As the sun peaked over the horizon, and the sky sang with the warm colors of the sun. The birds chirped and the frogs croaked. Canterlot was all but quiet. The empire had won and the new royal couple where off on their honeymoon. Princess Celestiahad asked twilight to look through the library and learn more about the changelings. "I'm sure we can find something",Twilight said as she and her friends entered the Canterlot library.
"Seeing as of what they can do, I really hope I never see another changeling again.",Rarity said as she started levitated books down to Applejack and Pinkie pie. Fluttershy and Rainbow dash begain searching higher up.
As mid-day aproached, the forest still seamed restless. "Huh...where...am...I?",said a young changeling. As the injured changeling stood up and looked around, some more roars of happieness shot out of canterlot into the forest where he stood. "Oh thats right, the invasion. And it...failed, didn't it. Guess that makes me a failure hu?",said the changeling expecting an answer. He then looked around,"Guys...queen?",he asked. "guess I'm alone.",he said to himself with a sound of disbeleif. As the changeling tried to take of he had a sharp pain shoot out from his left wing. He then tumbled back to earth. "Guess I'm walking home.",he said to himself. He then started walking to where he thinks the others landed.
"I think I need a brake, all this reading is starting to get to me.",Fluttershy said to her friends.
"Ok, but when your done come right back.",Twilight said as she turned to her yellow friend.
"Oh, I heard there's a beautiful path through the forest outside of Canterlot. Its saposed to have the most beautiful waterfall dow the pathway.",Rarity said to Fluttershy.
"Ok, I'll walk the path and come back ready to look some more.",Fluttershy said as she put her book down and walked out the librairy door.
"I must be close to the others, I hope they're alright",said the little changeling as he walked through the forest for what seemed like miles. The breeze gently rubbing his face like his queen once did.
"But mom...",said a baby changeling,
"Your a changeling, but your also special. if anything, all changeling are special.",said the queen,
"But you won't even give me a name."said the baby changeling,
"You don't need a name to know your different, you just need to know your special",said the queen as she rubbed his cheak with her hoof.
"When i grow up i want to become a worrier, like them",the baby changeling said as he pointed to a group of drones.
"Then you will surve your hive and your queen proudly",said the queen.
"Becoming a drone, where did that get me",said the little changeling. As he walked on he found a small dirt path. After looking up and down the path he decided to fallow it in hopes of finding others. He walked up the pathway to where he thinks he saw another land.
The breeze carried fresh air across the forest. The smell of a spring afternoon washed across the land."ho, what a beautiful day it is. it really is.",said Fluttershy. She walked down the mountainside into the forest entry. Many flowars blosumed and large strong trees grew. A family of bunnies greeted Fluttershy as she entered the forest. Birds cherped and bees flew around. Everything was so peacefull. Fluttershy walked for a fiew miles, stoping every so often to greet an animal. Eventually she came across the majestic waterfall. The fresh mist coming off, the cool air around it. "This is so relaxing",Fluttershy said as she sat down to enjoy the site. After about a half hour she decided to continue down the path.
Everything seemed the same, untill she heard faint movement up ahead. She thought it was joust some animals so she continued on. After a fiew minutes the noies became louder and louder. She started to get worried"who's there?",she asked waiting for an answer. Meanwhile the changeling wasn't focused, he was lost in his thoughts and couldn't even hear Fluttershys soft voice. "Can you answer me?",Fluttershy continued to ask. As she came around the corner she saw what it was. The two looked at each other with fear in their eyes. As Fluttershy jumped into a bush, the changeling gained enough streangth to fly up into a low tree branch. When Fluttershy looked around the bush she saw that the little changeling was just as scared as she was."He cant be all bad, and he looks so lost and confused. His wing also looks badly damaged. Maybe I should help him?",she thought.
Fluttershy walked out and said,"You don't need to fear me, im not gonna hert you. You can trust me."
