Author's Note

Please let me know if you find any errors I can correct, as I am currently rushing through making a few changes in this story.

Prologue: Part I

A summery of the creatures of the world

There are many creatures in this world of Equestria, the dominant of which are the equines. They consist of three different races: the earth, the unicorn, and the pegasus.

The earth equines are non-magical equines that are more known for their endurance and strength. They appear as humanoid creatures with hooves for feet and have fur that ranges from a wide variety of colors in place of skin, and they have marks on their flanks that signify what skills they are most talented at. Many of them work in manual labor such as farming, construction, gardening, or anything that involves hard work. However, they also do many other things outside of the labor force, like guard duty or baking.

The unicorns share very similar appearances to the earth but are born with a natural affinity for magic, which comes from the horns that stretch from their brows. They tend to have magical outbursts at a very young age, making them difficult to manage, and they do not start to learn how to control or use their magic until they reach the age of accountability, usually eight years of age. After learning to use basic magic, they learn magical abilities that best suit their lifestyles, which have a massive range of opportunities such as entertainment or advanced technology to study the world around them.

The pegasi are born with nubs on their backs that sprout into wings that give them the gift of flight and free-range to interact with everything in the sky, making them best suited for weather control and aerial defenses of the land involving attackers from the sky. Apart from that, they very much share the same appearance as their earth and unicorn counterparts. For a thousand years, the best of the pegasi was part of an elite group of fliers initially dedicated to protecting the monarchy before they gradually became the most coveted group of fliers who perform the most dazzling of aerial acrobatics for all to see and enjoy. Many of the pegasi live in a great city in the sky made out of the very clouds they manipulate called Cloudsdale, but they are also scattered in many different homes, great and small, all over the land.

The most powerful of all the equines were the alicorns. Alicorns share traits from all three of the equine races, the earth's strength, the pegasi's wings, and the unicorn's magic. However, few know how they came to exist. Many say they were initially unicorns who learned how to grow wings, which increased their power exponentially. Others say they came from a distant land and were recognized for their greatness and named Equestria's rulers. Regardless, there are only three of these alicorns known to Equestria. The high princess, Celestia. The princess of love, Mi Amore Cadenza. The name of the third has all but been forgotten since her last known records were from almost a thousand years ago. Now she only was known as a legend.

While the equines make up most of the land, many more share Equestria as their home, such as the gryphons. The gryphons are much like the pegasi in many ways, except they are born with their heads resembling that of an eagle while their bodies from the chest down show that of a lion. Because of their eagle lineage, they are born with a sharp eye that lets them see for miles as clearly as if they were right in front of whoever or whatever was in their line of sight. Their lion lineage gave them pride and strength that make them ideal for reconnaissance and security, but they were unreliable due to their selfish, unfriendly, greedy, and ill-behaved nature. There is not a lot of information about the gryphons. However, there have been reports of them outside their homeland, Gryphonstone, a barren wasteland in the rocky mountains, participating in many of the same activities as the pegasi, such as flight camp.

The most infamous, yet equally unknown, are the dragons. These are massive brutes covered from head to toe in armored scales, making them impervious to almost all forms of damage, and can breathe fire, making them lethal fighters, and they primarily feed on gems, though it has been said they also feed on equine meat. No record of equine being devoured by the dragons exists, but many keep their distance and avoid them when they are sighted because of their brutal nature. They are migratory creatures, but they primarily live in mountain caves where they keep their hoards of priceless treasures and precious gems or within active volcanos of the dragon lands where they can bathe in magma to stay warm.

The most powerful and most rare in recorded history is the dragonaquus. Everything documented about these creatures suggests they have regular equine heads atop bodies made of a wide range of random parts from all kinds, such as goat horns, cloven hooves, serpent tails, etc. The only one of these creatures ever recorded is said to have ruled the land over a thousand years ago in a world of nothing but chaos. All under his rule were miserable due to his nonsensical and chaotic magic. For his enforcement of disharmony globally, the alicorns punished him by turning him into stone forever, restoring peace and harmony in Equestria.

