It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

by MattTOB

Chapters

Chapter 3: "Punishment"?
Chapter 4: Suited for Insects
Chapter 5: An Open-Minded Party
Chapter 6: Seed-ling
Chapter 7: Cutie Mark Crusaders Relationship Counselors
Chapter 8: Therapy With a Bug-Horse
Chapter 9: Out of Town
Chapter 10: Changes
Chapter 11: In Dreams
Chapter 12: Love Bug's First Date
Chapter 13: Discord
Chapter 14: Mandy's Magical Mystery Cure
Chapter 15: Coronation Day
Chapter 17: Family Reunion
Chapter 18: To The Ends of Equestria
Chapter 19: Tales of Ponyville
Chapter 20: Mandy and the Changelings
Chapter 21: Dysfunctional
Chapter 22: Return of the King
Chapter 23: The Answers You're Looking For
Chapter 24: Penultimatum
Chapter 25: It Takes a Changeling...
Chapter 26: ...To Reform Another Changeling
Chapter 1: Crash Landing
Chapter 2: Rise and Crime
Chapter 16: Return to Ponyville

Chapter 3: "Punishment"?

Chapter 3: "Punishment"?

Two days later...

Blinking, Mandy Carapace stepped out of the hospital and into the sunlight.

It just didn't make sense.

By some stroke of luck, not only had he survived being thrown from Canterlot straight into Ponyville Town Hall, and not only had he been unconventionally tried by Celestia herself, but he'd walked away from it with only a thousand hours of community service and limitations on his movement and magic, along with free food and board.

One thousand hours of community service. If he was to get through 8 hours of that each day (which is what was recommend to him), it'd take him 125 days before his sentence would be completed. That was a long time to be stuck in Ponyville, to live without magic (which, sadly enough, included the shape-shifting that Changelings were known for). And when asked about what exactly qualified "community service", Celestia simply said, "Whatever Twilight Sparkle and her friends deem fitting".

After some deliberation between the Princesses and the citizens of Ponyville, it had been decided that he'd be bunking with Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and Celestia's personal protegé. She'd mentioned something about living in a library with a baby dragon and an owl, and, with the guidance of some Royal Guards that'd been chosen as his escort, that was where Mandy was headed at the moment.

And to top it all off, he was going to be fed! Celestia had gotten Cadence to agree to spare rations of love magic for Mandy, to ensure that he'd be properly healthy during the course of his punishment.

It didn't make any sense to him why he'd gotten off so relatively easily.

But Mandy wasn't complaining in the slightest.

After some time spent walking, all-too aware of the glares he was receiving, Mandy and the Guards finally reached a large tree that'd been hollowed into a building. Several windows and balconies poked out in places, a large red door with a candle decal on it marked the entrance, and outside was a sign that read:

GOLDEN OAKS LIBRARY

Mandy pushed open the door to the building he'd call home for the foreseeable future, and marvelled. Almost the entirety of the walls were covered with bookshelves, filled entirely with... Well, books. A winding staircase that seemed to be carved to follow the wood grain led up to a second floor on the other side of the room, a few doors into other rooms were placed along the walls, and a wooden carving of a horse's head adorned a round table at the center of the room.

And sitting at the base of the stairs, reading a Power Ponies Comic, was a purple baby dragon. He looked up, flinched, then realized, "Oh wait, you must be Mandy, right?"

Mandy nodded sheepishly.

Spike stood up and offered his claw, which Mandy warily shook. "I'm Spike, Twilight's #1 Assistant and baby brother."

Mandy looked at him incredulously. "How does that work?"

"Well, when she was trying to get into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, she had to pass an entrance exam, which consisted of hatching my egg. She passed, then adopted me into their family afterwards."

"Then wouldn't she technically be your mother?" Mandy asked levelly.

Spike blushed. "I mean, technically yes, but I look at her more as a sister, since her mom did more of the raising."

Mandy conceded, "I guess that makes sense."

Spike shook his head to clear the thoughts. "Anyways, how 'bout I show you around?"

"...and finally, this is the guest room, where you'll be staying," Spike concluded the tour as he led Mandy into a small room much like the one he'd said was Twilight's bedroom.

The Changeling eyed the bed. "Wait, she has a second bed?"

Spike blinked. "Yeah, why?"

Mandy recalled seeing a small basket in Twilight's room, where Spike said he slept. "So, she already has another bed, and yet, you sleep in a basket?"

Spike went to rebut, but his eyes widened in realization. "Hey, yeah! What's with that?!" Spike climbed up to stand on the bed. "Equal sleeping conditions for all!" He stated.

Mandy smirked mirthfully at Spike's rebellious spirit. If only Mandy were confident like that; he could stand up to Chrysalis, rescue his brother, and possibly even get the big screech-y bug bitch knocked down a few pegs.

It was at that moment that Twilight Sparkle walked in through the front door. "Spike, I'm home!"

Spike rushed downstairs, and Mandy followed at a more casual gait. The baby dragon demanded, "Twilight, I want to know why I'm forced to sleep in a basket, when there's a perfectly good bed in the guest room."

Twilight shrugged. "I suppose, since you slept in a basket back in Canterlot, it only seemed fitting, even if this place came with a second bed. But if you really want, I'll let you sleep in the bed as soon as Mandy's punishment is over."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Mandy conceded, "I actually prefer to sleep in a cocoon."

Twilight gulped. "C-cocoon?"

"Yeah, y'know, like the one that Chrysalis used to trap... Celestia...." Mandy trailed off when he realized that Twilight had understandable reason to be unsettled by a cocoon. "You know what? On second thought, I'd be fine with a bed, if it'd make you feel comfortable."

Twilight looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure? I mean, you're my guest, so I should try and make you feel comfortable."

"And I'd be comfortable knowing that you're comfortable with me being here," Mandy shot back.

Twilight mulled it over, then relented. "Okay, fine. Now then, shall we get started?"

Mandy eyed her warily. "Started with what?"

Suddenly, Twilight teleported to the bug's side, startling him. She magically held a notebook and quill, and there was a near manic look in her eye as she cheered, "RESEARCH!"

Mandy gulped. Okay, maybe this would be more fitting than he'd initially thought.

The next 3 1/2 hours consisted of almost non-stop questioning from Twilight to Mandy. She learned a barrage of new information about Changelings, from their reproductive cycles (the females request pheromones from the Queen, which set their biological processes in motion) to the nature of their shape-shifting powers (they use magic to transform their bodies into whatever they want, animate or inanimate, and the larger the form, the more magic it takes to create. It doesn't take magic to maintain, but it does to change back).

Finally, she seemed satiated. "Alright, that's enough for now."

Mandy looked up from where his head was planted onto the desk, and asked sardonically, "Do you really mean it this time? Or is it like the last 7 times, where you claimed we'd stop after 'one last question'?"

"I'm fully serious this time," Twilight rolled her eyes, then brought out a time table. "I'll just add those 3 hours and 27 minutes to your record..."

Mandy shot her a questioning gaze. "Wait, that counts?"

"She said 'whatever we deem fitting', right? You're doing us a service by giving us new information on Changelings, and so, I count it towards your hours."

Mandy blinked. "I suppose that makes sense... Thank you, Twilight."

"Don't mention it," the scholarly unicorn waved him off as she copied her notes into a notebook labelled 'Changelings: The Mystery Behind the Monster'. "Now, why don't you go upstairs and read until Rarity gets here?"

"Rarity?" The bug questioned.

"She said she'd be happy to give you a task to count towards your community service."

"No, I mean, who's Rarity?"

Twilight blinked, blushing. "Right. Well, she's an up-and-coming fashionista, and one of my best friends. Though you may recognize her as the Element of Generosity."

Mandy nodded. "Oh, she's the white-and-purple unicorn, right?"

"Actually, it's light gray and moderate indigo." Twilight corrected nonchalantly.

Mandy threw a questioning look at her.

"She's very particular about colors," she replied bluntly.

Mandy searched through the books, and was about to start reading 'Bridle and Prejudice', when there came three simple but elegant knocks at the door. Mandy put the book back and headed to the door.

Rarity stood on the other side, adjusting her mane with a hoof. She, like Spike, flinched when she saw the Changeling, then quickly calmed down again. "Right, sorry. Hello there, Mr. Carapace."

"You can just call me Mandy. And you're Rarity, I presume?"

She nodded at this.

Spike looked up at the sound of his crush. "Oh, h-hi, Rarity," he stammered, blushing profusely.

"Why, hello, Spike dear," she greeted back, not noticing his body language. "It feels like a while since we've hung out."

Spike nodded, "Yeah, I've, uh, been kinda busy..."

"Well, I wish we could stay and chat, but Twilight says that Mandy would be willing to help me with my dresses. Isn't that right?"

Mandy held back a groan. "Yes, that's right."

Spike quickly blurted out, "I'll come with you!"

Rarity looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure? You've already done so much for me recently..."

"I'm sure that the other stuff I've got to do can wait," he nervously chuckled, looking back at his comic.

If Mandy had pupils, they would've seen him rolling them.

Rarity nodded. "Alright, if you insist. Just don't overwork yourself, okay?"

Spike nodded absently, focused on Rarity's luxurious mane, with affection rolling off of him like clouds.

Rarity ushered them both out the door, then waved off the Royal Guards who were still waiting outside. They looked at each other, then saluted, and remained stationed.

Rarity turned to Mandy. "So, Mr. Carapace, –"

"Mandy," he gently reminded.

"Right. Mandy, tell me about yourself."

"Well, okay. Let's see... I was born twenty years ago, to Queen Chrysalis – though she was still Princess back then – and Prince Mothra. When I was twelve, I–"

Rarity cut him off. "Uh, no, dear, that's not quite what I meant. I mean, that's interesting, too, but I wanted to know ABOUT you. Like, what's your favorite season? Are you a morning pon– er, Changeling? Do you prefer buttons or zippers?"

Mandy blinked. "I... I don't really know."

Rarity gasped. "Why-ever not, darling?!"

Mandy looked away, coming to a standstill. "Well, as part of the swarm, I was always too busy taking orders to really think about myself that much. It was always 'Wake up, search for intruders, go scouting, mealtime'..."

He stopped when his stomach growled. "Uh, speaking of which... You don't mind if I have a quick snack, do you?"

Rarity looked at Spike, then back at Mandy questioningly. "Well, of course not, but... Don't you eat love?"

As she said this, Mandy wryly eyed Spike, whose eyes widened at the realization of what he was insinuating.

Then Mandy winked. "Well, mostly. We can also eat some plants and insects, but they don't really give us the nutrients we need."

"Ah." She nodded in understanding. Then she thought of something: "If you don't mind me asking, how exactly DO you feed on 'love'?"

Mandy twiddled his hooves together. "Well... How can I explain this? Love is sort of a... 'blanket term' for most positive emotions, like happiness, confidence..."

He subtly turned to look at Spike and added, "...lust..."

Spike blushed.

Mandy then went on, "Emotions sort of... Float around the ponies that feel them, like fog. We usually just eat that excess love, leaving no harm to the ponies. But if we're desperate, we can rip it out forcefully, which... does... affect them..."

He looked almost ashamed at that last statement, which Rarity and Spike took notice of.

But he quickly regained his composure when his stomach growled again. "But, uh, anyways, I was just asking if I could snack on the excess 'love' you're giving off."

Rarity looked at Spike, who was blushing redder than a tomato. "Well, I-I suppose it'd be alright. What do you say, Spike?"

Spike only meekly nodded.

"Thanks," Mandy said.

He closed his eyes and flexed his jaw, and a thin, hardly-visible pink mist appeared in his mouth as he gathered it up. The mist coalesced until it was about as dense as fog before he closed his mouth and swallowed.

He let out a breath in euphoria. "Ahh, that hit the spot. I gotta say, that was the most potent love I've ever had!"

Spike somehow grew even redder, burying his face in his claws.

Rarity thought for a moment. "What does it taste like?"

Mandy sighed in bliss. "Like the most wonderful thing in the world. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say the closest pony food would be... Strawberry ice cream."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Strawberry ice cream? You don't say..."

This revelation made Rarity rethink some things; specifically, why Changelings might go to such lengths as infiltrate and invade to get some. Now, she didn't fully blame the Changelings – although she still didn't think they were in the right for attacking Canterlot, she could at least partially understand the motivations.

And from the look Spike was giving her, she could see that he was starting to think the same thing.

Mandy practically skipped as he continued walking. "Woo, I feel so much more invigorated! C'mon, let's go!"

Rarity and Spike shook off the shock, and hurried to catch up to him.

Author's Note

Yes, Twilight actually does have a second bed in the series (it's used in Season 1's "Look Before You Sleep"). I added that joke in to point that inconsistency out, as well as to establish a jumping-off point for Mandy and Spike's friendship.

Chapter 4: Suited for Insects

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 4: Suited For Insects

After several minutes of walking past glaring ponies, a large white building shaped like a carousel came into view.

Rarity stopped and gestured grandly towards the establishment. "Voila! Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!"

Mandy looked over the structure and held back a gag. He'd never seen anything so... Colorful.

"Give me slate gray and mucus green any day..." He mumbled to himself as Rarity unlocked the door.

A little bell rang when they entered, drawing a small unicorn filly's attention away from her drawing. "Oh hey, sis!" she began in the squeakiest voice Mandy had ever heard. "What're you–"

Sweetie Belle took one look at the Changeling, let out a shrill scream, and fled into the laundry room.

Mandy shrugged. "Eh, I don't blame her."

Once Rarity managed to find and calm Sweetie Belle, she explained the whole situation to her: "This... quirky fellow is Mandy, and he's here to help me with some tasks, as part of his punishment for that whole Canterlot... ordeal."

"Oh, just say what you mean, Rarity," he retorted bluntly. "I'm creepy, and the Canterlot Invasion was a huge disaster."

Sweetie Belle looked at him confusedly. "You don't have to put yourself down like that..."

Mandy shrugged again. "I just say it like it is."

Now that her little sister was no longer freaking out and hiding in a laundry basket, Rarity turned back to Mandy. "Now, then, if you'll follow me this way, please?"

He and Spike followed without protest as she led them towards a platform surrounded by mirrors. She had him stand on said platform, then started silently looking him over for several uncomfortable minutes.

Eventually, he had to ask: "Uh, what're you doing?"

She tapped her chin in thought. "I'm trying to find inspiration. You didn't really give me a lot to work with, what with you not knowing a lot about yourself..."

Suddenly, Rarity gasped. "That's IT!" And with that, she zipped off into the supply room.

Mandy eyed Spike, who was staring at where she'd disappeared. "Is she always like this?"

Spike sighed in bliss. "Even better..." He replied automatically.

After a moment, she came out with rolls of different colors and patterns of fabric, along with spools of silver and blue thread. "I've got the perfect idea! I'll make clothes that practically scream, 'I can be whomever I want to be'! Now, before I start, could I have a sample of that resin you use to make cocoons, just in case?"

She placed the rolls onto holders and the spool into a sewing machine, then held out her hoof. Mandibles took a moment before he hocked a large glob of the Changeling resin into her waiting appendage, making sure it wouldn't stick to her.

He then shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Are you really gonna try and make clothes based on... Me?"

Rarity laughed, "Oh, darling, you make it seem as if it's going to be hard!"

She returned to her craft, the sewing machine seemingly playing a quiet tune.

Then, she started singing.

Thread by thread,
Stitching it together
Mandy's suit,
Cutting out the pattern snip by snip,
Making sure to leave room for the wings,
It's the perfect color and so hip,
Always got to keep in mind my pacing
Making sure the clothes correctly facing
I'm stitching Mandy's suit!

Mandy looked on at her as he realized she was breaking into a song while she worked.

Yard by yard
Fussing on the details
Bold hemline,
Don't you know a stitch in time saves nine,
Give the garb a little depth with rolls,
Even if his legs are full of holes,
Gotta mend those elbow patches right
Even if his chitin's black as night
I'm sewing it together!

Mandy watched as she expertly put together the basics for a shirt and jacket, mixing the black, silver, and cyan fabrics with incredible results. She then placed it onto him and started fitting it.

Suit making's easy
For Mandy, it's something sleek
Casual, but still proper
Now about the buttons – do you think you'd like copper?

Mandy realized that she'd asked him a question there, and quickly shook his head.

Something suave,
Perhaps quite fetching
Carapace,
A Changeling looks quite good in this!
Making sure it fits around his chest
Don't forget some magic in the vest
Even if it itches in the treads,
You, sir, will be turning heads!
I'm stitching Mandy's suit!

She was nearly done with the suit now, adding some finishing details as the song began to wind down.

Piece by piece
Snip by snip
Croup, dock, haunch
Shoulders, hip
Thread by thread
What a hoot
Yard by yard
Best to boot
And that's the Art of the Suit!

She stepped back and declared, "I'm finished!"

Mandy, who was still dumbstruck by the song, barely had the presence of mind to look into the mirror.

The shirt he wore was a light shade of cyan, with darker pinstripes that matched his eyes. It was secured up with buttons made from the Changeling resin he'd given her earlier, and the collar folded down to rest right above an empty breast pocket.

The jacket, however, was the main piece. Made from mostly black fabric with a silver interior. The waistline perfectly fit his chitinous body, accentuating his curves. There were two embroidered holes on the back where the wings poked through, and on his lapel was an embroidered spiderweb pattern. The sleeves also had embroidered holes in them where the holes on his arms were, showing them off proudly, and the cuffs were buttoned with more of the resin.

He turned around and looked himself over, admiring the craftsmanship – especially the work she'd done with the buttons (Changeling resin becomes incredibly tough incredibly quickly).

"Not bad for a first pass, eh?" Rarity asked him, somewhat out of breath from all the work she'd just done.

"Rarity?" He began levelly.

"Yes, Mandy?"

"I think this is the best suit I've ever worn."

Rarity beamed. "Why, thank you so much, darling! I'm glad you like it so!"

Mandy's stoic exterior finally broke, and he began gushing over the outfit like a foal who'd just gotten exactly what they wanted for Hearth's Warming.

Meanwhile, Spike had passed out when she'd started singing, his nose bleeding from pure arousal.

Chapter 5: An Open-Minded Party

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 5: An Open-Minded Party

Mandibles and Spike stepped out of the Boutique and into the evening sun. It didn't exactly feel like it took forever; it was more like half of forever.

Mandy pondered over the paradoxical nature of that thought for a moment before Rarity waved him off. "Ta-ta, darlings! Oh, and Mandy? Just for today, I'll say that counted towards your community service."

Mandy looked back. "Really? Why, thank you, Rarity!"

She nodded. "Don't mention it. I'll see you again soon!" With that, she closed the door and headed back inside.

Spike sighed blissfully. "She's so generous..."

Mandy flicked his tongue out, tasting the large amount of love Spike was emitting. "And I'd say you are as well."

Spike looked at him. "Whaddya mea–?"

But before Spike could finish the thought, a pink blur had snatched away Mandy.

"Uh, Mandy?"

One moment, he was talking to Spike; then in less than the blink of an eye, Mandy found himself inside a dimly lit bakery.

"Uh, Spike?" He asked nervously, looking into the darkness with his night vision and finding the room to be lined with party decorations. "Anyone? Where am I?"

Suddenly, the lights turned on, blinding him momentarily. When he opened them, he almost wished he hadn't.

"SURPRISE!" Pinkie Pie and 3 others cheered out as they jumped from behind the counter. One of the three mares, a cream-colored earth pony with blue-and-pink hair, said it more reluctantly, as though she were coerced into attending by another; the second, who Mandy recognized as Fluttershy, cheered more timidly (such was her nature); and the last mare, an aquamarine unicorn with a pale cyan and white mane, was excitedly cheering while eyeing him curiously.

Pinkie approached him quickly. "Welcome to Ponyville, Mandy! I'm so excited to host a party for you because I've never held a party for a changeling before! Well, except for the time when I inadvertently threw a party for Chrysalis when she was impersonating Cadance, but that doesn't count since I didn't know! And since my welcoming wagon is in the shop, I thought I'd just pick you up and bring you here for a party!"

Mandy had many, MANY questions and concerns about this situation, but the only one he managed to voice to the Element of Laughter was, "B-but where's Spike–?"

Pinkie gasped in an overly cartoonish manner. "He wanted to come?! Why didn't you say so sooner!?" And with that, she was gone.

Mandy looked helplessly at the others in the room.

The earth pony, named Bon Bon, explained, "That's Pinkie Pie. She's a bit..."

"Nutty?" The unicorn, Lyra, offered.

"I was gonna say 'eccentric', but that works, too."

Mandy looked warily between the three. Honestly, it was a larger turnout than he would've ever expected (that is, if he were given the chance to expect it in the first place).

After another moment of silence, Pinkie zipped in, depositing Spike next to Mandy. He blinked, then his eyelids fell to halfway as he deadpanned, "Oh, it's Pinkie Pie. That explains it."

Pinkie either ignored the comment or missed it entirely. "Sorry it's such a small party; I tried to get more ponies to come, but for some reason, everypony was being a mean ol' grumpy grump-face and refused!"

"Between the Changeling and the Party Loon, it isn't hard to imagine why," Mandy retorted under his breath.

Despite how quietly he was talking, Pinkie seemed to hear this, and she gasped. "Why would they not like my party balloons?!"

Mandy went to reply, but Spike held a claw in front of him. "It's not worth it, Mandy; trust me."

Pinkie quickly moved on from that, springing into the air and hanging there for just a bit too long, before pulling out a glass of cider from seemingly nowhere. "Now, let's PAAAR-TAY!"

Mandy couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her enthusiasm. He flicked out his tongue to taste her emotions, but stopped dead in his tracks.

Yes, most of her aura was joy and excitement.

But it was covering up an underlying depression.

His eyes widened. That'd certainly explain her overeager nature...

Suddenly, he didn't want to heckle her anymore, make jokes at her expense, or anything like that.

All he wanted to do was make her happy.

Sighing, he took the mug from the party planner and drank a swig.

His head was pounding and his body aching when he woke up the next morning. Groaning, he staggered to his hooves, the contents of his distended belly sloshing and churning. "Ugh... What happened?" He blearily asked nobody in particular, resisting the urge to vomit.

Looking around, he marvelled at the sight before him. He was still in Sugar Cube Corner, but the venue was almost entirely trashed. Tables were flipped, cake was lying discarded on the ground, the punch bowl had been spilt, and several extra ponies that hadn't been there at the start of the party lay unconscious all across the room.

Also, Pinkie Pie was hanging by her tail from one of the rafters.

She stirred, seeming uncharacteristically lethargic. "Wow," she began, "even I'M pooped after that party!"

"Pinkie, I can't seem to remember what happened," Mandy began, delicately treading around his headache. "Care to elaborate?"

"Oh, well," she took a deep breath, then rattled off rather slowly: "I had the great idea to press some cider specifically for the occasion, since you've probably never had cider before, right?"

Mandy nodded.

"Thought so. Anyways, you seemed to like it so much that you drank almost an entire gallon, and you got REALLY drunk because of it!"

Mandy licked his lips, still able to taste the cider. That would certainly explain his stomach ache.

"Spike got in on the action, too – which surprised me at first, but now that I think about it, he IS nearly as old as Twilight, so I suppose it's okay – and so did I, not wanting to be left out. Then you suggested doing something for your community service, so we all tried to bake some cake, but... let's just say that drunk ponies and kitchen utensils don't mix well," she trailed off sheepishly, blushing.

Mandy blinked, looking around the room yet again. Sure enough, there was half-cooked cake batter splattered haphazardly in places, and some cooking utensils were also scattered across the floor.

"You got a bit pouty after that, so I called in a favor with some of my friends and they came to try and cheer you up. They asked what was wrong, and you started on this whole spiel about how your Mom never loved you, and how you're afraid that everypony else will be the same after what happened in Canterlot..."

Mandy froze up completely as she continued to ramble on, but he wasn't listening anymore. Did he really say that last night?! He'd never admitted that to anyone – not even himself!

Suddenly, Mandy felt like he wanted nothing more than to hole himself up in Twilight's Library and die of embarrassment.

"Y'know what, Pinkie," he interrupted, trying to save face, "It's been real fun and all, but I need to get going. Twilight's probably worried sick."

Pinkie blinked, her ears drooping. "Oh, I see. Well, at least let me have somepony escort you home to help explain yourself!"

Mandy sighed. "Sure, why not?"

Pinkie smiled and turned to one of the unconscious ponies, who Mandy only now recognized as Applejack, shaking her awake.

"Whuzzuh?" she mumbled groggily. "Pinkie? What happened last night?"

Pinkie took a deep breath and began to repeat the entire story she'd told Mandy. The Changeling groaned, resting his head and tuning the world out as he waited for the party mare to finish.

22 minutes (and some commercial breaks) later, Pinkie was waving off Applejack and Mandy as they headed towards the library.

As they walked, Mandy couldn't help noticing Applejack's sidelong glances at him. He'd expected something like that, seeing as his kind still wasn't exactly on good terms with ponies, but AJ's looks were different. They weren't judging or scathing;

They seemed almost... sympathetic?

Just how much of last night had Pinkie told her?

Eventually, she broke the silence: "How ya doin', Mandy?"

Mandy grunted. "I feel nauseous and hung over, and I'm still dreading what Twilight'll say. But why would you care, anyway?"

AJ looked away, biting her lip. Then she steeled herself, and said something he hadn't expected:
"Ah'm sorry."

Mandy blinked. "For what?"

"Ah'm sorry for judgin' you just because yer a Changelin'. That don't make ya any less of a pony; Ah see that now. Ya may be a creepy bug thingy with almost zero social skills, but ya still got worries, desires, and... and Ah almost refused ta see it just because o' the Invasion."

Mandy stopped dead in his tracks, unable to form words. Why was she being so sympathetic?! He couldn't quite wrap his head around it, but regardless, the fact that she admitted her mistake, and that she cared...

It felt nice.

"Th-thanks..." he managed, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. "You have no idea how much it means to me that somepony cares."

Applejack returned this with a grin. "Aw, don't mention it, sugarcube. Now c'mon, let's get ya back ta Twilight's."

She continued on, but he hung back for a moment. "Hey, uh, Applejack?"

The farmer turned her head. "Yeah?"

He swallowed his pride. "I think today, after we talk to Twilight, that I wanna help you out with your work. Y'know, for the community service, and... and because it'll be nice to hang out with a..." he hesitated, the upcoming word feeling unfamiliar on his forked tongue. "...with a friend."

AJ blinked, then smiled. "Ah'd like that very much, Mandy."

And with that, they continued in a comfortable silence.

Chapter 6: Seed-ling

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 6: Seed-ling

When Applejack and Mandy got back to the Golden Oaks Library, they found Twilight taking care of Spike (who had gotten sick from last night). They went to explain, but she said that Spike already did, and that she wasn't mad at Mandy (after all, nopony could leave a Pinkie Party once they'd entered). Mandy then told her of his plans for the day, and she waved him off with a friendly smile.

Several minutes of walking later, and Applejack's homely red barn came into view. Mandy oogled at the sight of the vast sea of trees, which were just starting to bloom in the spring air.

"There it is," AJ announced proudly, gesturing towards the orchard while still walking, "Sweet Apple Acres!"

Mandy replied with: "Honestly, I think it's the prettiest thing I've ever seen."

AJ blushed. "Aw, shucks. That's mighty kind o' ya, but it ain't nothin' special; s'just an Apple Farm."

Mandy scoffed. " 'Just an Apple Farm'? Our Hive's in the badlands, where plants are scarcer than..." He struggled to think of a comparison.

"...scarcer than rattlesnakes in the Arctic?" AJ suggested.

The Changeling shrugged, chuckling slightly. "Sure, why not?"

He then turned back to the farm, flicking out his tongue. "But it's not just that; it's all the emotions! I can sense the pure familial camaraderie and happiness from here!"

AJ blinked. "Emot– Oh right, y'all can see 'em, can't ya?"

Mandy shrugged. "Eh, more or less. I can explain in detail while we're working."

AJ smiled contentedly and started to move again. "Well, c'mon then, we bes' be goin'."

"Oh, right," Mandy blanched, having not even realized that they'd stopped. How long had they just spent idling there?

Shaking his head to clear any stray thoughts, he began walking again, a smile creeping onto his face.

The moment they entered the farmhouse, Mandy's good mood was promptly ruined when a large, red mass plowed straight into him and pinned him painfully on the ground. Mandy could barely wheeze as he felt his assailant –

"Big MacIntosh, what're ya doin'!?" AJ screamed at her brother.

"It's a Changelin'!" He answered. "Ah'm surprised ya didn't see 'im walk in after ya! But don' worry, Ah'll –"

Whatever he was about to say, he never got the chance as Applejack pushed him off of Mandy. "He's here by Celestia's orders, for Apple's sakes!"

Big Mac blinked at this. He looked at the bug, finally noticing the bandages, the magic-inhibiting ring around his horn, and the now soiled suit that Rarity had made for him.

"Oh," was all he had as a reply.

The threat now dealt with, AJ turned to Mandy and helped him to his hooves. "Y'alright, sugarcube?"

Mandy groaned as he felt his bones creak. "I think it might've exacerbated my broken leg, but other than that, I'm fine."

AJ turned to glare at her big brother. "Now, what do ya have ta say fer yerself?"

Big Mac mumbled something that sounded like a "Sorry," not daring to look up for fear of catching his sister's gaze.

"I don't blame you," Mandy mused, "After the Canterlot invasion, I'm surprised you didn't do more."

AJ looked at the Changeling incredulously. "Now, don't say that! Ya know ya did wrong, and yer workin' ta make up fer it! 'Twas wrong o' him ta jus' jump ta conclusions like that!"

Big Mac looked between them in disbelief. "Ah'm confused. Wha's happenin'?"

But before either of them could explain, there came a sudden battle-cry from the staircase, and Mandy winced as something filly-sized landed on his back and grabbed his mane.

Was the world just out to hurt Mandy today?

"Yee-haw! Ah caught a Changelin'!" A small voice cheered from atop his back.

AJ stared wide-eyed. "Apple Bloom, what're you–"

But before she could finish, the little filly pulled at Mandy's hair, causing him to rear up reflexively. Two little legs positioned themselves on either side of his barrel, and he presumed that the filly was attempting to ride him like a bronco.

So instead of relenting to her desires, he fell onto his rump, letting the little weight fall off his back and onto the floor.

Turning around, he found a little yellow filly with a red mane and a large magenta bow. She had just picked herself up from her meeting with the ground, and was beginning to cower. "D-don't hurt me!" She whimpered.

Mandy groaned dejectedly, collapsing onto his back in exhaustion.

Apple Bloom snuck a peek from behind her hooves, then leaned over him curiously. "Wait, what's it doin'?"

Mandy sighed. "Just ruminating over my misfortune."

Apple Bloom blinked, clearly taken aback by the talking Changeling. She looked at his suit, then at Big Mac (who was still sheepishly pressed up against the wall).