The little changeling looked at Fluttershy confused,"should i trust her, she doesn't look two dangerous?",he said to himself. He then decided to give her a chance, so he climed out of the tree and stood in front of Fluttershy.
"I'm Fluttershy, who are you?",she asked with wonder.
He answered,"I don't have a name. My mother, the queen, said i didn't need one."
Fluttershy looked suprised,"everypony should have a name." He then thought but Fluttershy interrupted,"How about Smokey?" The changeling then agreed to the name.
"I like that name",he said.
Fluttershy and Smokey talked for a fiew hours, then Fluttershy realized that she left her friends and needed to return. "I have to go."she said.
"what about me?",Smokey asked upsetingly.
"look for the small cottage by the Everfree Forest, thats my house.",Fluttershy said as she took of back to the castle. "I hope my friends aren't too worried about me.",she said.
As the sun set over the badlands in the south, and the warm collors painted across the sky. Canterlot had finally seem to calm down. The city was now at peace. Twilight and her friends where getting ready to leave for the night. After hours os searching they only found a fiew paragraphs on the changelings. One that intrested Twilight the most was one by Starswirl the bearded. He once tried to unravel the mystery with their abillity to both change and feed of love. This was so far the best thing they have found in the whole library.
"Why dont you all go home and reast up, I will deliver this and the other stories we found to the prinsesses.", Twilight said as she stopped infront of a doorway.
"You don't need to tell me twice", Rainbow dash said without hesitation. She then quickly flew out the castle door and of to her house.
"That seemed uncalled for.", Rarity said after Rainbows dust cloud disapeared.
"Well we have been reading and searching all day for things on the changelings.", Pinkie pie said as she hopped along side her friends.
Fluttershy walked with nothing on her mind but Smokey. How was she to tell her friends she has a changeling staying with her. She didn't want them to harm or inprison him, he was so small, weak and innocent. She did know that eventually she would have to tell them.
"You ok shuger cube?", Applejack said to Fluttershy, "You seem a little lost in your thoughts."
"Oh, im still trying to prosess what we had to go through on the wedding.", Fluttershy said in responce to Applejacks question, "I'm just happy to go home and rest."
After leaving the castle and back onto the train back to ponyville, Fluttershy still had nothing but Smokey on her mind. She still had the questions buzzing around her mind like bees, how was she to tell them, how would they react, what would they do to him? She knew she was also going to tell Smoky about these problems.
The train arived in the ponyville station. As the four unloaded they said there goodbyes and went there ways to there homes. Fluttershy walked towards her house and saw some of her animals confused. She saw what they where looking at, it was Smokey. He had made it to Fluttershy's cottage but due to his injuries he passed out on her front door.
"Help me get him inside, quick!", Fluttershy said to her animals. They quicley and carfully brought him inside the cottage. Without waisting a second Fluttershy got some pain realevers and bandages. She gave him a shot and bounded up his wounds. She then moved him to a bed and gave him some warm soup and a hot blanket.
After about an hour Fluttershy realized Smokey starting to wake up. She rushed to him to steady his rise. He then turned to see where he was. "Don't speak, your still very weak. You came to my house but passed out from you wounds. I'm helping you though.", Fluttershy said as she had Smokey lean on her side for saport. She brought him over to her counter where she gave him some soup. "This will keep you warm and healthy." She gave him a spoonful of soup with which he ate accepted. He wantet to complement or thank her but he couldn't.
Fluttershy then walked him back to his bed where he went back to sleep to regain his strenght. After he was asleep, Fluttershy stood up and turned arount to see Angel. He was thumping his foot with anger. Fluttershy knew what was going on about, Angel was jealous. This usually happend when Fluttershy payed her attention to one animal in paticular. "It's ok Angel, he needs the attention. He is really hert.", Fluttershy said to the angry rabbit. He then hopped over to Smokey and pointed with concern. Angel was trying to explain to Fluttershy that it's dangerous having him here.
