Faux Pas of the Heart

Chapters

Chapter II: A Wall of Sound
Chapter III: "In the Morning..."
Chapter IV: Heterochromia Iridum
Chapter V: The Truth
Chapter VI: Shnazzy
Chapter VII: Lies
Chapter VIII: "You Know, Stuff"
Chapter IX: Who I was. Who I am.
Chapter X: "For What it's Worth"
Chapter XI: The Elements
Chapter XII: "Do Your Duty"
Chapter XIV: "I Hope you Find..."
Chapter XIV (ALT): Regret
Epilogue I: Cognition
Chapter I: The Pegasus you were Hoping to See
Chapter XIII: Culmination, Retribution, Desperation

Chapter II: A Wall of Sound

(Chapter two, for your reading enjoyment. I fixed a small inconsistency that some of you picked up on. Let me know if the new version is more to your liking.)

Teleportation magic isn’t a very common form of magic for many changelings. The intricacies involved are beyond most drones, and even some of the changelings with more freedoms choose not to practice the art. You were one such changeling. Despite the liberties afforded to you by your once lofty position, you simply never liked the spell. It wasn’t that you were bad at it; it was more the fact that you disliked the thought of being disassembled by magic, only to be reassembled moments later. It’s really too bad, then, that Princess Celestia didn’t think to ask your opinion on the matter before she brought you to the palace.

You blinked you eyes rapidly as they attempted to readjust to the new lighting, and the fact that they might have been put back together in the wrong order. Despite your apparent immobility you stumbled slightly as you landed unevenly on your hooves. You managed to see, between your blinks, the Princess pacing before you. She cast a few glances at you, but there was no malice in her gaze. Either she believed that you didn’t do it, or she was a really good poker player. She continued pacing for a few moments more, and in that time you finally managed to recover your bearings.

She abruptly stopped and turned her attention on you. You shrank under her gaze, attempting to make yourself smaller. Despite her promise not to do anything without provocation, you still couldn’t help your response. Besides, things change in three years.

“I know that you are not to blame for the explosion, so you need not fear my wrath. There was no trace of changeling magic present, and I doubt that you’d be able to gather enough emotional energy to even attempt to cause such a detonation.” She turned away from you as she finished speaking, and then she resumed her pacing. You watched her walk, and when that grew boring, you took the time to examine your surroundings.

You hadn’t been here in years. It was around two years ago, give or take a few weeks, since you were last brought to the throne room of the Royal Palace. Unlike the last time, though, you were now the only other being in the room, aside from the Princess. After several tense minutes, there was a popping noise, followed by a sudden wave of chilled air. Several hoofsteps sounded to your right, and you turned to see the source, and much to your dismay you saw that Princess Luna had appeared beside you. She barely glanced at you, and then she moved to her sister.

The two quickly began speaking in hushed tones, leaving you to guess as to what they were speaking of. After they had been speaking for quite some time they finally stopped, and turned to look at you. You had thought that being under the scrutiny of just one of them was bad. And you were right, it was bad. But it paled in comparison to the gaze of both alicorns. In Celestia’s eyes you could see a pale glow that hinted at the power she could call at a moment. More prominent than that, though, was an intense empathy for the beings she called her subjects. In Luna’s eyes, though, you could see her anger. It was tempered some, from the last time she gazed at you, but it was still strong enough to make you worry.

“You were present all those years ago, weren’t you, changeling?” Luna’s tone was accusatory, and although you didn’t like it, she was correct.

“Yes, Princess Luna. I was present for the battle. But you already know this. And Princess Celestia has already pardoned me for my involvement.”

“Only at the request of Princess Cadence! I urged her to deal with you as she did the rest of the rabble at that gathering we found you at.”

“Sister, calm down please. We’ve already dealt with his past. And we’ve already decided on a course of action for the present, and so trying to guilt him into accepting won’t work.” Celestia’s voice betrayed nothing of what she thought on the matter, and you listened to her without shifting your gaze away from the blue alicorn who was clearly hoping that looks could kill. “Now, then. Changeling, we have a request to make of you. One that is suited to your skills quite admirably.”

“I’m not leaving my home, Princess. And I can already tell where this is going. I won’t be a spy for you, anymore than I will for my own dead Queen.”

“But you did act as a spy for her.”

You cursed loudly as you turned away from the two of them. Neither made a move to stop you, and you knew that it was all a front. They knew as well as you did that you wouldn’t run. Nor would you refuse them. They knew you as well as you knew yourself. They knew you better than you knew yourself.

“Dammit, Celestia, she was my mother! What did you expect from me? She sent me here to make plans for the invasion. She gave me her leave to do whatever it took. And so I did, and two ponies died for it. And then I assaulted Princess Cadence to give my mother her chance. I was the one who put her in the caves beneath the palace. She forgave me as I did it! When I apologized to her, she forgave me!”

“Please, Quill, calm down.” You whipped around to look at the alicorn, and you could see softness in her gaze. That only spurred you on, and without thought you removed your disguise, letting your true form show through.

“I’m not Quill, Princess. I’m not Quill now, I won’t be Quill tomorrow, and I won’t ever be Quill.” You spoke mockingly, as if to prove a point that could never be made. “I’m a changeling, Princess. The last of my kind, thanks to your actions, and the stupidity of my own people.”

“Quill, please. Listen to me.” The tone brokered no argument, so you glared at the princess, your own form staring back at you, reflected in the eyes of the solar princess. “You’ve been alone for so long, and we can understand that you’re afraid. But we need your help. We suspect that there is far more going on in our lands than we are aware of.” You fall down onto your haunches, already knowing where this conversation was going. “We suspect that somepony is targeting the Elements, and so we would ask that you keep an eye on them.”

“Get Storm to do it. He’s your damn hero, after all.”

“We’ve already informed him of what we suspect is happening, but there’s only so much he can do. As you said, he is a hero. And hero’s have a tendency to attract attention.” A smile flickered across her face for just a moment before she finished. “Besides, he missed when it counted most.”

“I’m not going to escape this, am I?”

“No, Quill, I’m afraid not. You see, you’re our best bet at finding out who is behind these attacks. Nopony knows you, save for a few, and that makes you good for this job. And your ability to change makes you even better. With the public believing all the changelings to be dead you’ll be beyond suspicion.” The princess took a few steps towards you, and you didn’t make a move to retreat any further. “Quill, we know that this will be hard on you, but you must understand that this goes beyond any of us. Sacrifices must be made in order to preserve Equestria.”

“Where are the elements?”

“A small town, by the name of Ponyville. Surely you’ve heard of it.”

“Yes, I have. And I also know one of the Elements. She and I have been writing back and forth. Perhaps I won’t need a new disguise, but I can instead use the one I’ve built around this relationship?” Celestia sank into thought at your suggestion, and you could tell that she was likely weighing the wisdom of such a move. You found yourself silently hoping that she would acquiesce, but you knew that it was a long shot.

“That will work, Quill. You will still need to be careful, but with an already established alibi it will be easier to get you planted securely in the town.”

“So, I don’t have to make anything up for this?”

“No, save for your past before you adopted the guise of Quill. We leave you to describe that as you will.” The princess allowed herself a brief smile as she began to turn away from you. “We’ll bring you with us on the Summer Sun celebration, and maybe you’ll get to meet Rarity in the flesh.”

Your last few days in your home passed much the same as any other series of days, save for the fact that you were packing your belongings. You’d been promised a home near the same size as your current one, so you weren’t worried about space that much. You didn’t really need all the space you currently had, so even a downgrade would be acceptable. Even after you had packed everything that you wanted to take, there were still some things left to be packed.

You sat in your armchair, looking at the few items you had left to pack. You allowed your disguise to fall as you brought your old armor closer to your face. It was rough and worn, pitted and scarred from use, but it had saved you more times than you could remember. You had worn it for the attack on Canterlot, and you had even worn it for your assault on Princess Cadence. Now, though, you had the chance to part with it once again. It had been crafted by your mother personally.

You could remember each nick in the armor, and when you had gotten it. Despite the lack of real mention of changelings prior to the attack on Canterlot, your former people had never been idle. Each year brought new plans, and new attacks. Nearly every month you had ventured from home to seek new grounds to find love worth harvesting. You had traveled far and wide, even going so far as to enter griffon territory. That had been a stupid move, admittedly, but it had only widened your horizons.

A knock sounded at your door, and you brought back your disguise in an instant, no thought being needed. You opened the door slowly, not used to having visitors. Standing there, clad in shining golden armor, was the one pony you had never wanted to see again.

“Quill.”

“Shining.” He was still pissed, clearly. Not that you could blame him. You were pretty much directly responsible for everything that had happened to him and his wife. “What are you doing here?”

“The princesses chose me to escort you to Canterlot, so that you might arrive with them. They chose me since I already know who, and what you are. Now let’s get going, I’d rather not be around you longer than I have to.” You snort in annoyance before you turn back into your home.

“I’m not done here, so you can just wait. I wasn’t told to expect you, or any guards, for another hour.” You turned to look at him for a moment, and then you grumbled to yourself. “And you can come in, if you like. I won’t let it be said that I’m an ungracious host.” The unicorn glared for a moment, before he finally came in and closed the door. You walked back to the living room, and you planted yourself exactly where you were moments ago.

The armor floated before you once again, and you pan a hoof along some of the gouges, recalling the intense battles they had been won in. Each one was proof that you were the better warrior, acting as a memento of a battle won. Shining watched you as you looked at the pieces of armor, and you could sense a shift in his emotions. There was still anger, of that you could harbor no doubts, but there was more to it than that. He was also sympathetic.

“Shining, I didn’t know you could feel that way about a creature like me.”

“You were a soldier, like me. I can see that you were in quite a few battles, and I know what that’s like. No amount of racial, or species, difference can change that. War isn’t pretty, and I can sympathize with that.”

“Yeah, but nothing’s perfect. There’s always going to be war in some form. If only because of misunderstood beings like the changelings. Not that there’s many of them left.” You turn the armor over, and you look to the gorget’s interior. A tiny inscription written by your mothers magic reminded you of what you had lost, and so you quickly made your decision.

You made room in your largest bag, and then you put the armor in carefully, nearly reverently. “I’m the last of my kind, likely destined to die without an heir. But I’ll be damned if I let my people fade into the annals of time as a footnote regarding Canterlot’s history.”

It took mere minutes after that for you to get ready, and soon enough you had your bags secured and ready to go. Shining stood watching as you made a final trip through your home. When you finished you looked to Shining with a curious look on your face. He responded with a smile, and a blinding flash of light.

The ride to Ponyville by carriage was much shorter than you had expected it to be, considering that it was burdened with you, Celestia, and all of your luggage. You had been given leave to explore and enjoy the town for the day, and tomorrow Princess Luna would see to your living arrangements, since Storm had agreed to house you for the night. The town wasn’t as large as you were expecting it to be, and it was far more interesting than Rarity’s letters would’ve led you to believe. You spotted a few landmarks that stuck out in your memory, and you strived to find spot the Carousel Boutique before you landed.

Sadly, it manages to elude your searching eyes as you landed, and so you resolved to find it on hoof. The landing was smooth and without a single bump. The carriage quickly slowed to a halt, and you quickly heard the cheering of voices around the carriage. Celestia sighed softly as she reached a hoof for the handle, and you swallowed nervously.

The door opened to a wall of sound, and Celestia boldly strode forward into it, not even hesitating. You followed a moment later, as the princess had instructed you to do. The cheering didn’t diminish as you stepped out, and you suddenly felt a wave of emotion strike you, nearly overpowering your ability to regulate it. While few of the emotions were directed at you, it was still a humbling experience to see just how much these ponies could put out in large groups. Of note were the six mares standing before the princess. Each of them was bowing slightly, and at a nod from the princess they each stood, quickly moving forward to embrace their ruler.

Although it’d been a few years since you had last seen them you could name two of them without a thought. The first of which was the lavender unicorn who acted as the Element of Magic. Twilight Sparkle had been suspicious of your queen throughout the entire wedding fiasco, and so her face was well known throughout the hive. At least, it was until the events following the invasion. The other mare who you recognized immediately was none other than the mare who had occupied your dreams for the past few years. Her magnificent alabaster coat of fur was spotless, and her mane was styled magnificently. She was, in your eyes, the epitome of beauty. Her name rang through your mind nearly every day, and her beautiful flowing writing spelled it out in your mind: Rarity.

You were removed enough from the princess that your influx of emotion had dropped, but it was still enough for you to feel more powerful than you had in months. The princess was quickly swept into the crowd as they took her to see all that had changed in the town since she was last here, and so you were quickly left behind. You followed them slowly, not wanting to attract too much attention just yet.

Much of the day passed in a blur of sound, color, and food, but the speech made by some earth pony by the name of Taupe stuck out a bit in your mind. It was quite likely that you’d need to pay him a visit, since he was the one you had seen die. After that, though, it had descended into a wild party that lasted for hours, with all the townsponies mingling and having a day of pure fun.

You took it upon yourself to find Rarity, but that was a task far easier said than done. Every time you got a set of directions, they took you to a place where she had been just moments ago. Luckily, though, you were determined to find her, and your determination paid off for you when you found Ditzy Doo.

“Ditzy!” Your call was lost in the crowd, but you cried out a few more times as you grew nearer, and eventually you got her attention. She gave you a quick hug when you got to her, and when you broke the hug she had a massive smile on her face.

“Quill, what are you doing here? Did you finally come to see Rarity?”

“Yes and no, Ditzy. It’s more complicated than that, but I’ll explain some other time, okay?”

“Sure, we can even have some muffins while you explain your super secret mission!” You stared at the mare wide eyed for a moment, and then she winked. “Anyway, Rarity is by town hall. I just saw her there, and she was talking with some ponies about fashion, so she’ll probably be there for a while.”

“Thanks, Ditzy.” She gave you another quick hug before she trotted off into the crowd. You oriented yourself towards the town hall, and then you headed off towards it, determined to finally meet the mare who held your heart.

(Oh boy! Next chapter you'll finally meet Rarity!)

Chapter III: "In the Morning..."

(Yes, comrades, another chapter of your adventures as -redacted- the changeling, also known as Quill.)

You finally spotted the alabaster unicorn as the town hall finally came into view. True to what Ditzy had said, there were several ponies speaking to Rarity about whatever topic seemed to be predominant at the moment. You only caught a few snippets of what was said, and of those snippets you only understood a tiny bit of it. Truly, high fashion is not something that you’ll ever get into. You walk about the area, never going far, but also not seeming like you’re spying on them.

Slowly, the festival began to wind down, and the group of ponies surrounding the alabaster unicorn finally began to thin out some. While the ponies in the group had changed many times as the day had progressed, it had never grown small enough for you to feel confident approaching them. With a small sigh, you turned to face the mare, who now had only one other pony for company, and you began approaching.

Just as you arrived the last pony gave Rarity a quick hug before they trotted off, ready to start their next activity. The mare noticed your approach, and she gave you a warm smile. “Good evening. Is there something I can do for you?”

You smiled in return as you approached, and then you stopped as you stood in front of her. “Yes, actually. If you wouldn’t mind walking with me as we talked?” The mare hesitated for just a moment before she nodded. “Wonderful. And I don’t think I’m being too presumptuous when I say that I think you’ll like what I have to say.”

The mare followed you closely, but she still kept a small distance between you and her. It was understandable, given that she didn’t know who you were yet. The town passed by as you strolled through it, and soon enough you had built up enough confidence to begin speaking. “So, Miss Rarity, do you have any romantic interests, at present?”

You heard her let out a small giggle, and you slowed for a moment to allow her to catch up to you as you walked. You quickly noticed a blush forming on her cheeks, and you felt one growing on your cheeks as well. Changeling magic could work wonders when it came to keeping up disguises, and so you didn’t fear her seeing through it. “Well, I wouldn’t call it a typical relationship, so to speak. Why, are you interested? Because if you are you’ll have to try a bit harder.” This time you laughed, and she let out a laugh to accompany yours.

“No, I’ve already got a mare of my own. Or, I will once I finally decide to ask her. She and I have been communicating quite a bit with each other, and I’ve finally been given the chance to act on my feelings.”

“That sounds quite romantic. Do you know how you’ll ask her out? Or are you going to act as bluntly as Storm did when he finally asked me out?”

You raised an eyebrow, and the mare simply laughed. “Don’t get me started on Storm. He’s one of the most charming stallions I’ve ever had the chance to date, but he’s a bit too rough around the edges for me. I’m certain that if you’re here for long you’ll get a chance to meet him. And speak with him too.”

You turned around a corner as you continued walking, and the mare followed your turn, keeping pace with you. “Well, I’m more interested in finally getting a chance with this mare. See, I really want to impress her, since I’ve been alone for quite some time.” As you continue you start dropping small allusions to letters that you’d written her. “I want her to understand the depth of my feelings, not just what they are.”

“Well, perhaps you should try and set up a romantically inclined setting, so that you’ll have everything just right when you do ask her. And I don’t think I ever got your name.” Her voice trailed off at the end, and you do your best to deflect the question.

“I’ll tell you in a little bit. You might recognize my name, and I don’t want to change the way this conversation goes if you know who I am.”

“A stallion of mystery, hmm?” She shakes her head as she continue walking beside you. “That only works when you’re either dressed in formal attire, a suit, for instance, or you’re in a poorly executed movie. And neither of those conditions have been met.”

“True, but I’m standing by what I said.” Rarity just rolled her eyes in response, but she didn’t leave, so you figured that she was interested enough to continue. “Now, suppose that you were the mare in question. What would you think of as a romantic way for a stallion to finally declare their love for you?”

The mare’s blush, which had diminished from earlier, returned in full force as you finished your question. “Me? Nopony has asked me out in nearly a year.”

“That’s awful! I don’t see why not, considering how beautiful you are.”

“Oh, stop it you. Sadly, though, that’s part of the problem. Stallions look at me, and my beauty tends to keep them from asking me out. They’re too intimidated by my looks to act on what they feel.” You let out a laugh, and the mare chuckles a bit too. You can both feel, and hear the sadness behind the laugh, and it pains you a bit.

“It’s a good thing I’m not easily intimidated by beauty, since the mare I’m asking out is one of the most beautiful ponies I’ve ever laid eyes upon. In fact, it was pretty much love at first sight. At least, it was on my part. I never did ask her exactly how she felt about me. After the first few letters we sent back and forth she started signing them ‘Love’ but I don’t know how much of that was courtesy, versus how much was actual love.”

The mare’s tone of voice changed just the tiniest bit as she continued speaking, and you were fairly certain that she’d picked up some of the hints you’d been dropping. “I like to think that when a letter is signed with love it’s more than just a courtesy. I like to think that when I sign a letter with love I mean it. Things like love shouldn’t be bandied about so carelessly.”

As you rounded another corner you noted that you were heading towards the Carousel Boutique, and so you knew that if you wanted this to continue you’d have to either find a way to stall her into walking with you more, or you’d have to convince her to let you into her home. Your mind began racing to think up a way to get into her home, while the rest of you continued the conversation.

“I agree with you. Too often we use words like love when they aren’t appropriate, or they convey too strong a feeling. I’ve always felt that when it comes to emotions, and the labels we apply to them, it is best to leave words out, and let actions speak.”

“I feel as if I know who you are, my mysterious stallion. Tell me, do you come from a small town near Canterlot?” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, and you knew that she was almost certain about who you were. You could even feel the emotions radiating off of her. Love was certainly present, but it was buried beneath a still present veil of uncertainty. You just reached the door to the Carousel Boutique as you answered.

“I do, in fact, come from a small village outside of Canterlot. And if you’d invite me in, I’d be happy to tell you my name.” The mare’s smile faded just a tiny bit, and then you continued. “Miss Rarity, I assure you that my intentions are as pure as freshly fallen snow. I do not mean to make any untoward advances. I also promise that my name will be the eighth word I speak once I enter your home.”

The mare looks at you for what feels like an eternity before she finally nods. You step back from the door for a moment, and then it opens moments later. She steps in, and then she motions for you to follow her. You do, and she quickly leads you through the showroom that acts as the actual store, and into the back where you find a nicely decorated kitchen, and a staircase.

She heads up the stairs, and you follow her until you eventually reach a small living room, where Rarity quickly sits down on a couch. She sighs contently as the couch depresses just a bit under her weight and then she looks at you, her eyes sparkling in the light. “Eight words.”

You nod, and quickly you recite the phrase you had constructed in your head, to make sure that it was the eighth word that would reveal to her who you were. The pressure of the situation seemed far greater than it actually was, but your nerves still cried out their worry. After taking a deep breath, you looked at the mare and spoke.

“My dearest Rarity, you can call me Ca…” You stopped for a moment, and then you resumed, knowing that you couldn’t tell her that. Not yet, and, sadly, perhaps never. “Quill.” You wanted to tell her your real name. More than anything else in Equestria, you wanted her to know who you really were. But you knew, at the same time, that telling her that would only cause more problems.

“Is it really you? The stallion that has been sending those magnificent letters almost every week for the past year? You’re that stallion?” You just nodded, and the mare on the couch before you stood, and slowly approached you, the twinkling in her eyes having grown quite a bit. “And in all of those letters, did you mean what you said? Do you truly think I’m the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria?”

“I do. While your physical beauty is what first attracted my attention, it was your personality that kept me interested in you. Most mares with your level of beauty are content to let it carry them through life, allowing others to provide for them, in return for some fleeting level of interest. But you’re different from the others. You don’t string stallions along, or at least you didn’t string me along.” You brought a hoof to her cheek, slowly, and she allowed you to place it there. “Your beauty is the kind of beauty that only comes along once in a million mares.”

Her blush spoke volumes, and you felt her press into your hoof a bit. “And I do have a bit of spontaneity to the way I live, and so I figured that I’d just ask you out now, and see what you say.”

“I’d love to. Although I do hope you’re better at planning dates than you are at asking mares out on dates.”

You pull your hoof back and she lets you. “I think I’ll manage something.” You take a step back, and the mare’s eyes take on a mischievous sparkle. Before you can react, she gives you a quick peck on the cheek, and then her horn flashes, and you find yourself standing outside of her home, your head spinning from the abrupt teleportation.

You hear something come from above you, and you look up to see Rarity leaning out of a small balcony on the second floor. “Do come by tomorrow morning, I have need of your help with a small matter. And perhaps I’ll see about giving you a tour around our quaint little town as well.” You only manage a wave, as you’re still feeling disoriented from the spell. She gives you a warm smile before you turn and head off towards where you think Storm’s home is, since he’s the one that Princess Celestia told you to find.

Sadly, it is a task easier said than done, and so you wander the town aimlessly for quite some time before you decide to take the initiative to ask somepony. Lucky for you, the pony that you ask is quite helpful, and soon afterwards your heading across town, bound for Storm’s home.

You wish that you could head to your own home right away, but it did make sense that you speak with Storm first, since he did know some about what was going on, according to Princess Celestia, at least. As you approached his home you couldn’t help but admire it some. It was a pretty good looking place. You trotted up to the door before knocking several times in rapid succession. Silence answered you, at first, before the sound of hooves came through the door faintly. After a moment the door opened, revealing a cyan pegasus, with a rainbow colored mane.

As she looked you over, her eyes quickly narrowed, and then she took a small step back, almost involuntarily. “Oh. It’s you.” Her actions spoke volumes, and the fact that she didn’t even invite you in stung just a tiny bit. She called for Storm over her shoulder, without letting you out of her sight. Several awkward moments passed before you heard the sound of hooves once again, and this time you saw a grey pegasus making his way towards you, his expression no more welcoming than the cyan peagsus’.

“Quill, I presume?” You just nod at the pegasus, and he motions for you to enter. The cyan pegasus glares at you for a moment longer before she allows you to enter. Storm took a seat on one of the couches in the living room, and you just walked over and stood in front of him, not sure what you could, and could not do in his house. He motioned to one of the other couches, and you took a seat. The cyan pegasus moved over to the couch next to Storm, and then she took a seat as well. You squirmed just a bit under their collective scrutiny, and just when you were feeling the pressure, Storm finally spoke. “Welcome to Ponyville, Quill. Dash and I both know who, and what, you are, so you’re secret is out when it comes to us. The rest of the town, save for a few discreet ponies, is blissfully ignorant about your identity.”

“How much did the Princess tell you about me?” You spoke before you realized it, and the grey pegasus adopted a small, sad, smile.

“Enough to know what you’ve been through.” He paused for a moment, and then he shifted in his seat, getting himself into a more comfortable position. “Now, in order for you to blend into the town you’ll need a solid alibi, which, thankfully, is already taken care of. But an alibi isn’t enough, and so you’ll have to integrate yourself into life here in Ponyville. As a unicorn there’s a wide array of options available to you, and so I trust that you’ll be able to find a job suitable to your skills.”

You responded in a forced lighthearted manner, “Oh, you mean my skills at deception and murder?”

“Well, no. No, that’s not quite what I meant.” Storm frowned at you, and then he was about to respond when the cyan pegasus cut in.

“Storm, why are we letting him stay here? You weren’t there for the invasion, and so you don’t know what they’re capable of doing. They nearly took over Canterlot, and their queen beat Princess Celestia!”

“And our Princesses found and killed nearly every Changeling alive after they discovered a second plot to attempt to seize a small settlement. Out of the entire race of Changelings, two were spared. And we see one of those two before us right now. And the one that we don’t see before us died shortly after the massacre.”

“She starved.” The talk about that period of time sparked memories that you had hoped you had forgotten, but they came back in waves of sadness. “She and I were spared by Celestia, since she claimed that she had a measure of mercy, even though we had threatened her little ponies. She and I had nearly made it to a small town where we had hoped to blend in to garner some emotion, but she didn’t have the strength left to make it.” Both pegasi sitting across from you were watching you, Storm with a look of sympathy on his face, and Rainbow Dash with an unreadable mask.

“I’m sorry, Quill, but we don’t have that much time on our hooves for bemoaning the past. I don’t mean to come across as rude, but we do have quite a bit to take care of, and nopony knows when these mysterious aggressors will strike next. Twilight spoke to Celestia about some small changes she noted in her new coltfriend. I’m not sure, but I think that it’s something that could do with a bit of investigation. If you’re going to start somewhere, I’d suggest starting with him, and then moving to Taupe.” The pegasus leans back into the couch, and then he gives you a small smile. “And so you know, Rarity doesn’t like roses that much. She much prefers white alstroemeria, so you know.”

You allow a smile to flit across your features before you bring back your impassive visage. Storm stands slowly, and the cyan pegasus follows suit. “Now, let’s get some rest. You’ve got a busy day ahead of you, Quill, and you’ll need to get your stuff moved into your new home soon, too. The guest room is off of the kitchen. It’s already made up for you, so you don’t have to do anything in that regard.” You stand after a moment, and then Storm gives you a bigger smile. “Cheer up, Quill. You’re in a new town, with new friends. I’m sure everything will be just fine. And, to make it better, in the morning, I’m making waffles!”

You allow a small smile to come to your face, and Storm lets out a satisfied huff. “Better, but still not good enough. Ah, well. The waffles tomorrow morning will change your tune.”

He and Dash then head up the stairs, and you can make out some of what they are saying, and it is mostly about you. With a shake of your head you walk through the kitchen, and into the guest room. It’s surprisingly nice for a guest room, and you quickly set about making yourself comfortable. Your bags are already in the room, and you are grateful for that. You won’t have to search for them.

The bed sags gently under your weight, and soon enough the relaxing hold of sleep comes to pull you away from the waking world. Your last thoughts are of the home you’ve lost, and the home you hope to build here.

(Well, some unpleasant memories were stirred up. But, on the bright side, you've got a date with Rarity for tomorrow, so things aren't all bad. And there'll be waffles in the morning!)

Chapter IV: Heterochromia Iridum

(Well, here it is. My apologies for the delay. Real life problems, and a side-project.) (Sorry about the whole updated chapter thing, I was rushing a bit since I had to go to work. I just fixed a mistake I saw, and... well. No harm no foul.)

