Chapter 15: I Can Change, Can You? - Part 1

“I cannot believe I am seriously going through with this,” I muttered.

“Hey, you chose to go in there.”

The Changeling’s Hive. The once mighty changeling force, seemingly enemies with every other race in Equestria. These were the same creatures who could embed themselves deep within the enemy's territory without a single clue as to who was a changeling and who was not. This was the same army that could disguise themselves down to the most minuscule detail.

“Perfect?”

Yes, they felt like the epitome of perfection, once ruled by the queen of the cretins herself.

Queen Chrysalis.

She was the creature responsible for nearly bringing about the utter annihilation of the ponies of Equestria with her deceiving tactics and planning. Disguising herself as one of the alicorn princesses and coming so close to tasting victory.

That same changeling group would feed off of the love of other creatures and use it to re-energize themselves. A formidable foe that had proven to be the epitome of endless nightmares in every foal's dreams. One you couldn’t seem to stop.

That same species was reduced to nothing more than a bunch of kindhearted and ever-loving individuals who desired no conflict, preaching peace and happiness wherever they stepped.

“Soooo…hippies?”

They would rather talk about their feelings and share the love than rule regions and feed off their enemies for generations. But, for one reason or another, the idea made sense.

Queen Chrysalis herself was left defeated, nearly toppled, and almost forced to reform herself. Unfortunately, she was never caught and still roams Equestria's unknown and vast world.

Who knows where she could be now. She could, quite literally, be any creature out there. Lying and deceiving her way for survival.

Like lies, it’s like my mom always said, ‘The lie has legs that can outrun the truth to begin. But every so often, the lie loses a bit of its legs, and its much smaller legs can’t run fast.’

Eventually, the truth, much like father time himself, always catches up with us in the end.

And that’s where the fatal flaw was. Unfortunately, most creatures didn’t realize it until it was exposed after the Royal Canterlot Wedding. Through inquisitive questioning, you too can play 'Super-Sleuth,' and determine who is a changeling and who isn't.

Asking the right questions, checking everyday habits, and asking about specific memories. It all would help in sniffing them out.

As the years went on, Equestria would seemingly be threatened by them but would always fight back and prevail, getting better each time.

Maybe that was the reason they chose to give up, I thought. Almost all the changeling population saw the writing on the wall and relented against the pressure.

Disobeying Queen Chrysalis and choosing the life that their future leader, Prince Thorax, had initially found for himself.

“That takes guts.”

In doing so, they utterly destroyed the original Hive's inner sanctum and main throne room. To this day, it has been reduced to nothing but a hollowed-out space, sealed off deep within the recesses of the structure and every changeling’s forlorn memories.

I was never able to find it or even get a chance to see it. Was it possibly out of fear from Thorax and the others that I may take an interest in it and document it? I thought to myself.

Or maybe there was something they weren’t telling us.

“Lying?”

The thought lingered as I made my way through the ever-changing environment. It was quite the challenge navigating the massive structure, mainly because the walls would warp and change every so now and then.

There weren’t any patrols happening within the Hive, which seemed to bother me. Typically, they would have received the message of a threat almost immediately. If they were, hypothetically, warned about this recent turn of events, I pondered as I roamed the corridors, wouldn’t they want to do everything in their power to keep themse-

“And that’s why you are not listening to me, Thorax!”

gasp!

========================================<>========================================

My brain immediately froze in terror, seeing the outline of two shadows on the ground. I immediately panicked and frantically dove right into a hole in the wall, clearly not thinking as I had made the split-second decision.

I now found myself inside the new throne room of the Changeling Hive. It was a spacious, open-ceiling room with the wind blowing through the air. The sound it created reverberated off the walls and into all awaiting ears, but the noise was soft compared to the current bickering of the two changelings nearby.

“I understand how you feel, brother, but we need to act with intuition an-”

“Don’t talk to me about intuition, Thorax. It’s practically my middle name!”

“It certainly is not, Pharynx…it’s Bartholemew….”

“Shhh! Be quiet, you big palooka!”

My mind started to laugh in sync with the two creatures as the conversation continued between the Changelings leader and his older brother. They were undoubtedly a great duo, one being the overly charismatic and outgoing Pharynx, while the other was the timid and ruminatively tempered Prince Thorax.

