I was sitting with Scootaloo on a park bench.

“So I heard you did your report on Rainbow Dash,” I said. “That must’ve been fun.”

“You bet!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Her parents even helped me out.”

“Right, I heard about them coming to town. How did Rainbow react to seeing them again?”

“She was embarrassed at first, but in the end she was grateful how they made her so confident.”

“That’s good to hear, although from what I’ve heard I don't blame her initial reaction. They did interfere with her flying routines after all.”

“I agree that the fireworks display and the towel praise may have been a bit much, but her parents are still amazing for raising her! If only my parents were like that.”

“You have parents?” I already knew that, but I feigned my surprise.

“Oh, yeah.”

Scootaloo pulled a very weathered photo. The folds were so worn down that any more attempts at creasing them would’ve torn the photo. The edges were frosted white, and the colors faded like the photo was originally a red monochrome. As I leaned closer, I could see Scootaloo as a five-year-old while a bulky, brown earth pony and a lanky, peach pegasus stood behind her. These were Scootaloo’s father and mother, Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood respectively.

“Huh, I thought you were an orphan,” I said. “I never saw your parents before.”

Scootaloo put her photo away. “That’s because they’re usually out traveling the world, looking for many exotic plants and animals. So, I stay with my aunts, Holiday and Lofty. But I just know one day Mom and Dad will come home and invite me to join them on their next journey. That would be amazing.”

“No doubt about it, but…that would also mean one day you’ll have to say goodbye to the CMC.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you’re traveling with your parents, then you won’t be able to help those with a cutie mark issue. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle would have to work by themselves, or have somepony replace you if you leave.”

Scootaloo scratched her chin. “You know, I never thought of that. Meeting Applebloom and Sweetie Belle helped us three get our cutie marks.” She stood up and looked at her flank. “Not to mention how similar they look, as if something’s telling us we’re meant to stick together. Maybe I should rethink about joining my parents.”

“Don’t worry. When the time comes, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.”

At least I hope so. After seeing her join the Washouts in the show, I have some doubts.

Aside from my conversation with Scootaloo, I didn’t change much for “Parental Glideance.”

Starlight, Twilight, and I rode the train to the Crystal Empire. I donned my black hoodie and a pair of sunglasses.

“I hope Shining Armor and Princess Cadance don't think it's too soon for me to come back to the Crystal Empire for a visit,” said Twilight as she gazed out the window. “But I just know Flurry Heart's grown so much already. I wonder if I'll even recognize her.”

“She's the only baby they have, Twilight.” Starlight replied, looking up from her book. “I think it'll be pretty easy to figure out who she is.”

Twilight gave off an unamused grunt.

“Sorry.” Starlight closed her book. “I know you want to visit your niece as much as possible, and I'm excited to see Sunburst again. I just don't wanna fall behind on my friendship lessons back home.”

“Starlight, your work in Ponyville isn't going anywhere. Besides, I think we all know you can learn about friendship anywhere. Right, Spike?”

“Mmm-hmm.” I nodded.

“Uh, why are you dressed like that?” Starlight asked. “The Crystal Empire is not that cold in the springtime. If anything, it feels a little warmer than in Ponyville.”

“It’s not that.” I pulled down my shades. “I just know when I show up to the Empire, I’m gonna have a crowd mob me, asking for autographs, photos, and whatnot. As much as I’m proud of saving the Crystal Empire, I’m not in the mood today to see fans.”

“Whatever you say, ‘Spike the Brave and Glorious’.”

As I looked out the window, I knew this was when “The Times They Are a Changeling” would occur. In the show, a rogue changeling would show up, causing the Crystal Empire to be on lockdown in fear of him being a spy. In actuality, the changeling left the hive on his own accord and just wanted a place to stay.

This would finally answer the question once and for all: Did talking to Thorax back at Canterlot change the future events? Or would he still come to the empire after being outcasted? One thing is for sure, I hoped to convince the residents early that Thorax wasn’t an evil creature.