Many other dark creatures have committed horrible crimes against the land, from stealing all the natural magic from the equine to rule with an iron fist to enslaving an entire empire to spread hate and fear. The equines of Equestria all but forgot these ancient beings since the rule of the Nightmare, a cold-hearted alicorn queen who clouded the whole world in endless night.

However, none are more feared among all the known creatures that roam the land than the shapeshifters known as changelings. These creatures are known to feed off of the love energy of the other races in the world, which is why equines fear them the most, as many believe that if they drain too much, the victim would become a heartless shell of his or her former self, or even die or turn to stone as a result. Those who have seen these changelings in their natural form have reported them looking much like the equines of the world; only their skins have a black scaley texture with great, translucent wings they fold under their arms to make it appear as if they wear long, sleeveless coats. Their feet resemble the dragons, with thick claws that can dig into the ground. Protruding from each of their elbows are thorns they can detach from their arms to use as weapons. However, that is mainly for decorative properties to add to their disguises when they hide amongst other magical creatures by placing them on their foreheads. They have a different form of magic that most do not understand.

Take these words to heart, for you will need them in the world you are about to enter. The knowledge you gain from this information may just save your life someday.

~~)oOo(~~

The lone changeling, Zuro, sat at his desk as he closed the Feildguide of Equestria and leaned back in his stone chair with a sigh. "The most feared," He mused as he folded his arms. "We changelings aren't monsters." He leaned up in his chair and waved his hand through the air, making an image appear in the air that showed two equines standing side-by-side. One was a unicorn male with a rich blue coat and messy golden hair, and the other was a well-built pegasus female with hot pink fur and long, well-kept, bright red hair.

"Many of us lived happily around equines without causing any trouble," He said to himself. "Damn those rogues!" He cursed as he made the image fade away with a wave of his hand as he stood up from his stone seat. "If it weren't for the rogues' fucking things up, we'd be living with the equines instead of hiding among them. It doesn't help that we're always starving for their love energy too." He groaned as he paced around the room. He was always fascinated by the equine. Their culture, the way they work together, how they control the environment around them.

He turned to a wall just as the hole in it closed up and waved his hand to make a reflection of himself appear. The castle he lived in had many halls with walls that regularly shifted as the changelings themselves do, making it impossible for any other creature to navigate the great structure without a changeling to guide them. "If I could live as an equine, I guarantee I could make it work!" He told himself confidently as he stretched his wings from their coat position out behind his back, and the scales of his skin began repositioning themselves, folding over each other to reveal a different color from underneath. The transformation moved from the tip of his head down to his toes, completely changing his form. His dragon-like feet shifted to hooves, and his translucent wings took a more feathered shape, and his scales solidified before growing fur that was a light blue color. His bald head started to grow black hair that stretched to his cheekbones in a messy style. He looked down at his male parts between his legs and smiled before looking back at his reflection.

"How hard can it be to slip into the equine culture?" He asked himself as he looked over his new look. "Everything I know tells me we have similar lifestyles. Families, jobs." He released the reflection charm just as the wall opened up again to find a couple of changelings against the wall, a male thrusting his hips between the legs of a female whose back was pinned against the wall as she held her arms and legs around mate while moaning out in bliss. He was not surprised at the sight of a couple having sex openly within the castle because it was a common practice among their kind.

"Having a good time?" He asked them.

"Oh," the female cried out over her mate's shoulder. "Don't mind us~!" She arched as he thrust deep inside her, making her moan out as she clung to him. Changelings could sense each other no matter what, so it was no surprise to see one in the form of another creature.

He turned away from the two, leaving them to have their fun as he went back to his desk while lifting the transformation and folding his wings under his arms to resume the sleeveless coat look as he sat back down. "I'm tired of living in hiding." He said to himself even though the two would not notice anything he said in their heated moment. He hummed in thought for a few minutes before coming to a revolution. "That's it. I'm leaving the castle to live with the equines." He smiled at his proclamation as he leaned back in his seat to stare at the ceiling.

