Changed(old edition. this is terrible)

Chapters

Changeling
The Diarch
Princesses of Night and Day
It’s Official
Canterlot
Promise
Spilled the Beans
Failed Runaway
Recovery and Amends
Surprise!
The Welcome Party pt. 1
The Welcome Party pt. 2
Everything Will be Fine
The Night Before Nightmare Night
Nightmare Night
Two Sting Rays
Ray Retrieved
The Queen and the Mane Six

Changeling

The school day ended as it usually does in Canterlot High, the bell rings, and students disperse to go about the rest of their days. Whatever the rest of their days implied depended on the person. Some would go into extra curricular activities like sports or band, others hang out with their friends, or some go to work. While (nearly) every student enjoyed school or had good teachers, it was still fun for many to get out of school for the day… especially if it was the last day of the school year.

For me, I have just gotten through my first year of high school and I was stoked. Remember that bit where I said most students enjoy going to school? Well, I don’t particularly enjoy it. Some of the topics we learnt sound interesting and are then discussed in such a mind numbingly boring way that I doze off sometimes. I still passed all my classes with good grades, but I kinda wish I could avoid this whole ‘high school’ thing.

With me being fresh into high school(and new to the neighborhood), I didn’t have a whole lot of friends. Well, if you can call them friends. They were really just people I sat next to during breakfast while we waited for the school day to start, and I never thought to strike up a conversation with any of these folks. Occasionally I would get a group partner during history class and we'd get along, but those people were usually just acquaintances that go their separate ways after we go through a project.

Or rather, I solo the whole project, and my partner gets credit for my work anyways.

But that’s enough of that boring junk, so I’ll shut up for now. Anyways, I take a step out of my classroom and catch my eye on a girl with rainbow-ish hair. Apparently her name’s Rainbow Dash and she takes part in a lot of sports throughout the school year. I think she’s a sophomore, and that’s about it. Rainbow’s really pretty. From her hair, to her physique(given that she's an athlete, it’s near perfect), I just found her attractive. Alright, so I do have a slight crush, but let’s not dwell too long on this, okay? Well, it’s not really a crush, since I don’t really feel attracted to her for the most part. I just take a moment to admire that she's pretty and move on.

Rainbow Dash was joined by five other girls, all of whom I’ve heard stuff about, but never really knew the names of. Pinkamena Pie, or Pinkie Pie for short, was well known throughout the school. She’s a bit of a party animal, probably a horse, that’s pumped up on sugar all the damn time and it’s incredible. Sometimes she’s faster than some of the guys on track with how damn energetic she is a lot of the time. Pinkie also helps school staff plan a bunch of events(events that I never go to. I’m not much of a… social butterfly).

Rainbow, Pinkie, and the rest of their friend group quickly make it out of my sight as I speed walk down the hallway. I was ready to go home and just take a nap, since neither of my parents weren’t going to be home for a while, which meant ample nap time! I rub my hands together as I begin to ponder just what I can do with all the free time I have. I could grind for a sleepless week in ‘Osu!’ In hopes that I can become a god tier player. I could also just sleep, sleeping was fun.

I stepped by Vice Principal Luna’s office, which was by the front entrance of the school, just as the woman opened the door. “Ah, Sting Ray, I was hoping to have a chat with you. Please, come inside my office, Principal Celestia’s inside as well,” the vice Principal said. As the words ‘hoping to have a chat’ left her mouth, my heart sunk. Was I going to have summer school? Was I getting expelled already? I couldn’t even make an attempt to predict what Vice Principal Luna would want with me.

Sure, I did sleep a couple times throughout the school year, but maybe the school board should’ve thought about that before having me wake up at the ass crack of dawn for algebra class. But I still had pretty good grades(only got a C in Physical Science because I half assed a science project towards the end of the year). It also didn’t help that the vice principal was hardly ever seen throughout the school. Vice Principal Luna was always in the shadows, doing god knows what.

If it were Principal Celestia asking me to walk into her office, I could come up with some vague reason as to why she’d talk to me. Even with me being a nobody, the only thing of note was that I did well in school and was new to the neighborhood. Also it was pretty common to see the principal, Principal Celestia even talked to me a couple times during lunch when she saw me sitting alone. I could be walking into a death trap and I wouldn’t know with Vice Principal Luna.

“So, how was your first year of high school?” The Vice Principal asks as she sits behind her desk. Her office was dimly lit, with a couple chairs set in front of her desk. There was a computer off to the side and a bunch of paperwork next to it. There was even a bean bag, a book shelf with a couple books I recognized(I quickly noticed the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy amongst the collection), and a bowl that had some candy in it. Overall, the office was pretty cozy.

That would be if Principal Celestia wasn’t sitting in one of the two chairs in front of her sister’s desk.

“Well, it’s high school, I guess. I hate having to wake up, before the sun’s even up, to figure out that Christopher Columbus mistook Cuba for England?” I ask, a slight bit of humor etched its way into my voice before it quickly died. “But it’s high school. I dunno if I should say more than that, since this should be a huge step for me in life. Three years from now and I’ll be thinking of college or a job; I’m about to be an adult. It’s still just high school though, not what I thought it would be, but I completely hate it.”

“Well, I suppose it’s good that you adjusted to Canterlot High rather quickly. I don’t suppose you’ve made many friends? I don’t think I’ve seen you linger very long with anybody,” Princess Celestia said.

“Well, I really don’t talk to any of my classmates. Not much of the outgoing type, y’know? I’m perfectly fine with just being a loner, but if somebody ends up wanting to be my friend, then that’d be cool. Still not my top priority, though,” I said before shrugging. “So are you two going go off on me for dozing off a bunch throughout the year? Sorry for sounding a bit… rude, but I doubt you two want to waste time speaking to some chump that attends your school.”

“Believe it or not, but my sister and I did want to talk to you. You seem like an excellent student even if you do seem a bit lazy at times… I’ve seen you sleeping in Language Arts, mister,” Vice Principal Luna said. “Albeit your class was going over a relatively boring book, so I suppose that shouldn’t be very surprising,” the Vice Principal said.

“Hey now, I read the whole book during lunch after being given it. If my teacher didn’t want me to doze off, she should’ve forced me to go at the pace of the rest of class,” I chuckled. “If I’m bored, and you give me a book, and then tell me to write an assignment on it, expect me to sleep through class, since I’ll be done in two class periods,” I said.

“I suppose that should speak of your work ethic, but that’s besides the point. We could dive into putting you into harder classes, but we can’t do much without your parents present. This was mostly just a check up on you, we were a bit concerned about you, given that you’re in a completely new environment with no friends to fall back on. Well, we won’t hold you any longer, Sting. Enjoy your summer!” Principal Celestia said. With that, I said my goodbyes and walked out the door, and promptly headed out of the building.

My brother wasn’t able to pick me up yet, and he told me not to walk home(which I didn’t want to either, it’s so damn hot!) So I walked up to the horse statue that's located in front of the school building and leaned against it. I know, I’m a criminal! I was loitering in front of a school building, like a scumbag. Anyways, I would’ve leaned up against the concrete and it felt like said concrete didn’t melt around me the moment I touched it. I blinked a couple times and began to scream as I was sucked into the statue.

“Ugh…” I groaned as I laid on the floor of a dark room. It seemed mostly like a storage closet, with a bunch of stuff covered in white fabric. It really wasn’t much, but I still have no clue as to why I’m here. I was just standing outside of Canterlot High, so either I got kidnapped or I got sucked into another world. I rubbed the back of my head as my vision began to clear up until I noticed something completely wrong; I couldn’t feel my fingers. What? Where in the heck did those go?

I bring my right hand in front of me and blink a couple times. Instead of my hand, I saw a hoof looking thing. There was even a couple holes in it, which was mildly concerning, but the hole never bothered me. Nor did it spike up in pain when I snuck my… snout into it? My nose was longer than usual, so that probably meant I had a snout instead of a human mouth. My head began to hurt as I tried to think about what could’ve happened.

Was all of what just happened just a dream, or did I accidentally take up the local crackhead’s offer on cheap cocaine? Maybe I’m already home and I’m knocked the hell out, and this is some lucid dream. I manage to make my way up onto my feet? Hooves? I don’t know. Well, I am a bit wobbly since I’m walking on all fours without a couple big toes to help keep my balance, but I manage to walk around the room. Much to my pleasure, walking around was pretty easy and intuitive(after all, if evolution didn’t make walking as a horse intuitive, then I suppose horses would’ve gone extinct by now).

I managed to locate a light switch and smile as I flicked it up with a hoof. At least I can do some basic tasks with my hooves. I probably couldn’t work with something like an Xbox controller, but I can still do basic things I needed hands for… how the heck did I bend my front leg like that? As far as I knew, horse legs didn’t bend like that. It was almost like bones were more flexible as whatever the hell I was. I then found a mirror and my eyes widened in shock.

Instead of me looking back at myself, I was staring at a weird mix between a bug and a horse. I had big, buggy eyes(my vision felt normal though), fangs, a small(relative to my size) pair of insect wings and a dull horn. Instead of fur, I had some sort of exoskeleton. But instead of looking like a spider, or even an ant, I looked like a horse. Just a horse that looked a lot like a bug, I even had horse ears which I found out I could wiggle, and flicked for one reason or another. That was cool.

Well, this was going to be a fun dream at least. I rub my hooves together, and found myself somewhat surprised that I could be balanced on two hooves while doing so. With a confident smile on my face, I open up the door to my storage room and poke my head out. I was looking into a fancy looking hallway, which had a couple horses walking down with a few more standing around in armor.

One had a glorious white coat and blue-ish purple mane with a silverish streak across it. Its tail shared similar colors. I could tell it was a stallion, and that it was a unicorn by the surprisingly long horn protruding from his forehead. His hooves were also the same color as his mane and tail, minus the silver streak. Overall, he was a pretty horse, and I’m sure any rich bastard would love to have him as a pet.

The other was a pink pony with a multi-colored mane and tail. It had wings as well as a horn. Around its neck seemed to be a collar of some sort, which looked to be made of solid gold. It wore four horseshoes that also seemed to be made of gold, which from the front extended past its ankles. Atop its head was a crown, which meant it was royalty or something. The fact that I was seeing ponies at all wasn’t the weird part of my dream.

It was the fact that they were speaking english. Like, they were speaking the language better than I could, and I grew up with English as my first language. Then there were a couple horses speaking it far better than I, in my… dream? I retracted my head from the door for a bit and then bit my leg. “Yeowch!” I yelped at the slightest pinch from my fangs, which turned out to be pretty sharp, and my eyes shrunk into my skull.

I was very much awake, and I was apparently in a world full of speaking horses. The door flung open, and standing before me was the couple of horses I saw moments earlier… well, might as well communicate with the locals, right? What else could go wrong? There was absolutely no way these guys could magically break my neck without thinking, right?

I stared at the horses in front of me as the horses stared back. The white one seemed to be glaring at me while the pink one seemed on high alert. There was an awkward silence as each party studied the other. Should I bow? One of the horses in front of me was wearing a crown after all, which had to have meant that it was royal, right?

“Uh… hi?” I said as I offered what I hoped looked like a friendly smile.

“What are you doing here, Changeling?” The white one demanded.

“Well, y’know, breathing, standing, staring at a couple horses. You guys are horses, right? I think I might be one too, but the bug eyes, exoskeleton and fangs really tell me otherwise. Anyhow, how’s your day going?” I asked while hoping I didn’t somehow offend two horses that were already glaring at me.

“You certainly aren’t a pony, changeling. If you’re going to try to say that you’re a pony, at least disguise yourself,” the white one said.

“How do I do that?” I ask as I look in the mirror behind me and back at the two horses in front of me. I look back and then shrug. “Well, I’ll get back to you once I…” I look at the ground and find my backpack just… lying on the ground. I wander over to, nearly forgetting the horses glaring at me, and zipped it open with my teeth. I then dig around it got a couple seconds and sigh. “Well, I don’t have my trademarked sunglasses- oh nevermind!” I pull out a glasses case and quickly pop out of my sunglasses. I then frown as I realize my head was now too big to fit them on my face.

“What kind of Changeling are you? Do you think you’re going to full anybody by playing dumb?”

“What? Am I some sort of pest?” I look in the mirror again and shrug. “Well, that’s a bit rude, but I do look a bit like a freak… oh my fuckin’ god,” I dropped to the ground as I began to realize I’ve gotten myself into. “I’m in a land with talking horses with no way out. I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. There’s no way I ain’t dreaming. I have to be… well biting my leg did hurt,” my ears instinctively flattened against my head as my mood shattered.

“Welp, that’s just fucking great.”

“Listen Changeling, either you leave, or we’ll have to put you in a dungeon and question you.”

“I’m a human,” I say.

“A-a what?” The pink one asked.

“I’m a human. I was just leaving high school for the summer and I wake up in here as a fucking bug, horse, Changeling, whatever the fuck I am now!” I grumbled before sighing. “Go ahead, shove me in a dungeon or whatever, i don’t care anymore,” I say as I remained where I am on the ground.

“I suppose he can't be lying,” I overheard the pink one say. “The only ponies that know about humans are you, me, Princess Luna and Celestia, and Twilight and her friends,” she continued. “Shining, can you keep this Changeling captive while I go write a couple of letters?” The pink one asked. The white one, or Shining, nodded.

“Of course, Cadence…” his horn began to emanate with a blue hue as I was lifted off the ground and found myself unable to move my body. Great, I couldn’t escape if I wanted to now. Like it matters much, I don’t see much of a future for myself now that I’m not even human anymore. I didn’t even notice being placed in a jail cell until I felt the cold, stone floor meet my surprisngly sensitive exoskeleton.

Author's Note

Well, first chapter for what is a story that will suck.

The Diarch

Whatever the heck these ponies are planning on doing was in the back of my mind. Sure, it was a big concern given that the apparent ruler of wherever the hell I am didn’t like me. That definitely wasn’t good given that it seemed like this was some sort of monarch system, so I could be executed because one horse decided I was too much of a freak to be kept alive. Even that was on the back of my mind.

I hated being what I was now. A Changeling, bug horse, horse bug, whatever it was, sucked. Not because being whatever I am was hard, walking proved to be pretty easy, I could maybe fly with the new pair of wings that I have, and potentially move things with my horn if Shining’s display of what his horn can do was anything to go off. So by all means, I should be happy with my new body, but I wasn’t. For starters, no thumbs, no standing on two legs.

It’s pretty annoying to realize that I can’t really do as much as I want with a couple of hooves. My legs were definitely much, much more flexible than any normal horse’s legs, and despite going against my grasp on the laws of physics, I can kind of grab stuff without fingers. It was just the thought of it all. I was born as a human being, and I’ve lost my humanity. That alone was enough to bring my mood kind of down, while not even touching how I felt about leaving my family behind.

Leaving my family behind. I won’t be able to eat mom’s underwhelming food, but love-filled cooking. Dad was barely in the picture since he worked night shifts, but I still loved him. Last, but not least, I won’t see my brother again. There’s one constant of younger siblings regardless of species: We annoy our older siblings because it’s fun and we love them. I will never get the joy of pestering my brother into getting him to play a round of Mario with me. I couldn’t even just annoy him with a hug. There’s two things you can’t replace. The first is your parents, and the second is your brother. I now have nobody to fall back on.

Despite that, I know I shouldn’t just sit around and mope all day. It’s been a while since anybody’s come to look at me, well, besides the occasional guard that comes by and gives me the stink eye. So I spent most of my time pacing, which quickly grew into a trot, and a couple short sprints. All of which came just as naturally as walking did, but instead of just one foreleg off the ground, followed by the opposite back leg, both front legs and back legs are off the ground in an alternating pattern.

It was actually kind of fun to just trot around, but it could be the fact that I didn’t get to keep my backpack. Chances are that damned Princess Pink Prick took it to see if she could dig up any dirt on me, which happened to have my phone in it. Granted, my phone was basically about to die, but I could’ve just sat down and listened to some music for a minute. I could even redo homework throughout the school year to help time pass by faster. I just wish that my jail cell had access to a window, so I can tell if it were day or night, or just to see some sunlight.

Eventually I grew tired of trotting around my jail cell. My hooves were starting to hurt a tiny bit, and I was just tired of pacing around. I eventually found a decently sized chunk of rock, which was likely a part of the wall or floor at some point, and started prodding at it with my hoof. Look at me, being distracted by a rock like a stupid child. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re bored and run out of things to do.

Apparently I had ADHD or something, because I got so distracted that I never noticed the new company I had on the other side of my cell’s bars. Somebody clearing their throat caught my attention as I looked up from my rock, which I was tempted to chew on; it’d give a good test of my new fangs. My new company was none other than Pink Princess Prick, but she was joined with the white horse from earlier, Shining was his name if I was right. There were two other ponies that joined them, a white, tall horse with similar regalia as the pink one. Except a sun was emblemized on the collar. This horse also had a mane that defied physics and it flowed in a nonexistent wind. It was a really pretty mane in all honesty and I could see how strong this horse was. It looked like she could pop my head off with one slap of a foreleg.

The other had a similar mane, except it looked like the night sky was caught in the mane. Instead of golden regalia, she wore a black crown and collar? Necklace? I’m not entirely sure, but I should probably refer to whatever it was as a necklace. Anyways, this horse wasn’t nearly as tall as the white one, but her fur was somewhere between a dark blue and pitch black. Telling a queen that they were wearing a collar seemed a bit degrading and also a good way to be headless. Either way the two new arrivals were kinda pretty looking, but those thoughts were quickly shut down by the blue one’s stink eye. Wonderful.

“Are you going to at least rise when facing us, or shall we make you stand?” The blue one asked. There wasn’t any hiding it, this one was pissed and she certainly wasn’t keeping her thoughts hidden behind a curtain. I took a heave and sat up on my rear instead of laying flat on my stomach. These two ponies might be royalty or whatever, but I refused to stand or bow to these guys. They were probably going to kill me anyways, so what’s the point?

“So this is the Changeling you’ve told us about?” The white one asked. Pink Prick nodded. “So this Changeling claims to be human. Tell me, do you have a name?” The white one asked. I remained silent, contemplating if I should actually answer, but then I heard a dull thud. My backpack suddenly made its way into existence, falling unceremoniously onto the ground in front of Shining. He suddenly dug through it and whipped out a couple papers, and I remained silent.

“This bag was found with the Changeling, and I think it’s his. Has papers full of… school work by the looks of things. Either this Changeling went out of his way to study humans, or he’s telling the truth. But its supposed name seems to be on each paper,” Shining said before handing the paper over to the white one again. Well, I’m an ‘it’ now. That’s pretty cool, I don’t even get to be a male. I could be a female now and I wouldn’t know, so now I get to fully avoid that confusion! I’m the ‘it’.

“Sting Ray,” the princess said. “Am I saying your name right? I don’t want to accidentally insult you by pronouncing your name wrong,” she asked.

“You said it right. I prefer being called just ‘Ray’ though. You could also just drop whatever pleasantries you have. Either you’re here to question me, kill me, or question me and then kill me. Whatever you decide to do doesn’t really matter. I already know that I probably won’t see my house ever again, and judging from the glare that Blue Butt over there is giving me, I’m some sort of freak. So, how long is it until I’m beheaded?”

The white one gave a humorless chuckle. “We’re not going to execute you. Not only is that not legal, but we could be killing a potentially innocent soul for the heinous crime of simply being alive. I am here to question you however, but I believe greetings are a bit overdue. I am Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, or Blue Butt as you call her, is my sister,” Princess Celestia gestured to Princess Luna… why did these two share the first name of my school’s principals?

“This here is Princess Cadence, and the stallion standing beside her is Captain Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard and the Crystal Guard. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ray. It’s rare that we get to meet a Changeling, let alone one that claims to be a human. A creature that cannot even be found in this universe. So may I hear how you’ve gotten here.” Celestia’s horn glowed gold for a moment and I felt something clamp around my neck.

A white band was now around my neck, which was kind of tight. “That is a lie detector, so please tell me the truth. I can very easily tell if you are lying, but this is simply to help your case in case you’re telling the truth. So please, tell us how you ended up as a Changeling, human,” Princess Celestia said with a rather inviting smile. It was probably just some ploy to make me more comfortable, despite it sounding like there was some sort of threat being made against me if I were to fib.

I shrugged and figured I might as well tell my story.

“Alright so, my school, Canterlot High, was closing for the summer. It was my first year and it went pretty smoothly, I had good grades, and I was fully prepared to just take a nap when I got home,” I took a moment to stop talking. As it seemed like Principal- I meant Princess Celestia was writing something down. “I then got stopped by Vice Principal Luna, had a chat with her and Principal Celestia… which now that I think about it, it is a bit coincidental that you and your sister share names with them.

“I’m going off topic, but pretty much I left school and decided to lean up against some statue of a horse in front of the school. I was just waiting for my brother to pick me up, said he wanted to get some ice cream to celebrate me not flunking during my first year of highschool or something. I uh, well, you can see I didn’t get to go through with that plan, since I’m here now. That statue’s cursed in some way or something, I dunno. Anyways, I black out, and wake up in a storage closet to find out that I’m a bug horse.”

“Pony bug,” Princess Celestia seemingly corrected. “Well, it’s good to see that you’re not lying, Ray. I will say, as brief as your story is, I do believe you and that you were human,” the cell door glowed in gold, and it swung open. “I believe my old student might have had a run in with you at some point, she has ventured off into your world once. A lot of what you said lines up with what she described of your world, and proves a theory she has had as well.”

My backpack is handed(hoofed?) over to me a moment later. “I believe this is rightfully yours. Care to join the four of us for dinner? We can have a nice discussion of what your world is like, and what your future might hold,” Princess Celestia offered. There really wasn’t a way for me to say no, was there? I nodded as I began to rummage through my backpack and whipped out what should’ve been breakfast. Just a cinnamon Poptart.

I’ve always hated this specific flavor, but it is going to be the only thing I’ve eaten all day, since I skipped lunch. I quickly tore the wrapper off the ‘treat’ and stuck the packaging in my backpack. “I don’t think I really need to eat much, so I’ll just munch on this thing while we walk,” I say as I take a bite out of the vile stuff(extra grainy, gross!). As it turned out, my new body didn’t immediately reject what I ate, so I figured what I was eating was fine.

Princess Celestia nodded and turned to leave the door. The other three ponies in the room followed her, all except Princess Luna, who was still giving me the stink eye. “You best not try anything, if you know what’s good for your health,” she said.

“Wow, I’m feeling how lovely you must be, oh wondrous Princess. I’m barely able to reach your neck in terms of height, and that’s mostly because of my stupid horn. Like I can do much beyond walk and hobble along as I try to eat this thing,” I take another bite and hobble alongside the princess as we walk side by side… Well, Princess Luna was a good pace or two ahead of me, but that was probably due to her longer legs.

I took a breath as I scarfed down the rest of my Poptart and groaned once I realized that there’s a second one. “God I hate school food,” I grumble as I take the second pastry in my hoof and hobble along.

“If you’re not going to eat that, then I will,” Princess Luna said. I could hear her stomach growl, like she hadn’t eaten anything all day.

“Will you stop giving me the stink eye if I let you have this thing?” I chuckled. “Actually, you’d probably rip my head off after eating this thing. It barely registers as food. This thing’s more sugar than grain, and this is 40% more grains.” However the hell Poptarts could register as ‘healthy enough to be served in school’ I will never know. Well, it did pretty much power you up on sugar so you can annoy the hell out of the poor teacher that has to deal with a hyper kid.

“I will consider not glaring at you,” Princess Luna said. Well, good enough for me, I guess. I offered the death square over to Luna, and it was enveloped with a blue hue as was Luna’s horn. “I probably would stop glaring at you anyways, since if I recall from Twilight’s escapade in your realm, if you had just started out in highschool, then you should be pretty young. Glaring at a child all day is something that I’m not a fan of doing.”

Princess Luna then took a bite of the poptart and her eyes widened before she quickly scarfed the thing down. What a freak, she actually enjoyed a cinnamon flavored poptart? “Please tell me that you have more, that was delicious,” Princess Luna almost begged.

“Aren’t you a princess that gets to eat gourmet food all the time? How the hell is a Pop Tart delicious to you?” I asked.

“Well, it tasted like cinnamon, which I do like quite a bit.” I then rummaged through my backpack and managed to pull out another pack of cinnamon pop tarts… why did I have so damn many of these things? I don’t know why, but these pop tarts were at least a day old. Not that it would improve the flavor if these came fresh out of the oven, but it was something to note. Princess Luna then snatched the poptards from my grip with her telekinesis(what I’ll just be calling the floaty magic stuff she does) and removed them from the wrapper.

She ate one in one bite, what the fuck?

“What is that, sister?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Well, according to Ray here,” she actually referred to me by name! That’s better than being glared at by a long shot. “These are pop tarts. They’re quite good if I must say so,” Luna then grabbed my bag and dug out another couple packs. I have a problem with grabbing those little death squares at breakfast apparently… too bad that won’t be a problem anymore. “Do try one, it seems that Ray doesn’t like cinnamon.”

Princess Celestia then proceeded to take up a poptart and popped the whole thing in her mouth. She had a similar reaction to her sister. “And I have the last packet!” Princess Luna said like it was a declaration. “But since I am a gracious sister, we can split this one, there’s two in each packet!” Did Luna manage to eat the other packs of Poptarts that quickly?

We finally reached what was likely the dining room and we all took a seat around the table… not before I walked over to a window! It’s been so damn long since I’ve seen sunlight! I was almost left speechless by the sight of what I saw. It was a beautiful little city that we were in, since everything looked so shiny and crystal like. I simply couldn’t explain what I saw, but pulled myself away from the window. It probably wasn’t a good idea to keep rulers waiting.

“So you’re likely wondering what will happen to you, correct Ray?” Princess Celestia asked. I simply nodded as I took a seat. “Well, for starters, we might have to find a place for you to stay. Are you capable of living on your own?” She asked.

“No, I’m barely even 14 years old. I shouldn’t even be thinking about that yet,” my ears flattened. “I mean, I could probably live on my own, but it would just feel wrong. From having a mom and dad who cooks for you, a brother that also helped take care of you, to living alone just feels wrong… but I don’t think you’ll be finding anybody who’d happily take this in,” I gestured towards myself. “After all, I’m a freak.”

“You are not a freak, Ray. Yes, you are a Changeling, and most ponies won’t react too warmly to you, we had a Changeling attack a couple months ago, afterall. But you are far from a freak, you can just get substance off of love and shape shift, but you’re not a freak,” Princess Celestia said in a scolding, motherly tone. “Now do not speak of yourself in such a way. You can do quite a bit of good, regardless of what you are,” she took a breath before she continued.

“I suppose Luna and I can keep you in our castle, it would not be too much of a hassle. You are also a child, and I know Luna loves children,” Princess Celestia offered. “And we won’t ask much in exchange. Just that occasionally some scientists will want to look into you, since you’re the first living Changeling that might willingly let itself be studied by scholars.”

“I can let myself get experimented on… but you’re seriously offering me a chance to sleep in a castle. You’re offering your hospitality to a stranger, an alien, something not even from your universe. That seems a bit sudden don’t you?” I asked.

“Well, for starters, I would like to keep an eye on you. Second, you are a child, and finding you a home would be a tad bit difficult. I could send you off to my former student’s castle, but I don’t think you’d get to sleep with how much she’ll be prodding you for information. Plus I would like it if we had an extra pony in the castle.”

“This is still a little sudden. I can live in a cardboard box or get a job. I really don’t think I’m worth expending resources on,” I said.

“Now now, I insist. Princess Luna seems to already enjoy you; you won her over with those poptarts.” She chuckled as Luna nodded in agreement. “And you don’t seem to be too bad of a Chanegling and you can eat solid food, so feeding you isn’t a problem.”

“And I would like a child, even if they’re adopted, and a Changeling,” Luna chimed in.

“And I’ll get a cousin!” Princess Cadence cheered.

“You all warmed up to me a little quickly. Wasn’t I a prisoner not even half an hour ago?” I asked.

“I suppose it does seem a little quick, but let me and Luna just take you in. I can fill in any education that you might be missing.”

“And I’m not winning this argument,” I sighed.

Princesses of Night and Day

I don’t know what was served, it could be dinner, it could be lunch, or it could be breakfast and I still wouldn’t know. Who knew that not having access to a clock(my phone died. Woohoo!) would mess with your perception of when stuff was. Especially if you weren't fed while kept in a jail cell that was likely deep underground. Whatever the meal was didn’t matter, food that looked very fancy, was placed in front of me.

It seemed like the same dish was served to everybody else at the table. I couldn’t even really recognize what the heck was in front of me. I think I saw a sunflower hidden somewhere in… my salad? I hated salads growing up, it’s just lettuce and a couple extra veggies. I was willing to bet that most were more willing to eat salads because it was an excuse to drown their sorrows in the ranch, but I’m not sure. Some people were also just very conscious of what they were eating, and I could respect that.

I just never seen a salad with sunflowers in it before. Perhaps that was some sort of thing that these… ponies were accustomed to, which I personally saw as odd. It did make sense given that horses and ponies are basically the same thing, and it was safe to assume that they mostly ate plants. I simply poked at my salad with a fork absentmindedly as I contemplated what my diet was going to be from here on out.

There was a couple things I was told, like Changelings mainly feeding off of love(which made my brain hurt just thinking about it). So perhaps my diet would be filled with that, and maybe some plants. That just made me sad, since I won’t be able to enjoy any of the foods I actually really loved growing up. I probably wouldn’t be given the chance to eat meat, and wouldn’t know if my new body could stomach meat at all. Other things like pizza, candy, and seafood seemed to also be out of the question.

What was in front of me did look good at least, so maybe it didn’t taste that bad. Who knows? I might like eating sun flowers just as much as I enjoyed eating crayons in the fifth grade when asked to do it for a dollar. “Is there something wrong with your salad, Ray?” Princess Celestia asked. So I was right, it was a salad. I quickly shook my head, stabbed my salad with my fork(there were three for some reason) and took a bite. All things considered, it was a good salad. If I had a bottle of ranch available, I would like some, but I did like the salad.

The sunflowers added a nice crunch.

“It’s just a bit weird. I dunno how much you guys know about humans, but humans are omnivorous? I think that’s the right ‘vorous’ at least. Meaning we ate a mix of meat and plants to keep us from starving. While I can eat fruits, I love apples, I did mostly think of lunch as a hamburger. A meat patty in between bread with maybe some vegetables tossed in for good measure. Seeing a sunflower in my food’s a bit weird, but I… actually kinda like it?”

After I said this, I took another bite of my salad, chewed, and swallowed before continuing to speak. “Wish I had ranch dressing, but since I don’t see any dressing where, I’ll just assume there is none in existence,” I punctuated that with another bite of my salad.

“Well, I don’t think I’ve heard of ‘ranch dressing' before, but I believe we can find some for you later. It wouldn’t be right to not only be feeding you improperly, but also feeding you foods you don’t like. I can imagine that just eating plants, for any creature that should be eating meat, could drive them up the wall. mentally speaking of course,” Princess Celestia said.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. People like vegans and vegetarians only eat plants the whole time. Most of them are pricks that hoard their beliefs over people to make them seem holier than thou. I can go with eating plants my whole life, it could go towards a little experiment I suppose. ‘Are humans just natural assholes that like to have moral high ground over others, or does going vegan make turn them into idiots?’” I just realized what I just said. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to be swearing in front of royalty, let alone two ponies that are talking about ‘adopting’ me.

The glare I got from Princess Luna reinforced that sentiment. Good to know, if I ever feel like dying, I can just say ‘fuck’ in front of her, and poof! I’m dead! “I will let that swear slide, but do not make it a habit. Especially when we are in front of nobles, they are so uptight about ‘proper’ Equish, that they will drive their ‘proper’ use of the language down your throat,” Luna groaned. Something tells me she had a problem with rich people.

“You see, Ray, my sister here was… imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years. Once she returned, she had a rather… archaic usage of Equish, and sometimes reverts to Traditional Equish while angry. The royals heard Lulu speak like somebody from a thousand years ago, and almost would have gotten their insides inverted if my sister wasn’t recovering from her little incident.” Princess Celestia explained.

“Well, it seems like that’s universal across universes. Rich people, or rich ponies in this case, are assholes,” I chuckled.

“What did I say about making that a habit?” Princess Luna asked.

I chuckled. “Fuck,” I said, hoping that my little idea was right. To my disappointment, I didn’t die, but Luna did fake a stink eye.

“Also, imprisoned on the moon?” I asked. Luna nodded. “For a thousand years?” I almost whispered. I couldn’t fathom being alone for even a week, so the fact that Luna wasn’t mentally insane said a lot to me about how mentally strong she was. I’ll assume that ponies and humans are alike in the sense that we’re social creatures. We have a natural desire to spend time with other people or ponies, and years of isolation can make us insane.

“Wait, you’re a thousand years old?” I asked again, before realizing that I just asked a lady about her age. Luckily neither Princess Luna or Celestia took offense(at least on the surface. I don’t know if Celestia was contemplating snapping my neck for such a question). They both simply nodded.

“Well, to be exact, I am one 1,143 years old. Luna is 1,130 years old,” Princess Celestia said with a sip of her tea.

Before we knew it, the food was gone, and the plates were quickly taken by the same ponies that served us. Even after I offered to carry my own plate to the kitchen, I was told a stern ‘no’. It seems like these ponies take their job as waiters to the royals of Equestria, and me apparently, very seriously. I sighed and slumped back in my chair. Luna and Celestia already looked ready to start discussing something, before Princess Cadence got up from her chair, and walked around the table to be seated next to me.

“So Ray, I believe you and I have gotten off on the wrong hoof,” she said.

“Well yeah, it's pretty hard to have a friendly meeting with a freak like me. And it’s also pretty easy to befriend somebody, who you thought was ruler of the planet a day ago, who also threw you in prison because I ‘knew too much.’” I let sarcasm begin to roll into my voice towards the end. I was willing to forgive her for the whole imprisonment part. If I saw something ad ugly as whatever I was, in my home, I wouldn’t be very quick to trust me either.

“And it seems like Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna might adopt you, so we will be cousins even if you’re adopted. Meaning we’ll be family in quite possibly a few days,” she placed a hoof on my shoulder and I flinched at the touch. “I figured it would be best if we started over, as friends of course. I’d hate having to live, knowing that my cousin didn’t like me at all,” Cadence said.

“Yeah, I suppose that would suck, but I wouldn’t know. I’ve never really even met my cousins, but I supposed it’d be kinda like if I hated my brother for some reason. I doubt my brother will be happy knowing that I loathed every fiber of his being,” I chuckled. “Plus I don’t think the ‘Princess of Love’ would willingly cheat on her husband. Plus that sounds a bit like a felon. ‘I cheated on my husband with this 14 year-old bug pony thing that’s from another dimension!”

Princess Cadence giggled. “Yeah, I am not cheating on Shiny, and I am definitely not going to be dating somebody as young as you. That’s just wrong,” she then whipped my back with her tail. “So, did you have a special somepony before you ended up in my storage room?” She asked.

“Nope. I probably had a crush on some girl, but it was just a crush. I really don’t talk to anybody at school unless it is necessary for a group project. Plus it seems a bit weird to love somebody you barely know. Sure, having a crush is one thing, but if she doesn’t know I exist, then I can’t really love her, y’know? It’s hard to love somebody if you don’t personally know them.”

“I suppose that does make sense,” Cadence smirked. “You seem to be quite mature for your age, and probably quite intelligent. I’m sure somepony would love to have you as their coltfriend.”

“And I wouldn’t be able to reciprocate any love back. Sure, ‘love doesn’t make sense’ is something used a lot, but I’m not willing to trust that. I may be a Changeling, but I have the mind of a human being. I’m going to be attracted towards another human being. I don’t know if I can truly love a pony in the way you’d love your husband, and then I wouldn’t try to date them,” I took a deep breath. “Feels wrong to date somebody when you can’t give them your best.”

Princess Cadence elbowed me. “Are you sure you’re 14 years old? You just made yourself seem a lot older than that!”

“It’s what my dad told me once I turned 13. Something about ‘the birds and the bees’. I’m also just pulling all of that out of nowhere, since I really have zero relationship experience. I’m a 14 year-old high schooler, who just became a Changeling. I’m not exactly thinking about dating, y’know?” Princess Cadence nodded.

“Well, if you ever find a special somepony, just know that I can help you score a date, and maybe something more,” Cadence said with a wink. I had no clue what that meant. ‘Something more’ sounded a little vague, and I really hope I never find out what that meant. I’ve got a good feeling that I won’t enjoy whatever ‘something more’ is.

Princess Celestia and Luna got up suddenly and started heading towards the doors. “What are they doing?” I asked.

“We are going to make the transition from day to night. Would you like to watch?” Princess Celestia offered.

“But doesn’t the Earth spin around, which causes day and night?” I asked.

“Perhaps in your world, but here in Equestra… I think it’s better if you come and watch,” before I could even retort, I was enveloped in a blue aura-type-of-thing, and brought over to where the royal sisters were. “Come, sister. Let’s show Ray why you and I are called the ‘Princess of the Sun’ and the ‘Princess of the Moon’, shall we?” Luna then dragged me along through the castle with her magic. She could've very easily carried me through the air, but I guess I’m too heavy to carry? I don’t know, but boy was I glad for my exoskeleton.

She dragged me on the ground all the way through the castle.

Eventually my tormentor released me as soon as we were on a balcony. I examined my exoskeleton for a second to notice several rub burns on it. They didn’t hurt, and I couldn’t even really feel them, but they were there. Who knows? Maybe an exoskeleton just takes rub burns better than human flesh. If I had human flesh, I’d be a red, in pain, bean pole. Not the most fun I’ve had while being dragged through a castle, but the only thing I could think of that would be more fun was jaywalking on a busy highway. Pain is fun, bring it on!

I’m going to die in a week or two. God have mercy on me, even if I don’t believe in you.

Princess Cadence and Shining armor had also joined us on the balcony. I could hear them idly chatting while I tried to get up. Big emphasis on ‘try’. Despite all the time I spent in the dungeon, which was mainly used to discover how my body worked, I only knew how to get up while I had at least two legs under my body. Right now, I was lying completely flat on my side, so I had no clue how to get up. Instead of bothering to get up, I just lifted my head and my eyes widened at the sight.

Princess Celestia’s horn began to glow, she stood in in a regal fashion, while keeping her eyes on the setting sun. The same yellow hue on her horn enveloped the sun, and the sun lowered past the horizon in the weat. Princess Luna on the other hand, was floating in the air, fore legs stretched out, with a blue hue on her horn. Slowly, but surely, the moon(a full moon too!) raised from the east, enveloped by the same blue hue that Luna’s horn was emanating…. That was awesome, but now my whole understanding of how the world works just took a massive shit, and then had a heart attack.

“So, how was that, Ray?” Luna asked.

“Pretty cool, honestly. Though, if you can raise and lower the moon, why did you drag me all the way through the castle, onto this balcony?”

“Because you’re fat,” Princess Luna said in a flat tone. I could see a small smirk etching onto her face.

“So I weigh more than the moon, according to you?” The lunar princess nodded. “You really had to do all of that for an elaborate ‘you’re fat’ joke, didn’t you?” I heard all the ponies present give out a snort as I rolled my eyes.

“Well, I suppose that means it is time for bed, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor can show you to your room. Just know that you might have to wake up early, since my sister and I have to catch a train back to Canterlot. We both left on short notice as soon as we heard of your arrival, so we need to get back by noon tomorrow at the very latest,” Princess Celestia prodded me with a hoof. “Are you too tired to get up?” She asked.

“I’m used to having arms to get me out of this situation,” I moved my forearms for a bit. “And hands. I’ve also never really tried getting up like a horse before, and thought I’d never need to until now. Technically I’m not a horse though, just a bug pony thing, so clearly I still do not need to know how to get up while laying flat on my side,” I said. “Though I have watched dogs getting up, surely a horse’s anatomy and dog’s anatomy are the same!” I have no clue how dogs get up so fast. Princess Celestia seemed to like my joke because she snorted at it. That was a good thing, right?

The next thing I know, Princess Celestia is laying flat, like I was, before me, looking in my eyes. “I will show you how to get up,” she said. “First raise your head up, and your spine should follow suit,” she instructed. I did as told, and my right foreleg had instinctively contracted underneath my body. I noted that Celestia did the same. “Next, push with your right foreleg.” Soon enough I was on both forelegs, and getting up from there was pretty simple.

And with me, being the idiot that I am, flopped on my side into that horrible position, and took a minute and a half getting up again. With… mild giggles and snorts from Princess Cadence and Princess Luna. I managed to get up on my own, without zero instruction though, so that’s a win in my book. “Now come Ray, we will show you your room for the night, and get you to sleep.”

The first thing I noticed was that my room was fancy. Sure, it lacked decorations or personality, but the room was made for guests. It was a lot like a really nice hotel room more than anything else. The bed was huge and plush(comfy too), the walls looked like they were built out of crystal, the blankets, the lamps, everything looked so nice.

I hated it.

The problem wasn’t the look, but it also kind of was. I hated having anything over the top. If I could have a simple little bed without the frame, on the ground, or even a cot, I’d be happy. Give me a cottage in the woods somewhere over this any day of the week. Fancy stuff will just spoil me rotten, and I’ve seen how spoiled kids at school act; entitled, holier than thou, pricks with zero talents. I preferred being a somewhat nice, talentless prick, thank you. With a snort, I decided to just lay on the carpet. The carpet itself was softer than my bed back at home… I sighed, knowing that I’ll never see that again. Maybe I could ask for a way home, but if there was, wouldn’t the princesses have given me the way home already? I was stuck here now, and apparently was about to be adopted by royalty.

I just wanted to be back home, in my room, sitting in my bean bag, no-lifing Pokemon for 12 hours straight. I’d trade all the opportunities I’ve just been given, in exchange for even a chance to scare my brother while he’s playing video games. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

Author's Note

So, I’m struggling with when this should take place. I could just say this all happens in alternative timeline, but I’m not going to. I’ll just say this is shortly after Twilight’s Castle became a thing after Tirek.