Then she saw AJ's fierce glare, and withered. "Ah'm in trouble, ain't Ah?"

"Eeyup," Applejack replied, her harsh glare not wavering for even a second.

After the situation was fully explained, the two Apple siblings seemed to be more at ease with Mandy's presence. He could still sense their trepidation, but they were improving.

AJ checked Mandy over for any injuries. "Yer leg's been misaligned, and yer wings took a few hits. You might walk with a limp fer the rest o' yer life, but ya'll make a full recovery."

"Ah'm so sorry!" Apple Bloom pleaded relentlessly. "Ah thought, 'cause o' the–"

Mandy silenced her by putting his good hoof over her mouth. "I already said it's fine; I'm used to being untrusted."

"So," Big Mac finally spoke up, "what IS he doin' here?"

AJ turned up her nose, still clearly upset with her siblings. "He offered ta help me with chores."

Then she looked at his leg and grew concerned. "Although now, Ah don't think ya should be exertin' yerself..."

Mandy scoffed. "It's fine, I'm fine! I'm sure I can– OW!" He tried to stand up, but his leg immediately gave way.

AJ helped him back to a sitting position as Apple Bloom mumbled another apology. "Ya see? Ah think ya should rest fer a bit."

Mandy shook his head. "No, I said I'll help you with the chores, and I mean it!"

Big Mac chuckled. "Yer just 'bout as stubborn as AJ," he mused.

The mare in question shot him a glare, silencing him.

But soon, she shook her head, then turned back and eyed Mandy. "Ah have ta admit, he's right about that. An' knowin' how Ah'd act... Fine, Ah'll let ya help with some o' the less physical tasks."

Mandy nodded. "Thank you, AJ."

AJ smiled sweetly as she helped him to his hooves. She grabbed a list of chores off of an end table, and they carefully walked out of the house together.

Apple Bloom looked on with astonishment, then turned to Big Mac. "Was it just mah imagination, or were they...?"

Big Mac, equally as stunned, simply replied, "Eeyup."

AJ held a bucket of slop in her teeth. "Alright," she spoke with practiced ease, "Here's the bucket o' feed. Take it, an' Ah'll go over the steps on how ta feed them piggies."

Mandy took the bucket in his hoof, using his limb's holes for extra grip, and said, "Okay, what's the first step?"

AJ gestured to the gate. "First, ya open the gate."

"Okay, that makes sense," he mused, opening it.

"Now, ya close it."

Mandy nodded and began to step into the pen.

"What're ya doin'?!" AJ cried out. "Yer s'posed ta stay out here!"

Mandy blinked. "What? Why?"

"Because that's how it's done!" She replied indignantly.

Mandy set the pail on the fence. "But why is that how it's done?"

"Because we're reassurin' the piggies!"

Mandy did a double-take. "Huh?"

AJ stood onto her hind legs and rested her forehooves on the gate, producing a small creak. "This 'ere gate used'ta squeak somethin' fierce, and it got the pigs runnin' an' hidin'. So Ah open the gate an' close it ta show 'em it's safe."

Mandy looked at the gate, then the pigs, who were still lying in the mud. "The gate doesn't squeak anymore..."

AJ huffed. "Well, of course not! Ah fixed that a while ago! An' that's why Ah started doin' this next step!"

Without another word, she walked to the side of the pen, leaned up against the fence...

And started making faces and babbling as though she were drowning?

Mandy was about to question it, but the pigs, seeing Applejack's display, all bolted up and scampered to the other side of the pen. In their wake, the bucket of slop teetered off of the fence and spilled into the waiting trough, filling it. The pigs then turned, saw the waiting food, and rushed towards it to dig in.

Both Mandy and Applejack were stunned, but for different reasons.

"Huh," Mandy began absently, "that actually worked..."

"Well, Ah'll be!" AJ cheered. "Ah never thought ta put the bucket on the fence post!"

Mandy blinked, then spun around on his good hoof to face Applejack. "What would you have done if it hadn't been there?"

AJ nonchalantly explained, "Oh, Ah'd've taken a corn on the cob, used it ta lure them piggies back toward this side o' the pen, then gone and lowered mahself down with a rope and filled the trough."

Once more, Mandy blinked as he tried to process. "Wha– Why?"

AJ elaborated, "Well, Ah don't want 'em to stay in that corner forever, so that's what the corn is fer. And Ah didn't wanna open the gate an' scare 'em again, so I use the rope to go around it."

Mandy could barely follow out her rationale. "Applejack, are you sure all of that is actually necessary?"

"Why would Ah be doin' it if'n it weren't?" She cried indignantly.

"Because you've fallen into a habit of using solutions for problems that no longer exist?" Mandy deadpanned.

Now it was Applejack's turn to blink. A dawning realization lit up on her face, then she grew red and kicked herself. "Aw, silly ol' Applejack," she muttered under her breath, "why ya gotta be so stubborn...?"

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Mandy tried to reassure her. "We all make mistakes. I took part in the invasion of a major city; you became less efficient with your chores. Nopony's perfect!"

AJ looked up at him, then burst out laughing. "Ah s'pose it does sound rather silly when ya put it like that."

Mandy couldn't resist giving some chuckles of his own.

AJ got up and thought aloud, "Ah s'pose now, Ah got a topic fer ma next letter to the Princess."

Mandy blinked. "Letters to the Princess...?"

She idly toyed with her hat. "It's a long story. Ya see, Twilight is Princess Celestia's personal student, and she..."

Throughout the rest of the day, AJ kept having Mandy do less labor-intensive chores, like irrigating a field of lettuce or repairing mesh fences. And all the while, Mandy pointed out any flaws he saw in her methods, much to her embarrassment.

Eventually, they found themselves sitting in a field, waiting as they allowed the sheep to graze on the grass.

AJ eyed Mandy. "So, ya said ya'd explain how ya see love?"

Mandy bobbed his head side-to-side. "Well, it's not exactly 'seeing'. We just have senses that perceive the emotions rolling off of ponies and some sentimental objects. It's kinda like a sixth sense." He paused, then added, "Actually, it's closer to taste than sight."

AJ nodded, vaguely comprehending. "Is that why ya keep flickin' yer tongue out ev'ry so oft'n?"

Mandy brightly replied, "Mm-hm!"

The farmpony kicked idly at the ground. "Ah wonder, whaddya sense comin' offa me?"

Mandy blinked in surprise for a moment, but quickly recovered and flicked his tongue out to read her emotions.

There was curiosity, that was a given. Embarrassment was also mixed in there, probably the lingering effects of the pig-feeding incident. And he could also sense idle familial bonds, stronger than any he'd ever seen in his life.

Then Mandy froze.

He could sense something else, too. It was small and pushed into the background, but the taste was distinct enough to catch his attention.

It tasted like strawberry ice cream.

There was love in there.

Not just the blanket term, either; the real, proper, 'get-to-know-somepony' kind. And it was budding, too; that sort was always the sweetest.

Mandy tried to shake it off, tried to convince himself that she was simply thinking of a memory in order to elicit a specific emotion, but that didn't stop his brain from planting a seed of an idea in his mind that led him to his conclusion:

Applejack was developing a crush on him.

He was so absolutely stunned by this thought that he didn't realize that the orange earth pony was trying to get his attention until she clapped her hooves in front of his face. Coming back to reality with a startled "Hzz-whaHUH?", he looked at the farm pony.

"Y'all okay there, Mandy?" She asked, concerned by his brief lock-up. "What'd ya see?"

Mandy stammered, "Wh-uh, yeah! Sorry, I just–"

But before he could go on some long ramble trying to make excuses, he stopped himself.

Nopony had EVER looked at him in his pure, unfiltered form with that kind of compassion. It felt strange; it made him feel like there were butterflies fighting in his stomach, his head felt woozy, and his legs wobbled as though they were gelatin.

And yet, Mandy didn't want to let that feeling go.

He had to be honest with her; she was the Element of Honesty, and she'd been so kind towards him. Sure, she had her prejudices at the start, but she was clearly willing to overlook them in order to assess the individual. And sure, she'd argued with him about the pig feeding incident, but she quickly swallowed her pride, admitted she was wrong and was now working to better herself...

In a way, she was almost the exact opposite of Chrysalis.

"I, uh..." He braced himself. "Well, I saw your curiosity, some of your pride, and your familial bonds were lingering in there as well. And t-then..."

AJ eyed him curiously. "Then what?"

Mandy gulped. "I saw... I saw love, Applejack..."

AJ blinked.

Then, she moved her hat to cover her reddening face. "W-well, o' course ya did," she defended, "and that's 'cause Ah love all mah friends!"

Mandy shook his head, blushing. "Applejack, it wasn't that kind of love, and you know it."

She opened her mouth, ready to retort, but nothing came. He could sense the conflicting emotions radiating from her head, quickly flashing from embarrassment to self-hate to regret, while the love faintly listened from the background.

Finally, she put her head into her hooves. "Of course ya woulda sensed it; Ah shouldn'ta asked ya ta look... What was Ah thinkin'!?" She scolded herself, ready to pound her hoof against her forehead.

But Mandy reached out a hoof and caught hers. "It's okay, Applejack; you don't have to hide your feelings."

Mandy knew how shmultzy that sentence was; he was fully and painfully aware of it. It'd just slipped out before he had the chance to catch himself.

Yet right now, he hardly cared.

He chuckled playfully and said, "Y'know, if it makes you feel any better, I would've eventually sensed your feelings on my own."

AJ only grew redder at this.

Mandy grimaced. "Sorry... I'm not exactly used to this kind of stuff."

AJ slowly looked up at him through bleary eyes. "Ah know..." she replied weakly.

Mandy placed his hoof onto her shoulder, a question dancing on the tip of his tongue, just eager to get out. Finally, he relented and asked it: "Why? What could you possibly see in me?"

AJ looked away again. "It's... Ah feel bad fer ya. Ah have no idea what it's like ta grow up in such a mean place, with such mean Changelin's. Ah guess... Ah started wishin' ya had a better fam'ly... like mine.

"And not only that, but yer just fun ta be around! Ya don't care what nopony thinks of ya; ya make those clever quips of yers; ya stand up fer what's right, even against a bull-headed fool like me, and... and... And ev'n though it don't always seem like it, Ah know ya mean well..." She trailed off, a sad smile on her face and a tear in her eye.

At this point, the compassion and sympathy were so palpable that AJ probably could've seen it if she were looking for it.

Mandy looked away, thinking everything over. "Nopony's ever felt this way about me before... I–I'm having a bit of trouble processing all of this right now..."

AJ looked forlorn. "That's okay, Ah can understand... Y-ya don't hafta feel obligated to reciprocate; Ah won't force ya if it makes ya uncomfortable."

Mandy mulled this over. "I'll have to think about it all..."

AJ nodded solemnly. "Take yer time; no need ta rush."

Then, without another word, she stood up and walked back to the barn, leaving Mandy alone with his thoughts.

Author's Note

No, I did not start this Fanfiction with the intent of having these two fall in love; it just sorta worked out that way, kinda like real love.

Chapter 7: Cutie Mark Crusaders Relationship Counselors

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 7: Cutie Mark Crusaders Relationship Counselors

It wasn't fair.

Mandy had sat in his room since last afternoon, replaying the events in his head. AJ's simple request, the realization, and the emotional turmoil that soon followed. If Mandy were able to sense his own emotions like he could others', he was sure he'd vomit.

It just wasn't fair.

Mandy had an incredibly tough choice to make. On one hoof, he could deny her love, likely snuffing out part of her fiery personality in the process. On the other, he could accept it, but bring her unwanted attention from everyone who was still angry at the Changelings. The feelings currently battling in his heart hurt far worse than any hardships Chrysalis had ever put him through, and the worst part was that he couldn't understand why.

It just.

Wasn't.

Fa–

A knock at the window interrupted his thoughts. He sat up and was surprised to see an easily recognizable cyan pegasus with rainbow-colored hair gesturing for him to open the window.

He unhooked the latch and leaned out to address her. "What is it, Rainbow Dash?" he asked dejectedly.

The Element of Loyalty scanned him over, then shook her head with a 'tsk-tsk-tsk'. "Twi was right; you really ARE down in the dumps over something..."

Mandy didn't have time to dawdle; he had some very important moping to get back to. "What do you want?"

"Twilight asked me if I could try and help cheer you up."

Mandy raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated Changelings...?"

Rainbow flushed. "W-what makes you say that?"

"Because, when you and your friends were fighting the Swarm in Canterlot, you were the most braggadocious about it."

Rainbow blinked. "Brag-a-what-now?"

Mandy groaned. "Whatever. Now, what is it you were gonna do to try and 'cheer me up'?"

Rainbow looked idly at the sky as she began, "Well... I was thinking we could go cloud busting."

Mandy stared at her. "You think that me doing your job for you would make me feel better?"

Rainbow Dash looked offended. "Okay, one: I am not trying to pawn my job off on you. If I were, then I'd be MUCH more direct about it!"

Mandy rolled his eyes.

"And two: cloud busting isn't just a job; I find that it helps me relieve stress and vent anger."

Mandy blinked. "You get stressed?"

The prismatic athlete scoffed. "Of course I do; everypony does! What, did you think that, just because I know I'm the best flyer, I suddenly don't have ANYthing to worry about?"

Mandy frowned apologetically. "Oh. I'm sorry about the accusation."

He glanced back at his bed, then added, "I suppose I could go with you, just to get my mind off of things..."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Alright, then let's go!"

Mandy stretched his wings, still sore from yesterday's injuries, and gave them a quick test. While he wouldn't be as fast as normal, he was certainly still able to fly.

And so, with just a moment of hesitation, Mandy flew out the window, his wings buzzing as he followed the colorful pegasus.

For the rest of the morning, Rainbow Dash and Mandy flew around the skies above Ponyville, breaking apart any errant clouds. Mandy did have to admit, venting his frustrations into his kicks did somewhat help him calm down, but even so, he was still emotionally drained.

And the fact that, even though she knew better, Rainbow Dash still kept a wary eye trained on him the entire time didn't exactly help.

Once they were done, he gave a half-hearted farewell and flew off.

Eventually, Mandy found himself sulking around near Ponyville's outdoor eatery, Café Hay. The other patrons stared at him with looks of disgust or indifference, but he didn't care at the moment; he just sat there, snacking on the idle love of the passerby.

"What's wrong, dude?"

Mandy blinked at the young voice, then turned to find an orange pegasus filly with purple hair riding a scooter, staring right at him confusedly.

Mandy groaned, snapping, "What's it matter to you?"

The little filly, instead of being taken aback, actually scooted closer. "I just don't like seeing ponies so down in the dumps," she explained.

"But I'm not a pony," he retorted, "I'm a Changeling."

"So what? If anything, that makes me wanna help more."

Mandy sat bolt upright and stared at the kid, who had a patient smile on her face. He had no idea how to respond.

"So, what's wrong?" she continued.

Mandy sighed. "It's just... there's somepony who likes me – and I mean she 'LIKES me' likes me – but I don't wanna bring her any unwanted hatred from the ponies who don't like me."

The little girl thought this all over, muttering something about "Cutie Marks in relationship counseling", until her face lit up. "Don't worry, pal, me and my friends will help you! Go wait at the treehouse on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, while I get the others!"

And with that, she powered up her scooter and zipped off.

Mandy blinked, then shook his head to clear his thoughts.

A treehouse at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres? He vaguely recalled seeing some structure in the distance while he was helping Applejack fix fences, but he hadn't payed it much mind.

Having nothing better to do today, he decided to humor the kid, and trudged his way towards the farm.

"Well, I'll be..." Mandy mused, staring up at the fairly well-built clubhouse that sat up in a large tree. In fact, if it weren't for the color scheme, Mandy wouldn't have minded if it was where he was staying.

He carefully climbed up the ramp to the little structure and opened the unlocked door, taking in the interior. There were some crates and stools that Mandy assumed were makeshift tables, a podium sat on the far end of the room, and in one of the corners was a hanging lamp above a target for some unknown reason. There was also a ladder, which led to an attic space.

Mandy looked around the room, which, even by Changeling standards, wasn't very full. But his thoughts were interrupted when three familiar fillies entered.

Apple Bloom shifted uncomfortably, and Mandy sensed she was still embarrassed about yesterday's incident.

"Hey, Mandy!" Sweetie Belle greeted chipperly.

"Hello, Sweetie Belle," the Changeling in question replied downtroddenly.

The orange filly's eyes widened. "Wait, you two know each other?!"

Sweetie rolled her eyes in frustration and replied, "That's what I was trying to tell you, Scootaloo! He came to the boutique on his first day out of the hospital, and Rarity made him a suit."

She then looked at Mandy. "Speaking of which, where is it?"

Mandy shook his head. "Spike's got it in the wash. It got pretty badly dirtied yesterday."

Scootaloo eyed him curiously. "How? What happened?"

Apple Bloom was the one to respond. "Ya don't wanna know."

Scootaloo groaned. "Oh, come on! Was I the last one to meet him!?"

Mandy allowed himself a chuckle. "Alright, what'd you bring me here for?"

Scootaloo mentally slapped herself. "Oh, yeah! We're gonna help you with your problem so we can get Cutie Marks!"

Then the three fillies shouted out, "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS RELATIONSHIP COUNSELORS, YAY!"

Mandy blinked, his ears still ringing. "Okay...?"

Scootaloo then added, "I explained the situation to the others on the way here."

Sweetie wagged her tail in excitement. "So, who's the lucky mare?"

Mandy's entire face went red at this, and he clammed up.

Sweetie stopped herself, giving him a patient smile. "Embarrassed, huh? It's okay, we won't judge!"

Mandy steadied himself, then clarified, "It's not so much a matter of embarrassment, as it is a matter concerning who's in the room."

As he said this, he glanced at Apple Bloom. The others caught his gaze and followed it to the little yellow filly.

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "It's Apple Bloom?"

Both Mandy and Apple Bloom jumped at this. The bug quickly corrected, "N-no! That's NOT what I meant!"

Scootaloo squinted at him, a knowing smirk spreading on her face. "Oh, I gotcha," she winked, not getting it at all.

Mandy, in a desperate attempt to save face, blurted out "It's Applejack!" before he even had time to register what he'd said.

When he finally did, he found 3 stunned fillies staring at him. He collapsed to the floor and put his head in his hooves in defeat. "There, it's out now. Go ahead and laugh."

The 3 kids blinked. "Why would we do that?"

Mandy froze, looking up at them. "B-because it's weird, and I'm a Changeling, and it's Apple Bloom's sister...?"

The yellow filly barely kept in an excited squeal. "But that's a great thing! Mah sister's got a crush!"

The three couldn't hold it in any longer; they started hopping around and cheering "Applejack's got a crush" repeatedly.

Mandy watched this from the floor, bewildered.

Suddenly, he found himself being lifted off the floor by the three young ponies. "C'mon," Apple Bloom practically shouted, "Let's get ya two together!"

Try as he might, Mandy couldn't get free; they were deceptively strong, especially when it came to something that they cared about.

So Mandy wriggled helplessly as they carried him off towards the barn.

Applejack was dragging a plow behind her, when a group of Crusaders carrying a Changeling approached.

Mandy was deposited unceremoniously onto the soft ground, and the fillies dashed off to hide behind a tree stump.

He brushed himself off as he got up, then froze when he realized who was directly in front of him. Both of them stared at each other, unable to speak for lack of words for the longest time.

Then Apple Bloom rushed out from her hiding spot, nudged Mandy towards Applejack, and hid again.

AJ looked at where the filly had just been, then smirked knowingly. "Lemme guess: they heard 'bout yesterday, and now they're tryin' ta get their Cutie Marks in Matchmakin'?"

Mandy blinked. "I honestly don't know what the hell's happening right now."

AJ cleared her throat. "Right, Ah should probably explain that sometime soon. Anyway, Ah know it's only been a day, so Ah don't really expect ya to have decided yet, but still... Have ya?"

Mandy took a moment, but he eventually let out an exasperated yelp. "I can't decide, and it's driving me crazy!"

AJ flinched. "Whaddya mean?"

Mandy sighed. "I just... I can't understand the feelings going through my head right now. After seeing how you feel... I don't want that feeling to disappear. But then, if I say yes, we'd have to contend with all the ponies who don't like Changelings, and... and I don't want you to get hurt by them, but I don't know why..."

AJ blinked.

Then, a knowing smile spread across her face again. "Mandy, Ah know why."

Mandy jerked his head up to look at her. "You do?"

The farmpony nodded. "You care about me, too."

Mandy blinked. Of course! That'd make sense!

AJ then put her foreleg around his shoulders. "So, if ya were reassured that Ah wouldn't be hurt by a relationship, ya'd do it?"

Mandy thought about this for a moment, then solemnly nodded. "Nopony's ever liked me like this, and I don't want to lose that feeling..."

AJ nodded in understanding. "Tell ya what: Ah'll work with Twilight to get a test sitiation set up, an' we'll see 'ow it goes, alright?"

Mandy blinked. A controlled testing environment to determine how it might go? Mandy wasn't a great planner, but even HE should've been able to think of that!

He stood up. "Alright. I'll go along with this."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders leapt from their hiding place and cheered. "We did it! We got them together! We're gonna get our Cutie Marks for sure!"

They expectantly stared at their featureless flanks, but when nothing happened for a while, they sighed in disappointment.

"Sorry, gals, Ah guess that ain't yer special talent," AJ shook her head.

"Aw, c'mon!" Apple Bloom whined. "That shoulda worked!"

"Better luck next time," Mandy offered.

With a defeated groan, the three fillies trudged back in the direction of their clubhouse.

Mandy turned to AJ. "So, you gonna explain what's up with them?"

AJ watched them leave, and reminisced. "Oh, they're just so desperate fer their Cutie Marks that they made a club where they try all sorts'a ridiculous things to get'em. Why, jus' last week, they wanted to try bungee jumpin', an' ah had to stop 'em from jumpin' off a bridge while strapped to lines o' rubber bands."

Mandy reeled at the mental image, but couldn't repress a dark chuckle. "That sounds both highly dangerous and highly amusing."

AJ shook her head and chuckled. "Yeah, that was one o' the more 'out-there' things they done. Usually, they jus' do things that end up gettin' 'em covered in tree sap."

Mandy blinked. "What?"

AJ deadpanned, "Ya'd be surprised how oft'n they end up covered in tree sap."

They stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Author's Note

Initially, this chapter was going to be about Mandy and Rainbow Dash exclusively, but I couldn't come up with anything to develop the story, so I opted to have them meet briefly before he went on his way.

Chapter 8: Therapy With a Bug-Horse

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 8: Therapy with a Bug-Horse

Mandy groaned as he woke up.

Last night had been incredibly tough on him; after the CMC incident, he'd stayed at AJ's to help with work for the rest of the day, making up for the work he'd missed due to Pinkie Pie's party a few nights back.

Now, as he got out of bed, he winced as his muscles ached and his head pounded. "Oww..." he grumbled as he staggered to his hooves.

It was at that moment that Spike decided to skip into the room, looking especially energetic. "Good morning, Mandy!" he cheered as he bounded past the bookshelves, dusting them with a feather duster. "Twilight asked me to tell you that Fluttershy would like some help today."

Mandy huffed slightly. "Of course, gotta complete the set," he mused under his breath.

Spike stopped and looked at the Changeling. "What's that mean?"

"Nevermind that," he deflected as he stretched his wings. "Can you just give me directions to her house?"

Mandy looked up from the list of directions Spike had given him, and stared at the cottage in front of him. "This certainly wasn't what I was expecting..." he mumbled. If she was so easily scared, then why did she live so close to the Everfree Forest?

But duty called, so he steeled himself and knocked on the door. After a moment, a nearby window's curtains parted slightly, and Mandy heard a shrill gasp from inside.

But eventually, the door opened, and there stood a quaking and trembling Fluttershy. "H-h-h-hello, M-m-m-Mandy..." she barely managed to whisper out.

Mandy sighed. "Okay, it's pretty clear that this isn't gonna work," he groaned, then turned to leave.

Fluttershy, seemingly shocked by his immediate defeatist attitude, quickly blurted out, "W-wait, don't go!"

Mandy only glanced back. "It's obvious that you're not comfortable around my presence, and that'll seriously hamper anything we try to do. So, I'll just leave and you won't have to deal with me."

Fluttershy's eyes widened as she frantically thought about what to do.

Then a little white bunny exited the house, got onto her back, and nudged her forward.

"No!" Fluttershy declared at a volume that would've surprised Rainbow Dash.

This caused Mandy to pause.

"I simply won't let my fears get in the way of helping someone!" she affirmed, seemingly more to herself than him.

Mandy turned around, and she flinched slightly – but only slightly. Then, she took a deep breath, and waved him inside. He hesitantly stepped forward, and, when she didn't flinch again, followed her inside.

The inside was quite cozy, even more so than the Golden Oaks Library. So many animal houses were spread about the room, suited for anything from birds, to cats, to ferrets, and even spiders!

She ushered him to the couch, and he sat down. Her yellow wings took her into the kitchen, and she came back a few minutes later with some pre-made, reheated tea. "Now then," she began, clearly still unsettled by him, "tell me about your life. If I want to be comfortable with you, then I need to know what you've been through."

Mandy gave out a little huff of air as he took his teacup. "Oh, where do I begin?

"Well, I guess I should start with my childhood. I was born in the latter part of the generation, to Princess Chrysalis and Prince Mothra."

Mandy sighed. "Ah, Mothra. I don't remember much about him, but from what I know, he was one of the kindest Changelings in history. He'd go out of his way to play with the nymphs; he'd make little toys out of rocks and Changeling resin; and he'd always be there to comfort us if we weren't feeling well. Heck, I think that's where my older brother, Thorax, gets it from."

Fluttershy cooed. "Aww, that's so sweet...."

Mandy sighed forlornly. "But then, one day, he just... disappeared."

Fluttershy blinked. "Huh? What happened?"

"Noling knows," he admitted. "Some say he got tired of the Hive and left, some say he was killed by a predator... But I think it had everything to do with HER," he spat the last word as if it were the foulest curse he knew.

"If Mothra was the nicest Changeling, then Chrysalis was the absolute WORST. She only ever cared about herself and her bid for power, outwardly justifying it with her 'My subjects and I will feed for generations' schtick. But I didn't let her fool me; she was only looking out for herself. That's why she was willing to go through with the Canterlot Invasion; she only cared about the slim chance it had of making her more powerful, without so much as a thought about the Changelings she'd have to sacrifice to make it happen."

Fluttershy shuddered. "I only met her for a brief moment, but that definitely sounds like her. I can't even IMAGINE growing up with that for a mother!"

Then she turned back to Mandy. "But do you really think she made him disappear?"

"It was no secret that she didn't like him; she only wanted kids to grow her power, and he happened to have the best genes in the Hive. So you can imagine it was only a matter of time before...."

This time, it was Mandy who let out a shudder. "Poor Dad...," he whimpered, hardly able to keep his voice steady as his eyes twinkled wetly.

Fluttershy gasped. He was on the verge of crying!

No longer looking skin-deep, Fluttershy scooted closer and wrapped a feathery wing around his chitinous body in a comforting embrace. "It's okay," she reassured, "that's all in the past. You're in a better place now."

Mandy looked up at her. "But am I REALLY? Most of Equestria doesn't like me OR my kind, and I get the feeling that the only reason I haven't been pounded into the ground yet is because of Princess Celestia and you six."

She held him closer, shivering at the feeling of his tough and cold exterior but pushing through the discomfort. "I promise that, as long as I'm able, you won't be hurt."

Mandy looked up and smiled at her. He flicked out his tongue to taste her emotions, and...

She was still afraid slightly, but she was pushing that far back to let her motherly compassion take over. It wasn't the same kind of caring as Applejack's, but it felt even more comforting somehow, as if a void from his childhood was being filled.

And so, in a rare moment of weakness, he resigned himself to lean into her hug, and he let the tears flow.

Once he had no more tears to shed, he broke off the hug. "Alright, I think that's enough," he said, drying his eyes. "So, what'd you need me here for?"

Fluttershy smiled. "That was it."

Mandy blinked. "Huh?"

"You, coming over here to tell me about yourself, so that I wouldn't be afraid anymore. That was why I invited you over!"

He could barely process this, let alone come up with a response, so he opted to just sit there with his mouth dropped in an 'O' shape.

She giggled. "I'll tell Twilight to add it to your Community Service time."

Mandy finally shook his head to get his brain cobbled into a somewhat functional state. "That doesn't really seem fair to me. Surely there must be something else I can do for you!"

Fluttershy shook her head, "You don't have to–"

Mandy silenced her with a wingtip, wincing slightly at the small pain his still-sore appendage shot back. "Fluttershy, I insist on helping you with something."

She pushed the wingtip aside and smiled in a motherly way. "Well, I suppose I need some help shopping. There's just too many assertive ponies for me to handle, and I guess I could use some help dealing with them..."

Mandy stood up, standing at full attention. "It would be an honor to serve you," he said stoically.

Fluttershy couldn't resist giggling. "Alright, if you insist."

With that, they headed outside and began the walk to the marketplace.

Chapter 9: Out of Town

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 9: Out of Town

"JUST A TEST!?"

Mandy groaned as he turned in his bed. He could hear Twilight's ranting all the way downstairs.

"Princess Celestia wants to give me some kind of exam, and you're trying to tell me to calm down because it's just a test?!"

He couldn't see it, but Mandy knew that Spike was bracing himself. "Uh... yes."

The sound of an angry magical discharge thundered, and for a moment, it felt to Mandy as if the entire Library had shot into the sky, then crashed back down.

After a moment of trying and failing to compose herself, Twilight ran upstairs and hastily said, "Mandyareyousureyou'llbefineonyourownohwhoamIkiddingI'msurethatyou'llbeokayBYE!" And just like that, she was gone.

Spike came up after a moment, and talked much more slowly, "Okay, I've left enough crystallized love in the fridge to feed you for a week, and I've also set out special parchment that'll send itself to Twilight as soon as it's sealed. Don't get into too much trouble, get your chores done, and whatever you do, DON'T mess with Twilight's Organizational System, alright?"

Mandy nodded, still reeling from Twilight's earlier intrusion.

"Okay, we'll be back as soon as we can; hopefully, it'll be sometime this afternoon. Bye," Spike waved before he left the room to head outside.

Mandy sighed as the front door swung open and closed, signalling their departure. Today was supposed to be the test date between him and Applejack, but Princess Celestia's surprise letter had cut all of their plans short.

Well, he wouldn't be of much use if he just sat around all day. Grunting, he got out of his bed and headed downstairs to get started on his chores.

Mandy wiped his brow as he spat out the feather duster. It was two hours later, and he'd just finished dusting the ground floor of the library as per his chores.

He turned to consult the list of chores he'd written, and grimaced at the next item on it.