~~)oOo(~~

The next morning the young changeling flew through the ever-changing holes in the walls while ignoring the occasional mating session. He flew by until he arrived at a small room where four other changelings gathered together. The eldest male instructed the younger male on shapeshifting while the older female held a baby female in her arms. "Morning, everyone!" He called as he flew through the wall and landed a few feet away from them on the ground. They all looked up to him with smiles on their faces as the youngest, Dili, rushed up and tackled him in the chest, making him grunt as he caught her before he chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Hi, bubba!" She cried out as he hugged her while she giggled.

"Hey, Zuro!" The second youngest called. "Check this out!" He began to strain himself while he began to make his body change. The young one had been practicing transforming into creatures other than the equine, and the result of this current effort was the head of a gryphon atop the body of a dragon.

"Nice try, Gnator," Zuro said politely, "but you still need work." Gnator looked himself over, confused.

"What?" He asked.

"You have a mixed result again, son," Vitam said.

"Looks like a dragon to me?" He looked back at the thick tail protruding from his tailbone.

"Except you have the head of a gryphon," Vitam corrected, causing Gnator to feel his face to confirm if what they told him was true and groaning at the results.

"Damnit!" He stomped. "I had it a minute ago."

"Gnator!" Anorum barked. "Watch your mouth around your little sister!" Gnator flinched and hung his head as he reverted to his natural form.

"Sorry, mom," He said as he sat down on the floor. "Dunno why language is bad when mating openly is fine." He muttered under his breath as he folded his arms.

"So, how'd you sleep last night, sweetie?" Anorum asked as she walked up to him. He held up Dili and nuzzled her nose as she giggled and hugged his head.

"I slept fine, mom," He answered. Dili smiled at her big brother. Ever since Dili hatched, she and Zuro were almost inseparable, but that was not the case for her and Gnator. Gnator hated their little sister for a while after she was born, but he soon grew attached to her and has openly admitted he would feel incomplete without her in his life right now.

"Well, we were about to go get our share of energy for the day," Vanorum began. "Would you like to join us?" He looked up to her as he held Dili in his arms.

"Actually," He hummed with slight hesitation. "I was thinking about leaving." They all looked up to him.

"What do you mean, son?" Vitam asked. He looked between them all.

"I'm going to live with the equines." He answered matter-of-factly. Anorum's eyes went wide as Gnator's heart sank while Vitam simply opened his mouth as if wording "ah" while Dili only giggled as she bounced in her eldest brother's arms.

"Bubba equine!" She cheered before she stopped and looked confused. "What's an equine?" She asked.

"Equines are the creatures we get our energy from, sweetie," Anorum explained as she took her daughter into her arms. She only cheered as she hopped into her mother's arms.

"Bubba equine!" She giggled.

"You're joking," Gnator observed. "Tell us you're joking, Zuro." He got to his feet.

"I'm not, bud," Zuro replied as he looked to the young shifter.

"And what makes you think you're going to do that?" Anorum asked as she gave him a sharp look.

"I'm sick and tired of hearing how they fear us, and I want to make a difference," Zuro explained.

"Absolutely not!" Anorum countered. "No shiftling of mine is going out where they can get hurt or killed."

"Anorum, when was the last time you ever heard of a shifter being killed by an equine?" Vitam asked as he walked up, earning a sharp glare from his mate.

"He's not going!" She barked. Dili flew out of her mother's arms to get away from this, jumping straight into her brother's arms. Anorum realized she scared her baby and changed her tone instantly. "Oh, Dili, mommy's sorry. Mommy didn't mean to scare you." Dili clung to Zuro's chest as he held her close,

"Anorum, every changeling has to experience the world for themselves someday," Vitam said as he walked up and petted Dili's back.

"You're defending this?" She asked sharply yet softly so she would not scare Dili any further.

"You know I lived as an equine for years-" He began.

"Until you told that female who you were, and she rejected you," Anorum countered. "Thank the gods she didn't rat you out, otherwise-"

"I wouldn't be here with this beautiful family I have now, I know," Vitam interjected as he pulled her into a hug. She resisted lightly at first before she leaned into her mate's hold. "You know how fascinated he's been about the other creatures in the world."

