Illuminating Aegis: Tales of the Changeling King

Namiro stumbled a little as he stepped out of the portal that had let him return... home... from the world of his most recent master, Rin the Kitsune. Taking in his surroundings he had noticed that he was definitely in a forest of some kind, with Canterlot Mountain looming in the distance and the lack of oppressive darkness he could only assume that he had been landed somewhere in Whitetail Woods. "At least I get to enjoy a nice walk home while I think..." He let out a small sigh as his hooves began to slowly plod down the well-trodden dirt road leading to the little semi-swamp town of Ponyville.

The large changeling had almost immediately lost himself in thought as he continued thinking back to the lessons Rin had been teaching him, a smile curled the edge of his muzzle as he thought back to Rin's most elite soldier... Cluck Norris. Even at the stun settings that crazy chicken managed to whup the larger changeling's flank three ways from Sunday, after the initial mirth and subsequent surprise though the two of them had gotten along very amicably. While it was still a bit difficult to understand the language of Chicken, the one-chicken-army had been a good battle mentor alongside the Kitsune, with the latter being there to teach him purely of technique to hone his control over the Dark Side.

That had been the most difficult part, even now he didn't consider himself skilled enough to use the power, the Dark Side relied heavily on using your emotions to influence The Force, not simply your will. He had taken one of the fox's biggest lessons to heart though. "...The Darkness is always hungry, it seeks to feed on everything." He muttered to himself as he felt his reserves of energy begin to rise again now that he was back in a world that had an active connection to The Force. It was a feeling that just didn't sit right in his... well... he had actually found out that it wasn't actually a stomach with some of the memories that had been shared with him over the hive mind.

"What am I doing?" He asked quietly as he crested a small hill, the town ahead was cast in a soft orange glow from the dying light of the sunset. Despite being so close to his new home he slowly sat himself down and quietly stared at the village in the distance.

Applejack had a confused look on her face as she noticed the changeling the size of the Princesses sitting on the path. He'd been gone a few days so far and the large Queen changeling had explained it to the group that another being like him had called for his help, a teacher of his...

She was hesitant at first but her curiosity had won out. "hey there Sugarcube, what'cha sittin' round here for?"

The changeling didn't move, he didn't even flinch. He took a small breath as just a small twitch of his eyes scanning over the town showed he was still alive. "I... I don't know... Thinking, I guess."

"Bout what?" The farm mare asked as she gently put down the basket of apples strapped to her back and sat down next to him, keeping a fairly decent space away from that strange tail of his.

He took another breath. "It's hard to explain... On one hand, I lost everything to come to this world... I lost most of my old friends, I lost every member of my old family... I can't say I was particularly close to anyone but my parents and little sister..." Applejack's eyes widened a little at his explanation. "But on the other hand... I've found Patina, Nick... you guy-... girls... and each changeling in that hive that I would willingly die for in order to protect. Nick told me that I would have to find a way to use both the Light and Dark side of The Force to be able to save this world... but I never wanted to be a hero, I didn't want to be a leader... I just wanted to be me... if anything, being a Jedi should be a career where I pass on the mentality of self-discipline and the desire to be an example of kindness and modesty."

Applejack sat next to him quietly, unsure of what to say at the moment, so the changeling continued. "But now, I'm apparently a king of a race that was once risking extinction... I'm in the steps of a precarious position and if I take just the wrong step... this whole world could be in much worse trouble than it ever had been before."

He was cut off as an orange-coated hand gripped his shoulder tightly, he turned his head and his green eyes met the mare's almost equally-emerald-green eyes. "I know how ya feel Sugarcube... maybe not with some of the whole 'in a diff'rent world' stuff... but I know what it's like ta lose family... What it's like ta suddenly feel like yer the reason why the world isn't fallin' apart. Trus' me when I say this... Keep yerself open with yer friends, ya may not be able ta bear the weight of yer burdens on yer own... but bearin' it with yer friends makes it easier."

His muzzle trembled as a small smile embraced him. It dropped a little as he tried to ask something, he hesitated though as he tried to ask.

"What is it Sugarcube?" The orange mare asked with a curious tilt of her head.

Namiro let out a sigh, "I... I just have a lot of problems with myself, things that affected me before I came to this world... but I just want to ask you for one thing tonight..."

"An' that is?"

"...C-can I have a hug?" He asked timidly as a blush spread across his face. "I know that it might seem a bit weird... but... just something completely platonic..."

Applejack had a smile of her own grow on her muzzle. "Of course Sugarcube..." She replied as she pulled him into a firm hug. Neither of them really realized how long they stayed like that until Applejack actually noticed that the sun was almost finished setting. The two of them broke the embrace and stood, ready to head back to their homes for the night.

"Applejack..."

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks... I know I should say it more often to you guys... but... thanks."

"The Apple family is always there ta help a friend out, we're dependable like that."

"I got the feeling, if she'll have me though... I think I'd like to go out to dinner again with Twilight."

The farm mare laughed a little. "I'll see if one o' the girls will be able ta get her nice and ready for ya."

With those last words of parting, the changeling and earth pony went their separate ways. It gave Namiro a lot to think about, but it also gave him a bit of clarity in the mare's words. He looked to the sky and his eyes fixated on one star in particular, the single brightest one in the sky. An old nursery rhyme chanted its way through his mind.

"Starlight, Starbright, first star I see tonight... I wish I may, I wish I might... Have this wish I wish tonight..." The edges of his vision blurred a bit as water began to build up in the corners of his eyes. "Please... make sure my family is safe..."