Why Humans Shouldn't be Allowed in Equestria

“Fucking dammit all to hell! I can't even forget it in another country!?” My outburst froze the room. Whatever they were expecting, it sure as hell wasn't that. Several minutes passed as damnable memories forced themselves to the front. I slumped in my chair, staring at the floor. One of them got it first.

“You were used.”

“Yes.”

“Chrysalis did the same to all of us. You have friends here.”

“Chrysalis? She's dead, I think.” the room stopped again.

One had to ask the obvious. “Then how do you have the mark?”

“There's a new queen.”

A collective worry took over, so strong that even I could tell, even when the rest of the faces didn't show much emotion. “But, where did she come from?”

“I made her...” They weren't going to leave me alone about this. I told them of our meeting, the state of those left in Equestria. The love, the life. The 'death', the rebirth. Of being part of the biggest thing they'd know, and being denied. They hung on to every word. Some simply stared. I think they were measuring the emotions, thinking this must be some horrible lie. They stopped halfway through and focused on the words like the rest.

The next week passed quickly. I spent my days working with the crystals. Without any need for protection or magical fields – not that I could use one anyway – they cleared more than they would in three months. Things were moving so fast that they were talking about increasing the range of the crystal disposal. Farther outside of the Crystal Empire's limits, farther along the tracks. Especially the tracks. The ever-decaying crystals were more easily moved by weather now, and they needed to keep them farther away to prevent another wreck like what happened on the way here.

The pay was apparently based on results. I'd made myself rich again. Or enough for phase two. I bought a small plant and had the kettles moved in. We started experimenting with combinations, and our first batch would be ready soon. It would take a lot of trial and error, but I had the time. Fortunately, just like that fateful desk, things affected by magic still work, even if magic itself doesn't. Unicorns experimented on the hops and barley, and various crystal fruit-stuffs for varieties ponies would like to buy. With so much growing and fermenting time saved, we had a cask of working prototype at the end of that week.

Between my work and sleeping, I taught the changelings what I knew from Aranea. It wasn't easy. Not because they were stupid. They learned as quickly as she did. It's that I had to draw on our time. Thinking about that kind of past is hard no matter what, but especially when it was fresh. I would often take pauses to collect myself. But ultimately, it was worth it. They learned about natural, non-changeling forms, so they could be themselves without being targeted. They learned what I knew of history, that filled in the gaps by Chrysalis not giving them anything. Over this time, most of them took names for themselves, instead of copying others or going nameless. Several got coltfriends or marefriends they could be themselves with, or as much as they could be themselves. I was as much of a hero to them as I was to that train. Or most of the Empire for that matter, thanks to those rotting black crystals everyone feared. With that influence I could get the same laws passed here faster than they would by just taking after Equestria. I decided that I'd go to Cadence and Shining and explain as much as I could without outing the changelings. As much as they looked up to me, I'd only been here a couple of weeks. I couldn't force them, and they were revered as excellent leaders.

During my lessons I'd gotten especially close to the crystal pegasus of the original three. She took the name Sangria. Many had learned how to make a human form, but she chose to keep hers as the default. It was quite striking really. A crystal human. She almost reflected light like that, and appeared fragile. I was afraid to touch her at first. She reassured me and grabbed my hand, placing it in hers. She was as flesh as I was. We spent a lot of time talking after that.

When the prototype cask was here, I took a good amount of it to Sangria to celebrate. She was downtrodden. I handed her a full glass, and poured one for myself. Not bad, if a bit sweet for me. They like everything sweet here. “What's wrong?”

“You can perceive this?”

“As much as the next human.”

“It is nothing.” A bit of silence, followed by another full glass for both.

“That means it's something.” I wasn't going to push her. I didn't need to.

She barely had time to put down her glass before bursting into tears. She explained that a very good friend, a boyfriend actually, had left her. He knew she was a changeling, and kept it quiet. She wanted to keep the crystal human form. He told her if she wouldn't stay the pony he wanted, he was gone. She did so much for him. She was taken advantage of.

It reminded of my time with Aranea. We shared more glasses as we talked about our experiences. There was a lot of crying on each other's shoulder. It's been so long for me, and so new to her, that it went straight to our heads. She lunged forward before I thought to react.

She kissed me.

I returned it before I knew what I was doing. We were both recovering from being broken. We were both alone. We were both drunk. We didn't know what would happen the next day, but we knew this. That for one night, at least...

We were both whole.