Your eyes opened slowly, letting the bright morning light filter into your eyes, allowing them to sear their image into your corneas. Several rapid blinks failed to remove the afterimage from your eyes, so you resolved not to do that again, and then you rolled over to face away from the window. A swift knock upon the door interrupted your attempt at remaining sedentary, and you slowly raised your head to look at the door. You contemplate using your magic to open the door, but without a confirmed source of steady emotion, you didn’t want to use your magic unnecessarily. Instead, you simply called out towards the door.

“Yeah?” Eloqunce. My strong suit. Still, the door opened after a moment, and Storm stuck his head into the room, a smile on his face. With the door now open, the tantalizing scent of breakfast wafted into the room, and you were able to identify the smell of maple syrup almost immediately. You recall the conversation from yesterday, and with that memory comes what Storm said near the end of the conversation. “Waffles?”

“More than Dash and I can hope to eat alone, so I hope that you’re hungry.” He backs out of the door after that, but he leaves the door open. You slowly climb out of bed, the thought of a meal being motivation enough to get you up and out of bed. The walk to the door is brief, but enough time for you to get your mind up to a speed where you’d be able to answer questions in a coherent fashion. You pull the door open, and the smell of breakfast seems to grow in intensity. You walk to the kitchen at a brisk pace, not wanting to miss out on any of the food being offered.

True to what Storm said, there was a wide array of foodstuffs on the table, and you doubted whether your combined efforts would be sufficient to eat all of this food. The cyan pegasus seated at the table still glared at you as you entered, but the stare was a bit softer than it was yesterday.

“Miss Dash, it’d be easier for both of us if we were to clear the air of any potential misunderstandings. Why, exactly, do you feel so strongly about me? Aside from the attack on Canterlot, which I’ll admit was quite a big thing, what have I done to you?” The mare narrowed her eyes at you, and Storm stopped his cooking to watch the conversation unfold. Much to your surprise he looked at the mare, rather than you.

“Well, let’s see.” She paused, but it was clearly meant to mock you, as she adopted a ludicrous pose as she feigned deep thought. “Oh, right. You attacked Canterlot, and nearly took over all of Equestria!”

“I did specifically say things other than the attack.”

“But that’s what you did! The Changelings attacked Canterlot, and nearly wiped out the Princess, and us! The Changelings launched an unprovoked attack on the city for no good reason. Quite a few ponies were killed in that attack, and even after the attack there were a good number of deaths in the surrounding countryside as the remnants of your army swept through the countryside.”

“The Changelings need to feed on love to survive. True, other emotions will suffice, but without love we can’t reproduce. We’d stagnate, and slowly wither away.” The mare just shook her head.

“But how do you justify the deaths of all those innocent ponies? If what the Princess told us is true, you’re directly responsible for killing two ponies and locking away Princess Cadance in the caves beneath Canterlot.”

“Yeah, I did that. And I regret it too. But back then I was still thinking of the hive before myself. And because of that I didn’t take responsibility for my actions.” You let out a massive sigh before you shake your head. “Look, I can’t justify what Chrysalis did. But by the same token, you can’t justify what your Princess did. Or are you going to say that the slaughter of an entire race is a justifiable response?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened slightly at your comment, and you knew that you’d made your point. “Did you really not know?”

“I knew.” Both you and Dash turned to look at Storm, and you could feel the sadness radiating off of him. “Dash, after the attack, the Changelings still needed a source of love. They planned an attack on a small settlement near the border, and somehow the plan was brought to the attention of the Princess. In response, they launched a swift attack on the changelings, wiping out nearly all of them. The ones that weren’t killed died of starvation in the following days and weeks. Quill, here, is the last of his kind.”

You look back to the cyan pegasus, and she slowly looks back at you. Her angry stare has been replaced with a look of pity, and you sigh as you look at the table covered in food. “You know, I’m not really that hungry anymore. I’m going to head to Rarity’s place now. I’ll come back for my stuff later.” You don’t even wait for a response before you turn around, and head to the front door, which you promptly open and head through.

The day is still fresh, and the clear air works wonders to help you calm down as you begin walking towards the Carousel Boutique. Within just a few minutes of leaving Storm’s home your breathing has slowed to a normal pace, and your mind has cleared of most of your angry thoughts towards the cyan pegasus. As you continued your measured pace the small shop that was your destination came into view, and you allowed a small smile to grace your previously emotionless visage.

You planted three swift knocks upon the door, and moments later the alabaster unicorn opened the door, a smile on her face. As she saw that it was you her smile widened noticeably, and she got a small twinkle in her eyes. “Oh, Quill, do come in. I was hoping that you’d come by soon. I’ve got a project that I could use your help with.” You smile back at the mare, and follow her into her home.

The main room of the Boutique is filled with ponyquins sporting all manner of fancy and fashionable attire. And what makes it even better is that from what you can see, most of it is remarkably affordable. You note, though, that most of the attire present was more suited for mares, but a few suits were present. As you pass from the main floor of the shop into the back you note an immediate change in the way things look, and feel. While the front maintained an atmosphere of style and fashion, this room lacked all of that. You hadn’t seen this on your last, brief, visit here, and so you looked around before you looked back to the mare.

She was rummaging about in a drawer, so you began examining some of the pictures along the walls, most of which sported drawn images of dresses, some with notes on them, and others with big crosses drawn across them. After a moment of observation you hear a cry of success come from the unicorn. As you turn to look at her you see that she has a scroll held aloft by her magic, and a look of satisfaction on her face.

“Now, I remember that you said that you were never the most fashionable pony, but I also know that you’d like to spend some time with me, so if you could help me with this design, we both win. Think of it as some time for us to just talk without the distractions of other ponies being around.” The mare’s voice washes over you as she speaks, and you find yourself agreeing to her quickly. Shortly after that you found yourself standing on a small pedestal, several pieces of cloth already draped across your body.

The mare quickly began talking to you about whatever topic happened to come up, and you found her to be knowledgeable about far more than just fashion. While she’d never tell anypony about it, she was quite the reader of many sappy romance novels, including some by an aspiring author, who has started a series of six novels, each one linked to the others. As she finishes up with the first half of the suit, the jacket nearly done, several knocks sounded at the door. Rarity looked between you and the hallway several times before you spoke.

“Go ahead, Rarity. I’m perfectly capable of standing here for a little while as you take care of whatever it is that needs to be done.” You pause for a moment before you continue. “Just don’t take too long. I’ve waited quite some time to get here, and now I’d like to take advantage of the opportunity presented to me by the Princess.”

The mare gives you a warm smile before she trots out of the room, leaving you standing with the beginnings of a marvelous tuxedo draped about your frame. You allowed yourself a moment of relaxation as you let your body sag just a bit; your legs shifting to better support your weight. Still, the single pin sticking into your side made things a bit less than enjoyable. Perhaps I should’ve said something to her about that… It didn’t take long for Rarity to return, except that she had company along.

“… not the secondary muscles.” The mare that entered with Rarity was lavender in color, along with a dark purple mane with several streaks of pink. You recognized her as Twilight, and you felt the tiniest tightening in your chest. She didn’t seem overly interested in you, though, as she was still talking with Rarity about some magical procedure. The other pony who came in, though, had taken an interest in you. He had a blue coat, with a grayish mane. As he grew closer you gave him a small smile.

“You’re that unicorn that came with the Princess, right?”

You give him a quick nod before you elaborate some. “Yeah, that was me. Although I’m going to be here for a while, so I suppose some introductions are in order?” The pegasus gives a quick nod before you hold out a hoof. “My name’s Quill. I used to live in a town not far from Canterlot, but a series of circumstances led me here.” The pegasus raised an eyebrow before he spoke.

“Oh? What could’ve happened that would get the attention of the Princess?” The pegasus paused for a moment, before he continued. “My name is-”

“Could you come here for a minute, I need to show Rarity something for your wing.” The lavender mare’s voice cuts in just before the pegasus can tell you his name, and he gives you an apologetic smile before begins to turn. You give him a warm smile before you nod towards the two unicorns.

“No worries. I’m sure we’ll have another chance. I’ll just stay here.” You let a brief pause hang before you finish. “And wait.” As the pegasus began walking towards the two mares you couldn’t help but wonder about the heterochromia iridum that you noted in the pegasus. It was incredibly rare to see something like that in a pony. It happened, of that there was no doubt, but it was still a rare occurrence. You allowed your gaze to shift from the pegasus to the two mares, both of whom were fussing with the wings of the pegasus.

Several minutes passed before the alabaster mare backed away from the pegasus, her soft words lost to the distance. You realized that they were using their magic to work on something regarding the wings of the pegasus, and so you tapped into your own magical reserves to try to see what it was that they were doing. You hadn’t used this particular spell in quite some time, but it proved helpful in cases like this, where seeing the magic of the world around you was needed.

You knew, also, that this spell would leave you dangerously low on energy, and so you began tapping into the emotional energies in the room. You let out a small gasp as the influx of energy reached you, and you realized just how strong the emotions were between the pegasus, and Twilight. To say that it was strong was a bit of an understatement. With this newfound font of nearly limitless emotional energy, you allowed the spell to work its way through your mind. A faint blurriness settled over your vision for a moment, before it began to clear, letting you see the ebb and flow of magic through the ponies before you.

As you looked to Rarity you could see her magic flowing through her horn, and into the wing of the pegasus. You couldn’t follow the intricate weaving patterns that her magic was working, but that wasn’t really too much of a concern. Rather than try to follow her patterns, you simply tried to reason out what she was doing, and that became clear enough after a moment, as you saw her magic lingering in what you assumed was the nervous system of the pegasus. Or, if not the nervous system, the vascular system, since there were few other choices available for such an intricate procedure.

Twilight’s magic was being used in a much simpler fashion, simply flowing from her body into Rarity’s allowing her to continue her work without a need to allow her magic to recharge. While you had heard some stories about the supposed magical prowess of the lavender mare, you never suspected that she’d be quite as good as she is. Nor did you expect her to have a reserve of magic quite as large as she did. Your reserves when full would barely be equal to a tenth of what the Element of Magic had at her disposal.

Before you allowed your spell to dissipate, though, you noted a third magical source. At first you reasoned that it was the life force of the pegasus, since all life has some degree of magical ability, but this was different. Normally a being’s magic is close to the color of their coat, eyes, or cutie mark. But this pegasus had a swirling vortex of red balled up inside the main focus of his blue aura. With both mares paying such close attention to the pegasus there was no way that you’d be able to do any investigation into this phenomena you resolved to investigate at a later date. Something like this could certainly be linked to what the Princesses had sent you to do.

As you withdrew your magical probe from the magical ether you allowed the spell you had cast to fade, giving your vision another reason to blur for a moment, before clarity returned. Without any further distractions to hold your attention you allowed your focus to drift beyond the four walls of the room, harkening back to the years long since passed.

One of the first memories you come across before your time in that small village was the meeting in the Canterlot palace where you had first seen the mares before you. It had been a tense meeting, rife with suspicion, and with accusations flying about. The tiniest laugh escaped you as you recalled the first accusation thrown. Princess Luna, the fair maiden of the night, had accused Storm of the heinous crime, not even waiting for a response before going off on a tirade about what should be done to the criminal. Still, that memory was not enough to distract you from the boredom of the room, so you dug deeper into your past.

The next memory to stir thought within you was that of the massacre that took place in the oasis that would be the final resting place for many changelings. The conversation you had held with your mother just before that battle, though, did stir up some memories. Ones fond enough to bear some level of thought. As you began building the scene within your mind you found the voice of Rarity calling you back to reality.

“Quill? Quill, are you alright?” You look down to see Rarity looking at you with quite a bit of concern in her eyes. A wave of relief passes over her as you look down.

“Yes, I’m fine. Why?” At your query the look of concern returns to the face of the mare.

“Well, the others left almost half an hour ago, and you’d just been standing here, a blank expression on your face. I was growing concerned. At first I continued without thinking much of it. But when you didn’t answer any of my questions…”

“My deepest apolgies, Miss Rarity. From time to time I fall deep into thought, and few things are able to rouse me. It seems, though, that your dulcet voice is enough to bring me out of my stupor.” A faint blush appears on the face of the mare, and you bring a hoof to her cheek. “If you ever find me in a state like the one I was just in, simply utter my name, and I will come back to you.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” She bats her eyelashes at you a few times as she speaks, and you feel a blush come to your cheeks. “What do you recommend should my voice be insufficient?”

“A mare as creative as you should have plenty of ideas about what could work to bring a stallions focus back to you at a moments notice.”

The mare gave you a warm smile before her magic began pulling the now complete suit off your body. “I might have a few ideas. We’ll have to see if I need them, though.” It takes just a minute for her to remove the entire suit and fold it up. As you step down from the pedestal you give a quick shake of your legs, letting the muscles stretch out some. “Now, as a reward for your services, I’ll allow you to take me out for some lunch.”

“It’d be my pleasure, Miss Rarity.”

“Please, Quill, just Rarity.”

(I hope you enjoyed. I'll be giving some more glimpses into your past as things go along. And if it is requested, I'd have no problem doing the full history for Quill.)

Chapter V: The Truth

(Yes, a new chapter. And The Truth... Well, read on to find out about that.)

“And then Tumble just tossed the stallion off the train, grinning like an idiot. I never really spent all that much time in town, but the few times I did linger it was worth it, if only for the stories.” You and Rarity had long since finished your meals, and the alabaster unicorn had displayed a good deal of interest in your life back in the small village you used to call home. Despite your admirable attempts at deflecting her questions you had finally acquiesced, and told her about some of the things that had happened in your life.

Still, you couldn’t help the guilt that ran so freely within you. You were lying to her about so much you had trouble telling what was real and what wasn’t. It just wasn’t fair that you couldn’t share your true self with the one mare who you knew would be able to see past your exterior. Cadence had seen it, and you’d been the one to assault her and put her in the caverns beneath Canterlot. Surely the ponies of Ponyville could understand.

“So, Quill, how about we go and take a look at your new home? You did mention that you had your own place, didn’t you?” The words of the mare break your train of thought, but you are silently thankful for it. It was moments like the one you just experienced that had the greatest risk of letting your secret slip. A single thought turned vocalized could ruin it all.

“Sure. I’m not the best around when it comes to furnishing a home, so I’d gladly welcome your expert advice.” The mare blushed just a tiny bit at your compliment, and you felt the flow of emotion increase just a bit. To most that change wouldn’t be visible, save to experienced eyes, but for you it spoke volumes about what the mare thought of you. Were it not for the public location, and your own inhibitions, you might’ve spilled your greatest secret right then.

Instead, you simply got up from the table, the bill having been paid quite some time ago. The alabaster unicorn followed behind you, following you towards your new home. You only had a vague idea of where it was, and so you were understandably hesitant in following the mental directions you had constructed. Luckily, you found it without much of an issue, having only claimed that three occupied houses were yours before finding your own.

The door was unlocked, a situation which you knew you would have to remedy, and so the two of you entered. Much to your surprise there was already a good amount of furniture in the room, ranging from a worn down couch all the way to a full dining set in the dining room. Sadly that seemed to be an exception, since the entire upstairs was devoid of anything, save for a bathroom that would serve just as well as a public pool, given how large the tub was.

Rarity, while you explored, was already going on about the colors that would work in each room, and what patterns would and wouldn’t work for bedspreads. You were just glad to have your own home, and the colors couldn’t matter less to you. Although you didn’t say as much to the mare, knowing that this mattered to her. You trotted down the stairs, after finishing you preliminary exploration, to find the mare taking measurements of each window, a small scroll floating behind her, recording the measurements as she took them.

“Rarity.” The mare just continued her measuring as you called out to her, and so you repeated yourself, louder the second time. After failing to grab her attention once again, you opted for a less subtle approach. However, just before you could shout out her name a wicked grin formed on your face, and you quietly approached the mare. As you got up right next to her you felt your wicked grin slowly fade, and change into a goofy grin. Before the mare could move out of your reach, and before your confidence could fade, you placed a hoof on the mare’s cheek, turning her face towards you, and letting her look into your eyes. The slight surprise in her eyes quickly increased as you planted a swift kiss upon her lips.

You felt heat race to your cheeks as your lips brushed hers, and for just a moment you let the kiss linger before you pulled back, the heat in your cheeks nearly hot enough to cause spontaneous combustion. The mare’s own cheeks heated up as well, the blush nearly rivaling yours for intensity. Unable to continue looking at the mare, you turned away from her slightly, looking into the room, rather than at her.

“So, is that what you had in mind when you suggested alternative methods for garnering your attention when you let your mind drift?” Her question was innocent enough, but her tone spoke to you more than her words did. When you looked back at her, she batted her eyelashes a few times, prompting the blush on your cheeks to intensify. “Because I can most certainly do that, and more, if you like. And I don’t see why I would need to do that only if you get distracted. I enjoyed it, and despite how un-ladylike it is to do something like that on a spur of the moment… For you, I think I can make an exception.”

You, after failing to compose yourself for a few moments, finally manage to look the mare in the face. “Um, Miss Rarity-”

“Just Rarity, darling.” You loved the way she said ‘darling’. It nearly made your knees go weak.

“Rarity,” you started, “we should go and get my stuff from Storm’s place.”

“Actually, Quill, how about you go and get your things, and I’ll see about ordering some furniture for you. I mean, you weren’t expecting a lady like me to carry your bags, were you?” You put a hoof behind your head as the mare spoke, and you shifted your gaze towards the floor.

“Well, no. I suppose that makes sense. Just… Don’t spend too much on the furniture, okay? I don’t actually have all that much.” The mare raises an eyebrow at you before she speaks again, her tone curious.

“I thought you said that you were related to royalty. Surely you’d be able to afford to afford some quality furniture.”

“Oh, right. Well, you see, they, my parents, wanted me to fend for myself, rather than just have everything given to me.” Your stumbled words do little, in your opinion, to quell the mare’s suspicions, but she seems to accept it, since she just smiles at you.

“I suppose that makes sense. Although you never did explain just who your parents were.” The mare floats the parchment on which her notes lie before she walks past you towards the door. “But we can cover that later. For now you need some new furniture, and I’d be happy to help you out with that. Go and get your things, and we’ll meet up here again before long.” As the door closed behind the mare you let out a massive sigh, slowly sinking onto your haunches.

You let your gaze wander aimlessly as you compose yourself, the brush with disaster having set your heart rate up quite a bit. When your heart finally reaches a point where you can distinguish the individual beats you stagger back up to your hooves, your breathing still coming in slightly labored gasps. You walk over to the door slowly, not wanting to rush anything at this point. When you reach the door you spot a slip of paper tacked onto it. You pull it down with your magic before you begin reading it.

Dear Quill,

We are pleased to have you in our small town of Ponyville. Please, at your earliest convenience, come by the Town Hall so that we can finalize the purchase of your home.

Once again, welcome to Ponyville.

Sincerely,

Mayor Mare

You slowly roll up the note before placing a hoof on the door. Hopefully things go smoothly at Town Hall. I’d hate to take longer than Rarity.

Your head thumps into the door of Storm’s home, your enthusiasm having long since been drained away by the bureaucracy of Ponyville’s small government. Sure, the Mayor had been cheerful enough, almost distressingly so, as she handed you one form after another to be signed. After the thirtieth signature you started to feel like they were messing with you, and so you actually began to read the forms she was giving you, and, sure enough, they were all legitimate, if not silly, forms. Much to your dismay quite a few were waivers for the antics of a certain pink pony. Namely that Ponyville could not be held responsible for anything done by Pinkie. Not that anypony ever wanted to report her.

The door slowly opens before you, causing you to take a stumbling step forward before you can catch yourself. Even still, you feel your horn poke the pony before you in the chest as you lean forward. You sigh once again as you open your mouth to speak.

“Please tell me that you aren’t Rainbow Dash.” You crack open one eye to see the cyan fur of the aforementioned pegasus, and a low groan comes from your throat, lasting for nearly thirty seconds before you stop to draw in another breath. “Well, since you do seem to be Rainbow Dash I’d just like you to know that I’m here for my luggage, not to argue with you over things that happened years ago.”

“Fine. Just grab your things and go. I’m only tolerating you because Storm seems to think that you deserve a second chance.” The mare pushed you back from her chest, and then she jabbed a hoof into your chest. “But if I even suspect that you might be doing something to Rarity, or anypony, you won’t know what hit you.” She kept her hoof on your chest for several long moments while her eyes bored into yours. “Now hurry up. I won’t let you stay here longer than necessary.”

You glare back at the mare for a moment, before you push past her, heading for the room where all your things had been left. As you enter the room, though, you feel as if you had been stabbed. A pain lances through you as you look at the chaos that has consumed the room. Your suitcases are scattered, and all of their contents are around the room, with not a thing left untouched. You look at everything, no words passing your lips. As you search the room you realize that there is one thing above all the others that you want to find.

“Dash! Rainbow Dash, come here!” There is no immediate response, much as you expected. Instead, you hear the sound of a door open, and then close. You call again after waiting for a moment, your second cry significantly more distressed. As she enters the room you turn to look at her, and her jaw drops as she looks at the room. Her response is energetic enough, if misguided.

“What the hell did you do?” She looks at you for a moment, her gaze as hard as iron. After a moment of looking at you, though, she seems to understand. “Sorry, what the hell happened? As far as I know You, Strom, and I are the only ones to have been in here.” She weakly kicks at a few pieces of cloth on the floor, her intent not to move it, but simply to do something to keep herself busy. “Um, is anything missing?”

“Yeah, my armor. One of the only things I had to remember who I am, and who I was. Not that I expect you to understand.” You try to bite back your temper, but it comes through anyway. “You must be pleased with this. I’m upset about something, and you get to see me at my weakest. After all, I’m just a monster, aren’t I? Something to be hated, and feared, right?”

“Quill?” The single word, one of the most important words, to you, shatters your anger, immediately replacing it with a sense of mind shattering fear. You look past the cyan pegasus towards the doorway, your eyes falling upon the one pony you didn’t want to see at that moment. Her azure eyes had tears in them, and that hurt more than the loss of any personal belonging. “Quill, what are you talking about?” Her frown grew wider, and her brow quickly furrowed. “What do you mean, you’re a monster? You’ve never been anything but a gentlestallion to me.”

The cyan pegasus quickly shifter her gaze between you and the alabaster unicorn in the doorway, a look of sadness on her face. “Rarity…”

“No, Dash. I need to explain. I’m not going to lie to her anymore.” What you were about to tell the mare was going to be incredibly hard, probably harder than anything else you could tell her, save for one thing: The Truth. “You see, Rarity, before I came here I was considered royalty, without actually being royalty. My family lived near Griffon territory, and we were the ruling family of a small settlement. I didn’t have any real power outside of town.

“A roving band of Griffons descended on our town one evening, wiping out quite a few of our number, based on some perceived slight.” You paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I managed to survive by fighting back, taking several of the griffons down with my magic, and use of my horn. Tales of what I did spread with the griffons, and from what I recall, Gilda was a member of the clan of griffons that descended upon us.” Your gaze flickered over to Dash for just a moment before you swallowed and continued. “Word spread of who I am, and what I was to them; A monster.”

“Quill…” The alabaster unicorn quickly approached you, and she wrapped her hooves around you, pulling you close. As she held you, the cyan pegasus glared at you, shaking her head slowly. The tears that ran down her face, left small trails of moisture in their wake. When she finally broke the embrace, you wiped away one of her tears with a hoof. “You could’ve told me, Quill. I would’ve understood. But to have kept all that hidden away? It must be tearing you up inside to keep something like that hidden. And for so long?”

You held the mare once again, her hooves running along your back in a slow motion. As she released the embrace, you turned to look at the mess of clothing and personal belongings scattered about the room. While just a moment ago the loss of your armor had stung worse than any wound you’d ever gotten, the lie you just told to Rarity beat out the loss of your armor. “You don’t have to help, Rarity. I can take care of this myself. You probably have other things that you need to take care of anyway.”

“No, Quill, I won’t just leave you to your grief. Especially not with Rainbow Dash for company.” She turned to look at the cyan pegasus as she continued. “I mean no offense, Rainbow, but you aren’t exactly the most comforting mare around. Your reaction to stress is… A bit uncouth.”

“Uncouth… Why you prissy…” The pegasus quickly stopped herself, knowing that she was doing exactly what Rarity had been expecting. “Fine. Just try to get things cleaned up soon. I don’t want Storm to find this place a mess.” As she finished, she walked out of the room, only glancing back at you as she exited. You looked around the room as Rarity began packing some things up, hoping that there would be something that could reveal something about the perpetrator.

With Rarity’s help it only took about fifteen minutes to get everything packed up again. Every so often the mare would glance at you, giving you encouraging smiles. You were glad for her support, but the fact that she was supporting you for the wrong reasons made you want to scream out your frustration. As the last bag was closed, you hefted one onto your back, taking a second one in your magical grasp. Rarity took the third with her own magic, and the two of you exited the now pristine guest room, passing Rainbow Dash on the way out.

“Hey, Rares, come by later. I… I need some help with a dress. Storm wanted me to dress up for dinner tonight. And my hair. He likes it when I put some curls into it.” Rarity pauses to look at the mare, and then she offers a small smile to the cyan pegasus reclined on the couch.

“I’ll come by around six thirty?”

“Yeah, that’s good. And be sure to bring the curling iron. You know I don’t have one.” Rarity just nodded at the mare, and then the two of you began making your way towards your house. Rarity glanced over at you occasionally as you walked along, probably trying to imagine you doing some of the things that you claimed to have done. It didn’t take that long to get to your home, and soon you saw that Rarity had been quite industrious while you had been at Town Hall.

All the windows had curtains, and the rooms all looked far better, small items having been added to make it seem like a much more comfortable place. Since most of your belongings went in the bedroom, you quickly brought everything upstairs to the master bedroom. Your eyes went wide as you saw the king sized bed in the master suite, the sheets matching the décor of the room perfectly.

You put your bags on the floor and you quickly began examining the pieces of furniture that Rarity had bought for you. She entered the room just a few moments after you, a wide smile on her face. “I take it you like it dear?” You nod in response, still too dumbstruck to speak. “Speechless?” Again you nod, before shaking your head quickly.

“How much was all of this? I can’t just accept all of this as a gift! It must’ve cost a small fortune!” As you look around the room once more you can’t help but admire the craftsmanship of the carved wood.

“Please, Quill. You’ve given me quite a bit, and I suspect that you will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, so consider this my welcome to Ponyville gift. As well as a thank you for all those letters. But now I must head back to the Boutique. You see, when it comes to Dash and fashion it is best to arrive fully prepared, with more than enough time to have everything ready.” Rarity gave you a quick peck on the cheek as she turned to leave, leaving behind a mixed pot of emotions.

You brought a hoof to your cheek, and you began to wonder if you really deserved what she was offering to you.

(Pfft. Like I was going to spill the beans on Quill that soon.)

Chapter VI: Shnazzy

(More exploits of Quill. Enjoy, and be sure to leave a comment to let me know what you think.)

Most of the rest of the day was spent putting all of your belongings in their appropriate locations. You took your time with this, since you were expecting to be here for quite some time, barring any catastrophic events. Through your sorting you came across a small leather bound tome in one of your suitcases. The brown leather of the cover was well faded with time, and several small gouges along the cover helped to show that this book was older than you by quite a bit. Still, it had passed to you from your mother, and you had dutifully kept it. With little else to do for the day, you settled down in one of your newly purchased armchairs, and you cracked open the book, taking a deep breath of the musty smell that escaped the book. There was a different scent present on the book, but you were unable to place it. With a shrug, you continued, knowing full well that a Changeling’s nose wasn’t the best in the world.

You skipped past a good portion of the book, Chrysalis’ rise to power holding no interest to you at this time, since she had told you, and your immediate siblings, the tail many a time. No, you were interested in some more recent events, specifically, the events that had put you at odds with the rest of Equestria in such a large way. When you saw the change in writing style you knew that you were getting closer. When you finally saw your own writing you couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the scrawled, barely legible, writing that had marked your first entry.