I was right between a perfectly enclosed space, rocks jutting around me. It surely did prevent me from being spotted, even if some creature managed to search for themselves.

It nearly resembled a tunnel underneath the ground with a lion statue at the end to peek my head through.

“Stop the references. I get the picture you are trying to paint!”

Or the tale I am trying to weave together.

“GET ON WITH IT!!”

I stayed low and focused on calming my heart’s beating. The changelings could feel the compassion and spirit of their peers, or intruders in my case. I did what I could, clearing my mind and trying not to focus on anything recent except for the acoustics of the room and its dialogue.

“I only joke with you, dear brother,” the Changeling leader went on to say, “but I do have grave news. We have just received word that the human, Alex, escaped from Canterlot Castle a short while ago.”

“WHAAT?!” Pharynx shouted, the ground shaking as his hoof collided violently with the ground. “HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!”

“He just…escaped,” Thorax said softly. It was quite the contrasting tone from his impulsive brother. A soft growl floated through the air and into my ears, which made me feel uneasy. Why did I feel as though I was being observed?

“Were you?”

“Well, let’s sure hope he doesn’t show up here,” Pharynx replied with ferocity. “I wanna beat that creature to a pulp if I catch him skulking around this regio-”

“No, Pharynx!” Thorax yelled back, the echo carrying itself across the room. I heard the faint clearing of some creature's throat before continuing the conversation. sigh “I m-mean, n-no. We don’t want to resort to violence immediately if we manage to encounter him.”

“And why shouldn’t we?” Pharynx spat back. “He is a present danger to all of Equestria and, therefore, should be squashed like a bug.”

A long silence filled the room, that statement filling the void for a while. “Wait…”

“Yeah, Pharynx, did you already forget what your own species looks like?” Thorax said condescendingly. “We ARE bugs! Bright, colorful, organized, and caring bugs!”

“Yeah, sorry,” Pharynx sheepishly replied, his raspy voice softening. “I did forget. It was the heat of the moment, you know? No harm, no foul?”

“Uh huuhh,” was the response from Prince Thorax. “I know the human is considered exceptionally dangerous to Equestria, and so does every creature else. So, for the safety of my kingdom, I have a good plan that can work, in theory. It involves ‘tactical deception.’”

“Go on,” was Pharynx’s reply. However, there was a hint of doubt sewn into those two words.

“Do you remember the old throne room and the throne itself?” Thorax inquired softly. I could pick up on the phrasing very clearly and immediately gulped softly.

“Are you implying we should bring bac-”

“No, no no no, absolutely not!” Thorax cut Pharynx off. “I don’t want to bring back the Old Hive ever again. That should stay sealed in the depths of Tartarus for Faust’s eternal sake.”

“Then why bring it up concerning the human fugitive?” Pharynx asked.

“What if we absorbed the energy from the shattered remnants of the old throne and infused it with the new one?” Thorax asked with confidence. “We aren’t reviving our past selves, but rather using a feature of it to protect ourselves from Alex.”

“You’ve lost me. Give me a second to process this,” Pharynx said. I could only imagine he was shaking his head in confusion. “Are you trying to tell me that you, Prince Thorax, the presumptive leader of the Changelings…you want to magic proof the Hive like it used to be?”

I would have replied the same way, I thought to myself with a frown.

“Precisely, brother,” Thorax said, a hint of excitement languishing on those words. “We can then be able to prevent him from hurting us, giving us a chance to capture him while he is vulnerable.”

“All this preparation and methodical planning for one creature,” Pharynx fired back quickly.

“Yes,” Thorax said as well almost immediately. “Just for one, mortal, weak-minded, and outnumbered human fugitive.”

Well, that wasn’t very nice, I thought, my fists clenching in anger.

“I like the idea, but there would be a problem,” Pharynx said, clearing his throat. “You need to revert the Hive back as soon as possible to avoid suspicious doubts being cast upon us. You know that if The Crown of Canterlot were to find out that you magic-proofed the Hive again, who knows how they would react to your decisions from then on.”

“Pharynx, please,” Thorax sarcastically commented, his tone becoming serious. “Princess Celestia was arguably rude to me at the final council meeting for the trial, and I certainly do not like their so-called ‘handling’ of the predicament Equestria presently faces.”

“Always trying to play peacemaker, Thorax,” Pharynx said, the sounds of their hooves clattering as they proceeded to walk out of the throne room. “You still haven’t changed from our childhood days, I see.”