Angel continued to point to Smokey to get Fluttershy to realize he had to go. "Dont worry Angel, he's not replacing you. You two can become good friends.", Fluttershy said with a smile. Angel facepalmed and hopped away. "I hope he gets over his jealousy.", Fluttershy said as Angel hopped of. She then walked back and fell asleep on her couch.
The next morning Fluttershy awoke to the smell of eggs. As she looked around she saw Smokey cooking the eggs. "Good morning.", Smokey said with a much happier tone.
"Good morning Smokey, I see your doing better", she said to Smokey.
"Oh greate, the shots you gave me and all the reast really paid of. My wings are still sore but they will heal.", he said to Fluttershy, " And if you couldn't tell i made you breakfest, to thank you for all your help."
"You don't have to thank me, I'm just being a good friend.", Fluttershy said.
Fluttershy had wanted to bring up her other friends and how he couldn't be seen around them, but she didn't know how to word it. She thought of a fiew ways but couldn't find what she wanted. Then Smokey brought it up for her."What are you going to do with me when your other friends come around? I saw them with you during the invasion."
Fluttershy answerd the best she could,"Until I can find a way to break it to them I want you to hide from them. If they see you they could hurt you more, and most likely have you put in prison!"
"I understand, you wont have to worry about me. How are you going to break it to them?", Smokey said.
"I'm not shure, but I'll let you know when i do.", She said in responce.
After there conversation they started eating, during the meal Angel ran up and started pulling on Fluttershy's right leg. "What's wrong Angel?", she asked. He then pointed to the door where they heard Pinkie pie and Applejack walking up to her cottage. "Quick hide!", Fluttershy said to Smokey. He ran into a closet, as Fluttershy opened the front door.
"Hello girls.", Fluttershy said
"Houdy Fluttershy.", Applejack said as she shook Fluttershy's hoof.
"Hey Fluttershy.", Pinkie pie said as she hopped into the cottage.
"Uh Fluttershy, why do you have two plates set? You don't have anyone over.", Applejack said to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy stopped in her place, she had to think of a way out of this one. She thought about breaking the news to her friends. Then she thought that she would rather tell them all at once. Fluttershy came up with something though,"I had one of my friends from the animal watchers program over for breakfest."
"Ah, why wasn't I invited?", Pinke pie said
"You said you had to take care of a cake issue though.", Fluttershy said.
"Oh yha, good point", Pinkie pie said.
"Anyway, Rarity and Rainbow dash are at the train station to Canterlot. We came to get you.", Applejack said
"Ok, give me a minute to clean up and get ready.", Fluttershy said. Her friends said goodbye and walked of. "Ok, there gone.", she said to Smokey. He then climed out of the closet.
"It was dusty in there. You gonna tell them at Canterlot?", he said.
"I'll try.", Fluttershy said.
As they where talking Fluttershy's door swung open and Pinkie pie jumped in and said, "I ment to say the train leaves in ten min..." Pinkie stopped mid-sentence. She couldn't beleave what she saw.
"Pinkie, don't freak out.", Fluttershy tried to explain.
"CHANGELING!!!", Pinkie shouted.
Applejack ran back to fluttershys cottage where she saw Fluttershy siting next to a little changeling. "What in the hay is that doing here?"
"Don't worry, hes not dangerous.", Fluttershy tried to say.
"Dangerous, they joust took over the capital city of Equestria. Why do you have one in your house?", Applejack said.
"After I left for my break, i found this changeling wandering around. He didn't attack me, he hid from me. When i looked at him, I saw myself. He was weak and wounded. I offered to help him. Hes not dangerous, hes kind and gentle.", Fluttershy explained.
Smokey stood up and said,"I know i shouldn't be here, but your friend offered to help me. I only went with her because she didn't want to hert me."
"Are you going to hurt him?", Fluttershy said with tears runing down her cheaks.
"I think we should let Celestia decide.", Applejack said, "I wouldn't want to do something then have the princess say she wanted to have met him. You never know with her."
