Deep Breath

Celestia’s sun was still high in the sky when you arrived. The entrance was a long uneven passage of natural rock that one would have missed had they not known to look for it. Light and Gentle went ahead of you to prepare for a display upon your arrival, and after one final slight bend, they came into view, raising to attention as you were noticed and then walking into what seems like an entrance proper made of black chitinous stone not unlike obsidian in surface texture. A pile of crystals lay a few paces within the entrance, a safe distance away is a crowd of changelings occupying every wall and branching tunnel that can see you next to the pile. Light, Gentle, and Chrysalis are facing the other changelings now. They intend to keep any excited changeling crowds from overcrowding you. You place a hand to your side, resting your palm on the top of the crystal pile.

“Hello changelings. I am Anonymous. I intend to eventually learn all your names, as I will be aiding you in these hard times. I Have pledged my service and loyalty to Queen Chrysalis with the mission of making peace with the ponies. In my short time here in this world, I have learned that the changelings awoke in this age to a world that expected them to be evil monsters. I will spend a few days here learning more to fully enact my plan, but I say we surprise them with something unexpected. I will march on Ponyville in a peaceful display and annex the changelings into pony society where they need not fear hunger or danger. I aim to have the next full moon rise on a changed world, and a new changeling hive.” You grasp and raise seven crystals, now glowing bright green. “Now who will stand beside me!”

The changelings erupted in a cheer. Some tried to run up to you, but Chrysalis’s command calmed them. She said that this may be dangerous, but you felt the changelings would need a morale boost.

Arranging a private chamber happened swiftly. Your room was down the same guarded corridor and the only other occupied room in that wing other than Chrysalis’s. The privacy from having the guards away at the entrance of the tunnel made the rooms almost feel like Jack-and-Jill rooms despite them being farther apart. Neither room, nor any room in the hive for that matter, had doors. This made sense where the society here was all family, and all resources are communal. Light and Gentle were the only ones beside chrysalis allowed into your room, and they visited every once in a while, to hand you more reports to read, and change out the brightest glowing crystals for dimmer ones. They managed to get a toothbrush and toothpaste for you on an incognito trip to Ponyville. The matter of where they got the bits will be settled later. You keep the crystals on the chitinous surface that you use as a desk, and line the chitinous surface that you sleep on. It is a neat trick you later read about. The black stone that composes the hive is actually living material that the changelings can reshape with their magic. Such usages of magic are excessive in times of famine such as this, adding just one more reason to give your all in your efforts.

In addition to the alicorn princesses, there are the Elements of Harmony; six ponies that hold magical objects pertaining to virtues that this world holds harmonious, and together, they create a great power to overcome great evils, minus the manifestation of a captain planet.

There was Fluttershy, a Pegasus mare with yellow coat, pink mane, and butterflies as her cutie mark. Some type of magical tattoo that the other three pony races get. You have not seen one yourself yet, but you have not met many ponies either, let alone snuck a look at their rear end. There was one pony that you met that was a bit of a rear end, but that is a matter for another time. Fluttershy runs an animal sanctuary and holds the element of kindness. As if born for her namesake, the report describes her as extremely shy with unfamiliar ponies and anything perceived as a dangerous monster. You add to your foot notes: Cowardly lion. You scare her, she has lions, tigers, AND bears that will attack you.

The aforementioned rear end of a pony is Pinky Pie, a fully pink earth pony with party balloons as a cutie mark. She works in a sweets shop and is a party planner. Your first encounter with her was apparently her famous habit of throwing welcome parties to newcomers, which you are reminded came close to ending in flames and unintended gun violence. She is also known for doing things without explanation such as hiding things in unlikely places and literally bouncing off walls. Somehow this translates to being a paragon of laughter. You add to your foot notes: Sugar fueled party planner, magician, clown, boxer, and acrobat all in one. DO NOT ALLOW NEAR EXPLOSIVES. You cross that last part out. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HIDE EXPLOSIVES FROM THIS PONY. SAFELY DISPOSE OF ALL EXPLOSIVES IN EXISTANCE.

The next report is about Applejack, another earth pony, and one that works at an apple farm. You consider weighing the prospect of approaching her first as the holder of the element of honesty verses the fact that the fastest way to reach her is through the Everfree Forest, and her stallion brother and dog may beat you down in self defense before you reach her. She has apples as a cutie mark and is described as a proud hard worker. You add to your foot notes: Hard working country folk. Approach directly about accepting changelings as neighbors?

Another Pegasus in the reports is Rainbow Dash, the holder of the element of loyalty, and a weather pony. You had to check with Chrysalis to be sure that you were not being pranked by an overly imaginative scribe, but Pegasi have manual control of the weather. A team or teams manage and control when it rains and when it is sunny so that the earth ponies that have a better talent for agriculture can grow in abundance. This mare was described as headstrong, athletic, and quick to aggression. She was described as fast enough to use her speed to demolish structures and clear skies in a local region. There was an attack labeled the Sonic Rain-Boom that seemed like a break of the sound barrier and release of magical light, but there was no recorded data of it being used near anything that can gage the destructive potential. You add to your foot notes: Lady Thor, but with hooves for hammers. Do not approach first or you may not survive first contact.

Most mundane of the reports was for the element of generosity bearer, Rarity. She was a seamstress and entrepreneur. You add to your foot notes: Choose words wisely as to not exploit generosity. Also, keep in mind, that if this works, you may yet outlive your current garments.