The following entries quickly grew in legibility, and complexity, until you started to lose yourself in the memories presented. Then, your page turning stopped as you reached the beginning of the events that would mark the beginning of the end of the Changeling race.

---- /\/\/\/\ One Year Before the Royal Wedding /\/\/\/----

“Mother, I don’t think that I’m the best choice for this. I make mistakes all the time when I am in disguise. My voice falters, or I say something wrong. Why can’t Entropy do this?” The queen walked before you, leading you through the depths of the hive. She strode down the hall with all the authority of a god, and every drone you passed dutifully stepped aside, offering a bow to both their Queen, and their Prince.

“Because, my son, you are the heir to my throne, since ancient custom dictates that a son comes before a daughter, no matter the age.” The queen stopped abruptly, turning to face you. Unlike her usual mask of either disgust or disinterest, she looked compassionate for a moment. “And I want my son to be strong when he claims my throne.” The look only lingered for a moment before she turned and continued moving down the hall. When she spoke again it came with the same air of superiority with which she always spoke. “And all four of your sisters will be along to aid you. But I dare not reveal who they will be masquerading as, lest their covers be revealed.”

A set of double doors opened before the queen as you entered the main throne room. Its high vaulted ceiling was nearly lost to the shadows, as the small flames near the bases of the massive pillars were insufficient to fully illuminate the massive chamber. Up at the throne, standing on either side, were the two eunuchs that acted as the Queen’s Blood Guard. They are, or were, the only other males in the entire hive. A male, when born into the hive, is judged immediately for potential abilities, and their bloodline. If the blood is close enough to the current rulers blood line, they are deemed acceptable for breeding, and so they are taken to the appropriate locations for doing their task. Males that are too divergent from the blood line of the ruler are castrated, and trained as personal guards, loyal to the leader till death. And, in some magical cases, even beyond death.

Both guards eyed you suspiciously for a moment, nearly barring your way as you followed the queen. Matricide was a known way for ascending to the throne, but was an often ill advised path, simply due to the fact that it would lead to a massive, if temporary, destabilization of the hive.

“My son.” Your attention was quickly brought back to the Queen as she addressed you. “You must realize that I am not asking you to do this. I’m telling you to do this.” You bowed, albeit stiffly, as the queen turned away. After a moment of silence, you turned to leave the room, and you only just stopped at the door as the sound of a throat being cleared grabbed your attention. “You’ll be heading for Canterlot soon. It’d be best if you began making preparations.”

As you exited the throne room you couldn’t keep the frown from appearing on your lips. You begin making your way through the winding halls of the hive as you trudge towards your chambers. As you reached your room you heard your name echo down the halls you had just traversed. You turned slowly, to see Entropy and Impulse coming down the hall, both with smiles on their faces.

“Brother, we were just told that you would be joining us to infiltrate Canterlot. I’d love to tell you who I’ll be taking the role of, but mother forbids us from telling you.” Entroy’s smile only grew as her sister spoke. You felt a small smile come to your own face as she began going on and on about how much fun it would be to become the rulers of Canterlot, and all of Equestria. They both followed you into your room as you entered, and soon the two of them were looking at you expectantly.

“Is there something you require, sisters? I do like to spend some time by myself.”

“Yeah, but mother asked us to make sure you were alright.” Impulse nodded in agreement as Entropy continued. “We both know your views on the ponies, and what we have to do, but it’s a necessity. We can’t integrate-”

“But we could! Think about it! We steal emotions from them, to feed ourselves. But, if we shared with them, I think they’d say yes. It would take time, but I know that we could do it.”

“We all know that it doesn’t quite work that way. When we take emotions by force we leave behind no connection. When we share emotions, emotions given willingly, a bond is formed; a bond that can kill the changeling if the emotions begin to waver. Mother told all of us this. We can’t take just one source, or we become dependent on it.”

---- /\/\/\/\ Present /\/\/\/----

A knocking upon the door to your home startled you out of your recollection, and you quickly marked your page, and closed the journal. With a brief sigh you pulled yourself out of the comfortable chair, and you made sure that your disguise was looking acceptable. The trip to the door was brief, and within moments of the first knock you had opened the door, revealing the grayish colored stallion on the other side. It took you a moment to recall where you had seen him, before you remembered that he gave a speech at the festival.

“Taupe, was it?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” You looked him over for a moment before you let out a small humorless laugh. “Yeah, an original name, I know. Anyway, I know you’re new in town, and that Pinkie usually throws a party for ponies who are new in town, so she’s asked me to secretly invite you over. Without, of course, telling you about the party.”

You raised an eyebrow, and the stallion just shrugged. “Well I can distinctly remember when I first got here I was most certainly not interested in the surprise that awaited me. Now, are you going to come along willingly, or do I have to drag you there?”

“No dragging is necessary. Although I don’t think you’d win if it came down to a match of brawn. Even without my magic I’m a formidable opponent.” The stallion just shook his head a bit before he half turned away from the house.

“Well, let’s get going. I told them I wouldn’t take long, so we’d best go. I don’t like to look like a liar in front of my mare.” You followed him outside, and as you left you made sure to close and lock your door. No sense in giving an easier target to whoever it was that was trying to get to you, or your belongings. As you made sure it was locked the stallion raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

You followed a half step behind the stallion as you tried to get some ideas about who he was. He seemed more than a bit familiar, and you had to stifle a gasp as exactly who he was came back to you. The scar along his face, the bandages still wrapped around his body, the color of his coat and his cutie mark were all the same. You watched this stallion die, and now he was back.

A gentle magical probe revealed nothing different about the stallion, save for an inner drive that manifested itself inside of his body. A drive so intense that it was almost a magic all its own. Other than that, though, he was as ordinary as anypony else. As you began to near the edge of town Taupe stopped for a moment to chat with a pair of ponies. You didn’t really pay all that much attention, though. You were still new enough in town that they didn’t know who you were, but they still both introduced themselves.

After the brief interlude Taupe elegantly excused both himself and you, claiming another appointment. As you walked along you felt it polite to inquire about the two ponies. If you had any hope of accomplishing the mission you’d been given you’d need to know far more about this little town.

“That was Berry Punch and her coltfriend Rain Chaser. The two of them have been together for quite some time, but only recently did they hit their current peak. I’ll admit, I had some doubts about whether Berry would be able to fully commit to the relationship, but I’m glad to be wrong this time.” As you turned down a dirt road towards the Apple family’s farm you noticed Taupe looked to the ground for a moment before he let out a quick snort, his pace accelerating just a tiny bit.

You kept up his pace, and soon enough the two of you arrived at the barn. Taupe shot you a quick smile before he placed a hoof on the barn door. “Do me a favor, and at least try and act surprised.”

To say you were surprised is a bit of an understatement. While you had been expecting to see a couple of ponies other than Rarity and her immediate friends, you certainly didn’t expect quite this many ponies. And their collective shouts of surprise put you into a low defensive crouch expecting some form of creature to follow up with that kind of a roar. As your brain slowly caught up with the situation, though, you felt a blush come to your cheeks as a good number of ponies began laughing at your reaction. It wasn’t mean spirited, as you could tell from the emotional make up of the room, but it was still at least slightly embarrassing.

Shortly afterwards, though, your embarrassment was forgotten as you quickly became involved in the party. There was plenty of food and drink to be had, and still more things to do. Many of the ponies present introduced themselves, and soon your head was swimming with the names of all the various ponies at the party. Once you had been introduced to everypony you finally got a few moments to yourself to see about finding Rarity, or perhaps one of her friends.

This was a task far easier said than done, though. Before you could find any of the ponies you were looking for Ditzy found you. “Hey, Quill! What do you think of your party? Pretty shnazzy, huh?” (A/N: I am bringing back shnazzy. Deal with it.)

“Yeah, Ditzy. Shnazzy is the word I’d use for this. Or perhaps groovy.”

“Glad you think so.” The mare looked around quickly, taking advantage of her wandering eyes. After a moment, though, they both focused on you. “Quill, you need to take a look into Ace. He’s… different, somehow.” Her voice was quieter than normal, and you had to strain to make it all out.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll see if I can get some time alone with him to figure out exactly what it is. And if I can do anything about it.” You motioned over to the snacks with your head and the mare quickly got the hint. She followed close behind you as you reached the table, and soon she was right beside you, gawking at the arrangement of muffins on the table. “I don’t know what I can do, though. I’ve never seen anything quite like that before.”

The mare picked up two different muffins as you spoke, and soon she was looking between the two, a look of concentration on her face. “Quill, which-”

“Chocolate chip. You told me once before that you liked chocolate chip more than any type of berry. And since the two you have are chocolate chip and blueberry…”

“Right! Chocolate chip it is. And as far as Ace goes, just do what you can; and if you need a letter sent to the Princesses, to see if they know what to do, let me know. I can get it there as fast as possible, with no distractions or delays.” You turn to face the mare, and then you let out a snort. “Alright, fine. Tops one muffin break.”

You smile at the mare, and then you look back at the crowd of ponies as some dance to the music, and some just socialize, chatting with their myriad of friends. Through the crowds you manage to spot Rarity’s uniquely styled mane, and so you quickly excuse yourself from Ditzy’s company before you start making your way across the barn. As you head over you hear Ditzy say something, but her words are lost to the crowd and the music.

After a few moments, and several muttered excuses, you reach the alabaster unicorn. She’s talking with Twilight and Rainbow Dash, both of whom seem quite interested in what Rarity has to say. You trot up to them with a smile on your face, and the conversation quickly stops as you approach. Rainbow Dash just glares at you, albeit slightly less intensely than normal. Twilight gives you a smile, and Rarity smiles as well. “Oh, hello Quill. Are you enjoying your party?” Twilight is the first to speak, and so you look to her as you answer.

“I am, actually. I wasn’t expecting this many ponies though. When Taupe…” You slowly brought a hoof to your face and then you continued. “He didn’t tell me there would be this many. And now I told all of you that Taupe told me that I was coming to a party. Just, don’t tell him, okay?” The mares share quick glances before they agree. After your brief mistake things went much more smoothly, with the mares continuing their conversation about who they thought might be a good match for Fluttershy and Pinkie, seeing as how those two were the only ones who didn’t have a stallion of their own.

When you realized just what they were talking about you quickly excused yourself from the conversation, realizing that not only did this not interest you, it was probably something that you shouldn’t know, since you’d already found that keeping secrets wasn’t your forte now, just like all those years ago. Instead, you searched for some stallions to keep company with. As luck would have it, you spotted Storm a short distance away, chatting with a simply massive red stallion.

At your approach the two looked at you, and then they shared a quick glance before they both looked back at you. “Hey, Quill. This is Big Macintosh. He and I were just about to head out back to see if we could maybe do some things a bit more masculine in nature.” You raised an eyebrow before Storm continued. “Ya’ know, drinking some cider and arm wrestling. Generally acting like mules until our respective mares come to collect us.”

“Ah. I see. Well, then I suppose I can join.” You reflect on your brief visits to the bar back in your old home, and then the faces of the opponents you’d seen Tumble crush beneath his immense strength. “But I think that I’ll watch before I decide to pit my strength against your own. I doubt I’m quite as tough as you.” Storm smirked before he motioned for you to follow. You allowed yourself a smile as well. Many of the opponents that had gone up against Tumble had first taken you, claiming that a weakling unicorn stood no chance.

How wrong they all were. You and Tumble had made quite a few bits claiming that they could beat you. As a unicorn, or at least by looking like one, it was often felt that you’d be quite weak, since you had magic to do all the hard stuff for you.

As you reached the back of the barn you saw that there was a table, as well as two stumps next to it. There was already a small group of stallions surrounding it, and a few shot curious glances your way. Storm approached the group first, and then he began to speak. “Alright, gents. We’ve got ourselves a nice little group here, so I suggest we get started. Ten bits buys you in, and winner takes all. Rounds last till a hoof hits the table. We play best two of three rounds, and we play right hoof only. Loser of each round has to bring back the cider. We all clear?”

A round of affirmatives sounded out, and then Big Mac approached the table, standing next to it, but not taking a seat. “Since we all know that we can’t top Mac, he’ll be judging. First up… Taupe, and Ace. I’ve been dying to see you two go at it.” The two stallions quickly approached the table, and then they glared at each other for a moment before smiling and shaking hooves. You smiled as well, all but certain that you’d just won yourself quite a few bits.

(I came absurdly close to having the reveal be this chapter. But then I decided that I'd make you wait a bit longer. When will it happen, you wonder? I'll be honest with you. I don't know just yet.)
(Also, vote for who you want to win. Taupe, or Ace.)

Chapter VII: Lies

(More Quill nonsense.)

(Or is it?)

It turns out that Taupe was a bit stronger than Ace, but Ace was quicker off the start, giving him a sizeable advantage early in the match. You watched the even match for several minutes as Taupe slowly eked out a lead over the pegasus. The earth pony’s vaunted stamina was paying off for him, and you chuckled as the pegasus was finally brought up to a vertical position, the small amount of sweat running down his cheek making it all too clear just what he thought of what was going on at the moment.

“Taupe.” The peagsus’ voice was strained, but still quite clear. “Hey, Taupe.”

The earth pony, when he chose to respond, sounded far less stressed than the pegasus. “Yes, Ace? What can I do for you?” The pegasus suddenly got a glint in his eyes as he began pushing back with all his might, gaining ground on the surprised earth pony. “Sweet Celestia, Ace. Relax.”

“Just lose, Taupe. Make this easy on both of us.” The strained sound of the pegasus’ voice was clear to everypony present, and you cocked your head slightly as you observed the events. A small idea popped into your head, and so you allowed your magic to flow through you, blurring your vision for just a moment. You looked at the earth pony first, watching as his small core of magic pulsed steadily, much like it should. Each beat surged from his core to his limbs, echoing back to the core before the next pulse would fire. It was, admittedly, a bit stronger than some you’d seen, but it was nothing too extraordinary.

As you turned to look at Ace, though, Storm stepped between you and him, his magical essence blinding you for a moment. Storm’s magical potential nearly rivaled Twilight’s, but there was something else there. Something holding back all that potential, keeping his body from being destroyed by the magic that threatened to flood his body. You stepped around the pegasus, trying to get a look at Ace. You already knew some about Storm, so his magic didn’t really concern you. Not like you could’ve done anything about it if you wanted to.

No, the pegasus was far more interesting than Storm was. What you saw as you looked at the pegasus chilled you to the core. The red magic that was present within the stallion before was now far more predominant, threatening to match the blue magic for quantity. That abruptly changed, though, as the pegasus’ second win ran out, and Taupe quickly vanquished Ace, the impact of the pair of hooves shaking the table. The impact left Ace rubbing his hoof with his other hoof, and soon he was laughing wildly. Taupe soon joined in, and then the rest of the group.

You didn’t laugh though. The magic within Ace was beginning to grow in strength, and if left unchecked it could threaten to take over the blue pegasus.

“Well, you two are both probably a bit winded from that round, so what say we pick two new ponies, hmm? Quill, you up for a round?” As you hear your name you quickly look at Storm, who was the one speaking. “You can even pick who you go up against, if you like.” You nodded as you looked at the stallions present, and then your gaze finally returned to the grey pegasus before you.

“Storm, you and me. I’m interested to see how you fare against me.” The grey pegasus chuckles as he moves to the table, before he takes a seat.

“Quill, I’ll just let you know now that I’m a bit stronger than I look. If you’re hoping for an easy win against some weak pegasus, think again.” You mirror him soon after he starts speaking, taking a seat at the table, opposite him. “Seriously, Quill. Even Big Mac sometimes has some difficulty getting my hoof down.”

“I seem to recall, Quill, that you only won ‘cause I was using my off hoof. And you had Dash dancing behind you. In a provocative manner, no less.”

Storm visibly blushes, and he averts his gaze. “Yeah, well… A win’s a win. Quit being so sour about it, Mac. That was, what? Months ago?”

Taupe fields this question, speaking up loud enough to be heard. “It was just after I arrived in Ponyville. And I don’t see why you’re bragging, Storm. After you began bragging about beating Big Mac, AJ came out and whooped both of you. Without breaking a sweat.”

“That she did. That she did.” The pegasus across from you quickly brings his focus back to you, and then he raises a hoof. “Shall we, Quill? We’ve got a crowd, and I’m ready to wipe the floor with you.” You allow a smile to come to your face as you bring your hoof up to meet Storm’s. “No magic, Quill. This is a match of pure physical strength. Otherwise unicorns would always win.”

Big Mac’s slow and steady countdown was largely unneeded, since as soon as he started the two of you began applying quite a bit of force into the other’s hoof. It was dead even as Mac finally said ‘go’ and it stayed that way for several agonizing minutes. You felt a small bit of slipping on your part, and in the time it took you to adjust for the loss of traction, Storm managed to push you nearly to the table.

“Don’t worry, Quill, not many ponies can beat me. I mean, I am Storm Runner, hero of-” You take advantage of his short speech to roughly bring your full strength to bear, quickly asserting an unmistakable lead on the pegasus. And, to make matters better, you were keeping the exertion away from your face, making it appear an effortless victory.

“You were saying?” As you finish speaking, you also finish the match, finally forcing Storm’s hoof into the table. “It’s usually not a good idea to brag until you win, Storm. Saves you from looking like a mule.” And, on that note, you rear up, planting both front hooves on the table. “What now, Storm? I thought you were supposed to be good? I didn’t even break a sweat! It’s almost like you weren’t even trying! But, that can’t be, since you’re drenched in your own sweat. If anyone wasn’t trying, it would be me!” You stop, taking a moment to let that all sink in, before you burst into laughter. “Nah, I’m kidding. Really, I did have to struggle for some of that to win, and you’re pretty damn strong.”

As Storm’s laughter begins to die down, he gives you a nod. “Well, you’re no pushover yourself. Hay, I thought I had it in the bag. I didn’t figure some scholarly type like you would stand much of a chance.” You brush off the passing insult like it was never uttered, instead choosing to strike back.

“Well, you surprised me as well. I figured some hero like you wouldn’t even bother keeping in shape, instead choosing to rest on his laurels.” You notice out of the corner of your eye that all the heads of the ponies present turn to look at Storm.

“While some heroes would do that, I’m not like some heroes. I’m amazed that you’re as strong as you are, given that you have nopony to prove it to. All your friends…” The pegasus stops as he realizes where he’s going with his current train of thought. “Aren’t here, so they can’t witness your triumph. A good match, Quill. Now, lets have Ace and Taupe do their next round. I’m interested to see who’ll win.”

Despite his recovery, Storm still hit a sour note, and you aren’t quite as interested in the match as you were moments ago. You walk a short distance away from the proceedings before you stop, and let out a massive sigh. If only they knew. Hell, if only the could know. At least then I’d have a choice. But now? Now I couldn’t even tell them if I wanted to.

After that point, the night progresses quickly, much of it a blur due to the alcohol you allowed yourself to have. Taupe winded up winning two of their three matches, although you were amazed at just how close the last match was. And nopony could’ve seen it coming that the table would, literally, shatter under their combined efforts. As the party began to break up, you started making your way home. As you staggered into town, you heard a voice call out your name, and you slowly turned towards the source.

Rarity, her mane just a bit disheveled, was slowly trotting towards you, a big smile on her face despite her mane’s less than perfect standing. “Quill, are you really heading home already? The night is still young, and there is much that we could do. Perhaps just spend some time together?” You look at her for a moment, thinking about it, before you agree.

“Sure, Rarity. But I think it is a bit later than you think.”

“Well, then we’ll be heading to bed soon, won’t we?” A suggestive wink ends her sentence, and you watch her walk past, making no immediate moves to follow her. Am I about to get lucky? You turn around, eager to follow the mare, and the slight sway to her hips is all the confirmation you need. Oh yes. A distant niggling doubt tried to make itself known to you, but you didn’t pay it any mind. Ace wouldn’t be getting into much trouble tonight, if his bragging claims were anything to go by. He and Twilight were finally going to… Well, what they did was none of your concern.

You followed the mare at first, as you slowly caught up to her, and then the two of you walked the deserted streets of Ponyville alone, save for each other. It was a clear night, and the heavenly multitudes were on full display, making themselves quite apparent. As you looked at them, your eyes began to trace the easily remembered constellations that you had been shown in your youth. Most of them would have no relevance to Rarity, given their origins. But there were still some that were shared by all sentient races.

Before you could find any really well known constellations, though, you arrived at the boutique. Rarity opened the door silently, entering and then motioning for you to do the same. She quickly led you through the shop that made up the bottom floor of her home, and up to the second floor, the place she called her home. The two of you entered the small living room, and Rarity elegantly leapt upon her reclining sofa, quickly adjusting the pillows and cushions until she had reached a state of optimum comfort. You admired her form for a moment before you approached one of the other seats in the room, planting yourself into it much faster than Rarity had.

“Quill.” Her single word brought your attention to her, and you smiled as you saw what she was holding with her magic. It was a stack of parchment, each one written in a script that you knew intimately well. Your own. “I kept them all. From your first fumbling attempts, all the way to your latest. And I have to ask, why me?” She pauses for a moment, but you don’t interrupt, knowing that she had more to say. “I am painfully aware of my good looks, having received more advances than I’d like, but I don’t think that you’re the kind of stallion to go for naught but looks. Nor do I think it is my generosity, since that only become apparent if you’re around me for a while.”

She sinks into thought, and you open your mouth to speak before she raises a hoof, cutting off your reply before you could start. You close your mouth slowly, and the mare puts the stack of letters down in front of her, spreading them slightly across the coffee table. “You’re not the first to send me love letters. Nor are you, frankly, the best at writing them. I mean no offense by that. It’s a fact. I’m not here to lie to you.” You look her in the eyes as she says that last sentence, and you feel a shiver run the length of your spine. She knows…

“That dear little assistant of Twilight’s, Spike, often wrote me love letters, even after I explained to him that it wasn’t something that was doable. He may be more mature than some of his peers, but that doesn’t make him any older.” The mare flips a few of the letters aside, gazing longingly at the words written on the pages. “Now he’s trying to find somepony his own age. I hope he finds somepony, honestly. He deserves one.”

“Rarity, I don’t think I can really say why I fell for you.”

“Try, darling. I want to know what it was that attracted you to me.”

You heave a sigh before you cast your mind back to when you first started writing those letters, and when your feelings were still fleeting things. So much to tell, and yet so much you couldn’t say. The truth, though, was possible, albeit with a few key omissions. You’d have to be careful.

“Well, it all started when I saw you in Canterlot.” Safe, so far.

“Oh? I think I’d remember somepony like you being around.”

“Please, I’m not that… I don’t really stand out that much. Anyway, it was during the attack that I saw you for the first time. Although it was entirely in passing.” There’s no way she could possibly associate you with the Changelings based on that. “The second time was at the meeting called by Celestia and Luna for the theft of the Elements. That’s the time when I really got to see you for the first time. And, I’ll admit, it was your beauty that struck me first. I didn’t send my first letter until much later because I was intimidated by you.”

“Really? How do you mean?”

“Well…” You pause, trying to explain yourself clearly. “If you saw the most magnificent fire ruby ever, what do you think you would do?” The mare cocked her head for a moment.

“I’d see about trying to get it, if I could.” She stops for a moment, and then she raises an eyebrow. “Are you saying that you didn’t think you could afford me?”

“No, not at all. It’s more like I don’t think I’m good enough for you. Or, at least, I didn’t think I was good enough. I still do, somewhat. It’s just… You’re this beautiful, wonderful, mare. And you’re giving me the pleasure of your attention.”

“Flattery will get you somewhere, Quill. But let’s not get too far off topic. So, you saw me at that little meeting. What then? That was quite some time before you wrote me for the first time.”

“Yeah. I took quite a bit of time to work up the courage needed to write you that first letter. Even though it wasn’t eloquent, I do think that it was probably one of my best. Not for quality of writing, or neatness of quillmanship, but for the effort put into it. I put so much into that letter, and I like to think that it shows, if only a little bit.” You pause, and then bring a few of the letters over to your face. “After that first one, I waited for your reply for a few days before I started to lose hope. When I wrote that first letter I didn’t really know what you’d say or do. And I didn’t know Ditzy very well at that point, so I didn’t even think to ask her about you.”

The mare held up your first letter, as she read it over once more. Despite yourself, you feel a slight blush come to your cheeks. “You spelled my name wrong.” The mare lowers the letter, and she’s got a poorly contained smile on her face. “Quill, please, go on. That was long ago enough that we don’t need to dwell on the specifics.”

“But that’s just the thing! It was all specifics for me! When I wrote to you, I put it all on the table, so to speak. I laid out my thoughts for you, since you were one of… No, you were the only outlet I really had for my feelings.”

“You didn’t have anypony else you could talk to?”

“Not really, no. I don’t really get along so well with others. There are quite a few things that contribute to that. But as I wrote to you more and more, my fascination only grew with each letter. While it was your looks that drew me in, it was your personality that kept me. You had so much to say about nearly anything that I threw your way. From fashion, your specialty, to philosophy. It seemed that no matter the topic, you’d have something to say.

“And so, with those constant letters, I grew more and more fond of you, but, at the same time, I grew more and more afraid.” You raise your eyes to look at the mare, and, for just a moment, you felt your magic pulse, almost against your will. The mare didn’t seem to notice, save for a tiny flutter of her eyelashes. “I was afraid that I wouldn’t be what you were expecting. Or that I’d somehow be less than I portrayed myself in those letters.”

“Well, you were both more, and less, than I had hoped you would be.” The mare offered a sad smile, and then she grabbed all the letters once again, and put them aside. All that stood between you and the mare was the coffee table. “You mentioned that you saw me twice in Canterlot. The first time being the Changeling attack. How did you come out during that horrendous attack? From what I recall it was especially bad for some of the ponies there.”

“Oh, well, I had it quite bad. I was in such a state that I couldn’t make it to the wedding.” You slow your answers, so that you might have time to think. “I actually found myself outside of the city after the attack. Carried off by some Changelings.”

“Quill. I want you to be honest with me for a moment. Can you do that?”

“Yeah. I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“Why are you lying to me?” The mare had looked away while you spoke about your misadventures in Canterlot, and now she looks back at you, tears in her eyes. “Why have you insisted in this farce for so long?”

“Rar-”

“No. No, Quill. You’ve been lying to me since that first letter. You’ve been lying to me this whole time!”

“Just… I can explain.”

“Can you? Can you explain how your kind attacked Canterlot, unprovoked, mind you, and tried to conquer all of Equestria?”

“You need to understand…”

“I understand plenty! I saw your journal. After the ransacking of your room at Storm’s house, I became suspicious. While we cleaned up the mess I happened to see your journal, which was open to a page… A page where you had a conversation with the Changeling Queen. I was intrigued, and confused. I glanced at a few more pages, and then it became clear. When I went to see Dash later, it was as much to talk with her about it as it was to actually make her look nice. She and Storm explained it to me.”

“I..”

“Get out, Catalyst. Get out, and don’t come back. I won’t stop what you’re doing, and I won’t share, but I won’t spend my time with you. I won’t let you leech my emotions from me for your own ends.” As she speaks, the flow of emotions stops abruptly, and you realize with a slight gasp that all that you had been getting from her was her magic, made to feel like emotions. And after a moment you realized that you weren’t even picking up the residual emotions that lingered all throughout the town.

“Rarity, let me explain.”

“No. Just leave.” A pang of pain shoots through you as you walk past the mare, and as you leave the room, you turn to look back at the mare, silently hoping. It was a stupid gesture, since all it showed you was the stoic face of the mare. Her eyes burned with an inner energy, and you could see tears forming in her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” A weak sob echoed through your mind as you stepped from her home onto the streets.

“I’m sorry.” The sob kept echoing over and over through your mind as you walked the winding streets that led to your home.

“I’m sorry.” The echo faded as you fell onto your bed, the disguise you had been keeping up fading into nothingness, leaving your dark grey hide open to the air. You bring up a hoof and you look at it, looking through the holes to see the ceiling. “I’m sorry that I’m not what, or who, you want me to be, Rarity. But… I’m not sorry I’m a Changeling.”