– Pick up the groceries Twilight has pre-ordered

The Changeling wasn't looking forward to this part, but he knew he had to do it eventually. It was long enough after his sentencing that Celestia felt comfortable with withdrawing her Royal Guards, but that did little to calm his nerves; in fact, it made him even more nervous about what the citizens of Ponyville would do to an unguarded Changeling.

He took a deep breath before opening the door and heading off to Market.

Ponies stared as the Changeling walked nervously down the street. Some looked with disgust, but continued on their way; others glared angrily at the bug before they stormed off in the direction of Town Hall; still others looked at him before running off in fear; and a lone few looked at him with confusion and possibly pity.

But regardless, Mandy pressed forward to the Marketplace.

As soon as he got there, he could tell it wasn't much different from the street.

Except this time, there was a familiar pegasus filly riding a scooter, pulling along two more familiar fillies in a red wagon.

"Make way!" Scootaloo shouted as she plowed down the path, undeterred by the density of the crowd. "Crusaders coming through!"

Mandy stopped and waved at them. They may have been a bit on the annoying side in the past, but they meant well; they were just overeager. And besides, he wasn't moping around this time, so maybe he'd actually get to interact with them properly.

The orange filly turned her head and slammed on the brakes when she saw him, almost sending her passengers flying. "Hey, Mandy!" She eagerly waved back before she turned her scooter and rode it towards him.

"Hey, girls. What're you three–"

"Stand back!"

Mandy turned towards the new voice, and saw a mob of angry ponies marching over.

The Changeling grumbled, "I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later." He then turned to the crowd and asked, "What do you want?"

The leader of the group, a pink Earth Pony with purple side-swept hair and a literally upturned nose, glared at him. "For you to leave those fillies alone! They may be blank flanks, but they are still citizens of Ponyville, and they deserve protection from the likes of you!"

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all rolled their eyes at her offhanded remark.

Mandy cocked an eyebrow. "If you don't want me near these fillies, then why didn't you do anything when Scootaloo here first met me?"

She scoffed. "It took me a while to gather this mob."

Mandy sighed. "I'm just talking to them; what's the big deal?"

Another of the ponies, a blue unicorn with wavy white hair and a safety-pin Cutie Mark, declared, "You could hypnotize them with your Changeling magic!"

Mandy eyed him, silently pointing at the magic-inhibiting ring that was still clamped around his horn.

That made the pony stutter. "W-well, I don't know what you'll do, but we're gonna stop it!"

The rest of the mob voiced their agreement, then continued their advance.

Mandy braced himself against the oncoming victimization, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders all jumped in between the bug and the ponies.

The blue pony shouted, "Aha! I knew it! You've hypnotized them!"

Mandy deadpanned, "Seriously?"

Apple Bloom stepped forward. "Look at yerselves," she addressed the crowd, "gangin' up on a pony just 'cuz yer scared!"

Sweetie Belle joined in, "He hasn't done anything to harm anypony, yet here you are, treating him like he's burned down the city!"

Scootaloo finished the trio, "Ponyville's supposed to be the most friendly place in Equestria, and this is how you act towards an outsider? You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Two fillies stepped out of the crowd. One of them was pink with pale-purple hair and a tiara both on her head and as her Cutie Mark; the other, who Mandy could tell was more hesitant, was grey with red glasses and an ornate spoon for a Cutie Mark.

"And who do you think you are, talking to us like that? You're nothing but a bunch of lowly Blank Flanks!" The pink one jeered at the three.

They flinched at her words, but held their ground. "Back off, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!" Apple Bloom shot back. "This has nothin' to do with us not havin' Cutie Marks!"

Diamond Tiara glared at them, completely missing Silver Spoon waving her hooves in a futile effort to get her friend to back down before she said something they'd regret. She then spat, "Of course it does! Who would listen to a bunch of ponies who don't have a purpose!?"

Diamond Tiara expected the crowd to be with her on this point, and smugly smirked at the three fillies and the Changeling.

Instead, they gasped at her, and Silver Spoon face-hooved.

The upturned-nose pony, who Mandy guessed was Tiara's mother, quickly tried to save face by saying, "Uh, Diamond Tiara, dearie? We're not here to discuss Cutie Marks; we're here to persecute a Changeling!"

But instead of saving face, her words made the crowd turn to glare at her.

Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd just said, and she put on an innocent voice, "I-I mean, to stop an evil creature before it hurts those poor, defenseless fillies!"

But the crowd wasn't buying it. "Wait, persecute?" One of them asked.

"Oh no, is that what we're doing!?" Another wailed.

"I thought it'd already done something terrible!"

"Did we learn nothing from Zecora's arrival?!"

"I was just following the crowd!"

The crowd quickly dispersed, rethinking everything they'd done.

"W-wait!" The upturned-nose pony called out, running after them. "The Changelings have to pay for what they did! They–they terrorized my cousins in Canterlot; isn't that reason enough!?"

Diamond Tiara watched as her mother ran away. "Oh, she's never gonna let me hear the end of this..." she mumbled as she trudged away.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders blinked, as did Mandy. "Did... Did that just happen?" Scootaloo asked, bewildered.

"I think so..." Mandy agreed absently.

Surprisingly, the rest of the trip transpired without much further incident. Sure, there were still individuals who looked at him with disgust or fear. But almost all of the ones that were angry enough to act had been in that mob, and were now either holed up in their homes, or standing outside of them and apologizing to Mandy profusely.

And it was really starting to weird Mandy out. Was Ponyville really so easily influenced, and so forgiving?

But eventually, he picked up Twilight's groceries, and headed back to the Library for lunch. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had promised to stay with him until the others returned from their trip, and they kept that promise.

Though that didn't stop them from trying to get their Cutie Marks in book reorganization.

Mandy was still fixing the Crusaders' mess when the door clicked and swung open.

"Look, it wasn't my fault, it was the Crusaders; they–" Mandy launched into a defense as he turned around, but gave pause when he realized who was at the door.

It was a pale-tan earth pony, with deep black hair, a collar with a pink bowtie, and a treble clef Cutie Mark. Mandy vaguely recognized her from the mob earlier.

But now, instead of being mad, she looked apologetic.

"Hello... Mandible, was it?" She began politely.

"Just 'Mandy' is fine," he apprehensively corrected.

"Right." She turned away, as if steeling up her nerves, then turned and blurted, "I'm sorry."

Mandy blinked. "What?"

She looked up at him, a look of genuine sorriness in her eyes. She elaborated with mannerisms that reminded him of Rarity, "I wanted to apologise for my behavior earlier. It was uncouth of me to take part in the riot against you. I was at the wedding personally, so my prejudices were high, and I acted on impulse."

Mandy sighed and shook his head. "Like I always say, I don't blame you. Us Changelings terrorized this nation during that wedding, so you have every right to hold that opinion on us."

The pony looked up at the defeatist Changeling, who had returned to picking up and sorting books. "But if what those fillies say is true, you did nothing wrong. I shouldn't have–"

"I'm not innocent."

She blinked. "Pardon?"

Mandy looked her squarely in the eyes. "I was there, I took part in the Canterlot invasion. Whether willingly or not, I still captured ponies; I still flew those streets on that suicide mission; and..."

His voice broke, but he kept going, "I got enjoyment out of it. I enjoyed the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of finally catching a target; even if I knew the plan was doomed from the start, I still..."

This time, when he trailed off, he broke. His tough demeanor shattered as he collapsed to his belly, letting out soft sobs.

The musician, who had just watched all of this, stepped back, unsure of what to do.

Then, she mustered up the courage, stepped forward, and put a hoof on his shoulders.

"Mandy," she began, "It's okay. We all make mistakes, and we all have less desirable quirks; it's part of life. The fact that you feel this bad about it means that, deep down, you WANT to change!"

Mandy, who was now full-on crying, looked at her. "But how can I possibly be good? I'm a Changeling! Most ponies won't see me as anything but evil! Even if I tried being good, they'll never accept me!"

The mare looked off in thought. "....I don't know. But regardless, just because most ponies won't see it, it doesn't mean you aren't good at heart."

Mandy sobbed for another few minutes, until he'd spent his tears. He sniffled, wiping the liquid away with a hoof. "I suppose you're right... I think I just need a little time to myself."

Nodding solemnly, the mare backed off and left him to contemplate.

The Next Day...

The door opened, and in stepped Twilight and Spike, finally back from their trip.

"Mandy!" Twilight called chipperly, "We're home! We've got an amazing story to tell about our visit to the newly-returned Crystal Empire!"

Spike added in, "You'll never guess what happened! Twilight was–"

But any other thoughts were stopped when they saw Mandy, who hadn't moved since his breakdown yesterday.

"Mandy?" Twilight asked warily, "Are you okay?"

"Am I good?"

Twilight reeled, the unexpected question hitting her like a sack of bricks. "W-what?"

"Am I a good person?" Mandy repeated.

Spike looked at him quizzically. "Okay, what happened?"

Mandy barely gave enough effort to turn his head towards them. "A mob harassed me in the street. I got out with the help of the CMC's, but I started thinking: I may not have willingly participated, but I still enjoyed the Invasion. Even now, I make snarky comments, and I make ponies uncomfortable with my sour attitude. So, I ask you this: am I a good person, or no?"

Twilight sucked her cheeks in. "O-of course you–"

"You're lying."

She winced. "I... I'm just not sure yet."

Mandy groaned and dragged himself to his hooves. "That's what I thought," he moaned dejectedly as he began to trudge towards his bed.

However, Spike quickly blocked the staircase. "Well, I'm sure! You're a great guy!"

Mandy eyed him levelly. "Spike, no offense, but I don't think you're the best judge of character."

If Spike was hurt by that comment, he hid it well. "But still, I know you! Sure, you're rough around the edges, but that's just the surface! You admitted your mistakes when Twilight first captured you; you've been helpful despite having no reason to be; and you're not sour, you're a realist!"

Mandy blinked. "What makes you say that?"

Spike puffed up his chest a bit. "Trust me: when you spend your entire life living with the bookworm known as Twilight Sparkle, you pick up a thing or two about semantics."

Twilight blushed.

"But more than that," Spike continued, "you're actually concerned about whether or not you're good! And that means..." He motioned for Twilight to continue.

Twilight gasped. "That means you truly ARE good!"

Mandy blinked. He tasted the emotions coming off of Twilight, but sensed no doubt. "Really? That convinced you?"

Instead of responding, Twilight grabbed a book of philosophical quotes. She flipped to a certain section, and showed Mandy a specific entry:

"Chronic remorse, as all moralists are agreed, is a most undesirable sentiment. If you have behaved badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time. On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean."
–Aldous Huxley

Mandy blinked, staring down at the passage. He then tried to voice his objections, but she flipped to another page and pointed to another quote:

"Your dignity can be mocked, abused, compromised, toyed with, lowered and even badmouthed, but it can never be taken from you. You have the power today to reset your boundaries, restore your image, start fresh with renewed values and rebuild what has happened to you in the past."
–Shannon L. Alder

And just for good measure, she flipped to one final passage:

"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."
–Marcus Aurelius

Mandy pushed the book away. "Alright, I get it! You can stop hammering it in now!"

She blushed. "Sorry; I really like philosophy quotes."

He looked to Spike, then Twilight, and smiled. "Thank you, I needed that."

And, for the first time ever, he grabbed them both and gave them a hug.

"Now," he eventually broke off the hug, "I wanna hear all about your trip."

"Well," Spike began in his most 'humble' voice, "I don't mean to brag, but there's a new stained glass window in Canterlot Castle!"

Mandy raised an eyebrow. "I feel like that should've made sense, but it didn't. What does that have to do with anything, and how is that bragging?"

Twilight chuckled at Spike's 'modesty'. "Well, it all started when we got to Canterlot..."

Author's Note

Well, this breakdown certainly came earlier than even I'd expected...
But, such is life when you only have a rough outline of how the story will go, filling in the details and conflicts as you go.
At least I didn't let it derail my entire story, unlike my first public story...

Chapter 10: Changes

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 10: Changes

Spike stretched as he woke up, blinking drearily.

"Happy Gourdfest!"

The baby dragon jumped at the sudden noise, digging his claws into the ceiling out of fright. He looked down...

And saw a confused Mandy staring back up at him, wearing a party hat.

It took a moment for Mandy's words to register. "Gourdfest? What's that?" He asked as he carefully lowered himself back to the floor.

Mandy danced in place slightly. "It's a holiday all about pumpkins, squashes, and other gourds!"

Spike scratched his head. "Why would Changelings celebrate that?"

Mandy paused. "I'm not actually sure. But it's the only holiday we celebrate, so I can't complain!"

The baby dragon blinked. "It's the only Changeling holiday? Why?"

"Because Chrysalis's mother, former Queen Avia, created the holiday for whatever reason, and Chrysalis kept it a tradition. That's about the only positive thing she did for us," he added.

"Oh," was Spike's reply.

Mandy excitedly scooped Spike up onto his back. "Now c'mon! Let's go and celebrate!"

Spike held on for dear life as Mandy rushed down the stairs and out the library door.

As they rode forward to an unknown destination, Spike couldn't help but notice that Mandy's chitin seemed to be a brighter shade of gray than usual. He looked over it, but ultimately shrugged it off as a trick of the morning sun.

After a few minutes, they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack was waiting to greet them with a cheerful, "Howdy, y'all! Happy Gourdfest!"

"Hey, AJ!" Mandy finally slowed down, allowing Spike to shakily get off. "Thanks again for hosting this for me."

AJ tipped her hat. "It's no trouble at all, pardner. Ah'm just glad we were able to get all them pumpkins an' such on such short notice."

Big MacIntosh replied with his signature "Eeyup".

Spike looked over the farm. Several baskets full of pumpkins, squash, zucchini, and various other gourds decorated the grounds; several stands with party games sat along the path, ranging from "Pin-the-Stem-on-the-Pumpkin" to "Squash-apult Target Practice"; and a large banner with the word "Gourdfest" on it hung between two tall trees.

The baby dragon did a double-take. "Woah! You guys do all this back in the hive?"

Mandy blushed – – profusely. "Well, it's not exactly as... Robust as this..."

Meanwhile, in the hive...

Three Changelings sat around a weathered chessboard, wearing party hats and snacking on a few shriveled-up gourds. A dilapidated catapult sat in a corner, falling apart with impeccably comedic timing.

"Needless to say," Mandy shrugged off the cutaway gag, "I wanted to present the best version I could to my friends!"

Spike smiled. "That's so nice of you!"

"I know, right!? Now, c'mon!"

Mandy practically skipped as he headed down the path.

Spike, having been left behind, scratched his head. Since when was Mandy so open with his emotions?

AJ tapping on his shoulder snapped Spike out of his thoughts. "What're ya waitin' fer?"

Spike turned to the farmpony. "Hey, AJ, have you noticed that Mandy's acting a lot more..."

AJ snickered. "More excited than usual? He's been lookin' forward to this fer a while now."

Spike shook his head. "No, not just that. He seems more... Expressive, in general?"

AJ scratched her chin with her hoof. "Ah s'pose. It's probably jus' cuz o' the holiday; Celestia knows how excited Ah used ta get on Hearth's Warmin'..."

Spike shrugged, more reassured than he'd been a moment ago, but not totally convinced. With only the slightest bit of trepidation, he began to run after Mandy.

"Alright," Mandy began as Spike approached the first stand, "this game's called 'Squash-apult Target Practice'."

Spike looked at the set-up in front of him, his face lighting up. "Hey, we do something just like this on Nightmare Night!"

Mandy practically jumped out of his carapace, grabbing Spike. "Really?! Then what're you waiting for!"

But before Spike could react, Mandy set him in the catapult, slapped a helmet onto him, and handed him a large delicata squash.

"Uh, Ma–?"

Then he was launched.

Spike barely had the presence of mind to do anything other than cling to the gourd for dear life.

And scream, of course.

He sailed up and up, FAR above the target, before he started to descend again.

Thankfully, a mattress had been set up where he landed, and he bounced off it, receiving only minor injuries from landing on the dirt afterwards.

A moment later, Mandy came buzzing up, a look of confusion on his face. "Spike, you were supposed to let go of the squash! I thought you said you knew how to play!"

The dragon in question was still disoriented from his impromptu flight. "Tha–that's not how we p–play," he barely managed to stutter.

A horrified look spread across Mandy's face. "It isn't!? Oh no, I'm so so so so SO sorry! I just got so excited!" He hastily apologized, quickly lifting Spike back to his feet.

Spike shook his head to clear the dizziness. "Mandy, what's going on with your emotions? You seem a lot less like you today, and a lot more like Pinkie Pie."

Mandy blinked.

Then he laughed just a bit TOO hard, explaining at a breakneck pace, "Oh, sorry about that! That just happens to us sometimes – usually, it's a sign of molting, but that can't be the reason, because I molted three months ago, and that's too soon. Or was it four months ago?" He gasped overexaggeratedly. "Oh shit, I can't remember! I think I might be molting! And on Gourdfest, too!"

Spike could only silently watch as Mandy quickly shuffled between several exaggerated emotions, from anxiety to surprise to elation.

Eventually, though, it settled on dawning apprehension. "Oh no, my horn's still clamped! What's gonna happen to it when I molt?!"

Spike tried to steady the quaking bug, but reeled back when he felt the carapace shift. "Woah! What's happening to you? What's this 'Molt' thing?"

Mandy started pacing in place as he exposited, "A molt is what happens when a bug or reptile outgrows their skin or it becomes too worn, and they have to shed it. It's kinda like when ponies throw out old clothes, except it's a natural thing. For us Changelings, since we feed on emotions, we usually experience a surge in our own before it happens, as a handy-dandy warning mechanism. But I can't just molt right now; I've still got this magic-inhibiting ring around my horn! I have no idea what'll happen to it if I molt!"

Spike jumped up. "Well, why didn't you say so!? We gotta get Twilight; she'll be able to do something!"

Mandy nodded, and they rushed back to the library.

Applejack approached the mattress, a pumpkin pie on her back. "Alright, now who wants some–"

Only then did she notice that they'd left.

"...and that's why I came here!" Mandy finished his explanation as Twilight studied his ever-loosening chitin. "I'm really scared of what might happen, Twi. The ring might break, the carapace underneath might dig into my horn and get infected — I just don't know!"

The purple unicorn looked up at the ring, the chitin underneath it starting to bulge and redden. "Alright, I'll take it off while you molt. Thank you for coming to me immediately."

"Of course!" Mandy replied proudly.

Twilight lit her horn, undoing the locking mechanisms inside the device. Finally, it opened up and dropped off, falling into her outstretched hoof.

Mandy sighed in relief, rubbing at the sore spot. "Oh, thank you, Twilight. You wouldn't believe how uncomfortable that was!"

Twilight nodded. "Just keep in mind, this is only until your molt is over." She paused, then asked, "How long do Changeling molts usually last?"

Before Mandy could even answer that, his chitin began to crack. Beams of light seeped out as the chitin chipped away, until finally, with a burst of light, it all came shedding away.

Twilight shielded her eyes as tiny pieces of discarded carapace scattered about the room. When she finally looked, she gasped.

Mandy now stood there, looking ever-so-slightly different. His mane was now a bit redder in color, his legs a little longer, and, most blatantly of all, his wings had the opacity and sheen of quartz.

Mandy blinked, looking down at himself. "Wow, that's... Different..." He mumbled, his exaggerated emotions now petering out.

Twilight blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

The freshly-molted bug studied his modified look. "I mean that usually, I just get slightly bigger. But this –" He gestured to his wings and his mane "– is completely new to me."

Twilight gawked at the sight. This kind of change wasn't normal? The implications of this fascinated the studious pony. She could write a whole dissertation on –

She shook her head before her train of thought derailed past the point of no return. "A-anyways, let's just get this ring back on–"

Mandy stepped forward. "Oh, allow me." His horn lit up as he used magic for the first time in months to pick up the device.

Only, instead of being the sickly green that was normal amongst Changelings, his magical aura was burgundy in color.

Both of them gawked slightly at this, before Mandy levitated the ring onto his own horn. The locks reset themselves and the ring snapped shut, tightly cutting off his magic once more.

Twilight barely had the presence of mind to say "Alright, if that's all..." before she fainted.

Author's Note

Initially, this was just going to be about Gourdfest, but I thought, "Hey, why don't I have a moment where his wings change, like Thorax's wings in Season 6?" Then, I thought, "I can do more than just change the wings, though; I can make him an unoriginal OC!"

Chapter 11: In Dreams

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 11: In Dreams

Mandy collapsed onto his bed with a huff.

He'd just completed another long day filled with gruelling community service – helping AJ gather all the bruised and rotten apples, assisting Rarity with carrying supplies, keeping Rainbow Dash on task, etc. – and he was exhausted. Not to mention, his freshly-molted body was still somewhat soft, and it ached more than usual.

He rolled over to get comfy, and almost instantly fell asleep.

He was back in Canterlot, flying low above a non-descript street on a cloudy night. Nobody else was nearby – no Changelings, no Ponies, nothing – and it was starting to become very disconcerting. He turned to search down a street, but stopped when he heard a powerful magic spell activate.

Shining Armor's shield spell was racing towards him. He tried to get away, but it was too fast.

However, instead of blasting him away, it bound his limbs upon contact.

He skidded to a stop on the ground, unable to move and free himself. He tried to call out, but all that came out were hisses and growls.

Then the ponies came.

Hundreds upon hundreds of nondescript ponies mobbed him, carrying pitchforks and torches and torched pitchforks. He tried to speak, tried to call for help, but he couldn't find his words.

Then he locked gazes with one specifc pony, an orange mare with yellow hair and that iconic stetson, who was sitting off to the side.

Applejack.

He looked to her with desperation, silently pleading her to talk some sense into the crowd or something, anything!

She stared at him, wiped away a tear, and turned away, no doubt devastated by the pain he'd caused her.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as the mob drew closer, ready to do unspeakable things to –

"ENOUGH!"

In an instant, the ponies disappeared like smoke on the wind. The clouds parted to reveal the full moon, from which came Princess Luna.

Mandy suddenly found his voice, and cried out "No! Don't hurt me!" as she walked down from the sky.

"Relax, Mandibles," Luna held up a hoof to silence him, then repressed a chuckle. "What an interesting twist of fate; usually, it is ponies who are needlessly pleading to you."

Mandibles stopped, but didn't calm down. "W-what are you doing here? Why am I in Canterlot? Is Princess Celestia going to destroy me for leaving Ponyville before my –"

Luna held a hoof over his mouth, and he suddenly felt himself relax. "I assure you that my sister would not punish you for leaving Ponyville within a dream."

Mandy blinked. "A-a dream?"

As soon as he said this, he felt the forces binding his limbs together let go, and he was able to move again.

"I assure you that you're dreaming," Luna confirmed. "And judging by its contents, I'd say I was right in giving you the benefit of the doubt when I first heard your story."

Mandy blinked. "W-wha?"

"I used to be like you," she explained, "Confused about my place in the world, angry and lashing out, and, more importantly, seen as a threat even after I'd begun to make amends."

Mandy stood up. "Yeah, I know about that; the whole 'Nightmare Moon' thing didn't exactly go unmentioned, even in the Hive."

Luna blushed slightly. "Anyway, that is not the point of my visit."

The Changeling eyed her. "Yeah, speaking of which, how ARE you here?"

"I'm the Princess of the Night; not only do I raise and lower the Moon, but I also patrol the dream realm and stop nightmares."

Mandy hopped a little in a rare moment of excitement – likely brought on by the fact that they were inside his dream, and therefore, his mental state showed much more easily. "You are? Oh, wow! I've never had somepony come to stop my nightmares before! So, how can we stop this from happening again?"

Luna shook her head. "This sort of fear would be easy if not for the circumstances. These fears are well-based, and thus, it'll be a LOT harder to stave them off."

Mandy deflated a bit at that. "Oh."

"But," Luna reaffirmed, "I CAN give you some advice so as to deal with them in the future."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

Luna began, "You shouldn't worry so much about how others perceive you; If you keep working to better yourself, they'll come around – and if not, it's their loss. The only ponies who matter are those who can see past their biases and find the heart underneath that chitin."

Mandy waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "Wait, that's it? That's what I've been doing already!"

Luna nodded. "And yet sometimes, we lose faith, or we get impatient, and thus we abandon the right path before it bears fruit."

As she said this, Mandy didn't even need to use his empathetic senses to tell that she felt forlorn, as though those words brought back a bad memory.

But she quickly shook it off. "Do you understand, Mandibles?"

Mandy nodded, easing up at the sight of the Princess's emotions. "I think I do, Princess. Thank you for reminding me."

She nodded, smiling slightly. Then, she turned to look at the empty streets around them and began to muse to herself, "Now, about this dream..."

Her horn lit up, and the scene morphed until they found themselves in Ponyville.

Mandy looked at the Library, and, almost as if on cue, Applejack stuck her head out and called, "Hey, Mandy! Wanna play some Chutes and Ladders?"

Mandy called back, "Be right there!", then turned to Luna, who was failing to hold back a giggle. "What?"

"I apologise; I just didn't expect that you liked Chutes and Ladders."

Mandy blushed. "What can I say? The little pictures on the board make me feel happy..."

Luna nodded. "Alright, I'll let you get to it. Sweet dreams, Mandy."

Mandy waved as she retreated back into the Moon, leaving him to head into the Library and enjoy the rest of his dream.

The next morning, he put on his suit and some saddlebags and bounded gleefully down the stairs, finding Spike and Twilight in the kitchen.

"You seem pretty happy today," Twilight commented. "Sleep well last night?"

"I suppose you could say," Mandy shrugged, "that I 'slept like royalty'."

Twilight and Spike blinked, not understanding the joke. "What?"

Mandy chuckled to himself as he grabbed a board game from the designated shelf, tucking it into a saddlebag. "It's nothing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with Applejack."

Chapter 12: Love Bug's First Date

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 12: Love Bug's First Date

Mandy strolled down the street, proudly wearing the suit Rarity had given him, and carrying a board game in his saddlebags. He received a few glares, but he didn't care;

He was on his way to Sweet Apple Acres.

The moment he spotted the distinct red barn, he picked up his pace, arriving within minutes.

"Knock knock!" he called through the door, following it up with a series of actual knocks.

AJ pushed open the door and smiled. "Well howdy, Mandy! C'mon in!" she waved him inside.

"Hey, AJ. Ready to start our date?" he asked as he removed his saddlebags and set them onto the couch.

"Sure as sugar am!" she replied.

He chipperly looked to her. "Good, because I genuinely have no idea how to do this!"

She blinked. "Wait, what?"

Mandy elaborated, "I mean, sure, I've been on a few dates while incognito, but I've never been on a date as... y'know, myself."

AJ chuckled. "Well, yer in luck, 'cuz Ah've never been on a date, neither!"

Mandy froze. "Wait... what?"

"Ain't that just the darndest thing?" she laughed nonchalantly. "Neither o' us been on a date before, an' –"

Mandy interrupted her. "Oh no, no, NO! I was banking on you having dating experience so that you could fill me in on what to do!"

AJ did a double-take. "Wait, d'you think datin' is some kinda planned-out thing?"

Mandy stopped again. "It isn't?"

"Of course not! Whatever gave ya that idea?"

Mandy shrank back slightly. "Th-that's what we were taught in infiltration class..."

Now it was AJ's turn to reel back. "Oh, right... Sorry, Ah shoulda figured as much."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"So," Mandy restarted the conversation, "Now that my view on dating has collapsed entirely, I don't suppose you could... explain how it's actually supposed to work?"

AJ looked off in thought. "Well... Ah reckon we should pick a place to go, an' see where the day takes us."

Mandy thought it over, then nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

Mandy and Applejack now sat at Café Hay, Ponyville's go-to daytime eaterie. AJ looked over a menu, while Mandy played with a fork.

"Are ya sure ya don't want nothin'?" she asked him.

"Nah," Mandy replied absently, "I'm not really feeling hungry today. Besides, the food here doesn't sit well with me."

AJ thought to question when exactly he'd eaten here, but the waiter arrived, cutting off that train of thought. "May I take your order?" he asked in his stereotypical Prench accent.

"Ah'll have a canter salad with apple slices on the side," AJ requested.

"Very good, madam. And for..." he hesitated when he saw the Changeling, but seemed to recognize him, and corrected, "Nevermind."

Okay, now AJ was really curious. "Hey Mandy," she began once the waiter had left, "what–"

"You don't want to know," he replied bluntly, blushing slightly.

AJ blinked, but ultimately decided to drop the subject.

Mandy, noticing her discomfort, tried to lighten the mood by using the best conversation starter he could think of:

"So... uhh, lovely weather we're having..."

Mandy face-hooved internally. Seriously? Talking about the weather? Why did he have to be so damn generic and –

"Yeah, Ah reckon the weather team did a mighty fine job today."

Oh right, how'd he forget that the weather in Equestria was controlled by pegasi? "Yeah," he agreed. "Not too sunny, not too cloudy, with just the right level of humidity. Y'know, back home in the Badlands, the wild weather was always either too arid during the day, or too frigid at night."

AJ gave a sympathetic shiver. "Ah can only imagine."

Then, he mused, "Yeah, the weather's so bad out there that not even Rainbow Dash could tame it!"

AJ chuckled and went to say something, but their conversation was interrupted by a prismatic streak crashing down onto their table.

"Is that a challenge?!"

Mandy lowered his hooves from in front of his face, staring up at the rainbow-maned pegasus that now glared down at him from upon their table.

AJ sputtered, "Wha– Rainbow Dash, what're ya'll doin' here?!"

The pegasus blinked, apparently not having noticed AJ behind her. "AJ? Why're you sitting at a table with... Mandy...?"

Her pupils contstricted as her brain worked out the answer. She gasped, looking frantically between them while covering her mouth.

AJ hissed through gritted teeth, "Rainbow Dash, how'd ya hear us talkin'?"

She paused her freakout to point at a nearby tree, where a pillow and blanket adorned one of the thicker branches.

Then she screamed, "ARE YOU TWO–"

Mandy shoved a hoof in her mouth and hissed, "Quiet; you're gonna attract all of Ponyville!"

AJ looked around, waiting for everypony to stop paying attention to them, then whispered into Dash's ear, "We're jus' testin' the waters, as it 'twere."

Rainbow Dash forced Mandy's hoof from her mouth and backed away. "I-I-I-I'm gonna n-n-need to p-p-process this...!" she said before she rocketed away.

AJ sighed. "Rainbow Dash, amiright?"

Mandy scoffed. "Tell me about it."

By the time they resettled into their seats, the waiter pony came back with Applejack's food. She happily dug in, while Mandy took the time to look around the place.

And it was a good thing he did, or he wouldn't have noticed Rainbow Dash – followed by Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity – until it was too late.

Mandy tapped on AJ's shoulder, then pointed towards the oncoming mares.

Applejack nearly spit out her salad. "Aw, ponyfeathers– Rainbow Dash!" she practically shouted at the oncoming group.

Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof and addressed her companions. "See? I told you!"

Fluttershy gasped in shock. "Oh my..."

Rarity gasped in admiration. "I never would've thought, but they look... good together!"

Pinkie gasped her iconic gasp.

Applejack face-hooved, knowing fully well what was about to happen. "Now ya've gone an' dunnit..." she deadpanned to Rainbow Dash.

In the next few moments, everything became a pink blur as candles, balloons, bouquets of flowers, and a mariachi band were set up at speeds only Pinkie Pie could manage. The pink party planner cheered, "Ohmigosh, this is so cute! You two are dating!"

Several ponies, who hadn't fully grasped why a pony and Changeling were sitting at that table, now gasped at the pink pony's exclamation.

Mandy, suddenly aware of far too many eyes on him, shrunk back into his chair. "Um, P-P-Pinkie...?"

But she didn't listen. "You two look so cute together! I can't wait to throw your second date party, and your month-iversary party, and your anniversary party, and your..."

While Pinkie Pie kept blabbing on, Applejack took the opportunity to grab Mandy's foreleg, and they high-tailed it out of there, leaving some bits as they left.

Eventually, they managed to evade the growing group of ponies following them, and they wound up back at Sweet Apple Acres.

Mandy panted for breath, spread out on his back. "What the HELL was that all about!? Was that REALLY what I was like when I was molting!?"

AJ replied breathlessly. "Thankfully, no."

"Good," Mandy thanked the heavens, "because if it was, I'd want you to end me right then and there."

They both chuckled darkly.

Mandy sat up, finally starting to catch his breath. "So, that was a bust..."

AJ followed suit. "Ain't that the understatement of the day..."

The Changeling then eyed his saddlebag, which was still sitting on the couch. "Say, I think I know what we can do instead."

"Whazzat?" she asked quizzically.

He reached into the bag and pulled out its contents, a copy of Chutes and Ladders.

AJ couldn't help but chuckle. "A board game?"

Mandy's face dropped. "You don't want to?" he asked, disheartened.

AJ quickly backpedalled. "Wh– that's not what Ah meant; it's jus'... ain'tcha a tad bit old fer them?"

Mandy pouted. "The only board game we had was chess, and that was for sharpening strategy," he admitted. "Besides, the illustrations on the board make me happy."

AJ looked down at the board, then back at him. "Okay, Ah'll play it with ya."

Mandy jerked his head up, then leapt into the air with excitement, whooping as he did a flip.

Then he realized what he was doing, stopped himself, and regained his posture. "I-I mean... let's play, shall we?"

AJ chuckled at the display. "Yeah, let's."

Spike made his way to Sweet Apple Acres, a few empty pie tins in his arms. "♪Gonna get some fresh new pies,♪" he hummed to himself as he approached the farmhouse.

However, before he even got close to the building, a gameboard crashed through the window, making Spike jump and drop the tins. "What the– what was that!?" he cried out as he ran up to the now broken window, careful not to step on any broken glass.

Inside, Mandy sat red-faced, pouting, while AJ smiled slyly at him.

"It turns out," AJ stuck her tongue out at the Changeling, "that Mandy here's a sore loser."

Chapter 13: Discord

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 13: Discord

Sweet Apple Acres was both flooded and frozen over.

Suffice it to say, this wasn't normal.

Mandy stood on the crest of a nearby hill, soaking in the scene that lay before him. He'd been planning a picnic with Applejack today, but now, those plans were the least of his concerns.

First concern: why was Sweet Apple Acres flooded? Second concern: how had it subsequently frozen over in the middle of spring?

Third, even more important concern: Why were the Elements of Harmony and Spike standing near the frozen lake, talking to some creature that looked like a mishmash of several different animals?

....Wait a second.

Mandy's eyes widened as he recalled stories and tall tales from his nymph-hood. He remembered tales of a mischievous Spirit who brought forth a state of unrest and unhappiness. He recalled horror stories of the Changeling famine that had stemmed from that unhappiness, which had killed more than half of the entire species, all brought on by one being.

And here that being was...

...ice skating?

Mandy stopped that train of thought. No! He was probably trying to lure him in with curiosity! He needed to get away, before the Spirit could trap him!

But unfortunately, before he could even turn around, he was caught.

An orange sapling sprouted out of the ground in front of him. It quickly grew into a claw-shape, grabbing Mandy and pulling him underground before he even had time to scream. The ground closed up around him, and he could hardly breathe.

This was it. This was the end of Mandy, the Changeling who'd faced the hardships of life in Equestria, but ultimately succumbed to one unlucky day. His tale would be... Largely forgotten, if he were to be perfectly honest. He hadn't even gotten to –

Suddenly, light. The plant was pulling him back out? Could it be true?! Was his luck finally changing?

Mandy was now restrained on the ground, panting and gasping for breath. Several voices around him gasped out, but he didn't care at the moment. He was just thankful to be alive.

"So, I couldn't help but notice this fellow eavesdropping over on that hill. Would you like me to dispose of him for you?"

Mandy froze at the new voice. He slowly opened his eyes, surprised to find himself at the hooves of the Elements of Harmony. He looked up, and gasped.

There, floating in front of him, was Discord.

Mandy quickly tried to get to his hooves, but the orange plant was still gripping him tightly.

"Leave 'im alone, Discord!" A familiarly accented voice demanded. Mandy turned his head and was graced with the visage of Applejack, who was glaring at the draconequus. The Changeling silently thanked his lucky stars that she was here to defend him.

Discord blinked. "But he's a Changeling! Aren't they evil, or something?"

Then his eyes widened, and he started howling with laughter. "Oh no, don't tell me; you actually think you've reformed him?!"

The group glared at Discord. Pinkie Pie jumped forward to defend, "Of course we have! Mandy's a good guy!"

"An' there ain't nothin' you can do to convince us otherwise!" Applejack affirmed, standing next to the party planner.

Fluttershy joined in, as did Twilight and Rarity. Rainbow Dash hesitantly looked at Mandy, but ultimately joined the rest of them.

Seeing this display of faith awoke something in Mandy. They really thought he was good? After all the things he'd done? It... It felt indescribable.

Discord scoffed. "We'll see about that," he muttered as he disappeared.

Then a white-hot pain erupted in Mandy's head. He screamed as Discord tore into the deepest recesses of his mind, scouring every last nook and cranny for whatever it was he was looking for. Mandy was vaguely aware of bits and pieces being tossed away as though Discord were rummaging through a box of old junk, and the horrified looks on his friends' faces only heightened Mandy's fears.

Then the pain subsided, the orange plant let him go, his mind reassembled, and Discord reappeared.

Only he wasn't looking smug or scheming, or anything like that.

He looked genuinely shocked.

"What the...?" He muttered as he stared disbelievingly at the bug, who was still reeling from the head-splitting pain. "I don't believe it... You really did reform him...!"

Through the tears in his eyes, Mandy could barely see Rainbow Dash gape as she regarded the Changeling under a new light.

"Well, o' course we did!" Applejack shot back. "Mandy is our friend, an' he–"

Discord held up his talon, which stretched out to shush AJ. "No, I mean that you literally reformed him. As in, your friendship has physically transformed him!"

The group blinked. "What?"

Discord pointed to Mandy's wings and mane. "His fundamental being has been altered by exposure to your friendship! Why, I daresay that your friendship is stopping his need to feed at all! I had no idea friendship could even BE this powerful!"

Now was his chance. With what little strength he had, he shakily got up to his hooves. "You're damn right," he croaked out, drawing everyone's attention.

Discord regarded him with horror. "What the– but how?! And – and why!? How have you overcome your biology like this?!"

Mandy snarled at the draconequus, unaware that his entire body was starting to glow pink. "Because they're my friends, Discord," he spat, "and they're more important to me."

Suddenly, a surge of magical energy shot out of Mandy's body, hitting Discord squarely in the chest and sending him sprawling.

But the magic didn't stop; it kept coming out, spreading out into a cloud of pink light around him. Magical entrails sprouted and began to wrap themselves around him until his body was encased by a glowing chrysalis of pure magic.

The six Elements, Spike, and Discord all gawked at the sight before them.

AJ was the first to move. "M-Mandy?" She asked as she cautiously approached the cocoon, foreleg outstretched.

As soon as her hoof touched the magic, it flashed before winking out of existence. When their eyesight had recovered, everyone gasped.

There, lying on the ground, was Mandy.

Only he looked almost completely different.

He was now about as tall as Big MacIntosh, and the holes in his legs were gone. His chitin was now black with red gradients on his neck, legs, and horn (which still sported the inhibitor ring). Two small red antlers poked out from his head, next to fully whole ears with burgundy interiors. His wings were no longer tattered, but were now more akin to magenta dragonfly wings, with crimson elytra to cover them when not in use. His mane and tail were now made of the same membrane as his wings, and his fangs were duller than they used to be.

In fact, the only things that hadn't changed were his eyes, – which remained the cloudy blue pearls they'd always been – his forked tongue, and his dual-tone voice.

"What... What happened?" He wearily asked, struggling and failing to get up.

AJ gasped, then rushed forward and grabbed Mandy in a tight hug. He cringed slightly, still sore from Discord's earlier intrusion and his subsequent transformation, but he returned the hug gratefully.

Quickly, the rest of the Elements (Spike included) rushed forward to join in the hug, leaving a bewildered Discord behind them.

Eventually, though, they broke off the hug and gave Mandy some breathing room. He looked over his new body with shock and confusion. "What the hell just happened to me?" he asked.

Discord got up, still somewhat dazed. "Isn't it obvious? You just fully embraced your friendships, sharing the feelings of camaraderie and acquaintanceship they'd given you, and now, you've gone through a metamorphosis."

Mandy blinked, not understanding.

Discord deadpanned, "You shared love, and your body changed to reflect that."

The transformed bug's eyes widened. "I shared love? B-but Changelings can't–"

Discord stopped him. "Well, obviously you can, since it just happened in front of all of us."

Mandy thought over this. "So, this all happened because...?"

Twilight smiled. "Because you love your friends."

Discord watched them as they talked excitedly about this development.

Perhaps friendship wouldn't be so bad, he thought.

Perhaps he should give it a shot...

Author's Note

And Mandy has officially reformed! Thanks, Discord!

Sorry if this chapter is too dark compared to the others; I wanted to try my hand at a different style for a chapter.

Chapter 14: Mandy's Magical Mystery Cure

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 14: Mandy's Magical Mystery Cure

On that fateful morning, Mandy got up at 6:00 AM (he'd learned the hard way that trying to shop during the morning rush hour would attract a lot of unwanted attention, so he'd started going earlier) and quickly got prepared to do a grocery run for Twilight. After taking a quick shower (noting that the hot water was rather depleted today), having a light breakfast of pancakes, and gathering the bits she'd left out for him, he quietly left the library at 6:30 and headed to the marketplace.

After consulting the grocery list, he made his way around the stalls to find everything he'd need. Some of the shop owners were afraid of him, a few outright loathed him, most were indifferent, and only one actually liked him (for the record, it was the asparagus seller), but regardless, he got everything he needed with 3 bits to spare – just enough to get Twilight a small bundle of extra quills.

But as he was finishing up at the Sofas and Quills shop, he started to hear singing outside:

There's the Mayor, en route to her office...

Mandy stepped outside to see what was happening, Davenport (the sofa and quill clerk) right behind.

Twilight was walking down the street, singing some sort of song, and several other ponies were also gathering to see the commotion. As she passed Mandy and Davenport, she sang:

There's the sofa clerk selling some quills!

"Morning, kid!" Davenport called after her as she trotted past.

Mandy, his interest now piqued, followed the book-loving unicorn as she made her way to Café Hay.

My Ponyville is so gentle and still
Can things ever go wrong? I don't think that they will!

As soon as she finished this line, she hopped onto a table and performed a short tap-dancing break. A waiter also joined in, dancing on another table. Mandy would've expected the patrons who were sitting there to be annoyed, but they were surprisingly enthralled by the musical number.

But as they were doing this, Mandy also spotted some clouds moving over Town Hall, being arranged into a checkerboard pattern. Seeing this, the Changeling started to get a sinking feeling in his gut.

Twilight stepped down from the table with the help of some patrons, and continued the song.

Morning in Ponyville shimmers,
Morning in Ponyville shines!

As she sang this, she made her way to Town Center, where several ponies began to do some elaborately-choreographed theatrics behind her. The sight made Mandy wonder how much of this was pre-planned.

And I know for absolute certain
That everything is certainly –

Before Twilight could finish the song on a high note, a torrent of water fell onto her from one of the errant clouds, drenching her completely.

"Rainbow Dash," she assumed, "That's not funny!"

However, what happened next shocked both of them.

Rarity, who was standing on a bridge nearby, called out, "Terribly sorry, darlings; I'm afraid I'm... I'm not good with the thunder-y ones."

Before either of them could ask what she meant, Rarity turned her head back towards the sky and lit her horn, trying to get the clouds in some orderly fashion. In this moment, they got a glimpse of her Cutie Mark.

Or rarther, Rainbow Dash's Cutie Mark.

Twilight blinked, but what she was seeing didn't change. "Something tells me everything is not going to be fine..."

Mandy couldn't believe what he was seeing as Twilight walked up to Rarity and began talking. A Cutie Mark swap? How did this happen? Was it only affecting Rarity and (assumedly) Rainbow, or were more ponies affected?

He was so distracted thinking of questions that he didn't notice Twilight rush back to him until she said, "Mandy! Quickly, wake up Spike and bring him to Fluttershy's Cottage; I'll meet you both there!"

Before Mandy could recollect his voice, she was off.

After several minutes, Mandy had dropped off the groceries, gotten Spike, and met up with Twilight at Fluttershy's Cottage.

Spike yawned from atop Mandy's back. "I still don't know what you had to wake me up for; I love sleeping in the rain..."

"It's not about the weather, Spike. Rarity had Rainbow Dash's Cutie Mark, and said this was Rainbow Dash's Cottage!"

Mandy blinked, processing that. "Something strange is going on..." he mumbled.

They reached the door, and Twilight knocked. A chorus of animal noises greeeted them, and they jumped back in fright.

A moment later, Rainbow Dash poked her head out. "Hey, guys," she said in a tone unlike anything Mandy had ever heard from her.

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight got straight to the point, "Why is Rarity doing your job?"

Before Dash could answer, another wave of animal noises, followed by a crash of furniture, rang out from inside. Rainbow Dash jumped, then zipped back inside, leaving the door ajar.

Twilight opened it up the rest of the way. "And what's going on in... here...?" She trailed off as all three of them saw the scene before them:

Chaos. Utter chaos. Animals were running around in fits of mad hysteria, and Rainbow Dash, who suddenly had Fluttershy's Cutie Mark, was trying in vain to calm down even one of them.

Then she started singing.

These animals don't listen
No, not one little bit
They run around out of control
And throw their hissy fits
It's up to me to stop them
'cause plainly, you can see
It's got to be my destiny,
And it's what my Cutie Mark is telling me!

Twilight, Spike, and Mandy all looked at each other, and silently agreed that they needed to find Fluttershy next.

They certainly found her, alright.
She was at Sugar Cube Corner, with Pinkie's Cutie Mark, trying to keep several ponies entertained.

They then checked on Pinkie, who was in a similar situation at Sweet Apple Acres – her hair was flat as she failed to harvest apples.

It especially hurt Mandy to see Applejack at Carousel Boutique, miserably failing to make dresses.

They even passed Rarity again on their way back to the Library, and heard her singing as well.

Each one of them, in turn, had a verse to add to the song, and it didn't sound like they enjoyed it.

All-in-all, the situation had officially gone to shit.

Twilight burst into the Library and began running in place in panic. "This is bad! This is very, VERY bad!"

Mandy came in next, Spike still on his back.
"What's going on!?" Mandy asked.

"Why's this happening?!" Spike concurred.

Twilight stopped prancing, and began, "Last night, when Spike was taking one of his 7-hour bubble baths,–" (Spike blushed slightly at this) "–I got a special delivery from the princess!"

She grabbed out an old notebook with some stars on the cover, along with a note.

The note said:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

The spell contained on the last page of this book is Star Swirl the Bearded's secret unfinished masterpiece. He was never able to get it right, and thus abandoned it. I believe you are the only pony who can understand and rewrite it.

– Princess Celestia

She flipped the journal to the last page, and showed the spell in question:

From one to another, another to one, the mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled.

Spike scratched his head. "That doesn't make sense; it doesn't even rhyme!"

She continued, "I cast the spell so I could find out what it was, but nothing seemed to happen." She turned around and gestured to the Elements of Harmony, which were still in their display case, and added, "But now I know something DID happen! The spell has changed the Elements of Harmony; that must be why their Cutie Marks are all wrong!"

The two guys looked; indeed, all the Elements (aside from Twilight's tiara) were miscolored.

Mandy offered, "So just cast a counter-spell to switch them back!"

Twilight blinked, then deadpanned, "It's an unfinished spell; I doubt that it would have a working counter-spell when the spell, itself, isn't properly finished."

Spike then chimed in, "Why don't you just use that memory spell you used to fix everypony when Discord was here?"

Mandy nearly spoke up to ask for clarification, but then realized he was talking about the FIRST time Discord was there, and promptly shut up.

Twilight countered, "It's not their memories that've been altered; it's their true selves!"

Mandy blinked at this. 'Wasn't their memories'? That made no sense, considering that the other Elements didn't seem to realize that anything was different about them, which meant that they couldn't remember when they had their actual Cutie Marks; ergo, their memories were altered.

But before Mandy could voice this, Spike offered, "Zecora's cure for the Cutie Pox?"

"That won't work, either," Twilight denied, becoming more dejected as she turned around to walk up the stairs.

Spike, trying to keep her from freaking out or giving up, added, "Well, uhh, maybe it won't be so bad? Maybe our friends could grow to like their new lives?"

Twilight sighed somberly. "No, Spike. They're not who they're meant to be anymore; their destinies are now changed, and it's all my fault..."

With a stifled sob, she trudged upstairs. Mandy and Spike quickly followed, finding her on her bed and singing a depressing song:

I have to find a way
To make this all okay
I can't believe this small mistake
Could've caused so much heartache
Oh why?
Oh why-y-y?
Something is wrong, it's plain to see
This isn't how it's meant to be
And you can't see it like I do
It's not the life that's meant for you
Oh why
Oh why-y-y?
Losing promise
I don't know what to do
Seeking answers
I fear I won't get through to you
I'll try
And I'll try
I'll try
And I'll try

And with that, she finally allowed herself to start crying.

"Oh, Spike," she choked, "What have I done?"

After letting her mope for a good few minutes, Mandy sighed. It was really disheartening to see Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies, give up. It was unlike her to quit so easily, especially when she hadn't actually done anything to try and solve the problem yet.

So he steeled himself and got up. "Twilight, listen to me: You will find a way to fix this."

Twilight sniffled, looking up at him with downcast eyes that were reddened from all the crying. "You really think so?"

"I know so," he countered.

Twilight sniffled. "You're right; I have to at least try. They're my friends, and they mean more to me than anything."

Mandy helped her up to her hooves, and she started pacing. "Alright, so what can we do? There aren't any counter-spells, we can't use the Elements to summon Discord since they're out of whack, and potions won't help, either."

"And it's not like they can just re-earn their Cutie Marks," Mandy commented offhandedly.

Twilight perked up at this. "Re-earn their Cutie Marks?"

Mandy shrugged. "From what I've heard, nopony has ever gotten a new Cutie Mark after they've already earned one."

Twilight, however, wasn't paying attention; instead, she was thinking it over. A plan was forming in her head, and for some reason, she was starting to glow brighter and brighter the closer she got to it.

"Uhh... Twilight? You alright?" Spike hesitantly asked.

As soon as she reached that Eureka moment, a replica of her Cutie Mark showed up in her eyes for a split second, and she beamed. "I've got it!" She exclaimed as she stopped glowing, "I know what to do!"

Spike and Mandy gasped. "You do?!" they asked in unison.

Twilight began to run back down the stairs, and they hurried to follow. "I may not be able to remind them of who they are, but I can show them what they mean to each other. They'll find the part of themselves that's been lost so they can help the friends they care about so much! Come on, guys!"

Mandy blinked, barely registering any of that. Help them by having them help each other...? He couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

But once again, before he could speak up, she'd already grabbed the Elements of Harmony and bolted out the door. Spike leapt onto Mandy's back, and they raced out to follow.

They found Fluttershy at a hot air balloon port, carrying her bags with her. The group made their way past the crowd (who seemed especially irritated today), and Twilight called out, "Fluttershy, wait!"

The yellow pegasus turned and saw them. "Oh... Hey, Twilight..."

"Where are you going?!" the purple unicorn asked.

Fluttershy composed herself, but it didn't stop the tone of sadness from entering her voice as she confessed, "I'm moving back to Cloudsdale! I don't know what's wrong, but I can't seem to make anypony laugh."

As if to demonstrate, she pulled out a whoopee cushion and pressed it, deflating it in front of their faces.

Nopony laughed.

Her point made, she turned to pay the balloon pilot, but Twilight intercepted her. "Before you go, I was wondering if you might be willing to help Rainbow Dash; she's really struggling with her animals."

Fluttershy twirled her hooves abashedly. "B-but... I don't really know the first thing about animals..."

Twilight interjected, "But you do know something about Rainbow Dash."

Fluttershy thought for a moment. "I... I know that she's a true friend, and she would do anything to help me, so I'll do anything I can to help her!"

Realization began to dawn on Mandy as he slowly started realizing what Twilight's plan was.

Twilight beckoned for Fluttershy to follow, and the group headed off to the Cottage.

Before they even got to the door, they heard something heavy ram into it, and Rainbow Dash called out for help from inside.

Twilight rushed up to the door. "Rainbow Dash!"

"I'm in here!" she shouted back.

Twilight reared up on her front legs and bucked the door open, and they gaped at what they saw:

Rainbow Dash was tied up inside a metal cauldron, and a bunch of animals were marching around her, holding up silverware and chanting as though at some ritualistic sacrifice.

"Help, I'm trapped!" she screamed as a ferret began to garnish her with pepper.

Fluttershy clung to Twilight out of fear. "Hurry, Twilight! Can't you do some sort of spell to get her out?!"

"No," Twilight lied, "Fluttershy, you're the only one who can help! Rainbow Dash needs you!"

Fluttershy shivered, not budging at first. But then she looked Rainbow Dash in the eye, saw how utterly terrified the prismatic pegasus was, and took a deep breath to steel herself. "Um... Hello, little woodland... Creatures? I know that you're all very upset and feel like giving Rainbow Dash a hard time, but we'd all really appreciate it if you'd calm down and, um, maybe... Rest for a bit?"

The animals stopped their ritual and looked at Fluttershy.

The timid pegasus looked around, spotting a slightly open cupboard containing a bag of lettuce. "Oh! Uh... Look, here's some nice, juicy leaves for you to munch on." She rushed to the cupboard, pulled out the bag, and filled a bowl that was lying in the carnage. Immediately, a few rabbits hopped over, warily sniffed the food, and dug in.

She then spotted some acorns further back in the cabinet, and grabbed those as well. "And some crunchy, munchy acorns, too!" She poured these onto the floor, and some mice and squirrels rushed over.

She approached a ferret and some mice that were still standing by the cauldron and asked, "Um, wouldn't you like to take a break and have a snack?"

The ferret looked at his rodent companions, shrugged, and they threw down their utensils and joined in on the feast.

Some detached part of Mandy's mind absently recalled that ferrets were carnivorous, but he didn't dare question something that was working.

Fluttershy strolled up and watched the animals as they ate. "Aww, look at that. I guess you were all just cranky because you were hungry."

One of the rabbits, whom Mandy recognized as Angel, turned and hopped into Fluttershy's arms. Some birds also landed on her shoulders.

"Oh, you are very welcome, little friends!" she replied.

Harry the bear approached and picked her up, giving her a bear hug and kissing her on the forehead.

Fluttershy giggled, then began to think aloud, "Goodness, it's like I can understand them!"

She began to glow, flying out of the bear's grasp. Twilight readied Fluttershy's Element of Harmony.

Fluttershy continued, "I–I feel strange, like... Like this is who I am! My destiny!"

At this, Twilight rushed forward and used her magic to place the necklace onto Fluttershy. She looked down reactively, then gasped as something magical happened. A bunch of images flashed in her eyes in rapid succession, and the glow became blindingly bright.

When the light subsided, Fluttershy was getting up off the floor. "Wha– What happened?"

Twilight cheered, "Fluttershy, look! Your Cutie Mark!"

Mandy peered over and gasped.

Fluttershy's Cutie Mark was back!

"It worked, it worked!" Mandy cheered.

Twilight rushed over and gripped the pegasus in a hug as music started to play from seemingly nowhere. "Oh, I'm so happy you're back to normal!"

Twilight then looked Fluttershy in the eye and declared, "Now, we need your help!"

A true, true friend helps a friend in need
A friend will be there to help them see
A true, true friend helps a friend in need to see the light
That shines from a true, true friend.

Mandy blinked. Four songs in one day? This must've been some kind of record!

Then Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "Umm, hello? Friend trapped inside, remember?!"

Mandy quickly untied her, then winced as Twilight teleported them all to a hill near the Town Hall, where Rarity was still trying to get the weather under some modicum of control. Twilight continued singing, her voice unhindered by the effort it took to teleport them all there.

Rarity needs your help
She's trying hard, doing what she can

Fluttershy then joined in:

Would you try? Just give it a chance
You might find that you'll start to understand!

They directed Rainbow towards a nearby low-hanging cloud, and she hesitantly kicked it. Once she did, her face brightened from 'confused and apprehensive' to 'why did I enjoy doing that so much?'.

Then, as Twilight and Fluttershy repeated the verse, Rainbow Dash kicked, busted, blew away, or otherwise disposed of all the errant clouds in the sky, doing so in ten seconds flat. When she landed and wiped her brow, she started glowing, and Twilight put the Element of Loyalty around the pegasus's neck, causing her to regain her Cutie Mark.

"Uhh... What just happened?" She asked as she picked herself up off the ground.

Twilight replied hurriedly, "There's no time to explain, but we need your help: Applejack's trying to make dresses!"

Rainbow blinked, then saluted with a, "Say no more!"

Twilight teleported them all, including Rarity, to Carousel Boutique, where AJ was still failing miserably to create appealing clothes.

Applejack needs your help
She's trying hard, doing what she can
Wouldja try? Just give it a chance
You might find that you'll start to understand!

As the growing group of restored ponies sang the verse once more, they had Rarity take over the dress making. Applejack watched in awe as she went through her process instinctively, creating a fabulous dress and having her Cutie Mark restored in the process.

Rarity jolted up. "Oh my, what a terrible dream I've had! Or," she added as she saw Applejack next to one of her failed outfits, "maybe I'm still having it?"

Twilight approached. "Rarity, Pinkie Pie's about to lose the Apple Farm; we need Applejack's help!"

Rarity blinked, then declared, "Lose the Apple Farm? Well, we can't let that happen, now can we?"

She grabbed Applejack, and they all bolted out the door.

Pinkie Pie is in trouble,
We need to get there by her side

As they ran, Twilight used her magic and teleported them again, keeping the pace of the song intact.

We can try to do what we can now
For together, we can be her guide!

The group of four ponies sang the verse again as Applejack's family arrived (they were on some unknown trip up until this point, which had allowed Pinkie to wreak havoc on the farm) and got her to help them save the farm. With Mandy's help, they fixed the entire orchard in a couple of minutes (Mandy found this impressive even considering what Earth Ponies were usually capable of), celebrated, and AJ got her Cutie Mark back.

"Yee-haw!" The country pony whooped, "Now that's more like it! What's next?"

Twilight replied, "The townspeople are furious; we need the old Pinkie Pie back!"

"Ah'm on it," AJ replied, eyeing Pinkie, "Ah know just the thing!"

Another teleport later, and they were walking down a street, Pinkie on AJ's back as she sang.

The townspeople need ya
They've been sad fer a while
They march aroun', face a-frown
And never seem t' smile
And if ya feel like helpin'
We'd appreciate a LOOOOT!

Rainbow Dash quickly flew up into the sky, then dove back down, causing an explosion of color to shoot out from where she broke the sound barrier. Mandy had never seen anything like it; it looked incredible!

Pinkie seemed to like it, too, because as soon as she saw this, her hair poofed up, Twilight gave her her Element, and she got her Cutie Mark back.

If you'd get out there and spread some cheer
From here to Canterlot!

Pinkie jumped up and exclaimed to the ponies walking by, "Come on, ponies! I wanna see you smile!"

They took one look at her, collectively cheered her name, and suddenly, there was an entire parade following them as they made their way down the street, singing the verse one final time and ending the musical number in a giant hug.

All-in-all, Mandy had to admit that the song would be stuck in his head for quite a while afterwards.

Suddenly, Twilight opened her eyes and gasped. "Wait a second, that's it! I know how to rewrite the spell!"

She broke off from the hug and sprinted to the library, the group following her closely.

When they got there, she grabbed the journal and began to write in the space underneath the old spell:

From all of us together
Together we're friends
With the marks of our destinies made one
There is magic without end.

And with that final period, she sealed her fate.

The Elements of Harmony, which were still being worn by the others, began sparking, then suddenly ignited and shot colorful beams towards Twilight. She looked around in a panic, but quickly seemed to calm down.

And just as suddenly as they'd started, the Elements finished with a blinding flash of light. As soon as it was over, everyone gasped.

Twilight was gone, and all that remained was a scorch mark in the shape of her Cutie Mark.

Fluttershy screamed, then promptly fainted.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, "This is gonna mess up my party schedule!"

"What the hell just happened!?" Mandy shouted, knowing fully well that everypony else was just as in-the-dark as he was.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light came from outside, dispersing that dark. They all rushed outside, where they were shocked to find a giant apparition of Twilight's Cutie Mark lowering itself to the ground. As soon as it touched down, it winked out of existence, leaving a purple pony in its wake.

"Twilight? Is that you?!" AJ squinted, her eyes still recovering from the light.

Twilight stood up.

Then she flared out her wings.

And Mandy fainted.

Author's Note

Edit: Changed the final line because it wasn't really funny, and it's been causing me nothing but trouble.

Chapter 15: Coronation Day

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 15: Coronation Day

Mandy wasn't looking forward to today.

Sure, he was excited that his friend Twilight had just become a Princess – and after such a strangely musical day, too – and sure, he was happy that Celestia had granted him this trip outside of Ponyville to attend her coronation, as well as staying with them while they took a short vacation afterwards.

It was just a matter of WHERE that coronation was taking place:

Canterlot.

Ground zero of the failed Changeling Invasion.

And Mandy, the Changeling, was headed back there.

The train finally pulled up at the station, and the group shuffled off the train. Mandy's eyes nervously darted around as the citizens of Canterlot began to see him.