It’s Official

I didn’t sleep very well last night. Well, I did sleep for an hour or two, I can’t really tell. It was kinda hard to tell the time when your only clock wasn’t working(dead phone, remember?). Maybe I should get a watch, that would be helpful with telling the time. Anyways, I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep, and by the time I was about to fall back asleep, a guard walked in and told me it was time to get up.

He also gave me the stink eye too, which was pretty fun. I am a Changeling, and from what little experience I have of people reacting to Changelings, people didn’t exactly take well to bug horses. Or should I be using ‘ponies’? I’m not sure anymore. I’ll fit in better if I could get used to little nuances in language, such as instead of ‘everybody’, I should use ‘everypony’ and other small differences like that.

Though fitting in was already going to be a challenge. I’m a freak, so there’s a pretty solid chance I couldn’t fit in, even after I manage to make use of what was a more ‘ponified’ version of the English language, I still wouldn’t be able to fit in. I am a Changeling, and apparently I could feed off love somehow, which would also hurt my ability of fitting in. I also could assume that I could change my appearance based on the name of the species I’ve taken up. That could help with being a horse.

I quickly made my way to the bathroom, spent a minute figuring out how I was supposed to use a toilet, and showered. It seemed ponies took their dental health as seriously as people did, there was a fresh toothbrush and toothpaste ripe for use. I did struggle a bit, as it seemed like I’d have to relearn some finer movements with my hooves, but I did manage to brush my… fangs. After I rinsed, I took a moment to eye myself in the mirror for a bit.

While I did get a good look at myself on my first say of being here, now was a good chance at getting a better look at my new looks. Two big, blue insect-like eyes stared back at me, half lidded and what not. I blinked and caught a glimpse of a second, and possibly third set of eyelids. The second was normal, kids used to get that second eyelid out from the first as a party trick. If I had a third, then that would be kinda concerning. And it would be cool since if I had them, surely my body had to have a reason for them, so they can’t be harmful.

I had the snout of a pony, though mine wasn't as long as the princesses(Celestia’s snout was almost like that of a horse), but I did have a snout. Even Shining Armor’s snout seemed a bit longer than mine, but that’s probably because he was an adult. I don’t know much about Changeling or Pony Biology, but it was safe to assume my muzzle would grow in time… depending on the age of my current body. That in itself was a headache.

On one hand, I was 14 years old, and had the body of a 14 year-old Changeling to go with my age. On the other hand, I was an adult Changeling with the mind of a 14 year-old. Granted, I was apparently mature for my age(according to Cadence), but I was still only 14 years-old. My biggest concern should be what test I was taking tomorrow, not ‘oh look, I’m in a land with talking ponies with no way out! Oh! And I’m considered a monster in said world!’ Well, at least these ponies were willing to give that monster a chance.

Looking back at the mirror, I noticed a lack of bags under my eyes. Maybe it’s because I now had a hard, black exoskeleton that hides how sleepy I am, or the lack of blood red pupils that people tend to get after not sleeping… I’m not sure. At least I won’t be questioned about if I got any sleep or comments like ‘Oh my god! You look awful! Did you get any sleep last night?’ Stuff like that got annoying pretty quickly. That’s one benefit of not being a mammal anymore, I suppose.

I exited my room, backpack on my back(go figure on that one. Nice observations, Sting), and was being led down the corridors of the castle. Apparently there was one other than this castle, which was the one me, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna would be going to. I think Princess Celestia mentioned a third, but I could’ve also been hearing things. I’m not exactly… the most aware of things.

Eventually we made it to the dining hall again, the princesses and prince(Shining Armor counted as a prince right? He was married to a Princess… though why wasn’t there a king or queen?). The four seemed to be discussing something, while eating breakfast. It was just pancakes and a couple of eggs per pony, which seemed fine enough. Personally, I would’ve forgotten the eggs, and get some bacon instead, but I wouldn’t be surprised if pigs were also sentient, and as smart as I was in this world.

After all, bug ponies existed, and I was one of said bug ponies.

“Good morning, Ray. How did you sleep?” Princess Celestia greeted.

I nodded. “Yup, never better,” I said as I took my seat. As soon as my rear made contact with the chair, a plate of food was set in front of me by a servant. If that was how life is going to be from here on out, then I don’t want to live. I’d rather not have somebody do everything for me, from prepping meals, to ensuring I’m well groomed, I’d rather be doing that sort of thing myself. Sure, I can’t cook, but I can probably make something if I were given a cookbook and copious amounts of supervision.

“Well, I find that hard to believe,” Princess Luna said as she took a sip of what I assumed was tea. “I barely even caught a glimpse of your dreams close to… midnight I believe. So either you’ve had a relatively dreamless sleep, or you’ve been awake since then.” She punctuated this with another sip of her tea. I tilted my head as I grabbed a fork and stabbed one of my pancakes with it. “What? I, as the Princess of Night, have several duties. One of which is ensuring that my subjects have a goodnight’s sleep.”

I blinked a couple times before sighing. “So I’m in a land where two ponies control the day and night cycle. Love is an energy source, which happens to be what my body feeds off of, and magic also exists. And it’s a normal occurrence to have a lady that happens to be able to lift and raise the moon, to walk into my dream and call me ugly,” I summed up. Princess Luna put a hoof to her chin in thought, and nodded.

“I suppose your description could use a bit more detail, but you are spot on. Besides, you will be staying with my sister and I. Having a peaceful slumber is important to me, after all. And your slumber means a lot to me, not only as a subject of mine, but also because I am going to be one of your guardians.” The princess then wolfed down her whole stack of pancakes in a couple bites.

“But you will happily drag me across the carpet though a building for at least 10 minutes,” I say with a bit of humor etching into my tone. “If that’s considered normal amongst your ponies, then I pity your kids.”

“Now, it could be worse for kids. Children of royalty like us, if their grades in school are poor, risk being put under the guillotine. It helps keep children in line, or else they face a rather… royal punishment,” Princess Celestia grinned at her own terrible pun. “And as your guardian, if your grade slips up even a little, then you shall spend four days on a cross, with your hooves nailed to it.” We both had a good chuckle at that.

I almost forgot that I was speaking to royalty… was letting loose and joking a rare thing for these guys? I mean sure, being a princess sounds fine and dandy, but then there’s a few things to consider. It’s pretty hard to be yourself when you’re literally a leading example to your people. You have to act a certain way, have a certain tolerance to your people no matter how much you’d love to shut an idiot up. And then there was a mountain of paperwork to put up with…

Why was I even looking so deeply into this shit? Maybe I hit my head or something, because I keep going off on mental tangents. Maybe my body has my memories, but has a new brain in it. So maybe if I didn’t have ADHD when I was human, there’a a solid chance that my current brain does have that as an issue. If I somehow developed a mental illness while crossing dimensions, then that’d be icing on the cake for my situation.

“Speaking of me and Lulu being your future guardians,” Princess Celestia set a stack of papers before me. I quickly made quick work of my breakfast, and began to read the paper while I managed to swallow a whole pancake in one bite. “It’s a lot of paperwork, but essentially all of that is just adoption papers. Usually there would be less paperwork, but given that there’s no orphanage to adopt you from, it has a couple extra spots for you to sign.

“The pages that you need to worry about have been marked, everything else can be taken care of by myself and Luna. Do you have any questions?” By the time she had finished, I quickly skimmed through the pages I needed to sign. Most of it was wordy and full of fancy jargon, but most of the pages just boiled down to ‘I, (adoptee’s signature) consent to (adopter) adopting me.’ It’s like those tests that ask the same question over and over again.

As I struggled to write down my signature, something slowly began to etch its way into my mind. I only got two pages done before I realized what this entailed if I didn’t sign this thing. I never really gave this much thought, since my parents were technically still alive and still probably wanted to keep me, but I can’t really ignore it now that I’ve thought of it:

I’m an orphan.

Sure, I had parents that loved me, but they were in another dimension. They were probably concerned about my whereabouts, and doing their damned best to find me only for their efforts were for nothing. There’s now a literal dimension separating us, and I can only imagine how my parents were feeling. In a month’s time, they'll think I’m dead. They’ll think that their child is dead, yet there I am. A whole month from now, my parents will be planning my funeral, while I’m kicking my feet up and asking a servant for another glass of lemonade.

I didn’t even notice that my eyes were starting to tear up. My ears flattened with my mood as I continued to sign the pages. No matter what, I wasn’t going to show my emotions. These were mine and mine alone, and I wasn’t going to let anybody else know how I feel. I finished the last page and wiped my eyes with my left foreleg and faked a small smile. My efforts to hide my internal suffering didn’t go unnoticed, however.

“You’re thinking about your parents, correct?”

I looked up at Princess Celestia in shock. “H-how did y-you know?” I stuttered.

“Well, you are quite young, it makes sense that you’d miss your parents. At the very least you’d give them a thought or two. And don’t think you can hide your emotions from me, I may be a bit rusty at reading Changeling body language, but I have a thousand years of experience. And even then, it doesn’t take a thousand years of reading body language to tell how you’re feeling. You’re a child, now separated from your parents. It’s easy to see why you’re upset.

“And while I might not be able to fully fill in the void, I hope I can do a good enough job at making sure you’re well taken care of.”

“It’s not even the fact that I’m not gonna see them again,” I said flatly. Princess Celestia gave me a look that said ‘continue’ and so I told her. I told her what might happen in a month’s time, what I imagined my parents were going through, and how that made me feel. How I was alive and well, but had no way of showing my parents that. I was as good as dead back in my world. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna listened with intent, and by the end of it, Luna was draping her wing over my back.

“Does it feel better to have that off your chest?” Princess Luna asked.

“A little bit. Doesn’t change how I’m feeling, but it’s… nice to let that out,” I admitted.

“Now, next time, don’t try to hide how you’re feeling from me or my sister. You’ve signed those papers, so now we’re responsible for you. And while neither of us are therapists, we can help you, and we will know if you need help. You can’t hide your emotions from this old hag,” Luna chuckled at that last comment towards herself before regaining her composure. “I do believe it is time for us to get to our train, correct sister?” She asked.

While it seemed like the subject had been dropped, Luna still kept her wing draped over me. It felt oddly comforting, like when Mom always held me when I was scared, or crying, or just upset when my favorite toy broke. There was no way I could see either of these ponies as a replacement for my own mother, but I could appreciate the attempt that Luna was making right now.

It’s been what? A day since these two have met me, and they already care about me? I know it was a bit fast, but if they genuinely care about me, then maybe my life here in Equestria will be just a little bit more bearable. I really hope this wasn’t just apart of some act, that they won’t toss me in a prison cell after they get gather all information could on Changelings… it seems unlikely given how genuinely concerned both princesses seemed about my emotional well being, but I’ll just assume that I’m nothing more than a list of agenda for them.

At least then I won’t be disappointed when I end up in a jail cell and starved to death.

Anyways, one mental tangent later, and we were standing outside of the train station. I didn’t really pay attention to my surroundings, I was clearly lost in thought, but I did get a glimpse of the train station. It was pretty nice, it wasn’t made of crystal like the castle(it was made of wood), but it was still pretty well built. It was pretty bare bones, a board was kept with train schedules, and benches to sit on while you waited. There was a little booth near the entrance, which was probably where you’d buy tickets to even get on a train.

There was already a train waiting for us, and I only just now realized that Cadence and Shining had accompanied us to the train station. Princess Celestia and Luna said their farewells to their niece and nephew. Cadence told me she’d look forward to seeing me again in the future. Shining Armor seemed indifferent to me, but we’ve barely talked to each other.

Maybe he wasn’t super keen with me being a Changeling, even if I really wasn’t one. Maybe it was because he was a royal guard and he had to set an example. I was apparently a threat and the captain had to be ready for when I turned and ripped out Princess Luna’s throat. Good thing I’ll only be a heap of minced Changeling meat the very second I even attempt to do that. The train doors closed and we went to have a seat.

The next stop was Canterlot, but only after I’ve caught up on some much needed sleep. Turns out you don’t get very far on two hours of sleep…

Am I a prince now?

Canterlot

I lifted my head up from my hooves, and it turned out that the train ride was going to be longer than I had expected. Princess Celestia was sitting off to the side, reading a book, with a small smile on her face. I read the cover for a second and it read ‘Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore’. It looked like an interesting read, but the cover kind of looked like an Idiana Jones movie. I’ve never personally watched any of those movies, but it was safe to assume that the book was an action book. I sighed and opened up my backpack, which was sitting underneath my chair… How did it get there?

Well, I had basically nothing to do. Even if my phone was working, I had no way of checking anything on it. I was in the middle of another universe, in the middle of nowhere on a train. If my phone could somehow pull a signal even with all of that, then it was more technologically advanced than I gave it credit for. I began to rummage through my bag in hopes that I might have kept a book in it or something. A small smile formed across my face as my hoof made contact with what felt like a book cover! Something to do other than sleep(like my dreams were pleasant to begin with. Kept on dreaming about going home). My hoof latched onto the book and to my surprise, it wasn’t some textbook I forgot to give back to a teacher.

While it was only one book, it was a life saver for me, as it would keep my mind off of… more saddening topics. On the other hand, it was a book I have read before, but it’s been awhile since I’ve read ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’. I flipped open the book and was about to begin reading, until a white fluff ball took up my peripheral vision. “So, what are you reading, Ray?” It was none other than Princess Celestia herself. Why would she get interested in what I was reading? Sure, it might not have been a book she’s read before, so I guess there was that.

“Some book from my world. Used to love reading this throughout middle school. It might be… for people younger than I am. If I remember, a third grader should be able to read this just fine even if some say it’s not recommended. There’s some… less than stellar moments that would make a kid cry, but I love the book for those moments. There ain’t anything worse than an author who bullshits their way into keeping- that would probably spoil the book actually,” I chuckled. “So, what were you reading?”

“I had a copy of a Daring Do book. Sure, it’s written with foals in mind, but it’s still a pleasant read. Every book is based on a true experience that the author’s been through… with some exaggeration here or there in order to make the story more captivating,” Celestia said. Oh great, she ignored my slip of the tongue. “Though I have read the Daring Do series quite a bit in my spare time, while I await for Miss Do to release a new book. So I figured if you have a book I haven’t even heard of, I could read along with you,” she suggested.

“Aren’t you like… a thousand year-old politician? You could probably read this book in an hour,” I asked.

“Well, I do sometimes read a little too quickly, but I am mostly a skimmer. You learn to skim quite a bit when your council adds lots of fluff into their legal documents. A lot of unnecessary words to make what the writer is trying to convey… more complicated than it actually is. I’m not that fast at reading when I’m trying to read a book though, I’d like to enjoy the stories that most authors try to tell. Who knows? You might be faster than I am at reading.”

“Alrighty then,” I say as I begin to read through the first chapter. As it turned out, I was reading a little quickly for Celestia's liking, as she held my hoof down with her magic when I tried to turn a page. Maybe I was faster at reading, or the princess really did mean it that she liked to take her time while reading. We kept on reading however, and the hours began to fly by, and before we knew it, we were at the part where things get depressing in the book. I even heard Princess Celestia give a whimper when Old Dan, one of the characters, took their last breath. I closed the book after reading the last page(with Celestia’s permission to close the book) and looked up at the princess.

She had long since laid a wing over my back while we read, which felt soothing, and we were now sharing the chair. Even if it was a little cramped on the chair for my liking. We were just huddled up together, reading a book. Princess Celestia was tearing up a little, before letting a small smile take form on her face. “That was… a pleasant read. Is there anything like a sequel? The book does leave a lot of loose ends that a sequel could fulfill.”

“There was a movie based on this book, and they gave it a sequel. The movie kinda sucked, and the sequel was worse. Books like this leave a bunch of loose ends for a reason, but I think a sequel would be pretty unfitting for it. It’s about an old man recalling his younger days, hunting raccoons with his dogs, and having adventures. I watched a movie once, where it was an old lady telling a story about how a dog saved a town from dying of disease. They then gave it a couple sequels which didn’t fit in at all with the original movie,” I set the book to the side.

“I suppose that is correct. The worst thing an author can do is try and force a story to continue even after the story has reached a sound conclusion,” Princess Celestia agreed. “I do wish there was a sequel to this book, but if it did, then I’d think I’d be disappointed. Mostly because I doubt you’d have a library of your world’s books in your backpack,” she stretched, hoofs going over her head, and wings fanned out. “Reading for that long does take a lot out of you, doesn’t it?” It was then that I noticed that my legs were kinda stiff, so I hopped out of my chair and stretched like a dog.

“Now approaching Canterlot Station, please remain seated while the train comes to a stop!” As it turned out, that stop was now, as I fell flat on my face. I groaned as I began to pick myself up. I really hoped that this was some kind of horrible, very realistic dream that I can wake up from any moment now… if I can’t, then I’m definitely dead, and this is what the afterlife is like:

Full of colorful ponies that can talk, make art, and are essentially just people.

Princess Celestia quickly checked if I was okay before deciding to get this whole thing over with. “Ray, do you recall what I did to you at the Crystal Empire? Right before we headed out to the train station?” She asked. I paused and brought my hoof up to my chin. The thought never really flew past my head, since I was zoned out during the whole walk to the Crystal Train Station. I shook my head. “Well, as it stands, we cannot allow your existence to be public. Not only would that drive my little ponies into panic, but you would also attract the attention of Queen Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings.”

“And I assume I really don’t wanna meet the Queen of my current race?” I asked.

“Well, Queen Chrysalis is… well, I’ve only really encountered her once. She was rather… blunt with her views on ponies and her motives. She wanted to take over my country and use my citizens as food sources for her Changelings,” Princess Celestia sighed. “I’m pretty sure if she knew of your existence, she would try to do something… heinous acts towards you. I don’t imagine you’d like to see what happens if you met the Queen.”

“Yeah, I think I’d rather not meet that lady. Chances are she’ll make me do something and then promptly bite my head off,” I grabbed my backpack(after putting my book back in it) with my teeth, and hauled it over my back. “So, what do we do about all of this?” I gestured towards myself, and dropped my backpack when trying to speak… I want my hands back. I want to be able to stand on two legs; to be the bipedal creature I was supposed to be from the day I was born, to the day I died.

“Well, I did use a cloaking spell on you, since I doubt that you know how to shapeshift yet. Actually, I don’t know if you ever will… nopony’s ever really needed to shapeshift aside from Changelings. As such, most ponies, myself included, can’t teach you,” Princess Celestia sighed. “Well, that doesn’t matter. I have plenty of magic to keep whatever illusion I conjure up to conceal you. It won’t be too much trouble.”

“You know, sister, I do have some knowledge on shapeshifting… albeit, my abilities are quite limited. I can only really change my appearance into Nightmare Moon, and even then, I doubt I could hold the form for a while,” Princess Luna said. I jumped at my other guardian’s sudden appearance… where the hell did she come from, and how did she hear our whole conversation?

“I believe I could teach Ray the very basics of transformation magic, but that would require him knowing how to summon magic to begin with. Tell me Ray, have you ever had to use magic before?” Luna asked.

“Well, I never needed to use magic, like I had any to begin with. In my world, people just have hands… and then we use technology and inventions to fill in the gaps. So say I need to get somewhere fast, but there’s an ocean in the way, I can get on an airplane and fly over it. And half a day later, I’m across the ocean, in another continent,” I pulled my phone out of my backpack. “Heck, I probably couldn’t do basic math if this thing didn’t have a calculator in it.”

“What’s 27 multiplied by 2?” Princess Celestia suddenly shot out of left field.

“54?” I asked, somewhat uncertain if I even got the answer right.

“Well, you can at least do basic multiplication. I’d say it’s safe to say you could get by without your world’s technology. Especially once we started training you on magic and flight. For now however,” Princess Celestia paused and shot some yellow beam from her horn. It was aimed directly at me. I blinked a couple times as Luna conjured a mirror out of thin air. “We will just use illusionary spells to hide your identity.”

I stared into the mirror for a couple moments and my eyes widened. Instead of my Changeling face, a colt’s face stared back at me. I was looking at a young(my probably my age) unicorn colt. I almost looked like a little version of Princess Celestia, with fur, same eyes, and even a similar ‘Cutie Mark’ which had a silver sun instead of the yellow sun on the princess’s flank. I almost thought I was changed into a pony until I placed a paw on my chest. Instead of a soft, pleasant feeling, I got a cold, still pleasant, feeling of my shell.

“If anybody asks you, you are my younger nephew, brother on Princess Cadence’s side. Do not worry, the lineage of most of the royal bloodline isn’t exactly common knowledge amongst my subjects. And my little ponies would be more excited to hear that I have another family member, and it would technically be true; you’re now my adoptive son.” I blinked a couple of times in realization. “And try to hide the fact that you were once human, that information can not be known by the general public.” I nodded at that last part.

We stepped out of the train, so I did my best to remain calm. “So, I’m now your son,” I asked.

“Well, not by blood, obviously, but yes, you are my son. You’re also Luna’s son as well, she also signed those adoption forms. And before you ask, no, I am not married to my sister, that would be plain wrong,” Celestia said.

Luna began feigning an offended expression. “But what of all those times you kissed me on the forehead when we were foals? Or when you nuzzle me whenever we greet each other? I thought we had something special, sister,” Luna pouted.

“Well, we do. You’re my favorite sister, and I do love you. I hate to break your heart, Lulu, but it’s not you, it’s me.”

I just blinked a couple times. These were Equestria’s rulers. Two rulers with other wordly power… were joking about how they couldn’t be romantically involved with each other… well, at least they weren’t actually going to do… it. As Celestia said, it’d messed up, and I wouldn’t even know how that would work. Or how horribly inbred the poor offspring of such a thing would be. On the bright side, most ponies mainly just gave a glance at us as we left the train station. Luckily, my mind drifted elsewhere as I began to take in the sights of the city we were in.

Canterlot(oddly, it shared a name with my highschool, go figure) was… grand to say the least. The city would build on the side of a mansion, probably held up by some seriously strong support beams- wait, it was probably magic. I highly doubt that some wood would be able hold a city as big as this on the side of a mountain. Every house and building were basically the same:

White, main body, yellow(or gold) in the window and door frames.

The main attraction was probably the massive castle I could see even from the train station. Occasionally ponies would lower their head in acknowledgement towards Princess Celestia and Luna, a couple guards would walk by too. Who woulda guessed that the capital city, that hosted the leaders’ castle, would be semi-well guard on just some random day of the week. Well, hopefully none of those guards would chop my head off as soon as Celestia's illusion spell fades. I want to at least learn what this world has to offer before I go say ‘hi god!’

We eventually made it to the castle gates, after passing through a marketplace with(what I assumed) was a bunch of goods that were conveniently priced. That’s until you realize how Luna commented on how stupid it was that a corn cob was selling for 30 bits. Great, another thing for me to learn: currency! Well, I’ll learn more about that stuff if I can manage to find and hold down a job. I’d say I’m somewhat smart and mediocre at everything else at best, but I could probably hold down a fast food job… surely there was fast food restaurants here too, right? Anyhow, we walked through the gates, and was shortly met by a unicorn mare.

The unicorn in question had a tan coat, adorned with a bow tie, and had a cutie mark that resembled a clipboard and pen. Her main was a rich, dark brown that was incredibly well groomed. It was a bit on the short side, however, but she looked like a professional. At least I thought that’s what she looked like, I have no clue if these ponies even have a fashion standard, but I could assume that they didn’t. After all, aside from bow ties, horse shoes, crowns, necklaces, armor, red military coats, and some minor makeup(I noticed that Celestia had very light eyeshadow, Luna too). Ponies seemed to just wander around naked.

Well, Changelings too, I’m assuming. Nobody gawked at me and my apparent lack of clothing when they first saw me

“Ah, Ms. Board, I assume everything has been running smoothly in mine and Lula’s absence?” Celestia asked.

“Of course, your majesty. If your country’s government couldn’t run on its own, without your help, I’d be concerned about your council,” Ms. Board said with a chuckle. “And I assume this unicorn is actually the Changeling that you were going to see? The one captured in the Crystal Empire?” I look down at myself, raising a hoof to my face. Instead of the white, furry hoof I had in he illusion, was my black, hole covered, right leg, Well, so much for my illusion. “So why isn't it tied up? Are you going to waterboard it?” Ms. Board asked in a joking tone.

“Man, can I at least be referred to as something that isn’t an ‘it?’ At least say ‘them’ if telling Changeling genders apart is hard to do,” I said. A bit of my accent slowly began to etch its way into my voice as I continued my tirade. “Like feckin’ hell, lass, I’m a living thing like ye, ain’t I? I’m just…” I sighed, and began to try and hide my Irish accent. It just comes out when I start feeling a bit… mad. “Sorry about that, I’ve been building a lot of fun memories these last few days. I wake up in some foreign land, get tossed in a dungeon, for no reason I might add, and I’m just a bit on edge right now.”

All three mares blinked before Princess Celestia whispered something to Ms. Board. “Okay…”

“Sting Ray, just call me Ray.”

“Ray, I suppose I’m responsible for you now. I’m Ms. Board, or Clip W. Board if you want to forego honorifics. I’m the royal secretary for you and Princess Celestia… and sorry about offending you earlier, that… wasn’t my intention.”

“Yeah yeah, pretend like you don’t hate Changelings,” I said. “I already hate what I am as is,” I muttered under my breath. Luckily for me, nobody noticed my moment of self loathing. I wish I was human that everyone hated, not a pesky bug horse that nobody liked. At least then I’d know how to use my body beyond just being able to walk and sprint. I can't even really spin around, jump(without falling on my face), or even use the horn or wings that I have. I hate Changelings. I began to stuff that into the back of my mind as we walked. I already have enough problems as is, I don’t need to be a thing to add to my already growing list of problems.

“So you, Princess Celestia, Princess of the Sun, Bringer of Light, decided to adopt that thing?” Ms. Clip Board asked.

“Well, it’s only fourteen, it can’t even change forms, use magic, or grow wings. It would be pretty helpful to have around; we can finally start making some leeway on Changeling research now that we have a live subject, who’s quite willing, to study on. We can get a study on adolescent Changelings and adult Changelings all in one go once Mr. Ray grows up. Plus, Ray seems pretty harmless, what’s the worst he could do?” Princess Celestia asked. Did they not think I’m walking just behind them?

“Well, he could be acting, and Changelings can change what they look like. For all we know, that’s a fully capable adult that’s playing you for a fool with some hypnosis spell,” Ms. Board said. Iet out a snort. Maybe I could learn how to use these fangs… it’ll keep a certain secretary in line if I do. No, murder isn’t something I should even try doing. I apparently have two of the strongest beings in the world as my guardians, and they could very easily step on me to kill me. Plus both of said god-like horse both seem pretty nice, I’d hate to make them disappointed in me. Why the fuck do I care about what they think?

“You’ll get used to this sort of thing eventually,” I turned my head to Princess Luna with a quizzical expression. “Many ponies were, and still are, scared of what I was during my banishment to the moon. I was a Nightmare, a bringer of death, pain, and suffering. Some ponies can’t see me for anything other than the Nightmare, or Nightmare Moon as I was dubbed by the general populace. Many ponies won’t give you a chance to see you as anything other than a Changeling, even if you don’t think of yourself as such.” Luna then started walking practically side by side with me, and draped a wing over my back. “And while it does hurt to be treated with such prejudice, just remember to hold your head up high and don’t let your emotions consume you. I had to learn that lesson the hard way.”

“I… how did you even stand being on the moon, alone, for so long?” I asked.

“Well, it was mostly my body, with the Nightmare as its host, on the moon. I was dormant during that time, while the Nightmare planned and schemed after its banishment. I did still suffer after my return. My language, my beliefs, everything I knew was so out of date, that my head was spinning after just a day of my return. You’re a bit like me, even if you don’t think it’s as severe as what I have been through. You’re in a a world that’s…” she paused and whispered. “A literal alien world,” She began to speak normally. “And you have no clue as to how it works. Worry not, I've been taught how things work, even if I do sometimes fall back to my old, outdated ways on occasion. So I can teach you.”

“My only question for that is… why are you and Celestia so concerned about me? It’s been what? A day? Yet you guys are trying to help me out, and even adopted me. It just feels a little sudden, y’know?”

“Ray, you are a child in the mind. You could be an adult Changeling and that wouldn’t change what me and Celly are doing for you. You’re a child with a rather… unique condition. We doubt you’d have anywhere to go without being assaulted by potential adopters, so our solution was to take care of you ourselves. I do hope that we can somehow find a way to send you home, the thing that brought you here is a bit… unstable right now. But if we cannot find a way to send you home in a timely manner, then we’ll make sure you have a home. It wouldn’t be right to just send a child off into the world with no preparation or anything to fall back on.”

Luna then dragged me away from Celestia and Board(I don’t even care, I’m just going to use her last name. Fuck that stupid horse), after letting her older sister know, of course. And dragged me off to another wing of the castle, which had a darker feeling about it. the red carpet we walked on was the same, but the bricks were dark blue, and the windows were much dimmer. “Your room will be in my wing, the Lunar Wing. Most of the castle’s business happens in the Solar Wing, Celly’s part of the castle, so you won’t be bothered by anypony. Sadly the dining hall is in the Solar Wing, but I can come and retrieve you before I head off for breakfast or dinner, so you’ll at least have me to bring you along.

“And both wings have their own kitchens, even if mine is a little understocked since I’m usually the only one in the Lunar Kitchen. So you can grab a snack or make your own food if need be, and everything in there is free for you to take… just don’t take anything out of the marked cabinet, what’s in it is mine, and mine alone.” On cue, we walked into the Lunar Kitchen, which wasn’t much different from just a regular kitchen with dim lighting, and I quickly found the marked cabinet. I took a peak and tilted my head. “Yes, what I keep in my personal cabinet might be a bit jarring.”

“You have ‘moonpies’ and corn flakes, that sounds pretty sacred to me,” I closed the cabinet. “I won’t touch anything in there, especially the cornflakes. Where I’m from, cornflakes are like the second coming of Jesus,” I said in as serious of a tone as I could pull.

“Who is this… Jesus you speak of?”

“Just some guy that supposedly existed. People worship him and whatnot. I personally don’t believe in it, but people make it out like Jesus is going to come back from the dead a second time and bring about the end of ‘ze world’ I said waving my hand-hooves in a way to add a bit of flare to what I was saying. Salvation comes to everybody who worships him, and everybody else burns alive for the rest of time! Woohoo!” I chuckled. “But seriously, I won’t touch anything in that cabinet, I hated it when my brother went into my stash of Skittles and ate half the damn jar.

“He got a cavity for his troubles, so he learnt his lesson.”

Luna then led me out of the kitchen and back to the hall, and stopped before a huge double door. “This is my room,” Princess Luna then gesture towards a smaller set of doors that happened to be halfway between where we were standing, and Luna’s room. “That room right there will be yours. If you wish for more furniture or anything in your room, then just ask and I will make it happen,” the doors opened as we approached and I walked inside. It was a quaint little room, it had a coffee table with a couple of cushions next to it, and a fireplace. I could maybe make do with a miniature library, since I doubted the existence of television in Equestria, but that can come later.

“Well, make yourself comfortable, I believe Princess Celestia has sent out a message to six mares that you will be meeting in a few hours at dinner. If you need anything, just knock on my room’s doors. I will go catch up on some sleep before our guests arrive,” Luna then walked out and promptly trotted down the hall towards her room. Without anything to do, I walked over to the bed, and flopped down in it.

I was out like a light.

Promise

After dinner, Queen Chrysalis disappeared to wherever the heck she came from, now I was just sitting in the dining hall. Now the ladies in the room, with Celestia and Luna supervising, asked me questions and told me about adventures they've had. And also why they weren’t immediately receptive to the Changeling Queen that was holding me like I was her newborn child. Rainbow Dash(oh boy, another coincidence!) apologized for tackling me on sight. I couldn’t even really blame her for that one. Even if it did kinda hurt, my exoskeleton softened the blow pretty damn well.

If I had to fight off a hoard of Changelings, or a hoard of anything, I’d be a bit weary if one just randomly appeared out of nowhere. Twilight, or the Purple One, as I called her, remained silent throughout most of the little meeting we had going on. So was the yellow one, or Fluttershy, but she was just naturally… well, shy of strangers. With me being the freak I am, it was also a bit understandable even if I did feel a little dejected. Fluttershy did smile whenever I told a joke, so that was neat. Hopefully we can be friends in the future.

It was pretty clear that I’d be seeing these ladies a lot more in the future. Judging by how their past was, with them dealing with a corrupted princess, a literal god, Queen Chrysalis, a guy who drained ponies dry of magic(the list goes on and on). It seemed like they always stepped in because Luna, Celestia, and Cadence were all unable to do anything or were apprehended before they could even fight back. I didn’t mind though, they were all pretty friendly with me after they knew of my origins. That was a breath of fresh air.

Heck, they were pretty accepting of me, and Rarity offered to make me a jacket for special occasions. I don’t know what special occasions I would be attending, with my existence needing to be a secret and whatnot. It was a nice gesture though, given that I didn’t have to pay a dime as ‘it was for a friend’ as she put it. That put a smile on my face… I could at least make friends, and who knows? That test flight off a mountain might seem a lot less tempting with enough friends to keep my sanity.

Of all the ponies I was meeting, I had to love Pinkie Pie(you get the point, another coincidence!) the most out of all them. She was just so damn energetic and cheerful that she almost made me forget that I’m not a human being anymore. That for a few moments, I wasn’t in another dimension that I couldn’t leave! Pinkie even talked about throwing a party for me if I ever visit Ponyville, their hometown. That sounded awesome, but I couldn’t really show my face in public. I can appreciate the enthusiasm though, even if I know that I couldn’t attend with my actual face.

Obviously though, even after what I was told, I did like Queen Chrysalis a lot. I was about ready to have a mental breakdown when Luna accidentally reminded me of my current situation, and the queen comforted me. It was genuinely like she was my mother a couple of times, but she left after a bit. She had obligations in her Hive, which took priority over me. It made sense, though. The concerns of many were better than the concerns of one. Chrysalis did say she’d visit to teach me how to use magic, so that’s pretty cool.

Right now, however, I was about ready to hit the hay. Luna was nearby, and of my legal guardians, I liked being around the most. The two of us had enough in common, with us adjusting to the world around us, and I could respect her a lot. Luna never tried to avoid what she had done, and was pretty forward with it even if it was a sore subject. She was being honest and crystal clear with me. It simply made me respect her on a whole new level. Anyways, I found myself, at the ripe, old age of 14 years, resting my head on Luna’s shoulder.

“Ah, now isn’t that sweet?” Rarity said. At least, I think she said that. I wasn’t exactly in the mood for listening; I was tired. The only reason why I hadn’t left yet, was because I didn’t want to seem rude, and suddenly vanished. Good thing Luna’s shoulder was pretty comforting, and the wing draped over me made me even sleepier. It was just relaxing, even if I was a little too old to be leaning on somebody’s shoulder while I was nodding off. It kinda felt like I was 5 years old again. No worries, no troubles. Just innocent bliss, naps, and playtime.

“Well, I suppose this is quite the surprise. I didn’t expect Ray to be comfortable enough with me to do this, but I can’t say it doesn’t put a smile on my face,” Luna said. I took a peek and Luna’s face, and she did have a small smile on her face. “I do believe that it’s time for Ray to head off to bed. He is a teenager, but he is still a child. So he needs his sleep… it is getting pretty close to midnight.”

“Ey, wut er yous talkin ‘bout? I am a grown mann… horse bug.” I slurred. That elicited a series of giggles.

Instead of being dragged on the floor, Luna tossed me onto her back. It was a nice change of pace from being dragged on the floor by my guardian’s magic. “Night guys,” I waved a hoof before it went limp. “G’night Celly, I hope you sleep well,” I managed to say before my head began to hang. I was so tired I couldn’t even keep my head lifted, how am I so tired anyways? I did manage to see Celestia’s face softened a little bit, and I could see… regret? I didn’t have much time to think about that before I blacked out. I felt my moving bed stop, and I was suddenly on something much softer; it was my bed.

“Good night Ray, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Luna said before going to leave my room.

“Nuh, stay ‘ere,” I slurred, but didn’t bother to try and keep Luna nearby.

“I believe you’re a little too old to be needing me to sleep in your bed. And a little too young to be asking me to share a bed with you, mister,” Luna said before stopping at the door. If she was making a joke, it flew right over my head. “But… if you wish for me to stay, then I can watch over you. My duties for the night only require me to keep watch over my subjects’ dreams so…” Luna trotted on over, and wrapped her body around me much like a dog would. “I won’t be asleep, but do expect me to stop by in your dreams tonight. I want to actually see what you dream of, since dreams tell of one’s deepest desires… it’s a good opportunity to see what you need.”

Whatever else she was saying was beyond me, I was just happy that Luna was willing to stay. It’s been what? A couple days and I actually… like Luna? She acted enough like a mother, her voice was surprisingly soothing, and well… I don’t know. I don’t know why I asked Luna to stay. I could’ve ruined something important that she needed to attend to, but she said she can do her nightly duties while in my room… I drifted off to sleep.

(Luna’s POV)

I watched as Ray finally gave in to his sleepiness. It was quite touching that Ray would want me to be near him while he slept. Perhaps it was just helpful for this young stallion to have somebody near him while he adjusts to what must be a completely alien world. I closed my eyes and decided to proceed with tonight’s duties. They weren’t too bad, I just check in on a subject, maybe start up a conversation, and disperse any nightmares I find.

“Sister? Are you here?” My eyes shot open at the sound of Tia’s voice. Sure enough, Celestia was standing in the doorway, somewhat shocked to find me in our child’s room. Of course, I did tell her where the room was located, but I guess it was odd that I was found in said room instead of my own. Especially when I usually performed my duties within my own chambers.

“Before you ask, Ray requested that I stay here with him. I was more than happy to oblige, even if Ray does appear to snore a little,” I said as I summoned a box of tissues when Ray scrunched up his nose in his slumber. Sure enough, he did sneeze, but I had the tissue prepared. “I’ve yet to see what he is dreaming however, and I was just about to before you entered. Is something on your mind, sister?”

“I… I believe I may have withheld some information from Ray in regards to his way home. Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course, what’s the secret?” I had a feeling that I wasn’t going like what my sister was going to tell me.

“With the mark of midnight… which was an hour ago, the mirror, or how Ray got here, closed off. Ray is now stuck here for the foreseeable future. My reasoning is that he might bring up the existence of Equestria to his peers or the authorities of his world. In other words he could unintentionally potentially bring forth dangers of his world into ours… I’ve been wondering since dinner if I actually made the right choice.”

My eye twitched as I tried not to begin yelling at my sister. “You… you do understand how distraught Ray is about how he thinks he’s stuck here, correct? Ray damn near cried because I accidentally reminded him of pleasant memories from his world. Ray has made it abundantly clear that he misses his family, and that he’d give anything to see them again. Celestia, Ray has a brother that he will no longer see because he believes he cannot see him any longer. The poor child is depressed because of all this.”

I glared at my sister for a moment before sighing. “If I recall, you suffered emotionally for a millennium during my banishment to the moon; you missed me as much as I missed you. If there is one thing that remains a constant, it’s that siblings have each other's back, and that we love each other. If I were you and I knew Ray could still potentially go home and see his brother again, I’d send him the fuck back in a heartbeat. You just separated two brothers, one of which will assume that their little brother is dead… I believe I will remain silent on this, sister. Just know that if you do not tell Ray at some point, say a decade from now, then I will.

“Now, I'd say that I’d pay Ray a visit in his dreams. And it is getting late, sister. And don’t worry, I will not bring up what we have discussed in his dreams.” I didn’t even bother saying goodnight to my sister. I do not know where she got the notion that Ray could bring about doomsday if he were to return home, but I don’t know. I began to calm myself before entering the dream realm again. It wouldn’t be good to lash out at anybody who doesn’t deserve it. And Ray did not need me using the Canterlot Royal Voice in his dreams.

I blinked a couple times, I was standing on a bridge, in the middle of what looked like a park. Was this what Ray was dreaming? Perhaps he was dreaming of playing on a playground, he was a teenager, but it does seem that Ray’s stopped caring about if he’s a bit too old for things. He did just lose his ability to teturn home, and was now in a body he was unfamiliar with. Then I saw a hairless… monkey? It had no tail, but it was wearing clothes.

The monkey was just sitting under a tree with a book in its hands. I began to approach, trying to remain undetected while I get a better look at this thing. It was definitely a male… Twilight did mention that humans did look a fair bit like hairless apes. Perhaps this was…”

“Oh hey Luna,” the ape waved a hand at me. It was Ray. The odd thing on his features? He was genuinely smiling like this. In fact, he held the smile for more than a couple moments, which was also surprising…

“So this is what you dream of? Reading a book whilst under the shade of a tree?” I asked.

“Yup. I fell asleep a lot during my language classes, since it was all pretty easy and boring. There was an upside to the classes though. We always got books that we worked on, and the books were usually pretty good… too bad that this dream can’t fully remember the stories. I probably have a couple in my bag, but I checked. I’ve only got one book on me.”

I frowned for a moment, before digging through the human’s mind. “Now try,” I instructed.

“Holy shit. This is… actually spot on with a book I read in language arts class,” Ray’s eyes watered a bit. He turned the page and sighed. “Though, it’s only the first page… Well, my memory can’t be perfect. How the heck did you even do that?” He asked.

“Well, your memories of the book you desired to read were there. I just bought them forward, so that you could read… unfortunately it does seem like your memory of the rest of the book is a bit blurry, so I couldn’t make a complete copy of it for your mind,” I dipped my head. “It’s as best as I can do for you, but I hope it did help you feel a little better.”

“Hey, if you’re limited by what my brain can muster, then I get it. I do wish that I could remember the whole book, but it’s whatever. If I can somehow get my phone charged, it probably had audiobooks, of the books I had to read downloaded. I could probably then just transcribe them into a notebook and read those,” Ray thought.

“Audiobook?”

“You see, in my world, some people feel like they don’t got the time to just sit down and read. Or they can understand English, or Equish as you call it, but can’t really read very well. So we pay some guy or girl, usually somebody with a smooth, relaxing voice, and have them read it aloud. Then the recording is distributed and sold for profit. I bought a few audiobooks simply because I liked a book and wanted to support the author in whatever way I could.