(Well, there it is. Hope you enjoyed. I've got most of the rest of the plot figured out from here, so it's just a matter of writing it all down. Oh, and yes, your name is Catalyst. I said it was a sciency term. His name has been alluded to, slightly. It will become even more apparent in a few chapters. Stay tuned, broskis.)

Chapter VIII: "You Know, Stuff"

(Moar fun times. And a glimpse into the past, but not your past.)

The morning light woke you, and yet, despite sleeping soundly through the night, you felt no more rested than when you had gone to bed last night. And, to make matters worse, you still couldn’t feel any of the latent emotional energies that permeated nearly every bit of the town. It left your mind reeling, some, and you found yourself staggering just a bit as you took care of your usual morning ritual. As the fog on the mirror faded, you found that your disguise had fallen without your noticing.

The slightly mirrored orbs that looked back at you seemed just like they had yesterday, but now? Now there was something just slightly off about them. It took you several moments to realize that there was just the slightest lack of shine to them. Like the spirit that once raged behind them had been curbed just slightly. You brought up a hoof to the mirror, and the reflection did the same. A half forgotten spell weaved itself in your mind, but you banished it before it could come to fruition. No mare was worth what that spell would cost you. No living being was worth that cost.

Without a second thought, you turned from the mirror and began making your way from the bathroom and down to the kitchen. Much to your displeasure the room was occupied by a grey pegasus. He wasn’t looking at you, but by the small twitch on his ear you could tell that he heard you. He moved a mug of coffee along the counter towards you, and you grasped it before taking a quick sip. No words were said for quite some time.

“I admire your grace, Quill.”

“Fuck off, Storm.” As you brought the mug up to your mouth once again it was knocked out of your hoof, the shattering sound ringing in your ears.

“Don’t you fucking brush me off, Catalyst.” The way he said your name he made it sound like a curse. Like he was disgusted by your very presence. “Rarity was this close to telling the mayor who you were. I was tempted to tell her as well, given the state Rarity was in. Lucky for you I saw her as she was heading to the mayor’s office.”

“What do you want from me? What the hell do you expect me to do? I can’t just go and erase my past, Storm. You, of all ponies, should know that!” A dark expression flickered over the stallion’s face for a moment, and then he shook it off.

“We aren’t the same.” A single step was taken towards you, and the stallion pointed a hoof at your chest, jabbing it in roughly with each word. “Don’t. Compare. Me. To. You.”

“What, did I strike a nerve? Did I offend Celestia’s precious pet project?” The next thing you knew you were sprawled out on the floor, your head spinning. A solid impact directly next to your head made you flinch, and when you looked up all you could see were the twin golden orbs of the stallion’s eyes.

“I’m only going to say this once, so you had better listen, and listen good. You’re here because Celestia sent you here. I saw a fairly large chunk of your past in the form of some letters from Celestia before you got here. I vouched for you, since I thought I saw something consistent within your past.” The stallion narrowed his eyes as he continued. “Was I wrong about you? Are you really no better than the masses of now dead Changelings? Normally I’d be wary around a magic user, but I don’t think you’re much of a threat anymore. Twilight saw it in Rarity when she explained it last night.”

“No. No, I’m not much of a threat anymore. I’m not getting any latent emotional energy anymore.”

“And I take it you know why that is?”

“I’m not stupid. There’s a reason why Changeling’s steal emotion, rather than share it.”

“And?”

“Due to the long standing relationship I had with Rarity, it became incredibly easy for me to draw emotions from her when we met in person. Last night…” A deep sigh escapes you, and you close your eyes, unwilling to look at the stallion any longer. “Last night the bond was created. I can no longer draw in emotions, save for intense extremes, from anypony other than Rarity.”

The stallion backed off of you, giving you room to maneuver into a sitting position. “And with Rarity so pissed with you?”

“I’ll probably starve within a week. Less if I have to use a lot of magic. I doubt I’ll have that week, though. Even Chrysalis, my mother, found that going the full week became next to impossible after the fourth day. It’s because, at that point, it becomes detrimental to maintain a disguise.”

“So, what can we do about this problem?”

“You mean aside from getting Rarity to not hate me?”

“Well, yeah. Other than that.”

“Find the plot behind the attack on Taupe, and then I leave.” You look to the stallion, your voice betraying none of your thoughts. “So that I can die alone, the last of my kind.” The stallion just shook his head before he took another sip of coffee.

“Pessimistic?”

“Realistic.” You got to your hooves, and then you trotted over to the counter where you got a new mug, and filled it with coffee. “Storm?”

“Yeah?”

“Do… Do I have a chance with Rarity?” Silence answered you, and you just nodded. “I’ll need to talk with Taupe first. He’s seen the most of the seedy underworld. After him, I’ll need to see Ace and Twilight at the same time. Twilight’s first, though. We’ve got a problem in Ace, and without my magic Twilight’s the only one who can help.”

“I’ll see what I can arrange. Where do you want to talk to them?”

“The library.” You answered quickly, and then you turned to look at the grey pegasus, but he had already left. You finished the mug of coffee, and then you cast a simple spell on yourself. A spell you had only used once before. A spell that was tied directly to your vital functions, so it cost you no more energy than it did to breathe.

One hundred and sixty four hours, eight minutes, thirty seconds and counting.

Assuming, of course, that you used no magic.

Fantastic.

The library door swung open silently on the well oiled hinges, revealing to you two mares, and two stallions. All four sets of eyes were focused on you, and their gazes seemed far colder than most you had gotten in the past. The door closed behind you, as you pushed it with a hoof, and then you approached the small group. Both Taupe and Applejack kept their distance from you, taking unconscious steps back at your approach. Twilight, though, just kept looking at you, her gaze more analytical than anything. Storm’s gaze passed between you, Twilight, Taupe and Applejack at regular intervals. He didn’t need to be here, clearly, but he was anyway.

“They all know, Quill. Ace doesn’t know, but he’s out at the moment. And, if Twilight is accurate in her estimations, he won’t be back for at least a couple of hours.” The grey stallion motioned for the two earth ponies to approach you, and they did, but not without a measure of caution.

Taupe spoke first, his voice strong despite his uncertainty. “So, Quill. You really are a Changeling?” You just nod, not seeing a need to elaborate. “Damn. Well, Storm told us that you were here to try and figure out what’s up with that whole escapade in Manehattan. So, what do you want to know?”

You motion towards the couches in the room, and soon you are all seated, Twilight levitating a quill just above a fairly large stack of parchment. “Alright, Applejack, starting with when you were first separated from Taupe, tell us what happened. Try not to skip much in the way of details, since it may just be a small detail that makes everything come together.”

The mare nods, and then takes a moment to compose herself. “Okay, well, it started at that bar. After the massive stallion dragged me into the back…

---/\/\Applejack’s Perspective/\/---

Applejack found herself too stunned to do anything at first, the surprise at the action robbing her of her usual gusto. As she caught a last glimpse of Taupe sitting in the booth, she held onto the door frame for just a moment, trying to keep him in her sight. Sadly, even Applejack’s prodigious strength was insufficient to keep the stallion from continuing. As soon as her hooves slipped from the frame they took to mashing at the stallion, each blow making a solid thud of impact, yet eliciting no response from the mass of meat and bone. When the stallion finally stopped he just tossed the mare through an open door into a small cell.

Several long hours passed with nothing happening, save for the occasional buck at the door to try and open it. That, and a good number of heartfelt profanities hurled at each pony that passed the door. Through it all, though, the mare never lost her head. She didn’t break down and weep, or call out for help. She was confident that either she’d get herself out of this, or Taupe would find her and help her out of this. She was more confident in the former, but the latter did have a certain appeal.

A series of clattering noises came from the door, and the orange mare lunged at the door as soon as it opened. However, the same massive stallion as before was there waiting for her, expecting her rush. Behind the hulk of pony came a suited stallion, along with a red unicorn. The same red unicorn as before.

“You’d best hope that this brick of meat doesn’t let me go, ‘cause if he does you’ll be bucked to Canterlot and back before you can say ‘Buck me’.” Her threats seemed to fall on deaf ears, though, as the red unicorn continued conversing with the suited stallion as though nothing had been said.

After a few minutes, the stallion in the suit finally deigned to take note of the struggling orange mare. “My, aren’t you a feisty one. I was expecting a deal of fight in you, but this is far more than I was led to believe. Not that that’s a problem. Just means that some extra precautions will need to be taken for the next few steps. Lock Jaw, be a good peon and knock her out, if you please.” Without waiting to see the results of his order, the suited stallion and the red unicorn both departed.

The massive hulk of a pony delivered a swift blow to the back of the farmpony’s head, and her world was plunged into darkness.

---/\/\Your Perspective/\/---

“That suited stallion. What can you tell me about him? Coat color, eye color, cutie mark, anything.” You leaned forward some, the scratching sound of Twilight’s quill forming a subtle background noise.

“Well, he was a bit taller than I am. Not by much, mind you. His coat was a shade of blue, I think. He’s just an earth pony, though. Unless he’s got his wings cooped up under his suit.” Storm shuddered a bit at that, and then he interjected.

“No. That’s hell on the wings. If he was a pegasus, he’d have his wings out.”

“Right, so, like I was saying, he had a blue coat, and nothing that I could see that would lead me to think he was anything but an earth pony. I never got a look at his cutie mark, though. That suit he wore was always in the way. His eyes, though. There was something off about them. The color always seemed to change when I saw him, and I don’t think his pupils were circles, like ours. I think they were squares.”

“Did he have any particular habits that you could see? A nervous tic, or anything like that?”

“Not really. He was always calm and collected when I saw him.”

“Alright, what happened when you woke up?”

“It was dark. That stallion in the suit was back… He… I can’t remember what he said.” The mare frowned, and she closed her eyes. “He woke me up, or I woke up. Then… I can’t remember.” You look from the farm pony to Twilight.

“Do you think there’s anything you can do to help, Twilight? Some memory spell, or something? She knows the events took place, so the memories must be there, simply buried.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but memory magic isn’t foal’s play.” Her horn glowed for a moment, and then a tether of magic joined the two mares. From your perspective, nothing seemed to occur, but the faces of the two mares shifted rapidly, each emotional response flashing past faster than the one before it. After several minutes the lavender mare recoiled sharply, the magical tether snapping with an audible crack.

You looked between the two mares, unsure of who you should go to first, your sense of responsibility putting you in a quandary. Luckily, Taupe indirectly answered your question, moving to Applejack faster than you thought was possible. You moved to the lavender mare, looking at her with a mixture of fear and eagerness in your eyes.

Her eyes were both closed, and you could see that her eyes were moving rapidly behind her sealed lids. “Twilight, are you okay?” There’s no response, so you try again, louder. When there is still no response, you tentatively place a hoof on her face. Her eyes both snap open at the contact, but rather than her usual eyes, they were pits of black, seeming to suck the light in.

“You know not in what you meddle, Changeling.” As the words passed the mare’s lips, her eyes quickly shut, opening immediately after and revealing her usual eyes. You’d heard those words once before, at a time when your mother was dealing with a clan of zebras. While the words themselves weren’t all that special, it was the way they were said.

“Quill, what happened?” The mare’s voice is uncharacteristically shaky, and you offer her a wan smile.

“I’m not quite sure, but I think that things will be getting worse before they get any better.” You help the mare to her hooves, and she takes an unsteady step before she gets her bearings back. You walk back to your chair, and you feel a bit of relief to see that Applejack was already seated again, albeit with Taupe directly next to her, holding a hoof around her. “Applejack, do you think you can tell us what happened, now?” A shaky nod is your response, and then she lets out a sigh before she begins again.

---/\/\Applejack’s Perspective/\/---

The suited stallion stood before her, a look of blatant superiority smeared across his face. A soft chuckle escaped the stallion before he began circling the prone mare. “The fearless Element of Honesty reduced to a helpless crying mass. How the mighty have fallen.” He stopped for a moment to look at the mare, before he chuckled once again. “How nice it would be to reduce you to a compulsive liar once again, but, my master seems to think it best not to allow me to work my magicks. Hence this pathetic form.”

The mare struggled to rise, but her hooves refused to support her. Her mouth still worked, though, and she made use of it. “D...? Discord?”

“Aye. Although not quite as discordant as I’d like to be. It seems to me that your hero Storm isn’t quite all he was cracked up to be. It was his influence on the world that allowed me to escape the stone prison that you managed to put me into.” A wistful sigh escaped the stallion, and then he sat down before the mare. A quick movement of the stallion’s hoof pulled down his collar slightly, revealing a mark branded around his neck. “You see, controlled chaos isn’t really chaos at all. Anarchy is what I strive for. The complete abandonment of what makes ponies thrive. But what my master seeks? His is a plan that not even I support.”

“Then fight back. You may not have your fancy magic, but you’re still powerful in your own way.” The stallion just laughed softly in response to the mare’s words. “What are you laughin’ about? You need to fight back!”

“I did, my little pony. I most certainly did. But, even a demon fades in the face of that much raw power.” A cringe of the stallion’s features flashes across the stallion’s face, and then nothing. “I must go, for my master demands my presence. I will wipe this from your mind, so that none, save for a certain unicorn, may find it. My message to you, Twilight Sparkle: Where once were two, now are three.”

---/\/\Your Perspective/\/---

Discord. He was, indirectly, responsible for making the Changelings the way they are. While evolution factored into it heavily, it was only because of Discord that the Changelings came to rely so heavily on emotions for survival. They were always emotional leeches, drawing off emotions from others in order to supplement their abilities, but it was only because of Discord that this beneficial ability became a need that quickly turned into a crippling fanaticism.

“We need to inform Celestia.”

“About what?” The sound of a door closing caused you to whirl around in your seat, your undisguised eyes meeting the heterochromatic eyes of the blue pegasus that had just entered. “Oh.” His eyes quickly began darting from pony to pony, always coming back to yours. “Hey, Twi. You do see the Changeling, right?” Twilight just nodded, and then the pegasus began approaching slowly, his form growing more tense with each step.

“Ace, you’re back a bit earlier than I expected.”

“Yeah, I thought I’d cut short my practice and bring some muffins for breakfast.” His words were forced, and you could see the tension in his body. “What have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know. Stuff.”

(Oh, Twilight. Eloquent as can be. Still, things are taking shape nicely. And now we know who the suited stallion is!)

Chapter IX: Who I was. Who I am.

(Moar Catalyst stuffs.)

“Stuff? I see. And we have a Changeling in the house, why?”

“Ace, meet Catalyst. You probably know him as Quill.”

“Right. Well, how about I leave, and come back when there’s less weird shit going on.” Before he could turn around, though, Twilight’s horn glowed, and the door closed behind the surprised stallion. “Twi? What’s going on here?”

“Ace, we need to talk. About you.” The stallion stood where he was, and you just kept looking at him, contemplating the best way to go about this whole plan of yours. It was quite clear that an attack wouldn’t work, since that would just make it harder to accomplish what you were hoping to do. With a small groan, you got up from your seat, and you began walking towards the pegasus.

“Ace, I know that this is quite a bit to take in, but I need you to stay calm, and listen to me.” The stallion’s eyes grew wider as you approached, but he didn’t move. The red section of his irises started to waver, and you knew that was a bad sign. Even without the ability to see the magic within his body, you knew that this wasn’t going to end well. “Please, I’m just trying to help. The Princess sent me.”

“No, she wouldn’t. The Changelings are the enemies of the princesses.” He took his first step back, and you knew at that moment that this wouldn’t go peacefully. He was too tense, and he wasn’t listening to you. His fear at what you are is forcing his mind into a fight of flight manner of thinking.

“Ace, calm down. There’s something wrong with you, and I need you to be calm for me to fix it. I think that Discord-” A hoof connected with your head, sending you spinning across the room. A solid impact signaled your landing, and a lance of pain flew up your spine. You looked towards the blue pegasus, and his irises were almost entirely red.

“Discord is naught but a pawn! The master has chosen me as his star pupil! I, and I alone, was given the gift of eternity! This worthless form means nothing, and with it I can do whatever I wish! Not even your princess saw through my ruse, so what hope do you pathetic ponies have?” He looked over at you, and his lips curled up into a mockery of a smile. “And you, pathetic creature. The Princesses were right to kill off your kind. So much potential in what you are, and yet you cast it aside for the goal of Canterlot. Such potential! It’s sickening to think that your kind couldn’t see what you could’ve done.

"But my master. He is wiser than all the rest. While your princesses would force you to your natural lives, my master would see us all ascend into god-hood!” You struggled to your hooves, and you quickly built up a charge in your horn. You grimaced as you saw your tiny mental timer rapidly drop as you allowed your magic to cast words to the mind of the lavender mare. A subtle shift of her eyes in your direction acted as all the confirmation you needed. “Think of it. You, Twilight Sparkle. Imagine being the goddess of magic! All the knowledge you could ever hope for, right at your hooves. The works of Starswirl would pale in comparison to what you would do. Applejack, the hardest worker in all of Ponyville.” A grunt forced itself past your lips as you launched yourself forward, your magic propelling you faster than the eye could follow.

The impact knocked your breath out of you, but you managed to wrap your hooves around the postulating pegasus, the two of you slamming into the wall. A hoof connected with your gut, but still you held on, the charge in your horn growing quickly, supplemented by the raw magic provided by the lavender mare. As the charge reached its maximum, you unleashed a bolt of energy into the pegasus, hoping that it would be enough to knock him out, if nothing else.

It would seem that fate had other plans for you, as the magic you unleashed into the pegasus did exactly what you intended, and then a bit more than that. The entity that was sharing Ace’s body had been working its own spell, and it had released the magic at the same time as you had, creating a battle of magical willpower. A fight that you had absolutely no chance of winning. To you it felt like hours of magical sparring, each variation to your spell matched and countered by the entity. Had you not been fearing for each bit of magic you spent you likely could have won in moments, but as it was you were taking a minimalist approach.

In a brief bout of superior strategy on your part, you broke through the walls of the entity’s defenses. A move which ultimately cost you more than you thought it could.

A dying pony is truly a terrible thing to behold, as they draw their last breaths, and their mind desperately reaches out for something to cling to in its last moments. For earth ponies and pegasi this takes the form of a last twitch of the body, or a last bout of mental clarity, taking the form of final words. In a unicorn, though, it can take the form of a last spell. A spell with very few magical boundaries. Spells that would kill the pony casting them. A spell like complete memory transfer.

*/\/\/\ Twenty Years Ago /\/\/*

You looked at your mother, tears leaving streaks in your red coat. She was lying in a small heap on the floor, her coat already discoloring from the violent throes of your father’s drunken rages. Her ragged breaths came side by side with groans of pain. Your hooves sounded like a dirge on the tile floor as you approached. Her head twitched in your direction as you grew closer, and it was only once she looked at you that she actually began crying. Whether because she was finally realizing you were there, or because of her injuries, or because of your question, you never knew. Even with your ignorance, you always thought it was the last reason.

“Why does daddy hit you?” In all the times that you’d seen this happen, and it happened almost every week, you had never asked her a question. You had always just stayed by her side, giving her what comfort you could in silence. Now, though, you had asked the question that had been burning in your mind since you were old enough to know what all the words meant, and what was actually happening.

For almost three hours you stayed by her side, and not once did either of you speak. She never mentioned your question again, that year. Or the next. She never mentioned your question again for almost fifteen years. And you never asked it again, fearing what the answer could be.

“This is what I ran from.”

*/\/\/\ Seventeen Years Ago /\/\/*

The crack echoed in your mind for minutes after the actual sound had long since died. The warmth against your face was spotty, and you knew that it was blood. Hidden against your red coat, but still visible if you knew to look for it. Itchy, your friend, stood across from you, the dead stallion between the two of you, his blood draining through the holes on either side of his neck. His horn flickered once, twice, and then a third time, dropping the gun to the ground, its impact barely registering in your mind.

“Red, I… I didn’t mean to…” His words flit through your mind, leaving nothing worth noting in your memory, save for their existence. You brought a hoof up to your cheek, and you rubbed it in a small circle, before pulling it back and looking at it. “Red, I didn’t do it on purpose!” The red liquid slowly trickled off your hoof, each drop landing in the expanding pool of blood on the ground. “We’ve gotta get out of here!” A tugging on your hoof bids you to follow, but you can’t get the look of surprise on that stallion’s face from your mind. You’ll never forget that look.

“I was just eight years old. Itchy was nine.”

*/\/\/\ Sixteen Years Ago /\/\/*

The principal gave you a warm smile. It brought a smile to your own face as you looked at the mare with anticipation. The small piece of paper levitated before you, and you snatched it up eagerly with your own magic. It took quite a bit of concentration for you to work your magic, but it worked well enough. As you looked over the paper, you felt your heart begin to soar.

“Is this real?” Your voice shatters the silence, and the principal just gives you a small nod. Her motion was minor, but the look in her eyes said more than any amount of words could ever hope to match. You lunged forward and gave the principal a massive hug, her initial reluctance to return the embrace fading moments later under your onslaught of pure emotional bliss. To see you so happy, she’d have to be a monster to try to ruin the moment.

“It’s real, Red. You did it.” Since the school day was, technically, over, you raced from the school, the distance to your home seeming to just melt away. As you raced up the flights of stairs to your apartment you noticed that you were smiling from ear to ear. The first time in more than two years.

As you threw open the door you were amazed to see both of your parents sitting in the living room, a level of calm pervading over the atmosphere. You proudly moved in front of them, and your mother looked at you, a look of genuine curiosity on her face. Your father, though, seemed only mildly interested.

“Mom, Dad, guess what?”

“What is it, sweetie?” Your mother’s voice always put you at ease when she spoke, and during those few moments when you were actually happy, it just made the mood all the better.

“I finally passed all my classes! The principal pulled me aside after school to give me my report card! I finally did it!”

Your mother opened her mouth to respond, but a harsh glare from your father cut her off. Then, he shifted his gaze to you. “It only took how long?”

“That’s not the point, Dad! I finally managed to pass everything!”

“That is the point!” His voice stopped any response you might’ve had, his volume great enough to force you back a half step. “If you give any pony enough tries, eventually they’ll get it right, no matter how fucking stupid they are! Ever heard that wonderful quote about Shakehoof? Give a hundred manticores a hundred typewriters and eventually they’ll type out all the works of Shakehoof.”

“Dad…”

“No! You’re a failure, and no son of mine.” Your father quickly stood, heading for the door. “I’m going to get a drink.” The door slammed behind him, sending a single hung picture to the floor, the shattering glass being the last thing your father did that day.

“My every accomplishment was made meaningless. Successes turned to failures with just a few words.”

*/\/\/\ Five Years Ago /\/\/*

“Red.”

“Yeah, Mom?” You held your mother’s hoof as she slowly died on the hospice bed.

“He did it because you weren’t his. Because he couldn’t have children, we made a deal with the devil. One part of the deal was his kindness.”

“What are you talking about, Mom? Save your strength. You don’t need to waste what you’ve got left rambling for me.”

“No, Red. Listen, please. You’re just a tool for Him. I wish I could warn you, and help you to avoid what will happen, but there’s nothing I can do that could change what’s going to happen.” The heart monitor slowed as you felt her hoof loosen around your own. “No matter what happens, Red, know that I love you. And so did your father. He couldn’t live with what he had to do, so he killed himself. It wasn’t you, it was him.”

“Mom, don’t go.” Your voice cracked as you looked at your mother, her life slowly fading. “Mom, please. I don’t want to be alone.”

As you spoke those last words, her eyes opened wide, and locked with your own. “I’m sorry, Red, but I can’t stay here, and you can’t come with me. He will be all the companionship you’ll need for the rest of your life.” The heart monitor flat lined, and you just sat and listened to the unwavering tone for several long minutes before you left. Nopony tried to stop you. Nopony even noticed you left.

“Alone, at nineteen. Forced into the world on my own.”

*/\/\/\ Two Years Ago /\/\/*

You looked at the mares as they walked by, silently hating each and every one of them. None of them knew you, and you didn’t know any of them. But you had to treat them as property, as slaves, in order to build the reputation that was required of you. You masters had been quite clear in what they required of you, and they didn’t react well to failures, of any magnitude.

The massive brick of a pony that they had given you for protection was the closest thing you had to a friend since Itchy. Each day was the same. Find a mare, capture her, and break her will. Turn her into a slave, just like you. A different kind of slave, but a slave none the less.

You hated yourself, and you hated what you did.

But more than either of those, you hated Him.

You wanted to escape more than anything, but the scars along your belly served as a reminder of how He death with attempted escapes. It was all a part of His plan, and so you had to get to the needed point in time for the arrival of the Element, whatever that was.

“I was a tool. It was them or me, and I didn’t know that it was actually always going to be me.”

*/\/\/\ A Few Days Ago /\/\/*

“Red, for your failures, there is but one punishment that will suffice. I tolerated blunder after blunder from you, taking them in stride in hopes that you would improve. Clearly, I was mistaken. Clearly there really is nothing that can be done to avert the price that you paid in the womb.” A flash of light before your eyes is the last thing you see, but not the last thing you hear. “While I have ended your physical form, I still have a use for your mind. Despite your failings in school, you aren’t stupid. Far from it, in fact. You are likely just as smart as many of the ponies that go to university.

“It’s just a shame that you wasted it all.”

“I HAD NO CHOICE!”

*/\/\/\ Now /\/\/*

“I HAD NO CHOICE!” Your voice comes out loud enough to turn your voice hoarse. Several coughs followed your exclamation, and as you opened your eyes you saw the twin golden orbs of Storm’s eyes. You looked down at your hooves and you were thrilled to see that they were those of a Changeling.

“Catalyst, what just happened?” Twilight’s voice comes from somewhere off to your right, but you don’t look at her. You’re still absorbed by the sight of your hooves before you.

“I… I think I just killed a pony.” A humorless laugh escapes you, and you let your head fall back to the floor. “That makes three.” With a thought you access the spell you had cast earlier, bringing up the time you had left before you died of magical starvation.

Just under twenty four hours. A day.

“What do you mean, you killed a pony? Ace is just fine. Unconscious, but otherwise unharmed.” You look at the lavender mare, and then back at the ceiling.

“I didn’t do anything to him, true. But the force that was inside of him? I killed that. As he died he used the last of his magic to force me to relive certain points in his life.” You slowly rolled onto your belly, and then you stood. Your legs were shaky beneath you, but they held. “Now that this is done, I have a day left to fix what I’ve broken.”

“Catalyst,” this comes from the taupe colored stallion of the same name. “From what I know about Rarity, you’ll be hard pressed to win her back in a day. And since your entire relationship was built on lies…”

“I know!” You glare at the stallion for a moment, before you take a deep breath. “I know. But even if I can’t fix it, I want to die knowing that I at least tried to show her what I did, and why I did it.” You take your first step towards the door, and a second follows close behind the first.

As you enter your home, you make sure to take your time, and not rush anything. Wasting energy panicking, or rushing, wouldn’t help you this time. As you entered your room, you grabbed your journal in your mouth. You put it on your desk before you write a heading on the latest page. You look at the blank page for several minutes before you begin writing. Each word prompts the next, and soon you have the whole page covered. And shortly afterwards, the next page.

The last lines of the entry, though, seem the most important to you.

I go, now, to what is either the next step for the Changelings, or the end. Either way, I will go doing what I can see as the only right path to take. My actions brought me here, and my actions now will either doom my race, or save it for another generation. I will write no more in this book until tomorrow. Should nothing follow, I failed. Should something follow? Well, we’ll just have to see.

You grabbed the journal in your mouth, and then you went down to the door to your home. It was a long trip across Ponyville, and the odds of being spotted were so great that you doubt you’d be as lucky as you were for the trip from the Library to your home.

(Hope you liked it. History will be starting next chapter.)

Chapter X: "For What it's Worth"

(Well, here you go. Enjoy.)