Some ponies were horrified at the sight of him; others were outraged that he'd be allowed to walk around Canterlot freely after what happened; and a few even tried to approach and take action against him, but were unable to get past the Royal Guards that flanked the group.

Mandy hung his head dejectedly, resigning himself to accept this public display. He may not have been bound in chains, but he might as well have been.

Pinkie Pie looked back and noticed his mood, then slowed down to bounce beside him. "Cheer up, Mandy! I'm sure that not everypony here hates you! There's gotta be one or two ponies that're at least indifferent towards Changelings!"

Mandy groaned and deadpanned, "Thanks, Pinkie Pie..."

The party planner, apparently missing the sarcasm, grinned even wider, then bounced forward to rejoin the others.
Mandy sighed, and continued trudging along, but almost paused when he saw something out of the corner of his eye:

A pegasus filly, no more than 10 years old, was looking at him with wide, curious eyes. She was yellow with brown hair, red eyes, had a needle-and-thread Cutie Mark...

...and was holding a small, homemade Changeling plushie with her front right leg.

Mandy raised his head in surprise; the little filly gave him an empathetic smile in return. She waved, and he waved back.

Then her mother leaned down and whispered into her ear, and her smile fell. She gave him an apologetic look before her mother led her away.

Mandy looked forward and allowed himself a small smile.

It may not be ALL bad...

Mandy sat in his room in Canterlot Castle, looking out the window just after the sun had set over the Equestrian Heartland. Beautiful rays of reddish-orange light still hung over the rolling hills, painting a picturesque landscape that the Changeling Hive WISHED they could see.

But Mandy wasn't actually focusing on it.
Instead, he was simply staring off into space, thinking several things over.

A knock at the door dragged him out of his thoughts. "Oh, come in!" he said, perhaps a bit too hastily.

The door opened with the click of steel shoes against the doorknob, and in walked none other than Celestia.

Mandy's first instinct was rather irrational: cower in front of her and pray that she went easy on him.

His second instinct was to ask why she had opened the door physically instead of magically, but he reasoned that she was tired from setting the sun.

However, the warm smile she wore calmed him enough, so he opted to simply stare at her in disbelief.

"Is this a bad time?" she chuckled a little.

That shook Mandy out of his daze. "N-no, Princess! What, uh, did you want to talk about?"

Celestia shook her head. "It's not what is on MY mind that concerns me; rather, it is what's on YOUR mind."

Mandy could only watch in shock as she strolled over and sat down on the bed next to him, as if they were old friends. "What is bothering you?" she asked sincerely.

Mandy weighed his options, but ultimately decided to be truthful. "I... Applejack has a crush on me... And... and I like her, too."

Celestia's eyebrow raised. "Is that so?" she smirked playfully. "And what, exactly, is the problem with that?"

The Changeling sighed. "Well, for starters, I'm a Changeling; even if she accepts me, the rest of Equestria isn't so eager to forgive and forget. I don't want to bring unwanted harm to her just because she's associating with ME..."

Celestia silently processed this. "And what else?" she finally asked.

"Well, I just... I..." he struggled to put it into words, but eventually just forced it out: "I'm not great with my feelings, alright? I was a social outcast that put on disguises for most of my life; I have no idea how to be... REAL with her, y'know? To honestly share my feelings, to have real conversations – hell, I barely know anything about myself! What if I do the wrong thing? What if she starts hating me again?!"

Celestia nodded. "I can definitely understand your concerns. However, I have some advice, if you'd like."

Mandy looked at her pleadingly. "Oh, yes please, Princess!" he grovelled, getting down onto his hocks, "I don't like being unsure of myself!"

Celestia giggled slightly at his display, then hushed him with a wingtip.

"You want to hear my advice?"

Mandy nodded vigorously.

"Stop worrying about what's out of your control."

Mandy blinked.

Celestia continued, "You make her happy, and her happiness makes you happy. When the cards are down, that is all that should truly matter to you."

The Changeling fell silent, turning the words over in his head as he processed.

"And as for your self-expression..." she continued, drawing his attention back to her. She smiled silently as she touched her horn to his, and a weight was lifted from Mandy.

The magic-inhibiting ring dropped to the floor.

Mandy stared down at the discarded object for a long time, as if looking away would make it reappear on his head. Finally, he slowly, very slowly, turned his gaze up to meet Celestia's.

"...don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't be," she finished, beaming down at him.

Mandy was utterly speechless. Had she just... Did she really...?

All Mandy could do as the tears broke out was lunge forward and tightly hug Celestia's barrel.

She continued to wear the warm expression on her face as she patted his back.

Finally, once he had no more tears to shed, he backed off and regarded her with utmost respect. "Th-thank you, Princess," he smiled broadly, voice hoarse from the crying.

She nodded, then gestured towards the door. It only took three words, but she said everything he needed to hear at that moment:

"Go to her."

Without another word, he flashed Celestia a goofy grin, leapt off the bed, and flew down the hall as quickly as his new wings would carry him towards Applejack's room.

The Princess watched as he left, smiling solemnly.

"Good luck, my son..."

With a flash of purple-and-green magic, 'Celestia' teleported away, leaving behind a Changeling-shaped plushie.

Applejack was absently twirling her hat with her hoof as she walked down the hall. She didn't feel like hunkering down in her room; not yet, not when there was so much to think about.

Like... the buzzing she could now hear?

She turned, and her eyes widened when she saw a large black-and-red mass barrel straight into her, knocking her to the ground and gripping her tightly. She cocked her hoof, ready to defend herself,–

Only to find that her 'assailant' was none other than Mandy, and he was hugging her.

"M-Mandy?!" She blinked in surprise, lowering her hoof. "What're ya doin'?"

He looked at her with his blue, tear-soaked eyes, and AJ was lost in them for a moment.

When she'd first seen a Changeling, she'd only seen those eyes as hollow and featureless mirrors of the monsters they appeared to be.

When she met Mandy, however...

She'd grown used to seeing those blue spheres; she could see the slight twinkling when he was happy, or the dulling of the color when he was sad; and she could even see the faintest hint of a lighter patch where his iris would be. Now, when she looked at those eyes, they no longer seemed empty.

They were more full of life than any she'd ever seen.

He had to catch his breath before he could answer. In that moment, AJ glanced upwards, then did a double-take when she saw that the inhibitor ring was no longer there.

"Mandy!" she gaped. "What's goin' o–"

The Changeling held a hoof over her mouth, silencing her.

"I've made my decision," he answered simply, clutching AJ's forehoof with his.

AJ's eyes widened. Did he mean... no, he couldn't! Could he?

Mandy answered that question before she had a chance to even ask it; he took her in his arms and planted a long, firm kiss on her lips.

AJ's eyes widened as her lips grazed dull fangs, but the bliss of the moment soon eclipsed everything else. So she simply closed her eyes and kissed back.

Unfortunately, they had to come back up for air at some point, and they parted lips.

"Woah..." AJ noted, captivated by the sensation running down her spine.

Mandy seemed just as disoriented by the pleasure. "Yeah..." he agreed.

They looked at each other, then Mandy helped AJ get up.

"Well well, what do we have here?" asked a regally playful voice.

AJ and Mandy nearly jumped out of their skin at this sudden and unannounced spectator, whirling around to see Princess Celestia wearing a nightgown and drinking hot tea.

Mandy blinked. He hadn't been gone that long; when did she... nevermind, it wasn't important.

"I'm sorry for the interruption," Celestia formally apologized. "I was not aware that this hallway was occupied."

"Oh, n-no," Mandy countered, more flummoxed than scared now, "We're sorry for getting in your way."

Celestia eyed him curiously, her gaze stopping when it came to his head. Her horn glowed, and Mandy suddenly felt as though a thousand prying eyes were poking painlessly through his memories. The sensation only lasted an instant, but he was sure it'd happened because Celestia's emotional aura shifted to... Nostalgia, surprise, and gratitude? As though an old friend of hers had given her a meaningful gift?

"I see," Celestia nodded rather hastily, rising to her full height. "Well, then, if you'll excuse me, I have some royal duties to take care of."

Before either one of them could respond, she sidled past them and disappeared down the hallway.

AJ looked at Mandy, then looked at his horn. "So, ya got yer horn freed?"

Mandy perked up again. "Yeah! Celestia was just in my room, and she said..."

Celestia quietly slipped into Mandy's unoccupied room, immediately finding the discarded magic-inhibiting ring on the ground. She picked it up in her golden magic and turned it around, finding a telltale scorch mark at the base of the locking mechanism.

The Princess tapped her chin in thought, teleporting the device away with her magic.
Then her gaze fell upon the Changeling plushie on the bed.

Attached to it was a tag that said, "Don't ever be afraid of who you are."

The true Solar Monarch chuckled to herself. "Even after all these years, you still find ways to surprise me, Mothy..."

With that, she silently left the room.

The Coronation went off without a hitch, and Princess Twilight Sparkle was officially crowned. She gave a very heart-felt speech about how she wouldn't be there without her friends, and liquid pride was shed.

Then, as they headed down the street, they began singing.

Life in Equestria shimmers
Life in Equestria shines

And for the first time, Mandy joined in.

And I know for absolute certain
That everything...
Yes, everything...
Yes, everything is certainly fine!
It's fine!

Twilight gave Mandy a nod, and, just like they'd rehearsed, he leapt into the air and transformed into the newly-made alicorn. He flew up, and gave out one final exclamation:

"Yes! Everything's gonna be just fine!"

Chapter 17: Family Reunion

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 17: Family Reunion

"Y'all have been invited to a special Apple Family Reunion on July 17th. We'd love to see ya there!"

Mandy looked down at the invite in his magical grasp and smiled. An Apple Family Reunion, and he was invited?!

For a moment, he was anxious about what Applejack's relatives would think of him. But then he remembered all the advice he'd been given, and he mostly calmed down.

Though he was still nervous.

July 17th seemed to come quickly that year, and before dawn even broke, Mandy found Applejack waiting at the door to the Golden Oaks Library.

"Ready ta go?" she asked.

He nodded, stifling a yawn. "I can't wait to meet your family!"

She smiled back at him. "Ah'm sure they'll love ya."

With that, they started the walk to the farm.

It was still early when they arrived, so Mandy offered to help Applejack with last-minute preparations. All the while, Applejack gave him a 'quick rundown' on the relatives' names.

And by 'a quick rundown', she actually meant 'a fully comprehensive list of every name in the family, including relatives that weren't going to be attending'.

He was setting up plates and silverware, when he felt a distant rumble. It was slowly growing stronger, so Mandy looked out in the direction of it.

The Apple Family was coming.

AJ whooped, "Hoo-boy, here they come!"

Granny Smith looked out at the arriving relatives and cheered, creakily rearing up on her hind legs.

The first arrivals quickly skidded to a stop when they saw Mandy, who was standing by the main table and waving at them.

"Um, hon?" asked Uncle Orange to Aunt Orange, "Are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a...?"

His wife nodded. "Yes, I think it is..."

Caramel Apple, who lived far enough away to be out of the loop, raised an eyebrow. "What? What is it?"

Braeburn took a step back. "A ch-ch-ch-changeling!"

"Nice to meet you, too," Mandy deadpanned.

Before anypony could make another move, Applejack stepped closer to the bug. "Folks, Ah'd like ya ta meet Mandy. Yes, he's a Changelin', but he's a good one."

Mandy didn't expect that to work as well as it did.

"Well," said Caramel Apple, "If AJ says he's good, then Ah believe it!"

The other three nodded, still a little sceptical.

"An' there's somethin' else y'all should know," AJ added, stepping even closer to Mandy.

"What is it, cousin?" Braeburn asked.

In response, AJ kissed Mandy on the cheek, making him blush deeply.

The relatives instantly recognized what this meant. "Y'all're datin'?!"

AJ nodded. "Yep. Figured Ah'd be upfront about it, instead'a try'na hide it. So go ahead, voice yer concerns."

The relatives looked between the two of them.

Then surprisingly, they cheered.

"Way ta go, AJ!" Caramel Apple cheered.

"I was right!" Aunt Orange self-congratulated, "AJ was the first of the siblings to get a partner!" (Big Mac, who was listening from over by the cider barrels, grunted at this.)

"Ah'd always thought it'd be that Rainbow gal, but who'm Ah ta judge?" Braeburn mused.

Mandy blinked. "Well, that certainly went over better than I expected..."

The farmpony winked at him. "That's the Apple Family fer ya. As long as yer not a Pear, yer pretty much good."

For some reason, Mandy could smell dramatic irony hanging in the air as she said that.

Soon, the rest of the relatives had arrived, with most of the introductions going the same (except for one or two REALLY stubborn ponies, who needed to hear the full story before they could trust him).

Once all of the attending family were present, AJ addressed the crowd through a megaphone. "Howdy y'all, an' welcome to a Special Apple Family Reunion! Ah hope yer ready, 'cuz this one'll be one to remember!"

Most of the crowd muttered amongst themselves, dreading what she had planned.

AJ didn't need Mandy's changeling senses to see their discomfort. She chuckled, "Don't worry, Ah learned mah lesson from last time."

Mandy blinked, finally understanding their discomfort. He'd heard about the disaster that'd happened last time, although he hadn't witnessed it first-hoof.

"Now," AJ continued, "there's lawn darts over by the water silo, the seven-legged races are over by the sty, an' the hayride will be startin' in an hour. If anypony needs me, Ah'll be with mah coltfriend at the fritter-makin' station."

Mandy blushed. Sure, he was already dating her, but this was the first time she'd called him that. It felt... oddly nice.

She turned off the megaphone, then led him off the stage.

"Hey AJ," Mandy finally asked as they walked, "why's this reunion special?"

She smiled, then gave him a peck on the cheek. "Because you're here."

"Alright," AJ began as Mandy sat down, "Fritter makin's easy. Ya jus' roll, crimp, fold, an' slide to the left, like so."

Mandy watched as she made an apple fritter with practiced ease. He looked down at the doughy lump that sat on the table in front of him, then at his hooves.

Mandy carefully grabbed the fritter dough and began to delicately work with it.

"That's a fine start," she encouraged, "but yer bein' too gentle with it. Ya gotta work it with confidence; otherwise, it won't stay together."

Mandy nodded, then started to roll the dough more confidently.

"There ya go, that's it!" she congratulated, then started working on her own. "So, how's life in Twilight's Library now? Anythin' different since she became a Princess?"

"Surprisingly, no. It's just about the same as always. Although, ever since the summer solstice, she's been really absorbed into trying to figure out how to open some strange chest."

AJ chuckled. "Figures. Ah know how she can get when she's determined. Just be thankful ya weren't here fer her deadline meltdown."

Mandy shivered at the thought, then shook it off. "Well anyways, other than that, not a lot has been going on. Twilight recently got Spike a proper bed, but that's about it."

"Well, good fer 'im!" she smiled. "Ah can't even imagine how much the li'l guy appreciates it."

He chuckled. "He's actually been really responsible with it. He washes the sheets once a day, fluffs the pillows, oils the springs, and only uses it for its intended use; no bouncing on it or anything."

AJ blinked. "Reminds me o' Twilight an' her books."

They both laughed at the parallel.

Then there was a lull in the conversation, and Mandy only now realized how many fritters they'd made while they were talking. "Woah, look at that! We could probably feed everyone here twice over with that many fritters!"

AJ looked up and gasped at the mound of baked goods. "Oh wow, Ah hadn't even realized..."

Click!

They turned to see that Granny Smith was standing behind them, pointing the family camera at them.

She winked, "Now that's one fer the scrapbook."

Mandy and AJ passed out fritters to everypony in attendance, finishing just in time for the hayride.

The bug and the pony sat side-by-side in the wagon, and were soon joined by several of the others.

Mandy almost immediately recognized the pony sitting next to them, Babs Seed, from the Summer Harvest parade. He'd only seen the aftermath of the accident, but she'd stuck in his mind regardless.

"Hey, Babs," Mandy greeted as she sat down with Apple Bloom.

She looked up at him, a hesitant smile growing on her face. "Oh hey, Mandy," she said in her Brooklyn accent, "didn't see ya there."

Mandy leaned back. "Dunno how; I stick out like a sore hoof like this."

Suddenly, a flash of burgundy fire surrounded him, and when it dissipated, he had the form of a mouse. "Now THIS, on the other hoof, is much more inconspicuous!"

Babs chuckled at the display. "I knew ya could shape-shift, but that's impressive! Can ya do a pigeon?"

Another flash later, and he was that very kind of avian.

She clapped. "Ooh, how 'bout a dog?"

He obliged, transforming into a crimson-and-cream border collie. "Too easy!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, Winona leapt onto the wagon, having been drawn over by the sight of another dog. She playfully patted the floor in front of her, and he responded by getting down from his seat and chasing her.

Babs was now laughing as she watched them roughhouse, and even Apple Bloom had joined in. AJ was smiling at the scene laid out before her.

Eventually, Mandy transformed back. "Eugh, I think I got dog hair in my mouth," he mumbled as he sat back down again, using a hoof to try and clean off his tongue.

AJ smirked. "Ah think it's worth it when yer makin' a kid happy."

Mandy blinked, then looked back at Babs, who was still smiling. "Huh, I wasn't even trying..." he thought out loud.

Eventually, the festivities had to end. Mandy and the others waved off the relatives as they returned from whence they came, eagerly looking forward to next year.

"Well," AJ began, "Not to toot mah own horn or nothin', but Ah think this's been the best Reunion we've ever had."

"Yeah," Mandy agreed. "I wish Thorax had been here to see it; he would've loved it!"

AJ looked at him. "He would?"

Mandy sighed longingly. "Yeah, he was never really like the other Changelings. He's gentle, sensitive, – heck, I think I saw him hiding during the Invasion!"

AJ wanted to chuckle, but something was nagging her. "Ya really miss 'im, don'cha?"

Mandy nodded solemnly.

AJ thought for a moment.

Then, she smirked. "Ya know what? Ah think we should go an' get 'im."

Mandy stood bolt upright at this. "Wh-what?"

"Ya've met mah fam'ly; now it's time Ah meet yers! As soon as yer allowed to leave Ponyville again, we'll head out an' fetch 'im!"

Mandy was now starting to tremble. "Y-you mean, b-b-break into the Hive and r-r-rescue him?! B-but that's insane! The Hive's too well-guarded; we'll be stopped before we reach him!"

"Well, we can jus' have Twilight–"

Mandy shook his head. "That won't work; Chrysalis's throne absorbs all non-changeling magic within a two-mile radius."

She blinked. "Oh... Yeah, that's definitely a problem..."

Mandy gasped. "But maybe..."

Thorax sighed as he ate his dinner, consisting of barely enough love to sustain him. The Hive had recently fallen into hard times due to their failure in Canterlot, and now they had to rely on their love reserves while Queen Chrysalis concocted a new plan.

Not that Thorax was looking forward to that, anyway; after he witnessed the Elements of Harmony working together to try and fight back the swarm, he'd started to realize that he didn't want to steal love anymore. He'd always known he was different from his brethren, but that had cemented it.

He finished his portion and headed back to his sleeping chambers, ready to turn in for another lonely night, when something unexpected happened.

A wisp of burgundy-colored Changeling magic entered the room, coagulating until a scroll formed out of it. Thorax, unsure of what it was, hesitantly took it in his magic and unfurled it. He read it through, and gasped.

It was from Mandy.

And he was saying that he'd found a better way.

Author's Note

And thus begins arc 2! I'll be releasing these once a week from now on instead of twice a day, to give them the care they need.

Edit (10/14/22): Changed the date of the reunion from the 27th to the 17th to give more room for future events.

Chapter 18: To The Ends of Equestria

Author's Note

Forget the "weekly release" thing; I finished the story much more quickly than I expected, so I'm gonna release every other day instead.

Chapter 18: To The Ends of Equestria

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 18: To the Ends of Equestria

It was done.

Mandy had just spent the last 5 days working 12 hours a day, in an effort to finish his sentence as soon as possible.

And now, he'd done it. 1,000 total hours of 'community service' had been completed.

As soon as Celestia sent the official decree, he and AJ boarded the first train south. Mandy sent another scroll to Thorax, detailing where to meet up and establishing a codephrase (to make sure another Changeling couldn't try and impersonate Thorax).

He was finally about to see his brother again.

They arrived in Appaloosa by noon, and with directions from some buffalo (who seemed to know Applejack), they crossed the mountains. It took 2 days of travel (despite Mandy's offers to give her a ride, Applejack insisted that she walked), but they finally stood on the edge of the Badlands. In the distance, they could see the black spire that was the Hive.

"Woah..." Applejack marvelled at the sight. "It's like nothin' Ah ever seen!"

But Mandy wasn't interested in the view; he was scanning the landscape, looking for any sign of his brother.

Finally, he noticed a dark creature hiding behind a rock. "Red?" Mandy asked, prompting for the codephrase.

The bug poked his head out. "I prefer burgundy!" he answered excitedly, leaving his hiding spot and bounding forward to give his brother a hug. "I'm so glad you're here, Mandy! You look so different!"

"It's great to see you, too," Mandy chuckled.

Thorax blinked. "You missed me?"

"Well, duh; you're my brother."

Mandy then turned towards Applejack. "Thorax, I'd like to introduce you to Applejack. Applejack, meet Thorax."

"Howdy," AJ tipped her hat.

Thorax stared, his mouth agape. "Y-you're one of the ponies!"

She blinked. "Well, yeah, o' course Ah'm a pony."

Thorax shook his head. "No, I mean you're one of the six I saw in Canterlot!"

"Oh, right," she chuckled.

Thorax practically skipped towards her. "Oh, this is so exciting; I never thought I'd meet you! I have so many questions: What's your favorite color? How do you like your eggs cooked? What're your hobbies? What–"

Mandy stuffed a hoof into Thorax's mouth. "Calm down, Thorax. I know you're eager and all, but right now, we gotta start heading back to Ponyville before they realize you're gone."

Thorax forced Mandy's hoof out of his mouth. "Ponyville? Is that where you've been?"

Mandy nodded, slightly blushing. "It's a long story. I'll tell it to you while we walk."

Thorax nodded, and they began to retrace their path back towards Equestria.

During their hike, Mandy filled Thorax in on everything that'd happened, from his crash landing in Ponyville to his capture and sentencing, and his new relationships with the ponies. Thorax's face brightened as the story went along; it was everything he'd ever dreamed of!

Then Mandy told him of his relationship with Applejack.

"Wait, wait," Thorax paused, "So you're telling me that the two of you are dating?"

Applejack took Mandy's hoof in her own. "Yessir."

Thorax gasped, then hugged his brother. "I'm so happy for you!" he congratulated.

Mandy chuckled. "Thanks, bro."

Suddenly, Thorax stood upright. "Wait, how're you doing that?"

Mandy and AJ both blinked. "Doing what?"

"You're making your own love!" Thorax clarified. "Changelings aren't supposed to be able to do that!"

"Am I? I can't tell." Mandy tried to sense his own emotional aura, but couldn't.

Instead, he accidentally sensed Thorax's emotions.

He gasped. "Thorax, you're starving!"

He chuckled weakly. "Yeah, that's kinda normal now. Ever since the Canterlot Invasion, we've been burning through our reserves just waiting for Queen Chrysalis to do something. I don't have much, but it's enough."

Mandy frowned. "In the words of Rarity,–" (he transformed into Rarity at this) "– That simply won't do at all, darling!"

AJ chuckled at the impression; Thorax blinked in confusion, recognizing the form but not knowing her personally.

Mandy shifted back, then lit his horn with his burgundy magic. A trail of pink fog came out of it, and Thorax graciously accepted it, devouring it quickly.

He smacked his lips. "That's the most I've eaten in months! Thank you so much, Mandy!"

Mandy wiped his brow. "No problem."

AJ smiled proudly at her bugfriend, hugging him. "That was so kind o' ya!"

He blushed. "Anytime."

Eventually, they reached the mountains that separated the Badlands from Equestria. Mandy took the lead as they wove their way through the pass, and they made good ground, but the sun eventually set, and they were forced to camp in a small cave.

Applejack gathered some dead branches, and Mandy lit a fire with his magic, while Thorax prepared a temporary cocoon for him to sleep in.

Once everything was prepared, Applejack unpacked some of her rations (a salad with some apple slices) and happily ate, while Mandy and Thorax talked.

"So, what do you you think?" Mandy gestured to his body.

Thorax tapped his chin as he took everything in. "Honestly, you kinda remind me of licorice."

Mandy huffed. "That bad, huh?"

He quickly backpedaled, "N-n-no, I meant it in a good way! I like licorice!"

Mandy blushed. "Oh, I see."

"Remind me how you came to look like that?"

"Well, according to what Twilight can figure out, it happened when I shared my love with my friends. Although, the events leading up to it, I'd rather not remember," he added, shuddering at the memory.

Thorax looked off in thought. "So, do you think it'd happen if I shared love?"

Mandy blinked. "I suppose... Are you suggesting –?"

Mandy was cut off suddenly when Thorax shot forward and hugged him.

"Thank you for coming back for me," he said gratefully.

A moment passed.

Then two.

AJ looked up from her salad and said, "Ah don't think it worked."

Thorax broke off the hug, but before he could say something, the ground began to shake.

"Uhh... Thorax?" Mandy asked as a rumbling noise approached, "Did you, perchance, check the area for predators?"

Thorax swallowed a lump in his throat. "Oops."

Then the Maulwurf struck.

Dread Maulwurf

Scientific Name: Talpa Ferum

This large beast is known for eating plants of all shapes and sizes, though sometimes, they will eat meat. Their large claws are perfect for digging, and their giant teeth are great for defending itself. They have been observed to especially enjoy apples.

The Maulwurf burst out of the ground with an ear-splitting screech, searching for the smell that had lured it here:

Applejack's salad and apple slices.

Mandy jumped up. "Applejack, give it the salad!"

She responded quickly, tossing the salad at the Maulwurf.

Unfortunately, it directly hit the beast's eye, angering it.

The beast swiped its claws at the farmpony, who barely dodged in time. "Ah think Ah made it worse!"

Mandy quickly transformed into a Bugbear and shot forward, intercepting a slice of its claws. He yelped in pain as he was head-butted by the animal, but pushed back against it.

"Mandy!" Thorax shouted in concern, rooted to the spot out of fear.

The Maulwurf lunged forward, snagging one of Bugbear-Mandy's arms with its teeth. He screamed as the pain became too much to handle, forcing him out of his transformation.

Applejack quickly covered for the injured bug, drawing the beast's attention and giving it the runaround.

Finally, Thorax managed to snap out of his catatonic state, and he rushed forward to help AJ.

Mandy clutched at his foreleg, which was bleeding profusely from his injury. His horn shimmered, and he shot off a burst of magical fire at the creature, catching it on the side of the face.

But due to the Maulwurf's thick hide, the blast only made it stumble. It turned its attention to Mandy, who was realizing how big of a mistake he'd just made, and it charged forward.

AJ tried to reattract its attention, but it was too focused now. Thorax tried to force it to stop, but he wasn't strong enough. The Maulwurf plowed unfettered towards Mandy in a blind rage.

Suddenly, Mandy realized what he had to do:

He jumped to the side, letting the Maulwurf careen straight into the wall of the cave.

The entire enclosure shook at the impact, loosening some stalactites and causing them to fall. Luckily, one of them hit the Maulwurf in the head, causing it to dig into the ground to retreat.

Unluckily, another slashed Mandy in the side as he tried to dodge it.

As soon as the cave settled back down, Thorax and Applejack rushed forward to help their injured friend.

There was a large gash where the rock had hit, and it, along with his leg, were both oozing blood.

Applejack grabbed a first-aid kit from her saddlebag and began to work. "It'll be alright, Mandy; Ah'll fix ya up.

"Oh, Mandy!" Thorax profusely apologized, "I'm so so SO sorry! If only I'd checked for predators, none of this would've happened!"

Mandy coughed weakly. "It's okay; we all make... mistakes..."

Then he lost consciousness.

Thorax began to panic, fearing the worst. "Oh, no no no no NO! DON'T DIE ON ME!"

Out of desperation, Thorax lit his horn and began siphoning just about every ounce of strength he had into a healing spell. Applejack marvelled as the wounds closed themselves up, only leaving behind scars.

Once it'd finished, Thorax collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

AJ gasped. "Oh no, not you too! Thorax!"

Thorax's jaw flexed as he fed on Applejack's concern. "I'm okay. Thanks for the concern," he mumbled as he staggered back to his hooves.

Then he regarded Mandy. "Will he be alright?"

AJ nodded. "It may've been a brash move, but that healin' spell really worked wonders."

Thorax looked down at his brother with sympathy, unaware that his wings were slowly beginning to cloud up.

It was a few hours before Mandy awoke. They were still in the cave, though Applejack and Thorax had fallen asleep at some point.

Mandy looked down at his injuries, surprised to find only scars remaining. He then looked at his brother, whose wings were now crystalline (like Mandy's had been between his molt and his transformation), and smiled.

As soon as dawn broke, the group resumed their travel, now more wary of predators. They only stopped to take a rest in an apple orchard in Appaloosa, making it back to Ponyville just before dusk.

Thorax stepped off the train, marvelling at the town that lay in front of him. "Woah, it looks even better than I could've ever imagined!"

Mandy and AJ followed behind him. "Glad ya like it, sugarcube," the farmpony smiled.

"I just hope that I don't mess this up," he worried.

Mandy retorted, "I was introduced to this place by crashing into Town Hall; you can't do much worse than that."

Thorax nodded, though he was still unsure of himself.

As they departed the train station, ponies began to see them (due to the late hour, it wasn't as many as normal, but it was still quite a few). Most looked surprised at the presence of a second Changeling in town, though whether or not their reactions were positive or negative had yet to be determined.

Mandy cleared his throat, then addressed the growing crowd of onlookers. "Citizens of Ponyville, Applejack and I would like to introduce you to my brother, Thorax. He fled the Changeling Hive to come live in Equestria peacefully."

Mandy nudged Thorax forward, who let out a weak "H-hello..."

The crowd's reaction was mixed; some waved to the new arrival, then continued to go about their business; others walked forward to talk to him, eager to learn about him; and a few just rolled their eyes grumpily and kept walking, obviously not pleased by the arrival, but not in the mood to do anything about it.

Thorax began to talk with those who came up to him, while Mandy and Applejack watched, grins plastered on their faces.

Eventually, the ponies had to leave, and the conversations ended. Thorax ran back to Mandy and AJ. "You'll never believe this; three ponies said they'd like to be my friends!"

Mandy patted his brother's shoulder. "See, what'd I tell you? Equestria's the friendliest place on the planet!"

The bug replied by hugging his brother.

AJ chuckled. "Now c'mon, ya bes' be gettin' to Twilight's Library."

They broke off the hug. "Good night, Applejack," Mandy waved goodbye.

"G'night, Mandy," she replied.

With that, they parted ways.