“Which means there is a slim chance that, if I can write properly, then I can write down what is spoken in said audio books, and boom! I have at least a few books that I like,” Ray said. I could tell that he was contemplating how he could even do that.

“I could probably find some way to magically charge your… phone? Then you won’t need to charge it ever again. It may take a while, as I will have to find the spell to do so. But in the future, probably a couple days at the latest, I will have a spell that can do as I said. Then I can help you write down what these ‘audiobooks’ contain, and then you can have your books. If I cannot help you, then perhaps I can introduce you to a few Equestrian books that may catch your interests.”

Ray nodded with a small smile on his face. “That would be nice. I mostly just… want something to do. Puzzles, books, literally anything. Would be nice. I’ve got a feeling that in a couple of days, everyday’s just gonna consist of me learning some new trick that my body can do, and then having said body be studied. So at least my days will be filled with something to do, even if I wish I could just sit down, read a book, play some video games. But I did agree to being studied when you and Celly adopted me.”

“Well, I can easily aquire puzzles and books for you to do. I do know what video games are, and I can maybe even get you a decently sized collection for you to choose from. But yes, you are going to have quite the busy life ahead of you. Eventually you will have to… show your face in public. Celestia and I will be helping you learn how to deal with public appearances when you grow up, but we won’t make you sit through any meetings unless you so desire… unfortunately there is one more pony you’ll have to meet.”

“Oh boy!” Ray let a small smile form on his face. “So far, all the ponies you’ve had me meet were pretty nice once they got past… all of this raw, unrelenting Changelingness. So is this a case of ‘the best for last?” I giggled at how Ray made it a point to show how physically weak his body was while saying that.

“Sadly, that is not the case. You will be meeting my ‘nephew’ Prince Blueblood the III. While the six mares you met today were very nice, outstanding citizens that are very friendly… my nephew is a bit of a… snob.”

“Ah, an asshole. If he acts like a massive sack of shit, is it okay if I punch him in the nose?” I asked.

“I would personally allow it, but then he’d try and sick some of the Royal Guard on you. Though if Prince Blueblood gets a bit out of hoof, just tell me, and I will handle him.”

“I can tell Celly too, right?” Ray asked.

I paused for a moment. Ray truly was not aware of the fact that Celestia never told him of a way home. He just assumed that there was no way back, and now ‘Celly’ not only kept that information secret, but now Ray truly was stuck here. You are very, very lucky that I am a mare of my word, sister. Otherwise you would have a very angry Changeling and very angry Alicorn to deal with. And you’re also lucky that it seems like Ray likes you.

“Of course, Prince Blueblood is more likely to shut up and listen if my sister talks to him… but if you ask me, I’d personally would just punch him in that stupid, snobby nose of his. And if he tried to sick the Royal Guard on you, worry not, you have a pardon from them; no harm will to you from them. Well Ray, I must attend to my other subjects' dreams. If you need me, I'm lying right beside you!” Ray nodded.

“Alright, cya Lulu!” Ray then hugged me. It wasn’t exactly real, given that this was a dream, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. I hug the young Changeling back, before disappearing from his embrace. I would love to stay, but I must check in on some of Ponyville’s citizens. With how those three, adorably destructive fillies are, there tends to be quite a few nightmares in Ponyville.

I remained in silence as I realized that Ray called me ‘Lulu.’ Ray said that things were moving a little too fast for him, with me and Celestia adopting him, an alien, within a few days of meeting him. Now, here he is giving the two of us nicknames, dozing off on my shoulder, and having me stay in his room while he sleeps. Perhaps he knows this is his life now, and figured that he might as well roll with it. Even if he woukd rather be in his home world.

Too bad that his only chance of going home was gone now. Thanks Celestia, you stupid foal.

Author's Note

So after these first 10 chapters are out, chapters releases will slow down a bit. Expect it to slow down to 1 or two a week, or 1 every other week. Since I am writing something else atm, and I wanna make sure both stories are getting plenty of love from me.

Spilled the Beans

I lifted my head wih a hearty yawn, dim sunlight breached the stained windows in my room, and it just made the room look much homier. Still, I would prefer a nice little cabin out in the woods(or my actual bedroom, not this fancy shit). I’m really hoping that Celestia finds some way for me to return home sooner or later. While Equestria is starting to warm up to me, I still long to just see my house’s front door sometime. Whatever, I should leave the ‘finding a portal home’ bit to the smart people, since I can barely wrap my head around the multiple universe theory.

I quickly noticed that Luna was gone, likely to go perform a few duties before she went to sleep for the day. She did say she was the Princess of the Night, or was it Princess of the Moon? And her duties involving dream hopping just made it seem like Luna would be nocturnal. That or Luna isn't nocturnal and wanted to go get breakfast. I hope she isn’t nocturnal, I was hoping that she’d give me a tour of the castle. I’d probably get lost if I didn’t.

Well, Celestia can also give me a tour, that sounded like another good option. I did consider Luna my favorite of the two sisters, but Celestia was just… she had a very soothing voice, and was pleasant to be around. The fact that she actually took a moment, a couple days ago, to teach me how to get up was a surprise. It was kind of like a mother teaching her kid how to walk… It was kind of nice. Meanwhile, Luna was more like an older sister to me, an older sibling that helped take care of their younger siblings.

So in other words, Celestia is like a mother, and Luna is like a sister. Although there are a few times where Luna does act a lot like a mom, she said loves children. Like last night where Luna carried me to bed, like Mom would’ve if I fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie or something like that. Then again, it’s been what? Two days since I’ve started living with these two? I’m sure my opinions on them will change in a week.

“Ray, are you awake? We have one more pony that we want you to meet, since you both will be living in this castle,” it was Celestia.

“Yeah, let me brush my teeth first,” I answered before hopping to my feet… before falling flat on my face. I got up with a grunt, this time with a lost less spring in my step, and walked into the bathroom. I quickly did my business and went to grab my toothbrush and… it slipped out of my hoof. It was gonna land in the goddamn toilet. “No!” I shrieked as it was enveloped in an acid green aura… I blinked a couple times as I saw what just happened.

I reached out to grab my toothbrush, and it shakily began to float towards my hoof. I began to giggle like a schoolgirl as I took it in my hoof. I put my focus onto the toothbrush again, and it started to float again in that same green aura away from my hoof. With a glance in the mirror, I could see my horn glowing with an acid green aura, and I couldn't help but be giddy. As much as I missed my hands, this was pretty cool. I grabbed the toothpaste with my… telekinesis? I dunno what to call this.

Anyways, I used whatever the heck I was doing to brush my teeth. Brushing your teeth does take some fine motor skills, or at least a favored hand(I tried brushing my teeth with my left hand, it sucked). So surely if I brush my teeth with my… I guess magic? Then maybe I can gain greater control over it. So far, my grip on the toothbrush was shaky, and grabbing two things at once was pretty difficult. Maybe I shouldn’t get too reliant on this stuff actually.

When I go home(or if) I’ll actually miss this.

After my morning routine was over, I stepped out of my room, and saw none other than Princess Celestia standing by my doorway. “G’morning, Celly,” I said with a wave of my hoof.

“Good morning, Ray. I assume you slept well?” Celestia asked.

“Well, Luna was there to help me sleep. I just found it… kinda comforting. Back at home, my house was pretty small, and my brother and I had to share a room. In other words, I’m not used to sleeping alone. So having Luna in the same room made it easier to sleep, even if she herself didn’t go to sleep. I think she was… meditating? Since I don’t think she was fully awake while dream hopping, but I dunno. I don’t know how that stuff works.”

“Dream hopping?”

“Y’know, that thing she can apparently do. Where she invades dreams, makes the dreams nice and pleasant, and she hops on over to the next dream.” Celestia nodded. “She stayed in my dream for… what I think was 20 minutes or so, just talking with me. She talked about getting me puzzles, books, and video games which’ll be pretty fun; I won’t be bored out of my mind while cooped up in my room. I probably drooled on her shoulder, so that’s fun.”

“Did… she discuss anything else?” She seemed a tiny bit scared for a second. Is there something she isn’t telling me? Well, it was probably just something embarrassing. She probably thinks that Luna told me an embarrassing story about her older sister. I mean I wouldn't blame her for assuming. After all, they are sisters. The number 1 rule with siblings is that you annoy them. The second rule is that you embarrass them at every chance you get.

“No. Well, she did talk about the pony I was going to meet today,” I said as we approached the dining hall. “Something about a nephew, and about how he is a piece of shi-,” I stopped myself as the door opened. Sitting in the room was the same six ponies from yesterday(I guess you can’t enjoy a train ride home on an empty stomach). I was actually kind of excited about talking to these six again. Rarity seemed to be glaring at a pony that was seated near the end of the dinner table, where Celestia usually sits(her chair was even marked as ‘Canterlot Castle’s Princess Celestia’s Chair’).

The pony was clearly a stallion, with his much… I guess rougher build? Most of the females here seem to have a more smooth build? Like they seemed a bit curvier, while Shining Armor and Celestia’s nephew seemed a bit thicker. Like thicker legs, muscles, their snouts were more angular and were also a bit longer. Of course(excluding Luna and Celestia. They were freakishly tall), stallions tended to be bigger than mares. I had no proof for this beyond two stallions, so I didn't bother asking.

Well, I did try getting a good look at the guards, but they all looked the same. Even the ones that sounded like they were girls.

I took a seat next to Twilight Sparkle, since I didn’t really hear her talk a whole lot last night. After whatever the heck she and Celestia talked about, she kinda went silent. In fact, looked a little sad whenever her eyes landed on me. I may not be the brightest guy around, but I can pick up on stuff. I dunno why Twilight's got this sad look on her face, but I figured that I could just sit down and start telling jokes. Or maybe I shouldn’t, it was entirely possible that this princess was just kind of tired, it is… whatever the time is in the morning. I really need a watch.

“Good morning, Auntie Celestia. Where is this… adoptive son you were talking about? I was hoping to meet the lucky colt.” The stallion asked. So this guy didn’t notice me at all… though he did seem to be complaining to a servant about what looked like an omelet when I walked in, so that’s understandable. If what Luna said was true, then he was probably about how the omelet wasn’t… I dunno, seasoned? Rich people like heavily seasoned food, right? I don’t know, I considered frozen Salisbury Steak to be a premium cuisine, so maybe I shouldn’t be one to judge what is and isn’t fancy.

“Well, Prince Blueblood, he is sitting right beside Princess Twilight,” Celestia said. The prince seemed to do a double take of me, before he began to glare at me. “And yes, I know that it, or rather, he, is a Changeling. Do try to get along with him… you two will be seeing each other quite a fair amount.” Celestia then started to look like she was anticipating something.

“Aunt Celestia, I need to point out that, not only is that a commoner, but it’s a monster. I highly doubt you adopted that thing out of your own volition, or you’re not actually Celestia. Because there is no way that she would take a Changeling and have it be a part of the same family tree as I, Prince Blueblood. I mean…” he gestured towards me as an omelet was set in front of me. I honestly didn’t care about what was being said; there was food and it smelled really good. I did catch a few bits and pieces of what he was saying though; none of it was pleasant.

I grabbed a fork, the smallest one of three forks I saw next to my plate, and quickly cut a piece for me to bite. I then grabbed the fork with my magic(I really don’t know what to call this). I glance over at Twilight and let out a ‘psst’ to try and get her attention. The purple mare flicked an ear at me, before catching sight of what I was doing. “Say, you already know how to do levitation?” She asked. Twilight’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Wow! You picked up on that in two days? Most foals I know can take weeks to learn levitation!”

“What’s that…” I paused before realizing what she met. “Oh, this,” I said as I moved the fork towards my mouth. I then very carefully took the bite of the omelet off of it, and settled back down on my plate. “So is it like telekinesis, the same as telekinesis, or its own thing?” I asked. I did smile a tiny bit with pride; I’m still a fast learner as it would appear… at least I retained that, even if I learnt how to do this by pure, dumb luck.

“Well, I suppose it is a lot like telekinesis, but it mainly works off of magic instead of your mind. It’s pretty useful, if I do say so myself, since you can do so much with just levitation. I’d say… yeah, judging from how shaky your magic is, it looks like you just figured out how to do it, right?” Damn, this lady knew her shit. I pretty much found out this morning because I didn’t want to have to replace my toothbrush.

“Yeah. I just… want something to move, then my horn glows. The thing I want to move, then moves. Then I mentally tell it where to go from there,” I say as I magicked the fork to cut another piece of omelet. I didn’t really notice it at first, but this thing’s simply divine. It was fluffy, I could taste… some cheese on this? With some salt and what felt like onions. It was surprisingly simple, but it was good.

“I mean look, that Changeling doesn’t even know what to use while eating an omelet! The stupid thing doesn’t have any table manners.” I had finally turned back into whatever Blueblood was talking about. I guess I didn’t know there was a difference in forks? Was that a crime now? Well, this guy is a snob, so it probably was.

“Just ignore him dear, that prince is… rather dull in personality and brattish,” Rarity whispered. She was seated next to me, which happened to be as far as she could sit from Blueblood. “He used me as a meat shield when cake was thrown his way! The gull of him!” She sounded like she had some history with my new cousin. Well, I barely knew my cousins, so at least I can get to know this one. Or rather, my hoof will get to meet his nose.

“And I doubt the Changeling can even speak! I doubt it can even register as a sentient, living being. I bet it can’t even think.” My head snapped as Prince Blueblood continued on his tirade. Something in me just snapped, and I suddenly felt the desire to do something incredibly illegal to this prince. Sure, I’ve lost my humanity, but I could tell what this asshole was saying:

I wasn’t a person.

“Oi, prince asshole. How much horse shit do you snort everyday?” I asked. That got the prince to gasp. He was probably pissed about me saying ‘asshole’ in the face of royalty!

“That is not how you address your prince, Changeling. While it is impressive that you can speak, I am above you and-“

“Blah, blah, blah, shut the hell up. Woohoo, you’re a distant nephew of Celestia, congrats! You think you’re above just about everybody in this room, don’t you?” I took a deep breath. And got up from my seat. “I’m just going to leave before I break your jaw. If you had a father who was good at his job, you wouldn’t be able to sit for weeks.” I let out an involuntary snort as I began to walk away. Not before I said something else though. “I will say this though: You’re a intolerable, worthless, shit stained piece of trash, that’s only kept around because you’re ‘royalty.’” I quickly scarfed down the rest of my omelet and headed for the Door. It was a shame too, it was a good omelet and I couldn’t enjoy it.

“Hold it!” I stopped, turned my head, and saw that Prince Blueblood was now walking towards me. He seemed pissed off, probably because I hurt his precious ego. “You do not insult the crown in such a manner and walk away, Changeling. You’ve just insulted all of Equestria with your foul mouth. First, you don’t address either Princess Luna or Princess Celestia by their proper titles, you couldn’t even be bothered to show proper dining etiquette, and you dare insult me?” Prince Blueblood was now in my face.

This bastard had a good head or two of height over me, and was actually almost as tall as Luna. That was good, that meant an uppercut would shut him up quicker. “All I’m hearing is a spoiled kid not getting the toy he wanted. If you want me to respect you, then start treating me with respect. I’m a person, just as you are. So start treating me like a person, and I’ll give your dues.”

“You do not deserve respect, Changeling. I, Prince Blueblood banish you from Canterlot. Go wither in the trash, like the rest of your pitiful-“ Prince Blueblood never got to finish his sentence as I sock him in the jaw. The ‘prince’ went sprawling across the floor after the blow. What a pushover, he was crying after being after one measly hit. Sure, being punched in the jaw isn’t fun, but couldn’t this bastard take a hit better?

“Oh snap!” Rainbow Dash said. I could even see a smirk grow on Rarity’s face. Chances were that she was finding some enjoyment of seeing somebody shut Prince Blueblood up. Just judging from the whole ‘meat shield’ thing she mentioned, I could probably guess that this guy didn’t know how to treat a lady. I glared down at the prince before turning around to leave.

“Hold it, Ray,” standing in the doorway was Luna. Where the heck did she come from? “Before you ask, I only saw the tail end of that. The part where you sucker punched my nephew. Now, I do understand how Prince Blueblood can be, but I would like to understand what he did, or said, that drove you into punching him in the jaw like that.” She gave me an expectant look; she wanted me to tell my part of the story.

“Prince Blueblood implied that I’m not even a person. The bastard couldn’t even be bothered to refer to me by name, and I will admit, that I probably should've ignored it. I just… found it hard to ignore what he said. After… well, y’know, I want to at least still be called a person, pony, whatever the heck the right term is. I shouldn’t have responded, but I did, and eventually I just tried to leave. My… nah, I don’t want him as a cousin, Blueblood walked up and stuck his face in mine.

“Where I come from, that meant he was sizing me up, threatening me, or challenging me. I don’t know which it was, but then he just started going on, and on, and on about how I insulted Equestria because I hurt his feelings. Something about how I don’t refer to you, or Celestia as ‘princess’ and whatnot. He then banished me from Canterlot or whatever. That’s when I punched him in the jaw.”

“And Blueblood, what do you have to say about this? Don’t even bother lying, Apple Jack is a living lie detector. And my sister has had a millennium to pick up on when somebody is lying, and so do I. Be truthful, and I won’t punish you so severely.”

“You see, this Changeling just barged into the dining hall, and scarfed down his food. I was just telling it how to have proper manners, and it went feral and attacked me! This beast shouldn’t even be-“

“Actually, you walked up to him as Ray was trying to leave. If you didn’t, and just let Ray leave, you wouldn’t have been punched in the face,” Twilight pointed out. “Ray knew that he was gonna lose his temper, and planned on leaving before he could. And… yeah, I heard what Prince Blueblood was saying about Ray. A lot of which seemed very offensive. And at some point, I could see where anypony would get mad. Blueblood insulted Ray’s intelligence, and in Ray’s words ‘implied that he wasn’t a person.’” Twilight said.

“And Ray only punched Blueblood once. Didn’t even use magic or his fangs. Just punched him in the jaw. Ah say it was a bit underhoof, but after what Ray’s been through, Ah think he’s reaching a limit of what he can take. Also, Blueblood, Ray didn’t just barge in. He walked in alongside Princess Celestia, and ah say he was being a little polite. He even tried asking Twilight what levitation was before he and Blueblood started fightin’. And as Twilight said, Ray was trying to remove himself from the situation before it got worse.”

Luna nodded, before glaring at Blueblood. “I tell you time, and time, and time again to watch how you treat others, my dear nephew. While I don’t approve of Ray lashing out at you, I am very disappointed in how you behaved. And you then have the audacity to try and spin the story in your favor. You have three testimonies going against what yours, two of which are highly trustworthy. You will not be allowed into the Royal Groomer until further notice.” Prince Blueblood’s eyes widened, but he didn’t protest. Luna then glared at me, and I shrunk back, fearing the worst.

“Next time, do not lash out at anypony. I know that this is probably going to be a rare occurrence, and I am proud of you for at least trying to alleviate the situation before it got worse, but please keep the sucker punching to a minimum. Even if the pony you sucker punch deserves it. I will leave you off with a warning. Is there anything you would like to add, Celestia?”

“Nothing that would be of use. I’d say instead of just keeping Prince Blueblood from the groomers, we put him in a soup kitchen for a time, say… three weeks. I’m certain that will teach him better, and if he even slightly mistreats anypony while he is there then his punishment will be extended.”

“And I will make sure he follows through with that,” a voice came from… nowhere? Suddenly, a weird snake looking thing appeared out of nowhere. His body was a mix of various animals. No limb was the same(I think I see a deer leg and lion leg), and I couldn’t even really describe what was before me. “After all, I personally am quite peeved about how my least favorite prince is behaving.”

“Thank you Discord, but this is quite sudden of you…” Princess Celestia began before this ‘Discord’ interrupted her.

“Think nothing of it, my dear Celestia. I think I heard him mutter something rather insulting about Fluttershy before you and your kid showed up. Congratulations by the way,” Discord suddenly willed a top hat into existence(it spawned on his head too!) and he bowed to me. “Prince Sting Ray, it is good to finally meet you. Now, I didn’t know that Celestia and Luna finally hit it off, or could give birth to a Changeling, but I will say that it’s a nice surprise! My main question would be who’s the one who gave birth?

“Though I would be naive to assume that. You’re of another world, my friend, and I find that rather interesting. You seem to be gleaming in chaotic energy, and I’m looking forward to when you finally discover the cat in the bag,” Discord then grabbed Blueblood, who was now massaging his jaw and testing if it was broken, by the tail. “We will have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future, Ray.” With that, he and Prince Blueblood were gone in a snap. Literally, Discord snapped his fingers and they were gone. I could hear Blueblood screaming as he disappeared into… whatever.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked.

“That was just Discord, the lord of chaos. Do not fear, he won’t cause harm to you. And neither will you get used to him. If you did, then Discord would not be doing his job of causing chaos everywhere in his wake,” Luna said before leading me out of the room.

“So… what now? Don’t you sleep during the day?” I asked.

“Sometimes I do, but I mainly get by on power naps. After I had missed the Changeling Invasion of Canterlot, I have decided that being nocturnal is rather… disadvantageous when there are threats present. So I’ve worked down the exact amount of time I need for a nap, and how many naps I should take throughout the day. One four hour nap at sunrise, and one four hour nap at sundown is enough to sustain me.”

“That doesn’t sound healthy.”

Luna giggled “It did take some time to adjust to, I will admit. But the results are showing nonetheless. I can take you for a walk through the Castle’s inner gardens, and perhaps even teach you to use those wings of yours,” she offered.

“Y’know what, I’m down. If I end up being stuck here forever, then I wanna learn how to use my body,” I admitted. Luna frowned for a split second at the mention of me being stuck here forever, but I waved the thought away. She was probably just thinking of how she could teach me to fly…. “On second thought, can you just show me around the castle? I’m gonna be stuck here for a couple days, weeks, months while I wait for you guys to find a way home for me. Or I find a way home myself, I dunno.”

Again, Luna frowned for a moment.

“I can go home, right?” I asked.

“You… can. It will simply take 30 moons, or roughly two or three years. We will need that mirror you came through, and then you can go home. The portal remains open for a three day period, so there will be plenty of time for us to make it when the moment arises,” Luna said.

“Wait… so if it opens up for three days, when in that three day period did I come?”

(Luna’s POV)

I took in a deep breath as I realized that I had said too much. On one hand, I could lie to Ray and tell him that he came in on the third day, and that the portal closed at midnight last night, or I could give him the truth. I did make a promise to Tia, that I wouldn’t tell Ray, but my sister’s stupid decision to keep this secret costed Ray three years of his life. Three years of his life. I’m not aware of how time moves in the other dimension, but Ray is still missing a substantial amount of time in his world.

Well, I have already said a little too much.

“I came in on the last day, didn’t I?” Ray asked, looking completely… done. I didn’t open my mouth before Ray walked over to a wall and slammed his head ino it. “Of course, of fucking course! Why the hell wouldn’t the universe just screw me over like that? I could’ve came here on the first day, and leave after the whole fisaco of being in a dungeon for a day!” Ray almost slammed his head into the wall again, but I stopped him witth my magic.

“Oh dear, did something happen?” My sister came strolling down the hallway, with the Element Bearers in tow. She was probably going to escort them down to the train station, and she walked in on this.

“Oh yeah, don’t mind me. I just realized that I’m fucking stuck here for three years. And me, being the lucky sack of shit that I am, I came through a portal during a three day period on the last damned day. I’m gonna miss all of highschool, if I even manage to get home during the next tree day time frame, then I’ll probably have to waste away in school for tree fuckin’ years. Woohoo! Lucky me!” Ray began to pace in a circle while emitting steam.

The Bearers all collectively took a couple steps back as they watched the Changeling grumble many profanities. His head was hung low to the ground. I slowly made my way over to my sister, and whispered four words: “Should we tell him?” I asked.

“I… think we have to at this point. Even if Ray would despise us until he’s dead,” my sister said. “Ray.” On a dime, Ray stopped, and looked up at the two of us. The poor child was crying. “We… have something to tell you,” my sister continued. “You did not appear on the last day the portal was open. If… anything, I believe you appeared on the first day,” Celestia said.

“You… didn’t fucking think to tell me that bit?” Ray asked. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, before they shot open again. It seemed like Changelings’ eyes changed color when they were angry. Now, Ray’s eyes were acid green instead of the calm, blue eyes that I had grown accustomed to seeing. “Celestia, Luna, how long were you two planning on not telling me?” Ray asked. “I spent a full fucking day in that dungeon for all I know, another day doing fucking nothing and sitting in a train, and during that whole god damn time I coulda gone home? And neither of you brought that up?

“Ray, do not blame Luna, it was my-“

“Don’t even fucking say anything, Celestia. I…” Ray turned around and started walking down the hall. “Fuck you both, I’m gonna grab my backpack, and I’m just gonna hop on some train. Nobody will stop me, since I’m a freak and they’ll be too scared to do anything. And hey, if they do try something, that’s even better!” Ray then stopped and glared at me and my sister with the most hate I’ve seen in a pony's eyes.

Without another word, Ray started to make his way to the Lunar Wing.

Author's Note

So, the bit at the end happened way earlier than I intended. I wanted to build up a level of trust between Ray and the Royal Sisters at first. But then by then, I personally thing Ray would still stay in the castle(since in 20 chapters, I hoped to of move through a of a couple months).

Instead, I chose this, because I wanted to have Ray seperate from Luna and Celestia(and the main cast) once the beans were spilled.

Also, I don’t think I was super clear with the last couple chapters, but Celestia just straight up didn’t tell Ray how the portal works. So maybe I should work on clarifying stuff like that, which I will try to do in the future.

Failed Runaway

I slammed my room’s door shut as I stomped in, grabbed my backpack, and slung it over my shoulder. I was pissed the fuck off, depressed, and I felt betrayed. Celestia and Luna seriously thought, for whatever reason, that keeping my chance of going home secret. Being royalty? Spending the next three of my life sitting in this room, rotting away because I wasn’t allowed to show my face? None of that was worth it. None of this is worth losing 3 years of my life.

I dug through my backpack and quickly whipped out a stack of papers… This was a book report my teacher had me do for my final exam. I got an A+ on it and I was genuinely proud of it because of how much time I put into it. I was even gonna show Mom the grade. Good thing I can’t do that for about three years, if I can even get back to the damn portal within the three day time period. I tossed them in the fireplace of my room, and realized I had nothing to set it ablaze.

With a snort, I headed for my room’s door. It’s about damn time that I leave this place. “Ray?” Are you in there?” My horn lit and slung the door open. On the other side was Twilight Sparkle. “Are… you alright?” She asked.

“Oh yeah, I’m feeling great. I just learnt that two people, that I had put my full trust in, had just prevented me from going home. I got to spend the last three damned days sitting and basically doing nothing, when the only way home was still open. I’m super glad, because I traded my chance at going home, for being studied like a dead dog, and to be royalty! So to answer your question once more, I’m just so damn happy right now.”

Luna poked her head into the door beside Twilight. This damned lady. Yes, she looked sad right now, but I don't care. I would’ve loved to sit down and see what was troubling this woman, but this is one of two people that are partially why I am stuck here. Plus it was all an act. What? Is she gonna say that she had no part in her sister’s plans? Yeah right, she probably had this planned all along.

“Ray, do not do anything rash. We can talk this out,” Luna began, but I wasn’t having any of it. I began to let the anger seethe through every single word I spoke as I opened my mouth.

“Shut it Luna. Just show me where those adoption papers went, because I’m gonna burn them and leave. I don’t wanna live in this castle, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to see you, or Celestia for the rest of my life. I don’t give a damn if you both feel remorse for this shit, I really don’t. And if you don’t tell me where those adoption papers are, then it won’t change what’s gonna happen here. I’m still going to leave.” I stormed past both mares. Neither of them tried to stop me, but they had more experience with magic than I did.

“Ray, you are making a mistake. You said that you cannot live on your own. Whatever you believe right now, does not change the fact that we do care about you. It will be very hard for you to make a living, especially as a Changeling at your age, you’ll be homeless,” Luna took a deep breath. “And I had nothing to do with keeping any means you had of returning home to myself. I thought my sister would have told you and that your three day period was up by the time you were out of the dungeon, or if you still had time, let you return home.”

I looked back and saw that Luna was crying. That was a new one, I haven’t seen her cry at all, but then again, it’s only been two, maybe three days since I’ve met her? Whatever. I almost wanted to go over and give her a hug, but my mood was beyond dead. And I simply couldn’t be asked to care. I began walking down the hall, only stopping a few times to ask for directions out of the castle. Eventually, I made it to the first floor of the castle and quickly made my way out of the gates. I was now free.

Everybody I walked past was giving me fearful looks, running away from me, or just stared at me as I strolled by. They should be scared. I’m an alien, now one of the very… monsters they fear, that looks pissed off. That’s good; nobody will bother me. The train station came into view, and a small smile grew on my face. You know what? I might be stuck in this world for a few years, but I could explore the land a bit. An adventure awaited me, and nothing was holding me back from it. Maybe learning of my guardians’ betrayal was a good thing.

As I reached the station, I found myself unable to move forward. It was like there was something holding me back from entering the station to start my life of solitude. I looked down at my body to see it glossed over in a familiar yellow hue. Somebody, and I could guess who, had either been waiting here, or followed me out of the castle. “Ray, you are not leaving.” Of course it was Princess Celestia. My body was forcefully spun around to face the Princess herself, wings flared out, glaring at me.

Well, it wasn’t really a glare. It was just a cold expression, one far from the friendly smile I had grown somewhat accustomed to, and it was kind of… unsettling. Then again, that friendly smile was just an act. This bitch has been alive for how long? Over a thousand years? Surely she’s picked up on acting skills… She was a politician after all. Lying was her job. “Ray, before you immediately turn me down, please just listen for a moment. Use reason before you end up getting yourself killed.

“Believe me if you wish to, but me, and especially Luna have grown somewhat attached to you over these last few days. I do quite enjoy your joking nature, despite your… rather rude language and rather poor mannerisms. And… once the time for your world’s portal to shut down closed, I felt terrible. Because I actively kept you away from information that could've brought you home... for unjustifiable reasons. Ray, I am terribly sorry for what I have done for you. Luna even tried to tell me how terrible my idea was, and I didn’t listen. Just… please stay, Ray. Luna and I will take good care of you, and I promise you, that we will not betray your trust again. From now on, I will be fully honest with you.”

The yellow hue was now gone, and now the two of us were just sitting, staring at the other and waiting for a move. I could accept this lady’s apology, live an easy, boring life inside that castle, or I can not do that. Sure, I did(key word, did) like both Luna and Celestia. Before it turned out that they essentially trapped me here, they were pretty nice to me. Though they probably just felt an obligation to, in order to keep me from feeling unhappy about my… imprisonment. To make it seem like I wasn’t trapped.

But Princess Celestia also did say something else, she promised to be honest with me from here on out, if I were to stay. I faked a thoughtful expression, as I already had an answer for Celestia. Sure, she seemed genuine right now, and she looked about ready to cry like Luna was. Should I stay in a castle with two people I already distrust? Well, if she thought she’d make a fool of me for a second time, she was wrong. I got up and turned to the station.

“You just wanna have me around so you can study me. You’ll suck me dry of whatever information you can get on what I am. I’m doing this out of respect for you wanting to keep my origins as top secret information, meaning I won’t say where I’m from, but… I’m not staying here in Canterlot. I’ll just say I’m from the Changeling Hive, and that’s it. You just want to learn about Changelings, to use me again. You can say you love me, you can say you’ll take care of me, and it won’t make a difference. I blindly trusted you, because I figured you’d have my best interests in mind.

“Now look at me! I’m like a bird that can’t fly. I can barely use my magic, I’m clumsy as fuck on four hooves, and I’m fucking miserable. Tree fucking days. Tree days, and you couldn't be bothered to tell me that I could still go home, lass? I assumed that either I couldn’t get home, or that you’d find a way to get me home. Then you lied to me, kept me stuck as a freak, and then I’m kept as some study thing for you. I… I can’t stay with you after that. If Luna truly didn’t have anything to do with this, I might give her another chance. Even then, I wouldn’t trust her as somebody to put my well being first.”

I got up and walked into the train station, before a purple hue stopped me. “Ray.” How many people are going to stop me? At this rate I’m tempted to just find the nearest railing and jump off of Canterlot at this rate.

“Fuck off, Twilight. This has nothing to do with you. Now let me leave; let me live my life.” I glared at the purple alicorn and she actually shrunk back. Her magic let me go, and I stepped into the station. The place was a lot nicer than it was given credit for. For what was just a place where you got on and off a train, it was really nice. Marble pillars held up the roof, that domed off into a brilliant little art pattern that I never noticed before. There were a few benches, where ponies gave me the same fear as everybody else. It was like if this place expected royalty everyday of the week.

The train doors opened and I stepped in without even needing to show that I had a ticket. Nobody even told me to get off the train. They just watched me get on the train, let me take a seat, and then moved to get as far away from me as they could. Not that I’m complaining… Some companionship would be nice, but I could probably gather some of that when I learn how to shapeshift. I probably wouldn’t get any lessons, since I probably won’t be meeting Chrysalis(she probably forgot about me already. She’s got hundreds of thousands of other Changelings to worry about, afterall) again.

I leaned my head against the window. As the train pulled out of the station, I could see eight mares standing by the train, watching it pull out of the station. It was the two princesses that adopted me, and then Twilight and her friends. Each one of them looked kinda sad, even Pinkie Pie looked deflated, and I let out a snort. I stuck my backpack underneath my seat, and threw my head back against my chair’s head cushion.

Now that I had plenty of time alone, I could begin to sleep. Maybe I can even think, since apparently I do have ADHD for whatever reason. “Do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and nodded. I didn’t even fully see the pony that asked, since I just couldn’t be bothered to care. “You know, I’ve never met a Changeling before. Can you tell me why you’re taking the train?” I glanced over, grunted and leaned against the glass. Boy did I wish my headphones still fit my head. I could use some ear plugs.

“I’m just a Changeling trying to start out a new life,” I responded before forcing myself to get a good look at the person beside me. It was a pony, obviously, and she was… actually pretty cute. Well, in the same kind of cute you’d use to describe a cute dog. Had huge, green eyes that were filled with awe and wonder. Probably because she was speaking to a Changeling and it didn’t immediately kill her. Oh, and her eyes were crossed.

She was a pegasus, with a cream colored mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a bunch of bubbles, and she had a brown bag with a cartoony muffin on it. “I was just going to Canterlot specifically for muffins… there’s this one shop, that’s pretty expensive, but really good, and they’re only doing business in Canterlot. Every now and then, when I save enough while working, I head up to Canterlot for a couple days and come home with a bag of muffins.

“My name’s Ditzy Doo, but my friends call me Derpy because…” she pointed at her eyes. “Because of these, and my poor hoof eye coordination skills. I’m a… bit klutzy.”

“That just sounds like your ‘friends’ just insult you all the time,” I pointed out.

“Yeah… they aren’t really friends. They kind of make fun of me at every point, and sometimes their words do sting a lot. And when my friends aren’t around, I’m pretty lonely. I usually spend a lot of time alone unless I’m doing a mailrun or helping other pegasi in Ponyville with the weather. Where do you plan on stopping?” Derpy asked.

I paused as I slowly began to realize something. I could very easily pick up on how Derpy was feeling. Not through means of reading her expressions, or the tone of her voice. After I pointed out that her friends suck, she did get kind of sad. In fact she kinda sounded pretty sad about her life. Ditzy was working two jobs, had no real friends, and yet still wanted to know what I, some random stranger, about what I’m doing.

“I’m probably gonna hop off the train at the first stop. I don’t know where this train’s going… I uh, just hopped on without thinking. It’s not wise of me, a Changeling, to be in Canterlot where Princess Celestia can come down and set me on fire at a moment’s notice,” I said. “So I was just trying to get out as soon as I could.”

“Why would Princess Celestia do that? She’s the most merciful ruler you’ll ever meet. She’s so wise, and she’s all about giving second chances to ponies. I’ve yet to see her do something awful to anypony, and I doubt she’s even capable. There’s not a bad bone in Princess Celestia,” Ditzy said. Hah, if only I could spill the beans on what that witch did to me. Well, I probably shouldn’t ruin her subjects’ view of her. She ruined my life, but I won’t try to ruin hers, or else I’d be no better than Princess Celestia is.

“Well, when you’re a Changeling…” I began to think of a good lie. “After we invaded Canterlot the first time, I kind of got lost afterwards. I don’t know where the heck I was, but ponies let me ride trains for free as long as I don’t suck them dry of blood or love… I doubt that Princess Celestia would be so forgiving to a freak like me. I mean, me and my kind did nearly ruin her niece’s wedding day.

“And I heard that Princess Luna is another level of scary. She wouldn’t hesitate to put me under the guillotine!”

“Actually, Princess Luna’s a big softy. She comes down to Ponyville at least once a year every Nightmare Night. She shows up in the form of Nightmare Moon to help out with the festivities and for the children. I once saw her split all off her candy offerings up to every colt and filly after each Nightmare Night. If you can get on Princess Luna’s good side, you’ll love her.”

Great. Just wonderful. I chose the one damn town that one of the Princesses visited once every year. Well, I’ll probably be seeing Luna again at some point. I hope that by then, she’ll have forgotten me. “Say, when is… Nightmare Night?” I asked.

“Why… It's a few weeks from now. Why do you ask?”

“Oh nothing. I just want time to… prepare for the celebrations. I can’t fit into pony society if I reject its national holidays,” I lied. I was going to hunker down under a bridge all night during Nightmare Night.

The two of us continued to chat until the train randomly stopped. I could get off the train here, in what I assumed was Ponyville, and risk running into Luna in the future, or I could keep seated and get off somewhere else. Well, what’s the chances she’ll recognize me? I’ll just have to learn what Nightmare Night is about, and figure out how to blend in with the crowd.

I hopped off the train alone(I lost Ditzy at some point), while ignoring the screams and the sight of ponies running away from me. I was greeted by… what looked like a nice, small, friendly, normal looking town. That is until I saw the huge, tree-like castle take up a majority of the horizon. It was made of crystals! What the actual hell? I glanced over and noticed a couple chariots near the train station, with the some of the Royal Guard stationed nearby… oh god dammit.

Without thinking, I began to casually walk past the guards. Surely they were just stationed here to look nice, right?

“Say, that looks a bit like the Changeling the other guards were talking about,” one of them said.

“How can you tell the difference? Most Changelings look the same to me,” another chimed in.

“I dunno. Should we do something about it? It looks kind of scrawny,” the first guard mused. I didn’t even think to stop, I zipped past them as fast as I could and caught a glimpse of a tall, white alicorn walking ahead of me, beside the six same ponies back at Canterlot. Were these guys looking for me or something? Jeez, not even three hours? And these ponies are already after me. I slunk into an alleyway, and hid behind a trash can.

“Why is everypony running in this direction?” I heard the distinctive southern accent of Apple Jack from where I was.

“Well, Princess Celestia is here, so I suppose they could be trying to meet her,” a new voice said. It sounded like a kid. Like his voice was really nazily, but there was a surprising amount of deepness behind it as well. It did squeak every now and then, but that was it.

“Spike, they’re running away like an Ursa Major showed up in town. Everypony’s got their tail tucked between their legs.” It was Twilight.

“Princess Twilight!” A stranger’s voice said.

“Is… something wrong?”

“Yeah, there’s a Changeling in town!” Oh great… Why do I hear wings flapping?

“Ah, there it is!” I turned around and it took everything in my power not to scream, that would reveal where I am. I ducked as the guard struck the trash can behind me. I broke out into a dead sprint out of the alleyway, which was accompanied with tons of screams and shouts about… what do you know? A Changeling! I fucking love how today is going. Why did I have to ask Luna about how if I was ever gonna head home? I could’ve been blissfully ignorant, and then be pleasantly surprised three years from now when I was offered the opportunity to return home.

Nope, I just had to ask.

I tripped after kicking the, now dented, trash can with my hind legs, and I missed the pegasus that was chasing me. Great, the guardsman already had an advantage over me, since I think it took less effort to fly than it did to run. Especially if you barely even knew how to run on four legs… I shrieked as I collided with a dead end and toppled over.

(Twilight’s POV)

“You… don’t think he ended up hopping off the train into Ponyville, do you?” I asked nobody in particular.

“Well, that train was a train for Ponyvilel. I highly doubt that Ray already had a comprehensive knowledge of Equestria, so it would he… safe to assume he is somewhere in town and not even know where he is. If Ray is here, then he probably isn't aware that you six live here, or that I make regular visits.” Princess Celestia reasoned. “If any of you manage to find him, please, please convince him to return to Canterlot. I fear that he might encounter a… more liberal pony that'll try to kill him, and will be more than willing to.”

Everypony jumped when we heard a trash can in an alleyway, it slammed into the ground and rolled until it hit the other end of the street. There was a pretty big dent in it, like somebody bucked it really hard. Sure enough, we saw a Changeling dash out from the alleyway, at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash jealous, and into another alley. Not before it attempted to kick the trash can at one of the pegasi that flew us here and nearly tripping while doing so. It looked like Ray, but it was hard to tell from a distance.

We all cringed when we heard several clangs and a loud thump. Princess Celestia immediately took off after the Changeling and Guard.

(Ray’s POV)

Ignoring the pain, or the bits of my exoskeleton that was now digging into my cheeks, I pushed myself off the ground and stumbled. I let out a screech as soon as I realized I was in the dead end of an alleyway. Either I fight or I get killed… I glanced around the alleyway, looking for anything I could use to my advantage. The Royal Guard had to be tough mother fuckers if they had to guard Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, so an outtright fight would end with me getting killed.

“Nowhere to run, Changeling. You can come quietly in chains, or we can do this the hard way.” He began to approach me as I began to formulate a plan.

