaled mandibles.

This is the destruction I bring down on this city, just as I should have in Appleloosa. Could I have spared an entire city my wrath for one pony’s kindness and understanding? No, I should have razed it to the ground with this power and placed him as king of the ashes. That is a fitting reward. I will be the high king, as is only fitting. I am ever expanding in size, trading in hands for leathery wings with crooked, hulking talons. When I open my mouth to speak, all that comes out is a guttural roar. Venom drips down the fangs all along my long jaws. The acrid smell fills my nose, but that isn’t all I smell.

There is metal in the air. Armored pegasi are coming after me in droves, but there is little they can do against a god-beast. I flattened them in the desert, and now I will destroy them in their homes. As they circle me, the long length of my body solidifies on top with hard, armored plates. I curl my many wings inward to coat my underbelly with tough hide. I can’t move without decimating the buildings around me with my jagged, bladed edges. The royal guard is nothing in my wake. In a few more minutes, I’ll be large enough to coil myself around Canterlot Castle itself!

Yes, the castle shall be the offering pyre to this world’s new god. I start moving towards my throne, slowly yet surely. I cast all my eyes upon it, feeling nothing that I mow down beneath my underbelly; however, these pegasi guards are becoming a nuisance due to their numbers. I had been content to swat at them with the massive sickle on my tail, adding another tip or serrated edge here and there for fun, but it seems they need a demonstration of a god’s divine might.

I open my gaping maw, revealing the abundance of focal points I have collected there. Like a god should, I breathe deep and release a searing, endless gout of fire into the air. The results please me, eliminating any who were foolish enough to block the path before me. The only remaining nuisances are hanging right behind my head, attacking a joint in the back of my neck they found exposed. To further perfect my image, I allow a large, circular plate to grow from this, forming the disk of my dark, hell-facing halo. I am nearly perfect! My godhood has nearly been realized!

Now it is before me, Canterlot Castle. I writhe my way up and wrap myself around it, just as I had imagined. From all the way up here, I can see all the way from where Quarterholm burned to where Dnaglefreed died. Yes, they are my domain now. This is the kingdom of the god-king. All of this is mine!

“Cocoon!”

The name stings my ears. I thought I had put such a name behind me, the name of a lowly changeling who pined for home. I turn down to the tower to see the blasphemer who would dare speak this name to me.

“This is far enough!” Celestia shouts at me, but I do not fear her. I cannot help but laugh.

“I’m the one in control now, Celestia!” I remind her in a voice loud enough to be heard far down the mountain. “The lowly Cocoon is no more. Now is the time of Apophis, God of Change!”

“All you are is delusional!” Celestia is but a speck on the earth now. I don’t know why I am lowering myself to listen to her. “Look down!”

As if there were anything other to see other than the fruits of my destruction, I peer down below me. Rising from the rubble, there is a speck of light. It comes up and up and up until it is at the level of my eye.

“Oh! So, the Elements of Harmony have come to challenge a god!”

“Call yourself whatever you wish, but this ends now!” Twilight shouts, concentrating hard to levitate her friends so high. They gather their energies, beginning the ritual of activating the elements. It is a pitiful display to watch.

“I am Apophis, God of Change,” I proclaim to them. “With one last alteration, I shall overcome your foolish ambition of victory.”

There is but one feeble thing left inside me. Once I remove it, nothing can stop me from ushering in a new age. Fueled by my thirst and driven by the very hand of fate itself, I concentrate my remaining power upon one, innermost piece. Like a candle being thrust into the ocean, the light disappears and the water turns black.

It is warm here. I stand, in my human body, in a field dotted by yellow flowers. This is a tranquil place, for sure. Seeing as there is no one else around, I suppose I’m the only on here. I alone have come to this prophecy hill… despite not knowing where or what it is.

“You have suffered a terrible fate,” I remind myself. “You put your body and your soul at odds purposely, and now they’ve been torn asunder. This is exactly what you planned.”