“Well, we did change regarding our appearances and how we act to other species,” Thorax said softly. “I didn’t go through all that trouble of escaping and not wanting any part of Chrysalis’s Master Plan for us to not try something different. It was my decision, and I will forever stand by it.”

“I think it was a good choice for you to make, little bro,” Pharynx said, earning a groan from the changeling leader.

“Those two surely are brothers of another mother, huh?”

Pharynx can come off as a brute, but he has a heart of gold under that set of armor he still carries around. I understand he may be a tiny bit paranoid of potential threats to the Hive and its residents, but that’s what his younger brother, Thorax, should tell him. To not worry so much about it and relax his mind.

Reverting back to reality, I looked at my watch and decided to act accordingly. “I better locate this old throne and find out how its power works if I want any chance at surviving this place,” I softly said under my breath.

Peeking my head out and looking into the empty throne room, the two creatures in question had departed, the echoes of their voices trailing from one of the halls nearby.

I jumped out of my hiding spot and dashed to a nearby wall. Then, jumping up to a higher ledge, I traversed the elevated ground and over to a hole forming in the wall.

Let’s hope I can find it before them, I thought, or this may just be my ultimate demise.

========================================<>========================================

“Woah,” I said, looking at a small slide the hole had led to producing.

And by small slide, I meant one that twisted and spiraled down gradually. Going down the narrow tube, I kept myself as low as possible, finally coming to a stop and stepping into a large corridor.

First, I peered down the narrow hall before me and noted the distinct jutting rocks coming out of the walls. I thought they appeared weird, but as I leaned back, I quickly turned around to realize something worse.

“Oh no,” I said aloud. “A dead-end.”

I nearly started panicking again, but then something else happened.

My mind told my body to take some deep breaths and lean against the cold surface of the wall itself. It had already been a long day, and the fact that I was further descending into the chaotic mess of this colossal structure of endless possibilities had become increasingly frustrating.

“A minute to yourself surely couldn’t possibly hurt then despite your location and status.”

I slumped against the wall, resting my butt against the alcove’s joint. It was noticeably cold within the Hive, and the clothes I donned did stave it off while providing warmth to my body.

Finally, my head leaned back and fully rested against the wall behind me. As I continued to sit there uninterrupted, my eyes slowly closed while my breathing slowed.

If there was any place to be found and killed, this would be it, I thought slowly. My face went neutral as my body started to shut down, and slowly my mind started to fade from reality.

This is it, I peacefully thought. A smile crept to my face, and the endless memories of my time here in Equestria began flooding the amalgamation called my brain.

Had a good run here in Equestria, my mind told itself softly. So, might as well let myself rest from the stress it has forever dealt with since day one…

drip!

My eyes quickly opened as my ears picked up on a distinct sound.

drip!

“What?” I asked myself, turning my head and looking up at the ceiling. Was that the sound of a drop of liquid?

drip!

My eyes darted across the ceiling and onto the floor around me. There isn’t any sign of water or anything for that matter here, I thought with confusion. Where…

drip!

There it goes again, my mind commented to itself. It sounds like it’s coming fro-

drip!

“Behind me?” I rhetorically asked, peering at the wall behind me. I put my ear to it and listened instinctively.

drip!

drip!

It sounds like it is on the other side of this wall, I thought to myself. Why?

drip!

“Well,” I said, getting up and dusting myself off, “might as well give this a shot. Mikey, activate the excavation gloves.”

“Request acknowledged. Standby for suitable fitting,” the robotic voice of the watch replied.

My hands waited as the watch sent the instruction through. My awaiting digits slowly were covered with the leather padding of the tactical shoveling gloves. They were retrofitted for digging and exploration and looked pretty stylish.

Clasping them together, I proceeded to slam them into the wall, creating a large divot once I removed them. I then proceeded to chip away at the wall, the sound of my excavation echoing into the corridor.

If any creature were to hear this with their attuned hearing, I’d surely be dea-

boomf!

crumble!

“Bingo.”

Wrong game. More like…

“Jackpot.”

========================================<>========================================

I clasped my excavation gloves together, the material disappearing into my hands. Shaking them a couple of times, I looked at the hole I had created and found it adequately sized for myself to crawl through.