"Yeah, I know," She sighed in defeat. Gnator's face grew more and more fearful as his gut started to twitch and churn at what he was watching.

"He's been well trained, he knows how to hide, he can handle himself in tough situations," Vitam went through a checklist to her.

"I know," She sighed as she looked at her firstborn. They looked into each other's eyes as Zuro's heartbeat began to quicken while waiting for the answer. It was clear she was at war with herself over this big step in his life. She knew she had to let him go. She would have to let each of them go at some point, but she did not want to. She pulled herself from her mate's hold and took a step closer to her son as Dili lifted her head to look up at her mother.

"Okay," She said. "You can go." Dili began to bounce as she smiled. She was too young to understand what was going on, but her joy knew no bounds in any case. Gnator's gut all but shattered. Vitam closed his eyes, smiling at his mate on the inside at her bravery for making this choice. Zuro began to smile and scream with joy internally at what he just heard. Even if she told him 'no,' he was going to get out of the castle somehow and at least see what life was like for the equines instead of just reading about them. His father had given him several books about the creatures outside the castle since he knew how much Zuro enjoyed reading about them.

"Mom, you can't be serious!" Gnator called out. She looked at him.

"I know you don't like it," She started, "I don't like it either, but sooner or later, all shifters have to make decisions on their own." Gnator looked to his older brother. He did not at all want his brother to leave; he loved him. Ever since he was born, Zuro was nothing but supportive and helpful in his transformations, and he did not want that to change. He never did like change, but after time he grew to accept things as they happen.

"You're not going, right, Zuro?" He asked. Zuro passed Dili back to their mother before he stepped to Gnator.

"Bud, this is something I've wanted to do for a long time," He answered as he looked his brother in the eye. "Maybe someday I'll come back to bring you with me." He suggested. Gnator did not show any enthusiasm for this and turned away to stare at a couple in heat through an open wall. Zuro sighed at this before looking back to his mother and father, standing side-by-side with Dili in their hold as they all looked to him. He stepped up and planted a kiss on Dili's forehead, who giggled at this as she hugged his head.

"Love you, sissy," He smiled at her as she giggled. He then turned and hugged his mom, who rapped a wing around him as she was still holding Dili. "Thank you, mom." He then turned and hugged his dad, who patted his back with a smile on his face. "Thank you too, dad." He then turned back to his brother, who had his back to him. He walked up and rested his hand on his shoulder, getting him to look back to him. "I save the best for last, bud." A tear ran down Gnator's cheek as he sniffed before pulling him into a hug.

"If you die out there, I'll fucking kill you," He whispered so their mother would not hear.

"I heard that!" She barked lightly so as not to startle Dili. Zuro could not help but chuckle at this before pulling away and looking at his brother in the eye again.

"I'm not going to die, bud," He assured. He rustled his head before he stepped back. Gnator sniffed and rubbed his nose with his arm.

"Goodbye, Zu," He said. Zuro smiled at him before turned, spread his wings, and took off.

~~)oOo(~~

Zuro spent the last several hours flying east from the Desolute Zone toward the heart of Equestria. His flight took him over a great city and a few other locations before the sight of a small town south of the capital that rests between the base of the mountain where Canterlot stood and the infamous Everfree Forest caught his attention. He began his descent toward the forest just outside of the town, where he landed within the trees before giving his wings a few flaps to stretch them out after the flight.

He rested his wings under his arms in their long coat position as he took a few minutes to catch his breath. Changelings Learned to fly long distances at a relatively young age, but Zuro barely had enough practice before leaving. After a few minutes, he stretched his wings out and began to change his appearance to the guise he came up with the night before. Once in his Aerial form, he again took flight and made it look as though he was flying in from the south.

He landed on the open streets, where the equine greeted him with warm and welcoming smiles, which put a smile on his face. He walked through the streets for several minutes before he bumped into a young pegasus male with bright red fur, a muscular build, and wavy black hair with white streaks.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't-" Zuro began to apologize.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, asshole?" The pegasus barked. Zuro was confused at this since he did not sense any real anger coming from him.