"If fluttershy has a changeling friend, then can i have a monster friend?", Pinkie pie asked
The four walked over to the station where Rarity and Rainbow where waiting. "How hold on, don't get two exited. Hes not gonna hurt you.", Applejack said to her two friends in shock of the changeling.
"yha, hes Fluttershys new friend. She found him off in the woods.",Pinkie pie said as she hopped up the stairs to the station.
Rarity and Rainbow where speachless untill fluttershy explained again. Applejack then brought up how they wantet to see what Celestia had to say. After they discused it for a fiew moments they decided to get onto the train to canterlot and see what would happen. The hole train ride over to canterlot, Rainbow staired down Smokey. She wouldn't let him move without glaring even more intencley at him. The ride to canterlot was the most silent one of them all, either other passengers stopped and starred or they shuttered in fear.
As they pulled into the station in canterlot, the six of them where to greet Twilight. The look on Twilight's face was in apsolute shock to see her five friends walk of the train with a changeling drone. befor she could say anything though, Fluttershy inturupted,"Twilight, don't worry, Smokey is a friend. I found him hurt and weak. I took care of him, hes not like the others."
Twilight looked over to her other friends. they had uneasy looks as well. "Don't worry, your not the only one still in shock by this." Rainbow said to Twilight.
"I wish you would have come and got us as soon as you found him. We could have spared so much time then, but why did you bring him here?" Twilight said.
"Don't worry, he's not as bad as you think. Ever scence I found he's been nothing but kind to me. He made me breakfest and fed the animals. the reason I didn't bring him to you was because I didn't know how you would take it. I was afraid you would hurt him, or take him away. When Pinkie pie found him I was scared, not for what she would do, but how it would hurt Smokey. When we sorted everything out, we decided to bring him with us and see what Celestia wanted to do. After all, she wanted to learn more about the changelings. What could be better than a changeling its self." Fluttershy said with hopes Twilight would understand.
"Don't worry Fluttershy. I see what happened. Some ponies commit crimes, but the whole speacies isn't to blame. I think this is the same here. I would love to learn more about his kind too." Twilight said.
After hearing that, Fluttershy sighed with realeaf that Twilight understood that. She was glad that Smokey wasn't in harms way, and that her friends where fine with this. Though she still felt Rainbow dash could open up a little more to Smokey, she was still happy all her friends where ok with him. After walking down the hallway into the throne room they found Princess Celestia waiting. She seemed all but surprised to find a changeling walking into her throne room. Before any of them could speek, Celestia held up a hoof and spoke," I know who he is. This is Smokey, Fluttershy's new friend."
"How did you know?", Fluttershy said the the Princess.
"My sister Luna, She saw one of your dreams with him, wondering what would happen if some pony found out. She told me of this and after hearing this news i was interested on what you would do about it. After all, I wanted Twilight to learn about friendship. This is an important lesson you can all learn." Celestia said to the confused ponies.
"We do feel Fluttershy trusts and cares great for him. And so we brought him here to se what you wanted to do." Twilight said. the rest agreed, but Fluttershy ran up and told her thoughts.
"Please, hes my friend. I don't want you to hurt him, hes not dangerous."
"Don't worry young filly, I can feel a great change in Smokey's heart. He is definatly not the same changeling he was a fiew days ago. and i do have some questions for him, mostly why did you invade us?"
Smokey stepped up and answered, "Having something that feeds of love is unique, finding said food is sometimes tough. When you have a royal wedding, its like flies to a dead animal. You set up a buffet for us, our queen couldn't resist. All she had to do was plan. I can say we are more alike than you think. Both our queen and your princesses want whats best for their subjects. the big difference is our kind live and reproduce differently. In our hive, the Queen bearths all the young. She is the biological mother to all the hive members. When she gets to old, she hatches the next queen. Our movements and body style is different then yours too. We have no bones, instead we grow an exoskeleton. And the holes on our legs are for temperature control. We keep warm with these holes. Warm air rises into our bodies as cold air escapes through the holes."