Bringing up my leg, I slipped my foot into the hole, finding no resistance from the other side. Then, grasping the wall with both hands, I brought my other leg up and into the hole.

Finally, I used my arm strength to slip through the rocky borehole, scraping a bit of my back on a jutting rock. I fell a dozen feet and crumpled onto the ground.

My vision wasn’t registering the scene. It was dark.

Everywhere I tried to look, darkness greeted my eyesight in return.

“Okay, let’s see,” I said into the watch. “Let’s try the ‘Explorers Helmet Mark II.’”

“Request acknowledged. One moment please,” the voice echoed back.

A helmet soon sat atop my head, and the flashlight flickered before brightening the room softly. I sat there and gawked at the sight before a loud echo startled me for a second.

drip!

“This is it,” I said to myself softly, gulping audibly. “I found it.”

The old throne room was right underneath the new one the entire time? I thought to myself in frustration. You have got to be kidding! This is ancient history, and it’s something that we can research and take notes…on what not to do.

The room was dark and had an unsettling aura to it. The darkness only managed to hide the destroyed walls and old empty pods that lingered from the last time this place was used. Chrysalis had escaped and abandoned this place, which only sped up the ultimate removal and sealing of an empty tomb.

One that should forever be forgotten, but one that should still be documented for the history books.

I looked above me at the ceilings and faintly spotted the spiky rocks dangling from the ceiling above. They were dripping water down from their pointy ends to the puddles of water on the floor of the echoey chamber.

I peered ahead, and there it was: the old throne. It had been nearly destroyed, lacking its past menacing appearance. Once adorned by massive spikes and terrifyingly tall spires, it now resembled nothing more than a dying tree stump left to rot in the forest.

It had been crumbling under its own weight, the rocky substance slowly dissipating into a moat of ash around it. I approached the old throne, my boots dirtying themselves from the murky water puddles I stepped through.

The stump lay dormant before me, unrecognizable and dead. I squatted to get a closer look at it, shining the flashlight atop my helmet toward it. The beam of light spotlighted the aging boulder, noting the craters and cavities had rotted it for who knows how long.

I then placed my left hand above it and rested it gently. It felt hard and cold to the touch, my brain not appreciating the sensation it gave off. But, on the other hand, my watch had sparked itself back to life, the screen starting to compute some formulas.

I looked at it with fear as the room began to slowly shrink. It was then I heard it.

thump!

thump-thump!

thump!

The echo frightened me.

It sounded low, dull, and steady. Yet, it resonated like a beat.

It sounded like…a heartbeat.

“Your heartbeat?”

Crazily enough, it was my heartbeat. It felt like my heart was thudding against my ribs, the sound reverberating around the ruined room.

thump-thump!

thump-thump!

My watch suddenly started talking to me, displaying multiple graphs and analytical data.

“Alexander, my data is telling me this magic is extremely powerful,” it said monotonously. “It gives off a substantial amount of energy and is traceable all over the room. Magical readings tell me, however, that it is corrosive and easily corruptive. Therefore, safety is advised if you plan to absorb this into your power-up system.”

I gulped, a pit of doubt forming in my stomach. This can’t be what I have resorted to, can it? I asked myself, daring to argue with my morals. Would I ever do this if I was back on Earth?

“So, why on Earth did you decide it was a good idea to absorb the thing?”

I don’t know why, but my body had decided for itself. The decision was made to grab onto a piece of the throne’s rock and break it off. I held it in my hands for several moments before light emanated from the source.

It sunk into my hand, the trace line of leyline energy beginning to make its way toward my wrist. It was hurting badly, my teeth gritting and muscles clenching themselves. I was nearly spazzing, my arms shaking to try and ward off the pain.

The watch was enveloped, and a green blinker flashed several times before dying off. My watch then returned a soft ding! before the charts started reappearing.

I brought it to eye level and noted that the charts displayed an ‘unknown error: cannot display information’ reading. Great, I thought. I probably just lost my fucking watch and all my abilities to protect me. Thank you, Chrysalis.

I got up quickly and retreated back toward the wall with the borehole in it. I looked up and noted that it may be unreasonable for me to jump up and through. So I placed and gripped my hands into a few pockets and positioned my feet onto two jugs. I slowly climbed up to the hollow entrance I had created, grabbing onto the hole’s jutting features.