Rapid social deconstruction on a fundamental level resulting in a general lack of order and sanity. Chaos, in a word. The first minute of your walk across Ponyville had been blessedly silent, nopony noticing you, or even being around. When you entered the marketplace, though, all of that changed. It started with a single long stare, and within moments there was widespread chaos as the ponies of Ponyville believed that the apocalypse had come early to this little town. None of them even thought to speak to you, so consumed with their panic. Several would be heroes attempted to stop you, but a harsh glare sent all of them running. The only one who didn’t flee before you was an orange pegasus filly. She just stared at you, defiant until you passed her without a glance.

Each step along the way ground against your mind, the urge to shout your anger to the sky building with each impact of your hooves on the packed in earth. Yet, despite this urge, you continued on your way, each step bringing you closer to the boutique that would be either your salvation, or your termination. You pushed thoughts of your impending end from your mind as you walked, knowing that thinking about it that way wouldn’t be smart at all. Not only was it pessimistic, or realistic depending on your outlook, it wasn’t going to happen. Rarity was the Element of Generosity. Surely she would aid another living creature, despite what happened with your relationship. All she had to do was share some emotions, and you could leave and die in peace.

And, as you thought about it, you realized that you could leave now, if you wanted. Your end would be a certainty, but at least you wouldn’t bother anypony as you passed. There may be a few wonderings about what happened to you, but most of them would likely forget that you were ever even here. Many Changelings would’ve loved to be in a situation similar to yours. The ability to depart from a town without raising any suspicion. To have the entire world open to you, with nothing capable of holding you back. No hive to bring love back to. No suspicion to speak of. Not even the Princesses would bother you, so long as you justified why you went to one place or another.

A hoof fell on your shoulder, and you spared a quick glance to the hoof, trying to see who it was. The blue color of the coat was familiar, and you knew that it was Ace who was holding you back. With a small start, you realized that you were at the edge of town, but nowhere close to where you would be if you had been heading for Rarity’s home. You also realized that you had some tears in your eyes.

“That’s not the way to Rarity’s Boutique, Catalyst.”

“I… I know. I don’t think I can do it.”

“Why not?” The stallion pushed on your shoulder some, prompting you to turn to look at him. His eyes still had the red center to the irises, but they had regained their old color as well. “What makes you think that you can just leave?” As the stallion looked at you, you felt a rising urge to punch the stallion in the face. What right did he have to tell you how to live your life. Or, to phrase it better, what right did he have to choose how you die.

“Because I’ll fuck it up.”

“Celestia forgive the clichédness of what I’m about to say… You lose all the battles you don’t fight, Catalyst. If you don’t even try to reconcile with Rarity, then of course you’ll fail. Better to try, and fail, then to just give up.”

“But-”

“No ‘buts’. Go to her house, and make her understand what… Who you are, and why you did what you did. Red’s spell worked two ways, and I got to see some of who you are. I don’t agree with all of what you did… But I’m not the one to judge you. Explain it to Rarity, and let her be the judge.” He didn’t give you a chance to respond before he snapped open his wings, and then he took flight. You watched him fly for a moment, before you turned to look out of the town once again.

You looked down the road, watching as it thinned to a fine line as it grew nearer to the horizon. The first step would be the hardest, of course. But once you got going it’d get easier as the distance grew. It’s not like you had much to hold you to the town. You’d only been here a short while, after all. Ditzy, Storm, and maybe Ace. They were the only ones that you had any sort of real connection to. Rarity, though…

You raised your hoof from the ground, hesitating as you weighed your choices. Out of town, to an inglorious end. Slow starvation in the wilds of Equestria. An unfitting end to a race that almost brought Canterlot to its knees; a race that fought, and matched, some of the fiercest predators of the Everfree in an effort to establish a more permanent residence. You had fought in the name of the hive for years, bringing honor to yourself, and your queen. But now that you had to face a challenge of a different sort, you sought to run?

No.

Your hoof came down with enough force to create a small puff of dust around its impact. You wouldn’t let it all end like that. You would show Rarity the truth, and let her be the judge. She would either be your savior, or your executioner. But you wouldn’t hide any longer.

Your second step followed the first, and then a third. Not a rapid pace, but one that was measured, and soon enough brought the boutique into sight. It appeared closed, but something told you that the truth was far different. At your approach, the front door opened, revealing not Rarity, but her younger sister. The look on that filly’s face was unforgettable. Such anger mixed with sadness, regret, and something else. An emotion that you couldn’t quite name. It was unsettling to know that you could never again read the emotions of any pony other than Rarity. You’d grown so dependent upon it, that you now found it difficult to read emotions without it.

The filly approached you quickly, her eyes bloodshot and focused right on yours. She stopped just in front of you, her entire frame shaking with poorly concealed sobs. A single tear trailed down her cheek, and you brought up a hoof to wipe it away, but the white filly knocked it away with one of her own hooves, the fire in her eyes surging just a bit.

“Rarity doesn’t want to see you.” You expected as much.

“Sometimes, Sweetie Belle, we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes the things we don’t want are the things we need the most. Sometimes the things that we don’t want are things that somepony else needs.” You lowered yourself to the filly’s level, and she kept looking into your eyes. “And right now, Sweetie, I need this more than anything else in the world.”

The filly just looked back at you for a moment, and then you saw it. A tiny waver in her anger. A moment where her sadness won out. She threw herself at you, wrapping her fore hooves around your neck, holding you as close as she could. Her sobbing grew in intensity, and each sob caused her grip to tighten for a moment. “Please, Quill… Make Rarity happy again. She’s never been this upset about anything. You… You were her Prince Charming. The stallion that was supposed to ‘sweep her off her hooves’ and give her the ‘happily ever after’ that she wanted.”

You just held the filly until her sobbing slowed, and then you pushed her back enough that you could look her in the eyes once again. “Sweetie, there is nothing I would like more than to make Rarity happy. But to do that I’ll have to talk with her for quite some time. So, if you could go and stay somewhere else for the rest of today, and tomorrow as well?” The filly just nodded, and then you gave her a smile. “Things will work out, Sweetie. I…” You wanted to say that you promised. You wanted to be able to guarantee this little filly that things would work out in the end. But you knew, better than most, that things didn’t often work out so well.

The filly walked off after a moment. She looked over her shoulder once, before she broke into a gallop. You didn’t blame her, really. You looked back at the boutique, and then you approached the door. Several solid knocks on the door, and yet no response was forthcoming. Again, you knocked, and, again, the answer was nonexistent. Subtlty, thy name is Catalsyt! Rather than knocking, you went for the doorknob, giving it a turn, and barging right in.

The room was dark, and you couldn’t quite tell if it did or didn’t surprise you that it was like this. Both ways of looking at it made sense, and so you decided not to think about that, and, instead, take care of what you came here to do. You silently closed the door behind yourself as you walked towards the back of the store, and to the staircase that was in the back.

Each step up the staircase seemed to drag on for hours, but it only took moments for you to ascend to the second floor. A choked sob came from one of the rooms, and so you began your approach, your hooves nearly silent on the floor. The door to the living room was slightly ajar, and you pushed on it lightly, the oiled hinges swinging inward in silence. The mare was facing away from you, sitting in the same spot as when she revealed her knowledge of your secret.

“I thought I made it quite clear that I didn’t want you to come back.” Aside from the small sobs that choked her words, there was naught but sadness in her voice. “You lied to me for so long, and now I want to spare myself from more.” You just stood in place, the words of the mare processing far slower than they were spoken. “Go, Catalyst. Go and steal from some other mare.”

“I can’t.” The words escaped you before you could stop them, and then you realized that you were continuing your explanation without even thinking about it. “When we last spoke, something happened with my magic, and with you. It was something so small that I didn’t even realize it at the time. My magic linked me to you, Rarity. When a Changeling spends enough time with a single pony in a relationship like ours was, it grows a special bond with that pony. The love taken in a bond like this is far richer than any other, but it costs the changeling dearly. You see, when a changeling bonds with a pony they lose the ability to harvest emotion from any other source.”

You paused for a moment, as you allowed what you said to sink in. “Without you, Rarity, I’ll die. In just under a day, to be specific.”

“Then… Then die. I won’t be used by you.”

“At least let me tell you who I was, before I die. Do me this kindness, and then I will depart, and leave you in peace.

“It started years ago. Longer, even, than you or I have been alive. My great grand-sire. Quark, was his name…

*//\//\//\ Four Hundred Years Ago //\//\//\*

Quark looked fondly upon his first born daughter. Her flowing silver mane caught the light in such a way as to make it look like gold in the setting sun. She was a runt by all standards, but she had such energy. A strength that far surpassed what a Changeling of her age and size should have. Quark was the second King of his blood, and had forged the Hive in the Everfree. It had taken the better part of a decade to build the massive complex in, and beneath, the forest. Now, though, they had a home. One that would shelter them from at least some suspicion.

Cocoon was the name of the infant Changeling. Her tiny eyes watched the King with clear awe. His own eyes were filled with love for his daughter, his emotions feeding the small child. He had to tap into the massive reserves of the hive for this to work, but it came naturally to the King.

Within just a few years the daughter was given two more sisters. Neither of them would ever amount to much, but they existed. Some rumors were circulated about their endeavors within the hive, but they are promptly discarded. It was around this time that the Changeling’s had their first case of regicide. While it is unclear who exactly killed the king, it is clear that Cocoon quickly assumed the mantle of command, and the hive flourished beneath her benevolent rule for most of the intervening time between then, and your birth. Some would call this time the Golden Era, but that’d be silly, since gold has little meaning to a Changeling. Instead, it was called the Era of Boundless Love.

There were never any shortages, and it allowed for unparalleled growth of not only the size of the hive, but the quality of life for the drones. About ninety years ago, Cocoon had her first daughter. Her name was Metamorphosis. She was, like her mother, a runt. Chrysalis was born just a few years later.

When Chrysalis grew old enough to understand what lineage meant, she was at first cowed by the power that her older sister would come to wield. But this awe quickly grew into jealousy, and finally into hatred. Chrysalis couldn’t understand how her feeble older sister could be in line for the throne before her, and so she took matters into her own hooves.

Two years later, and Chrysalis had ascended to the throne, atop the corpse of her sister. With Chrysalis’ ascendance to the throne, the hive changed rapidly. No longer did the hive content itself with just enough love. Now they took the time to gather far more than they needed. More than they could consume in multiple lifetimes. All to further Chrysalis’ grand plot. A plot that would come to fruition with the seizure of Canterlot.

Several children were born to the queen, the first of which were daughters. You were her last child, and the new heir to the throne. She treasured you above all the others, giving you preferential treatment in all things, but being far harder on you. She wanted to see you prevail and lead the hive, but only if you could take it from her by force. With your birth the queen finally had all the tools she needed to put her plans into motion.

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

You heaved a small sigh as you finally reached your start in the small journal. Your summary of the last king to yourself was vastly cut down, putting out several hundred years of history in mere minutes. The mare seemed unmoved through this fairly bland recollection of events, but that didn’t really surprise you. During your brief start, you had moved to the couch across from the mare, sitting down and reading from the journal in a methodical manner, giving only the essentials to paint the story, leaving out the struggles and emotional ruminations that littered the pages. She didn’t need to know about all that.

You glanced up at the mare, and she just looked at you blankly, the tears slowly trickling down her face leaving behind trails of matted fur. Despite this, and the near dead look in her eyes, she was still just as beautiful as when you first saw her. Without much of a pause after that, you turned the page in the journal revealing your first meaningful entry.

“The trip to Canterlot wasn’t eventful. Really, I just boarded a carriage, and was shipped off to the city. But when I got there…

*//\//\//\ One Year Before Return of Nightmare Moon //\//\//\*

You got off the carriage smoothly, up until the last step, where you promptly tripped, and fell on your face. Luckily, this barely rated a passing glance from all the prim and proper ponies of Canterlot, and so your blunder went unnoticed. Still, the hit to your pride was something that didn’t just vanish. You brought the note from mother before your eyes, and you quickly read the directions provided. She’d arranged for a home for you for the next few months, enough time, she hoped, for you to arrange for the capture of Princess Cadence.

It took just a few minutes for you to make the trip to your home, and it took all your self control not to bolt everytime you saw a random guardspony walking the streets. For all you knew they were just patrolling in a regular fashion, rather than looking for you. In fact, that’s exactly what the logical side of your brain told you. The less than rational portion, though, screamed for you to leave, or at least to find a hiding spot.

You managed to make it to your home without panicking, though, so you let out a small mental cheer. The key you had fit the lock perfectly, and with little hesitance you pushed the door open, looking over your shoulder just once as you entered the home that would shelter you for the next two years.

Few things ever go according to plan. And this whole attack was one of those things that doesn't go according to plan.

Three Months Later

Not a single lead you had been given had yielded a single positive result. In fact, more often than not, you wound up back where you had started, with no new information. It seems that Princess Cadence was far more difficult to get at than even Princess Celestia, whom you had had the misfortune of running into not once, but twice; and both times had been while she was holding open court for ponies to air their grievances.

As you paced within your home, a sudden knocking came from the door, making your heart skip a beat. Without a pause, though, you made your way over, opening it without thought. Standing there was a remarkably attractive unicorn mare, her coat a lovely shade of blue, and her eyes twin sparkling pools of jade. Even her voice seemed wonderful to your ears.

“May I come in, er… Quill, was it?” You nod dumbly, allowing the mare to enter. She had grace, and there was not one thing unappealing about her. Before you had come to the hive you’d only seen ponies in passing, never having blended for nearly as long as you were doing so now. But with this extended assignment, you’d been given plenty of time to… appreciate some of the locals. This mare, though… She was something else.

Recovering from your initial shock, you decide that this might play in a way that was useful to you. If you could establish another link to the city it’d be even easier for you to work. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, miss…”

“Quit ogling my flank, Catalyst.” Her voice… “We don’t have time for you to waste chasing tail, so do us both a favor and drop the act for now.” With her words, her guise fell away, revealing Entropy. Her form was just as appealing as when she was a unicorn, but now it brought you only disgust to think of the way you had just thought of her.

“Sweet Creator, Entropy!” You bring a hoof to your head, and then you rub your eyes vigorously. “How was I supposed to know that was you?”

“Why does it matter? You’re supposed to be finding us a way to Cadence, not getting your rocks off with the locals. Besides, you can’t afford any attachments. You know as well as I do what’ll happen if you do.”

“Yeah, but it’s provided me with more than a few leads over the past few weeks.”

“And where have these leads taken you? The rest of your sisters, and even I, have been monitoring your progress. In five and ninety days you’ve accomplished next to nothing, and what little you have done has ultimately been for naught.”

“Surely you understand what it is that I’ve been tasked with. Finding a time when the young princess holds court is next to impossible. And even then she is never alone when she does so. The only time she’s alone is when…”

“Exactly. So, now that you’ve puzzled that one out, it’s time to begin planning in earnest. Impulse and I will begin stalking some of her guards, so we might learn their habits. You simply keep out of trouble.” The hardened mask your sister had been maintaining faltered for a moment. “Brother, we need you to stay strong. Impulse and I… We can only do so much. The crown has already shifted heads, now it is just a matter of when you assert your rule.”

“Entropy, I’ll not take the crown for some time. Chrysalis is safe for years to come. I do not wish to throw the hive into chaos for a throne I don’t truly desire.”

“Good. Now, rest. On the morrow sister and I will begin our long watch. Until we finish, remain undetected, and keep saving your funds. Bribes are expensive.”

Without a further word, the Changeling resumed her disguise, and she stalked from your home, the door closing behind her. You let out the breath you had been unconsciously holding, and then you went up to your bed, the events of the day tiring you little, but the conversation with Entropy had done you in for the day. Taking the place of a royal guardspony. Fools work, that.

Eight Months Later

He never saw it coming. Not a sound escaped you as you moved up behind the guard. To be fair, you were just as surprised as he was when your ambush turned out the way it had. Entropy had played her part wonderfully, tantalizing the fairly young guard with promises of sex that would leave him speechless, and unable to walk. Instead of that, though, he got a sharp blow to the head, and a set of ropes binding his hooves together. Now, as you and your sister looked at him, he began to stir. The section of rope that ran around his head and through his mouth ensured his silence as you did your work.

“Be quick about it, Catalyst. We have no time to waste with your squeamishness.”

“Surely you can do this. I’ve… I’ve never killed a pony.” The guard’s eyes finally opened all the way as you finished, and his gaze quickly alternated between you and your sister. Entropy simply ignored him, though.

“Since you are the one who has need of his form in its entirety you must be the one to deal the blow. We both know the process to fully become a pony.”

“Yes, but…”

“No, Catalyst. This is part of your duty to the hive. If not for yourself, do it for our Queen.”

Our Queen.

Not our mother, our Queen. Entropy walked from the room after she had finished, leaving you with the guard. You had been facing him the whole time, and his eyes had grown steadily wider as you had spoken to your sister.

Muffled groans escaped past the rope in the stallion’s mouth, and you could only imagine the fear that he felt as you looked at him. You approached him slowly, not wanting this to be any harder than it already was. You brought a hoof to the rope around his head, gagging him, and then you spoke slowly to him.

“I’ll remove this if you promise not to scream. Nod if you understand.” A quick nod followed, and you slowly undid the gag keeping him silent.

“Please… I… I don’t want to die.” He was close to tears, and it showed in his voice. “I never… I just want to go home. Please, don’t kill me.”

You moved behind the stallion, and then you put a hoof over his eyes. “Tell me about your family.”

“My… My family?”

“Yes. Mother, father, siblings, anypony. Just talk to me.”

“My father died when I was young. Just a few months old. Mom took it hard, and she was never the same. At least, that’s what my aunt told me. We often took trips into the countryside, my aunt, mom, sister and I. We’d just take the time to get away from it all. Take a chance to enjoy life.” His words were halting, and as he spoke you began casting the spell that would create the blade of magic that you would use. As the spell was completed, a harsh green glow formed around your hoof, and then it elongated into a wicked looking point. “We took our last trip a few days ago. Today was my first day back on duty.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” The blade sank into his skin with next to no resistance. Flesh parted with far more ease than you thought was possible, and within seconds of the blade entering his flesh, the stallion stopped moving completely. As the stallion died in your grasp, you felt the first tendrils of his mind begin to enter yours. His mental scream echoed across the bond you were forced into, and even now it still haunts you.

Such fear.

Such ambition.

All of it was yours now, and there was nothing that you could want less.

Your first kill.

(Murder most foul. More still to come. We haven't even reached your moment of glory, yet.)
(4.5K words. A record, for me.)

Chapter XI: The Elements

(I don't know what really inspired this whole series of events, but I kind of like the way it got the whole universe drawn together just a bit more.)

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

You let out a small sigh as you recalled some latent bits of that stallion’s life, the moments flashing past your eyes as if you were living them once again. You adjusted your position on the couch slightly, and then you looked over at the mare once again. Her emotions remained hidden to you, but she did seem to be looking at you. You could only hope that she was listening, since you didn’t really enjoy this thoroughly detailed recollection of your past.

Truth be told, though, you hadn’t even gotten to the hard parts yet. There was still so much to go through. A bout of concentration brought the small clock to your attention, and you could see that the last bit of your life had cost you just under five hours. “Nineteen hours, Rarity, until I die. Nineteen hours until the culmination of my story, as well. What strange coincidences life foists upon us…”

The mare was unmoved by your brief deviation, and so you sighed as you looked back to the journal, ready to continue the tale. “Now we reach the first major point that prevented our immediate attack. The return of Nightmare Moon…

*//\//\//\ One Year before the Attack on Canterlot //\//\//\*

You walked down the street, your guardspony disguise currently unused, in favor of Quill’s guise. It was often easier to move about the city when you weren’t a pony that was recognizable. Although, truth be told, Quill was developing a bit of a reputation amongst some of your neighbors. You made yourself quite useful to the ponies that lived nearby, and so you often found them asking about you when you were nearby. It was a strange sensation for you. They were exuding a weak form of love for you, and it was amazing how pure the love that you received was. It paled in comparison to romantic love, but it was far better than the dregs you were used to.

As you rounded the corner that led onto the street you lived on, there was a strange feeling flitting about your belly. You looked around for several long minutes before you shrugged and continued on your way. Feelings like that had often led you on wild goose chases within the city, and you had little reason to suspect that it would be any different this time.

You looked out over the city at the setting sun, and you smiled. Today was a good day, in your books. Nothing awful had come to pass, and neither Entropy nor Impulse had seen fit to check up on you for any reason. And, to make matters better, tomorrow was a holiday, and you’d been talking to a mare for the past few weeks about getting together to celebrate the sunrise. Now, as you headed home, you were ready to spend the night with her.

Stupid ponies…

Well, things didn’t go very well at all during the day following that wonderful day. But, I suppose I should start from the beginning of the day, in order to make things a bit more clear. This is my journal, after all, and things should be laid out in a fashion that is easy to follow. Well, the night was great, no doubting that. She had stamina like nopony you’d ever met before…

As you reclined on the bed you wrapped a hoof around the mare beside you. She’d finally fallen asleep just a few minutes ago, leaving you to watch the sunrise on your own. Not that you had any problem with that. It was just a small thing. Celestia would, like she always did, raise the sun at the exact moment that it was meant to rise. Not a moment sooner, and not a moment later, than it was meant to be raised. As you let out a sigh, a massive crack of thunder sounded. It was loud enough to rattle the windows, and you bolted over to the massive bay window to get a look outside. The sky was clear enough, but it seemed different, somehow.

As your gaze roamed the sky you noticed a slight flashing. It was way off in the distance, located near one of the small villages near Canterlot whose name you had never bothered to learn. There seemed to be some sort of magical disturbance going on there, and it was clearly influencing more than just the quaint village around which it was centered. You wracked your brain for a moment as you tried to recall what you could of pony magics. They always have had a much greater aptitude for the magical arts than the Changelings.

Still, nothing that you could recall would produce such an effect, and so you were quite confused about what could be causing such an impressive display of magical prowess. As you looked away from the growing disturbance you noted that the sun hadn’t risen yet. In fact, there didn’t seem to be any measure of light along the eastern horizon.

“Curiouser and curiouser…” Just as you were about to turn to head back to the bed you heard a frantic pounding coming from the door to your home. Seconds later, and you heard the door burst inwards.

“Cata… Quill! Quill, are you here?” The voice was familiar, and you rolled your eyes just a bit as Entropy, in her disguise, burst into your bedroom, her mane frazzled and her eyes wide. “Quill, we need to go. Now.” She didn’t even glance at the pony on the bed, her concern being focused on you.

“What? Why?”

“There’s no time to explain! Nightmare Moon has returned, and with her return the ancient pacts we made with her kin must be honored.”

“What pacts? What the Tartarus is going on?”

“Ancient and powerful pacts. Signed in Manticore blood under a blood moon. Catalyst, everything we have worked for might be for naught in the next few hours unless we set certain events into motion. Events that must be timed perfectly, or the consequences could be dire.” Without waiting for a response your sister bolted from the return, trusting that you would follow. After looking between the sleeping mare and the empty doorway you knew where you had to go.

“I’ll be back, Wing. I promise.” You quickly dashed from the room, taking the entire flight of stairs in a single bound, your wings fluttering a few times as you jumped. Entropy was waiting at the doorway, and her eyes had a strange sheen to them. She just turned and ran out the door as she saw you, and you followed right behind her, trusting her to lead the way to wherever your destination happened to be.

“We need to get to the caves beneath the palace. The Elements need to be sent on their way soon.”

“What are you talking about? What elements? Does mother know about this?”

“I’ll explain when we get there. But for now we need to focus on making sure that we get to where we need to go.” As she spoke she wove her way through the gathering crowds of ponies. Most were looking towards the east, confused expressions written on their faces. You did your best to keep up with Entropy, but at times you nearly lost sight of her as she effortlessly made her way through the crowds.

It took nearly an hour of running to get to your destination which was, oddly enough, outside of the city, near a small hole in the wall. No, seriously, it was a hole in the wall. Entropy shed her disguise as she entered the hole, her horn casting a sickly green glow into the darkness of the opening. You followed behind her, casting off your own disguise as well. From there it was another half hour of crawling through neck deep pools of water, flights through massive caves, and squeezing through openings almost too small to fit through. By the time all was said and done, though, you found yourself standing before a massive stone door.

The door was featureless, and the only reason you knew it was a door was because Entropy had told you that it was the ‘Door of Ages’ or something like that. Something that clichéd didn’t belong in real life, but you weren’t going to point this out to your agitated sister.

After ten of the tensest minutes you’ve ever experienced, the door opened. While you had been silently hoping that it would just open and you’d have to do some small task, you were disappointed, and a bit scared, to see Princess Celestia standing in the now open entrance.

“It is good to know that your people remember your debts.”

“Debts forced upon us by Discord, due to a laxity in your duties.” The Princess just stared at Entropy for a moment before she just shook her head a bit.

“No matter. You are here, and the debt can be paid. Follow.” Without waiting to see if you were actually following, the mare turned and began heading down the hall, you and your sister following. There were many halls leading off of the one you walked down, some of which seemed to have some sort of magical barrier preventing anypony from seeing what was behind the massive stone doors. You paused as you passed a separate chamber that had no massive stone door before it.

Suspended inside of a sphere of magical energy was a grey pegasus, his eyes widened with what you assumed was fear. There was something off about his appearance, though. Some small detail that seemed to escape your perception. “Come, Catalyst. Knight is no concern of yours. He is my burden to bear, for the time being. And, soon enough, my sister’s burden.” You backed out of the room slowly, never breaking eye contact with the suspended stallion.

When you finally left the room you had to gallop for a moment to catch up to the duo as they silently proceeded down the halls of the labyrinth. They finally stopped in front of an unimpressive set of doors, the only noteworthy detail being a five pointed star engraved on the door, with a six pointed star inscribed in the pentagon within the star.

“I can go no further, Changelings. It is now up to you to do what must be done. Just remember that more than your own fate rests on the two of you.” With her task seemingly done, the princess vanished in a flash of white light. You looked towards Entropy for a moment before you looked back at the door.

“Ladies first?” Entropy didn’t think your joke funny, and so she just pushed the door open with her magic, the ancient stone yielding to her magical coercion. The room was fairly large, and in the middle, centered inside of a column of light was a pedestal, on which rested six pulsing spheres of light. Each one was a different color, and each one pulsed with a different rhythm. As you grew closer you felt a strange sense of calm overcome you, and when you finally stopped a few steps away you felt completely at peace with yourself.

“The Elements of Harmony, the tool first used countless millennia ago to forge Equestria. Then, just a few millennia ago, they were used to shackle Discord to his stone prison. In the process, though, our race was cursed, sentenced to a life of parasitism. After the battle was done, we owed a great deal to the Princesses, and so we signed a compact with them, promising that we would wield the Elements without accepting the mantle of controlling them.”

You just looked at the spheres for a moment, and then back at Entropy. “What?”

A massive groan escaped your sister, and then she looked at you. “We need to teleport them to the new bearers so that they can wield them against Nightmare Moon. But in order to do that we need to use them. By using them we are given the choice to accept the mantle of ownership.”

“Again, what?”

“Just teleport the stupid things!” Her voice was unusually tense, and so you decided that now wasn’t the time for questions. Focusing your magic, you began building up to teleport the spheres to… To…

“Where are they going?” Your voice was laced with the strain of holding back the charged spell, and Entropy suddenly looked quite scared. “Entropy…?”

“I… I don’t know!”

“Fuck it, improv time!”

“No..!”

Everything seemed to stop as you released the energy of the spell. The six spheres did nothing, except pulse a bit stronger for a moment. You stared at them in disbelief as you saw them consume the magic you had just released.

“..o! You can’t just improvise a teleportation spell of such distance!”

“It didn’t work…”

“What?” It was nice to hear her confused even if this wasn’t quite the time to relish such an event.

“They just… ate the magic. My spell went off, but, clearly, they didn’t go anywhere.” Your sister looked from you to the inert magical artifacts, and then she just sat down, staring at the floor.

“So, we did everything we could, and we failed? We had a thousand year old debt to repay, and we failed?”