After they talked for a while longer, Celestia alowed Smokey to stay with Fluttershy, and to have Twilight study him. The deal was, he couldn't step out of line, if he showed anything out of the ordinary. He would be brought back to Celestia and thrown into prison. Smokey was shure to get the message as they walked back to the train station.
The next morning Fluttershy awoke to find Smokey gone. She started getting worried. She looked around the house but couldn't find him. Then she heard a voice from the back yard. she flew out the window to see Smokey talking to a fiew bunnies. After she saw him she walked over and said,"If you want them to come out, you need to give them space. They arn't going to come out when you hover over them." Her and Smokey backed up and soon enough two bunnies came out.
"Thats cool, I saw them and wanted to hold one, they looked cute. But they ran away from me, like everything else. Even my own kind has abandoned me." He started to tear up.
Then Fluttershy huged him and said,"Well, your here with me. You also made plenty of new friends. Thats something to be happy about." the gave him a hug for a fiew more seconds befor walking back inside. the two where siting down having breakfast when Rainbow dash bursted through the door. She seemed worried, even scared.
"Fluttershy, we need you. A dragon destroying the town. This ones bigger and meaner then the last one we faced."
Fluttershy knew she had to help, even though she was afraid of confronting another full grown dragon. She tried to get up but felt a hoof on her side. Smokey was standing next to her and said, "If you go, I go to." the three then flew out of the cottage to see part of the town on fire. The dragons head poaked through the smoke and fire. He was big. The three arived where their other friends stood.
"Fluttershy, please get rid of this dragon like you did the other one. Hes already destroid half the town!" Rarity said as Fluttershy joined the group.
"I wonder what got into him, Its not for creatures to just attack out of know where?" Fluttershy asked as she looked at the dragon. "You all wait here, im gona go talk to him." She flew of to the dragon where he looked over to her. She looked him in the eye and asked,"Why are you destroying our town. If i can help you in any way?" Just then the dragon spun around and wipped his tail at Fluttershy. Smacking her to the ground. Her friends started to her, but Smokey was there in seconds. He stood over her to protect her.
"You will not hurt her!", he shouted twards the dragon. The dragon then opened its mouth and readied its fire. Just befor the blast, Smokey turned to look Fluttershy in the eyes. As he looked at her he said, "Thank you, Fluttershy. You where a dear friend to me." He then kicked her away and was hit with the dragons fire blast.
The smoked cleared. Fluttershy stood at a scorch mark in the shape of Smokey. She fell to her knees crying. Her friends stood back not saying a word. Then Fluttershy rose up. She spread her wings and shot into the sky. She landed inches from the dragons eyes. She stared him, eye to eye. The dragon was intimidated. She spoke only two words,"GET OUT" The dragon quickly turned and took of. after he disapeared into the sky, Fluttershy landed. Her friends wanted to comfert her but she refused. "I just need to be alone" she said as she walked of to her cottage.
One Month Later
The fall leaves flew across the sky. The breeze so gentle, the air cool and the sky blue. All of ponyville was gathering in a courtyard. All was there to celebrate the new statue of Smokey. Built to honor that who died there. Fluttershy was on stage with mayor Mare, who left the stage open for Fluttershy. She walked up and gave a speach. "Not many knew of my friend Smokey. He was shy, and timmid, and mostly afraid. He was afraid because he knew his kind was different. He also felt he wouldn't fit in with us. But he showed us that any creature, big or small, can change. He saved my life, by giving his. He may have been able to change form, but he was never able to escape the hate he knew ponies would have. I think this is a time we think, we think about why. Why are they here and why are they doing this. Because Smokey had no choice. With this statue, it will not only remind us of a hero, but of a friend."
A fiew hours after the celebration Fluttershy walked back to her cottage. When she enterd she looked at a picture of her and Smokey. She looked at it and began to cry. But tears of joy. This was because she knew Smokey was now in a place free from those who hated him. A place ha could be free. And free he was.
The End