Queen Chrysalis sat in her throne, mulling everything over in her head. The failure in Canterlot, the Changeling who'd been caught and given sanctuary afterwards...

...and ESPECIALLY that doll he'd received...

Her thoughts were interrupted when a drone rushed in, carrying a large rock that'd been vaguely carved in the shape of a Changeling.

"Your Highness," he saluted, "Drone #T50-R4X has been discovered to be missing. This sculpture was found in his sleeping chambers, no doubt intended to serve as a decoy."

Chrysalis eyed the statue.

Then, channeling all her pent up anger, she wordlessly shot a magical bolt at it, smashing it to dust.

The drone hesitantly asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She turned to face him, stared for a moment with cold eyes, then uttered one command:

"Bring me Pharynx."

Chapter 19: Tales of Ponyville

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 20: Mandy and the Changelings

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 20: Mandy And the Changelings

It started out like any other Thursday; Mandy headed out for his usual morning grocery run for Twilight (even though he'd completed his community service, he didn't mind continuing to do this for her). The colder weather didn't even bother him; Rarity had recently refitted his suit to go with his new figure.

But then, while he was purchasing avocados, he heard someone go "Psst!"

At first, he ignored it. He was, after all, in a marketplace; it must've just been a shopper trying to get a friend's attention without waking the neighborho–

"Psst! Mandy!"

Mandy blinked, whipping his head around to try and find the source of the sound. He looked to a nearby alley, and froze.

Two familiar blue eyes stared back at him.

Mandy hurriedly finished the transaction, then rushed over to the alleyway to address the Changeling. "What the– who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The Changeling (who Mandy could now see had a hind-leg that was slightly shorter than the other) smiled deviously. "My name is Coxa. I was here on a gathering mission when I noticed your brother walking around without a disguise! I thought he'd be mobbed for sure, but ponies seemed to like him! And, while your disguise is colorful like a pony, you still have the telltale features of a Changeling – and yet they haven't they mobbed you, either?!"

Mandy blinked, looked down at himself, then corrected, "Oh, this isn't actually a disguise."

Coxa gawked. "Wait, it isn't?"

Then he burst out laughing.

Mandy groaned. "Tell me, WHY did you call out to me?"

He wiped away a tear. "Oh, right. I just wanted to know how you suckered these ponies into giving you two so much love while undisguised!"

Mandy frowned. "Okay, first off: I didn't sucker anyone into anything. And secondly: why do you want to know?"

A rumble from Coxa's stomach answered Mandy's question.

"Figures," the reformed Changeling face-hooved.

"Wait a second, you said you didn't trick them? Then how'd you do it!?"

Mandy groaned. "You wanna know how? I became friends with them!"

Coxa stared incredulously at him.

Then he started laughing again.

"I'm serious," Mandy deadpanned.

He stopped. "Wait, really?! But how, and why!?"

Mandy looked off wistfully. "I dunno; I just sorta fell into it. When they captured and interrogated me, I stated the truth and waited for the punishment, and they..."

Then he stopped. Why DID Celestia go easy on him? It'd been in the back of his mind ever since she'd sentenced him, but only now that he had a new perspective on his life did he really think to question it.

Looking back, he didn't believe he was deserving of it at that point; he'd been nothing but rudely blunt to them, emotionally detached from everything and insensitive to their feelings. He'd only begun to tone it down to remain in the good graces he'd miraculously landed in, before he became comfortable enough around the ponies...

...so what HAD she seen in him?

"...I dunno..." he finished absently.

Coxa mulled over everything. "Hmm... betray everything the Changelings have been taught from birth, but potentially never go hungry again?" he asked himself.

Then he shrugged. "Eh, what the hell; we'll give it a shot!"

Mandy nodded, then blinked as Coxa's words caught up. "Wait, 'We'?"

Coxa turned to look down the alley and whistled through the holes in his hooves. After a moment, half a dozen more Changelings stepped out from various hiding places.

Mandy gawked for a while, then shook himself out of his catatonic state. "Okay, okay – alright, I'll help, but you have to do what I say, got it?"

They all bowed. "Of course, Sir."

He blinked, then shook his head frantically. "No, no, none of that stuff; I'm not your master, or your King, or anything like that! I'm more like... an ambassador, or something?"

They all bowed. "Of course, Ambassador Sir."

Mandy rolled his eyes as he pulled out a parchment. "Drones..."

"I got your letter, Mandy," Twilight rushed to the alley where Mandy was waiting. "You said it was urgent?"

Mandy began awkwardly, "You know how Thorax has been walking around undisguised?"

Twilight blinked, then nodded, unsure of where this was headed.

"Well," he grimaced, "It didn't exactly go unnoticed..."

"Well, of course it didn't," she confirmed, "that was kind of the point of it; we're getting the citizens used to –"

"I'm not talking about the town," Mandy interrupted. "I'm talking about other Changelings."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Are you serious?! I mean, I suppose that's to be expected, but –"

Then she froze. "Wait, what makes you so sure?"

Mandy looked back into the alleyway and nodded, and a large group of Changelings stepped from the shadows.

Twilight flared her wings out, but Mandy held up a hoof. "Wait," he said, "They want to give friendship a try."

She blinked.

Then her posture relaxed, and her wings folded up again. "Well, why didn't you just say so?!" She smiled.

Everyling there gaped, clearly surprised by her swift change in demeanor.

She stepped forward, extending a foreleg. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. It's nice to meet all of you, and I'm sure the citizens of Ponyville will be willing to give you a chance, too."

Nopony moved for the longest time, clearly not sharing Twilight's confidence.

Then, slowly, one by one, the Changelings hustled up to her and introduced themselves:

First was Hyaline, an agent whose specialty was recovering compromised infiltrators. Although she'd never admit it, she cared about her fellow Changelings. So when she'd seen two of the other drones here running away from the hive, she'd followed to make sure they stayed safe. Eventually, they'd been found and befriended by Coxa, and now here they were.

Next came Imago, an infiltrator who was usually sent in to stir up trouble (in order to get enemies off their game in preparation for an attack). But that personality had carried over to his daily life, and he'd been banished after a particularly bad incident.

Then there was Deagus, a breeder / caretaker who had suffered an... accident, and was ridiculed into running away with his adoptive son. Unlike the others, he had no skills as an infiltrator, so he likely would've starved if Hyaline hadn't been following him.

Fourth was Labium, a scout with a lisp. And that was it; the one thing he was known for was his lisp, and he hated this about himself. He was ostracized by his peers for this, and because of this, he'd joined Coxa's group. Under the lisp, he was rather nerdy, and a great strategist.

Ozadene came next. She was a tactical soldier (the army would use her notably strong stink gland to disorient enemies), but her not-so-pleasant-smelling reputation had left her outcast. Surprisingly, she was rather skittish for a Changeling.

After that was Frons, a young Changeling with a Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as Deagus's adoptive son. After he was born an orphan, he'd eventually landed in the care of Deagus, and they became inseparable. But when Deagus had his... accident, they ran away, where Hyaline saved them from starvation.

And finally was Coxa, the gatherer that'd brought them all together. Despite a birth defect that made his left hind-leg shorter than his other legs, he was still the most capable drone here (including Mandy). Be that as it were, that hadn't stopped him from feeling inferior anyway. Because of this feeling, he'd kept this rag-tag group close, and it was his curiosity that'd eventually convinced him to bring them and question Mandy.

Twilight accepted each of them with open hooves.

And then, after a little convincing, they stepped out into the open.

Nearby ponies took one look, then continued on with their lives as if nothing strange was happening.

Frons looked around anxiously, sensing their emotions. "Why aren't they... Are they... Is that complacency I taste?!"

The rest of the group flitted their tongues out, murmuring with agreement.

One pony who was walking by, the turquoise unicorn that Mandy recognized from his Welcome Party (He'd forgotten her name since then. Heart-Something?), turned and shrugged. "We're used to new Changelings by now."

The group did a collective blink.

"Are you theriouth?" Labium lisped.

Twilight nodded, smiling. "See? What'd I tell you?"

Mandy let out a huff as he collapsed onto a cushion in front of the Golden Oaks Library's fireplace. He'd just spent the entire day showing the group around Ponyville while trying to keep them out of trouble (Imago, in particular, was quite the hellion). They had ended the tour at Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack agreed to let them live in exchange for manual labor (some of them, being used to hard work, were eager to accept, while the rest acquiesced to her terms).

Twilight entered the room after him, her hair slightly singed (as stated before, Imago was a troublemaker), and collapsed in exhaustion. "Well, that was quite a busy day..."

Mandy scoffed. "You're telling me; I was the one who had to simplify your lecture-worthy descriptions of the basic elements of Ponyville!"

She blushed. "Sorry, I tend to ramble when I'm excited."

"So I've gathered," Mandy rolled his eyes, then chuckled when Vesper flew to him and landed on his muzzle.

Twilight, with what little strength she had left, scooted herself towards the fireplace, which Mandy lit with his magic. She set her head in the crook of her forelegs, staring into the fire while she thought.

Then her eyes lit up. "Hey Mandy, I just thought of something."

Mindful of Vesper, Mandy turned and cocked an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll bite; what'd you think of?"

She pointed to his flank, causing him to blush slightly as she explained, "I've been wondering what your Cutie Mark would be, if you were able to get one."

He did a double-take. "Huh? What for?"

"Curiosity," she answered simply. "Anyway, I think I have an idea what it'd be for."

He looked up at her, his own curiosity overtaking him. "What is it? What's my 'special talent'?"

She smirked. "You're good at relationships."

He blinked as he sat up. "Huh?"

"Think about it: you arrived in Ponyville, and over the course of less than five months, you slowly broke down our stigmas and fears about the Changelings. You and Applejack fell in love, metamorphosed when you accepted your newfound friendships, saved your brother from his old life, and now, you're helping a ragtag group of Changelings discover the magic of friendship."

She sat up and patted his back. "You're working to strengthen bonds between Equines and Changelings. And I, for one, couldn't be more proud of you for it."

Mandy's jaw hung open. She was smiling with the warmth of a proud mother, respect radiating from her.

Vesper took off again as Mandy mused, "I suppose I have been acting as an ambassador of sorts..."

That gave her an idea. With newfound energy, she shot up and ran to her desk, bringing out a roll of parchment. "Spike! Take a note!" She called out, and a moment later, the little dragon bounded down the stairs. He took the parchment, brandished a quill, and began to write as she dictated:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today has been a most extraordinary day.

Mandy discovered a group of cast-out Changelings who were willing to give friendship a try, and with his help, they are now living under Applejack's care.

But these events have led me to a realization about Mandy's purpose, and that is the reason I am writing this next section:

"I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, do hereby request that the Changeling known as Mandibles Carapace shall hold the title of Equestrian Ambassador to the Changelings for as long as he is able and willing. He shall be responsible for the construction and upkeep of relations between Equestria and any Changelings that seek to escape the Changeling Kingdom, and he shall be held responsible for their actions until they become Equestrian Citizens."

I hope you will accept my proposition, and send it through the proper channels to make it official. I eagerly await your reply.

She signed her own name, then rolled up the parchment and had Spike send it to Celestia.

Mandy stared wide-eyed, not believing what he'd just heard. "A-a-ambassador...? You j-j-just made me... An ambassador?!"

Twilight bobbed her head side-to-side. "Well, technically, I just asked Celestia to do it for me, since I don't have the power to do so myself. But she owes me a few after all the times my friends and I saved Equestria, so in all actuality, yes!"

Mandy's flabbergasted face turned to one of dread. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't think I can handle so much pressure!"

Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder, staring confidently into his eyes. "I know you can," she repeated the sentiment he'd given her when her friends' Cutie Marks were swapped.

Mandy slowly smiled at the gesture. "O-okay, I'll give it a try. Thanks, Twilight."

She then pulled him in for a hug.

After a moment, she broke off. "Oh, and one more thing..."

She pulled out another piece of parchment, only this time, she wrote it herself, keeping the contents hidden from everyone else in the room. She had Spike send it to Rarity of all ponies, and he did so with a little hesitation.

"What was that about?" Mandy asked.

She smirked coyly, "You'll see in a few minutes..."

So they sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, until they heard the front door open and frantic hoof-steps rushed up the stairs. Mandy turned and gawked.

Rarity stood in the doorway, looking like she'd just run a marathon in scorching heat. It was the most frazzled he'd ever seen her. She had her saddlebags on, but Mandy couldn't tell what, if anything, was inside of them.

"I'm here, Twilight! I made it as quickly as I could, then rushed over here!"

The Changeling blinked. "Made what?"

In response, Twilight magically opened Rarity's bags and pulled out a small hoof-sewn patch. "I asked her to make you a Cutie Mark."

He did a double-take. "Wait, what?!"

She smiled, levitating the patch towards the collar of his shirt while Rarity brought out a needle and thread. They began their work, sewing the patch on the flap opposite the embroidered cobweb design.

When they were done, they stepped back. "Voila!" Rarity pressed a hoof to her mouth, then smacked her lips as she flung it outward.

He looked down at the newly-added symbol on his jacket. It looked almost identical to his alter ego Harrowing Winds' Cutie Mark – a hurricane blowing a pegasus's feather around.

Except, next to that feather was a Changeling's wing.

He looked up at Twilight and raised an eyebrow. "What's it supposed to mean?"

She explained, "It represents how, even if the threats are raging all around you like a storm, you'll get through and bring what's best for everyone, Pony and Changeling alike."

He looked down at the symbol – at his Cutie Mark – and couldn't hold back the tears anymore. He rushed over and gave both of them a hug.

"It's perfect. Thank you, thank you both for everything..."

In that moment, Mandy had found a clarity he hadn't even known he was missing:

He'd finally found his place in the world.

And with the help of his friends, he knew everything would turn out okay.

But everything would not be okay.

For, unbeknownst to any of the others, one member of the newly-arrived Changelings wasn't who they appeared to be.

They were actually Pharynx, who'd joined this squad under Chrysalis's orders.

And he was looking to nip this rebellion in the bud by any means necessary.

Anything to get Thorax back.

Chapter 21: Dysfunctional

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 21: Dysfunctional

Pharynx hid at the furthest edge of Sweet Apple Acres, where an abandoned pear orchard began, and reflected over his mission.

Chrysalis had been right; the moment a drone had spotted Mandy and Thorax's rebellion, they'd jumped at the chance for easy food. It was the perfect cover for an undercover Pharynx to slip in under anyone's nose.

Now, all he had to do was upset the delicate relationships, get Thorax to see that this couldn't last, and bring him home. He'd quell a doomed uprising in the making, earn respect, and, best of all, he'd have his brother back safe and sound! A win-win!

He allowed himself a devilish smirk before he donned his disguise and headed back to the barn.

Applejack looked over the 7 Changelings in front of her, who all stood at attention. "Alright, listen up," she began, tone as stern as a drill sergeant, "If yer gonna live here on the farm, you'll have to earn yer keep. Mandy an' Ah'm gonna test y'all an' see what ya can do, an' Ah wanna see yer A Game out there, y'all hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The croup saluted almost autonomously.

"Then let's move out!" She began to march them down the path.

Eventually, they reached the East Orchard, where Mandy was waiting for them. "Alright, folks, this is it. Your first test: Apple Bucking."

As a show of demonstration, Mandy leaned onto his forehooves, turned his haunches towards the nearest tree, and hit it (making sure to send most of the force through his good leg). The tree shook, and nine apples fell loose, landing in strategically placed buckets.

He turned back to the group. "You understand what to do?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" They chanted.

He nodded. "Alright, then pick a tree and buck it once."

The group looked across the orchard, scoping out the trees.

Labium was the first to move, picking an older tree that AJ had nicknamed 1-B.

Coxa was the second to decide, picking Tree 4-B.

Then it was Hyaline, picking 9-H.

Next was Deagus, picking 6-I; Imago picked 4-C; Ozadene went up to 8-C; and after some coercion, Frons left Deagus's side and picked 5-I.

They hesitated before they each drew in their hind legs, kicking them once against their respective trees.

The results were mixed: Coxa managed to get 13 apples, Ozadene got 11, Deagus managed 5, Frons got 6, Hyaline loosened 7, Imago harvested an impressive 18 apples, and Labium got 10.

AJ looked over their haul. "Not bad fer a couple'a rookies," she mused.

Imago volunteered to carry all the apples to the barn with them, and they set off.

They were only halfway down the trail when a loud THUD sounded out, followed by lots of small circular objects spilling onto the dirt. AJ turned back and saw that Imago was picking himself up, every last apple laying bruised on the ground.

"You okay?" Labium asked Imago.

He sat up and rubbed his sore muzzle. "Y-yeah, I think I just tripped..."

Applejack eyed the scene suspiciously. She would've expected around half of the apples to get bruised, but all 70 of them? Something about that didn't sit quite right with her, but she ultimately decided to give it the benefit of the doubt; they were still learning, after all.

"The next job: Shed Building."

Mandy gestured to the example shed that sat out in the field, then gave the blueprints to the group.

They studied the diagrams and began to work. Their hooves transformed into the tools as they worked, from saws to tape measures and hammers.

AJ gawked at the sight. "Y'all can shape-shift yer limbs inta things?" she whispered to Mandy.

He whispered back, "Yeah, why wouldn't we be able to do that?"

She nodded. "Well, remind me about that if'n we ever get bored."

Mandy nodded slowly, Applejack's intent flying clear over his head. "Uh... Sure?"

The group of Changelings began to assemble the different walls, raising and squaring them up.

Soon, all that remained was the roof. Imago held the rope while Labium and Ozadene maneuvered it mid-air.

"Easy does it..." AJ stood and spotted their efforts. "A little t' the left..."

They moved the roof about 2 inches to Applejack's left.

"Er, just a hair to the right," she tried to help them correct.

They moved it about 1 inch to her right.

She eyed the roof carefully. "Now, just a smidge higher..."

But before they could comply, several things happened at once:

All three Changelings lost their grips on their respective parts, which made the part begin to fall. Imago regrabbed the rope, but without the support of the other 2, the roof was enough to lift him off the ground. The roof crashed into the under-construction shed, cracking two sides and splitting the roof in half. The rope slipped off the roof, and Imago plummeted back to the ground as the pieces of the shed fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

Mandy, who had been watching from the sidelines, rushed forward to make sure noling was hurt.

AJ stood in shock for a moment, before frowning. They were doing so well up to that point, but then it suddenly went to shit for no apparent reason?

That, combined with the earlier apple-bruising incident, pointed AJ to one conclusion:

There was some skullduggery going on.

"Miss Applejack!" Imago rushed forward frantically, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'm so sorry! I really don't know what happened; I was doing fine, but the rope got heavier, and–"

Quickly, AJ put on a face. "Aw, don't fret; Ah know it was jus' an accident!"

Imago blinked. He flicked out his tongue, then frowned. "Are you lying to me?"

Shoot. She'd forgotten Changelings could sense feelings, including suspicion.

Her mask dropped. "Sorry, It's just... With that, an' the apple thing earlier –"

Imago stepped back, fear flashing across his face for the briefest of moments. "You don't think I'm doing this on purpose, do you?! I may have a troublesome streak, but I wouldn't do this!"

She quickly tried to recover, "N-no! Ah'm just sensin' some foul play here; no hoof-pointin' yet!"

He glared at her, still not convinced.

She sighed. "Ah'm sorry; Ah'm just takin' what Ah see, an' what Ah see is you bein' near them disasters."

He nodded curtly. "I see."

With that, Imago huffed and trotted off.

"Where're y'all goin'?!" She called after him.

"Away!" He shouted without even turning back.

Her mouth hung dejectedly open as she watched him walk away, disappearing amongst the trees. All the evidence may have been pointing to him, but that reaction seemed so genuine... Then again, Changelings were the masters of deceptio–

AJ shook her head. Stupid prejudices!

Mandy watched as she internally struggled to figure out if he was innocent or not. He went over all the details of the day in his head.

Then something clicked into place for him.

"Everyling, take a break while I go take care of something," Mandy said to the group before departing towards the farmhouse. The 6 remaining Changelings looked at each other for a moment before they all walked off in their separate directions.

Imago sat on a hay pile in the corner of the barn, staring dejectedly at his hooves.

His holey hooves. His holey, black, cold, creepy, not-at-all-pony hooves.

"Stupid Imago," he muttered to himself, "thinking you could be seen as anything other than the monster you are..."

A creak from behind him, accompanied by a sickly green glow, stopped him cold.

He shot to his hooves and whipped around to face the door, then staggered at the sight.

Labium was standing there, his horn alight.

"What're you–"

Imago never got to finish that sentence, as he was promptly hit by a spell. He tried to resist, but the little Changeling's magic was uncharacteristically strong, and he succumbed to it. His eyes turned the same sickly green as the magic, and he fell under a deep hypnotic state.

"Burn this barn to the ground," Labium ordered, trademark lisp no longer there.

Imago absently nodded, then lit his horn and–

A glob of Changeling Resin splatted onto Imago's horn, and another one quickly encased Labium's, disabling them both. The latter turned to the direction it'd come from, and he gasped.

There stood Mandy and Thorax, their horns alight with burgundy and lime-green magic respectively.

Labium growled. "Clever. How'd you figure it out?"

Mandy eyed the bad bug coolly. "This morning, during the apple bucking, I noticed that your harvest was 10 apples exactly. That was the average of the whole group."

Thorax added, "That's the first thing we're taught about blending in: go for the average so as not to attract attention to yourself."

Labium chuckled. "So you did learn something after all..."

Thorax raised an eyebrow. "What do you..."

Then his eyes widened in realization. That tone of voice...

It was incredibly familiar...

"Pharynx!?" Thorax gasped out, and Mandy did a double-take.

Labium – or rather, Pharynx in Labium's form – nodded.

Thorax was confused, disbelieving, betrayed, and everything in between.

He was strapped for words for the longest time, so Mandy shot, "Where's the real Labium?"

Pharynx scoffed. "Relax; he's still at the hive, unaware that any of this is happening."

Finally, Thorax found his voice. "Why are you here? Why are you doing this!?"

"Because I need you to see the truth!" He shot back. "I need you to see that this – this fool's errand won't work! No matter what you do, you won't be seen as anything more than a monster out here! There's still a chance for you, Thorax! Come back before Chrysalis gives up on you completely! I'm the only reason you stayed alive as long as you did, and if you leave now, she's GOING to kill you! She WANTS me to kill you, but I'm giving you an out! I...I…"

Then, no joke, he actually started to cry. "I don't want to lose you, Thorax; I can't. Not after Dad..."

Thorax stared disbelievingly at his brother. He tried to think of something to say, but all the conflicting emotions in his head were turning his brain into a smoothie.

"I think Dad's still alive."

Thorax and Pharynx blinked, turning to stare at Mandy. "What?" They both asked.

Mandy lit up his horn and concentrated, focusing his energy into a spell. With a flash, the Changeling Plushie was teleported there from his room. He staggered slightly, but righted himself and showed them the doll. "On the day of Princess Twilight's Coronation, I saw a little foal holding this doll on the street. Later that night, I was visited by someone who I thought was Celestia. She freed my horn, and I left, only to find the real Celestia down the hall. When I returned, I found the same doll in my suite in the castle. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but the stitching on the hoof is proof enough."

He turned the doll over, and showed off the monogrammed 'M'.

Pharynx stared at it, utterly bewildered. "It-it can't be..." He mumbled to himself.

"I know that handiwork..." Thorax absently recalled.

Mandy nodded. "And do you know what he said to me once he'd freed my horn?"

Both brothers shook their heads.

"Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't be."

Thorax looked at Pharynx; Pharynx looked back at Thorax.

"This is who Thorax is, Pharynx, and this is who I am, too. We don't care what you, or Chrysalis, or anyone thinks; we've chosen our path, and we're going to see it through together."

Thorax, whose eyes were beginning to water, stepped forward to join Mandy, nodding in agreement.

"So Pharynx," Mandy concluded, holding out a hoof, "Do you want to keep your brother safe, or not?"

The elder Changeling looked at them both, then at Mandy's outstretched hoof.

Then, hesitantly, he reached his hoof up, held it over Mandy's....

And he took it.

"I may have a duty to the Hive," Pharynx said, "but I would gladly give it all up to keep my brother safe."

Thorax looked up at his big brother, eyes growing wetter by the second. "Pharynx, that means so much to me!"

Thorax chipped away the Changeling Resin on Pharynx's horn, and he transformed back to his base form. The little brother then grabbed his older brother in a tight hug.

Pharynx was taken aback at first.

Then he hugged back.

Mandy watched, tears now forming in his eyes, when something incredible happened:

Pharynx began to glow.

Noticing this, Thorax quickly backed up. Pharynx, seemingly content with what was happening, floated up into the air, where he became encased by a cocoon of brilliant white light.

It was at this moment that AJ stepped in. "There y'all ar–" the sentence died in her throat as she saw the scene laid out in front of her.

The cocoon suddenly disappeared in a bright flash, and Pharynx floated down, now sporting his reformed design.

He looked down at himself. "What just happened... Did I just transform?"

"Welcome to the club," was Mandy's dry response.

Canned laughter followed.

Thorax looked up at his brother with amazement, then realized. "Wait, how come it worked for him, and not for me!?"

Mandy shrugged. "Don't ask me; I just work here."

More canned laughter.

Mandy frowned. "Okay, where's that coming from?"

The canned laughter came again.

Then Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared from a hay bale. "Aha, here it is! I've been looking for this thing for months!" She exclaimed, holding up a can marked 'laughter'.

The can of canned laughter laughed.

AJ cleared her throat. "Uhh, mind tellin' me what's goin' on?"

All four of the room's conscious occupants looked to her; Imago, still in a trance, kept staring off into space.

Then Thorax cleared his throat. "Applejack, I'd like you to meet our brother, Pharynx."

She could sense it. Chrysalis could sense the magical fluctuation caused by Pharynx's transformation. It was what had originally alerted her of Mandy's absence, and it was now what told her that her plan had failed.

Her muscles tensed as she raised her foreleg, slamming it down onto the floor and severely cracking it. A tear tried to leave her eye, but her anger evaporated it.

"No more playing around," she bellowed, "Prepare to mobilize."

Chapter 22: Return of the King

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 22: Return of the King

"Alright," Mandy addressed the 8 other Changelings at the table, "How are we gonna find Mothra?"

Hyaline raised a hoof. "Don't get me wrong; I'm down for just about anything. But what makes you think he even WANTS to be found?"

Mandy gestured to the plushie. "Why would he come out of hiding just to give me a pep talk and a stuffed animal? He clearly wants us to know he's still alive, ergo, he wants to meet us."

Some of the Changelings wanted to voice disagreements, but Pharynx slammed his hoof against the table. "Look, we are going to find him. End. Of. Story. Now, if any of you have any ideas you'd like to share, then puh-lease feel free to do so!"

The others bit their tongues.

Pharynx's eyebrow raised. "Seriously? None of you? No scrying spells, no secret techniques – not even so much as a paper trail?"

"None of us are trackers," Deagus pointed out.

Pharynx caressed the bridge of his muzzle with his hoof. "Right..."

"You could always just ask for help."

The nine Changelings turned to face Twilight Sparkle, who was reading in her comfy chair.

"What was that?" Mandy asked.

Twilight didn't even look away from her book as she replied, "You could get me to ask the Princesses if they know anything of his whereabouts; I'm sure Zecora could whip up some sort of potion; or, I dunno, you could ask the extremely studied alicorn and literal ELEMENT OF MAGIC THAT'S SITTING RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" She finally looked up, shouting the last part in frustration.

Everyling stared at her for the longest moment.

Then Mandy said, "Hey Twilight, wanna help us?"

After a short research session, Spike found what they were looking for: a scrying spell that only required an item that the pony in question had handled at some point.

Since Mothra had MADE it, the plushie seemed like a good choice.

Twilight and all the other Changelings channeled their magic (Mandy and, now that he was also reformed, Pharynx gave the others some spare love to fuel their magic) into casting the spell. The doll rose slowly into the air, until a flash of green light burst out of it. The doll hit the floor, seemingly unchanged.

But when Spike picked the doll up, they realized that one of its hooves was now continuously pointing in the same direction, no matter how they oriented the doll. Twilight took this as confirmation that it'd worked, and they set out to follow the trail.

Funnily enough, they ended up back where it'd all begun:

Canterlot.

As they walked down those familiar streets, the usual sights greeted them: several ponies looked horrified at the mob of Changelings, a baby dragon, and a purple alicorn walking down the street in broad daylight.

Only this time, there weren't any royal guards to stop the activists.

A flash mob led by Prince Blueblood approached. "Halt, scoundrels!"

Hyaline, Deagus, Frons, Imago, Ozadene, Spike, and Thorax shifted uncomfortably under the glares of the Canterlot Elites.

Pharynx and Coxa glared right back, though Coxa was trembling inside.

Twilight and Mandy, however, couldn't care less. They walked straight past the mob, the others trailing right behind.

Blueblood blinked, clearly not anticipating this outcome.

Then he rushed to stand in front of them again. "I said halt!"

"Can't," Twilight said simply, focused on the doll, "On an important mission."

Blueblood watched in shock as they kept on walking, Twilight pushing the mob aside with a small magical force field.

"Well," he finally stated numbly, "There go my plans for the evening..."

Canterlot Castle.

There stood those iconic golden domes atop white spires. The staple landmark of Canterlot City. The palace that served as both the central seat of government for Equestria, as well as the living space of beings that literally controlled the Sun and Moon. The most heavily-guarded building in Equestria (in terms of raw numbers, not actual strength or competency – that honor went to the Crystal Empire).

And the scrying spell said that Mothra was inside it.

NOW Coxa was trembling outwardly. "Welp, here we are... Canterlot Castle... again..."

Deagus cringed. "This is the city where the failed invasion happened, right?"

Even Pharynx seemed nervous as he responded, "Yep."

Deagus nodded, smiling nervously. "Just checking."

Mandy looked at them and rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, it's not THAT bad. Sure, some of the ponies outside still hate everything to do with us, but the Princesses won't let anything happen to us."

"Well, this sucks," Mandy deadpanned, rattling the chains secured to his hooves. "Of COURSE we picked the day that Celestia and Luna are out of town..."

Twilight was fuming in her own cell. "A princess! An honest-to-goodness princess, and they lock her up simply because she's with a group of Changelings – one of whom, might I add, was ALREADY PROSECUTED BY CELESTIA HERSELF, THEREBY BREAKING ALL LAWS AGAINST BEING TRIED TWICE FOR THE SAME–"

"Quiet in there!" one of the guards banged on her cell door.

Twilight mumbled something inappropriate under her breath, but otherwise acquiesced.

Frons was practically going insane from inside his cell. "They've separated me from Deagus – I'm never gonna see my loved ones again! I'll be alone for the rest of my life!"

Deagus was trying to comfort his adoptive son from inside his own cell, but it was to no avail; Frons was deep in another episode, and would only come out if they were reunited.