I noticed a trash can lid that my hoof had fallen on. A metal helmet would probably make a hit from this thing ring. Helmets were great for absorbing shock damage, but surely a good, hard hit to a metal hemet, while it was still on somebody’s head, would hurt like hell... I hope so. The guard was now standing over me; now was my chance. I grabbed the trash can lid, with finesse that shocked me, I struck the guard in the head with it.

A ringing noise could be heard as metal hit metal, and I watched as the guard’s eyes bugged out. He fell over with his eyes wide open, but he was breathing… at least I’m not a murderer. I didn’t wanna kill somebody because they were doing their job, and this guy's job happened to be taking care of monsters like me. I panted as I began to soak in my victory. I, a teenaged, untrained Changeling managed to beat a guard. It wasn’t in proper combat, and the goard definitely underestimated me, but I won!

I fell on my rump as I began to catch my breath. I was beat, and tired. This is way, way too much excitement for one day. I shoulda stayed on the train. Note to self: If You're in a world full of ponies, and you happen to be lost, just stay on the train. A few more hours of waiting can actually save your life! The adrenaline wore out and I screamed in the raw, unhinged pain I felt.

Pain. My exoskeleton was cracked, and some bits embedded into my cheeks, chest, just about every bit of soft tissue under my natural armor, was in pain. I licked my nose, which was bleeding from the impact with the wall. Chances are that I was bleeding in several other places. My left fore leg was definitely broken(it was bent in an unnatural angle, and it fucking hurts!). I lay down flat on my side. My head was aching from its impact with the wall, likely a concussion, and my ears were ringing too.

I was probably going to die. Well, not to a car crash, old age, or even an overly aggressive muggar. I was going to die because I bled out after running into a wall. If I didn’t die, then I'd probably be in pain for weeks. I let out a humorless, dry, dead chuckle as I laid, waiting for everything to finally go black. This was it, the end. Well, this beats sitting in a castle for three years… or sitting in social studies while relearning about World War 2. I was giddy despite the pain… this is what it meant to be alive.

“Oh… my…” With a great deal of protest from the rest of my body, I lifted my head and saw none other than… Celestia. Great, just one more thing I needed to make this day perfect! “Ray, what happened to you?” The Princess asked as she took a sniff of the guard for some reason. She nodded before turning her focus on me. “And I know, you do not want to see me, but I am afraid you do not get a choice in this situation anymore.” She laid down beside me, and draped a wing over me, which actually felt nice over my damaged carapace.

“Huzzah…” I groaned as I felt my nose again… it was broken too. How fast was I running? “You’re not going to drag me back to Canterlot, are you?” I asked. I really hope she didn’t have that planned. I mean, she probably will. She claims to care, but only because I am study material. Plus it hadn’t even been what? A few hours? And I almost got killed because I ran into a wall a little too hard. I am truly the world’s worst Changeling.

“I’m afraid I will have to, but we’ll discuss the details later. Come, let’s get you to a hospital first.” She holstered me up on her back, despite the fact that my blood(which was green, what the hell?) was soaking into her pristine coat, and began to trot out of the alleyway with the unconscious guard in tow. My head began to ring and everybody cheered at the defeat, and subsequent ‘boos’ of the big, scary Changeling that was terrorizing them.

Great, I was hoping to have a double ended headache mixed in with my arising Migraine. I winced and brought my forelegs up to my ears before I started convulsing.

Author's Note

Well then, this is another bit of deviation from what I originally had planned, but I think this would be a really good telling of why Ray shouldn’t be allowed to leave Canterlot. He may want to, this certainly won’t be the last time he tries it though.

Recovery and Amends

The sound of this heart rate monitor is going to get annoying. I’ve been left in this stupid hospital room, attached to this stupid machine since last night. I’m still waiting for Celestia to come up with the new plan for me… I hope I get to stay in a dungeon again. At least then, I’d be kept away from… did ponies call Luna and Celetia the ‘Royal Sisters’? If so, then that was a pretty lousy title. I mean, it’s pretty telling of what they are, they are sisters and are royal. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. If I get left in the dungeons, then I probably won’t need to interact with the Royal Sisters for a bit, and that would be nice. While my initial anger had mostly subsided after… Well, crashing into a wall and nearly dying, I still was kinda mad.

This kind of reminds me of the time that I fell off my bike while going down a steep hill. I crashed into something, later I was told it was a fire hydrant, and I went flying. Needless to say, I needed a cast on my arm, stitches, and lots of painkillers. I was bored out of my mind sitting in that hospital. I couldn’t even really study or read since my left hand was broken(Yes, I’m left handed, well, left hoofed now. That’s if I can even really write like I could with human hands). My brother came in at some point an hour or so in with his laptop. We spent hours just watching stupid videos, because I was really grouchy while I was on pain killers, and the stupid videos my brother made helped a lot. I let out a chuckle as I recalled a video, where my brother tried to sell a box of used tissues like it was a revolutionary piece of technology.

Good thing that this time around, I had no pain killers, no laptop-wielding brother armed with videos that he made to make me laugh… My brother was going to college after my summer vacation was over. He was going to some special high school that specifically had a video editing class, which was a passion that he had. We had a whole summer planned out, sure, we’d probably be lazing about and being couch potatoes, but we had a road trip planned out at some point. Now, here I was, sitting in a hospital and miserable. I couldn’t even at least call my brother and talk with him, that would be too luxurious. I want to die.

That’s it, no rhyme or reason to it. I simply want to die. I was bored out of my mind, I was doomed to stay with a couple ponies that I currently hate, and I couldn’t even spend the summer with my brother. The real kicker is that I’m also a Changeling, and I don’t know what they are. I just know that they have their own queen, and ponies hate them. That guard that was chasing me yesterday was a pretty good sign of what would happen if I still tried to live on my own. Y’know, ignoring the big tree castle, Ponyville seems like a really nice place to live. It seemed pretty quiet, and I could probably find some old, abandoned house to live in. I could then either steal groceries, or feed off of love… I could do that right? Whatever, I have nothing to live for right now.

Well, I’d probably have to learn how to feed off of love first, and that’s assuming I don’t just let myself become a chalk outline. Well, that would also be a little too generous for me. I’d probably just get tossed in a ditch somewhere, and maybe two people would show up to my funeral. That’s if I’m lucky. If I’m unlucky, I just get tossed in a ditch, and then my corpse sits and rots without a single memory of who I was. I’ll just be known as ‘that Changeling that has a backpack, and got its ass kicked by Princess Celestia without even making a dent in her’. That’s assuming that I’ll even be remembered to begin with, so I’ll keep my hopes low. If I keep them low, then I can’t be disappointed.

The door clicked open and Princess Celestia was the first to walk in the room. Soon followed by Princess Luna, who was giving me an expression that was a mix between concern and anger. I couldn’t even wave at either of them, since one of my arm- one of my forelegs was strapped to the bed, and the other was in a sling. Do these guys fully expect that I could run away like this? I could barely run away from a Royal Guard while on four legs, so what hope do I have at getting away with three? I’d make a huge commotion by simply being out in the open, and then I’d probably get murdered anyways.

“So, am I gonna get punished for fighting against that Guard?” I asked. I went straight for the throat, not even caring if I seemed a little rude.

“You cannot even be bothered to say ‘hello’? Do you even come close to understand how worried you made me and Celestia? You leave, blinded by anger, and you end up fighting a member of the Royal Guard and that you’re drenched in your own blood?” Princess Luna asked. “You could have died, and the first thing you ask is ‘am I in trouble?’”

“Actually, I didn’t fight one of your guards and lose. I got into a tussle with a wall and lost to said wall. I clobbered the guard over the head with a trash can lid and won, thank you very much, Princess,” I chuckled humorlessly. I, a child, could take down a trained guard with a trash can lid, but got my ass handed to me on a silver platter by a wall. It wasn’t even a brick wall either, it was wood! It still hurt like hell when it happened. “Besides, I might as well get straight to the point. You and I are both well aware that… I’m not stoked to see you or Princess Celestia,” I said. I don’t know why I’ve started using… their titles instead of just names. Perhaps it was just because I was now an outsider looking in.

Before these two had betrayed my trust, they were just ‘Luna and Celestia’ or ‘Lulu and Celly’. Now they were just princesses to me. Pretty faces that smiled and waved, and I don’t think I can truly just see them as people. Or at least anybody I’d casually sit down and watch a movie with. Formalities for people you barely knew, no formalities for those you’d call family… God dammit, I really got attached to these two too quickly. What the hell was I thinking? I was shaken out of my thoughts as I realized that Luna was standing over my bed, and now I could feel just how tall she was in comparison to me.

Yeah, this is the same pony that carried me on her back without my legs even touching the floor, but now I could truly see it. Before, I came up to around Princess Luna’s neck, or her chest if you didn’t count my horn. Now, the hospital bed came around the Lunar Princess’s knees, and she towered over me now that I was forced to lie on my back. “Y’know, with an expression like that, and how you’re standing over me right now, I could make the mistake that you actually care about me, Princess. If you’re gonna toss me in a cell for assaulting a guard, you can just tell me.”

“Ray, I care about you, dammit! Get over your anger for a damned second, you idiot! I stayed by your side while you were asleep for a reason. I tried to convince you to stay in Canterlot for a reason. I took the time out of my duties to talk to you in your dreams, Ray. I did it because I care about you. I know we’ve only met four days ago, but I couldn’t help but grow attached, okay? I can tell you’re smart, I can tell that your… more humorous side isn’t something you get to show very often. I can tell that you didn’t really see me or Celestia as parental figures, but I could tell that you enjoyed our company, Ray. You are my child Ray, not by blood, but you are my son. I care about you, even if you believe otherwise.”

I shrugged, it was the only thing I could really do. “Luna, I cared. I trusted you and your sister, a little too quickly I might add. I stuck out my neck for you and Celestia. Whether you were a part of it or not, Celestia shattered any trust I had for either of you. You… I could’ve gone the fuck home, I could’ve helped my brother film something. I could’ve pretended to ignore my brother while he geeked out over some new video editing technique that he learnt at school, while secretly admiring my brother’s talents. Celestia knew that I still had a chance at going home, and then didn’t say a fucking word as that opportunity got shot like a dog.” I took a deep breath and coughed a couple times.

“There might be a time where I’m willing to stick my neck out again, Luna, I really do. I would’ve loved it if we were at least really good friends. I wish I never tried to get an answer about being able to return sometimes, that I just remained blissfully unaware. I had those thoughts while I was laying on the ground in pain, Luna. But, that time for me to trust you again… seems far and away in the future,” I took a sigh as I realized just how dry my throat was. My voice was beginning to crack a bit. “And I’m sorry if I’m coming off as a bit cold, but I don’t think I can even begin to come off as friendly with you, or your sister… especially when Celestia said she’d drag me right back to Canterlot.”

As if on queue, I eyed Celestia; I wanted her to talk. “We… will be taking you back to Canterlot in a week’s time while you recover. It shouldn’t be more than three days before you’re walking again, healing magic works wonders,” Princess Celestia said. “You will still have your room, albeit we will probably post guards by the room’s doors, just to make sure you don’t try to escape again. I will try my best to get back into your good graces again, and then we’ll begin trying to introduce you to the public. I believe Queen Chrysalis will be wanting to meet up with you in a week or two, and ask her to teach you how to properly use your body. From magic to flight, you should at least know how your body works.”

“And… you’re not taking my thoughts on this into account. Just like how you seemed to just assume that I’d be happy with knowing that I’m missing out on three years of my life. I know, I made a deal when I met you, that I’d be an ugly little bug prince, and then you can study humans and learn about Changelings from me in one go. But I was under no obligation to remain a part of your deal, Princess Celestia. I don’t want to live in a castle, I don’t want to be your ‘cute little Changeling’ kid. Hell, I barely want to be associated with you, and the fact that I’m even talking to you is a miracle.

“I don’t want to go back to Canterlot, where I don’t have to worry about anything. Being cooped up in that room, while being confined to the inside of the castle, where I couldn’t even explore Canterlot felt terrible. I’ll give you a bit of knowledge on the human psyche, Princess Celestia. When you present a human with the great unknown, or even just a new location, they will want to explore it. Even if that area’s been mapped out, if you put a person from Spain in Japan, they will want to try everything. From food, to little attractions, to just looking at views they don’t have at home. What you’re doing is essentially locking a bird up, clipping its wings, and keeping it in a cage all day.” I jabbed a finger out towards the window.

“I don’t give a damn if ponies don’t like me, I’ve stopped caring about that since yesterday. I don’t care if you think somebody’s gonna try and kill me, because I’ll feel alive. I’d rather have three years of exploration before I get to go home again. At least I’ll be making memories instead of staring at my ceiling, or reading the same book for a 257th time that week. When I got into that fight with your guard, I felt alive even if I was scared out of my mind. I’m starting to accept that I will just be missing out on a huge chunk of life back at home, so I want to fill it with something still memorable. I’m not going back to Canterlot with you, no matter how many guards you bring. I’ll fucking fight tooth and nail before I see myself inside that castle again.”

My voice died after that, I was very dehydrated, and there wasn’t one of those water bags connected in my arm. These ponies can make a working heart rate monitor, but not anything to keep somebody hydrated while they’re hospitalized. I wonder how anybody survives if they go into a coma. Both Princesses stared at me with wide eyes, and it kind of looked like Princess Luna was going to say something, but the doctor came in with… a bottle of water. “I’m sorry that I didn’t bring this in sooner, I thought the nurse would’ve done it by now.” The bottle filled with the clear, life giving liquid was set on the nightstand beside my bed.

“Anyways, I’ve got a status report, if you’d like to hear that.”

“Yes please, I hate being tied down to a bed,” I said, while trying to be nice. I wasn’t about to lash out at some guy doing their job, that would be a low blow, even for me. I don’t know how doctors and nurses are treated here, but it would still feel wrong to yell at somebody just to make sure you didn’t bleed to death. The doctor scratched his head before his eyes widened slightly. He grabbed the thing tying my good leg to the bed, and untied it. If I could, or knew how to kiss with these pony-horse-bug lips, I would’ve kissed him right then and there. First, a huge bottle of clean water, and he unties me? I think I’m in love.

“That’s odd, I specifically told the nurse to not tie you down. You’ve been nothing but courteous since you’ve arrived, Changeling. While I don’t know if you have any ulterior motives, you don’t seem like you’d lash out,” the doctor said.

“Well, I am going to listen to you. My life is kind of in your hands right now, and I don’t really see a point in being rude. You're not the one that injured me, that damned rabid wall did,” I said rather jokingly. The doctor chuckled. “I mean, what is with you ponies and your pesky walls? Just be like us Changelings, living in caverns. Houses that keep you warm during the winter? You tell me you want to live in comfort? Sounds disgusting,” I said with an over exaggerated scoff. The doctor was now laughing. Mission achieved, I made somebody laugh.

“I suppose those pesky walls that we ponies build are quite problematic. Even I find myself walking into them a couple times when I’m trying to read reports from my nurses,” the doctor said. “And quite frankly, I am with you, my Changeling friend. Let’s start a revolution against walls, buildings, screw it! Let’s protest the existence of towns! Those have hundreds of walls!” The doctor said, Wow, this was like talking to an old mate back from my hometown.

“Y’know what doc?” I asked while rubbing my chin. “You’re onto something with that. We may just have to burn down Ponyville… dammit, that’s illegal,” we both chuckled before the doctor got to business.

“Your carapace has healed rather nicely after we hit you with a healing spell. You don’t feel any sudden, sharp pains around the cracks anymore, do you?” I shook my head. “Good, that means it healed better than we thought. Your leg is going to be a problem for a few days, but nothing, some good ol’ rest and a few doses of enchanted healing pills can’t solve it. If you’d like to walk around, we do have a few leg wheels. While they’re made for ponies, I think we can make one work for you, just make sure you return the leg wheel you borrow when you’re done. Other than that, you are doing pretty good. You’re still good to perform magic while you recover, I personally recommend it, but not flying or running. You need to take things slow while your carapace heals and your leg mends. Any other questions?”

“Well… don’t I have to check in with you a week after I’m healed? I asked.

“Of course! We need to make sure you’ve healed properly… as for how we’ll do that, I don’t know. It’s not everyday that I have Changeling patients. Usually Changelings are why I find myself in the hospital,” the doctor and I chuckled. “But yes, three days to fully recover, and then a check up a week or two after you recover. I might ask you to check in a couple more times after that, but I am mostly curious as to how your carapace works, and what job it serves. Since you clearly still have bones under it and your muscles, because you have a broken leg…”

“Say doc, can I get your name sometime? You seem like the kind of pony I’d like to eat some very, very unhealthy, but tasty fast food with. I’d offer to meet up with you at a bar, but I’m only 14, and I don’t think that’s the legal drinking age around these parts, even if I’m Irish.”

The doctor nodded, before his eyes widened. “Wait what now? Do you have parents, or anybody to take care of…” the doctor turned to Princess Celestia and Luna. “I suppose you two are his guardians…” I made no comment on that. “But yeah, I think we can meet up sometime. Whenever you’re in town, just stop by and say you’re looking for Time Turner, or Doctor Turner. I heard from Ditzy, my wife, that there was a friendly Changeling on the train when she came back yesterday. So I’m assuming you're that Changeling, right?” Time Turner asked.

“I… you can say that, I guess. I am looking forward to talking to Ditzy again, she’s pretty cool,” I said. That was the first pony to speak to me like a person, without immediately being disgusted by my literal outer shell. That alone made me kinda like that pony, and this was her husband? Well, surely they have enough in common to make getting along with this guy very easy… plus Time Turner is actually kinda enjoyable to be around even while he’s being professional… he didn’t look very professional though.

Time Turner had a light brown, almost tan coat, with a long mane and tail that were a darker shade of brown. His cutie mark was… an hourglass?

“Say, I don’t know if this is rude, but why do you have that cutie mark?” I asked.

The doctor paused before shrugging. “I…” he leaned in. “I am not a pony, but I am a Time Lord. I usually go by my pony name, Time Turner while I’m here. Elsewhere I’m simply known as ‘the Doctor’ and I’m a time traveler. Only you and my wife know, so please don’t let that secret out,” the Doctor asked. He backed away and his usual cheery expression returned. “Anyways, I have quite a few other patients to check in on, so I will bid you farewell for now, Changeling. Alionsy!” I tilted my head for a second as my head began to wrap around the concept of a time traveler… Why the heck was he just being a normal, boring doctor if he can time travel?

Well, I guess you do make a lot of money as a doctor, and I suppose doing surgeries must be a walk in the park if you know how to build a time machine.

“So, about me staying out of Canterlot?” I asked after I downed some water. It was actually crystal clear, and it was delicious. I had no idea how you can make something so… flavorless taste so damn good.

“We can… make arrangements for you to stay in Ponyville I suppose,” Princess Celestia said. “But I will have to discuss the terms with the Element Bearers before I can give you a definitive answer. If how you managed to break Time Turner out of his usual professionalism says anything, then you… might be able to live amongst ponies for a time with supervision.”

“Sister, allow me to simply stay behind with Ray. My duties have little to no paperwork like yours do, and I would like to keep an eye on our little Changeling before he decides to fight another one of your guards,” Luna said. The Lunar Princess turned to me. “And while we are here, I will help introduce Ray to the rest of town, with the help from Twilight and her friends of course,” Luna said. “Plus, I will need to come down soon for my usual visit to Ponyville on Nightmare Night, so arranging me to stay and watch Ray will save some pony power that it takes to haul two alicorns to and from Ponyville.” Celestia nodded.

“Is the whole ‘Luna staying with me’ negotiable? I’d like to not live under the same roof as her so soon,” I said.

“Nope, I am staying with you, Ray. Somebody has to keep an eye on you, and I doubt you can cook,” Luna said. I sighed, knowing that I really couldn’t argue against that point.

“Alright then, it lets me stay out of that castle, at least,” I said with a small smile. I really hope that this goes over well, and who knows? I might actually like Luna again in a week from now! Like that will happen so soon.

Anyways, the two sisters left, they seemed to be in a heated discussion over what their favorite candy was, and I was alone again. I moved my hoof over to grab my backpack… it’s nowhere to be found. Did that get taken while I was knocked out? Probably. Knowing Princess Celestia, she went and swiped my phone and other electronics in there. Like it mattered now… I was really hoping to somehow get my phone charged at some point, then I can at least have something to remind me of what I’m pushing forward for.

Recovery was pretty straight forward, since I just sat and looked ugly, a few inspections of my carapace, and a few stink eyes from nurses. Time Turner came around occasionally, sometimes with Ditzy in tow, and then we’d chat for a little bit. I really don’t get why ponies seem to not like Ditzy all that well. Sure, they weren’t ballsy enough to outright insult her, but they weren’t exactly nice to her either(if what she said on the train is anything to go off). But the cyan pegasus was pretty nice. She even brought me a muffin that I tried to turn down. The sad expression she had on her face when I started saying no made me say otherwise.

It was a good muffin too, I need to ask where Ditzy bought it.

Eventually, halfway through the day, I heard a knock and a nurse poked their head in the door. “Changeling, you’ve got a couple of visitors, I’m not going to ask you if you want to see them. Not only do I think that you can’t understand me, but I’d send them up even if you could say yes or no,” she said. Grand, stuff like this really brought my mood up. I love being insulted, especially since I never really responded to anybody.

After the whole situation with Prince Blueblood, I figured it really would be best to not show a reaction, since I ended up uppercutting that asshat. So when somebody gave me the stink eye, called me stupid, or something even more flattering, then I just remained shut and stoic. I didn't wanna sucker punch anybody right now, and it just made things easier for me. Sure, my pride does hurt a little bit more with each glance, glare and insult but I’m starting to tune this sort of thing out.

Shortly after, Princess Luna strolled in with Twilight Sparkle… oh great. “Good evening, Ray,” Princess Luna bowed her head, and Twilight gave me an awkward wave. “I apologize for not showing up earlier, I was still making arrangements for where we will be staying, and fortunately, Princess Twilight has offered us a room in her castle. We were just coming to check up on how you’re doing, Ray. Are you feeling any better?”

I didn't bother to respond. I just kept my eyes on my broken leg, since the cast my arm was in became suddenly interesting. If my silent treatment technique worked on nurses, surely it’ll work on Princess Luna. “Hey Twilight, so you’re offering me and Princess Luna a place to stay, eh? That’s pretty cool of you, but I think I’ve had enough of a taste for royal, fancy shit to last a lifetime. I’d rather not be spoiled rotten by the time I see my mom again. Still pretty cool of you to let me take up a bit of space and waste the oxygen in your castle!”

“What’s oxygen?” Twilight asked.

“Something humans in my world classified as a gas. Makes up a majority of the air we breathe. There’s some other stuff too, but I can’t remember the periodic table off the top of my head. If I can, I’ll show you. I think my backpack had some assignments on the periodic table, which I aced. Dunno where my bag went, which kinda sucks though.” I stopped when I felt a weight on my bed that wasn’t me.

Luna was now knelt by my bed, allowing half of her body to lay on it. “Hey Luna, personal space? I don’t think a hospital bed’s gonna hold one teenage Changeling and an alicorn. No offense but… you’re kinda big,” I said. Luna smirked at me for some reason. “What? Did I say something offensive?” I asked.

“No, but you did call me big. That is a bit weird, to call your adoptive mother ‘big.’” She said.

“Wha?” Twilight and Luna giggled for a moment before I shook my head.

“Anyway, why are you laying on my bed?” Luna draped a wing over most of my body, and she gave a nuzzle to my cheek. It felt… actually kind of nice, and I could sense the princess’s emotions… Was that love? It was oddly sweet, and was mixed in with happiness I guess? I dunno, it was kinda sour, but pleasantly sour…. Am I tasting emotions? I shrugged. “Is this how you’re gonna win me over, cuddles and nuzzles?”

“Not just that, but after Nightmare Night, I do have something fun for us to do, which is why Twilight is here. She and her friends would like to come along with you and I, as we make rounds around Equestria. Obviously we will have to publically announce that you exist before then, but that won’t be too hard, since Twilight is also helping me with that.” I nodded as I began to process what was said.

“Wait, you’re actually listening to me? Like you actually get that I don’t wanna be cooped up in a room all day?” I asked.

“Well, unless it is opposite day, then yes-“ Luna began to struggle for air as I hugged her with my good leg as hard as I could. It didn’t take long for me to realize what I just did and I backed off. Well, as far as a crippled Changeling could.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to strangle you,” I said.

“Worry not, Ray. I… get your excitement,” Luna said. We both grinned like a couple of idiots, before Twilight butted in.

“So, are you both friends again?” She asked.

“Well, I don’t know about that one,” I said before a mischievous grin began to etch its way onto my face. “Friends? Foes? I dunno. Dunno the meaning of those, but I’m willing to bet they mean the same thing. Luna, I am now your foe!” Luna’s face contorted into a fearful expression, which quickly turned into a glare…

“Well, we shall smite thou where thou stand! Face our wrath!” Luna then gently pulled me into a hug, making sure not to upset any of the cracks in the carapace, and I couldn’t help but smile… didn’t I go off on a whole tirade about how me and Luna weren’t likely to be friends with each other for a while? Well, so much for that. I guess I’m willing to take her word, and that she really had nothing to do with withholding information that could’ve been important to me.

This Princess, no, just Luna came out all this way to make sure I was alright. She could’ve gone back to Canterlot, her home, and lived in comfort and pretended like I never existed. Yet she decided to station herself in Ponyville to make sure she could keep track of me, when I was very vocal about how I felt about Canterlot Castle. Well, whatever, I guess that’s… behind us now.

“So… sorry about being an ass yesterday when I found out well, y’know,” Luna placed a hoof on my nuzzle, effectively shutting me up.

“You were mad, and fully believed that my sister and I had betrayed you. While I had nothing to do with whatever made my sister do what she did, I did know at least a night before I told you. I would have told you right then and there in your sleep, but I had promised Tia that I wouldn’t let you know… and believe me, I’ve been called way worse by angry subjects and demonized by them for a millenium. I can take a fussy teenager, thank you.“

“I’m not a fussy teenager, I’m a vicious, cold blooded killer!” With that I used my good leg and booped Luna on the nose, and she dropped her head on my chest, like I just killed her. “God damn Luna, if I couldn’t feel you breathing, I’d actually think you were dead!” Luna smirked before she tried to take a step back from the bed.

“Well Ray, I will come retrieve you from the hospital tomorrow. I’m glad that you’re willing to give me another chance, even if it is much sooner than either of us were expecting.”

Author's Note

Holy smokes, I went a little overboard with the chapter length. My brain just shut off, and now we have ourselves a nice, long chapter. I hope it didn’t suck!

Anyways, expect chapters to not be (nearly) daily. I’m gonna start the update cycle between this story, and another story that I’m writing on a different sight.

Surprise!

“Hey Ray, wake up!” I lifted my head off my pillow… my brother was standing over me. “Hurry up, big man! I wanna show you something really cool!” I groaned as I sat up. My brother was in a tank top and some basketball shorts, which was really all he wore at home, even during the winter. How the hell Light never got cold while basically wearing nothing, I’ll never know. I dropped out of my bed and went to follow his lead into his side of the room, which doubled as his little at-home video studio.

The wall was lined with Light’s camera collection(aka old cameras that he didn’t wanna toss out), tripods, stacks of sd cards, camera straps and a spot for the camera he was currently using. Off to the side of the room was his bed, which was pretty bare bones, as it only had a blanket and a pillow. He didn’t even have a bedframe. On his bed however, sat a laptop which had Sony Vegas open, with a project. He picked up his laptop and showed me what he was working on… it was blurry for some reason, but the main thing that stood out was a well made cgi horse with characteristics of a bug.

“Yo, that is really coo-“

“oof!” I grunted as I shot awake. I was somehow on the floor of my hospital room, my blanket was underneath me, and the room was empty. I’ve long since been unplugged from the heart rate monitor, which I didn’t know why the hospital staff had me plugged into it, but I probably shouldn’t question it. I looked over as much of my exoskeleton as I could, and thankfully, there were no cracks. That was good, since that meant that part of me was healed. Despite my leg being broken, it was fine as long as I kept it in the sling. And lucky me, I landed on my back so I didn’t agitate the broken leg any further. Good thing I landed on the side of the bed closests to the door.

Well, isn’t this quite the pickle I’ve put myself in. I could barely figure out how to get up with all 4 of my legs available. And that was with the help of Princess Celestia… how was I going to get up with 3 legs and a sling? I could try levitating myself with my horn, but I still kinda struggled with anything the size of my water bottle, and I was definitely larger(and heavier) than a water bottle. “Help! Somebody? I… can’t get up,” I saw a nurse peek into the window, and they walked away. Was I really not even worth helping, nurse? Well, fuck you too, nurse. I began to just accept my new situation of laying on the floor, for what could possibly be hours, on a really crummy blanket.

I laid my head on my good left, and the door clicked open. Sure enough, as Luna said she would, she came bright and early to take me out of the hospital. “Well, hello Ray- what are you doing on the floor?” Luna asked.

“Well you see, I was having a pretty cool dream. I saw myself as a Changeling in the mirror on my brother’s laptop, and then I woke up on the floor. I tried calling for help, some nurse checked and saw me on the floor, and walked off. I know he saw me, he looked me dead in the eyes. Do ponies really not like Changelings that much? I’ve got a broken leg, and fell on the ground, and nobody could even be asked to at least check and see if I injured my leg any further? Am I really that vile of a creature that nobody would help me at all?

“I mean, I probably woulda just been left to die had Princess Celestia not found me. And if I were found while I was still conscious in the alleyway, I’d probably be dragged out and kicked and beaten until I got killed. If somebody brought me here, nobody would even give me a room without you or your sister telling the staff to give me a room. I’m that lucky, with being ‘reborn’ as a bug horse that sucks on love, and then has big, sharp fangs! Woohoo, I almost don’t want to hang myself because of that last bit! I’m a disgusting, hideous, bug that should’ve been swatted on sight!”

Luna levitated me up onto the bed, and laid down beside me. “If it is any consolation, I do not think you’re any of those things. Sure, you’ve got fangs, but by no means are you ugly. I don’t know what would classify a Changeling as ‘handsome’, but I do know this, Ray. You’re pretty nice most of the time, when nobody ticks you off, of course. You’ve given me a second chance, you seem to just want to tell jokes, and you seem like a pretty smart, young stallion. This is why I’m coming to retrieve you, actually. Once the doctor comes with your release forms, then I will be taking you around Ponyville and begin to introduce you to the populace. You’ll like the ponies here.”

“That’s… if they don’t immediately get scared of a Changeling that’s a good head shorter than them. Like seriously, I’ve compared my height to Twilight, since he’s apparently of average height for mares, and my head barely reaches the base of her neck. You are at least as tall as three of me stacked on top of each other, and I’m pretty skinny and not very muscular. Yet people still think that I’m a threat that needs to be eliminated as soon as possible,” I chuckled. “It’s kind of amusing but a little depressing too. Good thing I’m used to not having friends!”

The door clicked open again before Luna could respond. The Doctor, yo, it was Time Turner Whooves again, walked in with a couple sheets of paper. “Well Luna, everything is in order for Ray to leave today. I can offer you both a leg wheel, since that Changeling should keep the weight off of his leg. It’s mostly healed, but I personally wouldn’t want to take chances of it snapping again because it hadn’t healed properly. Just make sure Ray is either hopping along as a tripod, or at least isn’t walking on that left leg of his.”

Luna nodded. “Of course doctor,” she said after taking the papers from Time Turner. “I will ensure Ray doesn’t decide to ride a scooter down a hill at 50 gallops per hour. Is there anything else I need to do, Time Turner?” Luna asked.

“Other than making sure Ray gets some shut eye at night, not really. All that really matters is making sure your kid takes it easy for a couple days.” With that, Time Turner rolled in a wheel with a strap on it. “This is the only leg wheel in Ray’s size, so I’m sorry if it doesn’t fit well. This is in case you need it, your highness,” Time Turner grinned. “And I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Ray. Well, as long as you aren’t in a hospital. Nopony your age should be spending their days in a hospital bed, and I think you agree.” I nodded.

“You best meet me at Hayburger in a couple weeks, doc!”

“Of course!” With that, Time Turner bid me his farewells, and went off to look at another patient.

“Y’know, we really should get those adoption papers changed,” I said. Luna raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I don’t really see you as a mother, and you sometimes treat me like you’d treat a sibling. In other words, you’re like a really overprotective, older sister that happens to be the ruler of a country,” I chuckled. “And you can raise the moon, but you can’t lift my fatass for more than 5 seconds at a time.” We both chuckled.

“What can I say? You have your own gravitational pull, Ray. Though if you see me as an older sister, then I don’t mind. It’d be nice to be the older sibling for a change” I shrugged. Maybe I just liked being the younger sibling. I was then promptly strapped into the leg wheel, which was a lot like a wheel chair. Instead of sitting in a chair, it was well strapped to you, and I assumed that these things were normally strapped to the side where a broken leg is. Since Luna strapped it on the shoulder of my broken foreleg, moving around felt way easier than if I were hobbling around. And thanks to my carapace, I hardly even noticed the straps. This was way better than using a pair of crutches.

As we walked through the hospital halls, many of the staff greeted Luna and pretended like I wasn’t even there. That was fine by me, if I were to receive attention, it’d probably involve some verbal lashings, and then it’ll end with me feeling sad. I’d say physical lashings were possible. We eventually made our way out of the hospital, after Luna yelled at me for trying to walk down a staircase with a broken leg with a device very clearly not built for going up and down stairs(I got delegated to air jail for that). Now I could finally get a look at Ponyville without having the feeling of somebody chasing me.

It was a really simple town, each building looked damn near the same, white, painted wooden houses with straw(I think it was straw) roofs. You could tell that the homes were made to be well, homely, but not very fancy. You could see the framework of each house, but it kind of added to the aesthetic of the town. The roads were all paved in what looked like stones(which kinda looked like roads the Romans built), and looked clean. A couple buildings stuck out, like one that looked like a cake, and of course, the massive tree castle that took up a huge part of the horizon; Twilight’s castle.

Great, another castle to get lost in.

Aside from the castle, I could see a ton of apple trees, which likely meant that this town had a huge orchard around here. That sounded awesome! I’ve always wanted to go apple picking, but there were no orchards in Ireland, but we did have potato farms. And when we moved into Philadelphia, we were a little too deep into the city to really go apple picking. Who knows? Maybe the owner of the apple farm would let me pick an apple. Not a tree’s worth, but just one. “Princess Luna! What are you doing here so early? Nightmare Night happens in a few weeks; you’re early!”

A tan mare began to walk alongside Luna’s left side, so I couldn’t really get a good glimpse of her. What I could see was a gray, wavy mane and tail. She also had a collar with some sort of tie on it. I really hope I don’t have to talk to this pony, but there was a solid chance that Luna would make me talk anyways. “Well, somepony has to make sure that this little bug doesn’t get into trouble,” Luna took a few steps back. “Mayor Mare, this is Ray. He’s a teenage Changeling that me and my sister have found during our brief visit to the Crystal Empire. Don’t worry; he doesn’t bite!”

Mayor Mare eyes me for a second, with a small, concentrated frown. Oh great, did she think I was a freak? “No offense, your highness, but my question is why are you taking care of a Changeling? I received reports of a Changeling walking through town, scaring the daylights out of my citizens. A brave Royal Guard went to fight, said Changeling, but had fallen in the process. Eye witnesses claim to see Princess Celestia carrying a Changeling on her back; it was bleeding a lot and barely even conscious… don’t tell me this is the same Changeling.”

“Jeez, you could’ve at least asked me, the Changeling, that. Yes, I’m that Changeling that wanted to just walk through town, get a good feel for the place, since I’ve been thinking of moving here. Fortunately for me, a Guard chased me down and I hit him in the head with a trash can lid. And no, Princess Celestia did not even strike me, I ran face first into a wall and managed to break my leg. Name’s Ray, by the way,” I hung my head. “I can’t even shapeshift and you ponies still think I’m a threat? You’re a good 2 ft taller than I am, Mayor. You could probably kill me right now, by pushing me a little too hard.”

The mayor rubbed her chin as we continued onward. “I suppose, but I can’t say I fully trust you. For all we know, you could be lying, and you hypnotized Princess Luna. Sorry if it takes me a while to trust you, Ray, but I can’t take the risk if something potentially dangerous is in town.”

“Whatever. I guess trust goes both ways? I don’t think I can really trust you, Mayor. I’ve been… set back by Princess Celestia, and I don’t think I can trust you either. For all I know, you could pretend to like me in a few weeks, and then publicly humiliate me and toss me out of town for being a Changeling. Again, it’s whatever really. I already hate what I am as is, so how can I expect others to like me in turn?” I didn’t even bother with listening to any response that may have elicited. I stopped halfway on a bridge that we were crossing and stared down into the stream. It was a simple thing really, it wasn’t a roaring river, or a glorious waterfall, but it was still kinda neat. It’s not everyday that I can look into a stream and not see a heavily polluted, shit filled river.

The stream's water was crystal clear, and it was beautiful.

“Ray, come along now, we’ve almost made it to Princess Twilight’s castle,” Luna nudged me, and I started walking again. The Mayor must have noticed how I took interest in something as simple as a flowing stream, since she stopped giving me a cautious look whenever her eyes landed on me. “After we show you your room, we will begin to properly explore town… Ms. Pinkamena has a surprise planned for you as well, and I don’t think you’d want to miss it,” Luna grinned while I was left in the dark.

“That reminds me, Ray?” My ear flicked in acknowledgement to the mayor. “I hope you enjoy your time in Ponyville. I'm sorry if… I made a bad first impression, but sometimes as Mayor of the most diverse town in Equestria, I should be welcoming you with open arms. Well, you’ll probably hear this a lot at Pinkie Pie’s surprise later, but welcome to Ponyville,” Mayor Mare finished. She… was actually kinda genuine with that one? Maybe I was defective, since I could also sense that this lady didn’t like me at all. Whatever, I just won’t show up to whatever Pinkie has planned… nevermind, I’d feel awful since I think that Pinkie would’ve put quite a lot of effort into something for me, just to not want to even show up for that surprise? I should at least see what it’s like.

We both stopped in front of Twilight’s castle, which I was told was also called ‘Friendship Castle’. What was with these ponies as titles? I think Luna and her sister have at a minimum, 25 titles, Princess Cadence probably has a dozen, and so does Twilight! And what? Does this castle have at least 17 different titles and names? For all I know, I was right and this thing was also called ‘Castle of Friendship’ or something else. Before my brain could wrap itself around why a castle anybody would need as many titles as the royalty(or their homes), Luna ascended up the stairs which looked like solid gold, which led up to a golden looking door with a couple of hearts on it. It was a double door and the hearts were where both sides of the door met. There were a couple windows on each side of the door, but whatever glass was being used, made it nigh impossible to see into.

Luna gave three knocks, which I swear could be heard from Canterlot from here, which you can easily see from where we were standing. Whatever bit of the sky wasn’t taken up by this needlessly big tree, was taken up by the view of the mountain that Canterlot was sitting on, and you could even see the… I guess the capital city? From here. If I could fly, or knew how to use my wings, I could probably fly to and from Canterlot, but I shouldn’t really underestimate the distance between here and Canterlot. It did take three hours by train to get here, after all. Either way, it was a neat little detail that I really couldn’t notice when a Royal Guardsman wanted to kick my ass. The doors began to glow in a purple hue, and they swung inwards.

The main floor… was a throne room? There were six chairs, one looked like a throne, surrounding a fancy looking table. In each chair sat one of Twilight Sparkle’s friends, with Twilight sitting in… I guess the center. Off to the side was a little desk, where a pony that looked incredibly similar to Twilight, but with a coat lighter in color, instead of the pink streaks in Twilight’s mane were white streaks. She also had a cutie mark that was somewhat similar to Twilight’s, with it being a start that was followed by a trail, instead of Twilight’s big star surrounded by smaller stars. She seemed to be going over paperwork, so she was probably a secretary. I dunno, I probably shouldn’t question what the heck Twilight Sparkle does in this castle.

The six bowed to Luna for a brief moment, before their eyes fell on me. I nonchalantly waved at them, and pretended like I simply didn’t exist. These ponies were probably mad at my whole disappearing act like Luna was(albeit, Luna was more worry driven than pissed). Boy do I wish I could shapeshift right now, I could change into a wet floor sign, and nobody would bat an eye at me. “Oh my, that Guard must have done a number on you, darling,” Rarity was up in a flash, and was examining my broken leg. “When we saw you get chased by a Royal Guard, we didn’t know what would happen to you, and then Princess Celestia came out and you were a mess!”

“Yeah! You must have some seriously awesome battle scars from that, right?” Rainbow asked.

Everybody else in the room gave a halfhearted glare to Rainbow as I chuckled.

“Man, why does everybody think I got beaten up by that guard? Are you going to pretend that Princess Celestia also didn’t drag the guard’s unconscious body out of that alley too?” I looked over at myself. “No scars though, which is good. I won’t have to tell people about how I got them, if I had any scars from that whole thing. Good thing my exoskeleton leaves no marks, aside from maybe where it kinda stabbed me after I ran into a wall, but whatever,” I tried to sit down, but this damned wheel made that kinda hard… I hate this thing now. “Anyways, I knocked the guard out somehow, don’t ask how, and most of my injuries were self inflicted. Kinda went full speed into a wall, broke my nose, my leg, most of my carapace. Fun times…” Wait, none of these guys were mad about me just disappearing on them? Lucky me.

“Well, the important part is that you’re alright, and that you’re recovering. Though now I’ve got to ask, why did you think running off was a good idea?” Twilight asked. Nevermind, so much for assuming I was getting off of this scott free.

“I don’t think straight when I’m mad, I guess. Could you really blame me for being angry though? I spent what, three days since I came here, doing basically nothing. Sure, I had dinner and breakfast with you six, and y’all are pretty cool. I got to sleep in a train bed that didn’t suck, which was also neat, oh! And I got adopted by this country’s rulers for some reason. Turned out that I actually really enjoyed said ruler’s company too!” I glanced at Luna. “Oh! And then it turns out I coulda gone home during all of that, and nobody decided it would be a good idea to tell me that. Oh, and then I learn that, at a minimum, Princess Celestia actively chose to keep that tidbit secret! If anything, I should’ve been happy. I love not being able to see my family for another three and half fucking years! So much for being able to attend my own high school graduation ceremony. So much for finding love! That can wait three years. Princess Celestia wants to learn about Changelings and humans, so that comes first!