The train gave off a loud hiss as it halted at the station. The three of us exited the locomotive only to find the platform vacant.

“Disguise or not, Spike, I don't think you need to worry about being mobbed,” Starlight pointed out. “Nopony's here.”

So Thorax still left the hive. Dang it, fate.

“I've got a bad feeling about this,” Twilight said.

We scoured the streets. Once again, any signs of Crystal Pony life were nil.

“You know you can take your outfit off, Spike,” Twilight said. “We’re the only ponies and non-ponies here.”

“I’m not taking chances,” I replied. “I’ll wait until we see Shining and Cadance.”

“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you sweat like a pig later.”

We arrived at the castle. Two Crystal Pony guards stopped us. Just like in the show, they doubted our appearance. That’s when the Royal Family and Sunburst showed up.

“Oh, Cadance, thank goodness!” Twilight exclaimed. “What's going on?”

Shining Armor replied. “We can explain, Twily...if it really is you.”

“Why don’t you ask us some questions only the real us would know?” I suggested as I removed my sunglasses and pulled my hood down..

“Okay…what were the original colors of the Masked Matter-Horn?”

“Black and mahogany. The costume was changed to light blue and maroon when the original design team agreed it made her look too angsty. This was mentioned in issue #10 of the original Power Ponies series, which happened to be given to me on my tenth birthday.”

Thank you, old Spike.

“Starlight, how did I get my cutie mark?” Sunburst asked.

Starlight sighed. “A tower of books was about to fall on my head, but you used your magic to save me.”

Shining Armor nodded to Cadance. She approached Twilight.

“Sunshine, Sunshine…”

Twilight joined in. “Ladybugs awake…”

“Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” The two said together.

“It's okay, everypony,” Shining Armor announced. “It's them.”

Everypony breathed a sigh of relief as Cadance and Twilight hugged.

“Of course it's us!” Starlight exclaimed. “What's all this about?”

“A group of changelings have been spotted nearby,” Sunburst replied.

“Changelings?!” Twilight gasped.

“A group?!” I asked in shock.

In the show, there was only one changeling: Thorax. So the fact that there was more than one this time came out of left field.

“They’re the creatures that feed off of love, right?” Starlight verified. “Twilight and the others told me about them once.”

“Exactly,” replied Sunburst. “And ever since Flurry Heart's Crystalling, the Empire is filled with more love than anywhere in Equestria. It's possible they've come for the baby.”

Sunburst looked to Flurry Heart, who was innocently sucking on her bottle.

Shining Armor said, “That's why we posted the extra guards, and why we're—”

“—checking everypony's identity.” Twilight concluded.

“I'm sorry for all of this,” Cadance apologized. “Flurry Heart's really been looking forward to seeing you.”

Flurry Heart cooed as her aunt approached her.

“Aw, she's gotten so big,” Twilight fawned. Although, I saw no physical difference between now and when we first met her. “Starlight, Spike, and I will do whatever we can to help protect her.”

“To be honest, having you three here is already a big relief,” responded Cadance.

“So what can you tell us about these changelings?” I asked.

"They tried to cross the border,” Shining replied, “but we shooed them off before any of them could enter."

"What was weird was...none of them bothered to put on a disguise," Sunburst said.

"What do you mean? What exactly happened? What did they say?" I asked.

"Well…" Shining Armor cleared his throat. "The group arrived asking for shelter. They said that they were kicked out of their hive, and they needed a place to stay. We assumed it was some sort of trick, so we forced them to leave."

"Then we better go look for them. We need to hear their side of the story."

Everypony around me shared concerned faces, except for Flurry Heart.

"Spike, you want to actually find the changelings and talk to them?" Twilight asked. "Do you really think they can be reasoned with?"

"Sunburst said they didn't put on a disguise," I replied. "Now, why would they do that? If they wanted to attack the Crystal Empire and steal the baby, then they could've gone undercover. For them to arrive at the Crystal Empire’s doorstep in their natural bodies tells me that something did happen back at their hive. I say we go in a group and find this clan so we can fully understand why they're here."