“Better to try, and fail, than to never try at all, right?”

“If I wasn’t so pissed right now I’d flog you for saying something like that.” As she spoke, you circled the Elements, trying to see if there was something you were doing wrong. As you looked at each one it seemed, somehow, to call out to you. A tiny voice, echoing through your mind. But, of all the voices, there was one that stuck out the most. One voice that was audible above the others.

“… Because the other Elements are right here!” As the words ran through your mind you felt the magic begin running out of your horn, and into the stones. The flow was intense, and you almost buckled under the sudden strain. Entropy, noticing your slight stagger, rushed to your side, her words lost in the searing pain lancing through your body as the magic was drawn out of it. “… The spirit of honesty!” As those words ran through your mind the first of the six Elements began glowing with a strange orange glow.

“Catalyst, what are you doing? You don’t have enough magic to keep this up!”

You were unable to respond to her, though, as the surge of magic running through you took all of your concentration to maintain. “… The spirit of kindness!”

“Catalyst! You can’t do this! Not even mother at the peak of her power had enough to do this!”

“I have to. And I can’t stop it…”

The flow of magic through you began to waver for a moment as you realized that what you had just said was all too right. You couldn’t stop it, and you knew that you didn’t have enough to do all six if they kept draining you as fast as they were. ”… The spirit of laughter!” As the third Element began to glow you collapsed forward, your legs unable to support your weight.

You let out a sharp gasp as the pain shooting through you increased once again, your eyes involuntarily closing. “… The spirit of generosity!” The fourth Element began glowing, and you felt Entropy touch her horn to yours, donating her reserves of magic to your own. Had you been able to you might’ve laughed at the irony. You’d just heard about the element of generosity, and now your sister was giving you her magic.

Still, it wasn’t enough to fully remove the strain from your body, and you felt your heartbeat slow inside your chest. “… The spirit of loyalty!” For the hive, for the queen…

As the final Element began drawing on your reserves of magic you felt a sudden shift. Rather than the magic flowing out of you, it reversed direction, flowing into your body at a rate far faster than you had just been using it all up. This sudden influx was just as hazardous as starvation, and you knew that you had to find an outlet, or it’d force an outlet. “… The Element of Magic!” As those words echoed through your mind you knew where you had to send the elements, and the teleportation spell occurred in a heartbeat, each of the Elements flashing brightly before vanishing before your eyes. That was the last thing you saw before blackness claimed you.

As you slowly opened your eyes, you saw Entropy’s eyes looking back into yours, small trails of water marring her cheeks. When she finally realized that your eyes had opened, she threw her hooves around you, shaking just a bit at your revival. You also slowly came to realize that you weren’t in the vault beneath Canterlot anymore. You were in Entropy’s home. Her room, to be specific.

“By the Creator, Catalyst, I thought you were dead! You weren’t breathing, and you didn’t have a pulse… Celestia promised that you weren’t dead, but…” She trailed off, her voice still shaking just a bit. You slowly sat up after she released you, and then you let out a massive yawn, the unconsciousness that you had been forced into not being the most restful way to get some sleep. A sharp, and sudden, slap across your face got your blood flowing in a hurry, and you quickly glared at your sister. “That’s for scaring me like that.” Her voice had regained its usual tone and attitude, but you could still see the relief in her eyes.

“Won’t happen again, sis. Believe it or not, but I didn’t much enjoy almost dying.”

“And I didn’t enjoy spending almost a full day harvesting love just to pour it into your seemingly dead body. I’m amazed, honestly, that you haven’t started showing any of the royal traits given how much magic you’ve been getting over the past few hours.” She got up from her seat as she finished, making her way for the door. “Impulse has been helping me quite a bit in keeping you alive, so do us both a favor and stay out of trouble for the next few days, okay?” You just nodded your response, sinking back into the bed, the brief rush from the slap wearing off.

Sleep was long in coming, despite your exhaustion. You couldn’t help but wonder just what it was that you had put into motion earlier. And, more than that, what the magical disturbance had been caused by.

Sadly, things like that had a tendency to remain unanswered until the answer was no longer relevant.

(Go ahead, hate what I've written. I don't even care. All I know is that I've got plans, comrades. Plans that are already in motion.)

Chapter XII: "Do Your Duty"

(You wanted moar? Well, I've got moar!)

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

“And that was my first exposure to the Elements, and the Princess. Not the most fun thing in the world, but better than letting the world be plunged into eternal night, I suppose.” Rarity actually looked at you this time, and she gave you a sad smile.

“So, it wasn’t just Twilight’s little monologue that did the job?”

“No. It was her words echoing through the ley lines, and my magic acting as the force that started the whole event.” You slowly turned the page of the journal, looking at the next page with a slight tinge of guilt. “Well, this next little event didn’t do much to help my reputation with my sisters, and it certainly didn’t make life easier. But, I like to think I did the right thing.” You glance at the pages following, and then you feel a sad smile come to your face. “And to make it better this will be the last little tale before I reach the ambush we made for Cadence.

“It was a few months later. Eight, to be precise. I was at home, after a long day…

*//\//\//\ Three Months Prior to Attack on Canterlot//\//\//\*

You let your quill run across the page of the journal, each small scratch of the writing instrument creating yet another line on the page. It had been quite an uneventful few months, now. Entropy and Impulse had been working nearly nonstop to secure all the needed connections for the ambush, leaving you to continue accumulating emotional energy that you could share with your sisters. They often were too busy to really spend time harvesting, and so you took on that job. While it was normally reserved for drones, as a royal male you had the ability to gather much larger reserves of energy, amounts that could kill a drone with ease.

Still, having all that energy often made you restless. Times like now, when you wanted nothing more than to have an outlet to pour your magic into. You’d contemplated becoming a sculptor, working with pure magic, rather than tools, but you quickly came to the realization that using pure magic created perfect works of art, and that was unsatisfying, somehow. Now, you simply wrote all manner of stories, some short, some long. But all of them under the false name of Quill Wielder. You made up a surname, hoping to throw off your fans should they actually exist.

As you finished the entry for today in your journal, a crashing noise sounded from the kitchen. Without hesitation you brought up your guise, storming to the kitchen to confront the intruder. When you arrived in the kitchen, you were greeted by a shattered window, glass on the floor, but no sign of anypony in the room. You let your gaze roam the room slowly, and just as you were about to step further into the room you spotted a small splattering of blood on the floor. You checked in the surrounding area, and soon you found yet another spot of blood.

Following the trail of blood you found you wound up in your living room, the blood trail seeming to just stop near the doorway where you entered. There was somepony in the house, that you knew. Where, though, was a far better, and far harder, question. It was quite likely that they were in this room, but with all the furniture it was quite possible that they were hiding just out of sight. “Come out, and I promise to let you go unharmed. Hide, and I’ll be forced to tear this room apart to find you.” As you finished your ultimatum a small shift in the corner of your eye caught your attention, and before you could face it a pony smashed into your side, sending both of you to the floor.

“Look, I don’t want to hurt you! I just wanted some food!”

“And so you attack me?” The stallion on your chest had his horn aimed at your head, and there was a faint glow at the tip. With him on you in this position you knew that he had the upper hoof. If you tried anything it was more than likely that he’d release his spell before you could do anything about it. “Alright, fine. You wanted food. What stopped you from going to your family, or something? Don’t you have a family you can turn to?”

“No.” The stallion wavered for just a moment as he answered, the glow fading just a bit. That was all it took, though, for you to launch your counterattack. With a burst of magical strength you threw the stallion across the room, watching as he slammed into the far wall, leaving a spiderweb pattern of cracks in the wall. He didn’t get up after that, and you felt a small pang of guilt as you realized what you did. As you reached the stallion on the floor, you heard the sound of your front door being opened. There was only one being you knew who would just waltz in without thinking to knock first.

“I’m in the living room.” Your call went unanswered, but a moment later Entropy walked in, her eyes widening in surprise for just a moment. She quickly regained her usual impassive demeanor, though. “I had a surprise guest. He… He jumped me, and I overreacted a bit.”

“Not really. Deal with him soon. We can’t have somepony running around who knows the truth.”

“He doesn’t, though.” Entropy raised an eyebrow at you for a moment, and then she shook her head, realization flashing across her face.

“Right, all that energy means that you can call upon your disguise without it ever being an issue.” She approached the prone form of the stallion, and then she gently nudged it with a hoof. “Did you kill him?”

“No. You already know what I think of killing ponies.”

“Yes, I do. But that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t have changed.”

“That’s not a change I want, Entropy.” Your sister just looked at you as you spoke.

“I don’t think you understand what we’re doing here, Catalyst. We aren’t here for pleasure, despite what you might think. Nor are we here to establish lasting ties with the natives. Catalyst, do you even know what this whole venture is for? Do you know why our mother is putting so much behind this whole plan?”

“No, Entropy. I don’t. No one has seen fit to enlighten me. I just get told that I’m going to Canterlot, and the next thing I know I’m being forced to kill a pony so that I can become him in his entirety. After that I get told that I’ll have to just accept whatever all of you say is right. Well, I’m here to say that I’m not a Drone. I am not your pawn, to be used as you see fit. I am more than a tool, Entropy. It would be good for you, and everyone, to remember that.”

“Kill him, Catalyst. We don’t have time for you to philosophize about why you exist, and what we’re doing here.”

“Leave, and then I’ll kill him. I’ll have no witnesses to my deed.”

“As you wish, brother. Just remember that if you don’t kill him, he will be your problem, to deal with should things go awry.” As she finished, she just looked from the prone stallion to you, and back again. “Do what’s right, brother. Not what you think is right.”

The door closed with a sense of finality, and you looked at the stallion now sitting in the chair in your living room. He was still unconscious, but you had dressed the cut along his cheek. It was pretty deep, and you knew that it would leave a scar if given the time to heal. Slowly, the stallion’s eyes fluttered open, and he soon looked at you, his eyes wide.

“Before you freak out, know that your fate lies solely in your hooves.” The stallion quickly closed his mouth, leaning back into the chair a bit further.

“What do you want?” The stallion looked at you with a hint of desperation in his eyes as you cocked your head in response to his question. “Are you going to report me to the guard… Or… What? I… I’m sorry.”

“Why did you turn to thievery in order to survive? Have you no family to turn to?”

“I did, but… They abandoned me.”

“I see. And so you decided to become a thief in order to survive?”

“Not exactly…”

“I’m not here to hear your life story, my question was rhetorical. There is no good answer to that question. I suppose I’ll jet get to the point here and now, to avoid the issue becoming clouded.” You let your disguise fall away, the stallion’s eyes widening even further. “A great evil will descend upon this city soon. I do not wish to see this city, nor this nation, plunged into the darkness that would follow my mother’s success. For that reason, I grant you the knowledge that you need in order to escape.”

“What are you?”

“Leave this city, and do not return. But tell nopony what I have told you. My mother has spies everywhere, and I wish not to earn her ire. Roam the lands, and make an honest living for yourself. But do not steal, for that I can not forgive. I loathe doing it myself, and I do it for the same reason as you. But I believe that there is a way to get what you need without stealing it, just like there is a way for me to get what I need without stealing it.” You pause, and then you stand, walking out of the room while continuing to speak. “Leave my home, and heed my words.”

“What’s your name?”

“Catalyst. It’s my name, and what I am.”

For the first time I made a decision for myself. I took the options I had, and I did what I thought was right. After all, there is no right choice. Just what we think is right…

*//\//\//\ Two Weeks Prior to Attack on Canterlot//\//\//\*

“Quit fidgeting, Catalyst. It’s simple. Just kill him, and our path to Cadence is made clear.”

“Again, why do I have to kill him?”

“You’re the one with the guard disguise.”

“Yeah, and you’re the one who gets her jollies by killing other living creatures.”

“I don’t. It was just a relief to finally make that babbling guard shut up. I sighed with relief, not pleasure!”

“Could’ve fooled me…” You slowly approached the guard, your normal appearance ditched in favor of the pure white of the guardspony. Lance, as you knew him to be called, simply watched you as you approached, his eyes following your movements.

“Halt. Who goes there?” His voice was firm, confident, and filled with authority. Clearly he knew his duty, and he’d die before he failed in it. “By order of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza nopony is permitted to her quarters.”

“Lance, it’s me. Just thought I’d come by after shift to see if you were interested in joining me and some of the other guards for a round after we’re all done with our shifts.”

“My shift lasts the full night. I must pass. Thank you for the offer, though.” Despite his words, his tone clearly indicated just how he really felt about your offer. The slight look of disgust on his face also helped make it clear how he felt about the offer.

You stopped a few steps away from the guard, and he kept looking at you, his eyes narrowed just a tiny bit. “You seem different, Shield. Is everything alright?”

“Yes. But, I’m afraid the same can’t be said for you. I’m sorry.” As you lunged forward you couldn’t help but see the sense of betrayal in Lance’s eyes. More than the betrayal, though, was a deep sense of regret. You didn’t allow his mind to merge with yours, though, so you were spared the barrage of raw memories that might’ve otherwise flooded your mind. Still, that made your second kill. Two lives, ended by your magic.

“Excellent work, Catalyst. Now, to pay a visit to the Princess.”

She saw you coming. She told you so when you entered her room, and asked her to come with you. She even knew what you were without you even dropping your disguise. The whole ordeal went oddly smooth, and she never once said a word in protest. It seemed, somehow, like she didn’t mind what was happening. When you got to the caverns, Chrysalis was there, waiting for you. It all seemed so formal. Like, somehow, this kind of thing happened all the time, and it was just another normal day.

Just as you were bringing the Princess into the caverns, though, there did seem to be a momentary break in how things were proceeding.

“Princess Cadence?”

“Yes?” She didn’t sound rude, as much as surprised. As if you were somehow doing something wrong.

“I… I’m sorry.” You realized that you were apologizing quite a bit; as much for your actions as for the actions of the hive. Chrysalis was the mastermind behind all of this, and yet you were the one doing almost all of it. “I didn’t want this to happen, but I can’t see a way to stop it.”

“It’s alright, Catalyst. Certain things can’t really be stopped, and this is one of them. No matter how you might try, there are times when we just need to accept what’s happening, and intervene in what ways we can.”

“If my mother succeeds, this will mean the end of Equestria as we know it…”

“Which is why we have to make sure she doesn’t succeed.”

“What can I do, though?”

“Twilight, a mare I used to foalsit, will be coming to the wedding when it happens. She was always so curious, and had such an eye for detail that Chrysalis will never be able to fool her.” She stopped for a moment as you reached a large overhang. “Twilight will, as she always does, try to take matters into her own hooves, even if it means doing something drastic, or coming up with some seemingly bizarre theory. It’s just how she is.”

“But how does that help? It doesn’t matter how good she is, Chrysalis has the strength of a nation. An entire race of beings dedicated to serving her. She can’t win.”

“She won’t win. And that’s something I’m hoping for. Chrysalis is very prideful, and so she won’t deal with Twilight in a permanent manner. Just like me, she wants to be able to gloat. So, she’ll send Twilight somewhere where she won’t be able to stop her.”

“And? I can’t make her send Twilight somewhere. Magic doesn’t work that way.”

“Pony magic doesn’t, but Changeling magic does.” The Princess drew you close before she continued. “Give me some of your magic, and I will use it to guide the way Chrysalis’ teleportation spell works. From there, I will do what I can to make sure things work out.”

“I don’t understand… How wi-”

“There is no time, Catalyst. Give me some of your energy, and I will do what I can.” When you still hesitated, the Princess gave you a small, sad smile. “Trust me, as I trusted you.” She just kept looking at you, and you looked over your shoulder towards the opening from whence you came before you looked back at the Princess.

“Don’t let her win. It’s not too late for my people, and I won’t let Discord’s magic be our legacy.” As the magic flowed from your horn to hers you felt your reserves dwindle just a small amount before the Princess cut off the flow. “Good luck, Princess. And… Again, I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you, Catalyst. It’s not your actions that have brought this to pass.”

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

“And after that it was just a matter of allowing the wedding to arrive.” You heaved a sigh as you felt your strength ebb even further. “If I had known just what Cadence had intended to do with her magic in order to save Canterlot… I don’t know. So many things were caused by her actions, but I can’t help but wonder if it would’ve gone worse had she not intervened.”

The mare didn’t respond. Instead, she shifted her position slightly, still looking towards you. You were about to speak once more when a subtle shift in the lighting bid you to look towards the windows. The sun was on the horizon, casting a pleasant red glow across the sky. Soon, Celestia would complete her ritual, allowing Luna to assume her duties. More than that, Knight would get yet another chance to show his love for the mare he’d won.

And, for you, it meant that you’d have either won or lost by sunrise.

Hey, no pressure or anything, right… Right?

“The attack on Canterlot was something you were present for, but I don’t think that you really saw all that much of it.”

“I saw enough.”

“A single battle, Rarity, doesn’t really let you see the bigger picture. You waged your little war at the vault, while the rest of the city descended into panic, chaos, and fighting. The guards of the city weren’t just at the palace. They were everywhere. And when the shield fell, I watched as the swarm fell upon the city…”

*//\//\//\ The Royal Wedding -2 Hours //\//\//\*

“Son, come here.” Her voice was just as biting as ever. It made you yearn for when it was just you and your sisters, honestly.

“Yes, mother?”

“The swarm is waiting for the shield to drop to launch the attack. When they begin the attack I want you to ensure that Princess Luna remains away from the fighting. Both she, and her pathetic guard. I’ll have enough to deal with in the pathetic Princess they worship so fervently that dealing with Princess Luna as well will be too much.”

“Yes mother.” You didn’t bother looking at Chrysalis, since she refused to lower the disguise she had adopted even for a moment. You thought about what Cadence said, and you began wondering about when Twilight would make her move. “What will you do if that one lavender unicorn pierces your disguise?”

“She’ll be cast out of the city, and into the heart of the hive. I’ve already memorized the spell, and I have the energy to cast the spell ready for just that purpose. My spies, though, lead me to believe that she’ll falter in her beliefs before she outright accuses me. Frankly, I’m not all that worried about her.”

“I’ll be taking my leave, then.”

“Catalyst.” Her voice was softer than usual…

“Yes?” As you turned to look you were only slightly surprised to see her actual slit-pupiled eyes looking at you through the disguise.

“Be careful… You are my competition for the throne, and so I am wary of what you might do. But you are also my son, and I…”

“I know, mother.”

“Before you assume the throne I will say the words.” You didn’t respond as you left.

After that, you simply wandered the palace, appearing to any passing ponies as if you were just another worker there for the wedding. It didn’t take too long for you to arrive at the gardens, and within the gardens at the statue of Discord. His visage was different from the last time you saw it, but that made sense, considering that it had been… redone, since the last time you looked at it. It was still intimidating to look at, but the fear on his demonic visage lessened the impact that was present the last time.

As you walked closer to the statue you felt an odd shiver run the length of your spine.

“You.” You quickly turned a circle, looking for the pony that had addressed you. When there was nopony around, you looked toward the statue, disbelief written plainly on your face. “Aye, Changeling, the stone speaks. It appears you are the one I have to blame for the Elements being amongst the world once more. I bear you no ill will, though. Fret not about that. After all, they only ensnared most of my entity within the stone you see before you.”

“Most?”

“Yes, most. A part of me still roams the land, lost, broken, bitter, and alone. My vessel lacks the ability to work magic, and has no wings. But still, it is better than nothing. Perhaps the form will be of some use in the future, when I seek to explore the land.” A sigh comes from the stone, and you can somehow imagine it shrugging, despite its immobility. “But that’s a tale for your future, not my present.”

“I… You can’t succeed, Discord. The Elements will stop you.”

“But your Queen mother seeks to see the end of Equestria. And once she does you will be powerless to stop me. When you passed up the Elements, you ensured that your kind would forever be forbidden from wielding them. Whether you know it or not, when you moved them, you had to use their power to transfer them. And, in that action, your entire kind was marked. Linking you to the Elements for all of time. As they prosper, so will your kind. Eliminate the Elements, and you doom your entire race. My magic, as well, will work to doom you.”

You took a step back from the stone as you started to understand what the god of chaos was saying. “She… My mother wouldn’t… Celestia…”

“Enough, Changeling. You have a part to play in the coming years, and Time dictates us all. Do your duty.”

As the god finished speaking, you looked up to see the shield so far above you shatter, and the swarm rushed in.

(Hope you enjoyed having some moar. Still a bit more to go in regards to your past. And then, once you finally bring Rarity up to date, you'll have your conclusion. I know how it will end, but I'm not going to tell anyone how it ends. That'd be no fun at all.)

Chapter XIV: "I Hope you Find..."

(Conclusion time. For the love of the Creator, though, don't skip to the end. Don't spoil it for yourself. Read the whole thing, and enjoy it.)

*//\//\//\ Two Weeks After the Wedding Day //\//\//\*

Your eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the piercing light with agonizing slowness. Several voices were talking in your vicinity, and it took you quite a bit of time to come to understand even a few of the words being spoken. You heard your name, or what you thought was your name, a few times as the voices spoke. One was distinctly female, while the other was a male. You couldn’t determine much else about the voices, and so you resolved to wait until things became a bit more clear. When they did, though, you sincerely wish they hadn’t. Three spear points hovered mere inches from your face, and as you looked to your side you saw half a dozen more, each one hefted by an angry looking royal guardspony. Thankfully, you had become fairly well rested through the night, and so you weren’t in as pathetic a state as you had been yesterday. Still, it was better not to mess with these ponies, since you were on the wrong end of the spears.

When they noticed you were moving, one of the guards looked over his shoulder, an unintelligible shout escaping his lips. Moments later, and a lightly armored unicorn entered, a poker face on her visage. With the guards you were able to read their dispositions without even needing to use your magic. This new mare, though, was something else entirely. Short of casting a spell you doubted that you’d be able to discern her emotions. She walked past the ponies wielding the spears to come face to face with you. “Can you understand me?” You just nodded, and a small flicker of her eyes was all you had to know that she heard you. “By order of Princess Celestia all captured Changelings are to be brought to Canterlot to answer for their crimes against the ponies of Canterlot. We have the authority to attack, and kill, if needed. Will you come quietly, or do we need to use the spears we’ve been given?”

When you first made to answer, nothing but a strangled choking noise escaped from your throat. After coughing for a moment, you looked back up at the mare, the inner drive you once had that would normally make you defy her was long gone. In its place was a whimpering, scared soul. “I’ll go peacefully.” You wanted so dearly to fight back, if only to end it all, but a tiny voice told you not to. It took mere moments for the guards to clap you in irons, and then they put a burlap sack over your head. With rough motions the guards dragged you out of the barn, and into a carriage.

Time lost all meaning inside the cart. Short of the times when they would give you some barely edible sustenance, that you didn’t need, you were alone in the darkness of the cart. It didn’t really bother you for the first few feedings, but by the fifth you were beginning to wonder how long it would be. On the seventh feeding you almost asked to be killed, if only to end the torment. The ninth feeding never came. Instead, you were roughly forced out of the carriage, and then you began walking. The sound of many hooves echoed back at you from the walls of wherever you were. You were just a bit surprised at the number of guards you suspected were guarding you, but, at the same time, you couldn’t help but think that maybe they knew who you were.

After walking for quite some time you were abruptly stopped, and a sharp knocking came from somewhere in front of you. Silence answered the knock, until you heard the sound of a door being opened. A brief gasp followed the door opening, and then you felt a spear butt jammed into your back, forcing you to lurch forward abruptly. This walk was much shorter, and just minutes after you started you were forced to stop once again. Then, as you stood, an all too familiar voice sounded out.

“Remove his hood. I would speak with him face to face, not with a cloth between us.” The hood was removed from your head without hesitation, the sudden change in lighting blinding you for a moment. As your eyes adjusted you saw that there were the two expected ponies before you, each one seated in their throne, looking down on you with imperious looks, not even a trace of emotion showing through their expressionless faces. “Wait without. I wish to speak with him with none save my sister present.”

“But, Princess… What if he-”

“I am fully confident that Luna and I can deal with a single Changeling, should he be foolish enough to try anything.” The emphasis placed on the wording wasn’t lost on you, and so you just remained silent, only observing the events as they took place. The guards all bowed to the Princesses before they turned and made for the door, the same mare from the barn being the last to leave.

When the door finally closed, you looked back at the Princesses, your mind and body arguing about what was the proper course of action. This was such a new situation to you that you couldn’t honestly think of anything appropriate to do. There had never been any diplomatic contact between the Changelings and any other race, so this was new territory for you. There was no steward to announce who you were, so you decided that it would be a good place to start, if only to make it clear just who you were.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.” You looked to each of them in turn, performing a tiny bow to each of them. “I am Catalyst, last of the Changelings, and the first King of the Changelings in centuries, son of Chrysalis, terror of Griffons.” They didn’t need to know that last title was made up. If you were going to die this day, you’d die with all the honors you could heap upon yourself. “I come before you under the white flag. I mean no further damage to the ponies of Equestria.” Neither of the Princesses made a move after you finished and so you simply waited for them to make the first move.

Thankfully, you didn’t have to wait long, since Celestia was the first to do something. Her reaction wasn’t what you were expecting, though. You didn’t think Luna expected it either, since she looked at her sister with a curious expression written plainly on her face. Celestia rose from her throne, and she walked over to you, no trace of emotion visible on her face. When she was just a step away from you, she let her façade crack, and she began to cry. Without a word, she threw a wing around you, pulling you close. Her embrace wasn’t overly constricting, and she held you that way for several minutes before she released you.

“Catalyst, I need you to listen to me. I have, in my life, made so many mistakes, and yet I am accountable to nopony, and so my mistakes go by without any pony any wiser. My biggest mistake was, until just a few days ago, the banishment of my sister for a thousand years. Not a day passed that I didn’t regret sending her away. When I made the choice, though, I was certain that it was the right one. Now, as I look at you, I see that my latest mistake is far greater.” She lowered herself to your level before she continued, her tears running down her cheeks. “I killed your mother, and all but one of your kind. Never again will the Changelings harass my ponies, but, at the same time, never again will your kind be able to contribute to the betterment of Equestria. I am not so shortsighted as to think that your kind was inherently evil. I know, from experience, that much of a hive is rooted in the whims of the king or queen.”

“And now I am the king.”

“The last king of the last of a race, yes.”

“You know, Celestia, my whole life I knew that I’d eventually inherit my mother’s throne. I never wanted that responsibility, though. To rule is to become a servant to your subjects. I could never envision myself as being subservient to the whims of my kind. It was such a foul prospect that I rebelled against it, often attributing my fear to my dislike of killing my mother to gain the throne. But, now, with all of my kind dead, I feel like I can face the facts.”

You looked at the Princess, tears in her eyes, and you realized that she already knew all of this. She had been ruling Equestria for millennia before you were born, and she’d continue to rule it long after you were gone. Despite the perks associated with being the ruling monarch, there was so much against being the ruler. “On behalf of ponykind, I wish to extend a formal apology for my actions. I was wrong, once again, and it cost you more than I ever wished it to. I was upset with what your kind had done, but it shouldn’t have cost you everything.”

Luna rose from her throne at this point, and she moved next to her sister, looking down at you with fire in her eyes. “Sister, it is not right for you to prostrate yourself like this before this monster. His kind attacked Canterlot, and claimed the lives of dozens. Surely we should be meting out justice, not seeking his forgiveness.”

“Luna, you are still so young, and full of the youthful righteousness that comes with that age. In time you will see that at times it is better to swallow your pride, and ask forgiveness, even if you know that it won’t be given.” Her last words were directed at you, and you balked a bit.

“Princess Celestia…” She continued to look at you, and then Princess Luna looked at you as well. “Princess Luna. On behalf of the Changelings, I accept your apology. I do, however, have a few requirements for my full acceptance.” A small smile flashed across the lips of the Princess before she nodded. “I want a home. I won’t live amongst the hollow halls of the hive any longer. That place is no home. It is an empty and dead place, not fit to live in any longer. Second, I wish to be left to my own devices, free from the political maneuvering you ponies are so fond of.” The princess nodded twice, each time coinciding with your requirements. “On my third, and final, note; I wish to be kept up to date on the major events that shape the land. While I am no longer a political figure, I want to know what is going on within the borders of your lands.”