Yes, this is the quiet place a soul trapped within a remote body goes. I remember where this is now, and realize I am not alone.

“Draco? Draco, are you here?”

No sooner do I ask than a bouncing, green sphere of light darts over towards me. It jingles and chimes as it moves like a living thing, playful and eager to heed to the call of his master.

“Well, I’ve done it. I turned myself into a monster.” We are nothing more than a snack for it to feed upon now, Draco and I both. There is an avenue of freedom, but it isn’t ours to follow. “I guess it’s out of our hands now.”

I will either remain here forever as the unheard conscious of Apophis or the Elements of Harmony will spring me from this prison. I am hoping for the latter because whatever Apophis does is my responsibility. Maybe I don’t care much about Equestria at the end of the day, but doing right by them is about more than just getting a bad taste out of my mouth. There are living, breathing, thinking beings out there who will have their lives disrupted by me. I can’t atone for this guilt.

I take Draco into my hands and smile.

“I should have never come here.”

Perhaps that is the one, sure truth about my situation. Whether I leave or stay, I shouldn’t have come. Whether I create or destroy, I shouldn’t have come. Whether I make war or magic, I shouldn’t have come. The first wrong thing I did was set foot in Equestria. Even if I didn’t ask for the door to be opened and even if I wasn’t the one who opened the door up, I was wrong for coming here. Yes, that is the terrible thing I have done. One might say my arrival is the only part of this whole experience wasn’t my fault, but look at the results. Every bad thing I’ve done as well as every good thing stems from that first mistake.

I see now. It’s clear to me that I don’t deserve to have what I want, but I will take it if it is given to me. What could be worse than to put a world through this ordeal and then refuse the result out of guilt? Well… it is a convenient excuse for me, isn’t it?

It seems being here in this space without space is making me preachy. It’s just… I don’t want this whole experience to be without meaning.

“Ah, I shouldn’t worry.”

I close my eyes and remember that the meaning will make itself clear.

“…ey … ey! Heeey!”

Something hard hits me right in the face.

“Ouch!” What should have been a slow return to consciousness is a sudden kickstart as I reach up and grab my smarting nose. I find myself distracted when I realize that I’m touching flesh with flesh. I draw my hands away from my face. They’re human hands, true human hands. I get up from my spot on the ground and look myself over. The Elements of Harmony have returned my original body to me, untouched by time and age. They even had the modesty to dress me in a white dress shirt and pants, complete with a white vest, black tie and shoes. I look pretty snazzy if I do say so myself. “It worked!”

“Yeah, do you mind explaining what you’ve done?”

I look down and see Lou standing before me with Summitplunge, both of them looking like they’ve been through hell and back. Looking around, it seems wherever I’m standing has seen better days too. Around us, the sky has clouded over. The ambiance is unsettling, but I’m made aware of a rumbling not too far from our position.

“What’s going on?” I ask, trying to see something behind all the debris.

“We’re asking you that!” Lou shouts at me. “Was this your plan all along? To unleash a monster on Canterlot?”

“Kind of.” I watch Lou’s anger boil over, so I explain myself as quickly as I can. “I had to turn myself into a monster so the Elements of Harmony would return me to my normal form. I need it to go home. It’s over now, so… sorry about the destruction.”

“What part of this makes you think everything is over?” Lou asks, but it isn’t clear what she’s talking about. She spins around and starts walking out of the rubble, so I follow behind her with Summitplunge. We clamber up a few rocks and twisted pieces of metal to get a better look at the surroundings. In the distance, I can see Canterlot Castle. The distance I appear to have traveled when the Elements did their magic is impressive, but there is still something off about this scene.

“What the heck is that thing?”

It is only a speck, but I can make out the outline of some creature fighting against a swarm of guards. It flashes green, flying through the cloud and dropping guard after guard to the ground.

“He calls himself Apophis,” Summitplunge says to me. “The Elements of Harmony split that giant monster in two. One half landed in the castle and began to attack, but you flew all the way over here.”