“Anyhow, I wasn’t mad, really. It’s why I thought it would be a good idea to hop on a train, and hop off at the first town it stops at. Without even learning about Equestria’s geography, figuring out where each town is, or really grasping what could happen if somebody finds me, a Changeling, undisguised out on the street or whatever. I mean, hey, I now know that I can’t live alone. Not because I can’t, but because somebody will try to kill me for being the second coming of the Antichrist!” I chuckled. “Seriously though, I wasn’t thinking straight, and I was fuming. Got to talk to this pegasus named Ditzy though during the train ride, she’s pretty sweet.”

“So in other words, you were being a teenager,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, pretty much. Except that little tantrum wasn’t so little, and the consequences,” I wiggled my leg. “Was kinda big. I learnt a new lesson in anger management though! Kill your emotions, and you can’t do any emotionally charged, really stupid decisions that might put you in a casket!” I chuckled. “I found a better solution than that though. I think I could punch my backpack for a few hours straight if I’m angry. Good thing I know where that went,” I glanced at Luna.

“My sister may have taken that back to Canterlot, she wanted to study the contents of it,” Luna admitted.

“I’ll just punch a pillow when I’m mad then, I’ll probably need one now, actually, since Mother Dearest Princess Celestia, add that to her already long list of titles, really decided to take the only thing in this world, that I still have of my old one without even asking. When my brother takes something, he at least lets me know beforehand.” I took three deep breaths before I continued. “Work her way into my good graces, my ass.” I muttered under my breath.

“Aanyways, we’ll show you your room later, Ray. Pinkie has something planned for you at Sugarcube corner, and we were just waiting for you to arrive. This’ll brighten up your mood, show you in a good light to Ponyville’s citizens, and you’ll have fun.” I nodded. “So, let’s get a move on girls!” Twilight then glanced at the pony off to the side of the room. “Starlight, do you want to come with us?”

“No thanks, Twilight. I’ve still got lots of studying to do,” this pony sounded quieter than Fluttershy does.

“I will ask my sister if she can return your backpack tonight. I assume there are some things you have in there that are important to you, correct?” Luna asked as we began to trail behind Twilight and her friends.

“Yeah, most of it was school work, but I had a couple card games, my phone, and there were a couple of books in there. It’s not a lot, but it’s really all I have. And it’ll probably be all I’ll have for a while, since I doubt I’ll be able to get a job, or really want anything else. I can keep myself distracted with my newfound ADHD and a rock, so that’s pretty cool.” I glanced ahead, and noticed that we were approaching that cake looking building, which made me somewhat excited, since it looked so weird, that I wanted to see what was inside of it.

“You know, my offer to get you some other luxuries still stands. I can get you plenty of books, tons of these ‘video games’, and perhaps even try one of those card games you claim to have. That would be better than to be playing with a rock when you have nothing to do,” Luna laid a wing over my shoulder. “Just say if you need something, and you will have it, Ray.”

“I… don’t think you should be wasting money on me. Couldn’t that money go to… railroads?”

“Nonsense, I won’t be using the Royal Treasury at your expense. I have a personal fund, Ray.”

“You still shouldn’t spend it on me. I appreciate the sentiment, but after what I pulled, I really shouldn’t be given anything. That just sounds like rewards for sheer stupidity,” I said.

“Ray, you’ve learnt your lesson already, especially with how injured you were because of your actions. But if you insist on not getting anything, then I won’t get you anything. Just say the word, however, and I will get you some more luxuries, snacks, whatever. I have nothing to spend my personal funds on anyway, since I am not affected by taxes, nor do I even have to buy food.” We hadn’t even noticed that we walked into the cake building until I realized that I couldn’t see Luna. Great, there goes that comfort, and why is it so dark in here?

Suddenly the sound of party poppers went off and a huge chorus of ponies shouted. “surprise!” Luna included… How did she get that party hat? Whatever, I didn’t take a moment to look at anything. With how many ponies were here, I was probably dead meat! With a noise that surprised me(a shriek, how lovely!,) I quickly scurried over to where Luna was, which was by the edge of the room, and hid behind her. This wasn’t a surprise, this was a death trap!

Author's Note

I know this chapter wasn’t very eventful, but next chapter should be a bit more whacky. Ray’s gonna have a fun time next chapter if he doesn’t have a heart attack.

The Welcome Party pt. 1

I peeked out from behind Luna as I began to scan the room. There was a table covered with snacks and drinks, ponies all around the room with party hats, and none of them were glaring at me. There was a banner hanging over a really large cake that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Sting Ray(and welcome back, Princess Luna) party’. There were games that I kinda recognized, and a piñata hanging around. Everybody seemed happy to be here, and then I fully stepped out from behind Luna with an awed expression.

“Come on everypony! Let’s welcome Ray to Ponyville!” I was suddenly dragged into the center of the room by Pinkie Pie, and everybody’s eyes fell on me. There were a lot of expressions, a lot of them were shocked, a couple of them were scared, and a few looked kinda mad. There were also a lot of emotions in the air, all of which mixed into one amalgamation of excitement, disgust, and anger. I really wanted to leave. Sure, a party sounded fun(since I’ve never been to any), but I didn’t expect my first party to go like this. The only seven people in the room that looked happy that I was here was Twilight, her friends, and Luna.

I really would’ve expected to have my first party in high school, y’know, as a human being. I probably woulda gotten peered pressured into alcohol or weed, and I’d probably be that quiet kid in the party that watched everybody else have fun. Instead, I’m a Changeling(or just a monster in a lot of these ponies’ eyes), in the middle of the room with the hostess of the party. I lowered my head and would’ve left if Pinkie didn’t have an iron grip. Oh boy, I can’t wait for this to end with me leaving in a body bag! Luna wouldn’t let that happen though, right?

“Hi, I’m Ray,” I managed before looking around the room for Luna again. After I got dragged away by Pinkie, I lost her. I don’t know how, since I thought it’d be hard to miss a tall, dark blue alicorn that had a physics-defying mane and tail. Or the shiny regalia that Luna wore, but I somehow lost Luna in the crowd. I glanced at Pinkie. “Are you sure this was a good idea? Everybody’s staring at me,” Pinkie only nodded.

“So, who invited the freak to the party?” A little pony, a filly if I were one to judge pony biology. She looked smaller than everybody, sounded younger than most, and had a slight squeak to it. Her cutie mark… was a diamond tiara, and she was wearing a tiara that had very fake jewels in it. She had a light, purple coat, mane, and tail. The last two had a white streak going through both of them, and no horn or wings. “I mean, it probably wasn't invited and snuck in here. It probably locked the actual Sting Ray up somewhere, and is making a poor attempt of impersonating him.”

“Actually,” I raised my good hoof, and nearly fell over. “I am Ray. I’m a Changeling, wooo,” I said with mild defeat. I couldn’t even find it in myself to be mad. I mean, in smaller groups, I could, and usually get away with it. If I were to snap here, with many, many ponies in the room, then I was bound to get beaten to a pulp. “I… I dunno. If you guys want me to leave, then I’ll leave. This can just be a ‘welcome back to ponyville’ party for Luna. I mean, we Changelings are pretty damn ugly if you ask me.” I also wanted to leave before my anger started to rise… I didn’t want to drop kick somebody half my size.

I chuckled humorlessly. “Anyways, thanks for welcoming me to Ponyville, I’ll go hide under the nearest bridge, and maybe cosplay as a dead body. That sounds fun right now-“

“Shut it, Changeling, you’re not fooling anypony around here. You’re just acting sad, so that we’ll actually accept you,” the same filly interrupted me. “Nopony is going to fall for that, especially when you couldn’t even be bothered to transform into the pony you probably foalnapped,” the same filly walked up into my face, a filly walking behind her followed suit. The new filly was kinda… pink, with big, stupid looking glasses and a pearl necklace. Her gray mane was braided. If I had to guess that these two were friends, and I was about to get ganged up on by fillies.

“Hey now, it’s not polite to insult anypony at their welcoming party!” Pinkie butted in.

“That isn’t a pony, Pinkie. It’s probably mind controlling you,” Diamond Tiara turned to the rest of the crowd. “C’mon everypony, do you expect to enjoy a party when there’s a Changeling in here?” A collective ‘no’ made my ears flatten… then I took a moment to process what was said. Of course, I wasn’t a pony, or a person at all.

“Hey Pinkie, thanks for the party again, if you need me, well, I already said where you can find me.”

A filly, a yellow one with red hair and a big, pink bow trotted forward and sat right in front of me. “So, you’re a Changelog, right?” Her southern accent was really thick.

“Apple Bloom, what are you doin-“ I looked up to see an orange pegasus filly and a minty green unicorn had managed to squeeze through the crowd, likely to stop their friend from being mauled by I, the nasty, pony-eating beasts and steals your emotions for desert.

“Ah’m just saying hello to the Changeling.”

“I have a name,” I muttered before taking a deep breath. Look at me, the big mighty Changeling was scared of two spoiled fillies, and was now fearing what three more thought of him. I’m kinda pathetic. How the heck did I manage to curse and yell at Princess Celestia, who to her subjects, is basically a god, and not have the will to yell at these children? I… guess there’s only so much of this sort of treatment that I could take before I just give up. I went from being treated like a person, somebody who could dream and have thoughts, to this. I could use with some beer right now.

“So Ray, what brings you to Ponyville?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sting Ray, yes, the Changeling, is staying with me in Princess Twilight’s castle.” I took my eyes off the floor and almost ran to Luna in relief. I was so damn tired of being here, and now that I’ve found her, we could leave. Luna draped a wing over me. “And no, the real Ray has not foalnapped, and this Changeling is in fact Ray. Believe it or not, but Ray probably isn’t much older than some of the foals in this room. He’s only 14,” Luna looked me in the eyes… She was sad. “If you feel uncomfortable, then we can leave. Maybe this welcoming party happened too soon.”

“Can you change into Princess Celestia?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Wha?” I blurted.

“Well, you clearly know Princess Luna, so you’ve got to know who Princess Celestia is! You Changelings can shapeshift, right?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I… no. I can’t shapeshift, well, I can, but I don’t know how to. Never had anybody to teach me, I almost had Queen Chrysalis teach me, but she hasn’t met up with me since she handed me over to the princesses. I’m a wee bit defective, ain’t I? A Changeling that can’t change?” My mood was beginning to lift after several ponies cringed at my pun. “I mean, how sad is that?” I chuckled a bit before sighing. “I guess I’m a really good at being used strangl’ling practice, eh? Who wants to throttle me right now?”

“To be clear, if anypony assaults Ray, you will hear from me. Believe or not, but Ray is of royal descent,” Luna said.

“Is it because his mother’s the Changeling Queen?” Somebody asked.

“Well, no. Queen Chrysalis did treat him like he was her child, however. The truth is, that me and my sister have… gotten him to sign some adoption papers, and now I’m his older sister. Well, it’s not what the papers say, but I think he holds me in a manner similar to that. Ray didn’t mind control us into adopting him, he isn’t capable of it. We took Ray in for this exact reason. If he were in an orphanage, he’d probably be beaten within an inch if his life.” The crowd started murmuring to each other as Twilight stepped out of the crowd.

“He’s not a bad Changeling either, if anything, Ray is pretty nice. The only reason why Ray’s even in Ponyville is because he wanted to get out of Canterlot for a little bit. It’s a bit too stuffy for his tastes.”

“I mean, the snobs were also kinda unbearable, and I barely even saw any,” I glared at the first two fillies. “I… I guess I can’t blame either of you for not liking me, but you both look a wee bit spoiled. I dunno how you treat other people, but I just want to give you a bit of advice,” I thought of how I should word this for a moment. “Let’s just say… if you’ve got the personality that has the same consistency of sandpaper, nobody’s gonna wanna talk to you.” I then began to scan the party room again, ignoring all the faces. Ignore the faces, tune out the whispers, live a good life.

I then saw apples bobbing up and down in a trow full of water, and completely forgot what the heck I was doing. It’s been so damn long since I’ve seen an apple, and that was at lunch on the last day of school. And those apples are always kinda sad, rotten, and probably really fake. Something in my mind clicked, and my vision locked on a nice, green apple. I wanted a granny smith right now, and there it was, floating in front if me. I almost grabbed it until Pinkie held me back.

“Ah Ray, it’s your party, but you still have to follow the rules of apple bobbing. You have one minute to grab as many apples with only your mouth!” Pinkie let me go and pulled a stop watch out of nowhere. She held a hoof over the start button, and stared at me. “Time starts as soon as you attempt to grab an apple!” I nodded and a small smile formed on my face. The other ponies around me seemed to either ignore me, or were watching me. Pinkie provided a basket for me. “Any apples you grab, you can drop in this basket, and you can keep any apples you grab. Have fun!”

I immediately snapped at the green apple and everything went hazy after I dropped it in my basket. Before I knew it, the timer went off, and I froze. The basket before me was filled to the brim with apples(all of which looked really good), and I smiled. I don’t think I’d be getting a whole lot of apples compared to everybody else here, but I had apples. That was pretty cool. Pinkie seemed to have been keeping score, though.

“You grabbed thirty apples in a minute! That’s the highest number anypony has gotten to date, not even Princess Luna could get that many!” I blinked a couple times and began to giggle like an idiot. I don’t know what the hell took over me, but apparently it turned me into an apple bobbing beast. I don’t even think I could grab that many so quickly with my hands if I still had them. I set a world record while being a defective Changeling drone… right?

“So I set a record?” I asked.

“Yup! And I think that means Princess Luna owes you something.”

“Hold it, Pinkie, do I not get a chance to at least protect my title of Apple Bobbing Champion?” Luna asked. Pinkie shrugged.

“Okie dokie! Time starts when you start grabbing apples!” Luna quickly grabbed an apple and slowly began to fill her basket up. She was moving like a blur, and it was kinda hard to keep track of what was happening. The timer went off and Luna had a smug look on her face as she took an apple out of her newly filled basket. One quick bite and she ate the whole thing. How the heck does she do that? She’d probably be able to eat a whole watermelon in one bite.

“Luna, I hate to say this…” Pinkie said as she looked over a clipboard she… where the hell did that come from? Actually, where do these ponies keep stuff? Pinkie grabbed at least three different objects out of thin air. I know Luna has at least one compartment in her necklace, which has a pair of earplugs and a couple pieces of gum. “Luna, you grabbed 25 apples, Ray has you beat by five!” Pinkie said. Luna then magicked up a medal, which was made out of wood, and placed it upon my neck.

“You little Changeling… next time I will be much faster, and I will regain my honor. Until next time, at Nightmare Night!” she growled. I kinda winced as her voice began to rise in volume. Even despite the tone, I could genuinely tell that she was only playing… mostly thanks to my new found ability to sense others’ emotions.

“You really should get into acting. I’d genuinely think you were mad if I couldn’t feel what you’re feeling,” I said. “Like seriously, you can be a terrifying villain in some plays.” Luna giggled.

“I appreciate the compliments, Ray, but I doubt I’m that good. Perhaps I could get Queen Chrysalis to teach me how to act? Surely the queen of a race, that gets by off of acting as other ponies, would be good at acting, yes?” I shrugged.

“I dunno, probably. I barely even know Queen Chrysalis, and for all I know, she could be plotting my death,” we began to wander around the party room, and a few strangers actually waved at me… nah, they were probably waving at the princess beside me. I’m pretty sure if they continued to ignore me, then these ponies could enjoy their party without having to think of the stupid little Changeling in my midsts. “Say…” I finally got to take a bite out of the granny smith I won while apple bobbing. My brain was now having a meltdown… What the heck were these apples grown with? Crack? This was a damn good apple, fresh, sweet… I dunno, I’m not a food critic, but this is really good.

“I take it that you like apples?” Luna asked.

“Well… my family usually never got apples, my parents just never went out of their way to buy them. It’s really rare for me to even have an apple, let alone one that isn’t artificial and really disgusting. Before you ask, I’m pretty sure my school got their apples out of a sewer, which is why they were artificial and bad. Whenever I manage to, I try to get an apple, because they’re great. This apple’s on another level, it’s so… perfect. Perfect consistency, flavor, and… I dunno. Words cannot describe an apple like this.”

“Well, I suppose that’s a good thing you wanted to stay in Ponyville, Apple Jack’s family owns an apple farm. Sweet Apple Acres, one of the best apple farms in all of Equestria, and I am willing to bet that it’s the best. It’s where these apples have came from. Almost nopony comes close to the Apples in terms of quality and consistency on said quality. I believe that Apple Jack would appreciate a new customer and a fan of what her family prides themselves off of,” Luna paused for a moment. “Do you think you can handle yourself while I get a snack? I won’t be long.” I nodded, and just like that, I lost Luna in the crowd. Welp, time to aimlessly wander around in hopes that I can find something else to do.

“Hey Changeling!” I stopped for a second, remembering why I wanted to leave earlier. “So… how’s mind controlling the princesses?” I glanced up to see the same couple of fillies from earlier.

“I’m not mind controlling Luna, and I can barely even tolerate Princess Celestia. Can you please, please let me enjoy my first party? I was almost starting to enjoy myself,” I said, before promptly finishing off my apple. I didn’t eat the core, as that just felt wrong. Sure, horses(and I guess ponies) could probably eat the core, but I didn’t want to eat it. I’m human, and humans don’t eat apple cores. Not without choking on the seeds at least.

“Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, if you can’t leave Ray alone, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” Oh what a relief, Twilight was nearby… actually now she was standing beside me, how the heck did she get there? “Ray isn’t controlling anybody, I’m pretty sure he has no idea what he’s doing half the time, and I, as the Princess of Friendship can’t sit back and watch my friend get harassed at his own party,” Twilight then proceeded to stare down the two fillies, who began to back away. I guess a small alicorn was still an alicorn, and alicorns already seemed kinda scary(Luna could send me to the moon).

“So… how are you enjoying the party, Ray?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll be honest, I was just sticking by Luna after apple bobbing. Nobody here seemed super fond of realizing that their newest resident was a Changeling, so I didn’t bother to talk with anybody. I can be friendly, but I can’t really go out and make friends, if that makes sense,” I scratched the back of my head. “Like, I became friends with Time Turner and Ditzy, but they were already kinda friendly, and I was friendly in turn. Next thing I know, we’re friends. I think I caught a few ponies staring me down, expecting me to do something bad… I don’t trust anybody here to not rip my head off the very moment Luna isn’t there to protect me.

“And I wasn't very social back at home either. I had my brother, and that was it. I talked to a few people when we got grouped together for a school project I could’ve solo’d, but the teachers wanted to try and get me to talk to people, and that’s it. So imagine if I were to try and make friends with strangers, who already hate me, and then realize why I haven’t talked to anybody here…” my eyes widened in recognition. Ditzy was here! The clumsy girl stumbled towards me.

“Hey Ray! I just got here, and you’re still here! So that means everypony accepted you pretty quickly right?”

“Got bullied by two fillies, accused of mind controlling my adopters, and then told by the whole party that their, not mine, party didn't want to have a scuffed, defective Changeling in it. On the bright side, I learnt that I’m pretty good at apple bobbing. I got this cool medal for outpacing Luna!” I felt a bit of pride well in my chest.. the one thing I was good at was pretty useless, but I was good at something!” It was then that Twlight butted in.

“Actually, I think I know why you were so quick during apple bobbing… you see, Changelings are usually predators, so I’m guessing you entered some sort of ‘hunting state’ when you started grabbing apples. Your eyes went from blue to green, but not acid green, just a pleasant, light shade of green. You only snapped out of it because of the stop watch that Pinkie had.”

“So… I have a cool little state that makes me hyper fixate on something, like ‘fishing’ for apples?” I asked.

“I believe so. We’ll have to see when we do a few experiments, but I have learnt something pretty interesting about Changelings from you.”

“Is it the fact that Ray’s eye color changes with his mood?” Ditzy asked. Twilight looked a bit shocked, like she hadn’t expected that to come out of my friend’s mouth.

“How’d you figure that out?” Twilight asked.

“When I first met Ray, he had red eyes, and his mood was a bit… sour. So I could assume he was at a minimum, upset about something. I’ve asked Ray about what made him so upset, but he said he couldn’t mention a word of it,” Ditzy shrugged. “I’m just assuming, since he was leaving Canterlot in a hurry, that a guard must’ve chased him, and that made him mad. Anyways, as we talked, Ray’s eyes slowly started turning into a deeper blue than what his eyes are right now, like he was starting to relax. And after I talked to Ray more, since my husband told me where he was, Ray’s eyes have always been this color. And just when Ray saw me, his eyes went minty green, before returning to the color they are now.”

Both Twilight and I blinked for different reasons. How the heck do my eyes change color, but I don’t notice? I dunno, my vision never got affected, and I haven’t looked in a mirror before.

“Ditzy, you might have just helped me crack the color code for Changeling’s eyes. You’re a smart mare,” Twilight complimented. Ditzy even blushed.

“No I’m not… I probably don’t know as much as you, or anypony that is in their fourth year of advanced learning, but I just noticed things. I have to be… kind of observant. My nickname ‘Derpy’ doesn’t come from me being cute, after all. I can’t walk into things if I pay attention, right?”

“Well, you are pretty cute. The reason why people call you ‘derpy’ sucks though. Like… you get called it for not being very well coordinated, when I think your crossed eyes are adorable…”

“Ray, stop it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were making a move on me. Luckily I do know you better than most, but please don’t use those compliments often. You’ll give my husband more material to embarrass me with,” Ditzy said.

“You know Ditzy, you are pretty cute. Not just because of how your eyes are, but because of how beautiful they are…” Ditzy hid her face in her wings as she tried to keep herself from blushing. “I must say Ray, I thank you for giving me a whole range of compliments for the fairest lady in all of Equestria! How can I repay you?” However the hell Time Turner popped in out of nowhere, I dunno. “It’s good to see you, by the way. I’m going to calm my wife down a bit, but I’ll meet back up with you soon, mate! Allonsy-!” With that, the Doctor took Ditzy and wandered off into the crowd.

“I’m going to go find my friends, don’t worry though, I’ll be keeping an eye on you. So if something seems to be going a bit south, just let me know, and I will be there to help you out. Also, I can see Luna from the punch bowl, and she’s giving the stink eye to Diamond Tiara and SIlver Spoon.” I glanced over at the snack table, and there was Luna doing just as Twilight had said. I think. I dunno, I couldn’t see what the heck Luna was glaring at.

“I.. don’t think I can see those two kids, but I’ll just believe you on that. New body, new eyes, they’re probably worse than a set of human eyes. Though… if this is a party, why are all the lights on? All I see is a disco ball, and I can tell that some of the lights are on, but not all of them,” I paused for a second. By all means, the party room should be dim as hell, but instead, I could see relatively fine. Maybe it was placebo, or I’m an idiot, but maybe I had night vision.

“Well, that’s something I should’ve guessed from how Changelings live. You actually have night vision, since from what I can see, it’s pretty dark. The only reason why I can see anything, is because of how Alicorns work. We’re a mix of everything. Pegasi tend to have much, much better eyesight than other ponies, and by extension, we Alicorns have better eyesight. Albeit, there are a couple times where Rainbow Dash can spot something I couldn’t, but she has had Pegasus Eyes long before I did.” I tilted my head in confusion before Twilight luckily answered my question. “You see, I wasn’t always an Alicorn, I was born as a unicorn. After some weird event where my friends’ cutie marks got switched around, I… became an Alicorn? I’m not quite sure what the process is called, but I just woke up in the middle of town with wings.”

“You make my new, exciting life that I’m glad to have, sound like an acid trip. What the fuck?”

Twilight giggled. “I know, I don’t quite understand what’s happening myself, especially if there isn’t a book on it. I just hope me and my friends can muddle through. We usually do.” Twilight waved goodbye, before wandering off towards… ah, Fluttershy. Anyway, Luna was still at the snack table, but her eyes were locked on me even if she knew if I could see her or not. Maybe this was some sort of test, to see how I would respond in a situation where I’m left in a room full of ponies who don’t like me. Would I get my head cut off? Could I make a friend? No. My eyes slowly landed on the exit, and I figured it was time to go. I didn’t want to risk anything being broken, I already broke my leg.

“Alright everypony! It’s time to cut the cake, Ray, since you’re the guest of honor, it would be an honor if you came up and received the first slice!” My head slowly turned with a crack(with the new neck, it kinda hurt). Great, now everybody is looking at me again, and I want to leave even more now. I nervously chuckled for a bit, before succumbing to the big smile on Pinkie’s face. Without another thought, I walked over to where the most hyperactive thing on the planet was sitting. Then Pinkie started giving off some sort of speech at light speed, and the only words I caught was ‘I’m so excited to finally introduce Ponyville’s first Changeling to-” then the hyperdrive went off. Some time later, I was handed the knife. Now, how to cut a cake without hands? I spun the knife on my hoof for a bit as I contemplated it, and my brain finally began to work for the first time tonight.

I grabbed the knife with my magic, and began to cut the cake. The knife was shaking the whole time, since my magic sucked, but I was doing it. I found myself giggling like an idiot again; using magic felt… amazing. This was probably really basic magic for anybody with a horn and the ability to think, but I couldn’t help but be giddy at the fact that my magic was actually holding out! Without thinking, I cut the cake into a bunch of surprisingly even slices, and lowered the knife onto the table with a ‘clunk’ from the blade. I didn’t grab a slice though, the cake was for everyone to enjoy, and I’m not a part of that ‘everyone’ anymore. Now… I don’t want to be here, everyone was staring at me again and I couldn’t read any of them. I want to leave-

Any sort of excitement over my magic died, and I suddenly found myself sitting in the middle of Ponyville, away from the party… How the hell did I get here? Wait, where the heck was I? Y’know what, I can still see the Castle of Friendship, or as I dubbed it, Tree Castle, so if I keep walking towards that, then I could probably not get lost. Without another thought, I began to wander through town, and only then began to realize something really cool:

“I can teleport!” I began to hop and skip, not really caring about the fact that my new found ability to teleport made me leave my own party. Whatever, it really wasn’t my party anyways, I was just kinda there, and got stared at. I’m pretty sure most of the ponies, Twilight’s friends included, were happy about my sudden disappearance. Maybe this is why I wasn’t ever a social butterfly… so many people, and I could barely stand it. There must’ve been at least a hundred ponies in that party, and… maybe I just couldn’t stand it because everybody hated me.

Again, I hated what I am, so how can anybody not hate what I am? I couldn’t even blame anybody there for hating me. I’m a Changeling, and Twilight and Queen Chrysalis mentioned that we crashed the wedding of Cadence. Logically everybody was gonna hate Changelings! I don’t even know what came over me, one moment, I was confidently walking around that party, and the next thing I know, I’m scared again?

Anyhow, after a few turns on each road, I somehow found myself outside of Sugarcube Corner again. As it turned out, the place was packed to the point that some ponies actually had to be outside so they wouldn’t overcrowd the inside of the building. I think from here, I could find my way back to Twilight's castle… I could also just scare a hotel into letting me stay, fear won me a free train ride, after all.

“There you are!” I raised my head up as soon as I heard the voice. Rainbow Dash had found me.

The Welcome Party pt. 2

“So, that whole disappearing act at the party,” Rainbow said as she landed beside me. “Why’d you randomly teleport out? Nopony was harassing you after you cut the cake, so why’d you leave? Don’t tell me a Changeling, one that apparently managed to take down a Royal Guard, would be scared of ponies watching him cut a cake.” Rainbow sighed. “You made quite a few ponies concerned about you, by the way.”

“Listen, I might have the body of a Changeling-“ I tapped my forehead. “But my brain is far from that of a regular Changeling. I knew what would've happened had that guard actually hit me across the head; I probably would have more than just a broken leg. So just imagine if I were to go up against a whole group of ponies, many of which were vocally clear about how little they liked Changelings, all decided to stare me down. I was scared of getting hurt again.

“And the whole teleporting thing? I didn’t even know that was possible, or that I could do that. I mean, I’m glad that I now have an out if things go south, but I probably can’t do that on a dime. I’m pretty sure a lot of my magic is going to be very emotionally charged; I can only do levitation because I nearly dropped my toothbrush in the toilet and didn't want to fish it out… I think this party was a bad idea, though.”

“Ray, we had to introduce you to Ponyville in some way. Not everypony is going to like you all the bat, heck, I was pretty untrusting of you the first time I met you. Just give it some time, and I’m sure these ponies will love ya. You managed to earn AJ’s trust, and you’ve got freakin’ Princess Luna! Heck, with just me and my friends, we can get most of Ponyville to trust and love you in a couple weeks. So just imagine how having a princess or two would help with that?”

I took a sigh and looked up at the sky. The moon rose in the east, and then I noticed that Luna was on the roof of Sugarcube Corner, raising it for all the onlookers to see. It was quite a funny little sight, since it was just like a really small moon raising princess standing on a really big slice of cake. Would the town like me? If one pony is to go off of, most ponies thought I was manipulating Luna and Princess Celestia in some way. Also, made ‘quite a few ponies’ worried? About me? Sounds very unlikely.

“So… Do you want me to come back to the party?” I sat on my rump. “Because… I guess I’ll go back simply because of how much effort probably went into setting this up. It is also Luna’s party, so it would make sense that as her friend, I should stay for her, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’d love it if you can come back. Heck, most of the ponies in there actually wanted to meet you after the princess said that she adopted you. They just didn’t know how to approach what they thought was a vicious, love stealing Changeling, y’know?” Rainbow then rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Say… why don’t you ever call Princess Luna… well, ‘Princess Luna’? Doesn’t that seem a bit rude to you? I mean, you call Princess Celestia a princess all the time.”

“I don’t really have a reason as to why. I started calling Princess Celestia as a princess simply because I can’t bring myself to refer to her as anything else. Take me back to when I first met Celestia, when she taught me how to get up when I was lying flat on my side? I’d probably be calling her Celly. I might’ve even started calling her ‘mom’ at some point. After I found out that she kept me from going home, by just not telling me I could go home to begin with after the means for me to go home stopped working? Yeah, no. I can’t bring myself to be comfortable or even friends with her.

“Luna, while I didn’t like her for a bit after that whole incident, I do still… love Luna? I dunno, it’s only been about a week since we met. I do think of her as a friend, so she’s just ‘Luna’ to me. Or Lulu, I sometimes call her that after I heard Princess Celestia say it a few times. Luna never told me to not refer to her as just ‘Luna’, so I never stopped. I think it’s because… she wants to show that we’re equals? I am, by law, her son. But it’d be weird to call her ‘Mom’ or ‘Ma’ when I can’t see her in such a way. So Luna it is!” I chuckled a little bit. “I’m kinda glad that Luna actually wants to take care of me, I’d probably just let myself die if I were stuck here alone.”

I jumped when a set of hooves touched the ground. “So you love me now, Ray?” It was Luna, of course. “Well, obviously not in a romantic way, but it is kinda nice to know that you do love me, or at the very least consider me a friend.” Luna’s face then darkened. “Ray, if you were uncomfortable with being in the center of the room to cut your cake, you could have said so. I am also a guest of honor, and I could have used that to keep you out of the spotlight.” She draped a wing over my back. “Now, let’s return to Twilight's castle for the night. You clearly aren’t comfortable with parties. Next time I will find a more comfortable way to get you out of your room.”

I shook my head. “Rainbow told me that she and a few ponies wanted me back in the party, so I’m going back in. It may… be a bit stressful, but if what I’m being told is true, then I’m down to go back in.” Luna nodded and the three of us trotted back into Sugarcube corner, well, I trotted. Rainbow hovered off the ground with her wings, and Luna walked at her normal pace and still outpaced me. I hated being short… If I were still human then I could run laps around Luna. Well, I still have her beat on apple bobbing!

We all walked back into the party, and everyone stopped and stared at me. “Hey, I’m back if anybody cares,” I sat myself beside the door and didn’t move a muscle. I really don’t care if these ponies actually hate me and Rainbow was just trying to get me to come back. This time, I would be next to the door, and I can leave if everybody in here suddenly hates me again. A normal pony, no wings, no horn, hobbled over to me with a cup of fruit punch and offered it to me. I almost immediately took it, but for all I know, it could be spiked with something.

“Hey… sorry about making you want to leave earlier. I wanted to come over to talk with you, but you’re kinda… scary. Also Princess Luna gave everypony who dared get near you, the stink eye. And… while Changelings are scary, an angry Princess is even more so,” he glanced at Luna. “I suppose if she isn’t being mind controlled, she wouldn’t want anypony potentially dangerous, near her newly adopted Changeling would she? I don’t want to find out what’d happen if somebody did try to hurt you.”

I chuckled. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t want anybody near me either. Y’know, my leg’s kinda broken, I just got out of the hospital. I already don’t trust most, if not all, of you ponies to not turn me into a news headline already…” I took up the offered fruit punch with thanks. “I dunno why you guys would find me scary though. I get Luna, she’s pretty scary, but I’m shorter than all of you, and I suck at fighting. A poodle could put me in the emergency room if one decided that it just really hated me for some reason. Heck, I think the only ponies I’m taller than, are literal children. And I’m probably not much taller than them. You could probably shove me over and I wouldn’t be able to stop you.”

“Well, I can kinda get that. You fought a Royal Guard and came out pretty bloody even if you knocked him out.”

“He didn’t even touch me!” I laughed. “All the blood? My leg, and even my nose? I ran into a wall at full speed, that’s how I got so fucked up,” I began to laugh even harder. “I managed to take down a Royal Guard with nothing more than a trash can, but I can’t stop myself from running into a wall,” I laughed as my new companion just gave me a quizzical expression.

“You say you’re bad at fighting? I couldn’t imagine being able to even pin a guard down, and you knocked him out with a trash can?”

“Well, only part of a fight is physical. If you know how to take up any advantage, you can probably beat up a Royal Guard like it’s nothing. I just figured that clubbing somebody’s head with a metal helmet on their head would hurt, so I went for it. If I didn't run into a wall and break my leg, the Guard probably wouldn’t have let me get anywhere near him,” I shrugged. “It’s pretty hard to take your opponent seriously after they manage to do that. Boy do I have a fun story for… all my friends at the Hive.”

We both chuckled as I took a sip of the punch after finally accepting it. As it turned out, it was pretty good, even if it did feel kinda watery. Then again, it’s not gourmet, it’s just a party drink. “I am not scary, Ray,” Luna said as she swatted me with a wing.

“Yes you are. You can raise the moon, which already weighs a few quintillion tons. I’ve yet to see what else you’re capable of, but you’re already capable of just squishing me if you wanted to.”

“I do not wish to, so you have nothing to fear. However, I was quite the force to be reckoned with during Equestria’s early years. Many duels I have partaken in, many I have come out unscathed. I even used to lead Equestria’s armies from the front lines and clear through rows and rows of enemy lines…” Luna then lifted her left leg and flexed it. It was as sharp as a diamond. “Me and my sister only look regal and dainty, but we can probably put most bodybuilders to shame. The guards in Canterlot aren’t for mine, or my sister’s protection.” She giggled when she noticed how my jaw was slacking; Luna could break my arm without even thinking about it.

Luna then glanced at the pony who was just talking to me. “However, none of our subjects have to fear from me or my sister, unless I get corrupted again, or my sister gets corrupted at some point. We obviously do not wish to massacre our subjects, behead them, or anything. I… do have a tendency to use the Canterlot Royal Voice and send ponies flying while angered, however. Luckily Twilight and her friends have helped me immensely in controlling that.” Now I want to learn how to do the “Royal Voice’, it sounds like something that could be helpful.

Soon after, another pony walked up, greeted me, and went about their day. Then another, and another. The wild thing was, all of them were being genuinely friendly! One colt even gave me a hoof bump. I couldn’t help but let a small smile form on my face as I actually found myself enjoying the party. It turned out that ponies were pretty friendly after they figured that I was just as scared of them as they were of me. I couldn’t enjoy all of the games we had, since my leg was still not in any condition to be hitting anything with a hammer or baseball bat, but now it felt like people were actually starting to be okay with me being here. Sure, I wasn’t immediately making friends with anybody, but I was just happy if these guys didn’t hate me immediately. It was getting kinda late, and I was beginning to find it hard to keep my eyes open.

My eyes drooped once, twice, and the next thing I know, my leg wheel’s unstrapped. Suddenly I’m leaning against something nice and soft, with something nice and soft draped over me. I barely managed to open my eyes again, to realize that Luna was holding me again, before they shut tight once more. My body and brain were at odds, on one hand, I needed sleep, but my brain kept telling my body that I should be on high alert. I was in a room with strangers, afterall. Anyways, after that last eye droop, I was fast asleep.

At least until Pinkie shouted into a microphone, which isn't connected to anything, that it was karaoke time. Everybody in the room began to stomp on the ground, which I guess was another form of clapping? I dunno, I always assumed that hooves stomping meant that, whatever owned those hooves, was about to kill you. “Do you want to go home, Ray?” Luna asked. “Because you looked ready to pass out a moment ago. Do not push yourself to stay awake, it’s unhealthy.”

“Aren’t you the one that is only running off of 2 power naps all day and night?” I asked.

Luna giggled. “I suppose I cannot talk, but you’re in need of some sleep.”

“Trust me, I’m gonna be fine. I… I kinda wanna see what karaoke’s like. I always heard that, unless you had a home set up, karaoke was kinda expensive to do. Never got to watch, let alone do it myself. Where I’m from, we just sing the lyrics to a song while the instrument plays, so is anything different here?” I asked.

“Well, I haven’t done much karaoke myself, but I have seen a party or two where karaoke is one of the main events. I believe it’s very similar to how it works where you’re from, but if you don’t know the lyrics to a song, you just sing your heart out, and nopony would mind or care. It’s more about having fun than actually sounding good, so don’t worry too much. That’s if you even get brought up on stage, so you can just sit back and watch if you want.” I nodded before stomping on the small hope of being brought on stage.

As it turned out, most ponies could sing somewhat well? I dunno, nobody sounded terrible, but there were a few who stood out from the rest. Twilight, who was singing something that went ‘This day’ and sounded really good. Rainbow Dash sang a lot like a heavy rock vocalist, singing some rock song that I’ve never heard of, and it was kinda surprising to hear her voice go so low. Despite how a few ponies sang pretty terribly, everyone was having fun. I was perfectly happy to sit here and watch. Pinkie Pie even sang a simple, silly song, while Rarity did a full on opera performance. Fluttershy was the only pony of Twilight’s little friend group to not go on stage.

Apple Jack did a stereotypical country song, she even had a guitar ready.

There’s no way I’d be called up on stage. “Hey Ray! What are you doing? You’re not gonna do some karaoke at your own party?” Pinkie grabbed me by the hoof and proceeded to drag me across the entire room, and onto the little stage they had set up for this thing. So much for just listening and relaxing. That’s awesome. What kinda surprised me was how… advanced the sound system looked. Most of what I’ve seen so far, technology wise, was pretty barebones. Just lights, and some basic electricity. This was a full on speaker system, with a working karaoke machine, with a wireless microphone and everything.

Despite the fact that there was a working karaoke machine that could probably play any song on it, there was a small band behind me. One pony had a violin, there was another on a piano, and Pinkie was stationed on a set of drums. I think I saw Rainbow behind me with a bass guitar, which made me wonder how the heck you’d do chords without fingers. Maybe I shouldn’t question it, but now I was on stage… son of a bitch. What the hell do I even? Well, I was kinda hoping to sing one song, so that’s pretty cool. At least now I can say I did karaoke even if it’s not how I’d imagine myself doing it, but I kinda hated not having at least somebody from my family to make fun of my atrocious, ear aching singing voice.

“One, one two three!” Pinkie’s little band began to play a somewhat slow song, which surprised me given the fact that most of the songs played were more upbeat. It was kinda familiar, and the violin kinda sold me on what I should sing, since I have no idea what this song is. It did kinda sound like this one game that had a whole message about life and death or whatever. The first chord from the piano dropped and I decided to just wing it, singing a song that I knew to a completely different melody. I took a deep breath and began to sing.

“You and I were born, right here in the same world.” I let my Irish accent seep into my voice as I continued to sing, doing my best to shoehorn this song into an unfamiliar melody, and it turned out that I was doing a semi-decent job at it… so far. “Right here in the same world, for this one brief life, we’re beneath the same sky.” I paused for a second to take a deep breath and kept on singing, the rest of the lyrics became a blur until Rainbow started to play the bass towards… what I assumed was the end of the song. “In this brief life, we’ve managed to meet, treasure this gift, the precious time we have.” I paused for a moment as I realized there was something now that sounded like a bass solo… was the song going to end? Well, it did, so that was pretty cool. I definitely sounded like a chair being scooted on a wooden floor, but I just did some karaoke.

An even slower song was playing now. How the hell do I manage… you know what? One stupid song about the importance of life? I might as well sing one joke song. “So, I have a really funny story to tell,” I say as whoever the heck was on the piano dragged out what should've been shorter. “It’s really sad too, really it is. Think of what it’s like to sniff onion juice, and you’ll get how sad I was…” I then fell flat on my face and blacked out.

“Urgh…” I found myself lying in a bed, it was nice and soft, unlike the hospital bed, and I was in… a kinda fancy room. The ceiling was fairly high, there was a nice, tall window with clear glass instead of stained glass. There was a wardrobe, a coffee table and a neat little lamp with Twilight’s cutie mark on it. There were two doors, one that was closed, and had a good number of locks on it. The other was wide open and looked like it led into a bathroom. I rolled over onto my stomach, and sat up. The room had a nice purple and pink carpet covering the entire floor, and I can even see a small table to study on. There was a coffee table with a couple cushions, one of which was occupied. My vision was still kinda blurry.

“Good morning Ray, it is great to see you again,” I blinked a couple times as my sight began to be less blurry. Sitting at my table was Queen Chrysalis, with a cup of tea, and what looked like her idea of breakfast. Said breakfast was just a simple egg sandwich. “Don’t worry, Luna knows I am here, but Twilight and her friends don’t. I doubt they’d want to see me so soon, especially since they barely tolerated me having dinner with them. Come, we have much to discuss and so much to do.” I hopped down from my bed, and found that my leg wasn’t in a sling anymore.