Hyaline sighed morosely. "This is what I get for following these lunatics out of the Hive... At least they aren't hurt..." She paused for a moment, listening to Frons's breakdown, then added, "...physically..."

Ozadene sniffed her surroundings. "At least it smells better than my stink glands..." she chuckled weakly, then sighed.

Coxa sat back and tried to get comfortable – which wasn't easy, considering that he, as the most able-bodied of the group, had been restrained the most. "What a lousy way to go out... Wasting away in a prison, and it wasn't even after an epic battle... A fate befitting a Changeling as pathetic as me."

Imago stared down at his hooves silently. All he wanted to do at that moment was fill in those holes, file down his teeth, grow fur, and otherwise become a pony through-and-through.

Thorax was practically bawling his eyes out. "What did we do!? Why are we in here!? I didn't even do anything – I was hiding during the invasion! I thought ponies were about love and tolerance!"

Pharynx shook his head, the chains around his neck and horn rattling. "The world isn't always fair, Thorax. Good ponies and Changelings get punished, and bad ones get rewarded. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's a valuable one."

Thorax continued to weep.

Empathetically, the others began to sob as well, the weight of the situation setting in.

"Cheer up, Twilight," Even Spike's optimism was only dangling by a thread as he tried to reassure her, "I'm sure that Celestia will be here any moment to let us out."

At that moment, a familiar orange guard entered and addressed the guard currently on duty. "Armored Plate, Sir, I must inform you that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna won't be back from their Goodwill Tour of Griffonstone for another four days. And I regret to inform you that, no, you won't be getting paid overtime for this."

Both Twilight and Armored Plate groaned.

Flash Sentry blinked, turning his head at the familiar voice. "Wait, is that – Princess Twilight? What're you doing in here?"

She looked downtroddenly at the floor. "It's a long story..."

Flash looked at her, then at the ten other occupied cells. "Well," he smiled reassuringly, "Whatever happened, I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding. I know these guys; they'll listen to reason."

" 'Insubordination and allying with a hostile nation' my flank... Whatever happened to due process?" Flash muttered sourly, sitting on the dirty cell floor

Twilight sighed. "It was a valiant effort, Flash."

Finally, Spike broke. He started wailing like a kid who'd just lost his mother. "I'm too young to be a criminal! I had so much to look forward to: learning to ride a bike, going on my first date, becoming a cynical and jaded teenager..." Another wave of tears hit. "And it's not just that; our friends are gonna miss us so much!"

Twilight sniffled, "Like Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy..."

"...Applejack..." Mandy continued. "In my excitement, I forgot to tell her where we were going... Actually, I'm glad she wasn't with us here; I don't think I could bear the thought of her behind bars... Still, though, I'm... I'm gonna miss her."

The three Ponyville-ians began to cry in grief over the friends they wouldn't be seeing for a while – if ever again, in the Unreformed Changelings' cases.

Eventually, the sobs died off, and they all settled in for an uneasy sleep.

Every single one of them had nightmares that night.

Coxa dreamt of his peers snickering over the story of his death, laughing at how utterly inadequate he'd been when he was alive. He tried to defend his honor, but he had no mouth, and yet he had to scream.

Imago dreamt that he was being chased down an endless hallway by a sea of angry ponies. The further he went down the hall, the closer the ponies got, until they finally caught up with him, restrained him, and readied their horns.

Hyaline dreamt of the others, withering away in her hooves while she was helpless to save them.

Frons dreamt that he was trapped in a cardboard box, forced to watch as he was passed from guardian to guardian, nopony wanting him.

Deagus dreamt of that clichéd prison shower scene from the movies. However, his harasser was the same Changeling that'd been involved in the incident which made him run away in the first place. And this time, he couldn't escape the ridicule. Even Frons got in on the laughter, mocking the one he'd once called a dad.

Ozadene dreamt that she was locked up in a pony city simply because she was a Changeling. The scariest part of that nightmare was that it was TRUE.

Thorax dreamt he was locked in a cage at the circus, and everypony had been given whips, paying a fee just to attack this poor, defenseless creature, and... and Queen Chrysalis was there, paying the most out of anypony.

Pharynx dreamt that his brother had died alone in his cell, and Pharynx couldn't have been there to comfort him.

Spike dreamt that he was nine-hundred years old by the time he got released, and the moment he stepped out of the cell, he collapsed into dust.

Twilight dreamt of everyone she loved moving on without her, and when she eventually got out, she was no longer welcomed by any of them. Then Princess Celestia showed up, expressed her disappointment in her former protegé, and left her all alone.

Flash Sentry had the classic "I showed up today wearing nothing but underwear" dream. He was a simple pony; he had confidence that the situation would resolve itself, and soon.

And Mandy...

He dreamt that Applejack visited him every day, devoting every moment of her free time to visiting him. Her relationships with her family and friends crumbled, she slowly lost who she was, and, one day, in came an empty husk that only vaguely resembled Applejack. He'd urge her to go out and live her life, to leave him behind, but she wouldn't listen, and he didn't know why, and it was driving him crazy...

But unlike the others, Mandy's nightmare was intentional.

He was trying to get Princess Luna's attention through the dream world.

And he was torturing himself to do so.

Alas, the spells around the Canterlot Dungeon were too strong, and he couldn't get through to her. If she were actively looking in their direction, her power would've overruled the spells for sure, but she wasn't.

So the nightmares continued.

A knock at the door woke everypony from their slumber. The door opened, and everypony – including the newly stationed guard – gasped.

Princess Cadence had arrived.

"Captain Silver Cutlass, I presume?" she asked authoritatively.

"Y-your highness!" he stammered, quickly locking into a stiff salute. "What– er, pardon my bluntness, but, uh, what are you doing here?"

"One of my soldiers didn't return last night," She said levelly, eyeing the cell that contained Flash Sentry (who was smiling at the sight of the Princess). "I wanted to know why."

"Uh, your Majesty, he was, er, insubordinate, and – and he was conspiring with a hostile nation."

Cadence took a moment to look at the other cells, seeing some Changelings, Twilight and Spike, some more Changelings—

Wait, Twilight and Spike?

The Princess of Love glared coldly at Cutlass. "Did you seriously lock up Princess Twilight Sparkle and her assistant?"

He was now trembling in his boots. "B-but she–"

Cadence eyed the guard closely, and he clammed up.

Then she pointed to Mandy. "That Changeling was already tried by Celestia, Luna, and myself. And not only THAT, but he is also the Equestrian Ambassador to the Changelings. You have not only arrested a group who have either done nothing wrong or have already received their punishment, but you've arrested two government officials. Do you REALLY think that's okay?"

The guard, shrinking back, quickly shook his head.

She smiled. "Good. Go ahead and release them, and maybe – just maybe – I might forget about this whole incident."

Without missing a beat, the guard pulled out his keys, opened all the cells, and undid all their chains. The freed characters rushed out and grabbed the Princess in a giant group hug (except for Frons, who immediately lunged for Deagus).

"Woah– okay, I'm glad to see you're alright," she said as she accepted the hug.

"...and here's all the stuff we confiscated," the officer said as he brought out a cart loaded with the items they'd brought.

Spike graciously grabbed the ink, paper, and quills, happier to see them again than he ever thought he would be; Twilight got her saddlebags, filled with her priceless books on arcane magic; and Thorax got back a comic he'd borrowed from the Golden Oaks Library.

Mandy reached into the cart, but stopped when his hoof hit the bottom of the basket. His heart sank as he realized that the doll wasn't in there; the only thing he had left of his dad, the best chance they had of finding him, was–

"Mandy?"

He turned to face Cadence, who was holding out the plush. "I found this in a hallway; I assume you dropped it sometime during the arrest?"

He looked down and gladly accepted the doll, thankful it was miraculously safe.

Then he froze.

The doll's arm was pointing directly at Cadence.

He looked up at her, then back to the doll. He moved the doll side-to-side; the arm stayed true. He looked back up at her.

'Cadence' winked, a soft smile gracing her lips.

Mandy's mouth fell open as he numbly held the doll.

With that, 'Cadence' stood back to full height. "Well, now that this has all been taken care of, I must be off. Flash Sentry, if you be so kind as to go ahead and meet me at the Train Station?"

Flash saluted, then dashed off. 'Cadence' wasn't far behind, though she stopped at the door.

"If you need me," she glanced back, "all you need to do is ask."

And with that, she was gone.

The nine Changelings stared at the spot she'd just been in. "Well," Thorax smiled, "she's nice."

Mandy was still dumbstruck, even as Twilight approached. She noticed his expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

He simply held up the doll, whose arm was still pointing past the door.

She looked down at the doll.

Then up at the door.

Then back down to the doll.

Then up to his face.

"Oh."

Ponyville was as lively as ever. Ponies walking to and fro, going about their business, completely unaware that 3 Changelings (the others had returned to Sweet Apple Acres), a pony, and a dragon were sitting speechless in the Golden Oaks Library.

Thorax was the first to speak: "So... You're telling me that wasn't Princess Cadence... But rather, it was actually Dad?"

Mandy nodded. "The charm was pointing at him, and he winked at me. If that's not proof enough, I don't know what is."

Twilight was stunned. "I couldn't even tell the difference; he's a much better actor than Queen Chrysalis!"

Pharynx looked around. "So, what does this mean for us?"

"You heard what he said, right?" Mandy pointed out. "If we need him, we just have to ask."

Pharynx butted in, "I don't know if that means 'Call me if you have questions or just wanna see me'."

"You'll never know if you don't try."

Everyone in the room turned towards the unknown voice, finding a blue earth pony stallion stepping into the library. Mandy vaguely recognized the form from that mob that harassed him back in Chapter 9, but the voice was completely different than before.

He smiled as he closed the front door. "And I'm pretty sure I'd want to see my sons."

Everyone in the room did a double-take. "You don't mean...?

The pony smiled, before a whirlwind of purple-and-green flames consumed him. When they dispersed, there stood a changeling unlike almost any other. He was as tall as Chrysalis, his dark red hair was side-swept, his slitted eyes were purple, his carapace was dark green, his wings were reformed just like Mandy's, and he wore a golden necklace adorned with a sapphire.

He grinned warmly at the three Changelings. "It's good to see you all again..."

Author's Note

(I realize that this chapter's incredibly dark compared to the others, but I'm too proud of the writing quality to go back and change it.)

Chapter 23: The Answers You're Looking For

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 23: The Answers You're Looking For

Mandy, Thorax, and Pharynx were all completely frozen, staring at the unexpected – but very much welcome – guest at the door.

Then Thorax stepped forward. "D-dad...?" he asked, his voice weak.

Mothra nodded.

At this, the three sons quickly got out of their chairs, rushed over, and grabbed him in the biggest hug they possibly could.

Twilight watched as they hugged for three minutes straight, trying their darnedest to make up for every moment they'd missed out on.

Eventually, though, they had to break off the hug. "You're really here..." Thorax awed.

"Where were you?! Why didn't you come for us sooner!?" Pharynx asked, hurt.

"I'm truly sorry," he began, "but I could not return to you as long as you remained with the Swarm. I was ecstatic when Mandy began to live in Ponyville, but when I felt him beginning to doubt himself, I began to reassure him that everything would be alright."

Mandy gasped, "That's why you gave me the doll and the advice?"

Mothra nodded, buckling down to give out valuable exposition. "Not only that, but I played a part in breaking up the mob that attacked you. Remember how Spoiled Rich undid her own riot by saying they were 'persecuting' you? The result of a truth charm I cast."

Mandy blinked. That made some amount of sense, though it felt oddly like a retcon.

"So, where were you for the last twenty years?" he asked.

"I was on the lam, hiding from Chrysalis." Mothra shuddered for a moment before continuing, "We never really saw eye-to-eye; she thought that the whole was the most important thing, but I cared for the individual."

Mandy did a double-take. "Wait, you mean she seriously believes that 'for the good of the Hive' shtick!? I thought that was just outward justification for her ego!"

Mothra nodded solemnly. "I thought so, too, until she began conquering rival Hives. She sacrificed hundreds of drones until she took over the entirety of the Badlands, while I was forced to sit by and watch.

"Then she started to crave more, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I tried to oppose her, but she used her subjects against me. I couldn't bring myself to hurt them, so I fled.

"But now, here you three are! You three have discovered the best life for everyone, and with your help, we can finally free the Changelings from her tyranny!"

He finished his speech by leaning down towards them and smiling. "So what do you say? Will you help?"

Pharynx looked confused; Mandy looked shocked; Thorax looked anxious.

"Wait, how'd the conversation turn to this?" Pharynx asked.

"Y-you want to overthrow C-C-Chrysalis!?" Thorax stuttered, quaking in his exoskeleton.

"So, let me get this straight," Mandy began, looking for clarification, "You spend twenty years away, biding your time until somebody left the Hive, then you started pulling strings behind the scenes so that you could eventually stage a coup?"

Mothra blinked. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds kinda manipulative."

Mandy deadpanned, "At least you realize it..."

The King then elaborated, "But let me make this perfectly clear: I have everyone's best intentions in mind. Not just mine, and not just the Changelings', but EVERY creature's."

Pharynx then spoke up, "What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

"I'm trying to make everyone happy, to let them live the best lives they can."

The eldest brother frowned. "But hardship is an integral part of life. Not only does it shape our characters and make us grow as people, but it also helps us to truly appreciate the good parts. If you focus purely on the individual, then everything will crumble when something comes that we don't know how to deal with, because we never faced any hardships."

Everyone turned to stare at Pharynx.

"What? I'm just saying that neither extreme is ideal; there needs to be balance! Just because I'm a brute doesn't mean I'm an idiot!"

Twilight, who was still sitting in her comfy chair, piped up, "He's got a point."

Mothra stared for a few seconds.

Then he smiled. "And that, Pharynx, is why you're right for this."

Thorax and Mandy looked at each other, then to him. "What about us?"

The King grinned. "Thorax, you're the most kind, sensitive Changeling I know. I know you'd do anything to make others happy."

Thorax smiled, tears of pride welling up in his eyes.

"And Mandy," he turned to face the bug, "You're the one who set all of this off. You defied the odds and became friends with the citizens of Equestria, pushing past their fear and breaking down the stigmas. Without you getting your hoof in the door of the public, what we're trying to accomplish would be impossible. So now," he placed a hoof on his youngest son's shoulder, "you'll help do the same for the Changelings."

Mandy looked up at his father, who looked back down with pride.

The youngest brother nodded confidently. "I'll do my best."

Mothra smiled. "I know you will."

Then Twilight piped up, "Hold on, you said he got his 'hoof in the door of the public'. What, exactly, do you mean by that?"

Mothra eyed her slyly. "Ah, I see you're a smart one as well. Yes, I must admit that I have, in fact, established private relationships with a select few ponies, including a certain... solar monarch."

Everybody in the room (except Spike, who'd secretly suspected it ever since Mandy figured out that Mothra had imitated her) gasped. "You're friends with Princess Celestia?!"

Mothra smirked devilishly. "Actually, we used to date."

Now, everybody stared at Mothra slack-jawed, including Spike, and ESPECIALLY Twilight. She thought she'd known everything about her teacher, but evidently, she was wrong!

Mandy held up his hooves. "Wait, wait, is THAT how you were able to get into her Castle and imitate both her and Princess Cadence?"

Mothra winked. "Now you're getting it. We split up willingly and on good terms, so I tend to come and go as I please – as long as I'm in disguise."

Mandy then thought of something else. "Does that also explain why... Why she went so easy on me in the first place? She just cut some slack for her ex-boyfriend's son?"

Mothra shook his head. "No, that isn't the reason. When she went into your hospital room, she saw your honesty, and how willing you were to accept punishment. And when your last request was that your brother Thorax be spared should he ever be found,–" (Thorax's eyes widened at this, and he turned to smile to his brother, touched by the sentiment) "–she realized that you were the key to getting through to the Changelings. But more importantly, she saw a good person at heart, even if you didn't see it yourself.

"She saw your potential, Mandy."

Mandy stared up at his dad, soaking this information in. Months of confusion and frustration began to clear up as he finally understood why Celestia did what she'd done.

He couldn't hold back anymore; he let the tears out.

But this time, they were happy tears.

"Thank you, Dad," he hiccupped between sobs, "I... I don't know what to say..."

Thorax patiently raised his hoof. "I have a question, if you don't mind my asking."

Mothra looked down at the middle brother quizzically. "Sure, ask away."

Thorax pointed at all three of the other Changelings in the room. "How come all of you have physically reformed, but I haven't? I shared love a while ago, but all that happened was that my wings got cloudy."

The King clicked his tongue in thought. "Well, how to explain this...? It sort of works like a pony's Cutie Mark, where it's a combination of sharing love and realizing what your place in society is. Mandy got it when he defended his friends; Pharynx got it when he swore to protect you; and I actually got mine when I left the Hive and began to plan the coup."

Thorax nodded, the explanation vaguely making sense. Twilight was eagerly writing everything down.

Pharynx then stood up before she could ask a question. "Alright," he said hastily, cutting Twilight off, "if noling has any more questions, then let's gather everyone and start planning the liberation of the Hive!"

Thorax jumped up, excited but still nervous, and they both rushed out of the library to tell the others.

Mothra lethargically stood up. "Alright, we'd better get started; Chrysalis is bound to be mobilizing her army," he said, meandering over to a bookshelf and browsing the 'Military' section, finding a book about strategy.

Twilight hopped up and rushed to that bookshelf. "Ooh, are you gonna research the tactics of Equestrian militia in order to create a plan of attack?"

Mothra stared down at her quizzically. "Actually, I have an honorary Bachelor's in Military Tactics. I was just grabbing a random book to steady the big table over there; one of the legs looks shorter than the others."

Twilight froze, then backed away abashedly. "Right... I do suppose that table's been kinda wobbly."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Doesn't really matter when you're always too busy reading a book to care..."

Twilight shot a glare back at him, but sighed, relinquishing the point. "I can't really argue with that..."

Mothra levitated the book forward, using it to steady the table. "There. Now, Twilight, would you be a dear and send the Princesses some letters? We'll need their help for this..."

Chapter 24: Penultimatum

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 24:

The Elements of Harmony, ten Changelings, three Princesses and an ex-King huddled around the large table in Twilight's Library.

Coxa eagerly blurt out, "I say we hit them where they're weakest: the Nursery! If we can get to the eggs, they'll fall into submission, and the throne will be ours for the taking!"

Everybody else cringed at the idea.

Coxa looked around the table. "What, too much?"

Pharynx nodded. "Even by my standards, that's messed up."

Mothra then stated, "Look, we're not here to come up with a strategy; I've already done that."

"You did?" Mandy asked questioningly.

Mothra shrugged. "I had twenty years to think it through."

The bug slapped his forehead. "Oh, right."

Rainbow Dash snickered, but Mothra ignored it. "The plan is this: we lure Chrysalis's Army into the Gem Mines, where Shining Armor will use his barrier spell to trap them. Chrysalis isn't one to miss out on the fighting, so she won't be far behind. When she comes, we'll incapacitate her guards and force a surrender. If we do this right, nobody will get hurt, and we could potentially even talk some sense into Chrysalis."

Mandy and the other Changelings gaped at the King.

"What?" Mothra asked. "She's not completely irredeemable!"

Rainbow Dash jabbed, "Yeah, she's just really really really really re–"

Applejack elbowed the Element of Loyalty in the ribs. "Rainbow Dash!"

She grunted in pain. "Sorry..."

Mothra continued, "I know she's done bad things in the past, but she has positive traits! She's confident, and self-reassured... and kinda sexy," he admitted with a blush.

Half of the ponies at the table gagged; most of the others stared bewilderedly at Mothra; and Pinkie Pie looked like she was seriously considering it.

Eager to change the subject, Rarity addressed Mothra, "So, what exactly are we each to do?"

He smirked. "What you do best."

Everypony nodded, breaking up the huddle and going about the room to do their own things.

Mothra was about to grab a book for some light reading, but his attention was caught when Celestia tapped his shoulder.

"Are you absolutely sure about all this?" she asked, the slightest bit of nerve edging into her voice.

He nodded, "Of course. I've had twenty years to –"

"Not that," she corrected, "I mean about Chrysalis. Are you absolutely sure that she can be safely reasoned with?"

Mothra's face grew dark. "I hate to admit it, but I'm not sure. But we have to give her that chance, don't we?"

Celestia nodded slowly, still unassured.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis was having her own meeting.

"My Queen," a commander reported, "the drones are ready to be mobilized."

"Excellent," the monarch replied, getting up from her Throne. "We shall move at dawn. Strike them when they least expect it."

The commander saluted, then turned and flew off.

After a moment, Chrysalis made sure nobody was eavesdropping. She opened a secret compartment in the back of her throne, retrieving a picture from inside.

The picture showed her, Mothra, and the eggs that composed their brood.

She looked at it, so many memories running through her head. The way she'd felt when she found the perfect genetic mate; when he returned from his first trip to Equestria; how they started fighting about their philosophies shortly thereafter; they way she'd forced him into hiding...

…and how empty she'd felt afterwards...

She shook her head, repressing those thoughts once more. 'Show no weakness,' she repeated her mother's advice to herself.

Her eyes drifted down to the eggs in the photo, and she smiled in remembrance. She could remember exactly which egg was which: Thorax's was in row 17, column 12; Mandibles' was row 9, column 7...

And an already-hatched Pharynx was cradled in her arms.

She'd taken special interest in the first of her brood, spending more energy raising him than the others. He was becoming such a good soldier, and seeing him succeeding had started to make her feel something she couldn't describe.

Then he'd betrayed her... And it had been all their fault...

Chrysalis gritted her teeth, using all her willpower to keep herself from breaking the picture frame in anger.

"You'll pay for taking them away..." she mumbled to herself as she roughly tossed the picture back into the compartment, resealed it, and left the room.

Chapter 25: It Takes a Changeling...

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 25: It Takes a Changeling...

The Changeling Army arrived in Ponyville at dawn, just as they'd planned.

The ranks of drones approached the city limits, but stopped when something stepped out from a nearby bush. They looked over, pausing at the sight of a reformed Changeling.

Mandy smirked tauntingly. "Come and get me."

The leading squadrons charged forward, their horns alight. The lingering squads volleyed magic blasts towards the enemy, hoping to stop his advance.

But surprisingly, instead of attacking, the lone Changeling turned tail and ran.

The approaching squadrons trailed him as he ducked and weaved around stray trees, approaching a large barren field. The stationary troops were unsure of what to do.

At least, they were unsure until eight more Changelings approached from behind and began to fire.

The ranks shot back, but the approaching drones were too strong; it seemed like they'd eaten a lot of love recently. The advancing group pushed the artillerymen back, and they began to retreat, but a brilliant white light stopped them in their tracks.

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and their army had shown up, and they were now cutting off the Changelings' escape route.

Left with no other options, the battalions turned and ran in the direction that the first group had gone.

Queen Chrysalis watched this scene play out from afar, her guards absolutely baffled.

"Are they... No, they're cornering my troops!" Chrysalis shouted in outrage.

She pointed a hoof towards the General next to her, but before she could give him an order, a beam of magenta magic collided with his head, knocking him unconscious.

Chrysalis turned and gasped; the Elements were charging her!

Rarity used her magic to tie up a group of Changelings in a tough ribbon; Applejack used her wrangling skills to keep them all from spreading out too far; Rainbow Dash flew circles around another group, disorienting them as they tried to keep eye contact on her; Fluttershy used her quiet demeanor to sneak up on a few Changelings, then began to sweet-talk or Stare them into submission; Twilight was using her magical prowess to subdue entire groups of Changelings at a time; and Pinkie Pie...

Chrysalis blinked. Where was the Element of Laughter?

As if to answer her question, Pinkie Pie appeared from behind Chrysalis and stuck her face far too close to the Queen's for comfort.

"Hi there, Chryssie," she said in that singsong voice that Chrysalis hated so much, "How ya doin'?"

In response, Chrysalis shot out a blast of magic, but the party mare had disappeared as suddenly as she'd arrived. Chrysalis whipped her head around, but couldn't find–

Suddenly, a weight placed itself onto her head, and Pinkie's voice cheered, "Whee! This is fun!"

Chrysalis glanced up and gasped. Pinkie Pie was atop her head as though it were some sort of spinning ride!

Chrysalis whipped her head back in an attempt to get the pony off, but she was holding on too tightly.

Pinkie Pie took a postage stamp out from nowhere, licked it, and placed it on the tip of Chrysalis's horn, then jumped off. Chrysalis tried to use her magic, but the stamp was somehow blocking it! "What'd you do!?" Chrysalis shouted, taken aback.

In response, Pinkie grabbed Chrysalis, stuffed her into the barrel of a device called a 'Party Canon' ("Where did that come from?!" she thought), and exclaimed "DELIVERY FOR KING MOTHRA!" before pulling the cord. The canon shot Chrysalis at a speed too high for her to control her flight, and she sailed across the battlefield.

Then she froze in mid-air when a purple-and-green magical aura caught and bound her. She was lowered to hover just a few inches off the ground, where she came face-to-face with Mothra.

"Hello, Chryssie."

Meanwhile, Mandy was still running from the squadrons still pursuing him. They shot magical blasts around him, but he ducked and weaved as best as he could, managing to only get knicked by them.

Eventually, they reached the entrance to the Gem Mines, and Mandy leapt into the air, hovering directly above the opening. The charging Changelings began to close in, surrounding their target and readying a final–

Suddenly, a familiar pink shield formed around the swarm, and began to lower. The enemy Changelings were dragged down by it, but Mandy passed through with only a shiver.

At that moment, the squadrons that were being chased by the Princesses and the rebels arrived, and the shield spell expanded to swallow them, allowing them in but not letting them out.

Once all the enemy Changelings were secured, the bubble dragged them all together and pulled them into the Gem Cave, trapping them in there.

Shining Armor, horn ablaze, staggered out from inside a bush, clearly beginning to feel the strain of the spell. "That's it; we got 'em!"

Princess Celestia nodded, teleporting away.

Princess Cadence rushed forward to comfort her husband. She kissed him, and their love gave Shining Armor a bit more strength (just like it had back at the wedding), allowing him to more easily hold the shield in place – not by much, but it was still noticable.

Celestia then teleported back, but this time, it was with some company:

The Elements of Harmony were standing over the subdued Changelings, and King Mothra was holding a struggling Chrysalis with his magic.

Mandy finally landed and cheered, "We did it!"

The heroes gave out a loud cheer. Twilight picked up their subdued Changelings, lowering them into the Gem Caves to join their trapped brethren, while Mothra held onto Chrysalis (who was still desparately struggling to get free).

"Piece of cake!" Rainbow Dash cheered, patting herself on the back.

Pinkie Pie jumped up. "Ooh, where!?"

Dash rolled her eyes. "Not literally, Pinkie..."

Rarity chimed in, "I agree with Dash; that was easy!"

"Almost too easy..." AJ muttered, eyeing Chrysalis suspiciously.

Suddenly, the postage stamp fell away, and the 'Queen' burst into green flames, the stand-in drone's disguise falling away.

At the same time, the bush that Shining Armor had hidden in also burst into flames, and the real Chrysalis lunged toward Mothra.

Mandy rushed forward and shouted "Dad!", but he wasn't fast enough to stop–

Click.

Two things happened at once: Celestia grabbed Chrysalis in her magic, stopping her mid-lunge; and, without even turning around, Mothra took out the magic-inhibiting ring and placed it on Chrysalis's horn.

Everyone stared upon the King and Princess with shock. This hadn't been part of the plan they'd gone over...

"What the–" Chrysalis strained against the magical grip, but she couldn't even move so much as her tail. "But how!?"

Mothra finally turned to look at his ex-mate, grinning a devious smile. "I know you, Chrysalis; you have such a flair for theatrics. But this time, I was packing a trick of my own."

Chrysalis gaped as best as she could, what with her body being restrained by Celestia's magic. "You pulled a plot twist?! But... Y-you... Outsmarted me...?"

Mandy, Thorax, and Pharynx gaped. Was she actually admitting an inferiority?

Celestia used her magic to bind Chrysalis's wings, then set her on the ground.

But instead of trying to flee, she stared at her hooves in utter disbelief as the weight of her defeat sank in. "I lost... I just lost everything... I have nothing..." her voice cracked.

Now, even Mothra was surprised. "Huh?"

Chrysalis glared at Mothra, her composure rapidly shattering. "You did it; you've taken everything from me. My power, my Hive, even my own children! I've lost everything to the power of friendship," she spat that word as if it were a deadly disease, "and I've fallen further than ever.

"Now what'll you do with me? Are you going to corrupt me with friendship, too? Finish what you started all those years ago, and stuff me with those feelings until I'm nothing but a bad memory?"

Now, tears were starting to form in her eyes. "Or will you do the decent thing and just kill me already?! NOW WHAT WILL YOU DO, OH HIGH AND MIGHTY MOTHRA, NOW WHAT!?!"

And with that, she slammed herself forward, burying her face in her hooves, and began to cry her eyes out.

Everyone who was witnessing this scene stared at the broken and defeated bug queen, completely and utterly stupefied. It didn't seem possible, and yet there it was, happening right in front of them.

Mothra hesitantly stepped forward. "What are you talking about...?"

She glared at him. "You used to be a great leader, Mothra. We were perfect together, you and I – we would've ruled the world!

"But then you visited Equestria, and when you came back, you were completely different! You started talking about backing our armies down, and I knew something was wrong. You'd contracted friendship, and it changed you – corrupted you!

"And then," her tirade started to lose some steam, "when you left, I started to feel something. There was a feeling in my chest, like it'd been hollowed out."

She glared up at him, her bloodshot eyes icy cold and fiery hot at the same time. "You infected me, Mothra. You infected me, you infected my children, and now you've infected my subjects. I lost everything to friendship. I... I...."

She collapsed, exhausted. "I don't understand, Mothra. This feeling inside me, the empty feeling; I just don't understand it. You did something to me, you must've... I just don't understand... Why, Mothra?"

For the longest moment, the field was silent. Nobody said a word as everything sank in.

Then, Mandy stepped forward.

"Chrysalis," he began, "Friendship isn't a disease; it's just what happens when you grow close to someone else. And we weren't infected; we just discovered how good it felt.

"Noling abandoned you; you pushed them away with your anger and spite. They wanted your love, and you refused to share it."

Mandy took a step forward. "And yes, we may have changed our morales, but that doesn't change who we are. Mothra is still the King that you mated with; Pharynx is still a tough but caring soldier; and I'm still rudely blunt. Friendship didn't change who we are; it just changed how we viewed others."

He stepped closer to the defeated Queen, who was beginning to consider his words. "When I crashed in Ponyville, I initially didn't care about anypony's feelings; I just accepted the fate I expected to receive. But when Princess Celestia showed me a true act of kindness, I began to appreciate how good it felt. I started acting nicer to others, and they reciprocated – some more than others," he added, glancing to Applejack. "I shared the love I received, and it tasted so much sweeter than ever before. I've finally found true happiness here."