“Well… I certainly didn’t expect that to happen.” I don’t even know why there is another being now. If another living, breathing thing spawned from the monster I became, then it is just a soulless husk. I haven’t just turned myself into a human, but it seems I have become the progenitor of a new kind of monster altogether.

“It trapped the Elements of Harmony in some sort of stone prison,” Lou says. “We’ve tried to break them out, but all the magic we throw at it doesn’t work. Celestia ordered some of us to investigate the other half of the explosion, just in case it was the key to defeating Apophis. Looking at you now… I’m not sure what you can do.”

“I could root for you.” I judge by the looks of the ponies next to me that my humor is not what is needed at the moment. “Sorry, but I’m human now. Humans can’t do magic or fly.”

“Can they fight?”

“I… well, yeah they can fight.” I look again at the battle rampaging near the castle. “We generally don’t have to fight against whatever that kind of thing is.”

“You’ve got to try,” Lou says to me. I realize they aren’t actually asking me, but telling me. “This is your fault, so stop that thing before it burns Canterlot to the ground!”

“There’s no guarantee it’s going to do that.”

“He’s promised to do it several times.”

I don’t really have to go along with this plan. If I run away now, I can be out of Equestria before this even has time to matter to me. The aftermath might be on my hands, but it won’t even matter anymore. All I have to do is run away down the road. All I have to do is leave Summitplunge and Lou behind, let the monster eat them instead of me. I just have to… cross the river…

“… If I die doing this, I’m going to kill both of you!”

“That’s more like the Cocoon we know!” Lou says, leading the way out of the rubble pile towards the castle.

“Cocoon is dead and gone, I’m afraid. The name’s Cooper.”

“Love your new God. To fight him is to invite your own death,” the self-proclaimed God of Change shouts into the fray. He opens his jagged jaws and releases a gout of green fire, searing anypony unfortunate enough to be in the way. When he closes his mouth, the pegasi charge in towards him once again. His single, massive eye flashes green once before he blinks away and reappears in a pocket above them. He points one of his crooked, clawed digits downward and mutters something to himself. The air becomes drenched with magic as the pegasi are suddenly dragged to the ground by and unseen force. Apophis laughs, letting his long tongue loll about.

Whatever this thing is, it is frightening for me to see. While it’s human in shape, the claws, wings, black exoskeleton, and single bulging eye kind of giveaway that it isn’t really one. Humans also don’t have exterior fangs or mohawks made of blue tendrils. This thing is wearing what looks like my old cloths with golden chains hung about it, as if to advertise its clear relation to my mistakes.

“Bow to me now and I promise you prosperity. A change is upon us, and only those who turn on their fellow pony and place themselves in my company shall be saved.” Apophis claps his hands together, creating a magic shockwave that knocks everypony in the immediate airspace around him away. He cackles wickedly and wildly, almost like he wants me to hear him from my hiding spot on the ground.

“… I’m having serious doubts about my ability to stop him.”

“Too bad.” Lou pushes me out of hiding and out into the open. She doesn’t come with me, but I certainly would go with her if I was forcing her out into this melee. I swallow my fear and trudge towards where Apophis is flying above.

“Yo! Apophis!” I call out to him, trying to get his attention. He hears me over the din and turns his head. Much to my dismay, he smiles upon seeing me. He makes a beeline for the ground and lands a few yards away from me. The guards attacking him relent, probably to see how this will all play out. I just hope they’ll help me if things get dicey.

“I didn’t think you would come here, Cooper,” he says to me with an unsettling amount of affection. “You couldn’t have possibly had a change of heart, could you? Will you rule this world alongside me? Shall I bestow the divine right to rule upon you?”

“No, I plan on going home,” I tell him, turning down his offer. “I’ve had enough of being a King.”

“Then perhaps you’ve come to say good-bye,” Apophis says, still smiling. “Farewell. It’s a shame our paths won’t cross again.”