"I'm sorry," Zuro began again, "I'm new here, and-"

"We don't need any clumsy newcomers messin' up the place!" Zuro was interrupted again. Zuro narrowed his eyes at him.

"Look, I don't want trouble, so I'll just get out of your way," Zuro began to walk around the red pegasus, only to be stopped by a raised hand. He looked up at the equine.

"If you want in our beloved town, ya gotta go through me!" He demanded.

"You really don't want to pick a fight with me, pal," Zuro countered.

"Oh, you think you're tough shit, don't ya?" He started to crack his knuckles, shoulders, and neck as he readied himself before he put up his fists. Zuro could see he had a level of experience due to his stance being neat and practiced. Zuro simply chuckled before repositioning himself in a more relaxed posture with one hoof behind the other.

"Alright then," Zuro hummed. "Let's dance!" At this, his challenger lunged his first toward his face. Zuro side-stepped, making him miss his head by about half a foot as Zuro raised his left hoof in front of him. The changeling tripped on Zuro's outstretched leg and fell face-first into the dirt. "Rule number one; never be too eager to rush your opponent." The pegasus pushed himself off the ground before going for another swing, only for Zuro to step to the side completely. As the man started to fall to the ground again, Zuro grabbed his wing just before he faceplanted again. "You're impatient. If you're going to have a chance against someone who actually knows how to fight, you'll need to work on that." Zuro let go of his wing to let him fall in the dirt once again. "Plus, no fighter ever finds victory in the dirt."

The pegasus growled as he got right back up and started swinging full force at Zuro, who only dodged every swing like it was nothing. When the pegasus began to show signs of fatigue, Zuro landed three hits; first, the gut knocked the wind out of him, followed by a knee to the chest to stand him straight, finally a right-cross to the chin the knock him off his feet. Once the pegasus was on the ground, Zuro once again took his relaxed stance and looked down at his opponent.

Panting, the pegasus looked up at Zuro with a smile. "Damn, you're good!" He huffed. Zuro sense no threat from this boy anymore, so he held out his hand to him to help him up to his hooves again. "Where the hell you learn to fight like that?"

"My family tends to travel around the country quite a lot, so we prepare ourselves for the worst," Zuro answered.

"Shit, man, you gotta teach me some of your moves!" He held out his hand. "Name's Jet!" Zuro sensed no ill-intent from Jet, so he smiled as he took his hand.

"Zuro." They shook each other's hands as Zuro was overflowing with a sense of joy since it seemed like he just made a friend with an Equine.

"Welcome to Ponyville, Zuro!" Jet greeted him. "Named in honor of town animal, the pony! Where you'll find all the races of Equestria living in harmony!" It was apparent Jet was very proud of the town he called his home, and this put a smile on Zuro's face.

"I think I'm gonna like it here," Zuro mused.

"What brings you to our humble home, anyway?" Jet asked. "Did your family come with you?" The two started walking alongside each other.

"No, just me," Zuro answered. "I came on my own to get a change of pace."

"Why'd you do that?" Jet asked.

"Let's just say I needed to get away from the active neighbors for a while," Zuro answered. Jet stopped and grabbed his shoulder.

"You mean to tell me you ran away from free, live porn?!" He whisper-shouted so as not to draw unwanted attention. Zuro shrugged.

"Isn't such a thing common practice?" Zuro asked.

"Dude, where the hell have you been?!" Jet asked. "People don't just fuck out in the open; it's indecent! I'd give my wings to live in an environment like that!"

"Okay, chill," Zuro pleaded as he looked around to make sure they were not getting the attention of the equine around them, especially after their little scuffle.

"Yeah, sorry, I've got problems," Jet sighed before he stood straight. "Anyway, since you're new, you gotta place to stay?"

"Actually, I kinda left my home as a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing," Zuro answered. "No plans, no money, or anything."

"Well, I gotta spare room and bed; you can crash at my place until you get on your hooves," Jet suggested, getting a smile from Zuro.

"Thank you!" Zuro proclaimed.

With that, the two walked off into the town, where Jet would show him around and introduce him to the locals before showing him where he would stay as he began his new life.