“James, things aren’t the way they used to be. Give it a chance, sure the way you two met isn’t the most orthodox, but still! What if you regret not doing anything in the future, this could be your chance!” Odonata excitedly encouraged with a huge grin.

James on the other hoof just cocked an eyebrow, “I’m surprised you even know the word orthodox... anyways, what do you mean by things aren’t the way they used to be? Nothings changed.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, old friend,” the older Changeling gestured for his sons to cover their ears, which Willow did without complaint while Termite rolled his eyes.

Odonata then elaborated, “you see, we aren’t in the slums of Flygon anymore. The few Changelings that managed to get here are living in peace, not fearing the future idea of being forced to work on the streets or going hungry. Have you ever noticed how little you’ve been affected by the past?”

James blinked a few times as he thought about it, his friend wasn’t wrong and that idea almost scared him. He knew for a fact that many of the soldiers must have suffered with flashbacks to the bloodiest of times during the war, he had his fair share as well but then again... that wasn’t the only thing he was exposed to as a kid.

He was constantly surrounded by sex workers and they used crude language that made even present day him cringe. The only explanation he had was, “I guess I wasn’t that fazed by the hookers because I was expecting a life like that. My second name was practically the confirmation for that kind of life.”

“Then don’t you see, this is fate! An opportunity to prove to that bi—“ Odonata stopped himself as he realized Termite wasn’t covering his ears with much effort, so he instead said, “jerk of a name-giver that you’re so much more than that.”

James sighed and picked at what remained of his food, mumbling, “I guess... I never really gave much thought into having a relationship.”

Odonata blushed as he asked in Fangnese—thankfully a language his sons didn’t know, “you’re still a virgin, aren’t you?” Well he certainly wasn’t beating around the bush.

“I-I... Odonata!” James hissed.

Willow questioned, “what’d he say, uncle James?”

“Yeah, why are you so green, uncle James!” Termite smirked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“That’s none of your business, heathen!” James snapped as he ignored the twin’s questions.

Odonata pointed towards the door before saying, “Termite, Willow, do me a favor and collect tea leaves for me.” They protested by pointing out that James just did that this morning, but one glare from their father made them stand up and leave without another word.

Now that they were alone, Odonata leaned against the table as he continued, “I’m serious James, from what you tell me, you’re not very experienced when it comes to relationships.”

“I-I mean... it’s not like I’m that inexperienced. I’ve been kissed before, a few times—and no I don’t just mean Cricket,” James grumbled as he blushed even more, this wasn’t the conversation he wanted to have with his best friend.

“So…?” Odonata tilted his head with a teasing look.

James inhaled sharply, “just because my little sexual interactions haven’t lead to full on intercourse doesn’t mean I’m completely inexperienced.”

His friend snorted, “now if I had that mentality when I was younger than you, I probably wouldn’t have called myself a virgin after I gave another male a—“

“Please, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know about it,” James pleaded with a cringe.

Odonata was like an older brother to him, so hearing a story like that didn’t do anything other than disgust him. Unless it was one that ended in hilarious embarrassment for either Odonata or the partner in the story, James didn’t want to hear it.

Thankfully he didn’t continue the story, unfortunately he decided to mock James by saying, “by the way, no one who’s ever had sex refers to it as intercourse un-ironically.”

“Shut up!”

“This is such a dumb idea, I feel like some pathetic protagonist in a romance novel,” James grumbled as he hid in a bush with Odonata later that night, staring at the house of his supposed “love interest” as his friend put it.

“And that’s alright, as long as it ends in happiness and grubs,” Odonata chirped before patting James on the head.

The plan was simple, wait until all the lights they can see shut off, then James will throw a pebble (not a rock, Odonata clarified from bad experiences from his youth) at whatever window appeared to be Lily’s… and then…

What was end game again? Hopefully not grubs like Odonata was suggesting, unlike him James wasn’t the fatherly type at all.

He was about to ask this question but was interrupted by Odonata shaking his shoulders and whisper-shouting, “all the lights are out! Go fly up and look where she’s sleeps.”

“I’m not a peeping Tom, Odonata. This doesn’t suit my morals,” he grumbled with a flushed face.

“Your virginity says otherwise,” and that comment was what made him move.

Damn Odonata and his stupid remarks, he doesn’t know anything.