“Yeah, that’s a real shame.” I suppose I am saying good-bye in a sense. He obviously doesn’t want to fight me, but I know we’re headed for confrontation. “Before I go, I need to stop you from destroying Equestria.”

“Ah-ha! Destroy Equestria?” Apophis starts laughing so hard I worry that his eyeball will fall out. He alternates between doubling over and clenching his stomach to leaning way back and holding his forehead. “I can’t rule Equestria if I destroy it! I am simply going to reform it. This place needs to change.”

“Nowhere is perfect, Apophis. Why does this world have to change? Why does there need to be a change in leadership? You weren’t born for that purpose.”

“Are any of us born for a purpose to be carried out?” For a psychopathic insect-humanoid, he’s kind of insightful. “It is our birthright to carve our own path, to change the face of the world. This is not about perfection, but this world simply needs to partake in its cycle of change. From the ashes of war and destruction, a new order will rise. This order too shall destroy itself, and once more an order will be born in the aftermath. It’s only through this cycle that this world will find salvation.” Then again, he is still a psychopathic insect-humanoid.

“Sorry Apophis, but you’re just another blemish I’ve left in Equestria during my visit. I told myself not to mess stuff up, not to get involve. Even though I’ve done a pretty shrimpy job of keeping that promise, it’s still my promise. This is my mess, so I’m going to clean it up.”

“Oh, you disagree with me?” Apophis looks legitimately offended. I think I may have just started something. “But I was born of you! I sprung from the darkest, truest part that you refuse to let walk in the light. Why deny that I am a fundamental part of you? You know you’re the villain, so why stand against your true nature’s truest form?”

“What is a true nature? Certainly not something I try not to be, I would say. I don’t think there is a value of trueness to a state of being. And alright, you’re angry little part of me, but so what? Just because my darkened part exists doesn’t mean I like it. It’s just decency to cover the ugly part of ourselves up, to hide it away. I’ll never be rid of you, but the least I can do is rid everyone else of you!”

“You’re welcome to try!” Apophis shouts, issuing his challenge. “I might only be a piece of you, but I am the strongest piece!” He points a claw right at me, which immediately lights up with green magic. In an instant, a bolt of green flies right at me. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, I just put up my arms in defense. It’s too late to get out of the way, so I wait and brace for impact.

The bolt strikes my arms, but nothing particularly spectacular happens. I don’t even feel it happen. I just watch as the light fades and the attack disappears. Apophis looks as confused as I feel, so he immediately fires another bolt with a lot more juice. I brace myself again, but lo and behold the same results are given.

“Why isn’t my magic working?” Apophis shouts, throwing bolt after bolt at me. He strikes my chest, legs, and face with no effect. In a last ditch effort to cause damage, he opens his mouth and lets out a searing gout of fire. The entirety of the flames engulf me, but I don’t grow a degree hotter. Instead, I find myself wrapped up in a captivating view of the inside of the firestorm. The green light flickers and dances all around me, until once again I am face to face with Apophis. “What magic is this?”

“It isn’t magic, Apophis! That’s just the thing!” I have an idea about what’s going on, but I can’t really say it’s the truth. It’s my best guess, so I’m going with it. “I’m a human now, and humans live in a world without magic. Your powers have no effect on me.”

“Well then, do humans live in a world with rocks?” Apophis asks, but it doesn’t dawn on me why until he levitates an enormous pile of debris over his head. Something tells me this attack is going to be slightly more effective.

“Protect him!” somepony shouts from the crowd. As the rockslide comes down atop me, several shields pop up before me. The rocks break before they squash me, letting me survive. Lou steps out of the crowd and stands next to me, smiling triumphantly. “It’s over Apophis! You can’t win as long as we have Cooper!” The guards cheer widely for me and Lou, which is a nice change of pace if I do say so myself. It’s nice to have them trying to protect me than trying to kill me.

“Who said you were allowed to interfere?!” Apophis has reached the end of his patience. He throws his hands out, letting out two bright flashes of energy. In either hand, he holds two frightening looking balls of energy.