“You’re in luck, Spike.” Shining Armor said, “It just so happens that the royal guards were wondering if you would like to join in the search for the changelings.”

“I’d be honored to.”

“Uh, I don't know if that's such a good idea, Spike,” Twilight anxiously spoke. “It sounds dangerous.”

I sighed. “I know, but we need to learn about these changelings one way or another.”

Ten Crystal Guards and I traversed outside the Crystal Empire and into the snowy climate.

“Spike the Brave and Glorious,” said the yellow guard named Radiant Gold, “you've faced the evil changelings before. What can you tell us?”

I replied, “Well, as you know they can feed off of love, and they can transform into any creature or non-creature…”

“You hear that?” Radiant announced to the other guards. “These monsters can look like any of us, so be on guard, guards! Even more than normal.”

“They also can be anywhere. I say we’ll cover more ground if we split into groups of two and one group of three.”

“Understood.” The second guard, Amethyst Stone saluted.“We’re also gonna need a code phrase or something so we can tell who’s a guard and who’s a disguised changeling.”

I scratched my chin. “I have one. When somepony says, ‘Sugar Sugar,’ the response will be, ‘Honey Honey.’ Can you all remember that?”

Everypony agreed.

“Good, now let’s find this group of changelings. First sign of them, fire a magic flare into the sky and the rest of us will come help you.”

We all parted ways. I joined Radiant and Amethyst. We walked across the deep snow. I watched my footing to avoid falling into the caves underneath. I didn’t see that cracked rock anywhere.

“So how many changelings were there exactly?” I asked.

“There were twelve, Spike the Brave and Glorious,” Radiant replied. “We counted.”

As much as I admire being a hero, I really wished the guards stopped calling me that.

“Which is why we should be careful,” Amethyst replied. “Just because a dozen showed up at our borders does not mean they have only twelve in total.”

“Maybe so,” I said. “But I have the feeling that these changelings are genuine with their pleas, so we should—”

POMF!!

The snow suddenly collapsed under me. I slipped down into the caves.

“HELP!!” I shouted.

I slid up to a deep chasm, and unlike in the show, there were no stalagmites to stop me. I tried to grab the ground, but the icy slope proved too solid to dig into. I soared over the edge, but right when I was about to plunge into the deep darkness, a pair of purple armored hooves grabbed me.

“Gotcha!” the Crystal Pegasus said.

My normal breathing struggled to return as the Crystal Guard placed me on solid ground. Another sentinel ran up to me.

“Are you alright, little one?” He asked.

“Yeah…yeah…I'm fine,” I replied.

The two guards who were with me before slid down the tunnel and struck their spears into the ice before they got close to the edge.

“Great job saving him,” Radiant said. “It was a good thing you two were down here.”

“Oh, well…” My savior rubbed the back of his head. “We were just in the area. When I heard your friend shouting, I quickly took action. I didn’t want him to get hurt after all.”

“I didn’t know this place had a cave system underneath.” Amethyst looked around.

“It’s…not that spectacular,” The second guard said. “These caves are dangerous to be in, and the slippery ice doesn’t help. Especially for the little guy.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” I said. “There’s something off about you two.”

“H…huh?” The guard who saved me took a step back.

I know there is. These guards never addressed me as “Spike the Brave and Glorious.”

“Sugar, sugar,” I said.

“What?” The crystal guard tilted his head.

“Sugar, Sugar.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

Radiant gasped and grabbed his spear. “It’s the changelings!”

“Oh, no!” The first unnamed guard immediately dropped his disguise, confirming his species. “Run!” He then flew off.

The second changeling revealed himself as well, and he went after his friend.

“After them!” Radiant shouted. “Send off the magic flare!”

I hopped on Radiant’s back as Amethyst fired a magic ball through the snow ceiling. We flew down the tunnels after the two changelings.

“Keep following them,” I said.