“It will be arranged, Catalyst. However, my little ponies are easily frightened in some cases, often taking quite a bit of time to grow used to new ideals. For that reason, I ask of you to assume some disguise to hide your true nature from my little ponies.”

“I can do that, Princess. Perhaps… Perhaps in time I will be able to identify with your subjects a bit better if I look like them. But… what if the truth should get out?”

“Should the truth be discovered you will have to solve that problem on your own. I have no advice to give you, in this regard.”

“Thank you, Princess.” You looked towards the walls of the room, and you saw that the sun was nearing the horizon. “Perhaps we might retire for the day. I am weary from my travels, and we would all be better prepared for this in the morning.” After exchanging a few final pleasantries, you were escorted to a suite within the palace by Celestia herself. As she departed, you looked about the room, taking in the lavish accoutrements decorating the room. You were drawn to the mirror that stretched from floor to ceiling, and as you stepped in front of it you were met with your reflection staring back at you.

“I am Catalyst. The last of my kind. On this day, I shall disappear from the world, becoming another. But, one day, I will return. I will return with the degree of fanfare and ceremony befitting a king.”

*//\//\//\ One Month Later //\//\//\*

It’s been a month since Celestia’s apology, and now you’re finally moving into your new home, just outside a small town near Canterlot. It’s a nice little place, large enough for you to be comfortable, but not so small as to be cramped. Then again, you don’t have many possessions, so it’s not much of a threat that you’ll run out of room. Still, it’s nice to know that you can get some things to decorate without having to worry about where to put them.

The town is a nice little hamlet, filled with sufficient shops to get you anything you’ll need, and beyond that it has a bar that claims to serve some of the best beer West of Canterlot. You had your doubts about that, but you’d reserve judgment until you tried some. You had only a minimum of furnishings for your home, and as you stood and proudly observed what little you could call your own, a knock came at the door. Surprised at the guest, you made your way to the door, making sure, first, that your disguise was proper.

As you opened the door, you were surprised to see a massive stallion at the door, behind him was a large carriage filled with what little you hadn’t been able to carry here on your own. It was, mostly, your few pieces of large furniture. A couch, and two large chairs to decorate the living room. “Um, hello there. M’name’s Tumble. I was told to bring this to you. Here. At your home.” His speech patterns were moderately amusing, and so you just stepped aside, letting him enter your home.

“Good morning, Tumble. My name’s Ca- Quill. Who sent you to bring me this?”

“It was the weirdest thing! It was a letter from Princess Celestia herself! To think, the Princess asking me to do something for her… Wait, are you royalty or something? Some kind of prince?”

“Not quite a prince.”

“Well, you’ve got to be something if Princess Celestia is taking an interest in you.” You were something, alright. And so was Tumble. He quickly became your first friend in this new place, and you set up a rhythm, you came to town each week, once a week, and he’d be there waiting for you. Occasionally you’d meet up to get something to drink, or something, but more often than not it was just a brief exchange that you’d share with him.

*//\//\//\ Thirteen Months Later //\//\//\*

You let out all your frustrations on the pillow. Each blow you landed let you feel just a bit better about yourself, but there was still a massive weight on your shoulders. “Creator damn it all! Why did I send that letter? Why, in the name of Tartarus, did I think that was a good idea? She’s going to hunt me down, and finish what she started. I know it. It’ll be painless, I hope. Fast, just like mother… Unless I run! I could flee to the hive, and spend the rest of my life leeching love out of the entire Everfree! Just spread my awareness until the whole forest was under my influence…” Panic is a scary thing. Especially when you are panicking over the response of a Princess in regards to a very sensitive topic. Thankfully, a knock at the door signaled the arrival, so you hoped and feared, of a letter from the Princess.

As you opened the door, a grey pegasus stood before you, a letter clasped in her mouth. “You’ve got mail!” Without a word to the mare, you snatched away the letter, slamming the door in her face. You didn’t have time to contemplate the rudeness of what you’d done a the time. There were more pressing matters. You quickly opened the letter, and read the first line. That was all it took for you to be filled with joy.

Quill,

You have my permission to write to Rarity, not that you really needed to ask. You are free to do what you wish so long as you don’t break any of my laws. But, know that if you do, I have more than a few ways to make you know that I am displeased. In fact, here, have a short summary of just a few ways I can make you miserable…

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

The light in the room shifted once again, a faint light coming through the curtains, signaling the rising sun. The last sun rise you expected to see. With agonizing slowness you moved to the curtains, pulling them aside without any extraneous flourish. It was hard enough to move them already. The magnificent hues of the sky brought a smile to your face, and it was with a massive sigh that you turned to look back into the room. You moved back to the couch you’d been on for the past day, and then you retook your seat.

“And… Well, you know what happened next.” You sigh as you finally let your head fall to the couch, the strength needed to hold your cranium up finally deserting your emotionally emaciated form. “For so long I did what I was told to do, only to try and make others happy. Now, though, I do something for myself, and it ends up costing me my life.” As you felt your eyelids grow heavier, you struggled to your hooves, bringing your head up one more time. “I did what I did for the Hive, then for myself, and finally for you. I’m sorry I wasn’t what you wanted, Rarity. But…”

“Catalyst…” You looked at the mare, surprised that she chose now to speak. She was looking at you, tears in her eyes. Nothing more came from her, so you just sighed again, falling to a prone position once again, allowing your eyes to close.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t what you wanted, Rarity. But I’m not sorry I’m a Changeling. I…” You felt a sob almost force itself past your lips, but you managed to stop it. You refused to cry. No matter what, you refused to let yourself cry. Not now, at least. “I hope you find your Prince Charming, Rarity. You deserve it. Beauty, elegance, generosity… A mare like you deserves the best Equestria has to offer. Far more than I can give, at least.” Silence answered you for several long minutes. When her voice finally came back at you, it was hard for you to pin down the emotion.

“I don’t need to find my Prince Charming.” A subtle noise sounded from where the mare was seated, but you found yourself unable to open your eyes to see what she was doing. The sound of hooves on the floor was audible, if only barely, and the steps were growing closer. “No matter how hard a mare looks, there’s no such thing as a Prince Charming. Every stallion has their flaws, and so many of them are unable to see what they’re doing wrong. Whether it’s something minor, or something major, so many choose simply to ignore what they’re doing wrong.” The steps slowed, but they still grew closer. “Your mistake was such a typical one, but given who you are, it became something so much more. I, like so many others, was blinded by my fear. I ignored who I thought you were, who you really are, for what I saw you as.” A soft touch pressed into your cheek, and the warmth of the contact was lost to the growing coldness you felt. “I ignored my heart, instead listening to the cold voice of fear I my head. Such a small mistake, a faux pas of the heart, if you will, nearly cost me everything. You wished me luck in finding my Prince Charming? I don’t need to find my Prince Charming, Catalyst, because I’ve already got my king. I’ve already got you.”

A gentle brush against your lips was all you felt as you slipped into unconsciousness.

(Ooh, look at that. I used the title at the last possible moment. Talk about a close call. Anyway, there'll be an epilogue or two after this. Be on the lookout, since I don't know quite how long those will take. And, if anyone is interested, I'd love to see some art for Quill, since he is my current favorite OC of mine.)

Chapter XIV (ALT): Regret

(This is an alternate take on the ending of the last chapter. This is NOT CANON. I am only doing this to explore the possibility that Rarity might’ve said no. It goes exactly like the last chapter did, so I simply copied a bit of the ending text, prior to the end of the flashback.)

… As you opened the door, a grey pegasus stood before you, a letter clasped in her mouth. “You’ve got mail!” Without a word to the mare, you snatched away the letter, slamming the door in her face. You didn’t have time to contemplate the rudeness of what you’d done a the time. There were more pressing matters. You quickly opened the letter, and read the first line. That was all it took for you to be filled with joy.

Quill,

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

“You lied to me for so long, Catalyst. What… What do you expect from me? Do you think I can just pretend that none of that ever happened?”

“No, but… Rarity, without your love I’ll die.”

“I’m not a tool for you to use, Catalyst. I am more than a font of love.”

The mare slowly stood, and she turned to exit the room. Under your breath, you cursed, knowing that you’d failed. But then, a memory returned to you. Chrysalis had planned to take the love of Canterlot by force. Could you… Could you do the same with this mare? Even as weak as you were, you knew that if you could forcibly open a conduit with the mare, you’d be able to finalize the magic.

“Rarity.” She stopped at the door, and she turned to look at you, tears in her eyes. “I am the King of the Changelings, and I will not pass into death without a struggle.” You hated what you were doing, but you had little choice. Once again, the actions of others dictated your choices. “My mother worked her magic against the wills of many ponies, and now, you’ve left me with no choice.” A burst of magic from your horn splashed across the mare, and in that moment, you felt the boundless energies that she’d been containing. So much sadness. So much anger. And now, mixed into her emotions, was one of your own.

Regret.

The mare was paralyzed as your spell worked its magic on her, forcing open the conduits she’d closed to keep her emotions from you. With each broken conduit she twitched, her mind recoiling from the violation. When, at last, her mind was open to you, you allowed your magical influence to fade. Rather than run, or scream, the mare simply fell to the floor, her eyes glazed over. She was no longer really the mare you’d fallen in love with. Your work had been too haphazard. Without the time to really set up the spell, you’d done more damage than good. She’d keep you alive, but only just.

Without a sound, you scooped her up, placing her on your back. It took moments to reach her bedroom, and then you put her on her bed. Her eyes followed your motions, but she didn’t really see. When you looked back at her eyes, all you could see was your own reflection, looking back at you from those twin sapphire orbs. But something about your reflection caught your attention, and so you looked a bit closer.

All you could see when you looked into her eyes was the face of a monster. You’d become your mother, and you’d die as alone as she had. While she had been surrounded by her children, she hadn’t been close to any of them. She ruled through fear, and control. And now, you would do the same.

“I’m sorry.”

You turned from the bed, allowing your disguise to come back into place. You’d have to work fast, lest somepony discover what you’d done.

Epilogue I: Cognition

Silence.

Darkness.

An infinite expanse of blackness.

But then... A single spark of light. A single, tiny, insignificant blue spark of light twinkled into existence, a heavenly sound accompanying it’s arrival. You wanted to run to it, but without a frame of reference, you had no way of knowing how far it was. Just as you were about to throw your caution to the wind, a thousand other green lights came into existence, flaring brightly, and drowning out the blue light, wiping its existence from your mind.

Tens of thousands of voices cried out within your mind. All of them reaching an auditory apex at a different moment, the sound seeming to rise and fall with each passing heartbeat. You were... alive. Barely.

Out of the cacophony came a single voice. An eerily familiar sound, one that echoed through your mind, sending reverberations through your frame. The words were incomprehensible, but the sound was still there. It was a single, beautiful, note of bliss. A wordless sound that drew away from the thousands of other voices and drew you towards it just as much. As the sound grew clearer, you felt an immense energy pour into your frame, filling you with vigor that you hadn’t known in your entire life. Even while in the hive you hadn’t felt quite this powerful.

But still the other voices were there, growing louder and brighter in an attempt to drown out the blue light. And then the green lights began to flash brightly, and disappear. Each flash sent a pang of pain through you. They left the beauty of the blue light more noticeable, but somehow each disappearing green light left you feeling emptier. As consciousness tugged at your slow mind the disappearing green lights began to fade faster and faster, allowing the blue light to grow more noticeable.

A shuddering gasp sounded past your lips as you opened your eyes, and the first thing you saw was Rarity, her own eyes closed and her face just inches from your own. Her makeup was streaked from her tears, and her mane was a disheveled mess. Still beautiful, but Rarity would call it a disaster. Your body felt weak. Almost as weak as it had near the end of your recollection of events.

As you closed your eyes once again, you concentrated your power in your horn, casting a simple spell that would refresh the small timer that had told you how long you had left to go. With the smallest of chuckles you noted that it had technically hit zero. A hundredth of a second was all it had left, and even that seemed to waver from one to zero every so often. Your slowly brought a trembling hoof to Rarity’s cheek, gently caressing her, hoping that she would stir.

Her eyes fluttered open at your touch, small tears emerging as she looked into your own eyes. Neither of you spoke for several long minutes. As you opened your mouth to speak Rarity moved her own closer to yours, locking her lips against yours in a powerful kiss. When she finally broke the kiss, since you wouldn’t, she had a smile on her face, her tears still flowing.

“Rarity...” You paused for a moment, enjoying her slight reaction to your utterance of her name. “You really need to do something with your mane...” Her smile vanished for a moment, but then it came back, stronger than before.

“For you, Catalyst, I’d dye it green.” You put a hoof to her cheek once again, and she just leaned into it, sighing softly. “But I’d shave it off a day later.”

Two hours later, and you finally emerged from Rarity’s home. You were still shaky on your hooves, the drop in your magical reserves having taken a far larger toll than you had expected. Still, you were out of the house, and Rarity was right beside you, enjoying your presence as you enjoyed hers. None of the townsponies ran when they saw you, so you could only assume that they’d either been told of your presence in town, the likely solution, or they’d become immune to fear, which, frankly, was a long shot.

Rarity was leading you through the town, her destination a mystery to you. Not that you had a problem with that. You’d follow her to the ends of the Equestria, and beyond. The ends of Equestria weren’t your destination, though, and you were instead brought before the library. Rarity led you inside, and as she called out to Twilight you could hear a sharp gasp come from not one, but several different ponies.

Dash was the first to emerge from the kitchen, and you were surprised to see not anger in her eyes, but relief. Storm was next, and he just gave you a small nod before he made room for the next pony to come out. Twilight and Ace came out at the same time, both of them with smiles on their faces.

Applejack, Big Mac, and Taupe were the last to emerge from the kitchen, and Big Mac’s eyes narrowed when he looked at you. He took a step towards you, and you took a step forward as well. “I found you, Catalyst. In the barn.” He looked down at you, his face an unreadable mask. “I could’ve done you in right there. It would’ve been easy, too. And it would’ve saved quite a bit of trouble and heartache.” His gaze shifted from you to Rarity, and then back to you. “I’m still not sure I made the right choice, so do us both a favor, and convince me that I was right.”

After Big Mac’s brief speech you, Rarity, and the others all enjoyed a simple meal together, the breakfast seeming to last well into the day. The initial discomfort caused by your presence faded quickly, and before you knew it they were treating you like any other pony, acting like what you were didn’t even matter to them. Throughout the meal you could feel waves of love coming from Rarity, and more than a few times you stopped what you were doing to look at the mare beside you, reveling in her beauty and grace.

She didn’t look at you any of the times that you looked at her, but you knew that she saw you looking. Every time you looked her smile grew just a bit, adding even more to her beauty. When the meal finally ended, you and Rarity were the first to leave. Rather than return to the boutique, though, you both walked through the town, the sounds of activity throughout the town acting as a pleasant music to which you walked.

After a while the two of you stopped your walk in the park, choosing a bench to sit on. A sigh escaped the mare as she relaxed into you on the bench, one of her hooves gently rubbing small circles on your leg. You allowed yourself to drape a hoof over her back, and she just pulled herself a bit closer in response.

“This isn’t very lady-like, Rarity.”

“I know. And I don’t care. Does it bother you?”

“No, but-”

“But nothing. Your opinion matters more than anypony else’s.”

“Why did you...” You found that you couldn’t complete the question, but her answer showed that she knew what you wanted to ask.

“Because I wasn’t going to let the way you look stand between me and you. Those letters that you sent were honest, and I fell in love with the pony who sent them. When I found out the truth, though, I was afraid. I was afraid that I was just another target for you. Just another meal. And then, with everything you did, I saw the truth, laid bare, in your story. You went through so much, just to have me throw it back at you because I was being closed-minded.”

“But it wasn’t for you. It was for me. I was being selfish the whole time. I wanted a companion, and so I found one in you. You gave me the love that I needed to survive. Even when I started trying to woo you, I was doing it for me, not for us.”

“Catalyst, every relationship starts out a bit selfish. We go into it looking for something for ourselves. It’s not until you realize how it feels that you’ll start doing things for them, rather than yourself.”

You give the mare a quick kiss as she finishes, and a blush surged to her cheeks. “Don’t ever change, Rarity. At least one of us needs to keep a level head.”

“For you, Catalyst, I won’t change a thing. Now, how about we head home, and get some proper sleep. That tiny bit I got, and your bout of unconsciousness isn’t quite enough.”

As you approached the boutique, ready to finally get some proper sleep, and do some... other stuff, you were surprised to see three ponies standing at the door, all of them looking at you. When you stopped, a few body lengths away, they all bowed before you, lowering their heads nearly to the ground. You took a half step back from them, looking to Rarity to see how she was reacting. She had only narrowed her eyes, looking at the three ponies as the prostrated themselves before you.

Three flashes of green light signaled their useage for magic, and then, where once stood two pegasi and a unicorn, now stood three changelings. One of them, the one that was a unicorn moments ago, looked up at you, a look bordering on reverence on her face. “King. We have found you.”

Rarity gently nudged your side, and you swallowed quickly before looking down at the drones. “Rise. There is much we must speak of, and there are many changes to be made.” They all rose from their positions, and they looked at you, eagerly waiting for a command. You pointed to the door, and they all marched inside, no questions asked.

“What are you going to do with them?”

A soft chuckle escaped you as you looked at Rarity. “I’m going to be a catalyst for them. I proved that Changelings can change. And so I’ll do what I can to help these three change.” You turned away from Rarity, looking at the boutique. “I did it, so can they.”

Rarity gave your cheek a quick peck, and you turned to look at her. “It seems that you will get your chance to be the king of a people...”

Author's Note

Well... It certainly took me some time to put this up. But, it's here now. And with that, I think that I've wrapped things up fairly well for good old Catalyst. Maybe more to come for him, but I doubt it.

Chapter I: The Pegasus you were Hoping to See

(Well, here it is. The sequel to the sequel. Brace yourselves, this one is far different than my others.)

You rolled out of bed, the day starting like any other. You rubbed a hoof across your face slowly, trying to force the last bit of sleep from your mind. As you slowly came to a state of full wakefulness you climbed out of bed. Your hooves were slightly unsteady beneath you, but you managed to stand. Groggily, you made your way to the bathroom, and you stared at yourself in the mirror. And, same as you did every day, you shed your disguise, opting to look at your true self. The creature staring back at you almost struck you as alien. It’d been years since you had last laid eyes on one of your own kind.

A stream of memories threatened to rush in and remind you of all you were, and all you are, but you managed to stop it before it could even start. You shake your head for a moment, and then you look back at yourself in the mirror. Slowly you bring a hoof to the mirror, and you watch it make contact with the mirror. For just a moment, if you tried hard enough, it would seem as if there was another changeling there, looking back at you, sharing the sadness that you felt.

You turned from the mirror, and you swiftly took care of everything that needed to be done in the bathroom, and then you returned to your bedroom. With practiced ease you brought your disguise into place once more, the appearance that you had assumed coming so naturally you sometimes forgot that you were a changeling, and not a unicorn. You walked from the bedroom to your small kitchen, and you noted that today was market day. Not because you really needed to go shopping, but because you needed to get a dose of emotions.

While you lived near the town that you called your home, it wasn’t close enough to warrant visitors, and that suited you just fine. Once a week you’d venture into town, mingling some, and buying a few groceries. It wasn’t the love you craved, but it was better than nothing. The food that you ate supplemented the emotions that you couldn’t get, but you still had occasional cravings for real emotions. You opened the door to your home, and you took a deep breath of the brisk morning air. It wasn’t really a beautiful day, but it wasn’t very bad either.

You made sure to both close and lock the door behind yourself, and soon enough you were walking down the path, the road well worn from your trips. You couldn’t recall just how long it had been since the failed attack and the subsequent betrayal. You didn’t live all that far from Canterlot, and you sometimes wondered about how wise it would really be to have you so close. Then again, Princess Celestia had personally placed you in that house, and you didn’t want to disagree with her.

As you continued down the road your mind wandered back to that fateful day. For the ponies of the land it was a day of triumph, as pony-kind successfully beat back the terrible invaders that threatened their capital. For you, and the rest of the changelings, it was a day of unimaginable suffering. Countless changelings were killed in the magical wave of energy, and even more died due to starvation in the days after the event. You distinctly remember crawling along the ground, near this very town, nursing a broken leg when you saw the rainboom occur over the city.

It took you days to finally make it to where your Queen had landed, and when you got there you found her surrounded by countless other changelings, all of whom were clamoring for her attention. When she spotted you, though, you couldn’t explain the wave of gratitude and love that you felt. It ended nearly as soon as it began, though. That meeting of changelings was a tumultuous one.

“Quill! Has it really been a week already? I feel like I just saw you yesterday!” You looked to the burly earth pony as you walked by. You slowed to a stop before him, and he stretched out a hoof, eager to give you the hoofshake he gave you every week. He had been the one to help you move into your home, at Celestia’s insistence, and he had been more than eager to help out. Tumble always believed that you were royalty, or some such, but you couldn’t tell him how close to the truth he really was. Instead you opted to do what you did every week.

“Yeah, Tumble, it’s been a week already. A stallion’s gotta eat, doesn’t he?” Tumble laughed heartily at your poor attempt at humor, the same as every week. It’d become a bit of a routine, but one you did gladly, since Tumble genuinely liked you. The emotional burst you got from him always did wonders for your disposition, and the two of you were soon swapping some raunchy jokes. “Well, Tumble, I gotta get going. People to see, and places to be. I’ll be sure to swing by on my way out of town, though.”

“Right, Quill. Enjoy your shopping. And let me know if ya get a letter from that mystery mare of yours!” His laughter echoes behind you, and you feel a small smile come to your face. Few things brought you pleasure in this bleak existence. But that mare was one of them.

It had started with a forced meeting with Canterlot royalty, something having to do with a set of stolen artifacts. You had been there for the meeting, and it was then that you spotted her for the first time. She had a beautiful coat, and her mane was even more beautiful than her coat was. You couldn’t recall the events of that meeting, but you knew that it was serious. By the end of the meeting you had nearly every facet of the mare memorized, and she quickly became a focal point for you. Most of your free time had been spent thinking about her, and so you endeavored to find where she lived.

Without even thinking about what you were doing, you sent a letter to the Princess, asking about the mare. As soon as you sent it, though, you realized what a fool you were, and you began planning your escape into the countryside, hoping to escape the wrath of the solar, or lunar, princess. To your continued amazement, though, she had responded with a name, and an address. Attached to the name and address, though, was a very descriptive letter from Princess Celestia, in which she elaborated on all the ways she could make you miserable if you hurt one of her ponies.

Needless to say, that letter alone was enough of a deterrence to prevent you from acting right away. Several months passed, and then you sent your first letter. It wasn’t anything elaborate, nor was it even signed. But it was a start, and from there a relationship had blossomed.

“Quill, you going to buy something, or are you just going to stand there gawking like an idiot?” You realized that you were standing in front of the mare from whom you bought most of your food, and she looked ready to buck some sense into you. “You’ve been standing there for almost five minutes just looking at nothing.”

“My apologies, Blueberry. I was lost in thought.” You offered a small bow along with your apology, and it seemed that it was enough to mollify the mare. “I’d like my usual assortment, if you don’t mind.” The mare rolled her eyes at your expected request, and she rummaged through her wares for a few minutes before she came back to you with a couple of bags.

“Seventy bits, just like last week.” You counted out the coin for the mare, along with ten extra. You waited patiently for her to count it all out, and as she finished counting she moved to push the extra ten back towards you.

“Those are for you, Blue. Consider it an extension of my earlier apology, as well as a token of my appreciation for what you do.” The mare narrowed her eyes for a moment, and she soon responded.

“That’s kind of you, Quill.” You could make out the reluctance in her words, but her emotional makeup was far different. There was a real level of thankfulness present, as well as a degree of true friendship. She’d never admit it, but she liked you some. You bowed to the mare once again, and then you resumed your trip through the town, stopping at the usual shops and stalls to browse their wares, and purchase the essentials that you needed to last you the week.

Soon enough you had everything you needed floating behind you, and so you turned to begin making your way out of town. Tumble was there waiting, and he gave you a wave as you passed by. As you began putting some distance between you and him you realized that you forgot one of the most important stops. You turned to look back to town and you realized that you were already more than halfway home, so, with a sigh, you decided that you’d drop off your groceries before heading into town again.

You approached your home slowly, and you reached out with your magic to open the lock, and it yielded to your magical touch. It took almost an hour for you to sort and store everything that you had purchased. A low rumble came from your belly, and you decided that you could soothe your hunger in town, and make it a little splurge for yourself. You hardly ever took the time to treat yourself to anything, and so you figured that you’d allow it this time.

Again you locked the door, and you started your trip back to the town. Oddly enough Tumble wasn’t in his usual spot, and you figured that it had to do with the fact that he wasn’t expecting you to come by. You shrugged mentally as you passed by his home, and soon enough you were approaching the post office. The door burst open when you got closer, and there stood the pegasus you were hoping to see. Her dull gray coat, blonde mane, and bubble cutie mark identified her as the one and only Ditzy Doo. She smiled when she saw you, and for a moment both of her eyes looked at you. She trotted over to you, and her smile widened with each step.

“Quill, I’ve got something for you!” You smile back at her, already anticipating the letter, and the emotional rush that would come with it. She rummaged about in her saddlebag for several minutes before she finally emerged with a letter clasped firmly between her teeth. “It’s a letter!” You chuckle at her declaration, but your smile vanishes when she keeps it out of reach. “Wait, this isn’t your letter… Give me a minute.”

Once more she dives into her bag, and you stare in wonder as she manages to submerge nearly her whole head into the bag. You want to say something to her, but your own befuddlement keeps you from answering. With a cry of success the mare emerges from her bag, a different letter than before clamped between her teeth. “This one’s yours for sure. I can see your name on it.” You reach out a hoof to the mare, and she lets you take the letter.

“You have my thanks, Ditzy.” You pull out a few bits, and give them to her. “Go get yourself a muffin, my treat.” The mare’s eyes widened at your gift, and she gave you a quick hug before she took flight. That hug had more emotion behind it than a full day spent shopping in the markets, and you relished the burst of energy that came with it. With a notable spring in your step you made your way back to your small house, and you placed the letter on the table in the dining room, all thoughts of getting something to eat forgotten in the haze of what you’d gotten.

You sat down on the couch, and you held the letter in your hooves, looking at the hoofwriting that adorned the piece of parchment. Although calling it hoofwriting was inaccurate, since she used her magic to write. Anyway, you slowly undid the wax seal, and you smiled widely as you read the letter. With a fine eye for detail, having read every letter she’d sent you many times, you could make out the emotions that had run through her as she’d written it. Clearly she was still infatuated with you, but there was something else there, some niggling doubt.

You’d seen it develop over time, but it wasn’t quite enough to discourage her yet. You felt bad for what you were putting her through, but your fears were enough of a deterrent to keep you at bay. But much like Rarity, you had your own doubts. It’d been years since the changeling attack on Canterlot, surely it’s something that the ponies had come to terms with, and had moved past. You sighed loudly as you realized you were moments away from arguing with yourself again.

You pushed aside your own feelings for a moment as you continued to read the letter. She went on about some stallion who finally confessed their love to a friend of hers, and you stopped as you read into the emotions behind it all. Rarity was happy for her friend, but she wanted something like that for herself. Generosity is a great thing, yes, but not when it costs oneself so much.

As you finished the letter you came to the part that always triggered the rush of emotions stored within the letter. The final words of a letter always speak volumes about the emotions felt within a letter, and indicated the degree to which it was meant. A letter signed with sincerely was something one sends to a distant friend, simply concluding the letter, and indicating honesty. Wishing somepony the best was also a weak conclusion. But the way Rarity signed it was just one word, and it was enough to trigger the influx of emotions.