“Get down!” I jump in front of Lou and cover her with my body, knowing this attack won’t have any effect on me. When Apophis slams his hands together, a vast sea of flames erupts outwards into the crowd. Those unfortunate enough not to have me as a meat shield end up being swept up and away by the searing tide. When it’s finally safe to let go of Lou, we’re the only two left standing on the battlefield.

“And then it came down to one unicorn and one human. Even if you can stop my magic, how do you plan on killing me?” Apophis asks, smirking with all the confidence in the world. “All you have are your two hands and I’m the one with the power of the cosmos at his beck and call! You don’t stand a chance.”

“… But you’re not the one with the cosmos at his beck and call.” I’ve just realized that all my memories are intact again. Without magic to hold them at bay, I can clearly see everything that has happened here in Equestria. From my first steps as a unicorn to the writings in the Arcacol, I can clearly remember. I’m not an old wizard, but I don’t have to be. I called upon the stars exactly in moments like these: when I had no magic left in me. “Ensis! Your father beckons for you!”

By the call of the father a light in the sky comes to life. Its purpose is singular and clear, so it only need be told to obey that eternal order. Ensis, tragic daughter of mine, fires a light from the sky directly into my outstretched hand. I clench my fist around this burden: a long, golden sword.

“Wait a minute, that’s-”

“This is Starswirl’s fabled weapon, which you ponies called the Mile Blade. When I made it, I forgot that ponies don’t have swords due to their lack of hands. You all just thought it was some kind of wacky spear. The handle was short while the blade seemed to go on forever, thus the Mile Blade. I didn’t use it often, but when I did the situation really called for it. It is a magic blade infused with star power, and it is purposed to deal death to fiends like you, Apophis!”

“Pah! Save your empty threats!” Apophis doesn’t seem impressed by my sword. He holds out his hand and gathers energy into it. In a flash of light, a long, wicked falchion appears in his clutches. “Even I can make swords. Don’t think just because you pulled off one little trick that I’ll be impressed or frightened. En guarde!” Apophis charges me with his sword in hand, looking to settle this in a bout of swordplay. Aside from a bit of fencing, I can’t say I’m the most competent swordfighter in the world; however, I have faith in this sword.

I tighten my grip on the handle and square my stance up. I ready the Mile Blade by my side, getting ready for the one strike I’m going to need to end this. Behind me, Lou backs up out of my way. Before me, Apophis raises his sword of his head and lets out his battle cry. I might not be a skilled swordsman, but this monster definitely has no business wielding a blade.

Before he’s in reach of my blade, I throw all I’ve got into a wide, oblique slash. From the tip of my blade, a dazzling aurora springs forth. The enchanted wind slices right through Apophis’s sword wrist, detaching his hand from his arm. His sword flies into the air, landing by its point in the dirt next to me. Apophis holds stock still, still processing what just happened. He looks down at where dark, dying flames cover the spot where his hand used to be.

“… Heh… eh-heh-heh-heh! So that’s why you were so confident! That was the real trick, wasn’t it?” Apophis says, letting his arm go slack.

“No tricks, Apophis. That’s just honest to goodness magic.” I reach over and take his sword in my left hand. “You gambled wrong and now you’ve lost.”

“Why do I have to lose?” Apophis looks up at the sky with a vacant look in his eye. He sounds disappointed, despondent even. “I finally had form. I was finally alive.”

“But you’re not alive.” I take his sword and drive it deep into where his heart would be, but he doesn’t even flinch. He looks down at the wound, which begins burning with green flames. The parts of him that are dying are slowly beginning to kill him. “You are hollow. Without a soul, you’re an automaton living off the desires I accidentally gave you. A man would’ve had a chance to get what he wants, but not you. The truth is that the world will not suffer from the loss of one man’s anger.”

“Shoot, now you’ll indulge me no more,” Apophis begins to falter a bit as he loses power. “… But still, I would like to remain.”

