Dear Diary,
I knew it wouldn't end well. I told Lavender that she should just tell her friends and family but she didn’t. They ended up finding out on their own. Last night was the Gross Gruesome Gala (as Discord called it after the fact, which I thought was fitting), which was pretty gross and gruesome. I honestly despise Canterlot. Most of the food has as much taste as cardboard, most of the ponies there are snobbish racists, and the ‘celebrations’ are as boring as tar. There was some slow dancing during the gala, because of course there was. When everypony started kissing, the overdose of love apparently made Lavender revert to her changeling form and everyone saw her. So I had to tell Gale and Cookie Dough everything I could and we went to find Lavender. They were really upset with her for lying and I can’t blame them. I probably should’ve been more upset than I was. Twilight also found us and actually offered to help us so later today, we’re going to see the leader of the changelings so he can help Lavender transform.

“Jade!” Twilight’s voice called. “Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily are here! We can go now!” Jade closed her diary and trotted toward Twilight. She glanced out the castle door. Lavender, Gale, and Cookie Dough were all gathered outside with Twilight. There were also three other mares beside Lavender. One had cream colored fur and a red and pink mane, another one had light purple fur and a swirly green mane, and the last one had pink fur and a lily in her yellow mane. Jade could tell just by their cutie marks which one was which. The three mares were all eying Lavender warily.

“So...what train are we taking?” Jade asked.

“Oh we’re not taking a train.” Twilight explained. Jade tilted her head in confusion. “The changeling hive doesn’t have a train station. We’re going to have to teleport. Everypony grab onto me.” Jade, Roseluck, Lily, Daisy, Lavender, and Cookie Dough all pressed closer to the princess. Jade looked over her shoulder. Gale however stood still.

“Sorry, we’re not ponies.” Gale joked.

“Come on Gale.” Twilight groaned. “You know what I meant.” Gale giggled and rested her claw on Twilight’s shoulder. Suddenly, a beam of light formed around everyone and the area around them disappeared. Once it reappeared, the scenery had changed drastically. There was a cliff beside them and the ground beneath them was gray as stone. Green bushes and flowers grew around them and there were no buildings in sight.

“Where’s the hive?” Cookie Dough asked, panning his head around.

“We have to walk part of the way.” Twilight explained, leaping down a short cliff. Jade, Gale, and Lavender carefully fluttered down to the ground. Cookie Dough bounded after them but Roseluck, Lily, and Daisy remained at the top of the cliff, hugging each other while shaking.

“We can’t jump that far down!” Lily shrieked.

“Yeah! We could hurt ourselves!” Roseluck whimpered.

“Come on!” Cookie Dough groaned. “I jumped it, and I’m fine!”

“It’s fine.” Twilight replied. “I got it.” Suddenly, the three mares were levitated down to the low ground. “Now let’s go.” Lavender trotted toward her parents, offering her hoof to help them up. Lavender’s head hung low as she followed the rest of the group. Jade slowed to a halt to walk beside her sulking friend. Jade pressed against Lavender, trying to lift her spirits. Jade looked up to see a light blue, almost castle-like structure in the distance. It had giants holes and plants growing out of it so it almost looked like part of the landscape.

“Look Lavender!” Jade pointed at the with her wing structure. “That must be the changeling hive.” Lavender glanced up at the hive with a sigh.

“That’ll probably be where I have to live from now on.” Lavender replied miserably.

“What do you mean?” Jade asked. “I thought you lived with Roseluck, Lily, and Daisy.”

“I did, but they’ve been very uncomfortable around me since Twilight told them that I’m an untransformed changeling. They’re probably going to kick me out.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! How long have you lived with them?”

“Like ten years.” Lavender answered.

“They won’t throw you out after you’ve lived with them for so long!” Jade insisted. “Aren’t they basically your parents?”

“They are to me.” Lavender sighed. “Then again, I never really had a family that cared about me like they did.”

“Twilight!” A new voice called, interrupting Jade before she could even respond to Lavender. The group looked up to see a tall yellow figure with huge orange horns and purple eyes and wings you could see through. Beside him stood another figure who wasn’t quite as tall with smaller horns and a color palette of dark blue and red that just screamed “edgelord.”

“Thorax! Pharynx!” Twilight replied. “I’m glad you’re both here. I brought the changeling for you to help.”

“Um…” Pharynx’s head tilted in confusion. “Which one of you is the changeling?” Lavender let out a sigh. She took a few steps forward and a green aura appeared around here. It then disappeared and Lavender reverted to her changeling form.

“Me.” Lavender replied. Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily took a few steps backward. Their gazes were noticeably uncomfortable. “I never intended to steal anyone’s love.” The three flower ponies’ eyes widened. Jade couldn’t figure out if they were shocked about Lavender’s deep, raspy voice or what she was saying. “I didn’t even know there was a way to stop feeding on love. I left the hive years ago.” Thorax and Pharynx exchanged glances.

“To me it seems like he-”

“She.” Lavender corrected.