“How’d my leg heal?”

“When exposed to love, or even something like friendship, Changelings heal much faster. Love heals faster, but friendship can expedite your healing. I can tell how Luna was keeping watch over you after you passed out at that party, she truly cares for your well being. I can only say that you shouldn't do anything to sour your relationship for her, since as long as you keep her around, you won’t go hungry.” Queen Chrysalis took a sip of her tea as I sat down on the other side of the coffee table.

“But I can eat food, I don’t need to feed on love,” I said. The queen just laughed.

“I know you can eat food, but food barely does anything for you. You can definitely live off of food, but love keeps you energized and has some nice benefits such as healing. It also empowers your magic. While you’re a Changeling, you should have magic that isn’t nearly as good as the average unicorn, but you can outlast a unicorn if you’re filled up on love. But that’s not too big of an issue, since we Changelings can fly and use magic, so it puts us on a more even ground with pegasi or unicorns. We are also quite capable physically, but nowhere near as strong as earth ponies.”

“So we’re just nerfed alicorns?” I asked,

“Well, you are. I, as the queen of my hive, can match the princesses in many cases, and sometimes overpower them if I have a good love supply. I am trying to move past doing that however, and hopefully I can begin making progress of integrating my Changelings through you, as you could be the catalyst for a new dawn for our kind. Ponies will be more trusting of Changelings if you put us in a good light… but let’s skip over potential political advantages you can provide. You’re only 14 years old, after all, so I assume you don’t care about that stuff.

“Today, I am going to simply chat with you, then the next time we meet, I will teach you how to fly. Then we’ll teach you how to properly use that magic of yours, which is mighty impressive for a drone at your age.” I tilted my head at that. “Most drones can barely even do levitation, but you can teleport. Albeit, not at will, but that’s to be expected of a being who originally didn’t even have access to magic. So, I assume you and Princess Celestia had a falling out, since you aren’t living in her castle anymore, yes?’

“Well, it turns out that I had a three day grace period, a period where I coulda go home. Princess Celestia didn’t tell me, and told anybody who knew about that grace period, that I could’ve gone home. Here I was, assuming I couldn’t go home, or had to wait for somebody to find a way for me to go home. Nope, I could’ve been home as soon as I realized I still had a way. Now I get to wait three years before I can even consider going home, and… I didn’t take that well. It’d be like if your Changelings tossed you out of your hive, and then proceeded to not tell you how to get in before night comes.”

“I suppose I would be pretty angry if somebody were to keep me from my home. Worry not, I believe that Princess Celestia has learnt her lesson, and won’t hold such crucial information from you next time. You’re just as important to her politically as you are to me, so she’ll wish to keep you close.”

“Oh yeah, she’s doing a real nice job at that. She’s such a fountain of honesty and transparency, that she took my property and left. Didn’t even ask, just swiped it and went to study it.”

The queen giggled. “I never said she was good at making amends, did I?”

“Worry not Ray, I have procured your backpack!” An echoey voice said. Moments later, Luna appeared with a flash of dark blue magic, with my bag on her back. “I may not have asked my sister for it though, but that will be my problem later. Tia shouldn’t have taken your bag to begin with, but I suppose she assumed that she could talk you into returning to Canterlot…” Luna handed me my bag, and I had an idea. I quickly rummaged through it and pulled out my Uno deck with a huge grin. “I assume that is one of the card games you’ve mentioned having.”

“Yup, you guys wanna try it out?” Both the queen and Princess nodded.

These two were going to hate me after this was said and done. I shuffled the deck and started handing out cards. “Alright, so the goal is to get rid of your deck. You start with 7 cards, and each player takes a turn. There’s 4 colors, and you can only play a card if it’s the same card that’s currently down unless it’s a black card, but we’ll get to that when we get there. Once you get down to a single card, shout ‘Uno!’ before anybody else can. If somebody beats you to it, you draw a couple cards. There’s special cards I’ll explain as we play.” I took the first card off the deck and placed it down. “Blue cards only, unless you’ve got a black card.”

Queen Chrysalis and I placed down our cards, as Luna brewed up hot cocoa for me with her magic. She was playing with her hooves. The alicorn placed down a black card… and it was a draw 4. “So… this means that I pick up four cards, lose my turn, and you get to choose a different color.”

“I pick red!” Luna declared as a cup of hot cocoa was placed in front of me.

Chrysalis put a skip down. “Luna loses a turn,” I said. “That card skips the next player.”

Luna simply nodded, and we all simultaneously took a sip of our drinks. I placed a draw 2, explained what it did, and then we managed around with no special cards. Then, Luna got skipped over six turns in a row, and Chrysalis had to pick up four cards. On the 7th, Luna declared war against the Hive after she got forced to draw 2 cards. “Hey Luna, do you have a draw 2?” I asked. I was grinning like a mad man.

“I do, why do you ask?”

“Put those two cards back into the deck somewhere, and place your draw 2. You can stack those on somebody.” Luna began to give a genuine malicious grin as she did as told. And… next thing I know, I get thrown into the wardrobe and locked into it after 5 drawl 2s got stacked on eachother and landed directly on Luna. “This game is stupid!” Luna’s muffled, Canterlot Voice pierced my ears. “That’s it, I am declaring war on Changelings!” Chrysalis chuckled as she let me out of the closet. “And Ray, you are banned from showing off your world’s games, they all seem torturous.”

“That’s Uno for you! Back at home, it’s also called the “Friendship Breaker’. Good thing I don’t have Monopoly on me, or you woulda sent me to the moon.” Before anybody could be sent to the moon, Luna magicked all the cards together, and put them back in the case I had them in. She then glared at me.

“You’re grounded for that stupid game, by the way.”

I laughed before I found myself chained to the bed by magical chains.

Everything Will be Fine

Before me, Luna, and Chrysalis could go see Twilight and the gang, the Changeling queen decided to pull a disappearing act, and she was gone. As it turned out, showing up in somebody’s castle uninvited could lead to people getting mad at you, who woulda figured? Anyways, Luna explained to me that the only reason why Chrysalis didn’t immediately get arrested when she showed up in Canterlot, was the fact that Chrysalis claimed to be of no harm. In Equestria, it was illegal to strike at foregin leaders if they claimed to be in the country for a peaceful mission.

Now, if Chrysalis had shown up with battalions of Changelings, with plans to take over the world, then people were allowed to attack her if they so chose to. It’s also why Chrysalis wasn’t attacked, since she clearly wasn’t here to cause trouble. She had some tea, which she had probably stolen, played a card game and left. Luna even admitted that Chrysalis was pleasant to be around as long as the queen wasn’t doing anything malicious.

I never really got any of that, so it’s kinda cool that Luna explained the very basics of foreign relations. Or at least, how Equestrians deal with foreign leaders. It also explained why Chrysalis wasn’t immediately killed even if she had invaded Canterlot at some point. Like I’d want Chrysalis to get killed to begin with, she’s pretty nice. Well, she held me like I was her child, and that was a kinda pleasant feeling. Especially when your actual mother couldn’t hold you. It was nice even if I’m apparently some geopolitical pawn… I used that term correctly, right?

“So Ray, what was that song you sang during karaoke last night? Is it a popular song from your world?” Luna asked as we walked through the labyrinth that was Twilight’s castle. “It was quite pleasant, even if the lyrics were clearly not meant to fit the music you were singing to,” she paused for a moment. “And your voice mixed with your accent probably also helped quite a bit. It’s very pleasant even if I can tell that you’ve never taken part in singing lessons.”

“Well, the song I was trying to sing was called ‘Kiseki’ or ‘Miracle’ if you were to translate it from Japanese. Some company made a video game where the themes were life and death. I just sang what came to mind, and I found it kinda ironic while singing it,” I chuckled before poorly singing with my morning voice. “You and I were born, right here in the same world,” I laughed. “Ah, if only that were true. Then I wouldn’t be such a nervous wreck at parties, and I wouldn’t be a defective bug horse. Everything about me would be… normal.”

Luna swatted me with her wing. “Ray, if you were a normal Changeling, you probably wouldn’t even be alive. You’d probably attack Princess Cadence and Shining Armor would’ve taken your head off. You would be dead if you weren’t ‘defective’, Ray. I do not care if you are not from this world, I will try to get you home as soon as I can, but I will not tolerate you talking about yourself in such a manner, got it?” I quietly nodded. “Good. Now, let us gloss over that, and continue what we were talking about. You can even tell me what that video game was about.”

“I… alright,” I took a deep breath as I pushed… less pleasant thoughts back. “The game’s mostly about catching creatures and having them fight each other. At some point, the developers wanted to tell a story about life and death, and how important both of those things are… sadly the story writers kinda botched it, and like, the story isn’t as good as it could’ve been. It was kinda rushed.” I shrugged. “Not like I care too much, I did like the message no matter how poorly conveyed the story was.”

“Life and death is quite a hard subject to write about. On one hand, so many over appreciate life, while never giving death its dues. So many ponies treat death like this terrible thing, which is when it prematurely happens, but death should also be appreciated. It gives life an end, and makes you enjoy the time that you have more. It gets quite difficult to find joy if you know your time is unlimited,” Luna said.

“And lemme guess, you and your sister know from experience?” I asked.

“Of course. My sister has probably suffered from this more than I have, as I was stuck on the moon while not even being conscious. My sister has tried every single hobby you could quite possibly have, painting, writing, singing, everything. Tia can get quite bored of things that don’t revolve around her work. It’s partially because of her workaholic nature, but also because what can she enjoy if she’s done the same things for thousands of years?”

Our conversation came to an abrupt end as we entered the dining room. Well, it wasn’t as big as the dining hall in Canterlot, and this one looked more homely. “Good morning, Ray, Princess Luna. How did you two… well, how was your sleep, Ray?” Twilight asked. It was kinda like that she almost forgot about how broken Luna’s sleep schedule was. I probably would have, had I also not witnessed it myself many times. Luna needed some fucking sleep.

“Now Twilight, I did actually get some sleep as well and not just a power nap. Albeit, it was more or less meditation, I still had to attend to my nightly duties. I did manage to sleep before Ray woke up, and I… had a pleasant dream.” Luna gestured towards me.

“Well, assuming I fell asleep halfway through karaoke last night, I slept like a log. By the way, you guys need to step up security,” I casually said while Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Did somepony break into your room? Is somepony in this castle as we speak?”

“Nope. Well, I don’t think I register as a pony, so Chrysalis doesn’t either? I dunno if that’s rude, since it’d be saying somebody isn’t a person back in my world. Like, if you were to call somebody other than by name, and make hints at said somebody being beneath you, then expect a couple of teeth to be knocked out. Anyhow, I woke up to see Chrysalis sitting at the coffee table in my room. Luna teleported in, and then we played Uno.”

“Uno?” Twilight asked.

“What kind of game is that?” A new voice said. It belonged to… a little lizard guy? Lizard people were an actual thing here? Well, that probably makes me a bug guy.

“You two would not like to try it. I have tried it, and it is quite aggravating. I got skipped 6 times in a row!” Luna growled. “Humans have found a way to make playing cards, without bits on the line, infuriating and I do not know how!” Twilight and the lizard guy looked a bit lost. I couldn’t blame them either, since Luna was talking about a game neither of them had heard of. It was kinda impressive to see how mad Luna was over that after a good half hour… that’s Uno for you.

“She threw me in a wardrobe and chained me to a bed for five minutes after the game was over. Took five minutes of begging to be free, but I was freed.”

“You are lucky that adolescent Changelings have rather cute faces, or I would have left you there for a day.”

“No you wouldn’t.”

“Yes I would have, you bug horse.”

“Blue Butt.”

“Now, that is simply uncalled for. My rear end is not just blue, it is midnight blue, Ray.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Twilight face hoofing. It was probably a really funny sight to anybody who didn’t know what I was. Luna, Lunar Princess, pretty much a goddess in her subjects’ eyes, was having a stupid little insult war with a Changeling. Not even a full size Changeling, just a small one that was probably the equivalent of a hamster in ponyland. Anyhow, before our insult war could continue, Twilight slammed a few journals on the table and cleared her throat.

“Okay, I have a long checklist of things I want to do with Ray today. Luna, may I borrow him for the day?” Luna nodded. Great, now I was a Guinea pig instead of a hamster. Luna blew a raspberry at me and told me to behave myself. There was a solid chance that she was going back to her room, or was off to do paper work. “Okay so the first thing on my list…” Twilight said as soon as Luna was out of the room. “I want to give you a physical.”

“What?”

“You know, a physical. I prod at you for a bit, and write notes. You’ve got the body of an adolescent Changeling, which nopony has even seen before, and you’re probably more cooperative than most Changelings. So I would like to gather as much information from you as possible. And since… you aren’t actually a Changeling, the only information I can gather from you is physical,” Twilight explained. That… actually kinda made some sense, I think I said I’d let Twilight poke at me with a stick(my memory sucks), and I guess she could only get a physical on me.

“You won’t be poking at me in areas I’d rather keep private, right?”

“If you don’t want me to check in those areas, I won’t. I’ll try to be as noninvasive as possible.” With that, we were teleported into a little white lab where the little lizard guy, who I now know is a dragon(he just burped up fire), was sitting with a bunch of paper. “Spike, are you ready to begin helping me take notes?” Twilight asked. Spike did a little solute before going off about how he’d always be ready to help Twilight. The little fella was dedicated and I could respect that.

Anyways, Twilight began to go over my body, lightly tapping my carapace with a hammer, shining a light into my eye, and testing my reflexes. This was kinda… just like a basic checkup that doctors did all the time. There were a few extra things, like checking my horn and magic levels, examining my wings and checking my ears. And to give Twilight some credit, she didn’t poke too much and she strayed away from places I made clear that I didn't want her to see.

It may be weird, especially since it’s okay for me to walk around with clothes on, but I would still like to keep my dignity.

“Okay… double jointed limbs…” Twilight said under her breath as she shined a light into my left ear. “You could probably use the holes in your leg for a specially designed lock that only you can get into,” Twilight said.

“Wouldn’t that cost a small fortune to do? I dunno about what you think, but I definitely don’t have any money. I was flat broke before I came here, and I absolutely had the time to work a summer job in some burger place before I ended up in Ponyville.”

“Ray, didn’t Celestia and Luna adopt you? If they did, then their personal funds are also yours. You know that, right?” Twilight asked.

“That’s… where you’re wrong. Sure, I might have access to that fund, but I don’t want to take from it. Even if I loathe Celestia now, I wouldn’t wanna dry up her personal fund on stupid shit like a key hole that my leg could work with. That money’s for when she ends up going on vacation, or when she wants a little souvenir. It’s not for some stupid thing from another universe to use because he wanted something.

“It’s also just how I want to roll. If I can, I’ll try to earn the things I want. My parents drilled that into my head super good. If I wanted some cool, new toy that everyone else has, I earned it. And I earned said toy through either doing good on my grades, or just doing my chores. All that money that Luna and Celestia say I have access to is stuff I didn’t earn. All I did was show up in their niece’s storage closet, insult them a couple times after I found out that I couldn’t go home, and Luna still wants to keep me after all of that.” I sighed. “I definitely didn’t earn anything that’s happened so far. Except for the broken leg.”

“Your parents didn’t mess up on raising you at least. They made sure you knew that most things in the world aren’t free. The thing is, Ray, if Luna or Celestia say that you had free reign over their personal funds, then you have free reign with them, and they won’t mind missing a few bits. They’re the rulers of one of the strongest countries on the planet, a few hundred bits going to a hammock wouldn’t even make a dent in their wallets.”

“I’d still feel kinda shi-shiny for it.”

We both decided to just get over this stupid… I guess this stupid argument? Since it definitely wasn’t going to go anywhere. Twilight waited for Spike to finish writing down her notes, and started to ask about my world. Specifically the friends she’s made in my world. Go shocker, the five sophomores, now juniors who all shared names with friends she had in this world, were also her friends. She asked me how they were doing and what they’ve been up to.

“I honestly can’t answer that. I never talked to anybody at school, and I definitely never hung out with… any of your friends. I’ve seen them around, definitely had, or still have, a crush on one of them, but that’s it. Beyond the one person out of your friend group back at home, who I had the crush on, I barely even saw them. I mean… they look happy, I guess?” Twilight nodded.

“It’s fine if you can’t give me an answer, I was just hoping that you could tell me how they were doing. Though… it definitely hadn’t been 30 moons since I first entered and left your world, so I’m curious. How in the hay did you manage to come through the portal after just a few months?” Twilight asked.

“You think I know? For all I know, God exists and he hates me. Or maybe I just really suck at staying put.”

(Somewhere in the multiverse)

“Hey Jesus, look at this idiot I sent to another world! He’s so damn sad and depressed! That’ll teach him not to believe in us!” God said. “We should do this more often!”

“Yeah yeah, God, shut up,” Zues said. “He didn’t believe in you, boohoo! Well, guess what? Now I’m just a mere myth!”

“Shut it Zues, you’re not real!”

“And neither are yo, you stupid son of a bit-“

“Can you two dumbasses shut up? I’m trying to sleep over here!”

“Yes Jeffrey Bezos,” the two gods droned.

(Back with Ray)

Twilight shrugged. “Well, I suppose that’s all I need from you today. I’ve got to prepare for my sister in law to show up in two weeks. She wanted to spend her Nightmare Night with me, and we want to have matching costumes!” What the fuck is a Nightmare Night? I’ll probably figure it out in two weeks! I blinked, and now we were in the lobby for Twilight’s castle. “Well Ray, if you want to go explore town, you can. Personally I’d go get Luna if I were you, but I doubt anypony will try to hurt you.”

As soon as Twilight wandered off to prepare for his sister in law, I opened the door and slipped on out. The sun was high in the sky, and it was probably well past noon. God damn do these days go by fast. Then again, I spent most of a day on a train, another inside of a castle room that had no windows, and then another castle room after passing out at a party. There was probably a really solid chance that time was just moving faster because I had nothing to tell me the exact time of day.

My eyes slowly moved up and down the scenery, people were out and about, doing their daily business, and a lot of them were smiling like nothing had ever gone wrong in their lives. Now that the streets weren’t empty, and I could properly appreciate this quiet little town, this was admittedly a nice place to live. If I weren’t from out of this world then I’d love to live here. Unfortunately, I have a family back at home that I want to see again before my eighteenth birthday, so the thought of moving here slipped past my mind.

I made my way down the stairs and began to trot down the street. Nobody thought I could see them giving me weary glances, but I could. Well, so much for that welcome party, everyone was still kinda scared of me. I really hate that detail, as it meant that I was going to be getting more side eye glances, which was always fun. I wanna be treated like I’m about to stab somebody at a moment’s notice. Well, this is what I chose to let happen, since I left without Luna.

(Meanwhile)

“Sting Ray, please report to your queen’s throne room immediately. If you do not come, then you will be forced to come. Don’t test your Queen’s patience,” that message rang through the Hive Mind and it made me wince. What did I do to gather notice from Glorious Queen Chrysalis? All I was doing was sitting around, doing my job, and occasionally I would unwind with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Food was a rather rare thing in the Hive, and if anybug could get some, they were considered the luckiest in the Hive.

And here I was, with a couple boxes of instant hot cocoa, and these boxes full of cocoa powder was a rare treat for myself if my duties to my Hive began to take its toll on me. I am very fortunate, thank Glorious Queen Chrysalis for not taking my prized possession.

Anyhow, I began to make my way down to the throne room, embracing what could possibly be execution. Was my performance really that bad, that the queen would want to speak with me? If so, then that was bad. Usually if anybug was so bad at their job that the Queen herself wanted to speak with them, it was safe to assume that they were going to die. Nobug that walked into that room, for underperforming, walked back out in one piece. Often, they were dragged out in a transparent, love-honey bag.

Many other Changelings in the Hive Mind were discussing what might happen to me. What I must have done to possibly anger Queen Chrysalis, especially since according to many in the Hive Mind, I excelled at my job. Sure, I did laze about, but only after my duties were finished. All I had to do was prepare love and process it into gel for consumption. I had the science for cutting every single second down possible without screwing the job up.

In other words, I was a good worker even if I was lazy. I was fast, efficient, and actually did my job.

I stopped in front of the throne room and took a deep breath. “Good luck, Sting, the Queen is expecting you. Don’t die!” One of the guards said. Neither guard, one stationed on both sides of the throne entrance, stopped me as I stepped forward. If I die, that’ll suck, but if the Queen demands my death, then I will happily allow it. Even if there was so much that I wanted to do. I’ve never left the Hive, and I keep hearing so much about Equestria.

Equestria sounded like a terrible place, where you spend all day working to make sure you, the individual, can have a good life. That’s disgusting, since everybug and everypony should be working to better the whole. That’s how we Changelings roll, we work for the betterment of the Hive, and our own personal joys come second. That’s if we want personal joy to begin with beyond the satisfaction of serving the Hive. We only had small luxuries such as sugar, none of this fancy nancy bedding that ponies need to sleep on.

Queen Chrysalis was sitting on her throne, looking regal and as beautiful as ever. The Queen, even to us, her subjects, had an eerie feeling about her. Glorious Queen Chrysalis wasn’t known as ‘Chrysalis the Paralyzing’ for nothing, she could scare you out of your carapace even if she didn’t intend to harm you. I would’ve tried to sneak a glance at the Queen’s legs and horn, if it weren’t for the fact that she’d kill me for staring.

“You know Sting Ray, as your Queen, I know what you are thinking, correct?” I let out a squeak of fear. I was a dead bug. “Worry not,” Chrysalis let out a haunting giggle. “It flatters me that my subjects consider this old bug attractive, really. The time is coming where I would like to choose a mate, so maybe you might be the lucky one.” Suddenly her friendly, almost casual demeanor dropped. “And I wouldn’t harm one of my subjects for admiring me. At least, not the ones that aren’t in trouble.

“Now my little bug, I have called you here for a reason. I have a special mission for you, Sting.”

“What is it, my Queen?” My heart and hopes were beginning to rise. Many Changelings in the Hive Mind were beginning to protest about how unfair this was. Being able to directly serve the queen, as a guard, or a mission she, the Mighty Queen, specifically tasked you with was the highest privilege amongst Changelings. And the Queen just chose me… she knows what I’m thinking, of course she does. Chrysalis smirked as she heard everyone one of my thoughts.

“I know, you must be having the day of your life to be given a mission from me personally. However, we must discuss what your mission is, and what your role in this will be.” Queen Chrysalis stepped down and was now standing before me. “You’ve never left the Hive before, so this mission will also help fulfill your desires to see the outside world. So while I may be benefiting from this, I am considering your desires in this as well…” That was why our Queen was also called Queen Chrysalis the Generous. Also because it had a nice ring to it.

“As for your mission, I have discovered a rogue Changeling living in a small town called Ponyville. He shares your name, Sting Ray, but prefers to by as ‘Ray.’”

“So, you want me… to take him out? If so my Queen, then… I’m sorry. I just don’t feel comfortable with taking the life of a fellow Changeling, even if he has betrayed our Hive.” Queen Chrysalis chuckled.

“You need not to worry about that. I would have expected nothing less from a subject as loyal as you. I simply ask that you go to Ponyville, render this Changeling unconscious, and bring him to a rendezvous point. From there, I want you to take his form, and steal his identity and return to Ponyville. If I recall correctly, many of the ponies in town have warmed up to Ray already, so taking his identity should not be a problem. “

I nodded, prepared to do whatever it takes to capture this rebel.

(Chrysalis’s POV)

I did feel a tiny bit bad about putting a hit on young Ray, he is from another world and lost, but he could be very useful. If I were to capture him, I could perhaps… make Princess Celestia and Princess Luna bow down to me, unless they want their precious little Changeling to be beheaded on the spot. And I do like this… false Changeling, he’a a good, young drone, but I could claim revenge. And if nobody notices that I have swapped both Rays, then I get an adoptive son, it’s a win win.

“Wait my Queen, how will I know that I have met this other Sting Ray?” The drone before me asked.

“He is an adolescent Changeling, my little bug. He is conpletely incapable of transforming, meaning that locating, and replacing him should not be a problem.” Maybe that was slightly problematic. This Sting Ray was very clearly not trained to infiltrate or gather love, so he had no clue as to how he could detect other Changelings whilst disguised. Well, that’s not my problem, I just need to swap both Rays, and I will be able to set my plan in motion.

“When do I start my mission, my Queen?”

“Just after Nightmare Night, we need to prepare you for the mission, after all. You will leave for a train to Ponyville in a week and a half, with a map, train schedule, and a train ticket that I will provide. As soon as you get off the train, which I expect you to use the near five days of travel available to study your map, I want you to track down this other Sting Ray and bring him to the rendezvous point that will be marked on your map.

“Just know, that from there, you will have to pretend that you are this other Sting Ray. It shouldn’t be too hard, as I believe you two act quite similar…” That was also a new problem I had not fully thought through. Sure, I had spent a bit of time with Ray, and I knew he trusts and loves me, I haven’t spent enough time with him to get a full psychological profile on him. I was admittedly too engrossed by that little Changeling. He had a sense of humor, even if it was crude, and there was this… odd feeling that I couldn't put my tongue on. That odd feeling made me want to simply enjoy Ray’s company…

Ray was depressed. That was why I felt the desire to hold him when I was in his presence. He is an adolescent, a teenager, whatever you may call him. That alone made me want to enjoy his company, and then he was depressed. That was the odd feeling, as for why I felt the need to hold him over somebug feeling a bit down, I won’t know. Maybe it was a good thing that I can disconnect from the Hive Mind at a moment's notice. My subjects might think I have gone soft.

Perhaps after I successfully kidnap Ray, we can play Uno again. It was nice to see how mad Moon Butt got over having her turn skipped every other turn. Hay, I would like to spend more time with Ray, as I would love to learn more about him. Again, he’s a good little bug, and I do enjoy his company. If I don’t behead him, I don’t hold my punches when it comes to threats, then he will be a good adoptive son. If he’s a little uncooperative, then I can just brainwash him. For now, I won’t need to; he already trusts me.

Though I do hope that I do not have to brainwash him, it would be very hard to keep his personality intact if I do.

Author's Note

So, I had this cool idea just now. Anyhow, so much for keeping Chrysalis as the good guy, but I really couldn’t do my idea if she was playing nice.

Also dont take that bit with god seriously, idgad if you believe in a toaster or if you believe a goat can fly.

The Night Before Nightmare Night

As it turned out, Nightmare Night was a lot like Halloween in terms of what happens and how it’s celebrated. Now, me being an Irish guy who had moved to America for highschool, I never partaken in Halloween, but it did seem kinda fun. If it weren’t for the stigma that Trick or Treating was for children, I would’ve gone and done it myself. Nightmare Night was a bit different in that regard; even adults could partake in Trick or Treating, it’s just less common for adults to do so. Nightmare Night, while everybody did celebrate it in Ponyville, Trick or Treating was for the children of the town. Either way, it seemed fun. Despite Chrysalis saying that she’d teach me how to shape shift, she never showed herself since our game of Uno a week ago. Well, I probably don’t need a costume or to shapeshift anyways, since I could just pass myself off as a pony in a Changeling costume… or just not go outside.

Nightmare Night was in a couple of days.

Anyhow, you can guess my excitement when it turned out that Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, was actually the sister in law to Princess Cadence, the Princess of love. In other words, my adoptive cousin. You could probably guess how excited I was to be woken up pretty early in the morning to go meet my cousin at the train station. I wasn’t. Sure, seeing Cadence again could be fun, and we did leave on friendly terms, but I couldn’t find it in myself to be excited. On one hand, my adoptive cousin, on the other, this same cousin stuck me in a dungeon for a day. That’s fun, I want to see my warden again. At least Cadence didn’t ruin my life, by keeping certain information about being able to go home, secret. So that’s a bonus… I can get along with her.

Anyhow, here I am, waiting at the station, sitting on a bench while Luna and Twilight were practically waiting on the train tracks while waiting for their favorite niece and sister in law to show up. Surprisingly, after a week of living in town and occasionally going outside, most ponies in Ponyville weren’t even batting an eye at me. A couple of ponies would wave at me with a friendly smile, and I’d return the gesture. It’s… kinda nice to be treated like a person and not a monster. Sure, that’s going to change as soon as Luna and I go ahead and do that tour of Equestria she said she’d take me on, but while this lasts, I’m going to enjoy it. A train covered in crystals screeched as it came to a stop at the train station, and I got up to go meet with Luna and Twilight.

The first pony to come out was Shining Armor, my other adoptive cousin, and he got ready to bop me on the head. Before his hoof could come down, I side stepped it, and poked his nose. “Wow, look at me, bypassing the defenses of the captain of the royal guard!” Shining Armor looked confused for a second. “What? Did you forget about that idiotic Changeling that your aunts adopted?” I asked as I tilted my head. “If so, then that’s kinda understandable, I’d forget about myself too.” The captain’s eyes lit up as he quickly realized what he tried to do. Meanwhile, it looked like Cadence and Twilight were doing some weird dance while singing a silly little mantra; it was kinda cute honestly.

“Oh Ray! I’m so sorry… I-”

“Nah, don’t worry, you’re not the first guard to try and beat the hell out of me. I’d rather take one guy trying to punch me in the face, than having to deal with a group of ponies that give me the stink eye, wishing me death, calling me a monster, oh and my favorite! Being chased through town by a guy with wings!” I extended my hoof. “Anyways, how’s ruling an empire going?” I asked. What? I’m now related to this guy, so I should at least try to be friendly even if he was about to punch my head off my shoulders.

“I… I really don’t have much to do with ruling the Crystal Empire. I just take care of security and any paperwork that has to do with the Crystal Guard. But things have been going pretty well, everypony in the ol’ Empire’s doing well. I also heard about that guard that chased you through Ponyville, since I am still partially responsible for Auntie Celly’s guard, and even had a personal look at the stallion.” Shining Armor looked me up and down. “I’m surprised you left such a big bump on his noggin given that you’re half his size. Who knows? You might have really good guard potential!”

I laughed. “Nah, I hurt myself so badly from running into a wall that the guard chasing me thought I couldn’t fight back..” I then proceeded to explain how mine and the Royal Guard’s fight went, while Shining Armor nodded along. “And so I had a broken nose, leg, and exoskeleton. Not my greatest moment, but I’ve gotta admit, that had beat sitting in a room all day.”

“So, why did you end up in Ponyville anyway?” Cadence finally butted in.

“Oh, y’know, Mother Dearest and I had a bit of a falling out… and I kinda hate her guts,” I casually say as I look at the train car that the Crystal Empire’s rulers walked out of. Before anybody could question what I meant by that. “Say… why’s your train car still open-” I immediately shut my mouth as the slender figure of Princess Celestia stepped out of the train… oh come on! “And… now I suddenly want to go in the opposite direction of that, so if you’ll excuse me!” I would’ve been long gone, had Cadence not stopped me with her magic. Woohoo! I love having to speak to a pony I loathe!

“What happened between you and Celly? When you two left the Empire, you two were like two peas in a pod!” Princess Cadence pulled out a photo from… I’m not even going to question how she got that. It was a photo that somebody had taken of me while I was napping on the train to Canterlot. Apparently at some point, I used one of Princess Celestia’s forelegs as a head rest, and never noticed. That’s weird since I fell asleep with my head leaning up against the window. Now, on one hand, there was a chance that the Princess actually did give a shit about me. On the other, she could’ve been putting on a show so nobody would suspect that she had fucked me over.

I glanced at Luna, guessing that she was the one who took that photo, before shrugging. “If I were to say anything here, then I’d probably be breaching Celestia’s whole thing. The whole thing about me being a Changeling from another Hive, if you know what I mean.” Cadence nodded and let me go. All of a sudden, Celestia had knelt down next to me(I could now reach her neck). “So, Princess, how’s life going for you?” I asked before getting ready to turn around and leave. I don’t want to find out what the fuck Princess Celestia wanted from me now, but I don’t want to find out.

“It is… good to see you, Ray. you don’t need to use any honorifics with me, just Celestia, or Celly, would do, you know?”

“I’ll keep using honorifics and titles with you, Princess Celestia. I drop all that fancy stuff when talking to friends.” I glanced behind the princess to see Ms. Board. Great, another pony I don’t like. Everybody who didn’t know what was going on, so just Cadence and her husband, just stared at me after I had said my piece to Equestria’s dearest Princess. “Anyway, if you don’t need anything from me, I’ll let Luna and Twilight do whatever royalty does while visiting each other. I’m gonna walk on over to Sweet Apple Acres and see if I can convince Apple Jack into letting me buck apples. Or I can find Ditzy and see if we can’t chat over some muffins. Cya!” I spun around(holy fuck, I can spin on a dime now!) and trotted off.

“Hold it Ray, we’re going to head to Twilight's Castle first. From there, you can fill Shiny and I on why you suddenly hate Princess Celestia.” Oh great! The walk back to Twilight’s place was quick and uneventful. A couple ponies here and there were probably surprised to see all of their country’s leaders just casually walking down the street. I stopped to say hello to Ditzy, who was doing a mailrun(found out that she did that while eating at some weird burger joint with her and Time Turner. It stressed her out.), but a word wasn’t spoken since we left the train station. We walked through the front doors of the Castle of Friendship, and took a turn into what looked like a meeting room.

“So… Ray, what’s happened between you and Celly?” Cadence asked.

I began to laugh like an idiot, of course the Princess Perfect wouldn’t let anybody know what the fuck she had done to me. Of course! Why would she dare tarnish her own reputation! After I calmed myself down, I gave an abridged version of what had happened. From finding out the fun little secret, to storming out of the castle, to getting on a train to Ponyville. I quickly glossed over my incredibly fun welcoming party of 2: Me and the Guard. “And then Princess Sunbutt over there took my backpack without even telling me! Boy am I glad that she tried her best at getting me to forgive her!” I took a deep breath. “I especially love the part where she also wanted to drag me back to Canterlot, like I’d happily follow her anywhere!

“Anyways, I coulda gone home. I coulda, but my family is very understanding. They definitely loved the part where I went missing without a trace. They’ll understand this is one big, measly misunderstanding while they plan out my funeral…” I tapped my chin a couple of times and smiled. “Oh, I’ve been here for almost a month! That means my funeral’s been planned by now, and boy am I glad that I can’t go and hug any of them, and tell them I’m alive and well!” I glanced at Luna with a small smile. “Luna’s been doing a good job at keeping me from turning myself into a chalk outline, at least.” Luckily, The mentioned Luna was seated conveniently next to me, and close enough to lean my head on if I so chose.

Princess Celestia held her gaze on her hooves, which she had rested on the table during my whole spill. Seriously, if I actually wanted to be friends with this woman again, she’d have to do a damn good job at gaining my trust again. So what if she looked like she was about to cry, it wasn’t my problem, she caused one of my problems and, inadvertently, caused some of my own problems. Everybody in the room was silent as I gave Luna a hug, which shocked her, and left the room. These next few days were gonna suck if I stayed around any longer… and I would rather not end up being hostile towards Princess Celestia if I spent too much time around her.

I’m just going to go find Ditzy again and help her with the mail. Who knows? I might be the best Changeling postman to ever exist in Equestria!

The next couple of days became a blur as it was mostly just me avoiding everybody in the castle. I spent a lot of time helping Ditzy with mail runs, she was grateful for this, as she always ended her routes ahead of schedule when I did, which meant more free time for her. She even tried to get the post office to pay me for my work, even if I said I didn’t need the money, but it was a nice surprise to receive a small bag full of gold coins to call my own. I even got a job offer to officially work at the post office if I ever desired… Ditzy may have left out the detail that I was a Changeling since she personally delivered my payment.

Now I was sitting in the market, enjoying a small snack after helping Ditzy with the mail(Ditzy went home after her mailrun; she was up since 4:00am. What the hell?). I kinda… liked the job surprisingly. While I wasn’t officially hired, I was essentially an under the table employee of the post office. The pay, as far as I could tell, was decent. I got to be out of the castle, I even got to chat with Ditzy since we now shared a route since all I did was help her on her route. And it helped with learning the layout of Ponyville. It turned out that french fries were a thing here, so here I was.

I was given side glances, which I found kinda funny. Any other time and I’d assume everybody was disgusted by my existence, but I just imagined what else was going through these ponies’ heads. They’re probably surprised to see a Changeling, who they probably thought only ate love, casually munching on a basket of fries. Nobody seemed to really be throwing a whole fuss about me being here, so I kept on eating. These fries were damn good.

“There you are, Ray!” I looked up from my food and sighed. Cadence trotted up to the little table I was seated at, she had a little thing of pretzels suspended in her magic. Noticeably, her crown was missing, but she still wore her necklace and horseshoes. “I’ve been hoping to spend some time with you, but you’re never in the castle! And whenever you are, you hide in your room for some reason. Mind if I sit with you?” I shook my head and Cadence promptly sat at my table.

“So, why aren’t you spending any time in the castle? It’s not Celly is it?” Cadence asked.

“Well, kinda. I can probably assume that you don’t get to spend a lot of time with Luna, Princess Celestia, or Twilight; you’ve got an empire to run after all. You guys are probably really busy with all your duties, and this week is probably one of the few occasions you have nothing to worry about. Figured you guys would rather not have me being in the way, with how little I try to hide my distaste for Princess Celestia. So I found Ditzy on a mailrun, lent a hand, and Ditzy managed to make it so I get paid for doing so. So I spent the last couple days doing just that.

“It’s kinda relaxing honestly. Just wander around, since I don’t know how to fly at all, and deposit the right letters and packages at the right door steps. I might even try to actually apply for an actual position, but chances are that I’ll get turned down. I’m probably too young to be working to begin with, and I’m a Changeling. Plus, if I get an actual position, then I’d have to do mail runs in other towns and cities apparently.”

“But… you have access to Luna and Celly’s personal funds. Why would you want a job?”

“Well… it’s just something to do, honestly. I like to keep myself busy, and sitting in a room is not one of the ways I am kept busy. Plus, not having to annoy Luna for a basket of fries is pretty cool. I just like less of an ass if I use money that I’ve earned and worked for.” I then lifted a fry with my magic. “So, why’d you wanna spend time with me? Don’t you got a whole sister in law and two aunts to hang out with? I highly doubt that I’m as interesting as any of those people. I’m just some bum that woke up in your closet? Storage room? I dunno.”

Cadence glared at me. “Ray, I want to spend time with you, because you’re family. I also have all the time in the world to visit Twilight, or my aunts. I’ve got 3 years to get to know you, assuming you don’t want to stay here, so I may as well use that time getting to know you…” she leaned in. “And between you and me, I’m just excited to have a cousin that isn’t Prince Blueblood. I love my cousin, but he’s a bit of…”

“A donkey?” I asked.

“Now that’s just rude to donkeys. I know quite a few that are lovely to have in my company.”

“Shoulda figured that. Blueblood’s such a sack of shit, that I actually punched the bastard. I almost tuned him out too, but… how the heck does nobody just slap Blueblood in the face and tell him to shut up?” I asked.

“Well… wait a second, you punched Blueblood?” I nodded. “In the face?” I nodded again. I could tell that Cadence has probably wanted to do the same for a while now. “Well, I’m sorry about my cousin. Since he is royalty, it’s quite hard for anybody to punish him for his awful attitude.”

“I can tell. Socked him in the jaw, sent him flying, and I’m willing to bet that that’s the only repercussion he’s received for being such a dick.” Cadence laughed. “He’s not even married to anybody royal ain’t he? If so, then his first name might as well be ‘Prince’ since I doubt he should even be able to legally call himself a prince.” Now Cadence was laughing even harder.

“The funny thing,” she wheezed. “His first name is, in fact, ‘Prince’.” I snorted.

“Cady! Let me know when you’re about to wander off-“ Shining Armor sat himself by his wife. “Oh hey Ray. I was wondering where the heck you went. Only saw you at the train station, and then never again,” he raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that means you’re a pretty good Changeling, eh? You’ve managed to go unnoticed for a few days… Well, Auntie Luna and Aunt Celestia have been trying to find you too, and you’re nowhere to be found.”

“If Princess Celestia can’t find me, then that’s a good thing. Throughout my first year of highschool, I’ve learnt how to go unnoticed, and I’d say I’m still pretty sharp with not being seen, eh?” I shrugged. “Seriously, I don’t know why Mother Dearest thought that I’d want to see her again. I… I seriously don’t think I can trust Princess Celestia ever again, but I will kinda admit that I miss her. I can’t see myself being friendly with her again, but I do miss being friendly with Sunbutt.

“But I’m not dying for that sorta thing again. I only really got to know Princess Celestia for what? A few days? That’s not enough time to yearn for somebody’s company.” I went to grab another fry, only to notice that my basket was now empty. Soon after, I got up, threw my basket away, and walked over to the stand that was selling fries. Five bits later, and a slightly shaky cart owner, I had a new basket. I then wandered back to Cadence and Shining Armor.

“You really like those fries, don’t you?” Shining asked.

“What can I say? They’re addictive, and probably the only thing from my… hive that I can recognize in full. Sure, Hayburgers are pretty similar to a cheeseburger, but the taste and texture is just off… too artificial. these fries kinda make me feel more at home,” I let a smile form on my face as I pulled out a pretty long fry. It's as long as my middle finger if I still had fingers or hands. “Plus it also helps with these things that are really good, so there’s that. If I ever make it home, I probably will miss these things. Half the time, most fast food joints give you old, stale fries that taste like dirt. But me, being the basic Changeling that I am, still like them because they’re fries.”

“Say, what is it like at your Hive, if you know what I mean.”

“Pretty boring, honestly. We just get taught things in the… Hive Education Division for about 12 years. It’s all a bunch of useless information, like how individual, single celled celled organisms reproduce. I’ve also got a good understanding of what the heck the length of the third, unmeasured side of a triangle. Dunno how to make friends, or how to do much else though. School sucks, but I know a bunch of fun little facts. We… ‘Changelings’ love to learn about stuff. Mostly when the thing we’re learning is presented in an interesting way.”