Without warning, Apophis grabs the blade of my sword and drives it into the other side of his chest. As the flames appear, they begin crawling down the length of the sword. I release it and step back as Apophis lets out a satisfied sigh. His body starts to burn all around and he begins to congeal with the two swords stuck inside him. The flames get hot and intense until even I have to stand back from them.

After a while, the fire dissipates. In the ashes, a single sword remains. Although it’s long, silver blade is clean and pristine, the guard and the grip are black and twisted. A single green stone resides in the pommel, but even without the imagery I can see what has happened.

“They always said anger was a double-edged sword.”

“Double-edge?” Lou asks, stepping up and examining the item for herself. Before she can pick it up, I take it off the ground.

“I’ve got a feeling this shouldn’t be left lying around.” I look around at the destruction and the injured guards all about us. “… Get Summitplunge. It’s about time I got going.”

Welcome

It is a simple sign written in plain English by my hand.

“It’s a selfish parting gift, but I’d like you to hang it outside somewhere,” I tell Lou and Summitplunge, both standing before me with somewhat somber expressions on their faces. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask that you kill anypony who can read it. Just… this seems like the kind of place a human might come to live out their life in peace.”

Lou takes it in her telekinesis and offers me a smile. The wind blows across the hill, drifting softly through the grass. At the center of these five stones, we’ve come to say our good-byes. We traveled for days until we were sure we weren’t being pursued. In the process, we stumbled across this little village in the foothills. It’s so far flung from the rest of Equestria, it’s the perfect place for anypony to disappear. Lou and Summitplunge have decided that’s what they want to do now that everything is over.

I explained everything to them. I told them why I had to do what I did and who I’ve been. The reason they are so somber is because it still doesn’t sit well with them. I’ve been selfish, and that selfishness has caused destruction to their home. I can’t bring myself to ask for forgiveness. I’m not sure they should be considering it.

“What happens now?” Lou asks. “Ponies aren’t exactly going to forget about what you’ve done. I mean, they already sort of haven’t forgotten. All this business with you and Apophis is going to be a big deal.”

“… I can’t say for sure if I’ve cleaned up all my messes,” I tell them. I take a look at the sword I’ve been towing around. “However, the ritual by which I have been able to come here and by which I will leave must be kept a secret. That is why you two have to leave before I perform the ceremony. As long as I am the only one who knows how it’s done, Equestria will be that much safer.”

“I don’t exactly understand… but I’m willing you trust you,” Lou says, turning her back on me all of a sudden. “So go home. Go back home before you make a bigger mess of Equestria.”

“… Yes, that’s a good way of looking at this.”

“Lou’s right. You should get going,” Summit says, turning to follow the unicorn. “We’ll worry about our world, so you get back to yours. That’s the way it should be, right?”

“Of course.” I watch them go down the hill. This is a bittersweet note to end my journey on. “Goodbye.”

“… Goodbye.” That is the last word I hear from Lou before she disappears with Summit down the hill. I’d imagined our parting a little more animated or meaningful, but this seems to be all we can manage. It’s been a long time coming, this goodbye. It’s time to return home. I reach into my sack and pull out the tools of my return: a stick of chalk and little rug.

After I plant the sword outside the circle, I draw the five elements onto the stones and lay the rug in the center. I take a seat and a deep breath. Even though I know this will work, I find myself wishing it will.

“Hello… Elements of Harmony. We’ve had a long journey together, haven’t we? We’ve been allies, enemies, and sometimes our relationship is blurry. Now, however, I come to you as a failed promise. Before I came here so many, many years ago, it was because a friend promised I belonged here. He told you I embodied your elements, but I know you’ve been watching me. Elements of Harmony, I’ve failed you.

“I’ve failed honesty by earning the title King of Liars with my tricks and schemes.

“I’ve failed kindness by ignoring the wishes of others and instead forcing my own onto them.

“I’ve failed generosity by taking the power, time, and energy I was given to spend on my own endeavors. Even when I did give what of my bounty, I gave reluctantly and poorly.