Despite his military past and obvious success in it, he was absolutely terrible at stealth missions. And you know what? That wasn’t his fault.

Blame the stupidly loud fly wings he was born with, maybe he should save up money to get them cut off (not like it wasn’t a beauty standard back at home in Fanggook). Why was he complaining about this, you may ask, it was because as soon as he flew up to one of the windows it was opened and a head popped out.

One he didn’t recognize.

The foal appeared to be female and about two to three years old, with a brunette mane and a pale green coat. Her pale orange eyes were wide with curiosity as she stared at James, who was frozen in place, not even a minute had passed before he got caught!

“Lily!” She shouted behind her, making James flinch with a foreign curse the filly couldn't understand, thank the Gods. Speaking of the Gods, why did it feel like his patron Goddess, Caritas, was never backing him up in these types of situations?

Because as soon as the mare he was hoping to see tonight appeared beside her younger relative, his jaw dropped again and his heart skipped a few beats. This wasn’t fair, this was not fair!

Her silky looking mane was a bit messier than when he last saw her but it looked utterly charming on her, her surprised teal eyes looked up at him, glistening from the moonlight. She was also wearing a simple white nightgown that shouldn’t be making him flush as much as he did.

It was just a dress James, for the Gods sake, this is exactly why Odonata calls you a virgin!

James tried his best to say something after snapping his mouth shut, hoping to save whatever dignity he had earlier when the toddler asked her sister, “who’s that? Is he a friend?” Lily blinked a few times, as if trying to process who she was staring at.

Then it hit her, “o-oh, James! What are you doing here, and at such a time?” She shyly questioned, leaning on the window with her forearms.

“J-just hanging out, ya know?” He awkwardly responded while rubbing the back of his neck.

Lily glanced down at her sister before whispering, “why don’t we get you to bed, and before you start complaining,” she held her hoof to the filly’s lips, as if knowing she was about to start whining, “I promise I’ll make you pancakes with extra blueberries and whip cream tomorrow, okay?”

A smile split across the foal’s face, and she quickly rushed away from the window, probably heading to her bed. “Sorry about her, that’s my little sister Marigold, she’s a sweetheart honestly,” she explained with an embarrassed blush.

“It’s no problem, she’s pretty adorable,” James replied, still mesmerized by the beautiful mare in front of him.

He was suddenly grabbed by the neck, making him yelp as he was pulled forward, Lily leaned in to whisper with a cocked eyebrow and a low voice, “now about my earlier question, what are you doing here? You better not be up to any funny business, or else I’ll—“

“No, no,” James shook his head, “not at all. I just really wanted to see you, and to catch up and all. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, Liliana.”

She stammered, as if flustered by him using her full name, “w-well… i-if that’s all, then I guess it wouldn’t hurt letting you inside to talk…”

“I was kinda hoping we could take a walk?” James suggested, but regretted it when he was the suspicious look on her face.

“A walk?” She repeated.

James nodded, “mhm.”

“At night, just the two of us where my family probably won’t know where I’ve gone off to?”

“… possibly?”

“… James, this is exactly how murder happens or… you know, really unpleasant things.”

He sighed, “then be lucky I’m not a murderer, and believe me, being a male Changeling I grew up being warned about taking an offer like this from a female but look where I am now.”

Lily tilted her head in curiosity, “really? That’s… unexpected, I’ve never heard of stallions being warned about something like that before.”

“Hey, how about this? We take a walk, catch up, and I’ll answer any questions you have about Changeling society and norms. It’s not like I’ll mind, I actually really like talking about my heritage.”

“… alright but, try anything weird and I’ll punch you.”

“Deal, let’s go.”

“I’m sorry but you actually thought cutie marks were a ‘right of passage’?!” Lily cackled with tears in her eyes, pointing at the flushed Changeling as he huffed in embarrassment.

“You ponies are weird and that’s exactly why I thought it was the case!” He shot back.

They were both currently sitting by a pond that was well away from Lily’s home, thank the Gods her family couldn’t hear her from this distance. “And you Changelings aren’t?” She giggled, booping his nose with the tip of her hoof.

“I don’t see what’s strange about my species?” He answered honestly, tilting his head.

“How about the whole, discriminating males and the fact you guys eat meat?”

James blinked a few times in thought, it was still odd to think about. Ponies had the opposite problem in terms of gender norms and were strictly herbivores, yet his species wasn’t and it’s been that way for eons.