We then began to finish up our snacks, while we continued to chat. It turned out that Shining was a complete sports head, and had managed to explain to me what Buckball was, which was basically American Football. It was kinda impressive to see how passionate the guy was for sports, and that made me want to listen. Cadence was… actually a huge nerd, she was about to gush about some book series I’ve never heard of before she stopped herself. It’s a shame too, I would've loved to hear her Cadence talk about her favorite book series; I would have wanted to read it too.

In other words, these two were actually huge softies.

“So, Nightmare Night’s tomorrow. Do you plan on trick or treating, Ray?” I shook my head.

“I’m down to just walk around and chat. I could pass this,” I buzzed my wings and I gestured towards myself. “As a costume. If my sunglasses still fit my skull, then I’d probably also use those to help with my ‘costume’. Plus I feel… like I’m a bit too old to be doing that sorta stuff. Where I’m from, we have something pretty similar to Nightmare Night, and most Changelings stop Trick or Treating at 12… I think. I never got to go, since not every Hive celebrates Halloween.”

After an hour and a half, Cadence and Shining went off, likely to hang out with Twilight(or to make out), and I was left to my own devices again. My second basket of fries have been empty for a while now, so I threw those away, and started wandering around. Pumpkins with silly faces, bat silhouettes, and games(such as apple bobbing!) were now beginning to line the streets as I marched forward. There were a couple cartoons of Nightmare Moon, which kinda told a fun little story.

You dress up in a costume to blend in with all the beasts of the night, collect candy, and leave an offering to Nightmare Moon so that you don’t get your soul gobbled up. This tradition started up a year or two ago, the first Nightmare Night that Luna had spent in Ponyville, which… meant that Ponyville had its own special way of celebrating Nightmare Night because of Luna. That’s pretty cool if you asked me. I kept on wandering until I bumped into a tall, black, fuzzy body.

I quickly went in reverse. “Uh… I didn’t hurt you by accident did I?” The pony I had bumped into was as tall as Princess Celestia, but her entire coat was pitch black. She wore regalia that was pretty similar to Luna’s, except there was a helmet on her head, under the crown she wore. She had almost the exact same mane as Luna did, flowing with the night going through it, but it flowed a lot more rapidly. Surprisingly, her eyes were kinda like that of a reptile; black slitted pupils floating in an acid green cornia. Instead of flat teeth, this pony had… plastic fangs.

It was Nightmare Moon, or just Luna.

“What are thou doing?” The Nightmare asked.

“Luna, don’t play dumb with me. How the heck did you transform into Nightmare Moon?” I asked. “Without going batshit insane about making sure the sun never rises again? Wait, hold on, don’t answer that, it’s magic.”

Nightmare Moon grinned. “I suppose I should drop the act, but I am in the form of Nightmare Moon to… oversee the preparations of Nightmare Night. The night before all the little coats and fillies go Trick or Treat, there is a contest on who's got the best decorations on their house or shop. There isn’t a prize, just bragging rights… though there are a few ponies who think getting first place will make me kiss them on the cheek,” Luna giggled. “It won’t, however, unless that winner happens to be somepony I am interested in.”

“Y’know, you could give them a kiss as Nightmare Moon. Make a whole thing about how if the Mare on the Moon kisses you, you have three days to live or whatever… I don’t think most stallions would care though. They’d probably just go around and brag about how they got kissed by Nightmare Moon, and by extension, you.”

“I suppose that would be a motivator for some stallions in town, but I don’t want Nightmare Night decorations in Ponyville to become purely about getting a kiss from me. Then there would be no fun to be had, since every little decoration would be big, grand, and fancy… plus I think a few mares wouldn’t be happy if I were to kiss their husband, or them depending on which way they tend to buck.

“Though, I do have an interesting idea for you, Ray,” I raised an eyebrow. “Since you are a Changeling, perhaps we can have you be my little minion? There is a rumor that went around that I, as Nightmare Moon, was in league with the Changelings at one point and orchestrated the attack on Canterlot during Cadence’s wedding. Obviously that’s untrue, but it would get you into the festivities and even help Ponyville's acceptance of you.” She then smiled. “And I’ll split the candy I am offered as Nightmare Moon. I’m sure you’ll love Night Chocolate Bars.”

“How the heck did… that’s just a name for the candy, probably. Sweet mother of god, now I’m gonna question if a name genuinely means some guy managed to stick a portion of the night into chocolate! Magic is a curse!” I began to act like I was panicking. “Oh god! What if you’re just a magical air balloon? What if I-“ Nightmare Moon then holsted me in the air and laid me out on her back.

“Now my little minion, it is not wise to have a panic attack over some Night Chocolate Bars. It will make ponies think I, Nightmare Moon, have grown soft!” Luna said as she began to prance around while surprisingly keeping me on her back. “Just think, all these little ponies will bow to us, adore us and our night. May the sun never rise again as we feast on their dreams and sugar filled treats!” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a few ponies snapping photos and… somehow filming us with camcorders. Wha? I thought that was out of Equestria’s capabilities technology wise.

“Uh… your majesty? The ponies are filming us, more specifically, you prancing around like a little filly. They will think we have grown soft!” Nightmare Moon? Luna? Let out a haunting laugh as she continued. “But… then it will take them by surprise when we take the throne!”

“We? Who said you would be ruling by my side, hmm?” She asked in a surprisingly terrifying tone. “I, and I alone will rule these lands!”

“But… I’m your loyal minion, can’t I… at least be your secretary? You’ll need a nocturnal one afterall!” I was loving the looks from everybody in town. This whole scene probably looked really silly, but hopefully they all knew we were just… fooling around. Oh wait a moment! I just got Luna, as Nightmare Moon, to fool around in public! Well, that’s pretty fun… hopefully I didn’t ruin Luna’s reputation.

“You are correct, my little Changeling. Now come my minion, the night is drawing near, and so is our time to judge these ponies on how well they celebrate the moon and stars above!” Nightmare Moon let me slide off her back as we trotted down the street to get a look at what everybody was doing to decorate their homes for tomorrow night… I was actually excited about tomorrow now.

Nightmare Night

Author's Note

Gonna call Sting Ray the Changeling(aka the one working for Chrysalis ‘Sting’. And then Sting Ray the og(aka Ray) as Ray. This should hopefully help with any confusion from here and also help me with writing from their differing perspectives without confusing myself.

Nightmare Night

I walked down into the lobby of Twilight’s Castle. As it turned out, when you don’t have a costume, you tend to get finished before everybody else. I did put a fake mustache on though; I might as well put some effort in. Luna had already left to go participate in the festivities, so I was really just waiting on Twilight, Cadence, and Shining Armor. Princess Celestia had a problem with Nightmare Night(it’s a holiday that demonized her sister. Even I could understand why she’d hate this holiday), so she likely wasn’t going to join us. That’s good because tonight will go without a hitch.

Maybe next Nightmare Night, I can buy a top hat and a cane. With some grey hair dye, I could probably dress up as the Monopoly guy.

Now, on one hand, I could sit here and wait until everybody’s done getting ready for tonight, or I can walk out on my own. I don’t know why, but everybody seems to have a strong disdain for the forest nearby. Ponies call it the Everfree, and apparently you can die if you go in there. That sounds… like something I want to check out. I mean, yeah, I could die, but I also probably won’t. What’s the worst that can happen? I opened the door and walked on outside to find Luna.

I said I could go check out the Everfree forest, but didn't say I would check it out tonight. Luna said she’d love it if I were to stick by her and be her little minion for the night, so I might as well go ahead and find Luna. Anyways, I would’ve stepped outside had there not been three foals, fillies I think, standing outside with costumes, all three were vampires(with pretty well made costumes, I might add). They had baskets held in their mouths. “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us somethin-“ they paused as they finally realized who had answered the door. That didn’t stop me from giving them what they came for:

Candy!

Conveniently, by the door, sat a bowl full of the sugary treats in ‘Princess Size’, and I grabbed four pieces with my magic and kept one for myself. “Love your costum-“ the three fillies screamed and ran away before I could even finish. “Costumes. Welp, that’s cool. I guess I can’t pass off as a really good Changeling costume tonight. My ears flattened and I placed the candy back in the bowl. Well, I won’t be the one constantly handing out candy, so maybe none of this goes to waste.

“Did you scare those fillies off on purpose?” I froze as soon as I heard Princess Celestia’s voice. I slowly turned around to see the whole shabang of royals(excluding Luna), all in costumes. Cadence and Twilight were dressed as wizards with beards, Shining Armor was dressed up as… another wizard, but had huge glasses that made him look like Harry Potter. And lastly, Princess Celestia was wearing a giraffe costume. Tonight just got even better. Well, at least Princess Celestia was partaking in the holiday, even if she seemed to hate it. Maybe she was hoping to spend the night with me, but I wasn’t hoping for that.

“Boy do I love chasing off ponies that already don’t like me. All I did was open the door to go find Luna, and instantly scare off three kids which just brings a smile to my face. I can’t even show my face, on a night where you’re supposed to dress up as something scary, without chasing anybody off!” I ripped the fake mustache and sighed. I spun around and pulled the door open again. This time, I was actually going to leave the castle.

“I’ll be off now, happy Halloween!” I waved my hoof as I stepped out the door and quickly ran off. Great, just absolutely wonderful. Bold of me to assume that these people already accepted me after a week! I was still getting stared at tonight with… distaste? I can tell how you stupid ponies are feeling, at least try to hide that you don’t like me. I grumbled my way through town and crossed a bridge without even realizing where I was going. I was at the tail edge of town, getting closer and closer to a thick, dark treeline. The canopy of the trees was so thick that no moonlight could even breach it.

It looked spooky.

Turns out that I had found my way into the Everfree Forest. Well, I was hoping that I’d bump into Luna or even Time Turner, but I guess this works. This place was supposed to be scary, right? I trotted forward, not really caring if I got lost… actually that gave me an idea. I grabbed a stick with my magic and dragged it through the ground as I walked. I listen to rumors, and I heard that it’s pretty easy to get lost here. If I have a trail, then what will keep me from getting lost?

A twig snapped off to my right and my eyes immediately snapped in said direction. Another stick snapped in the opposite direction and I began to grin like an idiot. I will admit, this place was actually kinda scary, but not scary enough. This was what I was hoping for when I left Canterlot for the first time… adventure. Of course, I wasn’t going to go investigate what the heck was making that noise, but I am in a forest known for killing people. So proceeding with caution was a pretty sound idea to me... I won’t follow it though.

Who knows? If I die then nobody will notice. Sure, Luna might, but she’s immortal and royal; she can probably buy another Changeling to take care of. My eyes widened as a thing made out of wood stepped out of the brush. It kinda… looked like a wolf, but its entire body was made of pieces of wood and was held together by magic. Its… teeth looked reallt sharp, and its glowing eyes told me that it was hungry. To my surprise, it was actually kinda smaller than I was by a fair amount.

The movements of the… creature and its mannerisms were pretty similar to that of wolves. Well, a wolf that was about to kill and eat its prey. It stared me down and I had an idea… I could feed it candy and hope it goes away. I had one, tiny little candy, which looked like a fruity kind, and unwrapped it. “Hey buddy, if you’re hungry I got this for ya! Just… don’t bite my head off. I know a few people who’d like that, but I’m not one of them.”

The… I guess Wood Wold? Kept its fangs bared as it crept forward. A growl escaped its form as I tried not to look scared. If you look scared then you’ll get bodied by whatever’s hunting you. It snapped up the candy and its eyes widened. It eyed me for a moment before it started creeping forward and pinned me down. My life flashed before my eyes as I came crashing to the ground.

I was going to die.

(Luna’s POV)

I tapped my hoof on the ground as I waited for Ray to show up. Where was that little Changeling? I figured that he’d love to spend some time with me; nopony would be genuinely scared of him since they’ll just assume that he’s just got a good Changeling costume. Plus having a little minion for Nightmare Night would be a nice little change of pace, since fillies like to be scared, and Changelings were scary to them. It was an odd thing that I never fully understood, but I suppose it has been a millennium since I’ve been a filly.

I guess it was cool to be scared to death now.

It wasn’t long until the costume contest had started and Ray hadn’t shown up. Did Ray decide to not partake in the festivities? If that’s the case, then I’ll have to have a stern talk with him. Ponies aren’t going to get used to him if he holes up in his room most of the time. I would have even gotten on him for ignoring Cadence and Shining Armor had they not told me his reasoning for doing so. He didn’t want to ruin their visit with his poorly concealed hatred for my sister. Well, his absence in that department did help with my sister’s visit; it was nice just to chat with Celly without any politics involved.

Being a princess sucked for that aspect.

Tonight on Nightmare Night, myself, Twilight, and Cadence were the judges for the costume party. There was a fourth chair at the judge table, which I had specifically asked for if Ray had shown up… okay, something is wrong here. Cadence and Twilight happily trot up to me, with smiles on their faces. “Nightmare Moon! Are you ready to…” Twilight paused. “Where’s Ray? I thought he would go to you after he ran off.”

“I thought he was with either you or Cadence. I haven’t seen Ray since I left your castle and… he could be spending his time with Time Turner or Ditzy. But I doubt it, since I’m sure Ray would still seek me out if he could.” I scanned the crowd and saw that Time Turner and Ditzy were together, both had paper bags on their heads with holes cut into them so they could see. Ditzy had managed to fall into the apple bobbing bucket while Time Turner tried to help his wife out, while laughing. Ray wasn’t with them. In fact, he was nowhere in the crowd. “Do you think he finally forgave my sister?”

“Not a chance. We left Celestia at the castle, since she wanted to hand candy out. Ray was probably going to do just that, but the first fillies that showed up ran away while screaming.” Cadence paused. “He didn’t take it very well, and I’ve spoken to the same fillies that ran away from him; they thought it was just a really good prank that you or Celly made. In fact, some ponies mentioned something about somepony ‘having a really good Changeling costume’ on the way here.”

My eyes widened. “Do… so Ray did what I had done during my first Nightmare Night?” I asked. That wasn’t good, since I took everypony’s fear of me the wrong way, and it seemed like Ray spawned his own misery on this one. Just three fillies, just three children were scared of him, and he stormed off to Celestia knows where! Hopefully Ray just went to hide somewhere, likely under a bridge, since he did have some weird obsession with hiding under bridges when something goes wrong.

Unfortunately, the costume contest had begun, and I couldn’t get away in time. There were a lot of the same costumes as last year; clowns, zombies, vampires. A couple dressed up as goats, a few had Changeling costumes, and there was even an imitation of myself and my sister here or there. None of the costumes particularly wowed me, and it did make me sad that none of the Changeling costumes were actually Ray. Rainbow did have a really nice wonderbolt costume, and Pinkie dressed up as a deranged, hockey mask wearing, serial killer.

That, so far, was my favorite costume.

(Ray’s POV)

So, it turns out that a tongue made out of wood felt a lot like an actual tongue made of flesh and blood. I squirmed and laughed as the wood wolf I had just fed continued to lick the hell out of me. I grabbed onto the thing’s sides in protest as I laughed my lungs out. The canine wasn't even holding me down with all his weight, and I could probably still get up if he could. He? Am I assigning genders to what is a sentient pile of driftwood in the shape of a dog?

Yes. Yes I am, and said dog shaped pile of driftwood is my pet now. The wood wolf had no collar, no signs of ownership from anybody else, so what was the harm in keeping him? It was obvious that he was friendly… now that I bribed him with the only thing that I had on me, which could be considered food. Still, the wooden tongue bit was very weird. It was wet like a dog’s tongue, but a little rough. I got no splinters thanks to my exoskeleton, so I wasn’t complaining about this. I got to play with a dog, I always wanted to do this sorta thing.

The wood wolf got off of me, its tail was wagging and… it was smiling. Well, the way to a dog’s, and I guess wolves made out of wood, heart was something tasty. I carefully patted the thing on the head and smirked. It turned out wood wolves are covered in a light, to moderately thick coating of leaves, so it kinda felt like really some smooth fur(depending on which part of their body that you’re looking at). “So, wanna come into town with me? I doubt that one piece of candy’s enough to fill your belly, but I got access to a kitchen full of food!” The wood wolf took a moment to think over what I said, like it understood me, and nodded like a person…

This thing was already smarter than me.

Thankfully my trail in the dirt was still very visible, so we began to walk down the improvised trail, and quickly found ourselves on the edge of Ponyville. The streets were surprisingly empty, probably because of that costume contest… fuck. I forgot that I said I’d join Luna tonight! Well, that’s gonna be an earful later. The few ponies that saw me and my new pet ran away while screaming ‘timber wolf!’ So that’s what this little fella’s called! A ‘Timber Wolf’. I personally prefer what I was calling it, since it had a nice alliteration to it.

Also my name for these things is now law. As a prince, I can do that, right?

We stopped outside of a Hayburger and I had my wood wolf sit outside while I went inside. It wasn’t surprising that there were still ponies working tonight, and I was glad for it. I think a burger, that was probably made of beans, would be more nutritious for my wolf than whatever Twilight had in her fridge. Though… eggs would be pretty nice; dogs loved eggs so clearly my wolf would. I bought four burgers and got greeted by the timber wolf outside. The timber wolf greeted me like any bubbly puppy would greet its owner.

I should probably name this thing, huh? Redwood would be a cool name, most of his body did look like a bunch of red wood. Actually, the fella was about the size of a puppy that was a few months old… Did I find a pup? That would explain why this thing was so friendly; it probably didn’t know how to be mean yet. That, or it just really liked me for some reason. I did feed it some candy, and was about to feed it burgers.

I unwrapped the burgers with my magic and Redwood wolfed down two burgers, but refused to touch the third or forth. “Go on, bud, eat up! Trust me, I can go without one of these things for tonight.” Redwood shook his head and let out a whine with big eyes. With his… paw, he gestured to the burger and pawed my leg. God, why was that actually kinda cute and sweet? He wanted to make sure I wouldn’t go hungry while I was making sure he wouldn’t go hungry! I chuckled and took a bite of my burger.

“Y’know, you’re probably the nicest thing in Equestra. Aside from like… a dozen ponies, you haven’t cared about me being a Changeling, or a defective Changeling. It’s a nice feeling, and I dunno how smart you are, but I can tell that you at least understand me,” the wood wolf’s ears flattened as I set a hoof on the top of its head. If I had fingers, I’d probably be scratching it right now. Redwood could feel it when I patted him apparently, or pretended to at least. “So thank you for not killing me, firstly. And also thank you for at least being friendly with me.” I took another bite of my burger and paused in the silence.

“Wanna stay with me? It’d be nice to have somebody to care for, and not be somebody who’s being cared for. I mostly just don’t want to say goodbye to you, really.” I laughed. “God, not even an hour into meeting you and I don’t wanna say ‘bye’ to you! I’m goin’ soft.” The canine flopped himself beside me and laid his head on my side. “Coolest pet ever!” I hugged the wood wolf with one arm.

(Luna’s POV)

We were just about done with the festivities for tonight and Ray was still missing. How long has it been? A couple of hours? And Ray was likely still hiding under a bridge. It was a shame too, since I had a sizable pile of candy that I was going to split with Ray when I found him. That’s… assuming Ray hasn’t gone over the edge and took a train to Manehattan by now. Ray was apparently smart enough to know that ponies feared him, especially strangers, and knew how to utilize it to his advantage. And now Ray had an income; he could be long gone and I wouldn’t have known.

“Timber wolf!” My ears perked up as a couple ponies came running in from the outskirts of town. Now, if there was a timber wolf, it probably wouldn’t give chase into the center of Ponyville; they’re smart and vicious. They weren’t on pony levels of intelligence, but they knew they couldn’t take on a herd of ponies solo. Now, if there was more than one, if there were any at all, then that could be a problem. However, as a princess, it was my duty to help my subjects if they were in danger.

“A timber wolf you say?” I asked. Twilght, Cadence and Shining Armor stared down the pony that had run into us. I dropped the form of Nightmare Moon for my natural form; the festivities were on hold for now.

“Yeah, it just wandered into town… it seemed to be following something, but I couldn’t tell. It’s… kind of dark, so I couldn’t tell.”

“Where’s the timber wolf?” Shining asked. My nephew had gone into full guard mode, something I couldn’t help but respect. The pony pointed in the direction he had run from. The four of us ignited our horns for light, I believe Twilight knew a flashlight spell since her horn glowed the brightest, and walked in that general direction. For a while, we didn’t see anything, or anypony for that matter. It was getting late and most ponies were either asleep or celebrsting in the town center.

It didn’t take long until we came across a Hayburger, and then we spotted the timber wolf. Ray was sitting right next to it, eating a sandwich, while the timber wolf itself was leaning on his shoulder. Ray had a book held in his magic and a hoof resting on the torso of the timber wolf. The only reason I could see the Changeling was due to his eyes, which were giving off some light, and the light from the Hayburger outlining his figure.

“So… that’s the timber wolf? It looks kinda… small,” Twilight said.

“Ray found a pup, it seems,” I said as we began to approach. Ray looked up from his book and waved a hoof at me. “So this is where you have been all night? Eating a hayburger and petting a timber wolf?” I asked.

“Well, after scaring off some fillies, yeah. I wandered off without really paying attention and walked into the Everfree. The place isn’t so bad when you leave a trail,” Ray gestured towards his timber wolf. “Found this fella while wandering around. I gave him some candy and offered him food if he came with me. And… well, I have a pet wood wolf, or timber wolf, or wolf. I feel like any of those work with this guy.” My eye twitched.

“Ray, why did you walk into the Everfree to begin with? You could’ve died!” I yelled.

“Wasn’t thinking straight,” Ray said with a yawn. He didn’t seem mind the any implications of what could’ve happened to him... Ray, what the hay?

“And… How did you get out so fast? My friends and I struggle when we walk into the Everfree, and we know somepony that lives in there!” Twilight asked.

“Took a stick, stuck it in the ground. Then I dragged it through the ground with my magic. I made a trail and followed that as soon as I found something, that something being Redwood here,” Ray gestured towards the timber wolf. He named it already? “I’m not completely stupid. I heard about how easy it is to get lost in that forest, so there were two things I could’ve done. One involved a lot of yarn and the other took a stick and magic.”

“That… is actually ingenious. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Humans are great at problem solving, we don’t usually have fancy magic to solve most of our problems. When we got a problem, we either punch it, or we find some way to circumvent the problem.” I tapped my head. “I guess we’re… more creative when it comes to problem solving because of that. No offense to you guys, but it’s pretty hard to be creative when you can blast something with magic.” Ray then looked down at the timber wolf that was now asleep. He wasn’t wrong about that part. Even earth ponies and pegasi tended to be more creative than unicorns and alicorns due to them believing that they cannot use magic. And now Ray, somebody who is used to living without magic, has access to magic.

For all we know, Ray could be a stepping stone for creating new, interesting spells

“So, can I keep Redwood? He’s already agreed to letting me keep him.”

“You talked to it, like it’s another pony?” Shining Armor asked.

“Yeah, timber wolves understand English apparently. For example,” Ray patted Redwood on the side and the canine lifted his head. “Sorry about waking you up bud, but I just wanted to show this to some people. Can you understand me?” Ray asked. To mine, and everypony’s shock, the timber wolf nodded before it let out a growl. It wasn’t an aggressive one; it sounded more annoyed about its sleep being interrupted for a manner that it thought wasn’t important.

I didn’t even need to turn to Twilight to tell if she was shaking in anticipation. Now was a chance to study Changelings, humans, and timber wolf pups? The scholar part of Twilight was probably having a field day at all the potential information she could gather from an opportunity like this. I sighed and looked at Ray and noted something in his eyes I haven’t seen outside of short instances.

His eyes weren’t kind of dull, but now filled with more life than I have seen before. There was a smile on Ray’s face as he kept his focus on Redwood. Maybe this was one extra thing that this young stallion needed to keep pushing forward. Ray has made it clear that I helped him a fair amount with adjusting to what will be his life for the next few years, and now he had a pet timber wolf to take care of. This was a chance to keep Ray happy, and to keep him from potentially harming himself.

(Ray’s POV)

“I suppose we can let you keep that timber wolf… on one condition,” Luna started.

“He can’t eat anybody?” I asked.

“Precisely.”

“That’s fair. I think this fella woulda ate me for dinner if I didn’t bribe him with candy…” I glanced up at Luna. “Sorry about not joining you for Nightmare Night, but this guy fell asleep on my shoulder an hour and a half ago. Once he was asleep, I was scared of moving; and I could move, but I don’t want to,” I patted Redwood. “I don’t want to move if there’s a dog sleeping on my shoulder; I’d feel bad.” I chuckled when Redwood twitched in his sleep.

I then stood up, and lifted the timber wolf onto my back. I kept my magic going to ensure that he wouldn’t fall off. The walk to Twilight’s castle was filled with everybody filling me in on what happened at Nightmare Night’s celebration… and about how those three fillies from earlier were glad that I scared them. Apparently most Nightmare Night pranks were growing stale and I was believed to be one of Luna’s pranks… well, it’s better than being seen as a monster.

Oh great, Redwood can apparently drool! That’s gross, confusing, and fascinating all in one go!

(Sting’s POV)

I let out a small groan as I rolled out of my train’s seat first thing in the morning. I’ve been disguised as a blueish green, pegasus stallion during this whole train ride and I was bored. All for the glory of the Hive! This is what I was born for, doing whatever it takes to please the Queen, improve the Hive, and I even get to take care of a pesky deserter to boot! I couldn’t help but contain my excitement as the conductor announced that we were arriving in Ponyville.

It’s time to shine.

Two Sting Rays

(Ray’s POV)

“And that’s how I… tamed a wolf, a timber wolf.” Twilight and Luna wanted an explanation as to how the hell I managed to befriend Redwood. The looks of disbelief told me that this wasn’t a normal occurrence; that’s funny. Speaking of Redwood, the wooden canine was resting on the table beside me, eying my food. “Here ya go, lad,” I was eating a can of beans I managed to find in one of Twilight’s covers. I had my fill already, so I gave the timber wolf the rest of it. It’s weird knowing that, according to Twilight, timber wolves tend to be hyper aggressive and mean to people. Mine wasn’t a raging maniac that wanted to eat pony flesh, and if I kept it well fed, then Redwood wouldn’t turn out to be like that.

Redwood let out a haunting bark, licked my cheek, and then stuck his snout into the can. “Ray, I need to tell you just… how unheard of something like this is,” Twilight started. “I mean, you did tame a pup, but you still managed to tame a timber wolf! Nopony tried to befriend them for a reason. They’re as unpredictable and as vicious as a wolf, but are more willing to actively hunt us!” Twilight pointed at Redwood. “And you managed to tame one with a piece of candy.” The timber wolf in question let out another bark before turning back to his meal.

“Yeah. Notch said you could turn a wolf into a dog by giving one a bone. So clearly candy turns a feckin’ timber wolf into a timer dog.” I laughed as Twilight’s eye twitched, as did Luna’s. “Who knew that Lego Simulator would be a pretty accurate example of real life in a magical world with talking ponies?”

“Who the hay is Notch?” Twilight asked.

“Some Swedish guy.”

Luna smirked and began to play along. “I must meet this… Notch fellow. He seems like a smart, charming stallion.”

“You wouldn’t, actually. He’s got… an interesting outlook on how people should live their lives. He’a a damn good biologist, though.” Twilight looked ready to shove her hoof through her face at this rate.

“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to study a timber wolf, if Redwood’s willing to be touched by ponies that aren’t you.”

“Well, I’m not a pony, or a Changeling, really. I’m more of a… beetle.” With that, Redwood finished his can of beans, the can itself(what?) and had wandered on over to where Luna and Twilight were sitting. He sniffed at one of them before promptly hopping into Luna’s seat, and leaned on her. “Eureka! That also solves that issue, he’s got the heart of a golden retriever!” Luna began to pet Redwood with a small smile. My adopter and my wooden dog hit it off pretty damn good apparently.

“You know, I’m impressed,” Cadence said. Oh right, she was still here. I kinda felt bad for not noticing; I have a puppy, leave me alone!

“What?”

“Celly’s been in the room the whole time, and you haven’t so much as glared at her this morning,” I slowly turned my head to Princess Celestia, who had been eying my timber wolf the whole time. I shrugged and gestured at my wolf. She was giving it a suspicious glare, which I couldn’t actually get mad at her for. Redwood’s an animal that eats her subjects and actively hunts them; of course she’s going to be a bit on edge with one of these things in the same room as her. Thankfully, she hasn’t attacked my wolf yet, and if she did… well, I can’t really stop her, she was probably capable of killing me in a couple nanoseconds. Let’s just say, if Redwood gets killed by Mother Dearest, then I simply won’t speak to her again

“What can I say? Dogs, back where I’m from, are called ‘Man’s Best Friend’ for a reason. Got that little bugger to play tug of war with my old gym socks, and I plan on buying some toys for him. Redwood’s my… I guess timber dog now, so I’ve been giving him a lot of my focus…” I glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was a solid half hour before I needed to meet up with Ditzy to help her with the mail. “Oi, Luna.” Luna then glanced up from Redwood. The sight was simply hilarious:

Redwood was now lying on his back, belly up, while Luna was out of her chair. She had her hoof on the canine’s belly before she had moved it back onto the ground with a cough.

“Yes Ray?” Luna asked. This is a sight that made me grin like an idiot.

“Well, I was gonna ask if you could look after Redwood for me, but you two clearly aren’t getting along…”

“I’ll look after him, even if I do not like him.” Luna glared at Redwood, who gave an equally convincing glare back, which just looked hilarious given his current situation. “I hate you, timber wolf,” Luna injected. With that, Redwood rolled on his back and licked the old mare on the nose! “That is it. Sister, I am mobilizing the guard, and I am going to burn the Everfree down!” Both me and Princess Celestia chuckled before I slid out of my chair.

“Welp, I’ll be back in a few hours,” I waved at Cadence and Shining Armor. “Yo, if you two head home before I’m back, safe travels!” I then bowed to Princess Celestia. “And I hope you’ll enjoy the train ride back to Canterlot. See you soon, on a very distant day in the next 3 years!” I spun on a dime(still kinda cool that I can do that now), and headed towards the exit to start my day of, possibly questionable, mail delivery.

“Ray?” I turned around after hearing Princess Celestia’s voice.

“I would like to apologize for taking your backpack without your permission. I should have asked you if I could, but I thought you would have been back in Canterlot after you were released from the hospital.” How the fuck did Princess Celestia get over here so quick? She extended her hoof. “You might not be able to see past what I have done to you, and I cannot blame you for that, but can we look past this one mishap?” The solar princess asked.

“Y’know what? It’s pretty petty of me to keep being pissy at you over a backpack. We’ll say this little thing never happened… and maybe one day I can look past that other thing you did. One day, but not today,” I took the Princesses' hoof. It may not be perfect, but at least this lady was taking a good step in the right direction. “Cya around, Celestia,” I turned and went for the door again. Wait, I just… dropped the formal shit. Welp, if I forgive Celestia in a week, then I’ve definitely grown way too soft. This was the same woman that had ruined at least 3 years of my life, and all of a sudden there was a possibility that I could forgive her.

I mean, if I end up going back to Canterlot, then I wouldn’t mind. Redwood and I combined, could probably make the snobbish men of that uptight city, shit themselves in public. It’ll be hilarious… nobody will try to kill my wolf when I’m not looking, right? Well, if somebody does, there will be hell to pay. Anywho, I already made it out of Twilight’s Castle, and began to trot down the street towards mine and Ditzy’s shared mail route.

I coulda sworn I saw a small smile on Celestia’s face before I left the dining room.

(Sting’s POV)

“A caramel latte, with two pumps of low fat goat milk and extra sugar. And a bit of chocolate mixed in.” I ordered from a small cafe. I was in a simple disguise; a brown earth pony with a dark brown mane. While I’m waiting around to find this rogue Changeling, I might as well enjoy myself with some coffee. Back at the Hive, coffee was a myth, a legend. A drink that can not only keep you energized, but also taste pretty good with the right stuff? Count me in! I want some of that in this instance!

It dawned on me that, before entering this cafe, I had no idea what ponies added into their coffee(or how to order coffee to begin with). So I just listened into what most of the ponies in line ordered, and then proceeded to order a weird mix of everything that other customers said. I paid for the drink with bits provided for my mission, and went to wait by the counter for my order. Before I could blink, a nice, steaming cup was given to me, and I was off on my way.

I hobbled out to a table located just outside of the coffee shop, sat down, and began to sip my drink. My heart fluttered a bit when my taste buds tasted this wonderful concoction. Dear Chrysalis, if this is what ponies get to have on a daily basis, then this mission was going to be a piece of cake. All I had to do was act like another drone and drink coffee? Some of the Changelings in the Hive Mind felt what I tasted and asked if I could smuggle some coffee back home after the mission.

Well, that’s another pony to foalnap. I’m going to kidnap one of the ponies that were working in the coffee shop… coffee in exchange for us Changelings not eating them alive… we wouldn’t actually do that, but it does get ponies to cooperate. Seriously, most of us Changelings just want some love for our magic, and some food. We’ll go far for those two things, but killing and eating ponies wouldn’t work… that’s just cruel.

In fact, there’s a few stories of defective Changelings going off and starting families with ponies. They’re terrible stories(why leave the Hive? We have everything anybug could want or need!), but they do sound nice… having love and affection from your spouse, your children, all of that sounded nice. The Hive’s wellbeing and improvement, sounded far, far nicer though. The Hive over the individual, even if I believe what I am doing is wrong, as a Changeling, I follow the orders of the Beautiful, Glorious Queen Chrysalis. For the Hive!

I watched the street vigilantly as ponies walked up and down it, going about their days, and that’s when I caught a glimpse. A Changeling, who was probably 15. Was walking beside a cyan pegasus mare with a cream-colored mane. Both of them had saddle bags which were filled with mail… the drone actually looked happy as he walked beside his presumed friend. There’s my target… and my cup is empty already. Dangit.

“And so, like, this one time, I found myself hanging from a tree. I was completely hungover, and my head was pounding. My ol’ mate was laying flat on the ground beneath me, and had six bottles surrounding him. It turns out we were supposed to be on a camping trip and we got drunk halfway into the first day… Can you cut me down please?” The Changeling was talking with an accent I’ve never heard before, but something I can replicate using magic.

“Ray, how do you come up with those stories?” The pegasus asked.

“I dunno, I just ramble whenever I feel like being an idiot. That story is… kinda based on a true story. Me and my best friend used to get drunk all the time in the woods. Then I… left my Hive.” Wow, this guy sucked at lying, he paused to think of something convincing, which would’ve taken any other Changeling two seconds. Even I can, and I’m not trained to be a scout. So Ray likely wasn’t defective, he’s just useless; a problem for the Hive. After a few hours, both Changeling and pegasus parted ways, and now it was time to strike.

With one Knockout Spell, the teenaged drone was unconscious, and was dragged into an alleyway. Were these ponies blind? I just kidnapped a Changeling, that said ponies seem to like, and nobody bats an eye when he topples onto the ground like that? Wow, these ponies must be lying to this poor fella’s face. That’s what ponies do, they make it seem like they love you and cherish, and then they simply lack the emotions required to care for somebody else beyond the bare minimum. Ponies were just love bags, nothing more. I magicked up my map and started dragging the drone to the rendezvous point.

“Excellent work, Sting,” I knew that voice. Queen Chrysalis was seated at the rendezvous point, which was right outside of the Everfree; nopony would dare get this close to this Chrysalis forsaken forest. I hear it’s so bad in that stupid forest, that even a pony princess could get themselves killed by whatever the heck lived in there. “You know what the remainder of your mission is, go fulfill it. I shall take care of our little prisoner from here.”

I saluted the Queen and shrunk to match the size of the unconscious Changeling, down to the hole positions in his legs(one of the main ways to distinguish drones), and smirked. The Queen nodded, giving her approval of my disguise, and teleported away with Ray, my apparent doppelganger, with her. Good riddance; rogues deserved to be tortured during a long, brutal questioning period by the Queen. I spun around and began making my way to an address that Queen Chrysalis provided during the training for my mission…

Okay, this mission is no longer a piece of cake. The address was a castle, not just any castle, but the renowned Castle of Friendship. I arrived by the time the sun was setting, which surprised me a little. Sweet Carapace, days in the pony world go too fast. Or it's because I now have the Sun to gauge how long the day’s been going on for. I steeled my nerves as I magicked open the doors and waltzed in. This mission really did just get much harder than what I thought it would be, seriously.

This is the home to Twilight Sparkle, who had so easily seen through Queen Chrysalis’s disguise at the invasion, and I was supposed to be living here? Well, depending on how close this princess was with my target, would make things either harder or easier to do. I walked around for a bit, and eventually found a door with a cartoon drawing of a Changeling with Sting ‘Ray’ written out under it. Did these ponies know my… nevermind, my target and I share names. Fortunately, Chrysalis assured me that me and my double act very similarly, and she knows her drones better than her drones know themselves. So if I just act how I do, then I won’t be caught, and the Hive claims another victory against Equestria.

I walked into the room that was now mine, and found a box with a set of cards in it. I quickly looked through the deck and found it kind of weird. Instead of a little artistic design on one side, and a number on the other, each one was labeled with “Uno” and then a number. A few had a couple weird symbols and each card was colored in a certain color with four to choose from. Red, green, blue, and yellow seem to be the main thing. There were a few black cards that I had no idea as to what they meant. What a weird deck of cards… How would you play poker with these?

On the ground in the middle of a room is a sock. It smelled like somebug had been sweating a little in it, and also like something slobbered all over it at the same time. It was also shaped in a really weird way, like it wasn’t designed to fit a pony of Changeling… Why would a Changeling need a sock in this shape? Maybe it was like a stocking that everypony uses for Hearth’s Warming, but that wouldn’t explain the slobber.

“Ray, are you back from doing your mailrun? You’re usually back way earlier…” What was that voice? That didn’t sound like Princess Twilight Sparkle… it sounded a bit like Princess Luna. “I am giving Redwood back to you, he knows you’re back, and wants to see you!” The door swung open, and there she was, the Lunar Princess… This mission just gets harder and harder the deeper I get into this. Like, seriously, why is Princess Luna here? She’ll gut me once she finds out… For the Hive!

“Yeah… sorry about that, your highness. Had a lot of extra mail, y’know how ponies are with the obsessive amount of mail they send to each other.”

“I suppose… Why are you speaking with your accent? You usually suppress it, unless you’re mad and no longer care about your current situation, or you’re telling a joke. Did somepony get mad at you when you delivered their mail?” Princess Luna was radiating… well, emotions of genuine concern. How close was this Princess with my target?

“No Princess, I’m fine. I’m just tired.” The princess raised an eyebrow before shrugging. “I’ll go ahead and hit the hay again, so if you don’t mind…”

“Hold it, you still haven’t gotten your timber wolf back.”

What?

A timber wolf pup hopped and skipped into the room, before stopping dead in its tracks, and it growled at me. I took a step back, fearing what this little monster would do to me. “Uh…” okay, what the actual Hive was this Changeling drone? He had connections with at least two princesses, possibly a third with Princess Celestia, and fourth with Princess Twilight being the sister in law of Princess Cadence. This same drone is a mailpony, has an accent I've never heard before(and nobug in the Hive Mind has heard before), and he has a pet timber wolf? Boy was my work cut out for me, but I will persevere, if not myself but…

… For the Hive!

(Luna’s POV)

I tilted my head for a moment as I watched Ray and Redwood stare each other down. That’s odd, since the two of them were best pals this morning. I walked into these two snuggled up on Ray’s bed last night, and now Redwood hated his owner? It can’t be because Ray left him with me, Redwood was smart enough to comprehend that Ray would be back, and that Ray had something that needed doing. And now Redwood was staring at this new Changeling, like it was his new greatest enemy.

Perhaps it could be with how Ray was acting. Ray’s accent was bolder than usual, but he claims to not be mad. Currently, he’s a shivering mess, and Ray used… ‘everypony’ instead of ‘everyone’. Ray even called me ‘princess’, which he almost never does unless we’re having friendly banter. Or when he hated my guts a couple weeks ago. Was Ray mad at me again? No, that wouldn’t explain the nervous shaking. Also, ‘you’re majesty’ and ‘your highness’ have never, ever left Ray’s mouth even before my sister and I adopted him. Also if Ray were mad at me, he’d be swearing like a sailor in the days of old, when ponies relied on ships to transport resources.

“Uh… hey there, nice timber wolf,” and… okay, something is up.

“Ray, did you hit your head while delivering the mail? How do you not remember your dog’s name…” an idea flickered and I grinned. With my magic, I gathered everypony within the castle, which just included Twilight, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, and even my sister into Ray’s room. All of them blinked before turning to me in confusion. “Everypony, Ray has a card game that he showed me a while ago. I think it’s been a while since we’ve played, so I wanted you all to join.”

I grabbed the deck of Uno cards, the wretched little things, and began to shuffle them with my magic. “I believe my mind is a bit rusty on the rules, but I believe it is seven cards a player.” Everypony took a seat around the coffee table in Ray’s room, and I began to distribute cards until each pony had 7. “Now Ray, what do we do from here?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I… uh. I don’t know.”

“How the heck don’t you know how to play this game? Didn’t you manage to beat Luna so much that she declared war on Changelings?” Spike asked.

“To be clear, I got skipped over several times, and then drew 10 cards thanks to Ray’s terrible instructions…” My eyes slowly drifted to Ray with the stink eye. “We take a card from the top of the deck, and begin to play cards.” I did as I said. I know I was being vague with the rules, but there was a reason for this:

Ray would be able to immediately tell me the rules of this game if I forgot. He did manage to teach me and Queen Chrysalis(the damned witch) how to play within 5 minutes of introducing us to Uno. Perhaps once the actual Ray is reclaimed, then he could be a teacher.

“Blue six. You may only play blue cards, or sixes,” I instructed everypony. By Ray's turn, he placed down a skip.

“So what does that do?” He asked. His accent was still as thick as it was when he returned from his job. He scratched his head, awkwardly chuckled. “Do I… go again?”