You felt energized as the love came pouring out of the letter, and it flowed into you. While it could never replace the love lost after the failed invasion, it was certainly the closest you could ever hope to achieve. Your moment of bliss didn’t last long, though, as a loud explosion shook your home. It wasn’t anywhere nearby, that you could tell from the sound, but the intensity was what really let you know how serious things were. The rumble reached you here, and the train tracks were almost a mile away.

You rushed to the door of your home, and for just a moment you hesitated before throwing open the door and making your way to the train tracks. Along the way you met up with several other members of the town, all of whom were rushing to the scene. The smoke was visible several minutes before you made it to the scene. You heard some other members of the town call out into the wreckage, and you also began calling out for survivors. A ragged voice answered your call, and you used it to home in on the survivors.

As you crested a small rise you looked down on a mare and a stallion, both of whom were in terrible condition. The mare was looking down at the stallion, and you felt a wave of sadness that nearly overwhelmed you as you looked towards the couple. The mare leaned down close to the stallion, and even over the roar of the fires nearby you could make out her words.

“I love you.” The stallion’s eyes just continued their inexorable trip towards closing, and the mare grew more frantic with each passing moment. Several other townsponies came up beside you, and you all watched in horror as the stallion died in the orange mare’s grasp. Her cry of anguish pierced the heavens, and it also shook all of you out of your stupor. You dashed towards the couple, and you pulled the mare aside so you could begin treating her. But, despite your efforts, she refused to budge from where she was. Tears streamed down her face, and you finally gave up on attempting moving her, instead resolving to inform the princess of what was happening.

The message was hastily crafted, and it was based more on emotions than actual words. Regardless, you hoped that the princess would respond quickly, since a distraught Element of Harmony would not bode well for anypony involved. Almost a full minute passed before a response came, and when it came it was not a message, but was a pulse of magical energy as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and a pegasus you’d never seen before arrived. All three quickly descended upon the grieving earth pony, and after a minute the pegasus took several steps back and he pulled a piece of parchment from his armored suit.

With surprising grace he wrote a letter, and then he looked at you. “Changeling, send this to Twilight Sparkle, of Ponyville. Use her dragon as the focus for your destination.” With no more instruction than that, he turned his attention to the other members of the town.

You focused your energies to your horn, and then you let out the tiniest pulse, searching the land for a dragon in the town of Ponyville. It took some time for the pulse to return, but when it did you knew the destination for the scroll. With a quick spell you sent the scroll on its way, and then you turned back to the scene behind you. Already the bigger earth ponies were clearing away piles of wreckage, and the unicorns were dealing with the fires.

You moved to start helping out where you could, but a hoof came down on your shoulder before you could take more than a few steps, and you looked behind you to see an upset looking Celestia staring back at you.

“Wasn’t me, I swear.”

(Hope you enjoyed it. More to come, so fret not!)

Chapter XIII: Culmination, Retribution, Desperation

(Brace yourselves. This one's a doozy. Longest to date in the Nameless Romance Series too.)

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

You flipped through all the pages that comprised the single entry that you were about to start. Circumstance had prevented you from writing for a few days, and so you had only been able to get everything down after things had calmed down some. You could still remember the barn where you had finally crawled to get some shelter. It had been… Well, words didn’t really do it justice. There was so much that had happened, in so short a time. Looking back, it was sometimes hard to realize that you were reading about what you had done. At times it seemed like you were reading what some other Changeling had done, but then you look at your body and you see some of the scars still present. Your nearly eidetic recollection of the events was often a source of discomfort for you, since full recollection often resulted in small pangs of pain running through the scars along your body.

“The climax of the Changeling race is fast approaching, Rarity. The culmination of all we were will soon present itself, and from there it is just a matter of hours until… Until there was one…”

*//\//\//\ Day of the Royal Wedding //\//\//\*

The shield shattered into a million pieces of magical energy as the hive finally smashed through. It allowed the minds of the hive to mingle with yours once again, and you had to struggle for just a moment to keep your thoughts wholly independent of the hive. It had been too long, it seemed, since your last time amongst the hive. But with their return came the boost to your power that you had lamented losing when you first started the assignment. Now that it was back, though, you felt like you could take on the world. And win. And that was pretty much what you’d have to do.

Luna’s tower wasn’t that hard to find, and you quickly angled towards it, smashing through a window without a thought, your magical shield casting aside the shards of glass in a vibrant display of stained glass. You didn’t even see what it was a rendition of before you had smashed through. Still, now wasn’t sightseeing time, so you turned to face the door that led to Luna’s bedchambers, and then you began advancing. The sounds of fighting in the castle echoed up to you through the myriad of halls, often allowing you to hear the same crash or scream multiple times. Having spent as much time around the ponies of Canterlot as you had, it did cause you to flinch a few times when you heard a particularly pathetic cry of anguish, sadness, or anger.

You stopped when you were just a few steps away from Luna’s door, the massive wooden door an imposing shade of dark blue with the stars of the night sky decoratively rendered across the entire face. There was even a perfect copy of the moon painted onto the right door of the pair. You knew that in a one on one fight you’d never stand a chance against the Princess, so you decided that you’d make sure that neither you, nor any of your countless brothers and sisters, would have to deal with Luna. The spell that you had contrived within your mind was unusually complex, combining a wide array of different effects to achieve the desired result.

As you dipped into your reserves of magic you could feel the collective energy of the hive. It was a breathtaking thing to feel. Each and every Changeling in the hive had a reserve of magic that was yours to use, and so you did just that, pulling a small amount of energy from almost all the Changelings in order to fuel the massive demands of the spell you were working. You did feel the pool dip a few times as somewhere a Changeling died, but it was a drop out of the bucket, so to speak. Canterlot couldn’t hope to combat a reserve of this intensity, and it was just this aspect that would work to assure success in your endeavor. As the spell reached its completion, there was a blinding flash as the field you had been creating expanded rapidly, swallowing the entirety of Luna’s chambers. The spell would keep the duo inside asleep for the better part of the day, assuring that you and the rest of the hive would have enough time to do what needed to be done.

A series of short flights later, and you were standing atop the main hall of the palace, looking down into the courtyard in front of the palace. The royal guards that were present were locked in combat with the drones, each guard separated from his allies by the coordinated efforts of the swarm. This was a strength that the hive had that no force could hope to match. Each drone was part of a larger whole, working only to further the hive, rather than themselves. The guards were fighting for Canterlot, yes, but also for themselves, seeking the preservation of self before the preservation of the capital. It was this act that would be the downfall of Canterlot. It was this lack of individuality that you hated.

The drones weren’t stupid creatures. When forced to speak, they could actually articulate themselves quite well, even going as far as to have original ideas. These ideas were, often, integrated into the greater hivemind, allowing it to germinate in the minds of other Changelings until it was a widely accepted truth. But it didn’t have to be like that, and that’s why you refused to take the throne, despite the fact that it was yours for the taking. You didn’t want to ascend to leadership over an organism. You wanted to lead a people. You wanted to be able to address the issues of a people that couldn’t just adapt mentally to these problems. It’d be more work, but it would put you a step closer to the integration that you really wanted. This whole attack was the work of Chrysalis. She wanted to rule over mindless workers.

As the guards were forced further and further apart they grew more desperate in their fighting, taking risks and improvising. Thinking outside the box, in order to gain the upper hoof. Something no Changeling could do in a battle like this. The collective was too dominant for any one drone to think for themselves. Unwilling to watch the fight progress any further, you took to the skies, soaring over the city and watching things develop as they would. Your flight took you down some of the wide streets that you knew so well, and it wasn’t long before you found yourself in your neighborhood. You didn’t see many familiar faces, but that didn’t keep you from trying to see if there was anypony you knew.

After roaming the skies for almost half an hour you finally landed in front of your house, the door still closed. You approached it slowly, somehow feeling like a stranger as you approached the place you had called home for the past two years. Just before you touched the doorknob you realized that it was exactly this feeling that kept you from taking the initiative in trying to change the hive. It was this sensation of being so different. No matter how they tried, Changelings would be unable to change what they really looked like. They could change the way they were perceived, but they couldn’t change what they looked like.

And they’d always be emotional leeches.

No. Not leeches. A leech is a parasite. A creature that only takes. You wanted to make the Changelings into symbiotic beings. Creatures that helped as much as they benefited from the union. If you could find a way to make that work, then there would be hope for your people. You heard a scream from a short distance away, and that was enough to shake you from your reverie. You looked towards the source of the voice, seeing nothing down the street that would’ve been able to make the noise. As you looked back at the door, you slowly lowered your hoof, the desire to enter your old home leaving you. It wasn’t your home anymore. And that was the point.

After that, you returned to your aimless wanderings. Much of the city had been taken, and you spotted a group of six mares being escorted towards the palace in one of the streets. You paid it no mind, though, instead making your way towards one of the many sightseeing locations located along the walls of the great city. The Changelings had won, that was plain to see. But that didn’t mean that you had to be there for Chrysalis to begin putting her final plans into action. That was something that no being wanted to be present for.

You alighted upon one of the many rooftops along the edge of the city, and then you looked out over the domain that would soon be yours for the taking. Without the Royal Sisters to protect it, it would be just a matter of time before this whole land was under your control. You heard a muffled cry from your right, and you quickly turned to see what it was.

There, huddled up against the wall, was a mare, and her foal. The foal, you could tell, was likely just a few months old. But… There was something familiar about the mare. And the foal she had as well. As you looked at the mare, you realized that you did know her. And, knowing her, you knew the child as well. You had spent the Summer Sun Celebration with her a year ago. And she had conceived from your little tryst.

You took a step closer to the pair, and the mare simply pulled the foal closer, her eyes widening as you grew closer. “Stay back! S… Stay away from me!” Almost as if it was against your will, all of your legs stopped, halting your progress. “Just leave us alone! Please… Oh, Celestia, please, just leave!”

One thing that you had never thought about now came back to your mind as your mouth opened, and a few simple words fell forth from your mouth. That little, insignificant, detail that had only seemed like a big deal when you had just arrived in the city. You had never modified your voice for your Quill disguise, instead choosing to allow your normal voice to be used, since it was so vastly different from that of a normal pony. In fact, it was often said that your voice was quite pleasant to listen to. “Star Chaser, it’s me…”

The silence that followed your words was absolute. The sounds of fighting throughout the city had even stopped, allowing you to focus all of your attention on the mare. Her jaw dropped a bit as she comprehended what you had said.

“Quill?”

A sudden burst of energy from the palace stole the words from your mouth, and as you turned to look to the palace you saw a massive wall of energy expanding outwards, rapidly approaching you. It looked familiar, somehow, but there was something off about the way it looked. Almost like it was only familiar in a specific context. And, as the wall hit you, so did the realization that the wall was love made into tangible magical energy. You were only propelled along by the wall for a brief moment, but the abrupt impact was sufficient to give you quite a bit of speed, and it worked to shatter one of your legs as well.

The landing was… less than graceful. Some might even say you crashed, but the ponies who would say that are just jealous of the immense aerial acrobatics you displayed. It takes skill to land as poorly as you did. Although, to be fair, any landing you walk away from is a good one. Which is why you can make the argument that this was a bad landing. Since you couldn’t walk away from it. Whether that was due to the broken leg caused by the wave of magic, or your landing, you refused to say. Although flying with a broken wing is difficult even without a throbbing, bleeding, broken leg. But, hey! What’s life without challenges?

All around you, scattered far and wide were the remnants of the hive, the drones all fleeing from the city with little sense of order, or coherency. It was only through force of will that you managed to draw a few to you. Their nervous flitting gazes lingering on nothing, and taking in even less. None of them had names, as was the norm for the hive, and you only had to look at one to immediately draw its attention to you. With terse words you managed to bring all of their attentions to you, and from there you could use their reserves of energy to work on fixing your leg. None of them had very much left, though, and it almost killed them to pull all the energy you needed. And you had even drained your own reserves first, not wanting to draw solely upon them.

You still had a slight limp, though, since you suspected that you hadn’t set the bone quite properly. It was painful, but it kept you going, each step reminding you of the fact that you had to keep going. Within just a few hours of your started march the first of your drones died, his magical reserves having been depleted faster than you expected. There wasn’t a sound to signal his passing, just a sudden realization that one of your drones had died. Even then, you had wanted to stop and bury them, since there was no feasible way to bring them back to the hive. But, circumstance prevented that course of action, and so you simply continued, one less than before.

The second and third deaths came as you passed by the edge of a small village, the guards in the town forcing you to adopt a far slower, and far more cautious pace. Three times in the course of an hour you were forced to dip into your reserves to cast an invisibility spell. During the second spell another Changeling died, their frail body unable to continue. The first night was spent huddled beneath a tree in a small grove, the two remaining drones huddling close to you, seeking the protection of their king. You didn’t sleep at all that night, instead spending the whole night watching, and waiting.

As dawn arrived, you felt a familiar presence draw close, and you sent out a tendril of magic, trying to figure out who it was that was approaching. Much to your relief it was both Entropy, and Impulse. Impulse was carrying an unconscious Entropy on her back, and when she spotted you she nearly broke down crying from relief.

“Catalyst!” You rushed over to her, wincing just a bit as you felt the jolt of pain in your leg. “Oh, by the Creator, I thought you were dead, or captured.”

“It’ll take more than a wall of magic to kill me, Impulse. And I’m too good at my job to be captured.” She didn’t take the bait you’d offered her, and it was that action that really let you know just how bad things were for you, and your kind. Impulse would, normally, never let an opportunity like that pass her by. It was never a really bad insult that she’d throw at you, but it was always creative. “How bad is it?”

“Bad. Mother’s been sending occasional pulses of magic, calling us all to her. Unless you know to listen for them, though, you’ll miss them. We have to be incredibly careful for now, since the ponies are all on high alert. I even managed to hear a rumor that the Princesses themselves are roaming the land looking for us.” You swore under your breath before Impulse continued. “If I’m right, I think we just have a few days to go before we get to the gathering spot.”

“Do… Do we have any idea how many died? How many were captured?”

“Nothing solid. Our spy network was shattered during the attack, and so everything we’re getting is spotty at best. Worst estimates say eighty percent of our kind died. Best estimates put us at half that.” You turned away from your sister, a grimace on your face.

“Let’s get going. I… I’d rather not give myself the time to dwell on what’s happened. And what’s still to come. Chrysalis’ failure will be my legacy if I ascend to the throne now, so I’d rather see to it that order is restored to the hive before that happens.” You felt a gentle pressure on your neck after a moment, and you returned the nuzzle, happy for just a moment to have a shoulder to lean on, and a Changeling to talk to, since your drones had all been operating on instinct, their minds still unable to cope with the crippling losses.

“Things will be okay, Catalyst. We’ve been hit harder before.”

“The Griffons weren’t as determined as the ponies are, Impulse.” You and your sister, along with the drones, then began your march, the conversation making the miles blend together. “We never attacked their capitol, and we never threatened their leaders. Our battles with the Griffons were also spread out over the course of several months, rather than a single devastating attack. Losses as bad as this in a day are crippling. Losses like this spread out over a few months? It can be overcome.”

“The ponies are far more peaceful than the griffons, though. I don’t think they’ll swear a blood feud against us. Nor do I think that Celestia or Luna will unleash some unholy vengeance upon our people. Chrysalis bears the blame for this attack, and so if they decide to do something, I am certain that they’ll target her, and not the rest of the hive. Genocide just doesn’t seem like something they’d do.”

“But it wasn’t just Chrysalis that did all of this. Sure, she organized it all, but what about you? What about Entropy? The two of you made sure that everything was lined up in the city. You paved the way for almost everything that had to be done in order to assure the success of the attack. And me? I was the single agent that made this work. I was the one to make all of this possible. True to my name, I was the catalyst. Without me, I don’t think this attack would’ve been possible.”

After that revelation, silence fell upon the group for several hours. The forced march kept up for two straight days before Entropy finally stirred from her sleep. It took her the better part of a day for her to be brought up to date on everything that had taken place. After that, silence descended once again, nothing being said at all. The last of your drones died that day. It simply collapsed, the last dregs of its magical energy seeping out of its body and into the earth. Now it was just you, and your sisters.

The next morning, you could feel the collective energies of the hive. Or, at least, what was left of it. It was far less than you had hoped, and, even, less than you had feared. It only took a few hours after that moment for you to arrive at the formal gathering location. It was a massive depression in the midst of the forest, dozens of rock ledges exposed and offering up places for Changelings to gather, and sit. Down at the bottom of the depression was Chrysalis, her pacing wearing a fine groove into the stone. At your approach, she looked at you with thinly veiled hope in her eyes. There was no outburst of emotion, though. She barely allowed a smile to flit across her face before she motioned for you and your sisters to follow her into a small cave. It was a natural formation, and it almost reminded you of home… Almost.

It was a surprisingly deep cave system, and she led you for the better part of ten minutes before she stopped in a room with several torches set up along the walls. It cast an eerie glow in the room, the harsh contrast between light and dark playing havoc with your normally superior night vision. Arrayed on the wall behind Chrysalis was a large map of Equestria, with many cities and towns marked on its surface, some with crosses on them, and some circled. “Catalyst, Impulse, Entropy. It’s good to see that all three of you are still alive. I had feared the worst.” She looked at each of you in turn, before her gaze reached you. She lingered for a bit longer than with the others, before she turned to look at the map. “In your absence, I have been planning our next attack. With the hive in shambles, we need to find a new source of love that we can tap. I have picked out a few possible locations that we can scout out. I will need each of you to aid me in this.”

“Are you serious?” You spoke before you could stop yourself, and your mother slowly turned to look at you, her face an unreadable mask.

“Is there a problem, son?” Her voice was gentle, but you knew that you had already made things irreparable for yourself.

“Yes. Yes, there is. We need time to recover before we launch some new assault. We shouldn’t fail in one attack, just to start a new one. We need to adopt far more subtle practices until we can replenish the hive.”

“And what, pray tell, would you suggest?”

“We plant ‘sponges’ in some of the towns that you’ve highlighted, and let them simply absorb the latent emotions. That should be sufficient to get us back to the hive. Once we return, we need to rebuild, and then we can start planning something. But to go right from a defeat like that to a new attack? It’s madness.”

“Madness?” She tilted her head a bit, and then a frown grew on her face. Both Entropy and Impulse stepped back a bit, letting you take the full force of what was coming. “This is my hive, Catalyst. I turned us into the force you hope to inherit. Without me, you’d be getting the dregs that my sister had hoped to gain. But I saw to it that she never had the chance to ruin my hive. I killed my only living sister, Catalyst. I will have no problem killing you if I have to.”

Before you could respond, a massive force shook the ground, pebbles falling from the ceiling and giving everyone in the room pause. Then, a voice came echoing down the halls, laced with anger so pure that it made your horn itch. Chrysalis, for her part, made it seem like she was unfazed by the cry. But you knew her well enough to see the subtle shiver that ran the length of her spine. “Let us go and entertain our guests, children. I…” She looked around for a moment, before she motioned to your sisters. “Go and amuse the Sisters for a moment. I have a few words I must share with my son.” Your sisters just looked from you to your mother for a moment before they reluctantly departed.

When they were out of earshot you looked back to your mother to see her sitting on the ground, her head hanging low. “Mother?”

“You’re right, you know? After the debacle that was Canterlot I was eager to prove that I am still a strong monarch. A strong hivemind. But I can only see the most direct path to victory, while you still see things rationally. I fear that I already know the outcome of this parley, but we must play it out for the sake of following the great scripts that are written when we are born. It’s really a shame, though. I was dearly hoping that I could see you ascend to the throne in different circumstances.”

“But you aren’t dead yet. And I won’t be the one to kill you.”

“Oh, you’re all too right. The Watchers already promised me that. It was probably the only thing they ever told me that I believed.”

“The Watchers?”

“We’ve no time, son. Come, we have guests to amuse for a time.” She quickly stood, and began walking down the stone hall, leaving you to your self in the torch lit room for just a moment. With a sigh, you cast a last look at the map, noting that there was a marker in a location where there was no settlement. It was, for all intents and purposes, in the middle of nowhere. The Badlands. It was, curiously, crossed out in bold black ink.

You followed after your mother slowly; your mind occupied with what she had told you. Did she really know what was coming, or was this another one of her plots? You were almost certain that it was the former, but a tiny part of your mind argued for the latter. As you neared the entrance to the caves you heard the voices of two loudly arguing ponies, and one irate sounding Changeling.

When you emerged into the light you saw that both Luna and Celestia were airborne above the gathering, their horns glowing with barely contained magical energy. You were jumping in halfway through the conversation, though, and so you quickly started paying attention to what Celestia was saying.

“… Attacking defenseless ponies, and assaulting my niece!”

“What do you mean, defenseless? Clearly you have all too much power at your disposal! In a single attack you wiped out ninety-five percent of my hive! In a single spell you killed more living things than my hive has done over the past two decades!” The white coated Princess balked at your mothers declaration, but then she came back into the argument with a vengeance, quickly working to deflect the accurate accusation.

“We were defending ourselves against an unprovoked attack. You can’t hope to blame me for our response to your actions, Chrysalis. Perhaps if you had been wiser this might not have happened. But, now that it has, I will only ask once. Step down as Queen, and surrender your hive. There will be no bargaining. There will be no conditions. Surrender, and there needs to be no further killing.”

Silence fell upon the congregation, the only audible thing being the beat of the Princesses’ wings. It was out of this silence that the single worst sound you’d ever heard was made. It defied description then, and even now you lack the words to do the justice that the spell deserved. It wasn’t even a powerful bolt of energy. It was, likely, just a release of pent up emotional energy. Not designed to hurt, only to act as a release. But, as fate would have it, this bolt happened to fly towards the Princesses. You knew for a fact, simply by looking at the size, that it would have absolutely no impact on the Princesses, since it wasn’t even a concentrated bolt. But, in such a tense situation, overreactions happen. And what followed was the biggest overreaction ever.

Perhaps it was at that moment that Celestia and Luna realized just how vulnerable they made themselves by dropping into the depression as far as they had. Perhaps this was their intention all along, the parley being nothing but a veil behind which they could hide their true intent. Not that it matters, really. The result is what matters, and the means that were used to get there… Well, such a display of magical viciousness made you want to flee in terror, despite all the things that you’ve done. Each bolt released from the Princesses was one that laid waste to a dozen Changelings, their sudden deaths creating vicious feedback loops throughout the collective consciousness. It was this feedback that created the Changeling response. Instinct took over for many of the drones, their response being to immediately fire off a bolt of energy in retaliation.

You, your sisters, and Chrysalis all looked on in horror as the Princesses wiped out the entire congregation, leaving just a handful of drones left, and the three of you. “You listen to our parley, and then attack us? By the Creator, Chrysalis, this time you have gone too far.” Celestia’s voice was different from usual, the tone it held was darker than normal, and her eyes were different. Normally there was a spark that danced within her eyes, but now there was nothing but a cold set of pupils looking down on your mother, you, and your sisters.

“I’m sorry, Catalyst. I tried. I really did.” There was no charge up to the spell. There wasn’t even a wave of heat, or energy. All that happened was a bright flash, and then your mother, and Impulse were gone, leaving you and Entropy dashed against the walls of the pit. Through some miracle, or curse, you had been lucky enough not to lose consciousness. The Princesses both looked around the pit for a moment, seeing if there were any still living Changeling’s present. They must’ve thought that you were dead, since they didn’t come over to vaporize you like they did your mother. After a few minutes, you saw Celestia shake, and her wings failed her, prompting Luna to carry her on her back, and away from the depression.

After waiting for the better part of an hour, you stood up, looking out at the desolation surrounding you. There were surprisingly few bodies, but the stench of death lingered. You slowly approached the spot where your mother had been standing, and then you felt a single sob escape your throat. Not just for your mother, but for the hive. A strangled sob echoed back to you, and then you lost it in spades. You felt your legs give out beneath you, and you cried. It was the first time in years that you had cried, and it felt oddly good to finally have an outlet. A muted cry met your ears, and you looked to the source to see Entropy up against the wall, her hoof reaching out to you.

Without a thought, you dashed over to her, taking her hoof in yours. “Catalyst, it hurts… It hurts so much…” Her eyes refused to focus on anything, and you raised a hoof to her cheek as her breathing quickened.

“Where? Entropy, where does it hurt?”

“By the Creator, Catalyst, everywhere…” Her eyes locked onto yours for a moment, and then she stopped breathing. Her eyes looked so much like your mother’s. The same color, the same slit pupils. They were your mother’s eyes, and they were looking back at you lifelessly, and dull. The hivemind that had always been so subtly in the back of your mind was silent. After all those years, it had finally fallen silent. Even when you were so far from any of your brothers and sisters you could still feel it in the back of your mind, a gentle buzzing at the extreme edge of your consciousness. But now it was gone.

You were alone. You were the last of your kind.

You are the last of your kind.

After your mental breakdown, a long period of time passed without any memories that could be recalled. The next coherent thought you could recall was passing through a series of wooded glades that finally yielded to a full fledged forest. It seemed familiar, somehow, yet you were unable to process the scenery as you passed it. Life had become a blur to you, and you found that you couldn’t bring yourself to stop, each step following the last one in a mechanical pattern, and any deviation from that pattern yielded intense pain. Your trip through the forest lasted nearly three days, and you never once stopped your pace as you marched along, navigating the thick brush with ruthless efficiency. When you finally managed to emerge from the forest you found yourself facing even more trees. These ones were arranged in rows, but that failed to register in your mind.

As you walked down the space between two trees you finally paused as you felt something land atop your head. It was such a small thing, yet it drew your attention away from your steps, and towards the skies above. A second impact followed on the heels of the first, and soon countless others joined their friends in pelting your body. Somehow, the weather was mocking you. Your own tears had dried up days ago, and now the sky was mocking you with tears of its own. You could vaguely recall it having rained a few days ago, but it was all a blur, and so you put no faith in those memories. You didn’t linger long, and soon you continued your pace, heading through the trees without a thought about anything that was happening.

A large structure in the distance caught your eye, and you angled towards it, your exhausted body and mind finally demanding some degree of rest. The structure just happened to be a barn, and it was dry on the inside, making it, to your mind, the perfect place to curl up inside of, and rest. The lock, for its part, failed. With a mere flick of your magic it was turned to ash, the intricacies required to undo the lock being beyond your mental capacity at the moment. However, it took more out of you than you had thought it would, and you were forced to practically drag yourself inside. It was warm on the inside, and you soon had yourself a pile of hay gathered up to rest on. As you felt the tenuous grasp of sleep begin to wear at the edges of your mind, you sat up once more, your journal finding its way to your hooves.

And so began the writing of the longest single entry in the book. When you finally let the book fall from your hooves, you simply fell back, sleep claiming you before you even hit the hay.

*//\//\//\ Present //\//\//\*

As you finished your recollection and reading, you marked the page in the journal, and then you looked towards the mare. She was looking at you in a slightly different way than she had been doing before, but there was still no influx of energy. She still refused to give you anything, and you let out a sigh as you adjusted your position. “That, Rarity, was the longest waking period of my life. I found out a bit later, in the next entry, that I spent nearly two weeks in a state of constant wakefulness. I suspect that I got some sleep while I was out of it, but I don’t know.”

“Did… Did Celestia really do that? She’s always been so…”

“So kind? So serene? So in control? She normally is. But the events of the attack showed her that she isn’t quite as powerful as she would like to think. And Luna took a disliking to my kind, meaning me, due to what we did to her sister.” You quickly glance at the last few entries that you intended to read before you look back at the mare. “I still have some way to go, and I still have time left. If you would do me the honor of simply listening to the end of my sordid tale, I would at least be able to die content, if not fully satisfied.”

The mare just looked at you for a moment before she nodded solemnly.

“Thank you.” With that, you reopened the journal, ready to resume the tale of your life…

(This was fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. The next chapter will likely be the last. I won't spoil anything, still, so don't ask. Speculate, if you like, but don't ask me to tell you. Be sure to comment, since I am fairly certain that I missed some things that you may be curious about.)