Magic of Order and Harmony

Jesse couldn't sleep. The only this on his mind is his new abilities and he and his friends are going to have to try again tomorrow. Right now, he was having doubts. So many questions swirled around his head. What if he will make everything around him float again? What if he will actually rip apart everything in his way? He didn't want any of that to happen. Not ever.

With a sigh, Jesse sat up as he got out of bed and walked out of his room. As he walked in the hallway, he walked up to Axel's room and saw Maud lying on the ground with Boulder in a ring box with a small piece of cloth on it. Jesse was surprised that Maud can lie on the ground with no discomfort. But, he shrugged and walked away, suddenly walking to Olivia's room. He turned to the little creatures in the basket that were sleeping, then turned and saw Zephyr sleeping on a mattress with Fluttershy. Then, he walked away as he walked into the living room, suddenly finding Sunset, Petra and Lukas in the kitchen.

"Hey. You guys are up." Jesse said as he got their attention. "Any reasons why?"

"I came out here just to stay out of my room." Lukas explained. "Jeez. I didn't even know Derpy talked in her sleep. Something about muffins. And before we went to sleep, she also told me this story where all of the characters were muffins. It was really weird, that story made me want muffins."

"I only came out here just to get away from Gabby's loud snores." Petra said.

"I can't sleep." Sunset said.

"Me neither. I have a lot on my mind that is keeping me from sleeping." Jesse said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Powers again?" Petra asked, seeing Jesse nod. "I see."

"So many things happened in our lives of being the Order of the Stone, and this is starting to become one of them. But this time, this is all about magic and these new abilities." Jesse sighed as he opened a chest and pulled out a slice of bread. "I'm starting to have doubts, guys."

"Hey. I know today has been a little bit crazy for us, but maybe tomorrow will be a better day." Sunset assured.

"Hopefully." Lukas added.

"I just don't want all of things I thought I would do be real because of my new ability. I just wish there was another way." Jesse said.

"Maybe there might be another way with Starlight and the other individuals around." Petra replied.

"Yeah, but I'm just afraid that if we don't learn to control our powers, we'll probably-"

"Let everyone down?" Sunset asked.

"Yeah."

As Jesse closed the chest, he turned to his right and saw Maud out of bed as he screamed with surprise.

"Boulder was hungry." Maud said while she held up her rock as she reached from the cabinets and took out a box of crackers.

As Jesse backed up to the others, they saw Maud open the box of crackers and pour the crackers onto Boulder. Then, they watched Maud walk away, leaving a trail of crackers on the floor.

"I still don't understand how Maud is related to Pinkie." Petra whispered.

"Me neither." Lukas replied.

Suddenly, the four heard the sound of crunching from far away.

"Does anyone here that?" Jesse asked.

"I think it's coming from outside." Sunset said as she walked out of the kitchen with the others following.

As the four walked up to the door to the outside, they walked out as they saw a trail of crumbs leading to a ladder. They climbed up the ladder one at a time, but as they reached the roof, they saw another trail of crumbs, then saw where the crumbs were leading them to. It was Thorax, and he was holding a white porcelain cookie jar and eating all of the cookies one by one.

"Um, Thorax?" Jesse said as he got Thorax's attention.

As Thorax swallowed the last cookie he ate, he said, "Um, good evening."

"What are you doing here, and is that the cookie jar?" Lukas asked while pointing to the cookie jar in Thorax's grasp.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I got a bit hungry, so I found this." Thorax explained. "I didn't know what was in it, until I opened it and it showed cookies."

"You are forgiven, but what are you doing out here?" Petra asked.

"I'm just watching over the whole town from here. Just in case if I see Midnight Sparkle from far away." As Thorax placed his hand in the cookie jar, he felt nothing as he turned it upside down and shook it, seeing a few crumbs fall out. "Sorry I ate your cookies."

"Eh. It's okay." Jesse said in response.

"Hey, Thorax." Petra said, getting the Changeling's attention. "I'm just curious. Why are you being so nice to us? How did you end up with them?"

"Why am I being so nice? Well, it went like this." Thorax started. "When I first split my egg in the Nursery Hive, where all of the Changelings were born, all I saw was pure hatred and anger. As I grew, I've been seeing what those other Changelings and all of the other members were doing to each other. Beating each other up, stealing from each other. I was so scared, I kept my distance from them. I also reported this to the leaders of the Alliance, but they said that it's what the Alliance does to each other all the time. I didn't want to be like any of the others, so I ran away."

"How did you manage to leave the Alliance though you guys were stuck underground?" Lukas asked.

"I saw a small crack in the barrier that was keeping us underground. And if you were wondering, let's just say that I squeezed my way out."

"Whoa." Jesse managed to say.