I then grabbed ‘Ray’ with my magic and slammed him into the nearest wall. His cards left his magical grasp(which looked sturdier than Ray’s normal, stuttery hold), scattering across the room. “Drop the disguise, Changeling. What did you do with Ray?” Everypony looked at me in shock, and Tia then moved to try and get me to let go of the doppelgänger. Even ‘Ray’ looked surprised at my sudden outburst. “You, you stupid foal, have not done your research before kidnapping my friend, have you? If you did, then you’d be so much harder to detect.

“Ray cherishes Uno, as it is one of the few things he has left that reminds him of home. And you expect me to believe you are my Changeling? You have made many mistakes, and your next breath will be your last unless you do two things: undisguise and tell me where the fuck is Ray.” In an instance, the disguise dropped, and the doppelgänger had bright, yellow eyes(probably because he was scared out of his mind. Twilight managed to make a mostly complete color code chart for Changeling eyes), and I could tell he was taller than Ray and a little more physically mature than Ray was. “Go on.”

“I-I don’t know where your stupid Changeling is! Queen Chrysalis took him, and is probably torturing him as we speak!” The false Ray said. I snarled, and slammed the Changeling into the wall.

“Tell me where your Queen is, and I might let you live,” I demanded.

“She's probably back at the Hive by now, but I’m not telling you where that-“ I slammed the Changeling into the wall again, and he must’ve bumped his head; he was knocked out. “Sister, I believe we need to assemble a search party.” I turned to leave the room. “And Twilight, keep our… guest locked up and question him further once he awakens.”

“Luna, wait!” I turned to Celestia.

“We… I don’t think a search party would be very helpful, my sister. Nopony has ever seen the Hive, and those who have likely been killed long before they could spread word of its location. If this imposter has been telling the truth about Ray’s whereabouts, then Ray is long gone, especially if Chrysalis has him. I doubt a Changeling drone could teleport very far without growing tired, but a Changeling Queen can and will be able to teleport great distances without issue. We simply can’t track Ray down.” That… was a good point. “Worry not, I will retrieve Shining Armor, as he can be quite the intimidating interrogator, and when this Changeling wakes up, then he will be questioned.”

“I would like this Changeling beheaded the moment he is no longer useful to us,” I growled.

“Lulu, I know you are upset about Ray’s kidnapping, but we cannot do that. Execution has been put out of practice at least 500 years ago, and is illegal to do now. Especially to foreign citizens. We will keep him imprisoned for a millennium if you’d like.”

“That will do.”

Author's Note

I was originally going to go with a more long-run sorta thing with this little ‘arc’ where it lasts a few chapters. Instead, I’ve got something juicier planned(hopefully it’s interesting).

Ray Retrieved

Well… this was an interesting turn around. One moment, I am walking back to Twilight’s castle after a really quick mail run, to waking up in a cave. The cave was sealed off with… prison bars and had a small cot for me to lay on. There wasn’t a sink or toilet, so that’s pretty cool, I’m in jail again. Did I accidentally kick a toddler on a mailrun? Did somebody think I stole a paycheck that was in the mail? Did I kill somebody while I was sleeping?

Maybe keeping a Timberwolf was illegal.

There were… two Changelings, both wearing helmets, and seemed to be my guards. Well, I wasn’t in Canterlot, or maybe Twilight just had a couple Changeling guards as pets? No, that wasn’t likely, I would’ve known. “Yo, how’s it going fellow Changelings? Can I ask why you guys stuck me in jail? Did I call Queen Chrysalis ugly by accident?” I asked. Neither guard paid heed to me, so I was left hanging, to guess what the fuck was happening.

“Ah, Ray. I was wondering when that knock out spell would wear off,” that voice. It was Chrysalis. “First, I would like to apologize for imprisoning you, but this is rather necessary. I can’t have you run back to Ponyville, or else I would lose my leverage,” she said calmly. I blinked a couple times and tilted my head as the Queen revealed herself. “Well, I won’t harm you, but there is a score I would like to settle with the Sunbutt and Moonbutt. I hope you understand.

“And if neither of them notice that you are missing, then I will simply keep you. I have always wanted to raise my own drone, you may be a teenager, but I can still claim you as my own. As for where we are, we are in the Hive, welcome!” Chrysalis said in a cheerful tone. “So, how are things going, Ray?” You sack of shite, Chrysalis. I groaned and shut my mouth before I swore at a lady who could decapitate me in mere moments.

“What is with all you old women? First, The goddess of the Fucking Sun locks me up in an alien world? Goddess of the Moon then treats me like I am her child, and then her sibling. And now you, Queen, you kidnap me and stick me in a cage?” I facepalmed. “So you’re angry with Celestia, and you mean to tell me that I’m a crucial piece of your master plan?” I yell. “Like feckin’ hell, if you hate Celestia that much, why not teleport into her bedroom and slit her throat?” I asked.

“That… I could’ve done that?” Chrysalis asked.

“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” I sighed. “You have a vendetta against the princesses,” Chrysalis nodded. “And it didn’t occur to you that you could’ve killed any of them in their sleep?” I took a moment to call myself down. “Actually, if you do end up trying to kill the rulers of Equestria, can you leave Luna alone? I kinda wanna keep her. She’s like that older sister I never had, and she’s pretty nice,” I said.

“Well, I could kill Moonbutt in her sleep, but where is the fun if I don’t cut your head off in front of her?” Chrysalis asked. “I’ll even let you two go on about how romantically in love you two are to each other before I do it too. Then it will be even sweeter to see Princess Luna, Mare of Dusk, the Nightmare Moon cry when I kick your head aside, Ray.” Now Chrysalis’s voice sounded dark and cold, completely void of the motherly feel it had when she wasn’t threatening my life.

Fuck it, I’m probably gonna die, so I might as well crack a few jokes before then.

“Well, wouldn’t that be a cool rumor? Princess Luna, the prestigious Princess of the night… in love with a Changeling? That sounds like a fun love story.” I grinned. “I wonder…” actually, that would be a bit crude, wouldn’t it? To wonder how your adoptive sister or brother did in bed. That… would be almost as fucked up as trying to date people you’re actually related to, as in ‘from the same mother’ related. Also, I don’t think I’d want to sleep with Luna.

“Sleeping with Luna is quite fun though,” Chrysalis looked slightly jarred by that. “I mean, Luna does make for a really, really nice pillow. Great cuddles, and she comes with preinstalled blankets, also known as a pair of wings,” I was having too much fun with this. Chrysalis was now beginning to look kind of confused.

“I never knew you enjoyed the company of that old hag so much. Is it common back where you come from… to mate with your adoptive mother?” Chrysalis asked. The coldness in her voice dropped. Oh Chryssy, you stupid, stupid bug. Wait, how did this lady coordinate a kidnapping on me, but not get that I was being sarcastic? Was Queen Chrysalis really dumb, or could she not tell that I was using some dry sarcasm. Changelings can feel what other Changelings are feeling, right?

“Well, yeah. It’s kinda common, but it’s more common for us humans to try and mate with our biological mothers. Helps keep the bloodline nice, pure, and 100% Ray Family Line blood. It’s also helpful for growing a third arm, being born an eye short, and being riddled with health problems… we could solve this issue by not mating with our immediate family, but we gotta keep the Ray Family Tree very close and tight knit, y’know?” Chrysalis’s eye twitched a couple times.

(Queen Chrysalis’s POV)

Okay… what the heck. Ray was now talking about humans, which I’m assuming was what he was before he ended up in Equestria. What kind of creatures were those things? Mating with their own mother? The worst part was, I couldn’t tell if Ray was joking or not. With how Ray wasn’t completely a Changeling, I figured I could sense his emotions, but I couldn’t. Just like how Changelings are with each other.

We can’t sense the emotions of our fellow Changelings.

Maybe keeping Ray is a bad idea, and if Sting manages to not get caught while replacing Ray, I’ll just kill Ray. He has the mind of a human, who was holding a perfectly straight face while talking about how he would mate with his mother, and possibly Princess Luna, his adoptive mother! If I keep him, he’ll end up staring at my flank for all the wrong reasons, and…

Okay, I hope Sting gets found. At least Equestria will be free from this disgusting creature, and I’ll be ruler of Equestria too! Before another word could leave this wretched being’s mouth, I turned and headed towards the exit. I needed to lay down and possibly chug one of the bottles of wine I stole from the Princess’s wine cellar… Sunbutt’s security sucked.

Why didn’t I just go and do what Ray suggested? Kill an alicorn in their sleep. It was pretty easy to do, after all. Instead, now I get this little brat, who before I knew about his preferences on mates, wasn’t all that bad to be around. It really didn’t help that Changeling drones had cold, near-lifeless eyes, which were usually void of emotion because of how little individuality I gave them. Ray also had those near lifeless eyes, but there seemed to be… a bit of a glimmer to them, while also being slightly off in color. That… was a bit odd, they were a normal shade of blue a moment ago.

Well, I might as well mobilize a small army and bring Ray, I might as well put my original plan into use.

(Luna’s POV)

I glared at the unconscious Changeling as he began to stir, this little drone, this fiend, is responsible for Ray’s disappearance. “Urgh… what hit me?” The Changeling asked, now fully conscious, even if he was a bit dazed from hitting his head. He had been out for the entire night. My eyes began to droop a little, as I entirely skipped out on one of my power naps to make sure to be around when he had awoken, but a nice, large pot of coffee kept me from outright falling unconscious. My sister had failed in retrieving Shining Armor, as turning an entire train around was impractical and completely ruined the complex railway system Equestria had in place.

So now I must wait for Princess Celestia, as she was well trained in the art of interrogation, or was better at it than myself. My methods… were rather blunt to put it lightly, and my attempts at interrogation, especially while I am as angry as I am right now, can result in a Changeling shaped hole in the wall, and a dead Changeling. The Changeling found himself unable to move his limbs, wings, or even use magic as he was entirely bound up and had a magic limiting ring on his horn. He raised his head and turned to me, eyes wide in alarm… They were now orange.

Well, that was another Changeling eye Color Code, or CCC for short, that Twilight would be delighted to know about.

“Greetings… may I know your name, or would you prefer being called ‘Pest’ for the remainder of your imprisonment. The Changeling remained silent for a few moments. Before opening his mouth.

“My name is… Sting Ray, just call me Sting,” he answered. So either this drone was convinced that he could still easily deceive me, or this was our universe’s equivalent of Ray, which was very likely. I’ll play along for now, Pest.

“Now we must wait for my sister to come.” On que, Celestia teleported into the room, wings flared, and she had a slight frown on her face. Like myself, she was a little angry about Ray going missing, as she did actually care about him(much to Ray’s firm belief that she didn’t), and would also like to have our Changeling retrieved as soon as possible. “So sister, has Twilight retrieved any other information on Changelings beyond what information we could gather on Ray?” I asked.

“Unfortunately not, Changelings were only legends before the Canterlot Invasion, which truly confirmed they existed. In a sense, they would be quite similar to what Ray would describe as Bigfoot before that event; elusive, hard to prove they exist, and had plenty of witnesses. Unlike what Ray has said about Bigfoot, Changelings are very much real… even if the Sasquatches matched a very similar appearance to what Ray described of his home’s cryptids.” My sister then turned to our prisoner with a warm smile. “Now, I believe we have much to discuss…”

“His name is Sting Ray.”

(Sting’s POV)

“This is Queen Chrysalis speaking, Sting Ray, if you have been caught, tell the Princesses of my location. I am currently on my way to Ponyville with a small army of soldiers and the drone you have captured. Tell Sunbutt and Moonbutt, or just Starbutt to meet me by the Town Hall, alone, and if they do not heed to this demand, their Changeling will die on the spot,” Queen Chrysalis rang through the Hive Mind. I responded with a quick mental ‘yes ma'am’ and turned my attention to Princess Celestia.

“So, Sting Ray, may I know of any personal interests, hobbies, family that you may have?” Sunbutt asked. What kind of interrogation tactic was that? Being nice and friendly? I could even feel a sliver of friendship being sent my way, which… felt so different from Moonbutt’s initial interrogation of me when she found out that I had replaced Ray. “Well? Are you going to give me the silent treatment? That would be quite rude, Mr. Sting.”

“Chrysalis has your stupid Changeling, she’s coming here, to Ponyville, with the defective drone. She wants you and Moobutt to come to the Town Hall, with no guards, alone. No Elements of Harmony, no weapons. Just you both alone. And… Ray will be beheaded if you do not meet those demands,” I said before shrugging. “That is what the Queen has told me to say, and… I have served my purpose to the Hive. Feel free to execute me if you wish,” I closed my eyes and waited for anticipation of a sharp pain, a cold feeling, anything really.

A yellow flash occurred, and my eyes flicked open. Before me was Starbutt, looking somewhat confused, with large bags under her eyes, being instructed to keep an eye on me. The Royal Sisters then gave their regards to Starbutt, and walked out the doors of my… prison, wings flared. Queen Chrysalis is going to flatten them and suck the life from their dead bodies. Well, now Starbutt will be watching me, that will be fun… she was a nice shade of purple at least, way more pleasant to look at than the white coat of Sunbutt, or the dark blue coat of Moonbutt.

(Ray’s POV)

You know, being bound up by ropes, and being suspended in the air before a crowd, in front of Ponyville's Town Hall wasn’t too uncomfortable. Sure, there was a Changeling Queen, and a Changeling soldier with a hatchet standing nearby, but this was a rather pleasant feeling. I felt… like a burrito, even if I would prefer to have that feeling of ‘burrito’ while wrapped in a bunch of blankets during the winter. Well, at least I managed to work the ways of the dirty human mind onto Queen Chrysalis, and now she gave me a disgusted look whenever she looked at me.

Hey, if I was gonna die, I might as well spite her and ruin her brain.

“Y’know, you could’ve not kidnapped me, and we could’ve been best friends,” I said to the Queen as she glared at me. “I mean, you weren’t too shabby for a bug standing about… what? 6ft tall, that could easily pop my head off like a bottle cap. You’re actually kinda… pleasant to be around when you aren’t trying to use me to take some petty revenge on a couple of alicorns. The whole ‘take over Equestria and burn the Princesses’ bodies at the stake’ thing is a major turn off to many stallions who might’ve given you a chance. Apparently long legs are attractive to ponies, and you got pretty long legs. Somebody might have courted you if it weren’t for that.

“Actually, somebody would still try to date you, people are weird. Some people are into evil overlords, with how much Adolf Hitler… art there is, somebody out there would like to have you as a girlfriend.” Queen Chrysalis’s eye twitched a couple times, before she glared at me even harder than usual. There was even a flick of… realization in those eyes before the glare. What a shame, I coulda sworn I saw a pony or two check Chrysalis’ flank out. One of them wasn’t a stallion.

“Shut it, drone. You will be beheaded by midnight,” the Queen threatened.

“Hey now, a bug that’s nearly a thousand years old can still find love. Celly’s nearly thirteen hundred years old, and I see her eying a few stallions. Apple Jack’s brother seems to catch her eye the most… though I think that poor bastard’s gonna have some problems later with a couple alicorns. Luna stared at the fella for a good 10 seconds while he was bucking apples. Who knows? Maybe a certain Changeling Queen would like a big, strong stallion. Changeling and Pony hybrids are pretty good for taking over the world, y’know.”

The crowd then began to part ways as two very distinctive manes made their way through it. There they were, Princess Celestia, and Luna were now standing at the forefront of the crowd, and looked pretty angry. Well, Luna did(she was literally fuming smoke, I could smell it from here), while Celestia looked more calm and collected. But in a way that screamed ‘I will kick your ass, Chrysalis’ kinda way. Maybe I should give that old mare another shot, she did come to save my head from being cut off by a psychotic bug lady that may or may not remind me of a certain angry mustache model. Oh hey! Derpy was in the crowd a couple of yards away from the princesses, and she was smiling.

I stuck my leg out from the ropes and gave a wave to her. “Hey Ditzy!” She waved back… huh, Time Turner was missing. That’s probably not a good sign, but whatever. Time Turner was a time traveler after all, and was probably visiting the future or some shit. “So how was mail running today?” I shouted back, before Queen Chrysalis slapped me in the face… ouch, that’s a nose bleed right there.

Apparently during the whole time I was spacing out, Queen Chrysalis was making her demands about being handed the throne of Equestria, and I get to live in exchange. Now that was rude, I wasn’t worth the throne, or anything really. Well, according to most of the ponies in the crowd; I was just a Changeling, who cared if I got killed, right? Well, Ditzy might, but she didn’t look too concerned. It was like she had something in mind, like she knew how this might play out. “Yo Tia, Luna, don’t follow through on this bug’s demands. I could go without a head honestly. It’ll keep that feeling out, the one of being homesick!” That was met with another smack on the head.

“He’s right! That drone isn’t worth a damn! For all we know, it’s not even Ray!” Somebody shouted. “If it is Ray, then who cares? He’s just a Changeling!” ouchie, well, good thing I’m just waiting for my head to get cut off. You ponies could’ve at least pretended to care, and not act like the whole friendliness thing wasn’t an act. I can sense your emotions, assholes. Hey, what’s that whistling… Why is there a spinning blue box in the sky? “Yo, Chrysalis, you might want to move the drones that aren’t inside the-”

(Celestia’s POV)

My jaw hit the floor as I watched a blue box, whistle through the air, and slam into the Town Hall. I have… never seen that thing before, not in a thousand years, or anything like what had just happened here. I watched a wall eyed pegasus break away from the crowd during the distraction and cut Ray free. In a couple of moments, the two were lost in the crowd, while the blue box remained stuck wedged into one of the walls it had crashed through. Queen Chrysalis blinked a couple times, now covered in dust from the rubble, before turning to where Ray previously was. “Where in the hay did Ray go?” She said, before one of the doors for the blue box opened.

“Hello! Sorry about the crash landing, I always struggled with flying this thing,” a brown coated, messy maned stallion poked his head out of the blue box. I must say, he was dashing, perhaps I could get his name and send him a letter of appreciation for what he had done… and my desire to make dinner plans with him. “Well, if you excuse me, I will be off!” the stallion sunk back into his… flying machine, and the blue box had managed to free itself from the wall it was stuck in, and it dashed off at light speed… towards the Everfree.

“Why does Doctor Time Turner have a flying machine?” Luna asked. Wait… as in the same doctor that treated Ray when he ran into a wall. Phooey, he had a wife… Well, I could always ask the doctor’s wife if she would be okay with starting a herd… oh right, Queen Chrysalis, I didn’t take my medicine today apparently. I quickly seized the Queen with my magic, tying her up in magical chains, while Luna quickly put the Changeling soldiers to sleep. “Don’t worry, my sister, we’ll have this bug locked up for centuries,” Luna nodded before trying to find out where that pegasus and Ray went.

(Ray’s POV)

“So… this is the perk of being married to a time traveler?” I asked Ditzy as we walked through the empty streets of Ponyville(apparently everybody was gathered at the town hall).

“Yup, The Doctor told me to remain calm and smile, which… was kind of hard to do. He said he had a plan, which didn’t sound good since he didn’t tell me, Time Turner is going to get an earful for that. That stupid stallion, thinking it would be a good idea to crash the TARDIS into town hall?” She grumbled. “Well, at least you’re safe, Ray. How were you not scared to death, while being a hostage to Queen Chrysalis.”

My accent was thick. “Well, you see, I knew I was probably gonna die. So me, being the spiteful drone that I am, refused to look scared. Kinda accepted my fate yeah? Anyways, I spent the remainder of that time poisoning Queen Chrysalis’s brain with horrible, horrible ideas. Even got her to glare at me even harder by the time I got free!” I pointed at my nose. “And I got a nosebleed, so that… is pretty cool… Wait, how do you know Chrysalis’s name?” Suddenly, I found myself being hugged, and I blinked a couple times. Time Turner was hugging me… wasn’t he just in a time machine?

“Glad to see you’re doing fine, mate. So, how’d you like my distraction?” Why did Time Turner sound British all of a sudden?

“Derpy hated it, I thought it was pretty cool.” The Doctor then turned to his wife.

“No cuddles for a week,” Ditzy said, if she had arms, she would have them crossed by now.

With that, Time Turner fell to his knees and gave a Darth Vader styled ‘No!” while screaming to the heavens.

“And no home baked muffins!” Ditzy added. This resulted in the ‘No!’ getting louder.

The Doctor then got up, cleared his throat, and patted me on the back. “So lad, I say it’s time we get you back to Princess Luna before she…” I never got to hear him finish, since the Moon Princess tackled me at full speed, and held me in a very, very tight hug… My rib cage hurts now.

“Thank the Stars above that you are okay, Ray!” she shouted with the Canterlot Royal Voice. Great, now my ears are going to need some therapy after this. Luna then giggled, while blushing, realizing what she just did before regaining composure. “My apologies, Ray. I was just excited to have you back, did Queen Chrysalis harm you while you were imprisoned?” She asked. She released me from her bear hug.

“Nah, I scarred her for life though, so being kidnapped was worth it…” I chuckled. My focus then turned to behind Luna, and sitting like a cat, was Celestia… she was staring at the Doctor for a bit, before she realized I was looking at her. “Hey Celestia, Time Turner’s wife is right here, y’know,” I said. Well, Ditzy wasn’t paying attention, she was still going off on the list of punishments the Doctor would get for crashing his time machine into town hall for a distraction.

“You didn’t call me Princess?” Princess Celestia asked.

“I mean, would you prefer that? At this point, my brain’s so dead from what the fuck is going on, that being friendly with you wouldn’t be too bad. Heck, we could actually be friends again,” I said, my accent now nice and loose.

“Okay, what have you done with the real Ray? You suppress that accent of yours most of the time,” Luna said.

“Eh, I dunno what you’re talkin’ boot, mate,” I laughed when Luna blinked a couple times at my take at Canadian. “But… it’s probably from defaulting to that for the last… holy fuck it’s been a whole day since I’ve been kidnapped. Anyways, I was so busy just being ready to get my head chopped off, that I kinda stopped caring about that. Also, now I’m back in Ponyville with a bunch of pals, might as well go loose with the accent.”

“Well, let’s get you into a bath first, Ray. you smell like a burnt bird,” Luna holstered me up on my back, and left the arguing, married couple of Ditzy and Time Turner behind… Celestia slipped a letter into the doctor’s mane while he wasn’t paying attention, and quickly caught up to me and Luna.

The Queen and the Mane Six

I found myself sitting in the middle of a strange cavern, being surrounded with what looked like a bunch of mes, Changelings, surrounding me on all sides. Wasn’t I supposed to be sitting in my bedroom in Canterlot? Well, this did feel like a dream even if it was very realistic. Suddenly, a shadowy figure slammed into the ground before me, which looked as tall as Celestia did, crouching with its acid green eyes locked on me. I almost shrunk back under its gaze. The thing opened its mouth to speak and I could see rwzor sharp fangs.

“So you’re the one I sensed,” it said. Well, not it, that would be rude. This was a woman. “A little Changeling that is quite unlike the others. A little Changeling that is far too young to be so far from its hive… so alone as well. You’re not connected to the Hive Mind either; I can’t hear your thoughts. But I do know your name, what is a queen if she doesn’t know each of her subjects’ names.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I asked. I really wasn’t looking forward to whoever this was. Actually, this is just a dream, this lady can’t do anything to me. That’s if she was real to begin with.

“Well, that’s just rude to assume that I am not real, Ray. I’ve been keeping my eye on you since you’ve entered this world. But as for who I am, I suppose you are long overdue with meeting your queen,” the woman said. The shadows dissipated and what stood amazed me. What stood before me was a tall, slender Changeling. Her acid, green, slit eyes were now round and were friendly looking. She had a long main and tail, which were semi translucent and had a few holes in them. Her legs had holes as well, and her wings were almost as big as Celetisa’s.

On her forehead stood, long, jagged horn that ended in a sharp point. Behind that horn was a black crown, which was probably a little too small for her head. Either it was my new Changeling body, but I found her beautiful. Sure, she was kinda creepy looking, but she looked regal as well. There was also a certain way she was carrying herself which made her look more elegant. If I were a normal Changeling, I’d probably be head over heels for her.

The Changeling giggled. “I do appreciate your view of me, even if you cannot truly admire me with your other worldly mind. But let’s get introductions out of the way. I am Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. The very queen brought Princess Celestia to her knees…” Chrysalis cleared her throat. “Well, that’s not something to be proud of. I was running on a love fueled power trip. Me and my Changelings have moved on from such brutish ways of gathering love, and those days of wishing to take over Equestria are over.

“But I am here to speak with you, Ray. Or Sting, whichever you prefer. And yes, I know you prefer being called by your last name, and I shall respect your wishes. I plan on infiltrating Canterlot Castle by the time for you to wake up, as I do wish to meet you in the flesh. After all, a child like you shouldn’t be left unattended!” Chrysalis then placed a hoof on my shoulder.

“So I’m lucidly dreaming, and you invaded my brain?” I asked.

“Well, being able to enter dreams is not exclusive to Princess Luna. I can invade my subjects’ brains while they slumber, but only my subjects. As for why, I’m not fully sure, but I do know what they are thinking whilst I am in their mind. Don’t worry, you’re not being mind controlled, it is far from legal to do to another Changeling. Do you have any questions for me, young Ray?” I tilted my head in thought.

“Wait, couldn’t you just know what I’m thinking and answer as such?”

“Don’t be silly, I am not that invasive. I do dig through immediate thoughts as I have proven, but I do respect your privacy. Since while you are a Changeling, your mind is not like one, and I highly doubt you’d enjoy it if I were to scour through every single brain cell that you have. So, for those questions? It would help me later when I arrive,” she said.

“Well, the first thing I wanna know is… how do you know I’m not from here?”

“I can sense every Changeling in Equestria. You’ve just appeared out of nowhere, and I can suddenly feel you, but you’re quite different. Your mind is a very foreign feeling, almost otherworldly as you can say.” Chrysalis giggled. “And I can feel how you are suffering internally, I know you’re not of this world simply because of the nature of me being a queen. Anything else?”

“You’re a queen, right? So does that mean you’re… a bit of an expert on the biology of Changelings? If so, can you tell me what my body’s age is?” I asked.

“Of course I am! You’re a Changeling drone, or a male, that’s 14 years, 3 months, 2 weeks, 2 days old. You’re quite healthy as well, your carapace is strong, shiny and black as it should be. Your actual colors will show once you grow up, but don’t expect a drastic change in your complexion. Your wings and horn are a bit small for your age, but that’s fine. You should be fully grown in six years, or more exactly, 5 years and 9 months. Your brain also does seem to have an issue with retaining attention, but I wouldn’t call it… ADHD as you seem to call it.”

Queen Chrysalis then crouched down before me, down to my height, and smirked. “Well, it is time for you to wake up. I’m sure Luna wouldn’t be happy to see me messing with her newly adoptive son. You see, after the invasion of Canterlot… we Changelings haven’t shown our faces. Some of my hive even suggested trying to integrate into pony society, but ponies have rather strong opinions on Changelings. In other words, if Luna sees me here, then she’ll get the bug spray! Well Ray, see you at dinner!”

I shot up from my bed and looked around for a couple of seconds. That has to either be a really realistic dream, or I should expect to have my dreams invaded by two people now. Whatever it was, I didn't really care. If that was really Queen Chrysalis, then I should be weary… she seemed a little too nice. Then again, I did pretty much meet her? Was that the right word?

“Ray!” It was Princess Luna. “It is time for dinner,” she announced. With that, I picked myself up, dragged myself out of bed, and trotted to the door. I pushed the door open with my head, which was surprisingly easy, and stepped out. Luna seemed to have forgotten her crown and necklace, but she had chosen to just wear a simple… summer dress? Ponies wear dresses? Well, I shouldn't question it. It’s not like I can really judge what people(or ponies) can wear.

Also this world was already full of enough stuff to make my head spin.

“So, how was your nap?” Luna asked.

“Can’t you see what I was dreaming?”

“Well, I can. Mostly during the night, when more ponies are asleep. I have caught a glimpse of your dream, though. Queen Chrysalis decided to pay you a visit, yes?” I nodded. “What did she discuss? You woke up just as I entered your dream.”

“Well, she was just welcoming me to Equestria I guess? She was being pretty nice, and gave me a rather… insightful description of my new body. Got my age down to how many years, months, weeks, and days I’ve been alive. She even said that I was pretty healthy and that my wings and horn were small for my age. So of course I had to be a bit of a runt when I got my new body, but whatever. She said something about showing up tonight.”

“Well, if she tries anything, then she will be sorry.”

As we talked, the halls slowly began to resemble the usual aesthetic of Canterlot. It was almost like the castle was built with Celestia’s colors in mind. That then gave me a new question. “Say Luna, are you and Celestia seen as goddesses?” I asked. I mean, it would make sense that two immortal beings capable of lifting and lowering two celestial bodies were seen as gods. Heck, in my world there’d be a religion made out of stuff like this.

“Well, in a sense, yes. Phrases have been used such as ‘what in Celestia’s name?’”

“Well, that sounds like ‘what in god’s name’ from my world. So that’s pretty cool. I’m surprised there are no churches worshiping your sister at this point,” I said. Luna just giggled, and that got me confused.

“There are some cults that worship me and my sister. Even a couple phrases such as ‘by Luna’s left leg’ have been made in my honor. Though it is quite clear that my sister is still our subject’s favorite… though I have seen some rather egregious things said about me. From rather interesting comments made about my rear end and legs, to ponies saying that they’d marry me. Some news anchors have even said that I am more attractive than my sister for some reason,” Luna shrugged. “It’s quite strange, but stallions will be stallions.”

“And I’m not even a pony, so I guess I can’t really question how your subjects see you, but there is something comparable,” I said. Luna raised an eyebrow. “I… suppose there are quite a number of people that are really popular in my world. They make music, act out in movies, whatever, really. The main thing is that they’re usually pretty famous. Despite there being potentially more attractive people out there, it’s usually the famous people that are the standard of attractiveness… what I’m trying to get at, is maybe you’re just everybody’s standard of beauty.

“I mean, you’ve got a pretty mane and your fur’s a nice color, but that’s all my human brain can say or think. I’ve got no clue what the hell you ponies find attractive about each other, but maybe there’s just something about you that your sister lacks in appearance…? God dammit, I’ve been having too many shower thoughts outside of the shower,” I groaned.

“Shower thoughts?”

“Pretty much, I think a little deeply into things. Usually that happens in the shower, hence the name. I dunno how deep I was going with that, but my brain was beginning to hurt towards the end of whatever the hell spewed out of my jaws,” I said.

“Well, you did make a solid point, so I will give you that,” Luna smirked. “Maybe that just means you’re a deep thinker. We could use more of those in the castle, in all honesty. We could also use less pesky alicorns, I mean, there's a hundred of us in this castle right now. Having to deal with Celly is trouble enough. And now I have to deal with this dumb mare named Luna…” that elicited a chuckle out of me.

“Well, you’ll have to find Deep Thoughts Ray, or DTR, some other time. We’re closed almost all week, and only open for five minutes of the week at random! Come by if you want to hear an idiot spew nonsense, that not even we have an idea as to what’s being said. Tune in next week for when I accidently talk about how fucked up the world is!” Luna giggled at my little spill! I chuckled a bit as well. Maybe that’s a thing I can do.

I could give people happiness that I can no longer find. Even if it’s for a few short moments, then I’m glad I could make somebody laugh.

We stopped at some random set of double doors. “This is the dining hall. Usually it’s only me, Celly, Mrs. Board, and from now on, you will be here. Though in the half of the day that we slept away, Princess Celestia may have sent out a letter to a few ponies. As we figured it would be best that we acquaint you with six of the most important mares in Equestria. They should know about you now, instead of at a later date where time is crucial.”

“So, expect to be called an ‘it’ again?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. Don’t worry, if they begin to show aggression, which is very unlikely, then I will step in. No harm shall come to you if I am in your presence, my friend,” Princess Luna magicked open the doors. I stepped in and my jaw almost hit the floor. In the dining hall was a long table, where Celestia was currently sitting. Each wall had a set of windows which had tapestries of some sort. Each window told a story, but that wasn’t what grabbed my attention.

The room, or hall, was actually pretty underwhelming. Sure, it was a pretty, fancy room, but it wasn’t very grand looking. The ceiling was pretty low down, and there wasn’t even a chandelier. Just a few hanging lights, a table, and a bunch of chairs. In the corner was a stack of chairs, likely for when there were guests over. Speaking of guests, there were six ponies in the room.

There was a purple one, with a main that wss a dark shade of purple, with a pink streak in it. I couldn’t see her, or any of the other ponies present, Cutie Mark so I didn’t bother checking. The purple one had a horn and wings like Celestia and Luna. No crown though, but that didn’t matter. There was a cyan one with a rainbow mane and tail, and she looked in really good shape. A pegasus. There was a white unicorn with a curly, purple main, and she had a decent amount of makeup on. There was another pegasus aside from the cyan one. She had a cream colored coat, with a pink mane and tail. The last two had no horns or wings. One had a cowboy hat on and was orange, and the other was pink.

What did I just walk into? Why didn’t I just let Princess Luna walk in first? My concerns only grew when all six of them turned to the doors, and by extension, me! “Changeling!” The cyan one was up like a bolt. Before I could even react, I was pinned on the ground, and the rainbow maned pony was standing on top of me. “How did you get in the castle? And where’s your damned queen? I know she’s nearby!”

“Rainbow, do you recall why I called you and your friends here? I believe Twilight Sparkle filled you five in before coming, correct?” Princess Celestia said.

“Yeah, she said that you and Luna adopted somepony. We’re still waiting on them to show up, and instead we got this Changeling here… it probably has Princess Luna under mind control! It walked right past her and she didn’t do anything about it!” Rainbow asked. She then grew into a thoughtful frown before her eyes widened. “You didn’t adopt a Changeling, did you?” She asked.

“Ray, you don’t need to hide your origins from these six. They know about humans,” Luna said. “Also Ms. Rainbow Dash, please get off of my son, or I will remove you myself-“

“Hey Rainbow, Sting Ray at your service! Yes, I do look like a Changeling, excellent observation. Unfortunately, I am only a Changeling in body, as I have the mind of a human being! I guess I’m a prince now, so I can add that to my ‘long’ list of accomplishments and talents. Right next to not even being able to get up properly! Anyways, feel free to keep me pinned to the ground, it’s really fun. I like having my new wings be crushed under mine, and some crazy lady’s weight!” I let out a sigh in relief once Rainbow removed her hooves off my chest. Oxygen! How I missed you!

“So let me get this straight… you're a human?” Rainbow asked.

“Yup.”

“And you’re now a Changeling?” The orange one asked.

“Yup, I’m glad for it too. I even get the right of being called an ‘it’ by my good friend Board over there. Hey Board!” I waved at the stupid horse that was sitting next to Celestia. “I also got quite the stir after recovering from the fact that I am, in fact, a bug horse. The Princess of Love stuck me in the dungeons, how lovely!” I grinned. “And now I can’t show my face to anybody other than Celestia or Luna present!” I laughed like a madman. “It’s awesome by the way. Now I can ask ‘will I get through today without immediately being decapitated by somebody?’”

I trotted over to a chair and sat down in it. Each pony in the room was eyeballing me, especially the purple one. Assuming she had wings and a horn, I assumed this was Princess Twilight. “Anyways, how are you ladies doing? Great evening ain’t it?” My accent began to itch its way back into my voice as I’ve stopped having a reason to care. I was already certain that the rest of my day would suck.

“My my, this is a nice little dinner party being thrown in Ray’s honor, mind if I join in?” A familiar voice crept through the walls. Celestia, Luna, and everybody present looked on edge while I sat in confusion. What the heck is going on? Well, my question was answered when I looked up, and saw a female Changeling hanging from the ceiling. “After all, it would be rude to keep the Queen of Changelings from meeting a subject of hers, yes?”

“Queen Chrysalis, how did you get in here?” Twilight asked as her horn and wings flared up. The other alicorns in the room followed her example.

“Why my dear, I simply teleported in. Don’t worry, I’m not here looking for trouble,” Chrysalis smiled, took a chair in her magic, and placed it beside me. The queen then sat down on it, and rested her head on a hoof. She gave me a toothy smile. “Ah Ray, it is good to finally meet you in the flesh. How are you?” She asked. I scratched the back of my head and shrugged.

“Well, I got tackled as soon as I walked in here,” I said with a casual wave of my hoof. “It’s now a crime for me to exist!”

“Oh, I love that feeling. Especially when-“

“What do you want with Ray, Chrysalis?” Princess Luna asked. “For all we know, you could be deceiving him, and then kidnap that poor child. I wouldn’t put it above you doing that, if not because you want to, but to try and jab at me and Celestia,” Princess Luna said. “And if you do attempt to kidnap him-“

“Yeah yeah Moonbutt, you’ll hunt me down and torture me. Believe it or not, I have changed since we’ve last met… I do wish that our nations can reach peace in the future. I can admit when I am in the wrong, and wish to make myself better in the future. Trying to ruin somebody’s wedding was a horrible way to steal love, but I was desperate. I merely wish to stop by and give Ray some coaching on his transformation magic. I can’t imagine that he’d like to be cooped up in his room all day, moping about, can he?”

I shrugged. “I honestly don’t care that much. I’m mainly just… seeing how I’ll like this world. If I like it, then I’ll keep on going. If not, then… I dunno. I’ll probably find some nice, tall cliff in Canterlot; it’s on a mountain after all. And then see if my new wings can be useful at all, without any prior testing. I’m sure it’ll be a nice, fun trip if they don't, however.” Queen Chrysalis looked genuinely dejected after my little admittance. “Then I won’t have to worry about going home anytime soon. Like I was gonna be able to anyway.”

“But…” suddenly Princess Twilight and Celestia were teleported outside of the room.

(Twilight’s P.O.V)

I blinked a couple times when Celestia teleported me outside of the dining hall for a quick second. “Twilight, do not mention that Ray can still return home. We have one more day while the gateway to his world is active. We cannot deny how useful Ray is currently, and as such, we shouldn’t tell him that he still has a chance to go home.” That sounded so… wrong. Was this the same Celestia that mentored me? The kind, just ruler who would put a single subject over her own life? My mentor’s expression told me that she was dead serious in her resolve.

“But… doesn’t Ray have family back at home? It’s wrong to keep them separate, Princess.”

“I know, but we can learn so much about humans and Changelings all in one go. And it’s not like we can trust Ray to keep his mouth shut when we send him back, and we can’t block out his memories of this world. The spell will wear off eventually, and then he will tell his world of our portal. Thirty moons from now with his world knowing of ours… could spell disaster for Equestria. For now, let’s remain quiet about this, okay?”

I nodded. The reasoning did make some sense, but I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about this. “Is Princess Luna in on this?”

“She sort of is, but only on the part of adopting Ray. It seems like she and our little human friend quickly became acquainted with one another, so that should keep Ray busy while we study his body and study how humans operate. You may have some information, but it is very limited due to how short your visits to the human world have been.

“But it is important that we do not tell Ray of the possibility of him returning home, so please do not tell him.”

“I won’t tell Ray,” I said with a tinge of guilt.

We both entered the room and what we saw shocked us both. Queen Chrysalis had Ray in a headlock, while the drone had a huge grin on his face. “That is for your crude sense of humor, Ray. You should know not to make a joke in front of this many mares!” She said… It felt weird to hear Queen Chrysalis when she isn’t sounding like a cold, calculating monster with conquest in mind. Maybe it has to do with how young Ray seemed, and that was kicking in some maternal instincts within the Changeling Queen.

“All I said was-“ Ray’s mouth was shut by dark blue magic.

“Do not repeat it, Ray. It would be far worse if you were to say what you said in front of three princesses instead of just a Changeling Queen and myself.” Princess Luna scolded. She was smirking, as it seemed that she and Chrysalis had forgone their differences for the night.

Ray shrugged. “Well, that just sucks. I can’t tell that other joke I wanted to tell.”

“Tell us!” Rainbow said.

“Do not! We are about to eat, and such crude humor is horrid, Ray.”

“Fair enough, don’t wanna make you lose your lunch. I wouldn’t want to have to ‘regurgitate’ that joke once it’s old and dying in my noggin, eh mate?” I cringed at Ray’s terrible pun. I was kind of shocked at how well Ray had adjusted to my friends, managed to get Chrysalis to actually be friendly, and was perfectly fine with said queen resting her chin on the back of his head. It was like a mother holding their child.

The food was quickly served after… whatever Ray said. It was a really nice salad, with dandelions, lettuce, tomatoes, and even some bell peppers thrown in. Despite being offered to have a proper kitchen staff in my castle, I just never felt the need to. I grew up enjoying stuff like Hayburger, so I doubted I’d need a gourmet salad to be thrown together every night. Some cheap, salty fast food was considered premium to me, after all. Plus I have Spike, you don’t need kitchen staff when you have a Spike!

“So like, this one time I was about to head to school right? And like, I realized that I left my bag that I left three hours late, and was mildly panicking. So I grabbed my backpack, tossed it on the ground, and just started burning it. Like, by the time I was done, the bag was a pile of ashes. Then I looked at the time on my phone and like, I realized it was a holiday and I just burnt my five page book report.” Ray seemed to be telling some… nonsensical story while everypony was engrossed in it.

“How did you manage to burn your backpack? Do you know fire magic?” Queen Chrysalis asked.

“Nope. I think I stole a lighter from my dad, or my backpack just set itself ablaze because my science fair volcano was also in my backpack, which had my dad’s lighter in it. Boy did I fail both my english and science classes that year, but it was totally worth it. I spent three days in jail for arson!” Ray’s voice was now thick with an accent I’ve never heard before.

“You’ve had quite a childhood, Ray,” Princess Luna chimed in.

“Boy did I!” The Changeling said cheerfully. I watched as Ray’s expression turned into a smile, like he was remembering something, before it slowly turned into a frown and his ears flattened. Surprisingly Queen Chrysalis was the first to act, and began to rock Ray back and forth like a baby….

I felt terrible.

Author's Note

Fun gamer fact: I was gonna originally use Queen Chrysalis as a villain and decided against it. Since in writing, many things can be a villain, from depression *wink* to society. Anyways, I had this fun little twist idea in the end and went. “That could lead to a fun scene later down the line!