“Well, it’s always been like that. I was raised believing that my place was at home taking care of the Nymphs and tending to the fields. To think otherwise would get you a good dose of humiliation if others found out so, I’ve never bothered voicing my thoughts to the other villagers… except for…” he paused, a kind face flashed through his mind before he forced it away.

No need to think again about Cricket, the boy was probably already married off to a high-ranking female soldier with his pretty face. There was no point in dwelling on the past, he already left too much behind to think about it.

“Except for…?” Lily gently pushed with a kind smile.

“No one that matters now, I’ve gone too far to even think about going back,” he responded in a cold tone.

The mare was taken aback by this, “is it that personal to you, James? If so, I won’t push until you’re ready.”

“Thanks.”

Lily hummed as she asked, “is there anything from your culture that you like?” James nodded quickly.

“Of course! Don’t get me wrong, Liliana, I’m very proud of my heritage and I take great pride in it! I know it doesn’t sound all that great to outside perspectives but in reality, there were so many happy times I had. With my family…” he shut his mouth as soon as he uttered the word.

His lip twitched and his eyes felt hot, oh no, not right now. He wasn’t affected by it, he couldn’t be affected by it. It was so long ago when he ran away for a new life, when he abandoned his adoptive family just to run off with a group of Equestrians with no second thought… when he abandoned the only two Changelings who truly cared for him.

“James?” Lily softly said as she lifted his chin, he barely even noticed he had starting staring at the ground.

“Sorry, it’s nothing… how about you, what are things like with your family? Besides the whole thing with your dad, of course?” He was avoiding the subject but what else was there to do to make this conversation less awkward?

She lit up a bit as she started rambling about her younger siblings and how adorable they were no matter how much they got on her nerves. Her mother was the stereotypical Equestrian homemaker he’d see in those magazines GI’s back in Vietrot carried, but she had a pure heart and meant well.

James pitied the poor mare.

“Oh James!” Lily suddenly chirped, startling him out of his staring.

“Yeah?”

“Do you live on your own now, and what even brought you to Trotland?” She looked genuinely curious, still not understanding how or why he was here with her.

The Changeling tried to find a way to sugar coat it but failed to think of anyway to do so. “You see, after the Fall of Flygon, many of us didn’t have a choice but to flee the city or be killed by Chrysalis’s army or, even worse, be forced to become one of her mindless soldiers. Odonata and I were supposed to leave for Equestria as well but—“

“Odonata is the older Changeling you were with most of the time, right?” Lily interjected with a soft blush, not wanting to interrupt but wanting to confirm her fuzzy memory.

“Yeah, that’s him. He was actually our ticket to Equestria with his planned marriage to Burnt Oak, that’s the brown stallion we were with. However, something happened that separated us and well, we both got left behind.”

Lily gasped, “that’s horrible! How did you escape?!”

“We were forced to take emergency measures so, traveling by a rickety boat was our best chance at survival. Luckily for us, we survived the long and painful trip here, now here we are.”

“That’s so unfair,” the mare whispered, “you could’ve gone to Equestria but you ended up here of all places. All because of what, something separating you guys?”

James shrugged, “it’s actually a bit more complicated than that but I really don’t feel like going into it. Let me just say, there were a lot of unsolved misunderstandings that just so happened to occur right before the city fell.”

Lily sighed, “you have the most rotten luck, I wish I could’ve done something or at least my grandfather.”

“There was nothing to say or do in that situation, it was already too late when we figured out what was going on. Either way, I’m alright with how things are nowadays. It’s calmer here in Trotland.”

The mare stood up and stretched, “that’s nice to hear but, I wish you could’ve made it with your friends. On the other hoof,” she blushed softly as she admitted, “it’s nice to see a familiar face around here, no matter how long it’s been, you know?”

“Believe me, I get it and, I’m glad to see you too, Liliana.”

They shared a look for a moment before Lily whispered, “I really need to get going, it’s already well past midnight.”

“Yeah, yeah. I should be heading back too… do you maybe wanna…?”

“Do this again?” Lily giggled.

James blushed shyly as he nodded.

She smiled sweetly at him before leaning forward to whisper, “same time tomorrow? It’s not like I have anything else exciting to do.”

“Sounds good, Liliana… bye…”

“Heheh, have a good night, James.”

Author's Note

Guess who’s back,
back again? ✨