Thorax was stunned for a moment but quickly corrected himself, “That she wants to transform.”

“I do!” Lavender exclaimed. “Please tell me how!”

“Well,” Pharynx fluttered down toward the group. “This will be even easier than expected.” Thorax joined him.

“You mean easier than it was to get you to transform?” Thorax teased, prodding Pharynx’s side. Oh my gosh they’re Thor and Loki, Jade thought with a giggle.

“Just teach her what to do.” Pharynx groaned. Thorax turned to Lavender.

“It’s pretty simple.” Thorax explained. “All you have to do is share the love inside you with others.” Lavender’s eyes widened.

“But we need love to survive.” She protested. “Won’t that kill me?!”

“Sharing your love won’t decrease the amount of love you recieve.” Thorax explained. “In fact, it will increase it. Letting others in and sharing your love will keep you eternally satisfied.” Lavender gulped and nodded. Suddenly, she was levitated into the air. Jade turned around.

“Twilight?”

“I’m not doing this.” She replied. Jade looked back up at Lavender, her eyes wide. A bright light formed around Lavender and a pink glimmer leaked out of her chest. The light got brighter and brighter until Jade could barely see her. The light erupted, taking over the whole sky. Jade blocked her eyes with her hoof. Once the light was gone, Jade looked back up. Jade descended back onto the ground. However, she looked completely different. Lavender was taller and her fur was a lighter purple. She also had a horn, smaller ears, a darker blue underside, a sparkly blue see-through tail, and sparkly pink see-through wings. However, the biggest difference Jade noticed was that she was physically a female. Lavender gazed at her hooves and her wings with a stunned look on her face.

“Wait…” Twilight’s voice sounded. “Can changelings change their gender like that?”

“She transformed into who she was on the inside when she shared her love.” Thorax replied. “That’s why I became leader after my transformation.”

“And why I retained darker colors and became Thorax’s second in command.” Pharynx added.

“Thank goodness honestly.” Lavender spoke up. Her voice was just like it had been whenever she was in her pony form. As far as Jade was concerned, that was her normal voice and this was now her normal form. “I like my new form. Thank you, Thorax.”

“Of course!” The leader responded. “So now that you’ve transformed, would you like to come live in the hive with the rest of the changelings?” Lavender’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry, it’s a much nicer place than it was when Chrysalis ruled.”

“Well...it’s just that…” Lavender sighed. “I’ve lived in Ponyville with Lily, Daisy, and Roseluck for ten years and...they’re like parents to me.” Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily stared at Lavender. Their eyes were filling with tears. Lavender turned to them. “I’m sorry I kept the truth from you all these years. I didn’t want you to think any differently of me for something I couldn’t control. So...if you’ll have me, I want to come back and live with you.” Roseluck was the first to step up.

“Oh Lavender.” She replied. “We don’t care that you’re a changeling.”

“Yeah!” Lily joined in. “ Even if we didn’t give birth to you, you’re our daughter!”

“And we love you no matter what.” Daisy added. Lavender’s eyes were filled with tears as she smiled. She pulled in her parents for a short but sweet group hug. Jade smiled at the sight. Jade, Cookie Dough, and Gale joined the group hug as well, nuzzling against their friend.

“Alright everyone, I guess it’s time to go home.” Twilight spoke up. Everyone pulled out of the group hug and nodded. In a flash, the changeling hive disappeared and was replaced by the interior crystal walls of Twilight’s castle. “Jade.”

“What?” She asked. Then Jade noticed Twilight’s serious look and it clicked with her. “Right...the portal.”

“You’re going home already?” Lavender asked, her ears dropping.

“I’m afraid so.” Jade sighed.

“You should all go.” Twilight replied. “Nopony else is supposed to know about this.”

“Actually…I told Gale and Lavender about it already.” Jade admitted.

“You did what?!” Twilight exclaimed.

“We won't tell anyone else we promise!” Gale exclaimed.

“We'll go…” Daisy replied awkwardly backing away. Lily and Roseluck followed her lead but Cookie Dough stayed put.

“Well?” Twilight prompted. “You too Cookie Dough.”

“Come on, Jade is my friend too!” He argued. “Can't I at least be here to say goodbye to her?!”

“Ugh fine.” Twilight sighed. “Come on you four.” Jade and her friends followed Twilight through the hall.

“So where exactly are you from, Jade?” Cookie Dough asked.
“Another dimension.” Jade answered. “Twilight recently fixed the portal so I can go home. Sorry I didn't tell you. Nopony other than Twilight and her friends are supposed to know about it.”

“The secret is safe with me.” Cookie Dough replied. Taking one last turn, Twilight lead the group into the portal room. The portal, which had previously been just a pile of scraps, now stood upright in one piece. However, there was nothing about it that really screamed “portal.” It just kinda looked like a doorway.

“Where’s the portal part?” Jade asked.