I pulled myself up and through it, my shirt ripping from the stone rock. I realized as I lay there my skin was brutally cut. Blood was seeping from my chest and staining my shirt, the pain stabbing my insides vigorously. It was a minor inconvenience for me and one that would be dealt with later, but it was the last thing on my mind.

Let me rest, I thought softly. What…a long…day…

“I need a breather,” I said to myself quietly.

“You and me both, Mr. Alex.”

========================================<>========================================

I turned my head quickly from side to side and saw nothing. I was beginning to fear the worst until it spoke up again.

"Quick. Up here," the voice called. I slowly looked up, noticing a changeling poking its head from the ceiling. The bug creature then stretched its hoof out, to which I retracted away.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mr. Alex," the creature said softly, its eyebrows raising.

"Pinkie Pie promise?" I stupidly replied.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, st-"

"Okay, I got it," I proceeded to cut the changeling off. Getting up, I nearly doubled over in pain from the wounds tracing over my chest and back, trying not to scream. The changeling outstretched its hoof to me, giving me something to hold onto as I was quickly hoisted up.

I grabbed hold of the ceiling’s inner layer, pulling myself up and into the enclosed space with the last of my strength.

“Activate health-regen,” I spoke into the watch softly.

“Request accepted. Please standby and do not move,” the computer voice said.

I sat there, my eyes squinting shut as the wounds started to repair themselves. Then, as I continued to grimace in pain, the hole I had crawled through closed up, and the room finally came to life.

I looked around in confusion and amazement. It was a small alcove with little fixtures and trinkets and a singular bookcase containing several books and journals. My eyes wandered over the room, finally recognizing the creature on the opposite side.

"Hi, Mr. Alex," the changeling replied with a smile. I was taken aback since I believed Equestria knew I was a perceived threat to any cre-

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, nor do I believe you will hurt me," the feminine changeling said before turning to the shelf of books. "Quite the contrary, actually."

My mind blanked for a second while attempting to process the sentence the changeling had just uttered. What does she mean by tha-

"I mean that I want to get to know you and your situational predicament, Mr. Alex," the changeling interjected, cutting off my mental note-taking. My mind kept racing, making me start to believe she was reading me li-

"Like a book?" she kindly asked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your thoughts."

"Okay, now I’m starting to get freaked out,” I frantically commented, alarmed by her insanely accurate assumptions. “Firstly, ho-"

"How do I know what you are thinking and will say next? I can see it in your eyes," the changeling replied, pausing briefly before laughing. "I'm a changeling, remember? We can feel other beings' thoughts and feelings."

"Creepy," I muttered, earning a tilt of the changeling's head to the side. "Who are you then?"

"My name is Ocellus," the changeling chirped.

"Wait, Ocellus?” my brain said aloud, scanning my memories. Where have I heard tha-

“I am surprised you don’t recognize or even remember me from that one class you taught,” Ocellus replied, her eyes shifting to the side.

“Oh, I surely remember you," I smiled while pointing my finger at her. "You're one of those students at the School of Friendship, aren't you?"

"You are correct, sir," she replied. "Well, was…"

"Was?" I asked hesitantly. "What do you mean by 'was?'"

"Well, you departed, or deliberately escaped, from the Canterlot castle, didn't you?" Ocellus inquired, raising an eyebrow. "School was shut down, and we were all forced to return home."

That fast? my mind thou-

"Yeah, it was a shock to all of us," she interrupted my train of thought. "Apologies, but you already know I can hear what you ar-"

"Potentially thinking, I know," I frustratingly groaned, "I know."

"I'm sorry," Ocellus asked, clutching onto a journal with a sad expression. I looked at the changeling and sighed in defeat.

"No, no. It's my fault," I groaned with my hand over my face. "You didn't deserve to be in this situation, nor do any other students at that school."

"Can you tell me why you did it?" she asked, staring into my soul. "None of us questioned our professors or Princess Twilight except me, and I felt like what they told me wasn't the whole truth."

"Not surprised," I commented. "The Crown has all but shut down any debate against their radical decisions, and I had to make the choic-"

"Best for you and not any other creature?" Ocellus said, quickly covering her mouth. I slowly turned my head and stared at her. I guessed that she probably didn't mean to blurt out the truth. "I am so sorry, I didn't mea-"

"No, you said it, and you said it with assurance," I said softly, dropping my head. "That’s the harsh truth, isn’t it? I've been so narcissistic and self-centered, huh?" scoff!