The two changelings split up at the fork in the road.

“You take left, we’ll go right!” Radiant said to Amethyst.

“Roger that!” Amethyst saluted.

We parted ways and followed our respective changelings. Radiant flew full speed towards our eluder. In spite of the narrow paths and various turns, we never fell behind him. Eventually, he was reunited with his changeling friend as did we and Amethyst.

“Seriously?” The first changeling said.

“I didn’t mean to cross paths again,” the second changeling said. “I was just making random turns.”

“We’ve got you now, changelings!” Amethyst shouted.

“I’ve got an idea! Keep flying!” The first changeling ordered.

The second one flew away. The first one stopped and transformed into a fire lizard. He then spewed a smokescreen straight at us. Radiant and Amethyst halted, and the three of us stood back to back.

“Be on your guard!” Radiant barked. “This could be an ambush!”

The smoke cleared around us, but the only living creatures visible were the two Crystal Guards and me.

“Where’d they go?” Amethyst asked.

“We lost them!” Radiant slammed his spear into the ground.

I picked up the faint sound of someone shouting in the distance.

“No we haven’t,” I said. “Come on.”

We hurried down the tunnel. It wasn’t until we exited into a bigger cave that the voices were clearer.

“Guys! Code red! Intruder Alert! Mayday! Oh, whatever the emergency signal is, they found us!” The changeling that saved me shouted.

We arrived at what looked like a campground. Various, crude sculptures of ice resembling blocks and small homes littered the walls. A fire rested in the center. Like what the guards confirmed, there were twelve changelings in all, including the two we first met.

“They're here!” Radiant shouted.

A few of the changelings got into a fighting stance before the rest of our guards arrived.

“Wait! Don't hurt us!” A familiar changeling cried out. “We just needed shelter! We don't mean any harm. Stand down, guys.”

The changelings obeyed as one of them approached us. I stepped forward.

“Hold on.” The changeling squinted at me. “Hey, I know you. You're the dragon from Canterlot.”

“Thorax?” I asked.

“Yes.”

The guards suddenly turned to me.

“You recognize this bug, Spike?” One of the guards asked. “Explain.”

I sighed. “When Chrysalis was taken out, I knew the rest of the changelings would either try to find a new leader or keep everything organized until she escaped. I didn't want to have another invasion happen again in my hometown, so I thought I could speak to one of them. I saw one of them looking worried, so I thought it would be easy to convince him to share love instead of eating it.”

“Wait, even though the Captain's wife was kidnapped by a changeling who planned to invade Canterlot with her minions, you still thought they could turn over a new leaf?”

“You can't judge an entire species by a single person's actions. That would be like if I saw Princess Celestia burning a book, I would assume that all ponies hate books. The changelings were just following orders. I know they can be reformed like Discord or Princess Luna.”

“Discord? The lord of chaos?” One of the changelings asked. “He’s been reformed?”

“Yep,” I replied.

“So how do we know these changelings are supposed to be good?” Amethyst pointed his spear at the changelings. So did the rest.

“Hear them out first,” I said. “Then we can decide if their story holds water.”

I walked closer to Thorax.

“Thorax, please tell us what exactly happened after we last met, and how you all came here,” I said.

“Okay.” Thorax took a deep breath. “When Spike suggested I could share love instead of just feeding on it, I wanted to follow his advice. It wasn’t easy when you’re the first changeling who didn’t want to act all mean and nasty. But eventually, I found one changeling who didn’t deter from my attempts to be nice: Frenulum.”

“That was me.” A changeling near the back raised their hoof. “At the time, I was glad someone said something about my battle style besides ‘do better than that!’”

“We hung out more often than other changelings. We discussed the idea of sharing love, and found out it really did work better than feeding off love. Eventually, we had more and more changelings interested in our idea.”

“If that’s the case, then why are you here and why are there so few of you?” Amethyst asked.