"As I was saying, I've been looking around for a new home ever since I left." Thorax continued. "That was when I found the Crystal Empire. I didn't want anyone there to see the real me, so I disguised myself as an individual and changed my name. Crystalhoof, a young traveler telling stories of many Equestrian legends. One of them I love to tell to other Crystal Empire citizens is the Great War between the Alliance and Equestria. Also, I've been studying Equestrian Magic just to tell them by playing a flute that tells stories."

"Hmm. That sounds like a lot of fun." Petra said.

"But, that didn't last long. One day when I was taking a walk, I found the abandoned castle of the Alliance and I decided to check it out. When I looked into one of the windows, I saw Sunset Shimmer standing there in the throne room. I snuck into the castle just to take a closer look, then I saw Starlight Glimmer tied up. I had no choice but to blow my cover just so I can save Starlight and stop Sunset. But I failed to do so. That was when I saw the Guardians of Equestria come. I saw the whole fight myself, but I don't think the guardians noticed me that day. But when I saw the guardians carry Sunset away from the castle, the leaders came and found me. I was so scared, I readied myself for execution. But instead, they tied me to a tree and left me to die in the Everfree."

"Thorax..." Sunset said while rubbing her arm.

"Hey. Just be glad that you're alive." Petra said. "But, those three jerks left you in the Everfree?! How could they do that to you?!"

"Yeah. You could've been dead if they did such a thing to you." Lukas agreed.

"I know." Thorax said. "But, can I please continue my story?"

"Go ahead." Jesse said.

"Thank you. While I was in the Everfree, was getting so hungry. I waited and waited for something or someone to come by and destroy me, but nothing or nobody came. One day, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor found me. I thought they were going to kill me when I first met them, but instead, they set me free and let me stay at the Empire. Of course, they knew that I was Crystalhoof, but they didn't mind me staying with them. But, I had a lot of fitting in to do since I wasn't Crystalhoof."

"Table manners?" Jesse said.

"Making friends?" Petra said.

"Trying not to shape-shift?" Lukas said.

"Yeah. All of that." Thorax said. "But on the other hand, I felt more at home. The citizens there were so nice to me, even if I wasn't Crystalhoof. Even Sunburst taught me how to fight like an Equestrian. When Cadance and Shining Armor took me to Canterlot just so I can meet the guardians in person, I told them my story. Even the part when I ran away from the Alliance and disguised myself in the Crystal Empire. But Spike told me that I didn't have to hide myself, even if I was part of an alliance of evil and hatred."

What Thorax said made Sunset crack a smile.

"One day, my life completely changed when I gained enough love to evolve. That day made me feel like I'm actually a real Equestrian. I gained a lot of respect from everyone."

"Is that why you look different from the other Changelings?" Jesse asked.

"Well, yeah. Also, hanging out with the guardians made me more at home. Baking with Pinkie Pie, reading with Twilight, playing fetch with Spike, those were the good days, and I remember them lie it was yesterday. But all that happiness didn't last for me. One day when I was making my way to Canterlot Castle, I saw the Alliance in the sky. I was so shocked, I thought they found that small crack in the barrier. I ran all the way to the castle, and when I reached the throne room, I saw the whole fight. I didn't want any of the leaders to see me, so I hid in the shadows. Then, I saw what they did afterwards. I saw them take Princess Luna away with my own eyes. I was so ashamed. I knew they saw that crack in the barrier, and they broke it. I was so speechless. I hid in the Empire's castle for a while. Two years later, I was introduced to Flurry Heart."

"You don't have to remind them of the Crystalling, Thorax." Sunset said. "Twilight and I already told them."

"While I was in a restaurant having some oatmeal, that was when I saw the guardians outside with Discord, Sunset and Sunburst. But, I saw a group of five humans in shining armor walking along with them. I decided to spy on them, and the more I spied on them, the more curious I got. Soon, I heard that a group of humans helped the guardians get rid of the Alliance for good and for the sake of Equestria. When I went to Canterlot, Princess Celestia told me that those humans who saved Equestria were the Order of the Stone, a group of humans who saved their kind from a dangerous creature called a Wither Storm. And Sunset was a part of them now, which explains why she wasn't in Canterlot. But that didn't matter to me now. This made me want to meet the Order of the Stone, but I didn't know what they'll think since I was a Changeling."

"Until what?" Lukas asked.

"Until I finally got a chance to meet you guys. I was expecting that you would be scared, but I didn't know that you guys would like me afterwards."

"Come on, Thorax. You're a really great person. Or should I say really great Changeling?" Petra said with a finger on her chin.

"Besides, you have a great personality." Jesse added. "You have one thing that those other Changelings don't have. You have a heart of gold."

"Oh. Thanks. Whatever that means." Thorax said. "I don't understand idioms."

"Thorax, it means you have kindness and good inside of you." Sunset explained.

"Oh! Right. Thanks guys. You guys have hearts of gold too."

"Thanks." Jesse said in response.