"I mean, to me?" Ocellus said, pausing for a second to formulate a proper reply. "Yeah."

"Tch, it's okay. I understand the negative perception surrounding me," I said, shaking my head. "I cannot remember a time when creatures and ponies didn’t like me and accept me for who I was. Nowadays, they despise me and want me dead. Gone from this world for good." My eyes started tearing up, the beating of my heart increasing. "I j-j-just…"

sigh "Want to go home?"

I turned my head and looked at Ocellus. My mind blanked, seeing that she had figured out the exact reason for all my stress and frustration with my new life. I nodded my head in response.

"I get it, the feeling you aren’t your true self," Ocellus said, putting the journal in her hoof down. "We were the same way growing up. Before Queen Chrysalis was defeated and we all reformed ourselves for the greater good, we scavenged and fought bitterly for survival."

She slowly got up and walked to my side of the enclosure. "It was horrible and cold. The Hive was a place of destructive practices and thoughts that would make the most innocent creature cry in anguish," she lamented, taking a seat near my right side.

"I was scared growing up in the old Hive, not knowing if any creature around me would share my interests or partake in any activities I wanted to do. It was dark, miserable, and we were constantly starving ourselves for food."

"Didn't you used to feed off the love of other creatures?" I asked softly. My mind hadn't thought the topic through, but I realized too late how dumb of a ques-

"You’re smarter than this, Mr. Alex. Nowadays, we share our love instead," Ocellus said slowly. "Thorax made that change when he reformed, so the entire changeling race followed and decided to share our feelings and love instead. We did it so no changeling would be left hungry ever again."

I looked at her as her inquisitive pupils bore into mine.

"I felt your love in this world the last couple visits you made, even when you came here to the Changeling Hive," she said boldly. "You really care for creatures across Equestria and want what is best for everyone, don't you?"

sigh

I dropped my head, knowing she was right. The responsibility to be there for every creature I wanted to protect was tiresome, but I loved doing it. It especially was fo-

"Oh, riiiight," Ocellus slyly commented. "You know that she does care for you and your safety with all her heart, Mr. Alex. There is no question about it."

"Okay, I get it, Ocellus," I said, waving my hand to dismiss the thought. "Drop it."

"This isn't something you should dismiss, Mr. Alex," she continued. “You shouldn’t shove i-”

"I AM NO-"

sigh Calm down. Take a deep breath, Alex, I thought to myself while my eyes closed. Choose your words really carefully here.

I peeked over at the bug creature sitting near me, her head tilting in anticipation. Figures. I shook my head before gathering myself and continuing my spiel.

"There are some things I regret ever since coming here, which have massively weighed on my shoulders. Unfortunately, I can’t take my past actions back, and I need to accept them and move on,” I said, my hands tightening themselves with rage. “But it’s hard to do when your closest friends and special somecreature, who practically shares the same interests and enthusiasm, keep bringing past shi-stuff up, and you can’t fully escape it."

Ocellus sat back for a second, looking at me in confusion. "Regrets?" she asked. "What does The Crown and Princess Skystar have to do wi-"

"That's not what I mean," I said, looking at her before closing my eyes in defeat. "There are two things I truly regret and should have never let happen in my life. One was here in Equestria, and the other was back on my home, Earth."

"Anonymous?"

My eyes shot open, staring at the ground before me. I tried responding, but my mouth couldn't formulate the wor-

"And the other was your past relatio-"

"STOP IT!!" I screamed at Ocellus, snapping my head and glaring at her. She cowered back and backpedaled as far away as she could. I nearly got up and hit her for bringing up that painful memory.

“Keep it together, Alexander.”

My mind intervened, stopping my body and forcing me to uncurl my fists. I brought my hands to my chest and held them together for a while. I took more deep breaths, returning to the floor and resting myself on my knees. My eyes started tearing up, my mind processing the mental trauma I could potentially be causing to this young changeling.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, looking away from Ocellus. "Didn't mean…for that outburst. I’m not mad at you. Instead, I am disappointed in myself for letting my emotions get the better of me."

"It's okay, it's understandable," Ocellus replied, a hoof wiping away a tear in her eye.

Goddammit, I thought, shaking my head. Fucking control yourself, Alex. You're supposed to be a good guy, not an asshole.