“To answer both of your questions and Spike’s second one, not all changelings liked the proposal,” Thorax replied. “A few months ago, the other changelings noticed they had less captured ponies than usual. The news spread through the Changeling Kingdom, and it didn’t take long until I was pinned as the responsible party. They told me I was infecting the hive with my problems, that I was ‘destroying everything Queen Chrysalis stood for.’ I defended myself, but they wouldn’t listen. That’s when those who accepted sharing love came to my side.

“I was grateful they spoke up, and I still am, but the changelings who tried me still wouldn't stand for my actions. They said I was no longer allowed back at the hive, and any of my loyalists would join in my banishment or worse. These guys are all who left with me.”

Thorax motioned to his followers.

“We searched for a place to stay. We avoided any pony towns because, well, changelings had a bad reputation almost everywhere. That’s when we found this place. We knew about the Crystal Empire and detected its massive amounts of love, but since we could share it, our only need was shelter. We tried to convince your guards to let us in, but they drove us away. So, we took refuge in the nearby caves instead. It wasn’t the most ideal place, but it was better than nothing.

“Anyway, that’s how we got here,” Thorax concluded. “I can assure you it’s the truth, and my friends can vouch for me. But…we understand if you still don’t believe us. ”

I looked at the guards. They still gripped their spears like clamps on a pipe.

“I believe your story, Thorax,” I said. “Although, I noticed you said that some changelings were still loyal to Queen Chrysalis.”

“That part is true,” one of Thorax’s friends, Scutellum, said.

“So correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Chrysalis still behind bars? I never heard any news from Canterlot nor anywhere else that she broke out.”

“In all honesty, we were wondering, too,” Thorax’s other friend, Patagium, said.

“I lost count how many times the others would say ‘she’ll come back, just you wait,’” a third, Elitra, pointed out. “Even though it’s been about, what, a year since the failed Canterlot Wedding heist?”

“Almost two years,” replied a fourth, Sclerite.

“Yeah,” said Thorax. “Unfortunately, it didn’t stop the changelings from believing in her return.”

The cave stood silent. The guards gave no reaction. That’s when I stepped in.

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do,” I said. “We will escort all of you to the Crystal Empire. You can tell your story to Princess Cadance, and I’ll convince her that your intentions are true.”

Thorax sighed in relief. The guards looked at each other.

Radiant cleared his throat. “If Spike the Brave and Glorious is willing to offer you changelings a second chance, then we’ll stand by on his decision.”

Thorax responded, “Thank you…”

“However, we’ll need to keep a close eye on you as a safety measure. You are also required to maintain your pony disguises until stated otherwise.”

The changelings understood. They immediately took forms of Crystal Ponies. Thorax’s form was the same as his Crystal Hoof persona in the show.

We returned to the Crystal Empire with the changelings. The guards surrounded them intensely. When we got to the streets, a few of the locals who were outside had worried looks on their faces. One of the disguised changelings sheepishly waved. A Crystal Pony awkwardly waved back.

I kept an eye on both the changelings and the guards. I made sure the guards didn’t do anything rash to the changelings like shoving or name-calling them. While I understood they couldn’t trust the changelings, the last thing I needed was it done vice versa.

We all entered the castle and the throne room, where Cadance and Shining Armor and a majority of the guards rested. Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, and Flurry were not present.

“Who are these ponies?” Shining Armor asked. “I don’t remember seeing them before.”

Radiant went up to Shining and Cadance and whispered in their ears. Both of them caught their breaths and took defensive positions.

“Why would you bring them in here?!” Shining barked.

“Wait!” I stopped him. “They’re not here to steal love. We talked to them, and they honestly just wanted to live somewhere.”

Cadance retorted, “But Spike, these are changelings—”

“Just listen to what they have to say first before you cast your biased judgement.”

Cadance reluctantly nodded. Thorax gave her the same story he gave to the guards and me. While it wasn’t ad verbatim, it wasn’t inconsistent.

“I still don’t see why we should shelter you guys,” Cadance said.

“Then let them prove that they're not here for malicious intent,” I suggested. “I’ll show them around the empire and keep watch.”