Finally, he reached his mother, and sat down next to her. He pointed a hoof to her chest and explained, "That empty feeling in your heart? That's loneliness. He began to give you love, but you never reciprocated, and he left because of it. You miss him."

She stared down at her own chest, eyes widened.

"You still have a chance to make things right," Mandy continued, placing a hoof on his mother's, "and I'd be willing to give it to you."

After a moment, Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. "I would, too."

Pinkie Pie pronked forward. "I could throw a welcoming party!"

Applejack nodded, moseying forward. "If Mandy's willin' to help ya, then Ah will, too."

Rarity joined them, "I'll do my part, as well."

Fluttershy meekly stepped forward. "I suppose, uh, if you all are doing it..."

They turned to look at Rainbow Dash, who looked torn.

She took a deep breath. "Look, I dunno if I can forgive you for all you've done," she admitted, "but if my friends think you can change, then I'll stick by 'em."

Celestia, Luna, and (more hesitantly) Cadence and Shining Armor stepped forward. "As long as you're willing to make up for your past transgressions, we would be honored to extend our hoof in friendship with you and the Changeling Kingdom," Celestia put on her regal smile.

The six misfit Changelings stepped forward. "We never really felt like we belonged in the Hive, but we'd gladly come back if you'd be willing to treat us more kindly."

Pharynx followed suit. "I have a duty to my family... And you're a part of it, too, my Queen."

Thorax looked to his brother, then at Chrysalis. Finally, he slid forward hesitantly. "I suppose I can give you a chance, too."

Chrysalis watched as everyone stepped forward, willing to give her a second chance. She couldn't help but smile at their compassion.

Then she turned to face Mothra. "What about you?"

Mothra looked at her with an unreadable expression.

Then he smiled. "If you'd be willing to share your love, I would be honored to sit by your side once again."

And he stepped forward, love radiating off of him and filling the hole in her chest.

That was it; the last domino fell, and Chrysalis nodded, more tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Okay, I'll try."

Suddenly, a blinding light encompassed the entire field. Everypony shielded their eyes as Chrysalis was engulfed by a massive glowing cocoon that radiated love energy. The light dimmed enough for everyone to see, and it slowly lowered itself to the ground.

Mandy looked to Celestia and Luna, amd they nodded. He reached out a hoof and gently touched the chrysalis, causing it to break open with a flash of light.

The light died down, and there stood a physically reformed Chrysalis. Her long hair was now a lighter shade of teal, no longer tattered and raggedy; her previously segmented irises were now one shade of dark aquamarine; her chitin was still mostly black, but now it was slightly red, too; her wings looked less like a dragonfly's and more like a butterfly's, adorned with teal heart shapes; the holes in her hooves, while not completely gone, were much smaller now; and her wiry crown was now a silver tiara, though it still featured those teal baubles.

Everypony marvelled at the her as she got up and looked over herself.

But instead of freaking out about her transformation, she pushed that aside, rushing forward to give Mothra a hug.

Mandy watched from the side as they embraced each other, until his thoughts were interrupted by Applejack's hoof on his shoulder.

"Ya did good, sugarcube," she congratulated, "ya did good."

Chrysalis, meanwhile, had broken off from Mothra's hug. "What do we do now?"

Celestia stepped forward. "If it's not too much trouble, then please come with us so we can discuss future plans... and deliberate on punishments," she added seriously.

Chrysalis flinched, dreading that part. She looked to Mothra for support, and he smiled. "It's only fair. I'll be there with you the whole time, no matter what."

She warily smiled, still anxious about what sort of punishment she'd be receiving, and they walked forward together. With a flash of light from Celestia's horn, the Princesses, Shining Armor, Mothra, Chrysalis, and the former army of Changelings were teleported away.

Chapter 26: ...To Reform Another Changeling

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 26: ...To Reform Another Changeling

One Month Later...

Mandy sighed, finally collapsing into his bed after another long day. He'd just spent another long day meeting with unreformed Changelings, reassuring ones that had doubts, checking up on ones that'd adapted well, and managing the month-long timeskip. Now, he was looking forward to some rest and relaxat–

Knock knock.

Mandy groaned, his aching joints screaming for him to rest, but he got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, he smiled at the sight of Applejack. "Hey, AJ; what's up?"

She adjusted her hat and smiled. "Ah was jus' wonderin' if ya were comin' to the party."

Mandy smacked himself, then yawned, "Was that today? I'm sorry; I'll be right over."

She nodded. "Take yer time; Ah know how hard it's been on ya, bein' ambassador an' all."

He sighed. "Thanks, Applejack. Don't worry; I'll be there soon."

She smiled, before turning and heading off.

Mandy arrived at Sugar Cube Corner 20 minutes later, finding the party in full swing. Applejack was chatting with Rarity, Rainbow Dash was playing Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie was swinging from the rafters...

And Princess Chrysalis, who still had the magic-inhibiting ring on her, was talking with Twilight and Celestia, Prince Mothra by her side.

Mandy gave out a contended sigh, then smiled as he walked in.

AJ was first to notice his arrival. "Glad ya could make it, Mandy."

He pshawed. "I said I'd be here, and I meant it."

Twilight turned at the voice, waving him over. "Hey, Mandy! Come over here; we have something for you."

Mandy blinked, then hesitantly walked forward. What could she want with him?

Mothra looked over and smiled. "Greetings," he said.

"Alright, what do you want with me?" Mandy cut straight to the chase.

Celestia chuckled slightly. "I just wanted to give you this," she pulled out a laminated piece of paper from a saddlebag and levitated it to him. He read it, and gasped.

It was a Certificate of Citizenship. And it was his.

He managed to keep back tears as he regarded Celestia. "Thank you, Princess!"

She nodded. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for us."

He took the document and used his magic to teleport it to his room.

"And there's one more thing," Twilight added, catching Mandy's attention. "Since you're now a fully-fledged citizen, I thought you might want one of these."

She whistled, and Pinkie Pie popped up from nowhere, pulled a key out of her mane, and disappeared again.

Mandy stared at the key. "You got me a key?"

Twilight chuckled. "Well, not exactly. Applejack thought you'd want to live closer to Sweet Apple Acres, so we all pitched in and built you a house!"

Mandy's jaw dropped. A house? Near Sweet Apple Acres?! Made specifically for him!? He could hardly believe it!

"I-I...," he was barely cognizant enough to form words, "I don't... Th-thank you!"

The others, apparently overhearing their conversation, approached. "It was no problem at all, dear," Rarity said humbly, "They just needed me to help decorate."

Fluttershy blushed. "All I really did was a little landscaping... Oh, and I made sure Vesper would be comfortable there."

Pinkie cheered out, "I made sure it'll be fun! You'll never guess where I hid the Party Cannons!"

Mandy rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile.

Rainbow Dash swooped in and boasted, "I made sure the layout of the house wouldn't cause the sun to wake you up in the morning; I just HATE it when that happens!"

Mandy chuckled. "Thank you for being considerate."

Twilight added, "I made sure it was equidistant from both Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres, while still being in a good location."

Mandy blinked, vaguely understanding. "Uh-huh..."

Finally, Applejack smiled nonchalantly. "An' that jus' left the bulk o' the buildin' to me an' Big Mac."

"Thank you, everypony. You don't know how much this means to me."

Everypony dismissed it as nothing much.

"No, really, I can't express how much I–"

Chrysalis gagged. "We get it, you're thankful. Just move on already!"

Everyone glared at her.

She backpedaled. "Sorry, I'm still learning."

Mandy now stood on the path between Sweet Apple Acres and the rest of Ponyville, staring in awe at the new house in front of him. It was roughly as big as Fluttershy's Cottage, but was built to resemble the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres, with an added porch and an observation deck reminiscent of the ones back at the Golden Oaks Library. He looked inside; the interior was structured like the Golden Oaks Library as well, consisting of a main room with branching offshoots.

"So, whaddya think?" AJ asked him.

He turned back towards the farm pony, and hugged her. "It's perfect."

She blushed profusely. "Well, Ah'm glad ya like it."

Eventually, she broke off the hug. "Now, Ah'll help ya move yer stuff in, then we gotta go; Thorax's official Coronation is t'night."

Mandy sighed. "Wouldn't wanna miss that, would we?"

AJ eyed him playfully. "Well, after that's done, we'll have some free time; do ya think, maybe ya'd wanna... Ah dunno... Spend it together?"

Mandy jumped for joy. "Of course! We can play Chutes and Ladders, or practice our distance-bucking, or I could show you the new trick that I taught Vesper!"

She blinked, then doubled down on the flirtation. "Actually, Ah was thinkin' 'bout doin' somethin' involvin' the bed..."

Mandy blinked. "You wanna build pillow forts?"

AJ face-hooved. "No, Ah'm tryna say that Ah–"

She stopped when she saw Mandy's sly smile. "Yer just messin' with me, ain'tcha?"

"I can't help it," he winked, "You just look so cute when you're flustered."

One month earlier...

Spike received a letter detailing Chrysalis's punishment, as well as plans regarding the rest of the Changelings:

Citizens of Equestria,

After some hours of deliberation at the Day Court, a decision has been made regarding the future of the Changeling species.

At Mothra's request, the drones shall be relocated to a new Hive, which will be constructed inside the Ghastly Gorge -- where they shall be confined for at least two months. After this, they shall be allowed to go as long as they have been deemed "fit for integration" by Equestria's Ambassador to the Changelings, Ambassador Mandibles Carapace. The only exception to this confinement shall be officially sanctioned events, such as Coronations, Summits, Galas, et cetera.

To help aide in the reconstitution of the Changelings, also at the request of Mothra, Thorax Glyder and Pharynx Elytron shall be issued new titles. Henceforth, Thorax Glyder shall be known as King Thorax Glyder, leader of the Equestrian Changeling Hive. He shall be responsible for the well-being of its denizens, as well as its prosperity. By his side shall be Commander Pharynx Elytron, Commander-in-chief of the Equestrian Changeling Hive's defensive forces.

In light of this change in power, Chrysalis Rosebud shall also be given a new and diminished title. Henceforth, she shall be known not as a Queen but as a Princess. She will be a Princess by title only, and shall hold no actual power. Furthermore, she shall be put on probation for 1 year. The terms of her probation include restrictions on her magic, constant surveillance, and, of course, her husband Prince Mothra by her side.

And finally, let it be known that, from here on out, any Changelings found within Equestria shall be seen as citizens, and will be treated accordingly.

– Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Princess Chrysalis, Prince Mothra.

Everyone in the room stared wide-eyed at the scroll in front of them. Mandy was surprised that Chrysalis had actually willingly signed the document; Twilight was intrigued by the ramifications of merging Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom; Thorax was on the cusp of fainting at the news that he was now royalty; Pharynx was stoked that he was now leader of the Hive's defensive forces; and Spike was scrutinizing the page closely, making sure he hadn't misread anything.

Thorax was the first to speak (not that it was very coherent, but he was certainly the first one to make a sound): "Wh– tha– K-k-k-King– me?! Me, a King?!"

Pharynx beamed at his brother. "Way to go, bud! Or rather, Your Highness."

Thorax began hyperventilating. "I can't– I just can't! I'm not a ruler; I'm a wuss! I–"

Mandy grabbed Thorax by the shoulders, steadying him. "Look at me, Thorax. You're the most compassionate Changeling I know; you've got this."

Thorax paused for a moment before he pushed Mandy away. "Thanks for trying, Mandy, but I need to go through my own process."

He blinked. "Wow, I actually just failed to talk something through. That's a first..."

Thorax continued to hyperventilate as he stumbled out of the room, Pharynx close behind.

Then Spike piped up, "Chrysalis's surname is Rosebud?"

Back in the present day...

Horns sounded out as Thorax stood at the front of the room, a crowd of Ponies and Changelings (both reformed and unreformed) watching as Celestia addressed him.

"Citizens of Equestria," she began, "It is my great honor to officially present to you King Thorax, leader of the Equestrian Changeling Hive."

She stepped aside to let Prince Mothra approach. The former King took his crown off of his head, placing it on his son's head.

Thorax was still incredibly anxious, but Pharynx gave him a reassuring smile, and he took a deep breath. "I am honored, Princess Celestia," he began, unaware that his chest was beginning to glow. "I promise that my brother and I shall watch over and protect the Changelings for as long as I'm able."

The crowd began to cheer, but quickly stopped; they were enraptured by the glow that was now encompassing Thorax. The glowing cocoon that was becoming commonplace formed around him, and once Mothra touched it, it shattered, leaving behind the reformed Thorax.

He looked down at himself, barely able to suppress an excited squeal at the sight of his new form.

Then he paused, remembering what Mothra had told him about the circumstances that caused this form:

"It sort of works like a pony's Cutie Mark, where it's a combination of sharing love and realizing what your place in society is."

And for the first time since he'd received the news, Thorax was truly confident about this.

Later that night, at Mandy's new house...

Mandy nervously grimaced. "Are you really sure you want to do this? I mean, I've never done this before... At least, not like this..."

AJ chuckled. "Relax, will ya? It'll be jus' fine."

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

She smirked devilishly. "Then let's do it!"

And with that said, they began their totally non-sexual pillow fight.

THE END

Chapter 1: Crash Landing

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 1: Crash Landing

Pink.

For one single, visceral moment, all that Mandibles "Mandy" Carapace could see was pink.

And then, he was flung.

For the past week, he'd begrudgingly laid in wait for his Queen's instructions. Once she'd replaced the Princess of Love, it was only a matter of time before Chrysalis drained Shining Armor of his power. After the barrier spell failed, it was just a matter of swooping in, neutralizing the Elements, and beginning to round up the citizens.

For a moment, the plan seemed like it would actually work against all odds.

However, when Chrysalis let her arrogance consume her, she turned her back for one critical moment, and years of planning crumbled around them.

That egotistical bitch.

Now, Mandy had been flung out of Canterlot by the barrier spell, and he was careening through the sky faster than he could normally fly, half-conscious and unable to control his trajectory. He squinted against the wind that whipped at his face, snapping awake when he realized that he was headed straight for a large gazebo-like building in the middle of a small, yet busy, town.

"Oh, no-no-NO!" He managed to scream as he tried to right himself and slow down, but it was all for naught. He only barely managed to brace himself with his holed forelegs as he crashed straight into the structure, blacking out instantly.

The citizens of Ponyville were going about their ordinary lives. Some browsed the town marketplace, others relaxed at the park, and one pony even sat in a large jar of jelly.

Yep, just an ordinary day in Ponyville.

That is, until a dark figure crashed straight into Town Hall.

Mayor Scroll Mare, who had been filing some paperwork when it happened, coughed as the dust settled, wiping her glasses. "What in the name of Celestia was that!?"

When the dust finally cleared, she gasped at what she saw. A strange, equine-bug hybrid was now laying on the floor, having crashed straight through a wall. Its dark body was battered and bruised, splinters of wood lodged into the softer parts; a sickly green fluid (blood, presumably?) oozed from several large gashes on its head; one of its hole-filled hooves was bent at an unnatural angle; both of its translucent, hole-riddled wings were crumpled and torn; its right eye had swollen shut; and one of its fangs was broken in half.

Mayor Mare, never having seen anything like it (because the Canterlot Invasion literally just happened, news hadn't yet spread) stared at it apprehensively. Having lived near the Everfree Forest for most of her life, she was no stranger to odd and dangerous creatures.

But this...?

It looked like it was gravely injured.

After a moment of regaining composure, Mayor Mare found her voice and called out, "S-somepony! I need help in here!"

The creature stirred slightly at her voice, but didn't wake.

The Mayor's secretary, Raven Inkwell, rushed in, gawking at the sight. "What is that!?"

"I don't know, but it's injured, and badly! Help me get it to the Ponyville General, then send a letter to Twilight!"

With just a moment of hesitation, Raven complied, taking one end of the bug while Mayor Mare took the other, and they carefully yet quickly carried him out.

Meanwhile, in Canterlot...

The reception had gone great, and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony were now having fun just talking to each other.

That is, until a certain purple dragon received an urgent letter from the Mayor of Ponyville...

Chapter 2: Rise and Crime

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 2: Rise and Crime

The first thing that came back to Mandy when he woke up two days later was his sense of touch. He could feel a fuzzy blanket over his prone body, the large amount of bandages wrapped around his injuries, something heavy clamped onto his horn, and his forelegs being bound together by something thick and sturdy.

The next thing to return was the pain.

Mandy wheezed as it all hit him at once. His head felt like it was splitting open, the numb spots flared up when he tried to shift around, and his wings felt ragged.

He slowly, very slowly, opened his eyes. Colored dots swam through his sight as his vision tried refocusing. Eventually, his sight readjusted, and he blinked back a thin crust that'd formed in the corners of his eyes.

He was in a fairly standard hospital room, with sea-foam green wallpaper and polished wooden floors. He looked down at himself, seeing plastic tubes from IV drip bags stuck into specific spots across his body.

But what really disconcerted him was that his hooves were bound by a thick rope, and a magic-inhibiting ring had been placed around his horn.

And he was undisguised, too.

Mandy tried to sit bolt upright, but his body screamed in protest, forcing him to remain lying down. He was captured, likely being healed so that he'd live to see his punishment for being a part of that stupid invasion, for following that stupid excuse of a queen, for –

The door to the room slowly swung open, and a VERY familiar purple unicorn walked in. When she saw him awake, her expression shifted to an unreadable stare.

Great. The Element of Magic herself was here to finish him off. Just his luck.

He put his head into his forelegs as he wilted under her scrupulous gaze, but made no attempt to fight back or leave. Not even his Changeling senses could properly decipher the whirlwind of emotions that raged in her head.

"Hello," she began in a near monotone, "did you sleep well?"

Mandy simply nodded in response.

Twilight eyed him. "Can you speak?"

Mandy went to reply, but a coughing fit wracked his body. For a moment, concern flashed across Twilight's face as he nearly hacked up a lung, but it faded when he finally caught his breath.

"Y-yes," he finally muttered, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

Twilight glanced over at a nightstand next to Mandy's bed, where a large pitcher of water and a glass had been set out. "Here, have something to drink," she said, using her magic to pour a glass and levitate it to him.

Mandy eyed the water warily.

"It hasn't been tampered with," Twilight stated bluntly.

He hesitantly took it in his hooves, and took a sip. Then he quickly downed the entire glass, sighing in relief as the liquid helped soothe his larynx. "Th-thanks," he mumbled, his voice no longer hoarse, yet still sporting the dual-toned qualities of the standard Changeling.

"Don't mention it. Now, I've been requested by Princess Celestia to ask you some questions in her stead. She would've been here herself, but she's busy. Helping repair the damages." Even though she tried to hide it, Mandy could still sense the venom practically dripping from that last statement.

"Okay..." the Changeling was in no real position to argue, so he resigned himself to cooperation.

Twilight nodded. "First question: Do you have a name?"

He gulped. "Mandy Carapace," he replied.

Twilight's eyebrow raised. "...'Mandy'?"

"Short for 'Mandibles'..." he clarified quietly.

Twilight nodded again. "Second question: Why are you here?"

"Flung from Canterlot," Mandy replied truthfully, "couldn't correct my flight, and I crashed."

Twilight eyed him suspiciously, but if she didn't believe him, she didn't voice it.

"Third question: What can you tell me about your Queen?"

Mandy couldn't suppress a scoff. "Chrysalis is no Queen of mine. She was nothing more than a pompous bitch, ignorant to the fact that her Canterlot Invasion was doomed from the start."

Twilight's eyes widened. That certainly wasn't what she was expecting. Though, she reasoned to herself, it might be a trick, so she'd better file it away. "Then why would you go through with such a plan?"

Mandy sighed. "Because without leadership, a Changeling is nothing. If your Princess Celestia asked you to run a fool's errand, what would you do?"

Twilight bit her tongue. On one hoof, she knew that her Mentor's judgement was almost impeccable.

But that was the keyword here: Almost. Nightmare Moon was proof of that much.

Mandy continued, "Not only that, but she's also..."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. " 'Also...' what?"

Mandy seemed embarrassed to admit this, but he powered through anyway. "She's also my mother."

Twilight blinked. "So? Aren't all of the Changelings the Queen's children?"

The chitin-clad figure blew out a huff of air in indignation. "Why does everyone always assume that?! Contrary to popular belief, much like ponies, we have separate parents. Mine just happens to be Chrysalis."

Twilight nodded in understanding, but also blushed at her own misconception. "Okay, I apologize for the assumption. But still, my point stands: what does her being your mother have to do with it? Why not just go against her?"

Mandy stared at her with featureless blue eyes. "If I'd rebelled against my mother's wishes, she'd have no choice but to punish or banish me to assert her authority." He sighed, "Though I suppose that's no better than what's happened regardless..."

Twilight eyed the dejected Changeling warily, but could find no ulterior motives, no signs of deception, nor could she disagree.

And this scared Twilight.

"If you'd excuse me for just a moment..." Twilight stifled an eye twitch as she backed out of the room, fumbling with the door as she kept her gaze locked firmly on the bug-pony.

Mandy sat there for several minutes, listening as he heard a group of voices talking, arguing about something (presumably him). Mandy toyed with his cup while he waited, then refilled it.

Eventually, the door opened, and the Elements of Honesty and Kindness were pushed inside by Twilight's magic.

AJ sighed, relenting to her unicorn friend, "Alright, we'll give it a shot. Ah just don't see why yer trustin' this thing in th' first place."

"I'm just as surprised as you," Mandy concurred, drawing the attention of the earth pony and the pegasus.

Fluttershy took this moment to hide herself behind her friend's back.

AJ eyed the bug for a moment. "Alright, let's get down t' business: Why, exactly, are ya here? What's yer evil plan?"

"I've already told the purple one, I didn't come here willingly! I was flung out of Canterlot and crashed here!" Mandy huffed.

AJ squinted. "An' how do Ah know you ain't lyin'?"

Mandy raised an eyebrow – or rather, the Changeling equivalent. "Because I am in no position to lie to you, for several reasons. 1: You wouldn't believe me or my species anyway; 2: lying would only disadvantage me in my injured state; and 3: there were far too many witnesses for me to have a hope of crafting a sufficient lie."

AJ's eyes widened, and she tried to give a rebuttal, but she couldn't think of one. So instead, she just sputtered for the better part of a minute, as Mandy took the opportunity to take another drink.

Fluttershy peeked out from behind her friend, set just a little more at-ease by Mandy's words. "Oh, um, that, that makes sense, I think..." She spoke barely above a whisper.

AJ finally regained control of her voice. "O-okay, then. So, question: were you, or were you not, involved in the Canterlot invasion."

Mandy shrugged "Well, not willingly, but yes, I was there."

AJ glared at him, confused. "What exactly do ya mean? Why weren'tcha willin'?"

The Changeling tapped his chin with his bound forelegs. "How should I put this... It was a stupid idea from the very start, but if I didn't go along, that arrogant bitch of a Queen would've had me banished, or worse. I won't lie that I had some fun rounding up ponies like you would cows in a rodeo, but I never expected it to work, and I was right."

Fluttershy flinched at the implications, and a look of... Well, Mandy couldn't decipher the look that flashed on AJ's face, but it was clear that she was processing the words he'd just spoken.

When a while passed without anyone speaking, Mandy sighed and closed his eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some rest before I'm punished."

AJ's face widened. "Wait, that's it? Yer not gonna, Ah dunno, try 'n escape back t' yer hive?"

The drone groaned, though his annoyed tone was also laced with dread. "I'd rather be tortured by the Elements than return to living under Chrysalis's demented rule."

Fluttershy gasped. "Tortured!? Oh goodness no! The Elements of Harmony would NEVER–"

"Nightmare Moon was banished to solitude inside the moon for a thousand years, and Discord's been turned to stone for even longer. Twice. If those aren't considered torture, then I don't know what is," Mandy countered emotionlessly, ending the discussion with no room for argument.

Fluttershy looked on helplessly as the Changeling shifted in his bed, winced, and tried to fall into a fitful sleep. "AJ..."

"C'mon, Flutters; we should, uh, give 'im some privacy," the farmer said in a hushed tone, leading the torn yellow pegasus out of the room.

Mandy didn't know how long he'd been asleep for, but he woke up as the door opened once more. He turned his gaze, and reeled slightly.

There, entering the room in front of him, were Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Shining Armor, flanked by several royal guards.

Mandy sighed, letting his head hang. "Well, let's get this over with."

Princess Celestia's gaze locked onto him, professionally emotionless as she begun the unorthodox trial. "Mandibles Carapace, you have been accused of aiding in the Changeling Invasion of Canterlot, destruction of property, and aggression towards civilians. How do you plead?"

The drone looked down at his hooves, then spoke. "Guilty as charged."

Though Celestia's trained expression didn't show it, Mandy could sense the surprise that radiated from her for a moment.

The same went for Luna as well, though her anger became overpowered by confusion and, strangely enough, hope.

Shining Armor and Cadence, however, remained unfazed; if anything, they felt vindication.

Celestia thought for a moment, glancing back at Luna before turning back. "Very well, then. Before we serve any punishment, do you have any final requests?"

Now it was Shining and Cadence's turns to be surprised, turning to the Sun Monarch. "Are you serious, Celestia!?" Shining demanded. "After everything they've –"

Celestia held out a hoof in front of Shining's face, though her stoic expression never broke. He begrudgingly clammed up at this.

She turned back to the bed-ridden bug. "Now then, what say you?"

Mandy looked at her in disbelief. But, with only a slight hesitation, he simply said, "If you find my older brother, Thorax, then please go easy on him. He's the kindest 'ling I know, and... and tell him that I'm proud of him."

Cadence's expression widened. Were her ears betraying her? Judging from the expressions of everyone else, she hadn't misheard.

Celestia pressed curiously, "Is that all?"

"Yes," he nodded solemnly, lifting his bound arms like a prisoner. "I'm ready for whatever punishment you see fit."

For the first time, Celestia's expression cracked. It didn't last very long, but Mandy saw it nonetheless.

But instead of anger like he'd expected, he saw the faintest hint of a smile.

It quickly reset into its practiced position, however, and she lit her horn. "Then it shall be done," she declared, and Mandy braced himself for the sweet embrace of death.

But instead, what happened next surprised him and everyone else in the room.

Celestia didn't fry his brains out with the power of the sun; she didn't banish him to the Moon for an eternity; she didn't even squash him with a comically-sized flyswatter.

Instead, she severed the rope around his forelegs.

Frozen in shock, nobody in the room except for Celestia and Luna could comprehend what'd just happened. The room was deathly silent for a long time, save for the increased beeping of Mandy's heart rate monitor.

Finally, Celestia stepped forward, and decreed: "Mandibles, as punishment for your crimes, you will be sentenced to one thousand hours of community service, starting after you've made a full recovery. While you are under this punishment, you shall be provided food and shelter, but you are not to leave the city limits of Ponyville or use magic until your service has concluded. Is that clear?"

Mandy barely registered what she'd said, snapping out of his shock after a moment. "Y-y-yes, ma'am," he hastily said, out of fear of what she might do otherwise.

"Then it is decided," she finished with a stomp of her hoof, sealing his fate. "Now come, my fellow Princesses and Captain. We must get back to Canterlot at once."

Luna happily obliged, silently but profusely thanking her sister, while the others more warily stepped out.

"I think he got off too easily," Shining Armor muttered under his breath as they left, closing the door behind them.

For once, Mandy couldn't agree more.

Chapter 16: Return to Ponyville

It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling

Chapter 16: Return to Ponyville

"Ooh! Ooh! Do me, do me!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

Mandy smiled to himself, feeling a rush of adrenaline as he focused his magic. A whirlwind of harmless burgundy fire — he was still getting used to all the changes the last few weeks had brought about — engulfed him, and when it dissipated, there stood an exact copy of Pinkie Pie.

The gathered group of ponies oogled him with amusement – except for Pinkie Pie herself, who looked over his form with the utmost scrutiny. Finally, she spoke her mind:

"Eh, I've seen better."

Mandy blinked, then burst out laughing, the others joining him shortly afterward. That party mare really was something special, wasn't she?

Finally, they got up, Mandy allowing the form to dissipate. "Alright, I think that's enough; wouldn't wanna overwork myself..."

Everypony voiced their disappointment with the idea, but they relented.

Mandy turned towards the newly crowned Princess Twilight. "Again, congrats on the ascension, Princess," he congratulated.

The purple unicorn-turned-alicorn blushed, involuntarily fluttering her wings. "I told you, you don't have to call me that," she chided.

"I know," he reassured, "I just want to."

She blushed even deeper.

AJ then sidled up to him, playfully bumping him with her flank. "Alright, simmer down there, Sally," she teased, "or else ya might make me jealous."

Mandy responded with fake shock, "I'd never do that to you!"

"Ah know," AJ nuzzled his cheek, and he nuzzled back. Some of the ponies watching inwardly gagged at the overt display of affection (partially because he was a Changeling, but mostly because it was so shmultzy), but others found warmth in the genuineness.

It was at that moment that Princess Cadance stepped in, saw the pony and the Changeling nuzzling, and commented absently, "Well... even I didn't see this coming..."

Mandy was in for a big surprise when he finally returned to his room that night. He entered the room, expecting to find everything how he'd left it.

Instead, the ring was gone, and a familiar plushie sat on the bed.

Confused beyond belief, he picked up the doll with his magic. This was the exact same plush he'd seen just yesterday, in the arm of that little filly on the street. Yet here it was, now sporting a tag that read, "Don't ever be afraid of who you are".

He turned the doll over, noting the craftsmanship. It seemed familiar, as if he'd seen the handiwork used on different materials.

Finally, his gaze drifted to the bottom of one of the hooves, and what he saw nearly made him faint.

A cursive "M" was monogrammed onto the doll with silver silk.

He blinked disbelievingly, but it didn't change. Could it be...?

No, he thought, that would be ridiculous! Why would he disappear for nineteen years, then reappear now and do this? There had to be some other explanation that he just couldn't see.

But, although the logical part of his brain dismissed this notion outright, the emotional part held onto the hope.

Maybe – just maybe – Dad had finally returned...

Mandy stared out the window of the train. The group was now returning from their post-coronation vacation, and Mandy was looking forward to getting back home.

Home... in Ponyville...

For the first time, Mandy realized that he truly felt at home in Ponyville. He was no longer just some Changeling, separated from the Hive and serving out a punishment.

He was now an Equestrian citizen through and through.

He smiled at the thought, looking down at the plushie that he cradled in his reformed hooves, and the sleeping Applejack leaning up against his back.

Life had never felt better.

But, as we all know, good things can't last forever.

For elsewhere on that very train, a Changeling was at hard at work, secretly spying on Mandy.

And the sight of that doll infuriated her.

Author's Note

And with that, Arc 1 is complete! Stay tuned for Arc 2, consisting of Chapters 17-26, coming soon!