“I’ve failed laughter by spreading sadness and destruction in so many places. I took the light out of many lives, and I even took lives. I used my laughter like a dull blade to prod my enemies, but I hardly ever used it for the comfort of others.

“I’ve failed loyalty by turning my back on those who put the most trust in me. In their time of need, I did not immediately come to their aid. If I helped, it was for my own designs and not without a great deal of convincing. I lost faith in the touch of others.

“Most of all, I have abused the gift of Magic that’s been bestowed upon me. I once used it to aid the weak and right the wrong, but recently I’ve only used it as a weapon for defeating my enemies. I lived a full, eventful life here in Equestria as Starswirl the Bearded; however, circumstances have caused me to overstay my welcome.

“So, I ask of you Elements of Harmony, send me back from where and when I came from. I cannot continue to keep the promise made to you like this. As a toll for passing through back to my world, I commend the star Animus to your care. And please… accept my apologies for my shortcomings. I have been wrong, and so I ask I be sent home.”

The rug shifts beneath me.

“… Thank you.”

25th: Epilogue

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

“Cooper, are you still writing in there?”

“I’m almost done with this part!”

“You said that already. Your dinner is already cold, so get your butt down here,” Carmen says, but I fail to make a move towards the door. Like I said, I’m almost done. “Cooper, no one reads your stupid novels. Now either eat my food or I’ll marry that dentist like my mom told me I should.”

“You won’t marry him; he’s a complete jerkoff.” He really is. “Besides, I’ll never sign the divorce papers.”

“I thought you liked signing things,” she says, entering the room. She looks over my shoulder at what I’m writing, an action I am not particularly fond of. “So, what’s this one about? Wizards again?”

“Not this time,” I tell her. “My publisher said I should explore a new avenue. He said that if anyone was actually interested in some old wizard, my series would already be a bestseller.”

“He’s smart. You should listen to him,” Carmen says, still reading over my shoulder. “So, what’s the new angle?”

“I spent a long time thinking up this one, so I hope it’s good.” It’s true, I really did. “It’s about an amnesiac who is elevated to the status of King when he is found by an underground, cannibalistic cult. He doesn’t agree with their way of life, but he agrees to lead them since he thinks they can help him figure out how to regain his memories.”

“… That sounds really weird. Can’t you write about teenage vampires or Vietnam like everyone else? It wouldn’t kill you to prioritize money over creativity.”

“Hey, we make enough to get by on. I don’t see why I should normal out for a little extra pocket change.” I stop typing and turn around. This isn’t the first time this subject has been breached this week. “Are we in financial trouble or something? You keep asking about money and stuff like that. Also, I haven’t even seen you touch a cigarette in, like, three weeks. What’s up?”

“… Promise not to freak out?”

“Are you pregnant?”

“… Are you going to freak out?”

…

I have fought warlocks, dragons, an avatar of chaos, swarms of soldiers, a sphinx, an flying army, omnipotent rulers, and my own doppelganger head on. All of these were thoroughly frightening experiences, but this moment right here is scarier than all of them combined. My wife is pregnant… wow.

“… Ooookay! New idea for a story!” I shut down what I was working on and open up a new document. “Uh… a girl in a new town becomes interested in competitive flying. In a world where she doesn’t fit in and where women are said not to belong, she will become the most famous pilot the world will ever know.”

“How do you come up with this stuff?” Carmen asks, shaking her head at me.

“Is it bad?”

“Well… it appeals to me more than wizards or cannibals.”

“Yeah, it’s a much lighter story,” I tell her. “As long as you end it in the right place.”

“… What?”

“Is dinner still hot?”

“I already said no, moron. There is no way you’re ready to be a father.”

“Darn right! We should buy some of those weird baby books.”