Princess Cadance looked at the changelings and back to me. “Very well, Spike. But keep in mind this is a big risk you’re taking for some changelings you just met.”

Let’s just say I’ve known some of them for much longer than you think.

“I understand, Cadance. By the way, where’s Twilight and the others?”

“They’re…” Cadance gave the changelings another glance. “They’re somewhere else at the moment protecting the baby.”

Thorax’s group and I left the castle. The guards still remained on high watch.

“Now remember to be polite, guys,” I said, “and try not to reveal that you’re changelings.”

“We’re not savages, Mr. Spike,” Scutellum said. “We were taught (mostly forced) basic pony etiquette during our time at the hive. We know how to act around ponies; it was kinda our thing in the past.”

“I’m just making sure. Now, let me show you around the Crystal Empire.”

Without the plethora of guards surrounding them, Thorax and his friends had a better view of the crystal structures. One statue they admired was the statue of me holding the Crystal Heart.

“Woah, is that you, Spike?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah, it is,” I replied.

“I didn’t know you were that famous,” said Frenulum. “What did you do to get so popular?”

“Spike the Brave and Glorious saved all of us from King Sombra!” One of the real Crystal Ponies exclaimed as she zoomed up to the group.

“And lit the torch during the Equestria Games!” Another added.

“I was just doing what I was told for both events,” I said.

“Interesting,” said Sclerite. “Especially the King Sombra bit. Why don’t you tell us in more detail?”

I looked around and noticed the crowd forming. It would get too suspicious if I refused.

“Alright, I’ll tell you all the story.”

I explained to the citizens, new and old, how Twilight, her friends, and I first visited the Crystal Empire and found a way to help the Crystal Ponies. I also explained how Twilight and I found the Crystal Heart, and my heroic (and secretly foreseen) leap from the castle.

“...so then King Sombra got blown to pieces, and that’s how the Crystal Empire was saved,” I concluded.

“Amazing!” One of the Crystal Fillies cried. “That story gets better every time he tells it.”

“I’m glad we’re on your side,” Thorax said to me.

I held an autograph session. Not only did the Crystal Ponies interact with me, but they talked to some of the disguised changelings as well. It was a wonder how none of the locals questioned the slew of new Crystal Ponies.

After signing and giving out photos for my fanbase, I gave Thorax’s group a tour of the Empire. Some of the changelings did their fair share of minor assistance as we traversed the city, such as helping ponies cross a street or picking up an item they dropped.

A few hours later, Thorax’s friends and I returned to the castle. While the guards stood vigilant, they were more relaxed at seeing the changelings than last time.

“This place is everything we've ever dreamed of!” Thorax exclaimed. “We should’ve come here sooner.”

“It also helps that we’re winning the general public over without ill gains,” Patagium said. “At least when we’re in our disguises.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask,” I said to Thorax. “Did you ever suggest the idea of sharing love to Pharynx or Ocellus?”

“They were my first two options, and both of them rejected me before I could get another word in.”

I understand Pharynx, but even Ocellus of all changelings turned him down?

We entered the throne room. Princess Cadance emerged from her throne.

“The guards have told me all about what happened,” she said. “They found no suspicious activity among your group. Maybe you changelings are telling the truth…maybe…”

Just then, Twilight, Starlight, and Sunburst came in with Flurry Heart. The foal herself was encased by a thick, yellow, magic bubble.

“Oh, hey, everypony,” Twilight greeted. “I didn’t know the castle was open for tourists today.”

I said, “Actually, Twilight, they’re…”

“Have you ponies seen the baby yet?” Sunburst levitated to crib to the group. “Mind the protection spell around her.”

Thorax, the closest, took a gander. Flurry Heart giggled adorably.

“Oh, she's so beautiful!” Thorax fawned. “There's so much l-love around her!” Suddenly, his legs wobbled. “I…! I…!”