The final of the element of harmony bearers is also a princess. Twilight Sparkle, personal student to Princess Celestia, master of more spell arts than any other unicorn present, bearer of the element of magic, Librarian, and crowned Princess of Friendship and the youngest of the Princesses, somehow in that order. The report mentions a baby dragon assistant that is small even by pony standards. Nothing in particular is noted other than an appendix of general knowledge of dragons. Long lives, gem hoards (these dragons eat them), and growth spurts coinciding with bouts of greed or rage. You add to your foot notes: Best chance of getting the truth across. Seek truth detecting spell. Do NOT allow the baby dragon to eat ANY love crystals.

Princess Celestia is the oldest of the alicorn princesses, having the longest rein and being the sole ruler for a thousand years until relatively recently. Her magic is most noted to raise and lower the sun each day. With such an important task, she is noted to have the largest and longest standing military protection detail, the Solar guard. You add to your foot notes: Most experienced leader. 50/50 chance of being either the most against change, or the most professional in welcoming changelings.

Princess Luna, Celestia's younger sister, is the next oldest alicorn princess. Her magic is most noted to raise and lower the moon each night, as well as entering the dreams of ponies. The full extent of this dream walking is not documented as changelings do not dream in the sense that other ponies do, though ponies that have reported to have been visited note that the experience was helpful or beneficial in some way. She had ruled by her sister's side until a thousand years ago when a dark power overcame her, making her known as Nightmare Moon. She threatened eternal night until Celestia was able to imprison her on the moon with the elements of harmony for a thousand years. The current elements of harmony were able to cleanse Princess Luna of her dark affliction and return her to her older sister's side. You add to your foot notes: Dream walking is an unknown variable. Do not memorize the way to Ponyville until the final day

Finally, there is Princess MiAmore Cadenza, crowned princess of love, wed to Royal Guard Captain Shining Armor who is brother to Princess Twilight of Magic. The Armor-Cadenza wedding is the very wedding that Chrysalis told you she invaded in the capital city, Canterlot. With Chrysalis's interference, Shining Armor was kept awake for a week, maintaining a large shield just to have it crash down under the changeling's hooves. Chrysalis had used the love from Shining Armor and the surrounding ponies to replace Princess Cadenza who was imprisoned under Canterlot. You add to your foot notes: Make zero requests after proving the changeling's nonaggression.

The rest of the reports were details of the four pony races: Earth Pony, Pegasus, Unicorn, and Changeling.

Earth ponies, named for their connection to the terrain, were physically the most muscular. They use this in combination with their natural senses to cultivate crops successfully as well as to build and pull heavy machinery. It is no wonder that a possibly innocent jab from one nearly got a foot or hoof shot. In times of hardship, the other pony races protected the earth ponies so that they may grow and harvest as much as possible.

Pegasi also use their bodies physically, but their wings and natural abilities make their rolls more technical. Rain water can be brought when needed, and storm clouds can be deterred when unwanted. Annually, a group of Pegasi create a vortex over a lake to raise water up to a cloud city where Pegasi can stand on and manipulate the clouds by hoof like clay. This city, Cloudesdale, serves a primary purpose of creating weather materials such as clouds and rainbows for distribution across Equestria. In times of hardship, all Pegasi put their efforts into maintaining weather conditions for the best growing conditions of crops.

Unicorns lack any Olympian physical strength like Pegasi and Earth Ponies, but their magic manifests through their horns for casting spells. The most common use of Unicorn magic is levitation, touchless manipulation of an object or objects. However, spells cast can range in a myriad of uses such as teleportation, shielding, transmutation, and illusions. Typically, a unicorn will develop natural skills in one type of spellcasting, developing a tool set of spells specialized around that one ability. In times of hardship, teams of Unicorns were necessary to fend off dangerous monsters and maintain the sun and moon before there were Alicorns capable of accomplishing the feat alone.

Changelings, depending on the situation, can have the greatest amount of similarities or differences to the other pony races, given their ability to change in physiology to mimic them. Unchanged, a changeling maintains both wings and a horn. Blood vessels and nerve endings match both of their counterparts in this situation, though changeling wings lack the wingspan and bone structure. Furthermore, a Changeling is not naturally strong in Unicorn, Pegasi, or Earth pony magic without extensive time and effort training in use of that magic specifically. Otherwise, a changeling will expend inefficient amounts of magical reserves. Other physiological differences in changelings are their dorsal fins in lieu of haired manes, fangs, second social stomach, and natural patches of transparency on the hooves, horns and wings. Changelings can share love reserves by touching horns directly, or orally when changed into a form that does not have a horn. In Times of hardship, Changelings slumbered in hiding so that the task of Earth Ponies to provide was lessened.

You memorize and quiz yourself on this information. If you are to make yourself into an effective communicator, you will have to speak on these topics clearly and effectively. Think of ways one would be incredulous and maintain calm. Adapt with rebuttals when necessary. There is always a way to say something that is not offensive.

Late evening must have come as Chrysalis entered your chamber to discuss the plan. She agreed that Twilight Sparkle would be the best pony to get a footing on peace negotiations but suggested that Fluttershy may be easier to get to and start a dialogue without getting harmed first. A valid plan, all things considered. You bid good night to the changeling queen and lay on your bed slab. Your shirt as your pillow (you’ve had worse) and you trace a hand on the crystals that you lined your bed with. You would rather have them all in a changeling plushie that you can cuddle with. Maybe keep that plan for later. You take a deep breath and allow sleep to take you.