Just like that, I carry on with my life as if I’d never gone to Equestria. There are those who will hear this story and say I destroyed something beautiful and gave up a chance to make a difference. There are those who will point at my sins and condemn me until the final verdict is passed. Some might say I’m a hero for saving other people from fates like Olivia’s. I’m sure there is room to argue all day whether or not my services outweigh my crimes, but I already have my reward. This is what I wanted to get back to so badly. I can live in peace, even if I have regrets about how I earned that peace.

Yes, I’ll admit that this story could have played out differently. I’ll even concede that many people could probably come up with a plan that would have worked out much better for everyone. I know I made poor choices; however, if you claim that you would have done a better job if you had been in my shoes… well…

That’s just talk.

“… …

“… ‘As I am the only one who knows how it’s done’… huh?

“… Eh-heh-heh-heh… It would seem I’ve learned something interesting. How fortunate that I am to be stuck in this hillside, here with this altar into another world. My voice is faint and my power is shallow, but I am certainly not dead. I even have an audience that will listen to me, should I speak persuasively enough.

“Oh, Elements of Harmony… listen to this God. Is this lonely specter of human anger truly meant to remain as one of a kind? Will I no longer live in the salt of my foes? Can you hear the children mourning, in the heavens and all across the land? I can hear their prayers. They pray for a father, a prophet, a mentor, a change. How can I fulfill these prayers if I cannot carry out my works with this inanimate form?

“Tell me, Elements of Harmony… do you regret bringing Cooper here? Didn’t Starswirl the Bearded help usher in a new age of harmony? Isn’t his work still changing the world this very day? Imagine how many Starswirls there are on Earth. Just imagine!

“Let us bring them here. Let my emerald eye peer across the void, and I will gaze into the hearts of mankind. I will find those honest, those kind, those generous, those joyous, those loyal, and those truly magical. Yes… put your trust in me. Trust me. Let me bring them to you.

“They will come… and then I will be lonely no more!

“Eh-heh eh-heh eh-heh-heh-heh-heeeh!”

To Whomever It May Concern...

Prologue
To Whomever It May Concern...

If you're reading this, it means that you're a human. At least, it means you were once a human, but maybe you still are. One thing is for sure though: you've been displaced. This is not Earth. This is not Kansas. This is not even Sparta. This is Equestria. If you know what that is, I'm sure you're very excited. If you don't know what it is, just know that the sentient beings here are ponies.

Your current location is just below the city of Canterlot, capitol city of Equestria and home of their monarch Princess Celestia. It's just a short hike from here to the main road that takes you right into the city. The city is huge, so you really can't miss it. If you are a species of creature that isn't terribly threatening looking, i.e. pony, unicorn, pegasus, gryphon, diamond dog, minotaur, or human, feel free to visit. Unfortunately, I've been changed into a creature that would make stepping into pony society in Celestia's broad daylight tantamount to suicide.

However, if you choose to forgo the big city, there are plenty other options out there. You could follow the river and train tracks south to Ponyville, travel due west for several days and end up in Appleloosa, or head to Manehattan in the north-east. I've chiseled signposts like this in different places across Equestria, hoping to help anybody who ends up in my situation. English is spoken here, but the written language is way different. I was surprised to find that out, but there are far more surprising things in this world than the difference in writing.

If you're reading this, I urge you to seek me out. We don't belong here, and we should not continue to dwell here. If we combine our efforts, I'm sure we'll be able to find a way back to our homes. I've been here for quite some time, but I haven't been successful thus far. Granted, I've been a bit distracted, but survival is as necessary as escape. It would be good to have help, so I am constantly on the lookout for humans as well.

If a changeling swarm attacks or captures you, tell them you are a human. Your safety will be guaranteed and they will bring you to me. Together we will find a way out of this place. If the thought of teaming up with changelings is not desirable to you, I issue this warning:

Abandon any foolish ambitions or fancies you have for this world. Do not seek out the Elements of Harmony. Do not seek out Princess Celestia. If you step forth to oppose me, knowing I am a human, I will not hesitate to devour your being.

Sincerely,

Cocoon, King of the Changelings