Thorax eyes glowed as he backed up forcefully. Immediately he dropped his disguise and hissed uncontrollably. The four changelings close to him did the same involuntarily.

Twilight gasped and got in front of Flurry. “The changelings!”

Thorax! I was trying to prevent this, and we were so close!

Thorax and his newly-revealed friends tried to force their tongues back into their mouths, but it was like making energetic snakes return to their burrows.

Thorax continued hissing. “I...I'm so...sorry...! I can't...can't...stop!”

“Get them away from the baby!” Sunburst cried.

Thorax immediately bolted, and so did the other four that picked the wrong time to reveal themselves. The remaining seven changelings stayed put, keeping a good distance from Flurry Heart.

“After them!” Shining ordered. “Don't let those changelings escape!”

Shining Armor and a good portion of the soldiers exited the throne room.

“What in Equestria was that?!” Cadance asked.

“It was too much love,” one of the still-disguised changelings, Petiole, replied. “Should too much love be present, something like that happens.”

“I thought you guys sharing love would prevent such a thing occurring,” I said.

“It does, but a sudden, massive increase in love can still cause our instincts to pop up. Even standing a good distance away I can sense more love near the foal than in our group.”

“Wait, you guys are changelings, too?!” Starlight exclaimed. “Are we being invaded?!”

“No, no,” I said. “They mean no harm, honestly.”

“Tell it to the near-half-dozen changelings that almost attacked the baby,” Twilight pointed out.

“Let me find them and I can prove they’re still on our side.” I looked at the group. “You can keep the rest detained here, but do not hurt or restrain them.”

Before Twilight could say anything else, I rushed out of the castle and passed the Crystal Empire’s borders. I traveled a good distance before finding Shining Armor and his posse.

“Keep searching!” Shining Armor barked. “The changelings are probably still nearby!”

“Shining Armor! Wait!” I shouted as I ran up to him.

“Spike? This place isn’t safe for you. Head back to the castle before it’s too late.”

“Thorax and his friends didn’t mean to act like that. I was told it happens when a sudden increase in kindness and love appears near them.”

“And you believe this?” Radiant asked.

“I do. If you find the changelings, then please promise me you won’t hurt them.”

“Spike, I’m sorry,” Shining said sternly, “but you need to understand that these changelings are not reasonable creatures. They’re nothing more than...okay, whose stomach is that? I’m trying to have a serious moment here.”

None of the guards spoke up.

“Come on, I can hear the rumbling clear as day.”

The rumbling grew louder. I turned to the mountains, and my face paled to match the snow.

“Sh-Shining…that’s not a pony's stomach,” I said weakly. “I-i-it’s an…”

“AVALANCHE!!” Everypony shouted.

A wall of snow careened down the mountain slope like a ghostly stampede.

“Everypony run!!” Shining Armor commanded.

I immediately jumped onto my brother’s back as we galloped away from the snow tsunami. Even at full speed, the snow was closing in on us.

“We’re not gonna make it!” One of the guards cried.

“Just keep going!” Shining retorted.

Suddenly, a group of giant dragons landed between us and the avalanche. They spewed a massive fire wall to counteract with the one made of snow. Once the two elements collided, the frozen water melted and evaporated in mere seconds. By the time the dragons were done, any remains of the avalanche had vanished into vaper.

“Woah!” Shining Armor approached one of dragons. “We are grateful that you showed up to help. I didn’t even know there were dragons this far up north.”

The dragons closed their eyes and encased themselves in a cyan aura, revealing their true species.

“It’s you guys!” Shining grabbed his spear.

“Shining, wait!” I got off of him. “They saved your lives. This is how you’ll repay them?”

Shining lowered his spear. “Why did you guys save us?”

Thorax replied. “We saw the avalanche, and we didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Even though we’d capture you?” Amethyst asked.

“Well, it was a risk we were willing to take,” responded Frenulum.

“You still have our gratitude for saving us,” I said. “We’ll escort you back to the castle. From there, I can persuade Princess Cadance to give you a second chance.”