“Oh, I haven’t turned it on yet.” Twilight explained. “I put in a switch to turn it off so no more humans accidentally stumble into Equestria.”

“Good call.” Jade admitted. “But...I still want to come back to visit Equestria…”

"Oh! Here, I have just the thing for that.” Twilight levitated a journal toward Jade. “This is a magic journal. The words you write in it will appear in a journal I have here in Equestria.” Jade’s eyes widened.

“How in the world did you get a hold of Tom Riddle’s diary?!” Jade exclaimed.

“I traded some magic beans for it.” Twilight joked. The two ponies giggled.

“I didn’t know Voldemort used lima beans as currency.” Jade replied, taking the journal under her wing.

Twilight laghed. “Alright, it’s about time you got home.” Jade sighed and turned to her friends. Their ears were drooped and eyes were filled with sadness.

“We’re going to miss you Jade.” Lavender sobbed.

“Don’t cry.” Jade comforted. “I’ll be back to visit soon.” She wrapped her hooves around Lavender. Jade turned to Gale. They were avoiding Jade’s gaze by staring at the ground. “Gale...you okay?”

“Yeah.” They sighed. “Just sad to see you go. How often do you think you’ll be able to visit?”

“However often I can sneak out.” Jade replied. She was mostly joking. Gale bursted out laughing.

“Wow Jade!” They exclaimed. “You’re quite the rebel. I’d better see you around soon.” Galel lightly nudged Jade’s shoulder. Jade then turned to Cookie Dough. He had his hoof wrapped around Lavender, pressing against her supportively.

“Everypony’s been keeping secrets from me lately.” Cookie Dough sighed.

“I didn’t mean to.” Jade insisted. “I probably shouldn’t have told Gale and Lavender where I’m really from but they would’ve figured it out anyways.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Cookie Dough sighed. “I’m just going to miss you.”

“You don’t all have to act like I’m leaving forever.” Jade joked, though she was also grieving about it. “I’ll be back to visit.”

“You’d better.” Cookie Dough replied. “Not many ponies can make such an impression on me after just two days.”

“Cookie Dough makes a good point.” Gale pointed out. “Most of us haven’t known each other for that long but we’ve already become such good friends.”

“You brought us all together, Jade.” Lavender added. “It won’t be the same without you.” Jade smiled, trying not to tear up.

“Thank you.” She whispered. “I should go now.” Twilight flipped the switch with her hoof. In an instant, the portal filled with a swirly light. Jade trotted toward the portal. Keeping her back to her friends, she whispered a goodbye and slipped into the portal. Jade closed her eyes as she felt her body stretch and spin in the crazy portal. Once the spinning stopped, Jade cautiously opened her eyes. She looked down at her hooves, only to realize they weren’t hooves. Her hands were clenched into fists. Jade wiggled her fingers and attempted to stand on her feet. Wobbling around, Jade fell against the Wondercolt statue. Thankfully, Twilight had already closed the portal so Jade didn’t fall back in again. Jade struggled to straighten her legs and walk. Picking up her journals off the ground, Jade began to wobble back home. It surprised Jade how awkward it was to be in human form again after just nine days of being a pony. However, she was able to readjust eventually before she got home. Once Jade reached the door of her house, she knocked as hard as she could. After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Jade’s father, Basil. His face immediately lit up.

“Jade!” Basil threw his arms around Jade. “My baby! You’ve returned!” He quickly let go of her and looked back inside the house. “Blossom! Come down! Jade’s back!” Jade heard a scream as her mother rushed down the stairs.

“Jade!” Blossom cried. “Where in the world have you been?!”

“We’ve been so worried!” Basil added. “We thought you were kidnapped!” They both seemed way more relieved than angry. However, Jade was horrified to realize that she had forgotten to come up with an excuse. Jade sniffed, letting a few tears lose.

“I don’t know.” She sobbed. “I was so scared and lost when I woke up. I have no idea what happened to me. How long was I even gone?”

“Over a week!” Blossom exclaimed.

“A week?!” Jade gasped. “I was unconscious for a week?!”

“Unconscious?!” Basil gasped. “You were unconscious for a week?!”

“I must have been!” Jade sobbed. “I don’t remember the last thing that happened. I don’t even remember falling unconscious! I was so scared and confused when I woke up!” Jade was actually describing how she felt after her wisdom teeth removal. Being unconscious that one time was probably the most traumatizing thing that happened to her and her parents seemed to buy it. Of course it was wrong to lie, but she couldn’t tell her parents what actually happened without taking them to Equestria or else they wouldn’t believe her. Jade really didn’t want to get into all that though.

“Well, we’re glad you’re okay sweetie!” Blossom responded, hugging her daughter once more.

“Yeah.” Jade sniffed. “Me too...but I’m really tired...Can I turn in early tonight?”

“Of course sweetie.” They both replied. Jade faked a yawn and walked on all fours up the stairs to her room.

Author's Note

She's returned! However, the story isn't quite over yet. I have two more chapters after this and they're both huge. Stay tuned!