"I can tell you have a good heart, Mr. Alex," Ocellus said softly, managing to keep her composure while speaking to a human creature considered a criminal and dangerous to everypony. “You shouldn’t regret the decisions you’ve made in your life.”

“Does it feel like I do?” I asked rhetorically.

“Yeah, you have a ton of regrets floating around your being,” she said before smiling, “but it shouldn’t ever bother you, Mr. Alex. I can tell you have a big heart and that you care for so many creatures. You'll move the world for them even if you don’t know them.”

“Yeah,” I sighed softly, dropping my head to my knees.

“She’s right, Alex. Listen to her.”

Ocellus got up and slowly retraced her way over to me. She patted my back with her hoof, causing me to grunt from the sharp pain.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t reali-”

“No, I understand,” I reassuringly said to her, laughing to myself. “I can see how you operate and represent yourself. You’re appreciative, thoughtful, and caring for others around you.”

I shook the thoughts in my head away. “You have what my mom has, and I wish I had now. She even taught me that no matter what, whoever that other individual may be, you should show kindness and care to others and understand them for who they are.”

Ocellus stared at me and blinked her eyes a couple times. “Sometimes I wish I could’ve been a bit better. Uniqueness was something I knew we all were. But, I was afraid of the unknown, the unpredictability of life coming around the corner. So, I didn’t take it as an insurmountable challenge that could be conquered but ran away from it like a coward.”

Ocellus nodded her head, to which I looked at her with a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me,” I replied with a sigh. “I just need to find a place to lay low for a bit.”

“Hmmm,” Ocellus hummed to herself, a hoof to her chin. Deep in thought, a few minutes passed before she came up with an idea. “What about Casaflanka to the southwest?”

“Casaflanka?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Casablanca has an affiliate in Equestria?”

Heh, 'a-filly-ate.'

“You are horrible at puns, Alex. Stop it.”

“Yeah,” she said, trying her best to elaborate. “You know? High rooftops, ever-expanding city skyline? An extraneous and difficult sewer system to navigate? That sounds like a good place to scout and venture to stay hidden for a time.”

“That’s a surefire possibility,” I said aloud before slowly squinting my eyes and looking at her through my peripheral vision. “There are two things I need to know. One, how do you know so much about Casaflanka? More importantly…how do I know that I can trust you?”

“I mean,” Ocellus said before transforming into a giant lizard creature. Then, opening her jaw, she revealed her enormous mouth, gnarly teeth lining the sides. “I could have easily killed you by now,” she quickly transformed into the prince, “sounded an alarm,” she imitated Thorax.

I was quickly startled and shaken, seeing as she could have done so without warning.

“But I didn’t because I wanted to hear you out, Mr. Alex,” Ocellus truthfully replied, transforming back to her normal state. “And I know so much about Equestria’s known geography due to me being a massive bookworm.” She proceeded to transform into a worm that was my height.

I nodded my head quickly, wanting anything but to be a feast for her and the rest of the changeling grou-

“Your body as a whole wouldn’t feed us all, teehee,” she giggled.

“YOU GOTTA STOP!!” I yelled back while shaking in fright.

“I’m telling you the truth, Mr. Alex. I won’t hurt you,” Ocellus stated before transforming into a familiar solar alicorn, “because I could have already done that a short while ago.”

Her smirk made me feel really uncomfortable initially, but I slowly laughed at the changeling, knowing that Ocellus was just trying to lighten the mood and make me feel better.

“I appreciate it,” I said, Ocellus transforming back into her usual self. “Thanks for the conversation. I do feel better.”

“No problem, Mr. Alex,” she replied, “but I’ll be expecting that therapy session charge for next time.”

I looked at her and chuckled before Ocellus pointed to the wall behind me. “I believe you should try and make a break for it if you want any chance of survival. No telling how fast Pharynx could potentially find you and dice you up if he ever caught you snooping around the Hive… especially with your wanted status….”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

I looked at her suspiciously before turning around and spotting a new hole in the wall. I turned to her and nodded before getting up and walking over to it. Before heading out, I looked back at Ocellus and smiled.

“Thanks for the talk,” I said to the now happy changeling.

Author's Note

Say "Hooray!" for our savior.

I'm in CST, so expect Part 2 around 2pm and Part 3 around 11pm respectively. Appreciate any and all feedback!

-Harpy