We returned to the castle once more. The only difference was neither Thorax nor his companions wore their disguises. Once we set foot in the throne room, everypony turned their attention to us. Flurry’s magic bubble was thicker than last time.

“I see you found the rest of the changelings,” Princess Cadance said.

“I would say they found us,” I corrected. “We got caught in an avalanche before they rescued us.”

“Is this true?”

“It is…” Shining Armor replied. The rest of the guards confirmed it.

“Your highness, I…” Thorax quickly bowed. “I’m sorry for our behavior earlier. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“How can we be sure of that?” Cadance asked. “How are we to know this isn’t another trick?”

“Cadance, if I may,” I said. “These changelings had just saved us from an avalanche. If they were faking their sympathy all this time, then they would’ve let the snow bury us. They risked their freedom to save us. After all that, can you believe that Thorax and his friends are reasonable creatures? Can you believe they aren’t here to steal love? Can you believe that a changeling can, not just physically, but morally change?”

Cadance stood silent. So did the others. I looked at Thorax, and I inhaled deeply.

“If you don’t want them to stay, then that’s fine. I just have one request. Should you send them away, I wish to join them.”

Everypony gasped.

“Spike?” Princess Cadance asked.

“I believe wholeheartedly that these changelings want nothing more than to live their lives among the general public.” I sighed. “I’ll stand by these beliefs even if it means losing my fame here. Everyone has a fall from grace, and even I can agree that being idolized was good while it lasted.”

I stood by Thorax, waiting for the Empire’s final judgment. I remembered I read a fanfic where no one believed Thorax was reformed, so he and Spike had to go on the run. As much as I didn't want the same thing to happen this time, I had to be ready on the off chance it did.

“Spike, wait,” Twilight said.

She walked up to Thorax and me.

“When you left to find Thorax, the other changelings told me all you did to help them fit in. How you made them accepted in the Crystal Empire. Even the guards confirmed your actions. If you think that these changelings deserve a second chance…so do I.”

“You do?” I asked.

“You're a celebrity here in the Crystal Empire, and you risked all of it to help Thorax and his friends! I can't imagine anything more brave than that.”

“I agree,” Starlight added. “After hearing what these changelings went through, maybe we should grant them a second life.”

Soon, more and more ponies gradually sided with the idea of letting Thorax and the others stay at the Crystal Empire. Normally, this would be the part where the ruler would bellow out a “Silence!” or “Enough!” before casting out their judgment.

Princess Cadance wasn’t that kind of ruler.

Once the clamoring simmered down, Cadance emerged from the throne.

“On behalf of the Crystal Empire, I will overlook the last incident, and I would like to extend my hoof in friendship. Thorax and his friends may stay at the Crystal Empire. We might face a few challenges, but we’ll do everything we can to make sure everypony and non-pony is treated fairly and equally.”

“Thank you.” Thorax bowed as did all his changeling friends.

The guards applauded. Flurry babbled her usual language, and unlike last time, none of the changelings threw a hissy fit over the excessive love flux.

Shining Armor said, “Welcome to the Crystal Empire. I'm sorry we didn't take the time to get to know you. Maybe we can change that now.”

“That'd be so amazing!” Thorax exclaimed. “We all want to know more about friendship, and maybe one day we can take that knowledge back to the Changeling Kingdom!”

“Perhaps then they could learn that they don’t have to steal love anymore,” added Elitra.

“To Spike the Brave and Glorious!” Radiant cheered.

While I enjoyed Thorax and his friends being accepted in the Crystal Empire, I didn’t like how this episode turned out initially. More than one changeling left the hive, which made it harder for the Crystal Empire to accept them. I had hoped that all the changelings would accept sharing love, but for them to banish Thorax and his disciples left me worried. I just hoped things would get better down the road.

Author's Note

For some of the changelings in Thorax’s group, I had to research bug anatomy and the MLP wiki to get their names. If they coincidentally share names with any changeling OCs, I apologize in advance.